3/27/2014

3/27/14                                                Cable Gap Shelter

I seem to either A) forget to write or B) become too tired to write. the 25th I left the NOC a little later than expected. I got breakfast and had no motivation to pack. I figured that I could finish the chapter to my audiobook (Divergent) and then pack and go... About 3 chapters later I wake up at 12:10 and am like 'shit, I need to leave!' It was nice and sunny albeit a bit windy as I left. As I climbed it started flurrying. But at first I figured it may have just been shook off the trees but then it started actually started snowing. As I got to one high up large ridgeline it started snowing really decently. Halfway across it started really coming down. Literally sideways. I had never experienced a sideways blizzard, much less hiking in it; with shorts and my base layer. I did have my beanie on but I couldn't really stop without getting snow on everything. Snow drifts up to my knees made me really hate cold weather. Lost the trail, found it again, and miraculously made it to the first shelter. Not 16, just 7ish; to Sassafras Gap Shelter.

That night it got down to the single digits, too. The sleeping bad I have is a 30 degree bag; with the liner maybe 18ish degrees. But that night I kept waking up freezing. I managed to take a picture from the shelter that afternoon with snow everywhere. I woke up to the sunrise feeling like utter shit. I was nauseous and dizzy and still freezing. I couldn't/didn't want to move cause I was so cold. As I got back into my sleeping bad a couple that were leaving the shelter that morning were like, "oh we're leaving out sleeping bag here if you want it" "hell yeah!" I thought. I ended up wrapping their bag around mine, finally getting arm enough to pass out. I woke up a few hours later thinking, "I need to zero here. I still can't/don't wanna move." I was literally a day after already zeroing but I didn't care. It was either that or get off the trail. Another guy (Caveman) also zeroed and a few more people did eventually show up. That was the 25th.

This morning I woke up feeling much better and pushed 15.2 miles, 5 miles out from Fontana. Got here dehydrated as hell but still made a personal best. Today was fairly uneventful save for a small amount of Trail Magic for lunch. Met a couple (Deer and Doe) who literally stopped at the gap I was at on a whim. Got a coke, some trail mix and some moon pies for lunch. Actually I lied. the trail was slightly eventful. I had to climb "Jacobs ladder". You looked straight up the mountain, "you gotta be kidding me...." I basically was walking at 45 degrees because the path got that steep. (Editor: Insert picture of crazy mountain and stick figure here) Literally straight up the mountain. HOLY SHIT most difficult climb of my life. Supposed to rain tomorrow, but going to try to split a hotel/motel room with Lynx and Wrong Way.

5 miles in the rain, woohoo... least it isn't snow. Screw snow.

- Sam