Today’s one of a kind:
Synopsis, a lot of repeating:
I was dropped
me off a mile from the trail head. It was just above freezing. I had walked
this very trail 20+ years ago. I remembered it as a ridge walk, sorta level
along the ridge, Sherry did too! BUT in fact it was rocky and uphill. LOL I had
figured the walk at 20 minutes. It was nearly an hour. I knew then it was going
to be tough.
In reality I
only hiked 17 miles on the AT in 3 days.
I climbed about 5 or 6 small mountains, a total of about 3500 feet.
I have never understood anyone ‘getting lost on the
AT’; I did it three times. I had a pack pedometer it reads almost 60,000 steps,
about 28 miles.
I figured I
cost myself 7 or 8 miles in those lost miles. The one that HURT bad, was
leaving Hawk mountain shelter, I missed the AT and climbed up Hawk Mt. That is straight
up practically. After a while there was a sign “This is NOT the AT!” HONEST.
I stood there and said out loud, ”Then why didn’t you post this back
down there where I got on it.” I about
cried, but I just laughed out loud saying, “You are a dumb OLD man!” LOL I turned and walked back down.
I mentioned this
before. On one mountain I was trying to reach the next shelter. I was stopping
every 25-40 feet to lean on a tree. I was beat, took off my pack and lay down
in the frost. I actually went to sleep. I got up and walked the wrong direction
5 or 6 miles. I came to a cemetery. Could
there be two similar cemeteries on the trail? I checked the closest tombstone,
then realized it was the one I had passed earlier. So I pitched the tent, it was getting dark.
We had a
friend who got frost bite on the trail in late fall, I also worried about that.
I moved around and shook a lot in the sleeping bag. I shook harder than I was
shivering just to try to stay warm LOL.
Any way I
thought I could do it, even though the consensus of family and friends was, ‘It
will be too cold you cannot do it.’
Truly it was
at least 10 degrees lower than I expected. BUT I had to try.
Most of all
I hated that my wife and son drove so far to deliver and retrieve me, they were
great.
I did tell
her if I EVER mentioned this again to just shoot me! LOL
Nite Shipslog
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6 comments:
Are you saying that they came and got you? That's okay. I bet you did better than any of your friends could do here. I would make a block. Good luck.
You're still a rock star, Jack. I'll bet your own bed never felt so good. Not to mention, your sweetheart.
Don’t beat yourself over it. I admire your will to achieve. I’m sure Sherry was glad you turned in. You inspire me with your walking stories and I still want to do it one day.
Lisa
Don't be so hard on yourself, you've done better than most of us would. Give yourself a pat on the back.
I agree you get an A for effort. Not many of us would even attempt doing that. I never camped in a tent and never wanted to. I only wanted a warm camper. My idea of a hike these days is walking through the grocery store. No mountains there. I even have trouble going up the smallest incline. You go Jack and thanks for sharing.
I'm Proud of you ! More courageous than I, You gave it your "Best Shot" and at least tried. Gary
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