Into the Wild

Saturday, 3/18/2006 11pm

Tomorrow I start. I am quiet and anxious about the whole thing.


Sunday, 3/19/2006 330pm

Today at noon I hiked the 9/10ths of a mile from USFS Road 42 (where Leah dropped me off) to the peak of Springer mountain where I signed my first registrar and met "many sleeps". I then re-walked the 9/10ths north on the trail for 2.5 miles to Stover Creek Shelter. I am sitting in front of the fire, awaiting an inch of rain tonight. I have no idea right now why I am doing this, but for now I am content just to be in the woods. I doubt I will sleep much tonight.


Monday, 3/20/2006 930pm

I am lying in a sleeping bag, on a pad, in a tent, on a picnic table inside Gouche Mountain Shelter. There are about 26 people at the shelter, on the floor in the shelter, in the crawlspace under the shelter, in tents around the shelter- or in my case, in a tent on the table. Under me is Natty Bo, a guy from Maryland. It can't be comfortable sleeping in the dirt.

So much for solitude. I can't wait until it starts thinning out in the next few weeks.

My first night last night didn't go well. I hardly slept. I just sat awake listening to a medley of snores mocking my sleeplessness. I eventually got up and sat next to the fire and thought about hiking and how much I liked my thick socks. They are trekking socks, made of wool. My sleeping bag is not warm enough. I fell asleep around 3am and dreamt of bears and women. Not in the same dream though, they were separate dreams. I awoke at 530 and got an early start down the trail for my first day of hiking. I soon found myself in a sea of Rhododendrons in the fog, with beams of lights shining through. My first day of hiking had started. I hiked fast, and stiff, and made it to Hawk Mtn Shelter by 9am (thats 5 miles) There was a swarm of hikers headed to Gouche Shelter (the next one) becuase of the rain, so I picked up the pace to try and catch a spot there. I am not so sure now why I was so eager to sleep in the shelter (it is much better to tent in almost all circumstances) but I hadn't realized this yet. Me, Natty Bo, and Brave Friend hiked fast the 7 miles to the shelter only to find the only spot was on top of the picnic table. At least we don't stink yet. I was extremely exhausted as I am extremely out of shape, it will be two weeks before I will be in good hiking shape. I am already dying for a cold Hefelwiezen with a fat orange wedge.


Tuesday 3/21/2006 9pm

Such glory this morning struggling up the mountain to suddenly find the fog clearing and to see endless blue mountains in every direction. The air was so crisp from the rain, and the white frost beneath my boots crunched with each labored step.

My pack is 50 pounds. Way too much weight.

I woke this morning depraved. I had slept very little on the picnic table. I felt better after some black tea and instant oatmeal. Later today while taking a break to filter some water from a spring, I met Tech One and Kick Flame. They are from Louisville, about my age, and we ended up hiking to together for the rest of the day. Snow is falling outside my tent now (I am 10 yards from Woods Hole Shelter) but I am tired so I will definitely sleep tonight.


Wednesday 3/22/2006 10pm

I am showered, my clothes are laundered, and a mattress is under my body! Neels Gap is a little hostel/outfitter right on the trail. All of this for $15. Last night I froze in the snow so I woke around 530am determined to make a fire in the freezing dark. All the tinder was wet and frozen, so I fiddled with sticks and my lighter for about 20 minutes, when Bo came out of the shelter and stared at me. "W-w-w-hat are you d-d-oing?" he asked me. "M-m-aking a fire" I replied (this last syllable was up-inflected). After several more minutes of fumbling with wet sticks with numb hands he came out with a Nalgene bottle full of a clear solution which was pretty much jet fuel for his stove. Very flammable stuff. So I put a stack of wet sticks in the pit and emptied the container on and looked at him slyly. Oh yeah baby, this will burn. So I take out my lighter and it seems almost a split second before I even flick it a burst of flames 15 feet in the air explodes and burning sticks lie everywhere. Oh yeah baby, warmth. We laughed and threw more and more sticks till the fire raged and we took off our boots and gloves and in my case, my pants, and we got really really warm by the fire. The downside of the whole experience is everything I own smells of campfire.

The hostel is nice. Fellow hikers mock my cleanliness (i have hairgel, cologne, deodorant etc) but man I look good when I goto town. I want to be as clean as possible. I greased my hair back back and combed it with scented pomade. I put on a clean T-shirt and pants and fresh crisp underwear, then hitched into town. The man in the truck who picked me up (Tech one was with me) was a blue collar type of fellow. We told him we hoped to get to town and get some beer and wings and he related to us that the town was dry. Suddenly he took a turn and said "Y'all don't mind if I make a little stop, do ya?" and we pulled up to a questionable looking residence from which were walking pierced rednecks with beer in their hands, apparently getting ready to drive. Our driver got out and shouted "HEY HANK, YOUS ANY BEER IN THERE?" and sticks his head back in and says "Hank's an alcoholic, bless his heart. Alcholics always got beer." He then ran into the house and returned with two beers. "YOU DONT MIND BUD-LIGHT?" We accepted and stuck them in our pockets. In town I bought supplies and also the book Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse.

Thats my story for now.


Thursday 3/23/2006 7pm

Finally I am getting into shape. Hiked 12 miles from Neel's Gap talking to Kick flame most of the way. Tech one was having knee problems.

It's snowing now at Low Gap Shelter. There's a nice little crowd here today: Supersize who has a 70 pound pack, Irish from Ireland, Tech One and Kickflame, and some folks from the Northeast. I have a liner for my sleeping bag, so we will see how warm my bag is tonight.


Friday 3/24/2006 7pm

Rocky the Bear Cub.

I woke cold today at the shelter. I had some tea, instant grits, and limped over to the creek to get water. I've been twisting my bad ankle and its beginning to swell. I sloshed miserably on the rocky trail for 7 miles to Blue Mountain where I had lunch consisting of Top Ramen asian noodles, 4 granola bars, and some dried fruit. At the top of Blue Mountain after lunch I saw a black dog drinking some water. I walked up and lightly grazed its black fur with my hand to see its face turn and look at me and I suddenly got a face full of bear. It had a brown snout and round ears, and was quite skinny for a bear. I stood very still for about thirty seconds or so while I waited for an angry mother bear. She didn't come immediately, so I whipped out my 6" sheath knife (generously donated from Anthony) to battle the momma bear to the death. If I should succeed in battle, I would skin the bear of course and have a fine meal of bear meat as well as a new fur coat. I looked extensively but there was no mother bear in sight. I cautiously kept hiking past the bear cub. The cub curiously followed me, and it was then that I realized the bear was emaciated and obviously an orphan and starving. I dropped some dried fruit for it (dont tell anyone) and it ate it earnestly. I spent about an hour with bear cub and named him Rocky. I limped up another mountain or so when I found a fine bald mountaintop to set up camp. I sat in the grassy clearing and ate my dinner as I watched the sun in the sky and massaged my calves. And 18 year old kid comes around the bend cursing and I find out he has been hiking for two weeks. Thats slow. He sets up camp next to me in a hammock and as I lie here can hear him shivering.

I hope Rocky is okay.