Date: 2004-04-20
From: Low Gap Shelter

To: Social Connections 
Miles today: 14.9

I am realizing that hiking the Appalachian Trail is a contradiction of sorts. It is a solitary endeavor for a solo hiker, yet at the same time, there is a camaraderie that develops between most hikers. I will explain this in a moment. First off, my sleep deprivation continues. I can't pin down the cause of this. Is it the slight but aggravating slant in the ground? Often, it is hard to find a level place upon which to sleep. Is it climbing into a sleeping bag with a skuzzy feeling on my skin from an accumulation of dried up sweat? Sometimes I take a sponge bath; that helps. Is it lying in a down sleeping bag and feeling hot, then trying to cool off by opening the zipper, only to feel cold from the outside air? Is it those strange noises in the woods? Is it the lack of a decent pillow? Maybe it's the body's reaction to this sudden infusion of exercise and stress. Several other hikers have also experienced difficulty catching Z's.Today, the first several miles of hiking was a breeze. For much of the way, the trail hugged the sides of the mountains rather than crossing over the summits. Unfortunately, during this prime stretch, I was fighting off a sensation of drowsiness attributable to my sleeping problems.At water sources like streams or drips, hikers often stop to rest and refill their water bottles. Today, at several such locations, I met up with the teenage thru hikers Libby and Dorothy from Colorado. I keep mixing up their names. Which one is Libby and which one is Dorothy? From now on, I am going to call them "Team Oz." The name Dorothy reminds me of the movie "The Wizard of Oz."Olivia (from the first night) was another person I encountered during breaks. Typically, during a break, I would chat with them for a few minutes until one of us, or Team Oz as a twosome, would resume hiking. At the moment, Dave (from the original night) is one day ahead. Olivia is hiking at a similar pace. Chris is probably one day behind, having chosen to take a side hike to Brasstown Bald Mountain, the highest spot in Georgia. John is one day back. Joe Piss Cutter is probably 1/2 day back. There are other hikers that I am becoming acquainted with. I will mention them in future entries. My concern about hiking to Maine without much companionship appears to have been unfounded. It appears that I can hike at my own pace, often alone, but still enjoy the benefits of companionship at water points and at shelters. Several hikers have expressed to me this same sentiment. But what will happen further up the trail when people spread further apart and possibly drop out?As a point of clarification: I often describe my destinations by the names of shelters. But I don't actually sleep in them. Instead, I camp near them.   I stopped for lunch at Blue Mountain Shelter. Olivia showed up several minutes later. There, I left a message in the guest book, which is a spiral notebook. The message was a greeting to Joe Piss Cutter, who I estimate is 1/2 day behind me, and to John. I have been told that hikers use these registers to keep in touch with each other as they spread out along the trail. During the afternoon, Olivia crossed a road and found a can of Coke which had been intentionally placed there by an anonymous person. These deliberate acts of kindness, I am told, are part of the scene here on the Appalachian Trail.Later in the day, I made two especially hard ascents up Rocky Mountain and Tray Mountain. It was reminiscent of that brutal climb up Sassafras Mountain a few days ago.I arrived at the shelter at Tray Mountain shortly before it got dark out. This is a high elevation, wind swept site, so I sought a place slightly down slope to erect my tarp. I pitched it in a clear spot within an belt of brushes and thorns. I chose this spot not only to avoid the wind, but to lie upon a soft bed of fallen leaves. All too often, the flat spots near shelters consist of hardened dirt. Tonight, my tee pee style tarp is supported by a hefty stick, about seven feet tall, plus some guy lines staked into the ground.Today was easy at first then finished with much difficulty. That spring in my step seems to have disappeared for a while. Now, if only I can get some decent sleep...