Date: 2004-04-11
From: Brown Frok Gap Shelter

To: Fontana Dam Visitor Center
Miles today: 13.0
Weather: light rain

I once read that a few weeks into the trail I would grow accustomed to and tired of the daily routine. To date, the novelty of hiking out here hasn't nearly worn off, but the daily surprises are dwindling and I have begun to boil my days down into a series of orderly steps (literally) that carry me from dawn until dusk. I thought I'd share this dry itinerary with you.Morning:Wake up @ 7am. Lay in bed dreading the cold. Wipe crusties out of eyes and check face for pillow lines. Listen to see who else is awake. Slowly dress inside sleeping bag. Spend another 5 minutes psyching yourself up to get out of the bag. Give a couple of false starts. Countdown from 3 and still don't move. Finally get out of the bag.Throw sandals on and place sleeping bag on top of tent to dry out. Pull out plastic footprint from under tent and wrap around nearest bush to dry out. Hope it doesn't blow away.Pee.Fetch food bag out of tree and bring to the fire. Sit by fire and set up stove to boil water. Make breakast: 2 oatmeal packets, 2 swiss miss packets, and some powdered milk. Add boiling water and sip cocoa off of the top. Eat the oats out of the bottom. "Clean" dishware and lay on fire ring to dry. Brush teeth. Daisy chain all 50 feet of bear bag rope. Put all cookware, toothbrush ware, and rope into food bag. Lay out a few energy bars for afternoon snacks.Stuff sleeping bag into stuff sack. Change into yesterdays stiff crusty socks and put on boots. Marvel at how well the socks have molded to the shape of your feet. Put sleeping bag and sandals into backpack. Add gaitors and rainpants. Change out of fleece and put clothes bag into backpack followed by current novel (Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson - excellent book) and other general gearsack. Take fly off tent and stuff in tent sack. Unstake tent and clean off stakes. Remove thermarest, compress and roll up. Unzip tent, turn upside-down, and shake out all dirt. Pull poles from tent and place in bag with stakes. Stuff tent in sack followed by plastic footprint. Place tent sack in backpack along with food bag.Get more water from the stream and make a mornings worth of Kool-Aid. Put water bag and jacket in backpack. Close up backpack.Clip camera to outside of pack. Check the map to see what kind of terrain the day holds and decide where to snack and camp for the night. Change your mind 6 times. Finally, decide to decide later. Don incredibly heavy backpack and grab poles. Say adios to campmates. Day:Start walking.Keep walking.Walk uphill.Yawn.Walk downhill.Think about fame.Think about family.Think about sex.Keep on walking.Walk more.Check your watch.Walk more.Stop to pee.Stop to eat.Stop to stop.Check map to see where you are.Walk on.Feel the sun slwoly swing around you as morning turns to afternoon.Keep walking.Get water.Walk more.Pause to take in a view.Watch a squirrel freak out.Keep walking.Pick up the pace as camp gets closer.Get tired.Walk more slowly.Think about blisters.Think about dinner.Think about sleep.Look for the shelter.Tell yourself you're almost there.Listen for the shelter.Tell yourself 1/2 hour more, tops.Keep walking. Swear you're close.Walk on.See the shelter in the distance.Swear you'll never get there.Walk into the shelter.Feel grateful to have arrived.Feel satisfied to have walked.Feel content.Drop bag.Night:Pitch tent.Eat dinner.Brush teeth.Hang bear bag.Sit by the fire and marvel at the stars.Sit by the fire and tell grade school jokes.Sit by the fire in silence.Listen to the silence.Listen to the owls.Listen for bears.Pee.Go to tent and get in.Check for any bugs and if found kill / remove in humane manner.Undress and get in sleeping bag.Journal a bit.Read until your eyes burn.Feel how tired your body is.Curl your toes and stretch your legs.Wonder if it will rain that night.Check your watch.It's 9:30.Turn off your headlamp, flip onto your belly and drift off to sleep.Snore.