Date: 2007-03-28
From: Vandeventer Shelter

To: DAMASCUS
Miles today: 32.7
Weather: light rain

Well this was to be the big day. 33 miles on the "HIGHWAY to DAMASCUS!"This is a huge mileage attempt for me, regardless of terrain. Even easier terrain takes its toll during hi mileage days.23, 24, and 25 mile days have proven very tiring and really beat you up the last few miles.16-18 miles goes quick now. Whatever the terrain. Doesn't matter to us now. Just work a little harder, but crank the miles right out. Everybody I've been hiking with can do it now.But 18-20 is still harder, and 20+ mile days are still big. (Accept when slack packing, and even then they go so quick. Seems like the afternoon drags on forever.)TunaMac had cranked out 33 in 13 hours with his 12 lb pack. Osprey too did the Standing Bear to Hot Springs trek but he slack packed (along with Molasses), a HUGE difference. But hey, why not?!Hit the trail runnin at 4am. On schedule. Not particularly energetic but ready to go. Pitch black without the headlamp. On my way. Zero was to follow during normal human hours, he said.After only a little while hiking I reallized I was was pretty tired. Not at all on fire like I'd hoped for my biggest mileage attempt ever. I was so tired I wanted to just lie down on the trail to take a nap.But I was startled by a sound ahead in the woods on the right side of the trail. Something fairly big, like a human or deer walking and breaking sticks & branches. It did not run, despite my try to startle it by making noises. It stopped. Then continued when I continued walking. It seemed to be walking away down the ridge, so I continued wondering what critter it could be.After 0530 my Headlamp had dimmed so much it was not usable any longer. Great. The sun doesn't come up for at least another hour or hour and a half.Like I'd always planned, my backup options were to use my keychain photon LED light for short term emergency hiking or worst case just stop hiking and pitch my tent or lay my sleeping pad and bag down and go to sleep.So that's what I did. Kept on hiking with my keychain backup light.Until about 0630 when it too started to dim. Thank God.Finally the sun had come up just enough to hike without a light.I continued on to reach Iron Mountain Shelter by 0715. I was SOOOO tired. Guess I didn't get enough sleep. The floor of the shelter was so filthy and being that there was no broom to sweep it, I quickly deployed my sleeping insulation pad & sleeping bag and crashed on the picnic table for a power nap.God it felt so good. the sunlight in no way kept me from snoozin. Rolled over a couple times and finally got back outta bed & hit the trail 0900. Though this was a big day attempt for me I really needed the nap.As I continued on I had much more energy but as the sun heated up my energy level didn't last. Mediocre at best. Oh well, guess we don't get to pick which day we are full of energy. Just have to suck it up.Had a false alarm, instantly psyched! when I thought I had already reached Abington Shelter I thought was still almost 1 hour ahead. But it looked so TINY. Quickly I read in the guidebook that this was really McQueen's Shelter, a leftover emergency shelter no longer even listed as such since it's so tiny and leaks. Bummer. I still had no energy surge.Again I sucked it up and continued stumblin down the trail on my big day attempt.Finally made the big climb & to Abington Gap Shelter by 1530. In & back out after a rest by 1615 with 10 MORE MILES to go! Uggh.Luckily the last of the "Highway to Demascus" as everybody calls it FINALLY got a little easier. But as soon as I left Abington Shelter I heard thunder rumblings. Infrequent and far away though. So I continued on.Finally the trail started to descend into the city. About 3 miles. But the thunder got closer. And the early sprinkles came.At the 2 miles out mark the sky opened up and the deluge began. And the thunder & lightning. I stopped & quickly donned my rain shell & pack cover, but skipped the pants, just kept my nylon hiking zip off shorts & no gaiters to save time.I was in high speed mode now, jogging down the switchbacks & power breaking for corners, misteps, etc.I finally reached town at 1915 just before it starts getting dark. I was soaked thru but fortunately the thunder/lightning mostly stopped. Thank God, cuz me following a path along the town green with metal sticks in my hand didn't seem like fun.Cruised into the hostel, nobody around. Decided to forgo the laundry for now & just look for a bite to eat before everything closed. The main drag looked pretty dead. most of the rain had stopped & my clothes/trailshoes were drying by wearing them (as I'd hoped).As I cruised the entire main street & out the side of town I finally found the Oasis-Dot's diner. Stepped inside and OSPREY was there! How odd. Apparently he was crossing a state road & a ranger suggested he immediately bail for town cuz of the storm. So he did.And he was with Salamander, Juniper & Mollasses (who slackpacked the 33 day into Hot Springs with Osprey, although much slower.)Had an ok steak-ish dinna & dirt cheap mini pitchers of beer which finished off a great day!Met a local section hiker or two, then we walked back the mile or so to the hostel. Note-thru hikers DO NOT like to walk much at all when they get to town.It was a long 33 for me, but i did it! I was beat but psyched.[editor's note-remember Zero in Vandeventer Shelter who was supposed to get going early with me & also do the Highway to Damascus? HE talked me into it. Apparently he did eventually get going, but was later seen sleeping in the tiny McQueen's Shelter in the middle of the day. Guess he too succumbed to the lack of sleep blues. He made it in the next day. Oh well.]FedEx