Date: 2018-04-20
From: Blue Mountain Shelter

To: Deep Gap Shelter
Miles today: 15.5
Weather: clear sky

Last night was tough. Second night in a row dealing with a deflated sleeping pad. Tried finding the leak again but couldn¢t. Slept in blue mountain shelter. Figured getting off the ground would help save some heat but it was still cold, in the 30¢s. Fell asleep around 8pm while the sun was still setting because I was tired from the night before. Woke up at midnight really cold and my only cushion was my foam sitting pad which I wedged under my hip but helped for only a little while. On top of that my left heel has been getting tight over the past few days. The thought of plantar fasciitis got in my head and did some damage to my confidence. Plus knowing today would be a long day I got worried. Tried calming myself back to sleep but was too cold and I was in my own head. It got to 3:30, still awake, and I thought about having coffee with the sunrise. I wondered what direction is the open face of the three-walled shelter facing. I reached into my pack¢s hip-belt for my compass, turned on the red night lights of my headlamp and positioned the compass. The open side faced east. Score. I kept the thought of coffee during a sunrise in my head. I fell back asleep soon after that. Woke back up around 5:30 and began waiting. Around 6:00 I poked my head out of my cocoon and began to see the deep glow of orange creep over the horizon. A silhouette of rolling hills and mountains in the background. Still cold and uncomfortable I¢d poke my head out every few minutes to watch the orange slowly turn yellow, and the sky grow blue. By 7:00am I was up and about. Prepping my gear, making breakfast, and that cup of coffee. Success is how I started my day. Today was my longest day on the AT. 15.5 miles with about 3500ft of elevation gain and loss. That¢s a lot more like my day hikes in The White Mountains of NH. The tightness in my heel didn¢t go away but it didn¢t get worse. I hiked slow and steady over about 10 hours. I stopped and took some breaks for the sights, ate lunch with Chase and Super Classy. Super Classy is a Samoan woman from California who swore in almost every sentence. But I put in my miles today, I love covering a lot of ground, and I stayed positive. I¢d like to take an opportunity for some shoutouts because everyone needs help on the AT. First to Steph and Sara. Both offered me their sleeping pads since they were going into Hiawassee with Nacho tonight. I¢m sleeping warm and comfy tonight because of them. The second is to the staff at Mountain Crossings outfitter at Neels Gap where I was three nights ago. I tried calling REI to tell them about my pad and order a new one to the motel I¢ll be at tomorrow. Waited on customer service for half an hour, never got through. I called Mountain Crossings and told them my situation and they told me they had a clothing only sister store next to my motel. They¢ve sent a sleeping pad over there for me which I¢ll pick up tomorrow. They get hikers. Lastly is two shoutouts to my dad. First because yesterday at a moments notice I called and asked if he could mail my trail running shoes. I suspect hiking in my bulky boots everyday could be adding to my heel pain. And second for me to write down my definition of success. That will not be the last time I use that tool on this trip.If you happen to be reading this far down I¢d like to point something important out. When I describe my previous night at no point was I in any danger. While I say I am cold, I am fully clothed, cocooned in my sleeping bag (which isn¢t rated for very cold weather but I make due) and I am also dry. But most importantly I am surrounded by over a dozen other hikers who even though are strangers would help me in any way had I been in danger of hypothermia. What I am describing is a really really shitty situation. I finished my first week. 65 miles in plus the approach Trail. Welcome to the AT.