Date: 2010-05-21
From: Knot Maul Branch Shelter

To: Jenkins Shelter
Miles today: 19.0
Weather: light rain

Woke up to the sunrise and overcast skies...is the rain going to hit us hard today? I know you can't wait to hear the answer, so...NO! We actually lucked out...overcast all day, but only a few drops of rain a couple of times. Believe it or not, I was the first one out of camp this morning! OK, I still left at my usual 8am, but evidently everyone was sleeping in this morning...nobody told me! The plan was to walk 19 miles today, but I wasn't sure I was going to make it as there was a 2,000 foot climb over 3.5 miles...hadn't done one of those in a while. Started off with a mile of slight downhill and then warmed up with a 600 ft climb over 8/10s of a mile...pretty steep. Another small downhill and then the climb of the day...it was tough! It just kept going and much of it was fairly steep...not a lot of switchbacks. It was hard to judge how fast I was going, so I didn't know how much was left most of the time. We were supposed to pass a pond at one point and that would indicate 2 more miles to go until we reached the shelter at the top of the climb. I kept looking for a pond and couldn't find one. After a while of hiking, I figured I must have missed it because I had to be almost to the top. Just as I say that...what do I see? That's right...a pond. Boy was I pissed...well, mainly tired and in disbelief that there was still 2 miles to go. So, I put my head down and just keep climbing. I go around the next corner and what do I see...the shelter! I don't text much, but OMG! The change in my emotion in about 100 yards was amazing...evidently I had missed the pond they were talking about and that was just a different one. Stopped by the shelter for lunch and a rest. Boomer and I were informed by a South-bound hiker that the topo map that showed the rest of our hike for the day as flat was WRONG. In the end, the elevation between the two points did go down slightly, but there were 4 to 5 good sized ascents/decents in between. The day just wouldn't end! I made the 19 miles, but my feet and knees were not happy with me...even more so than normal. Boomer had the same experience...he's from OZ and he said he was knackered. That may have been some of the most elevation gain/loss we've done in a day...including GA/NC/TN...glad that's over. Early night tonight, so I can just lay on my back and see if my feet and knees will recuperate. It's Fireball, Stick Walker, and me in the shelter again with Boomer, Blue Sky, and 2 others tenting. Gonna go with the original plan and only do 14 miles tomorrow...I think the feet and knees will appreciate it. On a side note, I will say today is the first day I actually thought about quitting. It wasn't about this day specifically...it was a hard day, not a bad day. I really don't think I've had a bad day on the trail yet...some are better than others, but I think I've enjoyed most, if not all, of them. It's more about compartmentalizing (is that a word?). I basically told myself to always think about the week ahead or the next destination/zero day. I also said I would only take a look at the full journey at the end of the 2nd and 3rd months. My thinking was that after the first month, everyone is sore and getting used to trail life, so I couldn't make an educated decision about continuing then. And, if I made it 4 months, I've gone too far to quit, so there is no sense in thinking about it. I usually do a good job of compartmentalizing things, but I also knew my 2 month anniversary was coming up in a few days and with nothing but time when walking, my mind wandered to the question: Can I do this for another 4 months? I basically tried to block it out of my mind and told myself to concentrate on getting to my next zero day in Pearisburg and then I could evaluate it. Hopefully that will work for the next few days. Cheers.