Date: 2005-12-10
To: The First Trip December 10-11, 2005
Miles today: 0.0

Took my first backpackingtrip. I woke up at 6:00 am on December10, with diarrhea. Then an intense waveof nausea takes over me. I took a longshower and finally went back to bed to see if the nausea would pass. Debbie comments, ¢You don¢t have to dothis.¢ I replied, ¢I know, but I do.¢Amicalola Falls ranger station at 8:40 am with a thirty pound packincluding six pounds of water. Temperature was 29 degrees. I was wearingpolypros and nylon pants and shirt. After about 200 yards, I thought I wasgoing to die from heat exhaustion and took off the polypros. I still wasn'tsure I was going to be able to carry the pack to the top of the falls.After the first mile, I found a rhythm and it went much smoother. With the thinnylon pants and shirt I was chilled on the top of ridges when the wind blew,but decided I would just get hot again if I put anything else on. (Maybe I needa wind shirt---I am still working on the right clothing for a cold weatherhike.)I was very surprised how many people I saw. My girlfriend predicted I would bethe only one out there. I passed atleast 20 people along the trail.Got to Springer shelter about 2:50 pm and pitched tent. Walked back to AT tocall girlfriend and let her know that I had made it ok. Standing around talkinggot me chilled so I went back to tent to put some warmer clothes on.When I got back to the tent, the sleeping bag looked pretty darn good so I gotin and fell asleep until about 6:00. I woke up, got dressed warm and walked upto springer summit. I didn't feel hungry but decided that I needed to try andeat.Struggled lighting Esbit but got it going eventually and boiled water for hotchocolate. Struggled to light another Esbit and boiled water for a lipton pastadinner. Cooked it and tasted it, but just wasn't hungry.Got back in tent and listened to the wind blow. Took an ambien to help me sleep. Woke up at 2:30 am and called Debbie; took another ambien and slept onand off until 7:00 am, packed up and started back. I still wasn't hungry.Decided to go by the Hike-Inn on my way back and finally felt a bit hungry whenI got there. Took a brief tour of the Inn and then made my way back to rangerstation. I averaged just about 2 miles and hour hiking which pleased me--I wasn't surehow I was going to do carrying a pack.I enjoyed the hiking. I enjoyed laying in my tent listing to the forestnoises---it sleeted overnight just a bit.I didn't enjoy the cooking. I am hoping an alcohol stove is easier and that I havean appetite on my next trip. Figured out that a silk bag liner is a waste of time andmoney. When I woke up the next morning,it was all bunched up around my feet. Plan to keep a pair of silk long underwear as pajamas to help keep bagclean.I have to figure out what is the right combination of clothes for cold weather.I don¢t want to carry to much. Rain suit, wind shirt and pants, long underwear,warmth layer of some sort. I am just not sure what the right combination is. Began planning my next tripto be for four days from Amicalola to Neel¢s gap. That should be just shy of 40 miles and I will try to do it infour days and three nights at the end of April.