Date: 2007-04-07
From: Fontana Dam, NC

To: Fontana Dam, NC
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Ok, so I wake up this morning, look out the window and it is freaking SNOWING! The local news said up to 6" in the mountains! I went to breakfast, and thereare lots of hikers who have decided to wait to hike out on Monday, when thetemps "start" warming up again (meaning the lows are in the upper 20's insteadof the teens with 20 mph winds).This is tough. You are holed up in a hotel, all you want to do is hike, theweather has turned into potentially dangerous conditions, and you know thelonger you stay in town, the more $ you are spending. So you have to try tomake the best decision for your safety, health, budget, your gear's capabilities(if there is indeed ice on the trail, I don't have crampons to hike with), andfactor in things you just don't know. Persistent, Eric and I will need to discuss the situation today and see if wethink leaving tomorrow or Monday is wisest.At breakfast today, I talked to these two cool guys (father and son) who are outriding their beautiful Harley's in the mountains. Really nice men, and they hadnever heard of thru-hiking the AT. The looks on their faces, when I told themprobably everyone they see running around in crocs have hiked here from Georgia,was priceless. I told them about trail journals, so maybe they'll read some andcatch the bug too! LOLOh, before I forget, a big HELLO! to the kids and Julie @ Julie's Home Daycare in Cheshire, MA! Julie signed myguestbook and said her and the kids are following mine, Persistent's, and a fewother journals (guess I better watch my language now! LOL). What a cool thingto do with kids! Hopefully your kids will be able to understand that manytimes, the biggest roadblocks in life are the ones we create for ourselves.When I first heard of hiking the ENTIRE AT, I thought there would be no way Icould do it. The more I learned and read about it, the more I started believingthat I could, and a year later, here I am, out here trying it. So since I obviously have some time, I wanted to share some opinions on my gearso far. (which is all listed in my gear list if you want more details aboutexact brands)Salomon Trail Runners: Still loving them, I have seen 2 other people with them. The mesh is coming apart where it connects to the gortex toe box, but otherthan that, they have been great. I do think when it is time to buy new ones(usually every 500 miles or so), I'll buy the ones without gortex for summer. It keeps your feet cooler.Equinox Silnylon Stuff Sacks: I use these for all of my gear storage, includingmy food bag, which gets hung everynite. When it rains, my food bag soaksthrough, and everything inside gets wet. I have gone to organizing my food bybreakfast-lunch-dinner in big ziplocks so only the ziplocks get wet if it rains. I found a small plastic bag that I have fitted over my food bag now, and put asmall hole in the end for the carabiner to fit through for hanging. I'll see ifthat is enough to keep it dryer in the future.Also I am keeping my eye on the stitching on the strap on the bottom of the bag,where it gets hung from. It looks like the stichting is starting to pull out abit, but so far it is holding.Silnylon Packcovers: This is a generalization. Silnylon packcovers will not (inmy experience) keep everything waterproofed. If it is pouring, the silnylonwill eventually get saturated and moisture\dampness will reach your gear. IHIGHLY recommend using both a trash compactor liner inside your pack withclothes, sleeping bag, and in my case, my hammock\underquilt sealed inside tostay 100% dry AND a packcover. You have to make sure your down and\or dry campgear stay dry. The trash compactor liner works perfectly for this.   Hiking Poles: A source of controversy in the community, due to theenvironmental impact they have on the trail. I will 100% admit that if it werenot for my poles, I would probably be at home with a broken bone (or they wouldstill be looking for me down some mountainside LOL). I am currently not strongenough to "catch" myself everytime I turn my ankle or step on a loose rock. They have saved me from falling and\or injuring myself MANY times so far. Idon't know the answer to the debate of environmental impact vs. hiker safety,but I know I would not try hiking without them, at least at this point.Catfood Can Alcohol Stove: It has been perfect, and I can't imagine hiking withanything else, especially since it is so light. So far, the easiest fuel tofind has been alcohol. Many canister fuel users were out of luck in Hiawassee,because nobody offered it. Alcohol has been plentiful everywhere. I don't knowhow often I will need to replace the small piece of insulation in my stove, butI think I will need to eventually. If anyone else out there knows a generalrule, let me know.   MacCat Deluxe Tarp: This is the biggest tarp offered. Brian makes 3 sizes. Sofar, my opinion is that the more coverage you can get on a long-term hike likethis, the better. Going out for a weekend versus 6 months is very different. This tarp has been awesome and I feel it provides the type of coverage needed tokeep you dry and warm in the windy stormy conditions you can encounter out here. I am much more open to tolerating a little discomfort if I know I can hop in thecar and drive home, but you have to be able to be protected from the elementsout here and this larger tarp allows me to do that. I think you need to havethe ability to stake the tarp directly to the ground (so it has to be big enoughto do that). I know doing this and building up leaves to fill the gap is whatprevented my underquilt from getting wet in the windy storm last week. Princetontec Headlamp: I have loved it, but it goes through batteries likecrazy. It takes 3 AAA batteries, and if I am cooking or anything that does notrequire a lot of light, I keep it on the dimmest setting. Even doing this, Ihave already replaced the batteries twice. I am bringing all batteries in myhammock every nite to keep them from getting killed by the cold. Not sure ifthis is normal, but it is good to carry back up batteries.Wright Double Layered Socks: I am really liking these so far. They are verythin, so you won't get the cushion like you do from Smatwool socks but, I cantake my socks off for a 15 minute break, hang them over my hiking poles, andthe'll be dry. I also wash them downstream when I can, and safetypin them to mypack to dry while hiking. Because they are so light, I carry 3 pairs, and it iseasy to rotate and always have a clean(er) pair of socks. Olympus Stylus 720SW camera: Man is this thing awesome. (yes expensive..but). Because it is waterproof to 10 meters, I am not afraid to pull it out in rainand take pics. You can judge for yourself about the pic quality, but I am sohappy with it. One minor problem is that it is easy to hit the on button, soyou could burn through the battery fast. I did not originally carry thecharger, but I did have Rachael send it to me. I carry 3 of the batteries forit and the charger, and this has worked perfectly for me. I placed a piece ofduct tape over the on button, and I am not having the problem of turning it onas often (twice since Franklin versus many times a day before Franklin).Gear I Have Added To My Pack:1. Small memo pad & pen. I write down details of my day that I want to put inmy journal, people's names, and my pic info. I have a horrible memory, so thisworks great.2. Extra batteries as explained above3. Small piece of pack towel because you want to wipe your tarp down as good aspossible after it rains and before packing it up. My bandana gets to a pointwhere it just rubs the water around and won't absorb anymore.4. Carabiner to attach my crocs to my pack versus using the velcro strips foreach shoe. It is just faster, and I usually slip my crocs on during breaks andlunch. 5. Small piece of soap, most hostels\cabins I've been to have had no soap. Trust me, if you have a shower, you'll want soap. I also used it here inFontana Dam to handwash my socks as opposed to buying detergent and doinglaundry.6. Antacids, trailfood can cause heartburn, I finally did a 14 day run ofPrilosec and havn't had a problem sinceWell, that's all for now. I found enough stuff in the hiker box and had enoughfood left over where I only needed a few things for resupply from Newfound Gap(4 days into the Smokies) to the end of the Smokies. I just picked up the fewremaining items from the outfitters here. I'll keep it in a box in Eric's carand just have to throw it in my food bag. One less thing to deal later.Off to take a nap and rest up for what I think will be our departure tomorrow. It is COLD, the sun is out, and I feel like I just need to face this section andprove to myself I can deal with it. My body feels almost 100% again, so these 2zeros have been really smart. Give your bodies rest people. It needs it, andyou'll enjoy hiking so much more.   Oh, thanks for the insight about my empty fortune cookie eveyone! I wouldn'twant it any other way. A totally open future, nothing set in stone or plannedout. The way I like my life to be, open to all possibilities. ~Certain