Date: 2017-04-06
From: Hiawassee Hotel

To: Hiawassee Hotel
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: moderate rain

Another day of rain and potential snow tonight has caused Josh and I to spend today and tonight off the trail (or perhaps it's just plain old laziness). So, I thought I'd use today's journal entry to discuss my experiences on the trail and provide some overview of hiking the trail.There are several great guide books for hiking the trail, as well as cell phone apps. These contain maps of the trail, elevations, locations of shelters, tentsites, side trails, water, access trails and parking lots, roads, and nearby towns. However, I've been amazed at the number of undocumented stealth, or unofficial, tentsites I've seen on the trail, many of them level, near water or with views, and with fire rings, and logs for seating.Speaking of views - they are few and far between. This early in the season, the trees are yet to leaf out, and yet there are few opportunities for spacious views. You trudge through a tunnel of tall leafless hardwoods. The trail itself is a dirt path, with roots, loose stones, rocks, boulders, branches, puddles, and downed branches to make it interesting. As a result, your eyes are focused on the next six feet, for a misstep could result in a fall or sprain, either of which could end your hike. Thus, it is unlikely you would see many views, where they available.The trail is marked with white blazes, white stripes painted on trees, boulders, buildings, and posts, as well as small wood and/or bronze plaques at intersections or notable points. Blue blazes are used to mark other intersecting trails, side trails to shelters, tentsites, water supplies, privies, parking and access trails, and loops on the AT to circumvent especially difficult terrain. Since your eyes are fixed on the trail immediately in front of you, the site of a white blaze brings relief. In some areas, heavy rain is diverted off the trail and creates what appears to be a trail of its own. So, at the end of the day, when you're tired and the light is fading, you need to pay careful attention to the trail marks.On the trail, your pack is your home. It contains your house (tent and ground cloth), your bedroom (mattress pad, sleeping bag, and inflatable pillow), your closet and clothes, your kitchen (stove, pots, and utensils), your pantry (food and bag for bear bagging - hanging your food from a tree out of reach of your furry mooching neighbors), your medicine cabinet, tool chest for repairs, your lighting, your phone (cell phone and battery pack for recharging),and your water (including water filtration system to remove sediment and bacteria/viruses from fresh water sources such as streams and ponds).Packs are heavy, and, due to some freak of gravity, become heavier as the day wears on. Mine, fully loaded with three days of food and water, is under 30 pounds, yet, after 8 hours of carrying it up and down rugged terrain, seems more like 50. The key is to carry the minimum load you need to be safe and comfortable, and to have the pack correctly adjusted so most of the weight is carried by your hip belt, and thus your hips, rather than your shoulders.Shelters are spaced every 8 or so miles on the trail. They are usually three sided with an open front, sloped roof, and with wooden sleeping platforms. They range from 1-3 floors and sleep 5-14 people. Water and a privy are usually close by, and many have picnic tables, and fire rings. Tentsites are more basic. Just flat spots with fire rings, and, if you are lucky, water nearby and a log to sit on. Thus far, I've not used a shelter. When I started my hike, there were 40+ others starting each day. Given the rate at which most people hike, there are usually 2 shelters for each day's worth of hikers. So, there is going to be a major shortage of bunk space. I like my tent. It is quieter, fully enclosed so there are neither bugs nor the mice that commonly inhabit the shelters, and I am older, and so tend to be beat at the end of my day. I just want to set up, eat, refresh my water supply, do a quick clean up, and crawl in by sleeping bag. Many of the younger shelter residents want to talk, joke, drink, smoke, etc. So, I leave the shelters to them. The other advantage is I can pitch my tent nearly anywhere, and I've seldom hiked a mile without seeing a tentsite of some type. So, when I've run out of energy, I don't need to walk that additional few miles to a shelter.That's it for today. Hopefully I'll be back on the trail tomorrow.Happy Trails!