Date: 2004-05-01
From: Cable Gap Shelter

To: Are The Extra Miles Worth It?
Miles today: 5.5

For the first time, I have been hiking with a limp. The blister on my left heel has grown worse. Each and every step creates not just discomfort, but pain. I was the first person to break camp, yet within a couple of hours or so, three hikers from Rabid Marmot Tribe blew past me. While hiking during the morning, I revisited in my mind the dilemma about whether I should hike at my own pace, or hike faster and longer in order to keep up with people that I have grown familiar with. Many of the long distance hikers I have met are in their twenties. They hike faster than me. The older hikers, like Joe Piss Cutter, are retired; they hike much slower than me. Middle¢aged hikers like myself, with walking paces in between those of the younger and older age groups, are less common. I sometimes wonder if I am destined to hike in a kind of Limbo, too far behind the younger hikers I meet and too far ahead of the older hikers."Hike your own hike" is an expression of advice often uttered on the trail. But it's not that simple to follow, at least for me. For example, the shelters, where most people gather in the evenings, seem to be spaced apart so that the distance from one shelter to the next is too short for one day of hiking. But the distance from the first shelter to the third shelter is too long. Yet most hikers, especially those in their twenties, prefer hiking to every other shelter. I too have been following this approach. On the plus side, it means that I have been getting to know people better. On the negative side, it means that my body has become more susceptible to aches and ailments. One solution would be to camp in the stretches of forest between the shelters. From time to time, the trail passes by flat spots where camp fire rings are established. I have met a hiker named Jill who often camps at these locations between the shelters. But she often camps alone. She told me that some hikers surmised that she had given up and gone home. By following the "Hike your own hike" approach, my body will better handle the rigors of the trail. But will there be a price to pay in social isolation, or better stated, in loneliness? I don't know how this dilemma will be resolved. Time and miles will tell.One thing is certain I need some rest.After hiking 5 1/2 miles, I reached a road crossing near the Fontana Dam. On the other side of this dam is the opening ascent into The Great Smoky Mountains. The Rabid Marmot Tribe was gathered at the crossing, awaiting a shuttle to a nearby vacation and conference complex named Fontana Village. They intended to visit the complex to rest their bones before taking on the high elevations of the Smoky Mountains. I have also been planning for some R&R at this location. There will be no hiking tomorrow. We shuttled over to the private village, which offers a hostel for sixteen dollars per night. Myself and three other hikers have booked into it. One of them is an ex¢Marine named Chris, another is a woman named Jill¢-the hiker who walks at her own pace. There is another thru hiker here whom I have never met; he prefers keeping to himself. Other hikers have booked accommodations in pricier cabins or at an inn.The afternoon was spent doing laundry, showering, re-organizing my gear, and picking up my food shipment. Some of this food will be shipped to Hot Springs, North Carolina, on the other side of The Great Smoky Mountains.In spite of the blister problem that weighs on my mind, there was a bright spot to the day. I re-united with Olivia and Chug (actually, it is "Chuggs" I was told) from that first night on the trail, and Alexus, another familiar face from days past. We took in supper at a restaurant in the village. I could not help but realize that were it not for my hiking at an uncomfortable pace, this re-union would not have occurred.The mileage dilemma rages on.