Date: 2014-05-20
From: Skyland Lodge Resort

To: Pass Mountain hut
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: broken clouds

So, I had a talk with the guides and told them I was not too certain about finishing this thing. I told them I had to do it at my pace and let my body heal a bit. They were so supportive so I hit the trail on Tuesday after a Zero Day. My zero day consisted of lying in bed like I had the flu. In fact, the last time I lay in bed all day, I did have the flu or back surgery. I don't know. It was something awful that laid me out like a corpse. Something as bad as hiking non-stop for 8 days straight. With their encouraging words and support, I left Skyland lodge, the most appreciated two star (being generous here) resort I have ever lain around in. We were all a little despondent about facing the trials on the trail, but the hiking rhythm kicked in and we went clack-clacking along. The clack clacking comes from our poles and because there are rocks every freaking where, the noise becomes like nails on a chalkboard after a while. In the infinite wisdom of this fitpacking company, they thought it would be good to start out with an 11 mile day. Oh, and for kicks and giggles, it included a descent of 1000 feet, 2 miles downhill over broken rock that required a decision, a conscious "step here or step there" decision on every single step. For two miles. Did I mention we did this for two miles. Even the thru hikers (hiking 2000+ miles on the AT for some ungodly reason) thought it was a ridiculous downhill. After the downhill, remember the two mile one I mentioned above, we had a 1.5 mile ascent to Pass Mountain to get to camp. There's always a crazy climb or drop to get to camp. Why don't they put these things beside the trail? It's like the Marquis de Sade laid out these huts. Let's see. Walk them two miles down a treacherous descent and then place the hut within a quarter mile? No. Make it so the last 1.3 (seems like it's always 1.3) miles are The Longest Ever! Anyway, we finally got to camp and then it's fun time like setting up the tent, bathing with a cloth about the size of a playing card so you can remove enough grime to do the nightly tick check, removing said ticks, and meeting the cast of characters sharing the site for the night in your long johns. Because every southern woman is comfortable meeting strange men for the first time in a smartly coordinated set iof long johns. Oh, I forgot to tell you about my clothing adventure at Skyland Lodge. We had to forward a bag from our original hotel in Herndon to Skykand lodge, but nothing too big. Overwhed by the logistics, I sent a bag containing my kit for bathing and my pajamas. I thought I would just hang out in my hiking clothes. Well, after 8 days in those bad boys, I was not putting them back on and I had honestly sworn that I forwarded jeans and a t-shirt, but nope, just pajamas. Well my PJs consist of a pair of black yoga pants, black tee, and a light black sweater thing. So, I thought "What the heck. I'm just going to put on all these black pieces and it will look like a lounging set. Like anyone has worn a lounging set since I Love Lucy. But in my mind, it was going to be fashionable. I get into my Jammies and realize it is too cold for just that. I looked around the room and saw my silk sleeping bag liner. You know where this is going. I took that bad boy and slung it around my neck like a Givenchy scarf and hiked up (of course our room was down a deep descent from the dining hall) and strode into that dining room like I owned it. It's not what you wear, it's how you wear it. One of the other hikers saw me and said, "Clearly I brought the wrong clothes for dinner." You betcha. You're not wearing PJs and a sleeping bag liner. Anyway, we made it to camp after that two mile (have I mentioned two miles) downhill from hell and had amazing Indian food out of foil pouches. I'm not sure what they do to these dinners, but they taste amazing. I slept like a woman who had hiked 11 miles on the first day back on the trail including, all together now, two miles downhill descending 1000 feet over loose broken rock. Stupid rocks!