Date: 2014-02-06
To: Late Afternoon Hike at Cumberland Knob
Miles today: 0.0

As the countdown continues, I am now only 4 weeks away from my departure. I would gladly leave today, but one month less of sub-freezing temperatures might be more enjoyable for me... besides I could use a few more paychecks. Of all the things I have been doing to prepare for the journey, I would have to say just getting outdoors and hiking the local trails has been the most fun. Yesterday, I found myself setting of on another such jaunt. I had been running errands when I realized that my work duties were finished for the day and the weather was superb with temperatures in the mid-50's. I went to my computer to find something in the area I had not hiked and printed out a map. It seemed like the perfect opportunity to try my new pack in the field so I loaded it down with essentials, and a few things I didn't "need" but would be glad to have if occasion arose to use them. After filling my hydration bladder I was still couple pounds shy of my base weight, but I decided load it down frivolously since I had chosen a "strenuous" path.   I will admit that while I have some limited backcountry experience, as I have enjoyed hiking with friends all my life... I think I might have mistaken the terms "easy", "moderate", and "strenuous" trails as somehow relative to the distance. I am laughing at myself now, but I really expected to hike the 2.5 mile loop in about 2 hours. I am now fully aware that "strenuous" refers to the terrain and possibly the elevation gain to be covered on the hike.   I left my car very late in the afternoon, but I didn't think anything of it. I expected to be back to my car in a couple hours, which would have been right about dusk. As I worked my way down the switchbacks, I was continuously stopping to take pictures of all these little "rinky-dink" waterfalls. I refer to them as rinky-dink because most people probably wouldn't have been impressed, but I simply love waterfalls. I even stopped to take a picture of the first of many rock hops across the creek. Combine that with rough terrain and areas where the trail was completely overgrown with rhododendron, and it is easy to understand that I was not making good time.   It was already well past 5 o'clock before I started making my climb back up to the top of the ridge. Needless to say, sunset was 5:53pm. I was the first time I had checked the time, and I knew I was not going to make it out before dark. Just as it was getting dark, I could already feel the drop in temperature. I stopped to take off my pack so I could grab my fleece and my headlamp. I was thankful to have both. Hiking without a light on this trail would probably have gotten me hurt, and of course I hadn't told a single soul where I was going while hiking on a trail closed to the public during this time of season.   After nearly an hour of hiking in the dark, I finally reached the top to find 2 sets of eyes gleaming back at me. At first I expected to eaten by a pack of starving coyotes or something terrible like that. It is that irrational fear of darkness that we assume it must be hiding the lurking of some hellish creature bent on our destruction. Of course it was only deer. I came within maybe 40 yards of about 10. I guess they could have all kicked the crap out of me, but I really didn't feel threatened by them at all.   Five minutes later I arrived at my car. The temperature had already dropped nearly 20 degrees from when I had set out. John Muir believed that adversity was the beginning of and was essential to... adventure. Even though I was prepared and didn't face any real danger, I feel just a little more prepared to face the adversities and challenges that make hiking the Appalachian Trail such an adventure.