Date: 2014-03-24
From: Winding Stair Gap - Franklin NC

To: Winding Stair Gap - Franklin NC
Miles today: 0.0

So, what does one do when one zeros? Not much. That is the point. Have been rolling around on the floor in my hotel room on the lacrosse ball I carry over mountains so I can do self deep friction massage. Have taken a second shower in 24 hrs just because I can. Will lie on my bed a lot, catch up on phone calls and journal entries.I think a lot while hiking. Here are some of those random thoughts in no particular order:1) Julia (one of my gym buddies who made my cross fit training actually fun) named my backpack Rosie. Julia, I think of you every time I put my pack on after stopping on the trail for a break when I say, "Rosie, let's go for a walk."2) Toretto, thanks for the tip on Monistat3) I mostly hike alone, but when I leave camp in the morning I know where my hiking bubble is going to stop for the day, who is in front of me and who is behind me. We leap frog, meet up at designated spots on the trail. It is all good. I am very comfortable in the woods. I enjoy the solitude, and look forward to the camaraderie in camp in the evening.4) I've decided I should have 3 degrees of "flinching." A 1st degree flinch is a fleeting moment of "what am I going to do if such and such happens," immediately followed by, "I'll just do this." No big deal. An example is when a number of us the other night were worrying that our fuel canisters were going to run out before we could get to town. The next morning I heated coffee water over the fire and saved my fuel for the evening meal. By the way, we are all still trying to get a handle on how long a fuel canister will last. Shaking the canister and feeling it's weight to tell, is an inexact science. Mostly you know how much you have when it runs our while your trying to heat a measly 1 3/4 cups of water to make a Knorr Pasta Side or Mountain House dinner. Oh yeah, another thing is nobody measures anything. It's hit or miss. One night your spaghetti and meatballs are a little crunchy from not enough water to rehydrate, and the next night you misjudge the other way and have spaghetti soup. A 2nd degree flinch is angst you have over an impending particularly long mileage day or bad weather situation, or a pain or injury you're worrying about, or being creeped out by some sketchy dude who walks into camp. Solution is to be smart or "smaht" if you're from ME, and make safe decisions. A 3rd degree flinch I have not yet experienced. That is a real fear from a real threat. That may be the deep stream to ford or the thunder storm above tree line. We shall see. I must "flinch forward" if I'm to get to Katahdin.5) The Awol guide book indicates where water sources are located on or near the trail. I attempt to camel which means when I reach a source I stop, purify, and drink at the source, and try to limit the amount I actually carry to about a liter. Easier said then done. Some days there are frequent and easily accessible sources, other days not so much. Purifying takes time, means pack on and off, and when on a roll, I sometimes hate to stop. There is always this thought process whenever you find water: how much do I have, how far am I going, how thirsty am I, how cold am I, is there a better or worse or no source ahead? It's all a balancing act. So much for random thoughts for today.