Date: 2010-04-18
From: Standing Bear Farms Hostel

To: Max Patch Summit
Miles today: 13.6

Okay, I'm a lot behind on my journal right now because of long days, lack of time before bedtime, lack of signal for my Peek, lack of computer time in towns, and poor planning. Now as I write this I am in Atkins, VA. I'll try to fill in as much as possible up to this point.Today was another beautiful day for hiking, sunny skies and mild temps. It was a long climb coming from Green Corner road up to Snowbird Mountain but not much to see until reaching Max Patch. Once reaching the top they told me that I had just missed some people with what hikers call trail magic. These are people we don't know and some are past through hikers that come out to the trail and do something special for other through hikers. These people were cooking and giving away hot dogs, fruit and various beverages. When I got there I could see them walking back down to the parking lot about half a mile away. All that was left was some fruit. A lot of the people that I have been hiking with for the past few days were there and said they had been there eating and laying around since noon. The views from Max Patch are YAHsome. You can see for what looks like a hundred miles. The weather was perfect so we all decided to camp just over the hill from the top so that we would be a little shielded from the wind. Watching the sunset and sunrise was just beautiful. I took lots of pictures. Most hikers set up their tent but because the weather was so good I slept with just my sleeping bag and bivvy sack. My bivvy sack is a lightweight water resistant sack that is just enough to keep dew and water spray off of my sleeping bag. I'm going to try to add another little section to my journal maybe once a week if I can think of something to write about. I'm going to call these articles by a kind of trail motto we use out here. I'll call them "A Hike Your Own Hike Moment." It's a discussion of what hikers do and why we do it. It's not meant to be the final word on what is right or wrong but just something to get you thinking if you are planning a hike of your own. And what works for one hiker may not work for another.I'll start with food. Some times hikers don't have any idea about what to do about food when doing a through hike, so here's a start. Our bodies are fueled by carbohydrates, so to begin with in the mornings plan on eating food that is high in carbs, food such as grains and fruits or even pastas and potatoes. Eat these foods all day long while hiking. It's also a good idea to add good oils and fats or food with good fats such as nuts and coconut flakes. I see many people eating large amounts of protein, such as summer sausage for lunch, but for us to use this as fuel our bodies have to convert it into carbs first. Protein is good to have on the trail for repair and building of muscle, but carbs are better when you need energy. I eat food high in carbs during the day but when I stop hiking for the day, that is when I eat protein. Most pre-made trail food comes without meat but one that comes with meat is the Mountain House brand. Most of the meals I prepare with food I get from the grocery store, don't have meat, so when I get into camp the first thing I eat is food high in protein. In the store I look for mostly fish packed in olive oil. Small sardines with the bones still in them are especially good because of calcium and cartilage for bones and joints. Tuna in olive oil is good too with a couple of mayonnaise and relish packs on some Wheat Thins crackers. Then after that I'll cook and eat a high carb dinner. While you are hiking your muscles are being broken down, when you stop they will start to repair themselves using whatever protein is available, even other muscle tissue. Some guys that start out hiking with normal looking bodies will have muscular legs and a skinny upper body because they weren't eating enough protein at the end of the day and their legs were rebuilding themselves using the muscle tissue from their upper body. If you find that you are loosing weight too quickly, add olive oil to your meals. You can add it to all your pasta meals and even oatmeal. Many hikers also eat lots of peanut butter or Nutella, a hazelnut spread with cocoa.But hey, "Hike Your Own Hike."