Date: 2014-12-30
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: mist

I decided to end 2014 and start 2015 on the trail where I will be spending a significant amount of time in the coming year. This will be a trial hike designed to test my gear in cold weather. Also, since I have never used my backpack or slept in an AT shelter yet, what better way to spend New Years Eve? I may not be the sharpest knife in the drawer, but I was aware that heading out with limited backpacking experience, with untested gear, with the rest of world celebrating the start of a new year, on a day when the temps were expected to drop to the low twenties was a risky endeavor. So I brought my phone.I packed all my hiking gear into my pack, along with three day's worth of food and two liters of water. Total pack weight ended up being around 28 pounds. I drove to Caledonia State Park, where I checked in my car and headed south on trail, hoping to make Tumbling Run shelters before dark. It was noon, the sun was shining, my pack didn't seem too heavy, I had 10 miles to go, life was good. The first mile or so was a steady climb so I took my time. After two hours I came to a sign indicating a shelter to be .03 miles off the trail, so I knew I had covered four miles. It was after 2:00 PM, I still had six miles to go and it gets dark early this time of year. I picked up the pace. After three more hours of pleasant walking, without meeting another soul, I arrived at Tumbling Run shelters. The light was beginning to fade, and I had just enough of time to check out the lay of the land a bit before it was completely dark. The shelters were empty and clean so I didn't bother with setting up my tent. It was getting windy and I was starting to chill, I didn't waste any time heating my meal, eating, cleaning up, and hanging my bear bag. I was in my down sleeping bag, still wearing the clothes I hiked in, by 6:30. I was fairly warm and comfortable and was able to sleep pretty well till midnight. When I started hearing the celebratory explosions far off in the distance, I got up to pee and was struck by how beautiful this was in the bright moonlight. And by how cold it was. I hustled back into the comfort of my bag, powered up my phone, and sent out a quick facebook status update. I didn't sleep much after that, but I was content to stare up into the night sky as I listened to leaves rustling in the wind and the whispering of the distant creek for the rest of the night.I got up and made quick work of heating breakfast with water from the bottle I slept with. My other water bottle was a solid block of ice. I checked the thermometer that was hanging on the outside of the shelter; it showed 18 degrees. No wonder my fingers could barely stay warm as I ate breakfast and packed my gear! I was packed up and on the trail by 8:00. I wore a pair of Dakene gloves and mittens, but it still took at least a mile or so of hiking till my fingers felt comfortable again. The hike back to the park was pleasant and uneventful. I met a runner on the trail within a mile from the park, the first person I saw since yesterday at noon.It was an enjoyable experience and I was happy with most of my gear. I will be changing my sleeping pad though. I have a 3/4 length pad, and it just wasn't good enough. The slight increase in weight with a full pad seems like a small price to pay for the added comfort.I can hardly wait to get this thing started!