Date: 2008-05-17
From: Dalevill, Va.

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

I will explain some hiker terms tonight. A saying you hear often on the trail is, "hike your own hike." There are many different ways you can do the trail. The A.T. is marked by white blazes every so often. They are on trees, rocks, signs, buildings, railroad tracks and many other places. There are also trails that are marked by blue blazes often skirting difficult white blaze climbs. Sometimes a road is nearby and hikers can bypass sections by hiking the road. That is known as road blazing. Yellow blazing is when you skip entire sections and jump ahead on the trail by car. You can also aqua blaze at places by taking a river. You can also slackpack which is leaving your heavy backpack behind and having someone pick you up at a predetermined place on the trail. People who insist on passing every white blaze, won't blue blaze or slackpack are known as purists. I am one of those creatures, I am a purist. This is a once in a lifetime attempt at a thru-hike and do not want to look back and regret not hiking even a small section of the trail. Last Monday we came to a place where a sign said a bridge had washed out 2 miles up the trail. There was also a road nearby and you had the option of doing a roadblaze around the river crossing. With all the rain we had they said it could be up to your waist. We figured the smart thing to do was to take the road. In that situation it is perfectly acceptable to do the road blaze, However it did bother me. Yesterday on the way to Damascus we were within 30 miles of Pearisburg so I asked Ina if she would drive there and try to find the spot where we walked the road. We did find it and she got to walk 2 miles of the trail with me. She insisted it was 5 miles but it really was only 2. She now knows she would never want to hike the trail. When we got to the river crossing it was a bit bigger than I had thought. Fortunatly the water level was only up to our knees but running very fast. I had no sandals since I had planned to wear her sandals across then throw them back to her. The river was to wide for that so she volunteered to go across barefoot. Someone had strung a rope across to hang on and I told Ina whatever you do do not let go of that rope, that is your lifeline. It was really cold and the rocks were really slippery. I admit I was a bit afraid but made it across safely, then I heard Ina yell. She was in the middle of the stream and had slipped and in trying to regain her balance she let go of the rope. She looked very frightened standing there with water rushing around her with her lifeline now out of her reach. I grabbed a hiking pole and wrapped it around the rope and guided it to her. She actually thought it was really exciting. I was really proud that she forged that stream. The alternative was to hike back 2 miles and she was not about to do that. Most hikers are not purists but to me if your going to do this difficult hike there is only one way and that is the most difficult way. I have shin splints on my left leg and it is very painfull. The 2 days off were really needed. With my hurting leg I will be taking it a little easier for a while. Tomorrow will also be extra difficult since it would have been Mary and my 34th. anniversary. To Naomi in Sarasota, Fla. who is offering to replace my sleeping bag, it is a 15 degree Montbell down filled bag and cost me over $300.00. Where do you want to sent it to? Actually the night after all the rain I was in the shelter and took my cookstove and lit it and took it with me under the bag to try to dry out the head area. It did dry it a little bit but I burned a hole in it. I had feathers floating everywhere. I gathered them up and stuffed them beside me where it would make some mice very happy. Mice are always a concern so on the night I had stuck my tent inside the shelter I put a pack of little debbies outside my tent in hopes that would keep them from chewing a hole in my tent in search of my real food. The mice must know there is absolutly no nutritional value in a little debby since they did not touch them. It became my breakfast. I really enjoy all you guest entries.