Date: 2016-05-11
From: Braemer castle hostel Hampton TN

To: Riff Raff gathering
Miles today: 26.5
Weather: overcast clouds

2016 total miles 247.5Today was my most challenging day on the trail! However, it started at Braemer castle hostel to thunderstorms. Waited a couple hours for rain to ease up and Alex the caretaker drove me up to the trail, where I had to walk a mile back to the trail. It was 8:45 and as soon as I started hiking the rain picked up. The forecast called for lesser chance of rain at 9 and none at 10, it was very wrong. It rained consistently from 9 to noon. My feet were soaked and my running shorts were soon impersonating a soggy diaper. I made my way up and down flat pond mountain and proceeded to make my way around Watuga Lake, which turned out to be massive. I finally reached Watuga Dam and the sun was trying to come out, so I stripped off all my clothes except my shorts and set them on the asphalt in an attempt to dry them. It wormed them up at least. I got back at it. During the morning, there was little need to hydrate or snack as in cold rain you just keep moving to stay warm. The hike from the dam was a pretty good ascent and I failed to increase my intake of water and food. Then I breaked with some younger guys and make the mistake of trying to hike their speed with depleted stores of energy. I ended up totally crashing as I found getting up the smallest hill a challenge. Everything from the day added up and I was clearly at my low point during this hike. The perfect storm consisted of wet feet all day, chafed thighs from wet shorts, dehydration and lack of food, strained my rt. hamstring, and was made to feel old and slow by faster younger men which was only a wound to my ego. It was at this point, that I was unsure I could even make my goal for the day. Then there was the riff raff gathering that was 4 miles beyond my goal. At this point I had 5 miles to the shelter and 9 to riff raff. All I really wanted was to be in dry clothes and in my tent. However, being the obstinate person I can be, I consciously choose to push the 9 miles to riff raff and overcome the physical and mental obstacles that had mounted to hit me like a tidal wave. I pretty much got to the shelter on my own, but knew I couldn't make last forum on my own. For the first time on my hike I would need a hiking partner. As I was formulating a plan on acquiring one for what would be a hike past last light, I ran into a young woman named purple sprain, she sprained her ankle the day prince died. She was game and off we went past the last shelter. We mostly talked, which is a great distraction from hiking! She was cool and around 8:40 we had to put on out headlights to guide our final 30 minutes off hiking. As we approached the gathering everyone yelled,"Hikers!". We were greeted with beads and bracelets, but no food and they only one beer and one soda we split both. It was a bit anticlimactic, but my greatest reward was overcoming my lowpoint. As a cancer survivor, you attain a PH.D. level in this skill and I was truly tested today. to my surprise I hiked 26.5 plus one mile to the trail for a whooping 27.5 day!! I thought it was only 22. Hiker fog. Very tough day, but one I'm most proud of.Living Proof