Date: 2014-04-11
From: Elk Garden

To: Hurricane Shelter
Miles today: 20.0
Weather: overcast clouds

This day started with a ride up the mountain to where yesterday's slack pack started. Luckily for me there was another hiker doing a slack pack from the same place so the price of the shuttle was lower. It took a bit of persistence to get the driver to accept that; I guess you can't blame him for trying to maximize his profit during the season. The real story here though was the other hiker Teach. This young man was a former history teacher who quit to do the trek before obligated with kids. OK, I can buy that if his wife can. He showed up at the 7am shuttle in a short sleeve shirt with a half filled bottle of water and a ziplock bag full of some other stuff. Remember now, I had just done the same 23 mile hike the day before. He didn't have a day pack but luckily Gecko our driver offered to loan him one. I casually mentioned that he was brave (dumb) to not have any weather gear and different than me (dumber) to not have much water. I guess he may have had a filter in his ziplock bag but I doubt it. When we arrived there at 4600 ft there was a brisk cold wind. Who would have thought? For me heading north it was at my back. For Teach it would have been in his face, except he luckily was going to be in the woods for awhile. Still, here was someone who had no respect for the mountain. How he had made it 500 miles without learning this is anyone's guess. Some of it must be in his general attitude that nothing can go wrong. He shrugged off my comments as if I were a overprotective parent. I expect he made it back to town that day OK. The weather did improve and the rain held off till evening. I will not forget Teach though; he is the type of hiker who can get in big trouble when injury or unpredictable terrain or weather produces an unexpected challenge.At this point it's time for me, an engineer, to revisit what I carry on my body (not in my pack) at all times on the mountain. Everything is in the pockets of my zip off pants. In the lower right hip pocket is my emergency blanket, one handed fire sparker and sawyer water filter. This pocket has a Velcro flap. In the above open pocket is my all purpose towel (snot rag). In the left hip pocket is my phone, protected inside a transparent waterproof case, and my ziplock package of AT guide and current map. In the above open pocket is my headlamp, tucked in the pocket but secured to my belt using the elastic band. My zippered right rear pocket hold my wallet with ID and credit card. There is also a small zippered pocket inside my right open pocket where I keep my leather man multipurpose knife , nail clippers and tweezers. Finally, there are two other small velcro pockets that hold my glass cleaning cloth, earplugs, and earbuds. If I have an accident on the mountain I have a reasonable chance of surviving until help arrives. When slack packing I also still carry my pack with a full bladder ( two liters of water), a 20 oz bottle of juice, snacks for the day, gloves, muff, and rain (cold) gear) even if the forecast is for a beautiful day. Is this overkill or good sense? The fact is my pack weight goes from 28 lbs down to under 15, which doesn't make much difference but probably does make climbing easier. My legs no longer seem to care about the pack. So back to Teach. I wish him no harm but can't help but wonder at what point in this 2200 mile trek he will find himself in a jam caused by lack of precaution. When he does, what are the chances he will realize the part he played in testing the odds? Teach, if you read this and take exception to it please do not take it too personal. You just were the first cavalier hiker I ran into out here. There are many more out here and some ( including two women who burned their sleeping bags and had to be rescued in the smokies) have already paid the price.