Date: 2016-05-10
From: Four Pines Hostel

To: Howard Johnson Express
Miles today: 25.7
Weather: clear sky

Today, I walked a marathon. A little over 26 miles counting road walking and blue-blazing for water. And what a marathon it was. Started by climbing up the mountain and taking lunch at Johns Spring Shelter with Canuck, Moonboots, and Northstars. We were reminiscing about 1 night in a barn with Portuguese is better than 1 night in a 5 star hotel. Then pushed up to McAfee Knob and luckily the fog lifted just in time to take some good shots. Most photographed spot on the AT. Northstars saw a rattlesnake but I didn't bother. After that, I took my 2nd major wrong turn on my hike, followed powerlines down a hill and realized I had reconnected to the AT South of McAfee Knob. Whoops. Retraced my steps back up and waved goodbye to 30 minutes of daylight. Which I would later need. Discovering the place where I needed to turn, I continued on the AT. After a long day of mostly quiet hiking, I was heading up the mountain before my destination shelter, and a thunderstorm rolled in. As I hiked higher, the storm got angrier. It started pouring and next thing I knew, lightning was flashing and there was no delay with the earsplitting thunder. It was directly overhead. I would instinctively duck each time. I don't care who you are, your age, weight, height, or temperament, that is a sphincter-tightening experience. You realize your mortality and know you are totally helpless and vulnerable against the forces of an agitated mother nature. Why so serious, Naich?I slogged into Lambert's Meadow Shelter, with soaked feet, excited to relax. But that would be too simple, wouldn't it? Canuck, Moonboots, and a section hiker informed me of the situation. The shelter had been harassed by a family of bears the last 3 nights. To the point of coming into the shelter to take packs and foodbags, etc. I spotted a ripped up sleeping pad and scraps of paper and fabric. They were all staying and wanted power in numbers. It was almost 5:30, very late to start another 9 mile section. But nnnnnnnnnnnnnnope! I wasn't going to lose gear to bears. To town I went. To Daleville. So I started hiking with speed, efficiency, and purpose. I had changed into dry socks at Lambert's, but my shoes were still wet so they slowly became saturated also. But I didn't care. I moved with purpose, because every foot I made it in the day was a foot less I had to go in the dark. I got my headlamp out as the sun slipped behind dark mountains. There was fog up high on the ridgeline. So my beam diffused before reaching out too far. It was rocky terrain so I moved slowly. I could see lights from town below, but wayyyy below. It felt like I was in the woods, alone, far from anyone, headlamp guiding my way. It was my first time night hiking alone in unknown territory and it's very intense and primeval. You feel alive. I passed under a powerline easement and glanced to my left. About 50 yards out I saw 2 yellow eyes looking back at me. I turned the volume up on my podcasts and started clacking my poles together every 15 seconds. I'd check behind me every 30. After awhile, I passed another easement/field and up the hill probably 100 yards I saw 5 or 6 pairs of blue eyes reflecting. I swallowed panic and told myself ¢deer.¢ I fixed my bear spray to my chest and carried on. In a similar way to being in a rainstorm, it gets your adrenaline up and you forget about everything other than survival. And there's no way to pause it or get away faster. The way out is to see it through. You feel alive in these moments, but very, very stressed, ha! After what was likely an hour and a half in the dark, I heard the road nearby and made it out. I sighed loudly. Suddenly very tired, I knew a bed would do just the trick. Awesome day.