Dry Boots
On some Mountain top - Mile 527 - Apr 27th, 2017
4/24 - The good and the bad... rain never amounted to much today... water coming down the trail was like walking in a creek... didn't have to worry about carrying water -
no longer in Tennessee so there are privies... when you add two shots of espresso to your coffee at Mojo's you can't make it five hours to get to the privy
Made it to the shelter I wanted to... had an extra two mile detour I had to take over a mountain and back due to a washed out bridge... I'm stubborn - not stupid - one guy tried to cross the water anyway... lost his glasses, hiking poles and tent (at least a $500 error in judgment and lucky he didn't drown) ... he went back to Damascus -
It's cold - I'm dry and still a day ahead 😘.
I saw a tree today that used to be tall ... the trunk was about 4 feet around and it was living last week - forget about worrying you could be struck by lightening... people get struck by lightening and live ... this tree got struck by lightening and exploded ... anyone within a hundred yards probably wouldn't have survived - there were pieces the size of a canoe scattered in all directions not to mention the rest of it that was strewn about - definitely made an impression.
4/25 - If anyone goes to the Grayson Highlands in Virginia I hear the views are incredible... Don't get me wrong - I learned the terrain is rugged and got to see the wild ponies but again, no views due to weather. I wanted to stop but the sun teased for fifteen seconds and so I went on... ??? I'll wait to see how I feel in the morning before I decide if it was the right decision. One thing I do know is my dry socks won't like my wet boots. Thought the rain was supposed to stop!?
4/26 - Of course I still don't have service... maybe tomorrow?... I will be close to a town so we'll see. Wanted to write more last night but the group was rowdy so my concentration was low. Great weather today for a change - finally back in my tent. Water was still pretty high on the trail and I finally came to a spot I couldn't just step on rocks to cross. -
So I've put in hours of hiking in wet shoes to try and dry them out ... they're almost dry and I come to this stream... normally it's lower - you can tell by the rocks just below the surface of the rushing water. I could just walk through - but I really don't want wet boots again tomorrow so off with boots, socks and gaiters ... don't want to carry them so I toss one boot across - it's further than I thought and the boot luckily lands just on the edge - that would have sucked - the next throw gets a little more juice ... the current is strong and it's just below my knees ... but it's the rocks on the bottom I'm more worried about as the cold takes my breath away - safely across - as I put my socks and boots back on - a guy 6'5" is able to stretch his legs far enough to reach from rock to rock -
hmmm - M&$@?r f&@$?r !
I'm thankful for sunshine and dry boots 😇
I'm also thankful for all of the amazing support you all provide in your unique ways along with the somewhat biased crowd.... when you're mother can still be impressed - your uncle claims to be your biggest fan - your sister considers you an All-American guy and your brother refers to you as an American Badass - it's pretty easy to stay motivated.
Ate a lot of food today too - seemed to help keep my legs going. Also had a big dinner tonight - I'll share the recipe because I'm sure you all feel like you're missing out. 1 package Roman noodles (any flavor - all I had was shrimp) add 1/2 package instant potatoes and bring to a boil - put in a little extra seasoning just cause you have some - add 1 portion packet of Spam - chopped of course - and there you have a nice warm filling dinner - afterwards enjoy a packet of peanut butter and 6 Oreos - wash it down with 2 liters of fresh out of the stream water and you can't possibly be hungry anymore... a couple of Jim Beam pain relievers and you're ready for bed!
Before we get to far ahead... remember, we still have a long - long - long way to go. For now, one day at a time. The Howling winds are back - ? - can't do anything about it - earplugs and sleep - whatever comes - comes. Talk to you soon!
MacGyver
On some Mountain top - Mile 527 - Apr 27th, 2017