Yup, looking that way. Grumble, grumble, grumble...
AngryMetalsmith's A.T. Thru Hike Thread
- Thread starter AngryMetalsmith
- Start date
The Appalachian trail runs through Grayson Highlands State park in Virginia making a horseshoe around Mt. Rogers. It’s famous for it’s stunning 360° views and herds of wild ponies. The forecast called for two days without rain then a 50% chance on the third day.
Day 1
I went up Monday afternoon for three days and two nights. After getting registered and reserving a spot in backpacker’s overnight parking I only had a couple hours or so to reach the first Shelter. The snack thieves have been very active this year resulting in the addition of heavy duty steel boxes to store food in. After hauling ass up the mountain and stopping very little, 5.1 miles and two hours later I came to a sign for a Bear Box along with three other guys backpacking. They informed me that the camping area near the shelter was full and that they were going to camp near the bear box which was out on a bald. They invited me to camp with them and I accepted as this was my first backpacking trip and had been apprehensive about camping solo.
We found a spot that was tucked back into the trees that shielded us from the wind. It was getting close to dark and the temperature was dropping quickly. The forecast said the low would be in the low 40s. It felt more like the high 30s and with 20 mph sustained winds all night is was freakin cold. But you wouldn’t have known it inside my tent. It rocks.
I was planning on getting water at the shelter so I did’t have enough to cook a meal and the water source was 1.4 miles round trip. Just made a wrap from a tortilla and a tuna packet and saved my water for the morning.
There is a county wide burn ban so no campfire and no sitting around after hiking. Everyone just goes to bed shortly after dark. Kind of strange, but I only slept about four hours the night before. Got to sleep fine but holly crap does it suck to have to get out of my warm bag and try to pee in howling, cold wind.
Day 2
The next morning I got some water from the other hikers so I could make oatmeal. Unfortunately I just could not choke down the chewy clumps of the Quaker goodness and was still a little nervous I suppose. Couldn’t seem to eat much other than a few snacks for breakfast. By this time a thick fog had rolled in as I was getting on trail. But the wind was finally gone.
Made it to the shelter and hiked down to the water source. Filled up and did some trail chores while enjoying the view as the sun came out and burned off the fog. From there it was down to deep gap to take the Mt. Rogers trail and Fairwood Valley trail back to the AT. This section was on the other side of the mountain and was wet and kind of boring. Found a dryish rock to sit on and have lunch, another tortilla and tuna packet. Then back on the AT and up to Old Orchard shelter. Hiked 10.9 miles in just shy of 8 hours and only encountered three other hikers once away from the shelter.
At Old Orchard I was able to set up camp a little quicker and make a Backpacker meal of Red Beans and Rice which really hit the spot. This time I sleep even better. Was out by 9:30pm and woke up at 4:30am and just kind of dozed off a bit until other campers started breaking down camp.
Day 3
By this time it was raining a little bit, still dark at 7:00am, and a thick fog was blanketing the forrest. I was having some anxiety about having to start in a down pour. But with the press of a button my tent converts to a shed, thus eliminating any worries of hiking all day in the rain. However my stomach was not into the idea of eating much. So I just snacked as I walked.
The first thirty minutes were spent in the mist which eventually turned to rain. Then 7 more hours of being drenched. I probably stopped and changed clothes six times trying to be comfortable and dry. As you can imagine I was getting really hungry.
When the trail crossed a field it was just brutal with the high winds and cold rain. The nearest shelter was 5.5 miles away and I was starving. Off in the distance, through the fog, I could make out a building. Hauled ass over to it only to discover that it was a vault toilet. Inside there were trash cans full of hiker food waste. This in turned attracted other critters who left droppings all around the doors. The building had a very small awning with a dry spot just big enough for one person to squat down. There were animal droppings here as well. If you stepped around the side the temperature dropped suddenly in the wind. This is the only wind/rain break for miles. So I did something that I never thought I would do as a bit of a germaphobe, I cooked a meal and ate it at a privy. Oatmeal was still my best option even though I had gagged on it the morning before. Thinned it out enough to drink it. I absolutely had to get some calories in me.
Any anxiety, fear, apprehension or doubts about my ability to cope with trail life ended with that meal. In fact the whole trip was pretty good boost to my confidence and preparedness. Definitely hope to go back up there again soon.
Day 1
I went up Monday afternoon for three days and two nights. After getting registered and reserving a spot in backpacker’s overnight parking I only had a couple hours or so to reach the first Shelter. The snack thieves have been very active this year resulting in the addition of heavy duty steel boxes to store food in. After hauling ass up the mountain and stopping very little, 5.1 miles and two hours later I came to a sign for a Bear Box along with three other guys backpacking. They informed me that the camping area near the shelter was full and that they were going to camp near the bear box which was out on a bald. They invited me to camp with them and I accepted as this was my first backpacking trip and had been apprehensive about camping solo.
We found a spot that was tucked back into the trees that shielded us from the wind. It was getting close to dark and the temperature was dropping quickly. The forecast said the low would be in the low 40s. It felt more like the high 30s and with 20 mph sustained winds all night is was freakin cold. But you wouldn’t have known it inside my tent. It rocks.
I was planning on getting water at the shelter so I did’t have enough to cook a meal and the water source was 1.4 miles round trip. Just made a wrap from a tortilla and a tuna packet and saved my water for the morning.
There is a county wide burn ban so no campfire and no sitting around after hiking. Everyone just goes to bed shortly after dark. Kind of strange, but I only slept about four hours the night before. Got to sleep fine but holly crap does it suck to have to get out of my warm bag and try to pee in howling, cold wind.
Day 2
The next morning I got some water from the other hikers so I could make oatmeal. Unfortunately I just could not choke down the chewy clumps of the Quaker goodness and was still a little nervous I suppose. Couldn’t seem to eat much other than a few snacks for breakfast. By this time a thick fog had rolled in as I was getting on trail. But the wind was finally gone.
Made it to the shelter and hiked down to the water source. Filled up and did some trail chores while enjoying the view as the sun came out and burned off the fog. From there it was down to deep gap to take the Mt. Rogers trail and Fairwood Valley trail back to the AT. This section was on the other side of the mountain and was wet and kind of boring. Found a dryish rock to sit on and have lunch, another tortilla and tuna packet. Then back on the AT and up to Old Orchard shelter. Hiked 10.9 miles in just shy of 8 hours and only encountered three other hikers once away from the shelter.
At Old Orchard I was able to set up camp a little quicker and make a Backpacker meal of Red Beans and Rice which really hit the spot. This time I sleep even better. Was out by 9:30pm and woke up at 4:30am and just kind of dozed off a bit until other campers started breaking down camp.
Day 3
By this time it was raining a little bit, still dark at 7:00am, and a thick fog was blanketing the forrest. I was having some anxiety about having to start in a down pour. But with the press of a button my tent converts to a shed, thus eliminating any worries of hiking all day in the rain. However my stomach was not into the idea of eating much. So I just snacked as I walked.
The first thirty minutes were spent in the mist which eventually turned to rain. Then 7 more hours of being drenched. I probably stopped and changed clothes six times trying to be comfortable and dry. As you can imagine I was getting really hungry.
When the trail crossed a field it was just brutal with the high winds and cold rain. The nearest shelter was 5.5 miles away and I was starving. Off in the distance, through the fog, I could make out a building. Hauled ass over to it only to discover that it was a vault toilet. Inside there were trash cans full of hiker food waste. This in turned attracted other critters who left droppings all around the doors. The building had a very small awning with a dry spot just big enough for one person to squat down. There were animal droppings here as well. If you stepped around the side the temperature dropped suddenly in the wind. This is the only wind/rain break for miles. So I did something that I never thought I would do as a bit of a germaphobe, I cooked a meal and ate it at a privy. Oatmeal was still my best option even though I had gagged on it the morning before. Thinned it out enough to drink it. I absolutely had to get some calories in me.
Any anxiety, fear, apprehension or doubts about my ability to cope with trail life ended with that meal. In fact the whole trip was pretty good boost to my confidence and preparedness. Definitely hope to go back up there again soon.
Last edited:
Permij
If there's a vault toilet and I need shelter I'll use it. I've slept in them to avoid weather and to avoid being in a tent in grizzly territory.
My fondest memory of sleeping in a vault toilet was in the mother-fucking mother of all downpours near ScaFell in the Lake District.
Time to get a pee bottle! You dont have to crawl out of your sleeping bag in the night AND you'll have something warm to cuddle with.
Uhhh...no.
Have to stand up to pee. Laying down, kneeling, not going to happen. And given the fact that I cannot get anywhere near a hose without getting soaked, my toasty, 20°, 800 fill down bag would be rendered a $375 diaper. Moar power to you if you can use a pee bottle.
Was going to post a pic, but uh, yeah just google image search this: "bear grylls drinks pee".
Just put a fleshlight top on a nalgene. Screw on the top after and you'll be good.
Itll help relieve any loneliness issues too. Win win!
I camp in floorless tents and pee "indoors" in bad weather
My main concern is keeping my sleep socks dry. So far I don't plan on taking camp shoes because of the weight to time used ratio. If my socks get wet from having to put on wet trail runners to go pee then I'm not getting back to sleep. To remedy this I'm going to take two bread bags with me to put on over my socks then wet shoes. Camp shoes weigh anywhere from 8 oz. to a pound. Bread bags do not.
No hood on it? You'd better hope you don't run into any 20F temps.
It's long enough that I can pull it over my head.No hood on it? You'd better hope you don't run into any 20F temps.
My Brother Camps with wool blanket on the ground. He says he is not cold. But we can hear him shivering in the Cold. I have a old Cats Meow. It stays warm into the twenties if I use a foil blanket with it. It sucks when wet.
Holy shit. I had a Cats Meow that I bought back in... 1990, maybe? Thru-hiked the Colorado Trail with that sleeping bag. Goddam was it heavy (by modern standards).
Bridgestone Bicycles gave us them as part of our Kit. Eureka Tents also. All sorts of great gear because John Stamstad was on our Team....
How about bringing along a pair of neoprene socks? Itll keep you dry going out, and save your feet hiking on a rainy day.
Just curious - what happens to your feet if you wear those for more than five days in a row?
I have a pair of Sealskinz waterproof hiking socks. They're a bit bulky and require a liner to hike in. Haven't tried them, just kind of forget since they're in the box of stuff that didn't make it into my pack. A lighter weight pair may not be a bad idea.
Yeah that might be true if I were wearing hiking boots. Trail runners drain fast and dry quickly. Darn Tuff wool socks stay warm when wet. There is little time spent in camp lounging on a thru hike. You hike all day, set up camp, do some stuff then go to sleep by 9:00 (hiker midnight). The only time I will need camp shoes is to get up and go pee in the middle of the night. Hardly worth the weight penalty. If I end up needing additional footwear then I'll just grab a pair of gas station flip flops, a tasty Mexican Coke and be on my merry way.
I actually had to cull my packed socks because of excess weight. My feet sweat like a human irrigation system making daily sock changes mandatory. I always have extra socks, at all times, every where I go. I am never very far from a fresh pair. There are at least two pair in my messenger bag right now. Three pairs in my pack. Probably a pair in my car and another pair hidden somewhere else in the studio.
Ask me about reading glasses...
Update:
My plan has been to start the second weekend in April, almost four weeks from now. I have all my trail expenses and most of my home expenses (rent, phone, etc.). However there are two things I did not factor in; 1. The amount of gear that I would need either replace from wear or need to upgrade. Trekking poles, socks, underwear, shorts, headlamp, battery and charger, etc. Fortunately nothing major like my tent or sleeping bag need to change. Still several hundred moar dollars. 2. How will the Corona Virus effect thru hiking. It could certainly make resupplying significantly more difficult as shuttle services could shut down and people will probably be afraid to pick up hitch hikers. Also need to have a backup plan or emergency fund should I have to self quarantine in a hotel.
Read an interesting article that weighs the pros and cons of hiking during this pandemic. Worth a read.
https://thetrek.co/hiking-age-coronavirus-consider/
At this point I am still keeping my original plan but will be closely following any news from the trail that I can get. A lot of the Youtubers are a one week delay. Soon enough we'll start hearing how the virus is effecting trail life.
Might be the year of the Apocalypse Trail.
My plan has been to start the second weekend in April, almost four weeks from now. I have all my trail expenses and most of my home expenses (rent, phone, etc.). However there are two things I did not factor in; 1. The amount of gear that I would need either replace from wear or need to upgrade. Trekking poles, socks, underwear, shorts, headlamp, battery and charger, etc. Fortunately nothing major like my tent or sleeping bag need to change. Still several hundred moar dollars. 2. How will the Corona Virus effect thru hiking. It could certainly make resupplying significantly more difficult as shuttle services could shut down and people will probably be afraid to pick up hitch hikers. Also need to have a backup plan or emergency fund should I have to self quarantine in a hotel.
Read an interesting article that weighs the pros and cons of hiking during this pandemic. Worth a read.
https://thetrek.co/hiking-age-coronavirus-consider/
At this point I am still keeping my original plan but will be closely following any news from the trail that I can get. A lot of the Youtubers are a one week delay. Soon enough we'll start hearing how the virus is effecting trail life.
Might be the year of the Apocalypse Trail.
If you need to stage anything or need a ride/lodging etc let me know. AT in MA is only a couple hours away.
Cool, thanks man.
Heard that Trail Angels (kind people who offer food and support to thru-hikers) are waiting at road crossings and passing out rolls of toilet paper.
So are you still planning to proceed?
Currently not planning on postponing.
But more or less doing a track stand at the moment.
I've pretty much been doing that for the past 11.5 years anyway.
My main concern are my parents who are in their 80s. My Dad has heart problems and also has severely impaired vision. I'm doing everything I can so they don't have to leave the house. They both want me to hike but I wouldn't feel right about it unless it was safe for my mom to go to the grocery store. But right now she is not.
Another article on thru hiking during Corona Virus.
https://thetrek.co/right-start-thru-hike-coronavirus-outbreak/?ref=author_posts
Thankfully local guidance for trail use is to go alone and don't do stupid shit that will put you in the hospital.
Today was to be my AT thru hike start day.
