See the white blaze on the sign post; this was the way up from the NOC. It was a sunny morning but COLD again. When will Spring arrive? Everyone is wondering ...
I left before Carlie and Hermes but it wasn't long before they passed me. I'm used to it by now and very grateful that I can keep moving forward. The young people are not immune to problems. Their knees and feet hurt. A lot of them have multiple blisters; some have lost toe nails. Carlie is experiencing problems with an achilles tendon.
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| Me and my shadow |
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| View of the NOC/Nantahala Gorge from the Jump-up |
On the shady side of the mountain this is was the trail. I stopped at Sassafras Gap Shelter but it was too early to stay so I proceeded on toward Locust Cove Gap (my original destination for the day).
There was a stretch of trail where I had been walking and then the trail seemed to end. I stopped and looked for white blazes on the trees but it was just a jumble of rocks. I wasn't sure if I went straight ahead to the right or left. I just stood there sort of frozen in place. Another frightening moment for me. By now you know what I did - yes, prayed that God would show me a shoe/boot print. I walked a little to the left and up and saw a partial print in the snow on a rock and proceeded in that direction. As I climbed up the rocky path, I saw more prints so I knew someone had gone this way ahead of me and I hoped it was the correct direction.
I had seen this earlier and wondered if I was following Guard's foot prints.
Higher up I could hear girls' voices and when I could see them I asked if I was heading the right direction. They replied they were going South so I breathed a sigh of relief that I was heading North. I asked if the trail remained covered with snow and they said, yes ...
This was a nice flat stretch (albeit short). Can you imagine how beautiful it would be to walk through these rhododendrums when they are in bloom ! Not today though.
When I arrived at Cheoah Bald the view was incredible and I had it all to myself for a few minutes. My narrative consists of a very tired "This is Cheoah Bald."
It was so cold I see my breath but the sun was out and that helped me mentally a little. Four guys arrived huffing and puffing. They had passed me earlier in the day and then took a lunch break at Sassafras Gap Shelter. Because I didn't take a break there, I managed to make it to Cheoah Bald ahead of them ... but just by a few minutes. That gives you an idea of the speed of younger people. I hike slow but steady and don't take long breaks. They hike fast but take long breaks and still out hike me.
I had taken off my pack and decided that Cheoah Bald was my Katahdin. I got one bar on my cell phone and tried to call G-4. Call failed. I moved a few feet and got two bars and the call went through. I told him "I'm done." His reply: "What?" and I repeated "I'm done." I had found The Cabin in the Woods from the guide book and made the call to Phil. He said he could pick me up the next morning at Hwy. 143/Stecoah Gap but that night he was full with hikers coming in out of the cold weather. I told him I couldn't hike those extra miles to the highway that night any way and would stay at Locust Cove Gap. Arranged for a 10 AM pickup the next morning and hoped I could do those 3.1 miles in that time frame with fresh legs ! Called G-4 back and asked him to meet me sometime the next day at the Cabin in the Woods. He would google it and find the directions. Didn't figure I would have cell coverage in the gap that night and I didn't.
Took some group shots of the guys with their phones and cameras but was too tired to asked their names or chat with them. One guy overhead my conversation and came over to me and said "Don't be too hard on yourself. Look what you have accomplished. I have a friend who is much younger who could not have done what you just did." I told him I wasn't being hard on myself but I was just really tired and couldn't see myself doing this for 6 more months. I think the cold weather had really beaten me down. I pulled out my high protein pretzels and a packet of squeeze cheese and ate it. I think part of the reason I was so down was due to the fact I hadn't eaten much all day. Not a good way to fuel for a hike.
The guys talked about heading to Brown Fork Gap Shelter for the night - another 7.9 miles. I think it was about 4 PM. I knew 2.4 miles to Locust Gove Gap would probably be more than I was capable of but that was my only option and I had to do it. It was going to be another cold night and I didn't think staying atop Cheoah Bald was a good option. Onward ...
I had gone UP almost all day and now came the DOWN - 2.4 miles of down and I went down (literally) doing the splits soon after leaving Cheoah Bald. Of course, it was on rocks. My left foot turned and I felt the pain that comes with a twisted ankle. Then my left leg slipped forward out in front of me and I felt a pull in my left quadricep muscle at about the same time my right leg splayed out behind me. I think my pack (Buddy) saved my butt from a hard down on the rocks. I don't even recall how I got up but I remember I didn't take off my pack ... Yep, I said a prayer of thanksgiving that no one would have to come rescue me off the mountain. I didn't expect there was any one behind me and there wasn't so I don't know how I would have been rescued anyway. Hermes knew I was headed for Locust Cove Gap and perhaps he would have come to look for me. Thankfully, I made it slowly down to Locust Cove Gap and arrived about 6 PM.
The young guys were there and had their hammock and tents set up and one was coming back up from the water source. They decided to call it a day because they were tired too.
I set up my tent for the "last time on the AT." I cooked dinner, tried to give away my food because I didn't want to carry it down off the mountain. My candy bars were a hit but that was about it. Hermes asked me if I was OK with leaving the trail. He wondered if I thought God was telling me I had gone far enough. At that time I thought I had accomplished what God had called me to (even though I wasn't sure what that was...) and told him I was at peace with my decision. He had given me a very tiny uncut emerald and a tiny purple stone while we were at the NOC because he noticed I wore green and purple and he wanted to give me something to carry with me to Katahdin. He told me his grandma had given him several uncut stones that she had won and he'd carried them to Katahdin on his first thru-hike last year. I was very touched with his gift but on this night I told him I would return them because I wouldn't make it to Katahdin. He didn't want to take them back but I said he would meet someone else and he'd know who that person was and he should give them to that person. I tried to remain upbeat because I didn't want to ruin the day for the others. I declined the offer to sit by the camp fire and retired to my tent for my last cold night in the wilderness. I had a good nights sleep. The tent site was really rocky but my Exped 7 mattress came through like a champ and I was very comfortable.
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