Hiked 12.6 miles in the snow and ice and wind and rain to Tri-Corner Knob Shelter. I started in the rain, so I zipped down to shorts, then ended up on an exposed and windy ridge for a while. BRRR! Lots of firs and spruces, beautiful ridge walk, but no views because of the clouds. I want to come back to the section in snow free weather. Got to the shelter ~ 2:30, crawled into my sleeping bag to warm up. Crawled out ~ 6:30 for dinner. The sun had come out and all the grees are sparkling with ice. Very pretty – it's like the diamond forest in 12 Dancing Princesses. Springer Mtn to Fontana = 7% of AT hiked, 50% of hiker drop out by then. Highest point on AT is Clingman's Dome, 6625'. AT runs for 35 miles without dropping below 5000 ft (that's why it's so cold and snowy!) Normally when I approach hikers from behind I click my poles together to let them know I'm there. Today my poles iced up so I couldn't click them.
For those following my trip who aren't backpackers, here is a sample day of winter hiking (like my first 4 days in NC and the Smokies): Wake up ~ 7am, Grab fleece jacket and gloves from inside sleeping bag. Option A – scurry to the privy ASAP. Option B – find head lamp and put in contact lenses. Next, take off long johns and put on pants (also kept in sleeping bag). Take off wool socks, cover up any blisters or “hot spots” (potential blisters) with mole skin, gauze, or duct tape. Put on socks from the day before (from sleeping bag). Go to privy. On way back to shelter, retrieve food bag from bear cables. Get pot, stove, fuel from pack (which was used as a pillow) and cook 2 packets of instant oatmeal for breakfast. Pack up everything and strip down to tee-shirt and long sleeve shirt, fleece hat, shorts, knee high gaiters, boots, and yaktrax. Get hiking ASAP because it's COLD! Hike ~ 30 minutes then trade hat for bandana (around neck since the night before). Hike for 7-8 hours, stopping for lunch if it's nice, or snacking on the way if it's cold. Roll into a shelter in the afternoon after hiking 12-15 miles in snow. Claim a spot with my sleeping pad, fill my water bag and treat water with chlorine drops. Refill hydration bladder and small nalgene. Visit privy, change out of boots and wet socks. Put on long johns, pants, dry socks, long john top, long sleeve shirt and fleece jacket (plus rain pants and jacket if it's really super cold). Set veggies, etc, to soak in pot while I spread out sleeping bag and get ready for the night. Cook dinner followed by hot cocoa. Visit privy one last time, crawl into sleeping bag THEN strip down to long johns. Read for a bit and finally sleep. Repeat the next day. =)
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Sounds like an interesting routine...back in the day in VT the hikers had to regularly combat porcupines, which (due to a lack of fishers and other predators) were so numerous that they would eat any wooden object with the slightest trace of salty residue (basically any shelter, privvy, etc.) In 1931 two Dartmouth college students hiked the Long Trail end-to-end, and carried hatchets to dispatch porcupines that invaded shelters at night.
ReplyDeleteAt one camp, shared with a group of Boy Scouts (with guns), "the boys went to bed rather early so their leaders, Mr. Graves and 'Joe' accompanied Jack and me on a hunt for porcupines...Our campaign took place in an old mill where we had noticed some enemies earlier in the afternoon. We did not have to search very long before finding a large member of their clan meandering along in their characteristic rolling manner. Gamely he died, boys, gamely he died!! A double-barrel shot-gun fired at a distance of about twelve feet did the job, and what a job. The animal was not only killed, he was pulverized as well and his pieces were scattered all over the room in which we annihilated him."
(From So Clear, So Cool, So Grand: A 1931 Hike of Vermont's Long Trail by James Gordon Hines)