Dirt Time

For several weeks now, we have been meaning to get back on the Trail for an overnight.  As time goes by, I start to crave, then to obsess about getting back on trail, walking up and down mountains with a ruck on my back.  It has become a part of me so much, its absence screams at me when I experience it. 

So, finally, nothing was going on and we made plans to head to Harpers Ferry and start filling some more gaps that LoGear has on her traverse of the Trail.  The forecast was hinting of high 60s, but as the day grew closer, some rain crept its way into the day.

The morning dawned somewhat cloudy, but pleasantly warm as we headed out from Pasadena, westward to South Mountain where the Appalachian Trail winds its way north and south towards Maine and Georgia.

I dropped LoGear off up the hill from the ATC in town.  A few raindrops splattered on my windshield as I headed back across the two rivers to a parking lot about four miles northbound.  

I arrived at the parking lot at 1116, parked and started heading south. The trail meanders around in this area, passing under the highway and along the gully of an old rail line and leads to the C & O canal trail.

The tow path

I walked along there in a very light rain, taking a few pictures, but still moving at a quick pace. After almost two miles, I saw LoGear heading my way. She wasn't alone.

Spring flowers along the Potomac 

LoGear had joined up with Wayne, a USMC retired vet who was out for a few days, heading north to the PA line.  We learned a bit about each other as we all made our way north now, back to the parking lot.

We got back to the truck, rucked up, then headed up the mountain. The climb up wasn't too bad. There are a lot of switch backs and you just have to keep moving at your best pace to get to the top. After about a mile, we were at the top of the ridge. We stopped at Weaverton Cliffs for a view. I try to walk down to this overlook each time I hike by, which has been about four or five times now. After a few pictures, we continued along the ridge.

Selfie

View

Once you get past the rocky end of the ridge, the trail smooths out and the pace picks up. We arrived at the Ed Garvey Shelter around 1400 and stopped to eat lunch. At the shelter we met Feral and Zorro, two early nobos. We learned a lot about their hikes and told our own stories. They had both started their hikes in late January and were hoping to summit Katahdin in early June.

Ed Garvey Shelter - Lunch

Water at Gathland Park

We continued on along the ridge. The hiking was easy enough and before too long we were descending down into Crampton Gap. We stopped for water at Gathland Park and then it was just .4 back up the ridge to the shelter. We arrived just before 1700.

The blue blaze heads back down hill to the shelter and along the way there are numerous tent pads and suitable trees for hanging our hammocks. We found two good spots and LoGear started setting up as I explored a little down to the shelter and checked out the spring, which was flowing strong.

Crampton Gap Shelter

I set up my hammock and sat in it recliner style as I enjoyed one of the beers I had been humping all day. A trail beer is usually a warm beer, but it is always a good beer. Worth the weight for this short trip.

LoGear's setup

We gathered some wood and made a nice fire as we prepared our dinners for the evening. A few other hikers came in, including Wayne the Marine. There was a family nearby that looked to be out for the weekend. They had a mixture of tent and hammocks and also built their own fire.

Dinner was good.  I had my usual of ramen, with bacon pieces, spices and some dry roasted red pepper from chick-fil-a.  LoGear had brought in some sausages that she added to her ramen.  

I had also brought along two mini bottles of Hot Shot and we each sipped at our own as we tended the fire and felt the woods darken around us.  

Fire and EarthTone's setup

We invited Wayne over to the fire and we listened to his stories of his career until the fire had burned down and it was time to retire to our hammocks. We each had hiked about 11 miles and my body was ready for some hammock time.  

I slept ok, but I usually toss and turn a lot the first night out. The hammock felt great and it was good to be back in it after so many months. The last time I had slept in the hammock was when I finished up Phase III, south of Rockfish Gap, last June.

The dawn came and with it the birds started singing after a very quiet night. I rolled out before 07 and did my morning routine, catching a pink sunrise through the still bare trees.

Sunrise

I made coffee from my hammock recliner and it was glorious. Breakfast was a nice bagel with peanut butter, bacon pieces and honey. Yum. Sitting in my hammock, watching the morning come on felt so good. Being out in the woods as the dawn breaks is the best of Outsider life.

Breakfast of champions

Around 0830 we were packed up. I headed south and LoGear went north. We each had 7 miles to go. Me back to the truck and her to The South Mountain Inn parking lot.

I went fast, taking no pack off breaks as I had drank and ate all my excess weight and had a light pack. I caught and walked with Bruce for awhile, who had also camped in our area, away from us. He too was out for a few days, only going sobo from the PA line.

I made it back to the truck at 1112, almost 24 hours since I had parked and headed to LoGear's pick up, a 15 min drive away. As I drove north, I thought that about how I was covering the same distance it had taken us basically two days to walk in a mere quarter of an hour. We live in a fast world.

I pulled into a spot in the crowded, busy lot just as LoGear walked into the parking lot. It was pretty good timing. We pointed the truck towards home, stopping at McDs on the way for some comfort food.

It was a good hike. The weather was good, with only a few sprinkles each day and the terrain was challenging enough, but still on the easy side.

My first question as we headed home was; when can we get out here again?

Peace,
EarthTone and LoGear

The Hardest Thing About This Quest

Pamola's Quest started in April of 2017.  To walk the whole trail and get myself to Pamola Peak on Katahdin, rebuilding the Talisman of the Storm along the way and presenting it to Pamola on his mountain.  

The Quest continues.  When I started the Quest, I was hoping that maybe we would do the whole thing in one go.  Essentially a Thru Hike.  But, I knew that the chances of that were going to be low, so I didn't make it a primary goal.  The primary goal of the Quest is to get it done.  With no time limit.  

As the Quest evolved due to various influences, the potential of it being a Thru Hike evaporated (maybe for another day, who knows), but the Quest itself continued.

I have never quit my hike.  I just get "off Trail".  And that has become the hardest part of this Quest.  Being off Trail and waiting to get back on again.  So far I have weathered the physical part pretty well.  Yes, I did injure myself by tearing my rotator cuff, which required surgery to correct, but I was still able to continue hiking for three more weeks, even though I knew something was wrong and it wasn't going to heal on its own.  

The mental part of the hike is mostly responsible for the evolution of the Quest. After LoGear decided to get off Trail, my mind started telling me that maybe I wanted to get off too.  At least for awhile.  After trying to ignore those voices for a while, I decided that they may have a point and knew that I could get off and come back later to finish. The Quest didn't have a time limit other than the span of my life. 

Hindsight has shown me that the decision to break up the Quest into Phases, was a good one.  Some things have happened when I was off Trail that would have been missed opportunities if I hadn't left the Trail.  One example is being able to see Tom Petty in concert on his last earthly tour.  

I have 600 miles left to finish the Quest.  About 50 days or so of hiking.  I have set a date to return at the end of May.  As early as I can start up north, when the trails of Vermont are slightly less muddy.  I'm sure they will still be a challenge.  And I will also be dealing with the black fly season by starting back up that early.  But I must.  My daughter is growing my first grand child in her belly and I want to be back by her due date of July 15th.

So, I sit here and wait.  I have my final Phase planned out.  I'm basically ready to go, with just a few consumables to purchase to refresh everything in my pack.  

The waiting is truly the hardest part of this Quest.  But wait I must.  

Soon I will be back "on Trail".

Peace,
EarthTone

The waiting is the hardest part

Every day you get one more yard

You take it on faith, you take it to the heart

The waiting is the hardest part

Tom Petty - The Waiting