I went on a hike.. no a torturous ordeal

Jan 04, 2009

 Larry and I left out yesterday in spite of the crappy weather for a place on the Appalachian Trail called Wesser Shelter. The trail we took I had attempted only four times and every time when I was huge it kicked my but. Wesser Creek Trail is a foot path that is about two feet at the widest point and many times you just have to invent where it needs to go in order to get up it. One Long Long 3.6 mile 2500 plus foot climb that rarely gets flat long enough to give you a break. On previous adventures prior to surgery I made it up almost to the top huffing and puffing with a tiny 5 pound pack. I would limp around for days afterwards with muscle aches and such, Larry one day decided to hike wesser creek and then turn north and go to the Nantahala Outdoor center about 6 or so miles north. He had told me this trail was one the devil himself devised. I pretty much believed him then too. That was about eight months ago. We took our time getting up to the shelter mainly because I was toting a heavy pack and progress was not at a break neck speed. Sometimes I think it is a miracle I can even walk uphill but to carry more weight is the work out of the year. So its January and Im sweating yes SWEATING like a roasting pig. By the time we reached the shelter it was just starting to rain but the wet clothes I had on were due to sweat. If there had been a spit and some sauce I would have cooked up nice as something Paula Dean would do. However being wet in January at 4000 feet can be dangerous so I did have extra clothes and proceeded to shed the wet stuff and put on some dry things. I wont wear anything cotton anymore due to its poor wicking value. Polyester may have looked good on John Travolta but the stuff they make with it now is so warming even when its wet. Anyway we set up camp and I decided to throw up a tent and party on the ground under the roof since some other hikers showed up and were about as wore out as we were. After a tasty meal of Chicken.. ( the blessed meat of WLS lol) and noodles with cream sauce I settled in for the night. Larry had some martinis and had been soaking the olives in the vodka. I dont drink very much at all but I did eat a few of the olives and mainly tested the pouch for future reference. This shelter had a Privy. Now if any of you seriously go out in the woods and camp like we do a privy is better than two blondes in a holiday inn room. I was so proud of that little shack because I usually get picked on now and then for organic material such as moss and tree bark sticking to a certain area. 
The night was sort of fun since the two other hikers were what are called through Hikers on the AT. They had left Katadin Maine in June and were on their way to Springer Mountain Ga to the end of the AT. I got to ask alot of questions of them since I plan on one day going in the other direction to Maine on it. 
Well after lots of talking cutting up and tomfoolery I got a tad of sleep got up ate a new concoction of grits and lipton chicken noodle soup. I put too much water in my grits and had to add the soup to it to thicken it up some. It actually was not too bad either. Larry got up and ate and we repacked the packs and headed out for the NOC. For the first mile or so it was a devine walk. Gentle rises on a ridge with gentle slopes going down.. then things changed..  The rises started getting dang steep and long then the slopes began to get steep. If you can picture hiking pretty much a straight line for a mile and having to go up a couple a hundred feet in a couple a hundred feet thats sorta how it was. Then we came to the Jump Up. It is a rocky crag that people going south on the At literally have to crawl or jump up in order to get on their way.. Of course we were jumping down. Down is literally like stunt work with forty pounds on the back. I finally just sat my big butt down and slipped to the next slippery rock and finally got to wet leaves that were alot safer. This began a long long down hill run..I use Leki poles for treking and I highly recommend something like this when in the mountains. I had figured I only had about an hour or so of walking left.. Push was really in stupid mode with that thought.. The trail went on and on then about an hour later even my eyebrows were shaky and cramping up.. I finally took a little break. Larry has since gone on ahead which is his MO since I am somewhat slower than his jack rabbit butt. To give you a mental view of this trail think about sharp rocks poking out at regular intervals. When the rocks are not poking out the tree roots are competing for the same space. Its not fast going for this ol fat boy. I was getting my wind back when I spied what appeared to be a shelter. On my map there was a shelter on the way to the NOC and it was only short distance after I passed it. What I did not know was this was the old shelter. They had built a new one and left this one to the elements. So I called my wife to come eat at the diner there at the end of the trail and figured hell I would be there in about forty five minutes. 
Then I met up with a guy walking the other way. I asked him how far away I was and he said four miles. My cell phone got busy again calling up DW and recinding my offer for lunch.. Hell I was thinking will I get out before dark. I went on for about a mile and came to this tree that the ground was undercut and rocks appeared to be like the worst steps known to man to get down. I planted one boot and as I lifted my foot to get the next foot hold you guessed it I went down like a sack of potatoes. I was lucky though. I grabbed an exposed root and landed more or less on my right side. I sort of stressed out just a little figuring out how to get back up the mountain which was only a few feet but muddy and slippery. I had been climbing over blown down trees all day the day before with out incident. After a short time I managed to get my big rear and pack up on the trail and started again. I was just ok with the fact nothing was busted not even my Ipod which I landed on. I slowed down a bit after that and the trail made me do that. It was one of those never ending trail days when you think you are near the end and it just keeps on moving down further. Anyway I wound up wore out like a bald tire and shuffling to the car which thank goodness was only a short walk from the end of the trail. And I still want to do 2175 miles of this trail one day.. I suppose I am a Darwin Award nominee.. 

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