It’s June 27th and I’ve hiked 941 miles! I’m quickly approaching the halfway point- and it’s becoming bittersweet.
Since you last heard from me I hiked to McAfee Knob. The view was absolutely amazing. My friends and I spent a sunny hour or so there before a big rainstorm moved in. We quickly threw on our rain gear and took cover under the trees. But the storm soon passed and we got to enjoy more views that day along Tinker Cliffs. Virginia is surely beautiful.
I had a friend come out to the trail to hike for a few days and that was a lot of fun. I realized while he was here how far I’ve come since day one. My hiking ability is pretty impressive now, if I do say so myself. Haha! I’m able to hike faster and for longer periods of time without needing breaks. (Although breaks are still really nice 🙂 ). My level of comfort with living in the woods has also drastically increased. I regularly have bugs swarming around me all day, I’m constantly caked in dirt, I go days to a week of sweating without a shower and still wear the same clothes, I endure climb after climb after climb, I am used to wearing rain soaked clothing, being smelly, being around other smelly hikers, and hiking through all the pain and soreness that has now become a regular way of life. I can pitch my tent in the pouring rain without the inside getting soaked, I can get water from the worst of water sources, I can hang a bear bag without a problem, and I am a pro at packing up quickly and efficiently. The smallest things can make a really terrible situation much more enjoyable; such as not having a soaking wet tent to sleep in or always having dry clothes to put on at night. One thing I still haven’t learned though is how to keep from getting bitten up by the bugs. I’m open to all suggestions! I spend my breaks scratching away at my legs and arms haha!
I also walked across the famous James River footbridge. It’s the longest footbridge on the AT and is a favorite for hikers to jump off of into the river. I was looking forward to taking the leap myself, until I was up there haha! But there were locals swimming there that day to show us how it was done. I did enjoy a nice long swim across the river though.
The Shenandoahs have been beautiful. The views have been amazing and terrain has been pretty easy as far as big climbs and descents. We are also getting a taste of the rocks that Pennsylvania has a reputation for. And all of my hiker friends have seen bears! All of them! I have not. 🙁 I am re-evaluating my hiking style haha! But, I’m not out of the Shenandoahs yet, so there’s still time for some good bear sightings in this park where I’ve been guaranteed to see bears.
As the weather has changed over the last two months, I’ve sent a lot of my things home. I’ve also gotten shake downs from other hikers, Life and Rocket Power. Here is the list of what’s left in my pack:
– tent: big agnes lone spring 2
– sleeping pad (sea to summit)
– inflatable pillow (sea to summit)
– sleeping bag liner (sea to summit) Apparently I love sea to summit.
– fleece blanket
– water system: sawyer squeeze filter system (large!), 2 smart water 1 liter bottles
– cooking system: MSR Pocket Rocket stove, 1 pot, spork, mini Bic lighter, small cloth (for cleaning)
– clothing: 2 pairs of shorts, 1 pair athletic pants, 2 t-shirts, 1 tank top, 3 sports bras, 3 pairs of socks (Darn Tough), 2 bandanas, rain jacket. This includes hiking and camp clothes. I’m still told I have way too many clothes and my hiker friends give me a hard time about it- haha!
– head lamp (black diamond)
– trekking poles (black diamond)
– trail runners (Salomon). No more hiking boots; they did not treat my feet well on such a long hike!
– crocs (camp shoes)
– paracord
– sit pad
– pack rain cover
– Gerber pocket knife
– Nikon camera, iPod, iPhone, Pocket Juice portable charger (I switched to a smaller, lighter charger.)
– toiletries: toothbrush, toothpaste, SPF Chapstick, small tube sunblock, baby wipes, toilet paper, hand sanitizer, nail clippers, Dr. Bronner’s camp soap (2 oz.), natrapel (1 oz.)
– first aid: bandaids, Neosporin, bug bite itch cream, ibuprofen, tweezers
-Other: small write in the rain notebook, pen, kazoo, AWOL trail guide (only a section of the guide), wrist watch.
– food bag: typically 4-6 days of food
That’s it! That’s every single thing in my pack, on me, and in my hands. 🙂
I’d like to say that most of the gear I started with was great, but some had to be replaced. My hiking boots started off good to me. I’d had them for a while before this hike, so they had already been broken in. But as I began doing more miles per day, they did not treat my feet well. I began to have a lot of foot pain. It got so bad that I actually began hiking in my Crocs (my camp shoes). I hiked in the Crocs for nearly two weeks and thankfully, my foot pain went away! Finally though, I did get a pair of Salomon trail runners and they have been very comfortable and perform really great!
My gear has taken a beating over the last 941 miles. My sleeping pad had to be replaced because a seem ripped. My pack rain cover also had to be replaced due to a large rip. They were both REI brand and were both replaced with Sea To Summit. My Osprey Exos pack has been great to me, but it too is beginning to tear. My Darn Tough socks have been awesome, but I’ve already replaced one pair which became worn through. I highly recommend Darn Tough brand because they replace your socks for free! My pair made it 700 miles and I’ll let you know how long my others last.
I’m almost to the halfway point! I’m excited to see Harpers Ferry and of course, get to Maryland!
Thank you all for following my journey. I hope you’re all spending your summer out there hiking!
Happy Trails,
Nicole
