Pinhoti Continued

Today both son-in-laws joined me for a 7.5 mile hike on Cheaha Mountain.  We started at the Cheaha Trailhead and followed the Pinhoti trail for approximately 4 miles, then cutback on Cave Creek Trail for 3 miles back the where we started.  This was a nice loop with varied terrains.  Some large rock climbs and steep uphills and down.  Really nice views along the way.  It was a great day for hiking.   Some pictures are included below.

Training Stalled - Excitement Building

It looks like I have all but stopped hiking.  I have tried to set aside 3 days get back on the Pinhoti Trail, but something has come up each time.  With Christmas fast approaching and a house full of family, it would appear that this week is out too.  Maybe that is not a bad thing, as the woods are full of hunters around here.  Hunting season lasts until mid January.  That does not leave but about 6 weeks before I start on the Appalachian Trail.  I would like at least a 5 day trip before my start date, but I don't think I can get it done.

  It is hard to believe that it is nearly 70 degrees in Talladega, but after the storms move in tomorrow it is suppose to be colder.  I was hoping to hike in cold weather before I hit the AT, but at the rate I'm going that may not happen.  As of right now, the projected start date for the AT will be February 26, 2014.  This could change depending on the weather.  With 2 months to go, I am getting really anxious, excited, nervous, worried, etc.  I have so many unanswered questions about the trip.  At 64 years old my body aches everyday.  Legs hurt, feet hurt, back aches.  Each of these are daily occurrences.  I expect these to worsen once I start the trail. In my mind these pains will be tolerable. Of course Tylenol should help.  Will my body hold out? We'll see.

I will divide the AT into short goals.  My first goal is to take my time.  I am not in a race.  If I only cover 5 miles a day that will be fine for me.  Maybe my daily goal will be to reach the next shelter.  After a couple of weeks on the trail the daily distance should gradually increase.  Maybe by summer I can do 20 miles a day or more. I have begun to worry about the medicines I take each day.  How do I get the prescriptions refilled?  Can I stop taking them for 6 months?  I will get a checkup in mid-Feb.  My doctor should be able to answer all these questions.  More thoughts soon.

6.5 Miles - Pinhoti Trail

It has been a couple of weeks since I was able to get back to hiking.  I received my new sleeping bag, but discovered that even compressed it would not fit in my Atmos 65 pack.  The compressed size is 12"x12" and the Atmos throttles down in the center.  After another trip to REI, I now have a Gregory 75 pack.  I can fit the compressed sleeping bag into this pack, especially since it opens from the back of the pack also.  It is slightly heavier than the other pack but seems to fit better.  Total pack weight loaded was close to 40 lbs.  I will see what I can omit to lesson the weight, but for this hike I wanted to maximize the weight I was carrying.  Since this was a day hike my son, Jason, and his dog, Brooks, joined me.

We hiked from Clairmont Gap to Adams Gap a distance of about 6.5 miles.  Most of the trail was rocky terrain.  This was made more difficult by the leaves that covered the rocks which made footing unsure.  This meant that because I travel so slow it made me go ever slower.  The extra pack weight and being out of shape contributed to that also.  We only averaged about 1 mile an hour.  I could not walk and enjoy the views without tripping on the rocks, so I stopped alot to look around.  It was a beautiful day and the views from the trail were fantastic.  I have included a couple of pictures below.