Learning from getting soaked
Rained last night quite hard—but the hammock stayed dry under the big tarp. It seemed like such a contrast to my last trip on the AT. I got soaked in an established campsite in the Southern Smokies in my hammock in 2008–a big bathtub of wetness that almost made me quit the trail. This time, on the BMT, in an established campsite in the Northern Smokies in my hammock, I was dry and happy.
I slept very little last night because I was worried I’d have to get up and fix my tarp whi9ch it started leaking–but no such problem.
I was able to make it past the camp I had planned and think I can make Fontana Dam on Friday. This is essential, since I have a package there. (Note: I didn’t notice this was my first 25+ mile day until 2 weeks later, as I write all this down and actually calculate my mileage–pretty cool I got it so early on, but the terrain was easy). I feel a bit like a jungle explorer this past day, bushwacking through a lot of the underbrush, hopping over blowdowns, fording thigh deep swift water, and balancing on wet, sketchy logs to get across streams. The maintenance here reminds me a bit of the CDT. I’m walking up and up endlessly into a foggy cloud where 100 yards ahead is only mist. I am again the only person at this campsite. There were two VERY gnarly fords of Pole Creek today. The type that on the other trails, I would’ve said “Are you f-ing kidding me??” I walked up and down the stream bank, looked for logs and rocks I could jump, and finally decided to go for it. It ended up being thigh deep and swift–probably because of all the recent rain. These fords were before and after Campsite 61–and my guidebook didn’t say anything about them. I came to another ford and was about to get angry, only to notice that there was a bridge next to it for hikers (must’ve been a horse ford). Bridges all the rest of the way. I was stoked! Today, I felt cold coming on (a bit of frozen rain), and switched from a t-shirt to longsleeve shirt and raingear. I was proud I caught myself waay before hypothermia could kick in. You figure with all my hiking experience, I’d know to do this, but I’m such a creature of extremes, I often don’t realize that I’m dangerously cold until it is too late. So sensing it early on made me feel pretty good.
