Appalachian Trail SOBO Day 35 – A very long 24 mile day
30th August 2023
Happy Hill Shelter (448.2) - The Lookout (471.9)
Daily miles: 23.7
Total miles: 478.8
Day 35. How am I on day 35 already? Time is marching on!
It started to rain at 05:20. It woke me up and I groaned because it was almost time to get up and hike in the rain. I set myself a goal of almost 24 miles today and it’s going to be the biggest day in trail so far so I needed an early start. I got going at 06:50
It rained for about 3 hours. It was very dark to start with and hard to see the trail. I passed under the interstate again and then had about a mile road walk where the cars were driving so fast and creating so much spray. I was moving right over onto the grass verge to avoid being completely soaked.
A dark morning on trail
A rainy road walk
A very wet morning
Got soaked by the spray
After it stopped raining I continued to hike for about an hour with my umbrella up because I couldn’t be bothered to take it down, and it was a bit of protection from the trees dripping.
There isn’t a lot to say about today really because I just put my head down and hiked.
Saw some maple collection attached to some trees.
Collecting the syrup from the maple trees
I walked through lots of fields, some with tall plants and some with short grass; both made my already wet feet, wetter. Around 11am the sun started to come out and it got hot and very humid. My thermometer said 27°C when I looked at it later in the day. I had sweat pouring from my face, and in the area where there was no tree cover it was roasting. I wasn’t mentally prepared for it because I thought it was supposed to rain all day.
Following the white blazes
Misty and wet
Atmospheric
Limited visibility
Blowdowns
Drippy trees
The mosquitoes were horrific all morning. Even when it was raining they were biting me. So many bites today.
Around 12pm I was running out of energy so stopped and ate some Pringles and cheese in the noisiest spot I could find (not on purpose) where there were people strimming the grass.
The trail went right through where they were strimming and it was actually a bit hard to follow where all the debris had covered the trail, although it was a pleasant surprise to find the trail switchbacked up the hill. Then it was a whole series of going up and down and in and out of fields and forest.
Walking on the edge of fields
Down dirt roads
The rain finally stopped
I was really dehydrated today and I stopped to get water at the river surrounded by tiny apples on the ground (I think they were apples) and they were going mouldy so that was really stinky! There were also a ton of blackberries on the trail but there weren’t quite ripe enough.
The blackberries aren’t quite ready to eat yet
Had to stop for a nature poo.
There were some parts of the trail which were nice and wide and flat and a pleasure to walk on. And there were some parts that were steep up and steep down and they really slowed me down. Today was the return of the little orange squishies (the salamanders) and I was worried about stepping on them.
Really nice trail
River crossing
It turned out to be a really nice day
Apart from the mud
Views
The little orange squishies
After I got water the climb up was a bit rough as it was very muddy and I did dip one foot into the mud. Thankfully the mosquitoes weren’t as bad this afternoon but I was still getting bitten of course.
I was really flagging towards the end and I made it to the shelter at 18:50. Exactly 12 hours to do just under 24 miles. Ugh.
Filtering water
There was only 1 person at the shelter when I got there. A SOBO! He’s called Spice Cake. He’s doing a flip flop and moving kind of slow so I don’t know how much I’ll see of him again.
It’s a nice shelter, there is a ladder and a platform on top with some nice views where I could see the rain moving in.
Approaching the Lookout hut
Watching sunset on top of the hut
Made it before the rain
The ladder to get up there is pretty steep
The Lookout hut
Then a bunch of NOBOs arrived, I think there are about 5 of them. They make so much noise! They go outside to smoke and one of them sounds like they are trying to cough up a lung.
Cal arrived at around 8pm.
I was lying down by 8:15pm. I had eaten the rest of my Pringles and cheese and some of my Chocolonely for ‘dinner’.
Nearly 7000 feet of ascent today and 5900 of descent. My legs and feet are throbbing.
A spider just ran across my face.
