Appalachian Trail SOBO Day 9 – The day before yesterday
4th August 2023
Tentsite (mile 127.7) – Pleasant Pond Lean-to (mile 145.7)
Daily miles: 18
Total miles: 151
As expected I woke around 2:30am needing to pee because I was too lazy to go before I went to sleep.
It rained a lot in the night and it was still drizzling in the morning. It put me off getting up and going, but I needed to if I was going to make the miles. I drank loads yesterday and I still woke up with the puffy eyes so maybe it’s not dehydration…
My feet are still sore, and I decided to attempt putting a Compeed on the sorest part, which was the ball of my right foot. The chances of it actually sticking to my foot were very low but I was carrying them so thought I should at least try. To my amazement it stuck apart from a tiny little bit at the top.
My night was uneventful (I didn’t get eaten by a bear), I packed up my wet tent and was on trail at 06:40, a little later than I would have liked.
Raindrops on the outside of my tent
Packing away the inner of the tent first to keep it dry
Last nights campsite
I saw some NOBOs early on so I didn’t have to do too much cobweb sweeping. It was quite a nice walk for a few miles and then it started raining so the umbrella went up.
The first river crossing was socks and shoes off and bare feet. No higher than mid calf so it was fine. The rocks were kind of slimy which was a bit gross.
Someone made an AT logo out of logs
A nice trail ahead
It’s raining again
River crossing
Shoes and socks off and shoes strapped to the top of my pack
Twix break
Then began the long slog of climbing up to Moxie Bald. It took a good 3 hours which was longer than it should have taken but it was so wet and slippery I had to put all my focus into not falling over.
Of course there was absolutely no view at the top but it was still really beautiful; very atmospheric. It wasn’t cold at all and it wasn’t really raining either so it wasn’t too bad.
Trail goes up and over
Approaching the summit of Moxie Bald
Raining but warm
Atmospheric
Wet slab rock
A little ridge walk with a strange trail sign
Look at those views
Top of Moxie Bald
Walking along the slab rock
Then came the equally challenging descent. I was picking my way so slowly down because I just felt like I was going to fall the whole time.
I heard some people behind me which was unusual because I haven’t come across any SOBOs on trail yet and it turned out to be Kristian Morgan who is attempting the SOBO FKT (fastest known time) this year. We chatted ever so briefly as he ran past with his pacer, they made it look like the trail wasn’t full of slippery rocks. He is also from the UK and I had heard about him before I started the trail so I knew he was out here.
Wet and misty
The cairn in the distance leads the way
Trail goes through the rock
Kristian Morgan (in blue) and his pacer
After seeing how fast they were moving I told myself to stop fannying around and move quicker. They were running and I was moving along like a snail, but they also had tiny running vests on not a full pack. So I started to move a bit quicker.
It wasn’t raining as such but there were big drops falling from the trees so I left my umbrella up to stay dry. There would have been no way I could have worn a rain jacket up here because I was sweating on the climbs. The thermometer said about 18°C / 64°F.
I didn’t want to stop because it was wet and stopping in the wet is unappealing so I loaded up my Fanny pack with my crisps and grazed on the move; like a horse with a nose bag.
A bag of Bugles in my fanny pack
I continued the cautious descent until I reached the power lines, and then came to another river crossing which I wasn’t expecting. There were plenty of rocks to do a rock hop and my feet were pretty damp anyway from all the rain and the muddy bits, so it wouldn’t have mattered too much if I had taken a slip. But the wet of a rain wet shoe isn’t quite as wet and squelchy as the wet of a shoe dunked in the river.
This river crossing was a rock hop
Just after the river was a road where there were some cars and I thought it could be trail magic but it turned out it was Kristian’s support crew – his mum and dad. I almost walked on by but I recognised the pacer sat in the car.
I asked when he started. The day before yesterday…
The day. Before. Yesterday.
I’m on day 9 and it was a slog for me to get here!
I found out he attempted it last year and did it in 44 days making him the second fastest, so he is back again to have a crack at being the fastest (the record is 41 days and however many hours). So he has to average over 53 miles a day. He has chosen a heck of a year to attempt it. Everything is so wet and muddy.
I chatted with him mum for a bit and she wrote down my Instagram as she said she wanted to say encouraging things to me as I went along which was nice.
The dirt road where Kristian’s support crew was
I moved on and I could finally put the umbrella away for a bit and enjoy a gentle stretch of trail until another reasonable climb.
It was another slog where I just couldn’t get any speed. So many long slabs of rock and I took my first tumble. My feet went out under me sideways and I landed on my right thigh. My trekking poles went flying but thankfully didn’t break. I had a little cut and scrape around the knee to add to the collection of cuts and scrapes!
Slid down this rock on my knee
As I hiked on I saw a guy who said he had taken a fall too as we carefully manoeuvred around each other.
I had also run out of water so that was a struggle. But there were lots of blueberries out on low bushes so I was getting some hydration from them. They are so small so picking them was very time consuming and slowed down reaching the summit considerably.
Blueberry bushes
Blueberry haul
There were lots of places where I had to climb up using my hands to grab onto trees to pull myself up.
Can you see the white blaze on the tree?
There was a tree a lot of fungus growing out of it and the slugs were having a wonderful time.
Fungus
The slugs love it
I finally after a ridiculously long time - another 3 hour climb where I spent a lot of my time thinking “the day before yesterday? How has he done all that in 48 hours?!” Just incredible.
I made it to the top of Pleasant Pond mountain where it had started to rain again. There was a bit of a view but the clouds were closing in so I didn’t hang around long and started the slow descent.
Everything was just so slippy, and there were so much bare slabs of rock which could be grippy but could also be a death trap and it wasn’t obvious which one you were going to get just by looking.
A chink of blue sky
Moody sky
Rain incoming
More rain but happy I’m staying dry
Pleasant Pond Mountain
I was very thirsty. My feet were starting to hurt a lot. I was going so slowly. And it was raining. I had never wanted to just get to a shelter more. I was hoping there was room in the shelter because the thought of pitching my tent was unappealing.
I found water and drunk half a litre before carrying another litre to the shelter. I definitely wouldn’t be inclined to go and find water once I got there so I would rather carry it for 0.3 of a mile.
Whenever I got water today I did it without taking my pack off. It was manageable but honestly would have been quicker and easier to just take it off!
The side trail to get to the shelter was a swamp so my feet got even wetter if that was possible. There were 3 people there. One of them was in a hammock with another person and then there were 2 NOBOs in the shelter, so there was room for me. The hammock guy was in the shelter eating his food and said he would make room but I was happy to just sit for a while.
One of the NOBOs turned 76 a few days ago. I honestly don’t think I will be out here doing this at 76, if I make it that far.
Pleasant Pond shelter
I spent a lot of the evening chatting, they were asking me lots of questions when they gradually found out what I had done adventure wise. I couldn’t be bothered with food so I ate a handful of crisps and a Twix.
I gradually set all my stuff out and I had to lie down because my feet were really starting to throb. I knew this was a mistake because I would want to get up again and do things like clean my teeth and have a wee. I flossed my teeth and rubbed a bit of toothpaste around them and called that done. The wee was a problem because at the same time I thought about venturing out - about 8pm - it started to chuck it down.
Right now it’s pelting down on the metal roof. I drank a bunch of water so I will have to go at some point but I’m not going out there now. I don’t think it will be a great sleep. The shelter floor has a lot of bounce to it and the two old guys I’m sharing with definitely have snore potential. There has already been a chorus of farts.
Just before it got really dark I saw a mouse running along one of the beams. Excellent. As long as it doesn’t chew through any of my stuff we’ll be ok.
My feet are really throbbing from the ankle down. Painkillers don’t seem to be doing anything.
I hear the distant rumble of thunder. I am so glad I’m not out in that.
