On the trail, every decision we make is important, and many outcomes based on our choices dictate our safety and well-being, especially decisions around water, weather, camp, and food.
The weather forecast predicted heavy rain and thunderstorms in my area near Hartford, TN, and Hot Springs, NC, for the first two days. When I read the hazardous weather alert, I debated whether to get going as I packed my resupply at Standing Bear Farm. There, I could spend a couple of nights under a roof, and staying dry would be guaranteed. If I go, I may not be hiking much, hunkering down, and be miserable.
In the end, I decided to go, thinking that I would get used to rain and thunderstorms on the AT. The rainy weather will inevitably continue along the way for the entire trail. I’d better get used to it and be comfortable working with it rather than avoiding it. So I left. I hiked with the warm evening sun until sunset and found a lovely solo camp spot at Deep Gap.
The next morning, I was up early to get going before the rain came so that I could keep my tent and other things dry. Even if I get drenched, if I have a dry shelter, I know I would be very happy. It was supposed to rain at 7 am, and when I looked at the sky, I knew it would hold up well past 7 am. I read the weather constantly by looking at the sky and understanding which direction the wind is coming from and how the clouds are moving. So far, what I noticed is that the weather comes from the west, just like California.
I came up to the summit of Max Patch Mountain, and I saw the rain cloud coming my way. I felt gusts and raindrops. I quickly passed the exposed ridge and went down into the trees. Just the way the rain clouds moved and looked, I thought I would have about 15 minutes. I still had 1.3 miles to go to a shelter. It’s time to run! I rushed through the woods, in the rain, and right when it started downpouring, I jumped into Roaring Fork Shelter. What perfect timing, and I couldn’t have done it any better. A great decision to get going early!
I decided to just wear my tank top and rain skirt over my underwear as my rainy day outfit, an experiment for the rainy day. It was warm and humid, so if I wore my hiking clothes and rain jacket, I would have been saturated with sweat under my jacket. I thought it’s better to just let my tank top get wet and dry it out with my own body heat later. My experiment turned out to be great! I was barely wet. I probably looked very funny, but as long as I had dry clothes to put on, that’s more important than my look! There, I was happy about my decision.
Nobody was at the shelter when I arrived, surprisingly. I know it would downpour for a while, so I decided to get comfortable. I put my dry clothes on and put out my sleeping pad and sleeping bag, listening to the sound of rain, looking outside, eating my snacks, making hot drinks, and doing quality stretches. After a while, drenched other hikers came in, and they all seemed to be relieved to have a refuge.
By 11:30 am, the rain stopped, much earlier than the forecast. I stepped out of the shelter and looked to the west. It looked light. Birds started singing. It’s time to go!
For the rest of the day, I kept my eyes out and watched the clouds. I kept up a good pace and didn’t take many breaks at all. One of the hikers who came into the shelter caught up with me and said that two hikers who arrived after us were not moving today. They were too cold and done for the day. I watched these two, shivering in their sleeping bag and trying to get warm, as I was leaving. I thought about how the way we make decisions about our day makes a significant difference, such as in this case.
The weather held for almost 4 hours, and started raining again. It was a bit earlier than usual, but I decided to set up my camp before down pouring. This time, I later thought I could have gone another 45 minutes since it didn’t rain hard for another hour. I wish I had made that decision for the next few days to be less miles of hiking since I hunkered down from 4 am until 1 pm the next day, being patient.
Patience is something I practice on and off the trail. For me, it came with age, and now I can embrace it better than when I was younger. To stay dry and warm on the AT is probably one of the most essential aspects of having a good time and being successful on the trail. So I waited, rested, made hot lunch, peeked out the tent to observe the sky, and finally heard birds giving me a cue to go.
It was much later than I expected, but I was happy with my decision. I stayed dry and walked into Hot Springs, North Carolina. I went to the welcome center to use their bathroom, dry my tent, and take care of what I needed. I didn’t want to stay in town, so I kept going. As I was walking, I heard my name from across the street! A guy I saw at the shelter and passed me was waving to me at the door of a brewery. He wanted me to come join him and the other hikers to hang out. We chatted a little bit, and I kept walking. Great decision!
As much as it requires a lot of mental energy, waiting, and moving fast, I enjoy walking in the woods when it is raining or after rain. It felt like I was in a forest sauna all day long for two days. I also managed to stay dry for the most part, and I was happy with how I timed my hike for both days. Constant observation, intuition, awareness, and opening all senses to read the environment will lead to a skill that our ancestors used all the time to coexist with the earth. I hope I’m getting better at it.
Once I hit the trail, I was relieved. This is where I belong. I thought. I am more comfortable out in the damp mountains than at a sanitized, air-conditioned, temperature-controlled hotel room in town, where most thru-hikers are when it is raining. I was happy. The fog was covering the mountains, but soon I saw the evening sun peeking through the fog, then the sun came out in the blue sky!! I yelled, “The sun!! I missed you so much. Thanks for showing up.”
For the next two days, it was sunny and glorious. The birds sang all day, butterflies chased each other, and bumblebees were busy pollinating one flower after another. Under the clear blue sky, I relaxed and smiled the whole way. I made up the miles I wanted to cover in these two days.
Most birds sing about half an hour before sunrise. But some sing way before the sun comes up. I wonder if they sing because they’re dreaming of something, since the song doesn’t last more than a few seconds. The next morning, I heard a bird at 3:30 AM. It’s a bit early for me to get up and get going. Since I rested so well for the previous two days and I was awake, I decided to get going.
I like starting in the dark so that I can see the sunrise from the trail, which is difficult on the AT since I’m in the woods or under the fog often. As it got lighter, the mist from the fog covered my face and calmed my body. Woodpeckers were knocking on the trees. American Robin, Dark-eyed Junco, and other songbirds were singing. A rabbit was running on the trail. Then, it was me, moving through the woods as quietly as I could.
Soon, the sun came through the trees and brightened my day. I was overwhelmed with the beauty, happiness, and gratitude for all life. I came to the trail junction that says exposed route versus bad weather route. Lucky me, I was able to take the exposed route. When I popped up on top of the ridge, I could see clearly the north, where I’m going, and the south, where I came from. I saw the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the tallest mountain range, far south. Rododendron flowers were blooming.
After enjoying the ridge walk, I went back into the woods and found a place for lunch. I set up my clothesline with my bear hanging cordlette to dry my tent, sleeping pad, sleeping bag, my jacket, and rain jacket. I enjoy managing my gear. It’s part of why I love thru-hiking. In the evenings, I spent time fixing things often. I like being self-sufficient and knowing all the repair work for my belongings. Every item I own is the only one I have, and it has to be perfect. If any of the items fail, I won’t be able to continue. I believe that gear has a spirit, too. They serve me well. I want to take care of them so they will last way beyond the average life of what it’s made for.
I walked until sunset. It was the longest day I had since I started hiking. I wanted to try and see if I can break the ceiling of 30 miles/day, still early at day 17, and with steep terrain. There’s something different about walking this time. I’m relaxed and putting little effort into moving uphill and forward. I clocked 32.1 miles. Well done.
Today, I woke up fine and had no soreness from the previous long day. As soon as I started climbing up the mountains, I was like, oh no, I didn’t have enough recovery calories. I felt less energy, and uphill hiking felt like a work. My body could handle long miles, but I didn’t give enough food to replenish what I spent. I thought I had made an unwise decision to hike over 30 miles every time I went up the hills, especially when inching up the biggest climb of the day to Big Bald, where I could see a 360° view of the area.
Along the way, I debated whether I could hike 26.6 miles to Erwin or not, especially after breaking the ceiling of 25 miles. I had very low energy, but I knew I had just enough food to make it. Is this a wise choice? Or an unwise one? In the end, I decided to make it there, thinking that it would be so worth it to take a zero day the next day at my friend Tuan’s house in Johnson City, TN, only 20 minutes drive from a trailhead in Erwin. A bunch of his friends and I met last year at Glacier National Park when I was about to finish hiking the CDT. Tuan gave me his contact and asked me to come stay with his family when I hike the AT. I wanted to spend more than just one day with him and his family.
As I was coming down the steep last hill to the Nolichucky River, I was cautious, kept telling myself, stay safe, no injuries. If I get hurt, it’s over, and the decision I made would be the unwise one with huge consequences!
When I saw Tuan at the trailhead, I was happy. He drove me to his beautiful home and went out with his family to their friend’s graduation party. Being alone, eating in silence, and not socializing was the best gift for the night. At his comfortable home after a big meal and a shower, I thought, it was so worth it. It turned out to be a wise decision. A great one.