Appalachian Trail SOBO Day 101 – I like Big Balds…
4th November 2023
Erwin (1854) - Piped Spring (1875.1)
Daily miles: 21.1
Total miles: 1864
I didn’t decide what to do until 15 minutes before the first shuttle was going to leave. It came down to wanting to do SOBO miles. I didn’t want to do a whole SOBO thru and then have 25 miles that I’ve done NOBO, that didn’t sit right in my mind. Of course it really doesn’t matter, but that’s the conclusion I came to.
Then I had a problem. I felt the back of my knee and there was lump and I knew it was a tick. I asked May Queen and Sidequest to have a look and yep it was a tick burrowed into my skin. I carry tick removers so I got them out my pack and Sidequest went and got Safety (who is a doctor) and he took over straight away and went to work on gently and carefully removing it.
They used an app and identified it as a deer tick. Then Neptune came over and drew a circle around it was a sharpie, got my phone and took a picture of my leg. I couldn’t have got it out myself as it was in such an awkward place and I just loved how everyone came together and without asking just sorted it out. I was so grateful and feeling happy about it in-between panicking that I now have Lyme disease.
Horrible little bloodsucker
It was embedded in the back of my knee
We left in the car with me, May Queen, Toe, Jet, Lemon Hope, Neptune, Thigh High and Tinker all hiking out SOBO. Rabbit Foot is slack-packing SOBO and the rest of them slack-packing NOBO.
I felt discombobulated but happy with my decision to do SOBO miles. I could have slacked too but I didn’t want the pressure of having to do 25 miles, with a lot of uphill, by a certain time.
We stopped in at the food store and I did the quickest resupply of my life. I grabbed fruit snacks, chocolate bars and a couple of Luna bars and some candy and called it a day. If I go hungry I go hungry, but also I probably have too much food.
Miss Janet dropped us off where she picked us up. I quickly organised my resupply and then got hiking at 8am because it was very cold down there by the river and as I hiked uphill it seemed to get colder, going down to 1°C / 33°F. But even though it was cold, going uphill soon warmed me up and it was time to delayer.
Miss Janet’s AT van
Getting organised
Large bridge over a big river
The wind is icy
Nolichucky river
I was moving pretty slowly and when I stopped to delayer again Toe and Jet caught up to me. I managed to stay with them for a while and then they stopped to pee so I walked on thinking they would catch up but they didn’t. Thankfully the trail was nicely graded and pretty gentle even though it was all uphill. I was maintaining a steady pace, I was on a just over 2.5mph pace.
Climbing up away from the river
Enjoying the sun
Jet and Toe
Through the Rhododendrons
I caught up to Tinker and we hiked together for a while, a new person to chat to. Then she stopped to pee and I put the afterburners on to get to Spivey Gap 11 miles into the day where there was trail magic from a friend of Neptunes.
Sometimes the trail is weird
The trees are more naked now
Most water sources are dry
Neptune and Thigh High were already there, and when I arrived at 12:15pm I got handed a huge burger pretty much straight away. It is up there as one of the best burgers on the trail, cheese and bacon and crispy onions on the top, and it was a double patty so it was HUGE! My only complaint is that it might have been too much, I finished it but I struggled. I also could have done with a soda to cut through the grease but there was just beer. They did have water and I was able to fill up and drink a whole bottle while I was there which is significantly more than I normally drink.
A superb burger
He had a bunch of other snacks there too but I really didn’t need to take any food as my bag was heavy enough already and I doubt I will be eating much, if anything, for the rest of the day!
The NOBO slackers arrived around 1:30pm and they have really hoofed it to get here! It was probably a good thing that I wasn’t hiking with them as originally planned as I would never have been able to keep up with them, but it was mostly downhill for them.
It was difficult to leave with everyone still there and being so full. But I also needed to poop and there was a shelter with a privy coming up in 5 miles so I wanted to make it there so I didn’t have to go off trail and dig a hole.
Trail magic from a NOBO
We are the bubble
Drying out sleeping bags after a damp night up on the bald
Safety asked me how I was feeling and to be vigilant for symptoms - fatigue, headaches, nausea, and look for a bullseye rash. If I developed any symptoms then he had antibiotics I could have. Really nice of him to do that.
I ended up leaving the trail magic at 2:20pm - far later than I had planned to or should have left. I decided to go 10 miles and the others were talking about getting to Big Bald and watching the sunset so I knew they would be camped up there tonight. I wanted to go a little further so I didn’t have so many miles to do tomorrow.
It was so much climbing this afternoon and it was difficult to tell if my fatigue and nausea were from the tick bite or from the fact I was climbing 6800ft of up and I was too full from eating that burger and also needing to poop. I really should have just gone off the trail and had a poo, but I was too lazy to dig a hole.
Rocky steps
The trail was pretty today, winding around the sides of the mountains and with all the leaves having fallen off the trees it felt a lot more open. The leaves on the trail were so slippy, especially going uphill, although the lack of grip on my shoes wasn’t helping. I watched other people and they are also slip sliding on leaves. I probably should get new shoes but with only 300 and something miles to go is there any point?
I catch up to, and pass, Tinker and then she catches back up to me as I crawl my way to the top of the climb.
Follow the white blazes
Tinker and Puff Puff
There is a trail there, it’s under the leaves
It’s pretty up here
I walk with her for a bit until we come to the shelter and I go down the side trail to find the privy which by now was a very pressing matter. But thankfully after 2.75 days since I last went I felt a lot lighter.
Hiking with Tinker
3 sided privy
I hike on and it’s getting late and a bit chilly too. I got up over Big Bald and the sunset is looking nice up there. There are a bunch of weekenders up there too and that makes me not want to camp there. I’m not sure how it will make the others feel.
On the way to Big Bald
Low sun. Long shadows.
What a beautiful day
Chasing the sun
The view from the top of Big Bald
Tinker at golden hour
Sunset
I catch up to Tinker again and we walk the last 2.8 miles together to the camp spot we picked out. We stop at a piped spring which was flowing nicely about half a mile before the tent spot. Where we are going to camp supposedly has water but I don’t want to search for it in the dark. We arrive just as it’s getting dark enough to need our torches and we find the flattest bit of land we can. It’s easy in the summer, you can see the areas where people have camped, but when everything is covered in leaves it’s a bit trickier.
I find a spot which is flatish but it turns out I’m on a bit of a downwards slope and I’m sliding a bit on my mat. It’s not too cold here. The thermometer is reading 10°C / 50°F when we arrive and later on it’s down to around 8°C / 46°F. I think it feels colder so I got into my sleeping bag as quickly as I could. I ate a handful of Pringles because that’s all I can be bothered with. Tinker even offers to boil some water for me but I’m too lazy to get my pot out.
I have a few ailments. My skin is split on both my feet. My left heel is sore. My left shin is a little troublesome and my right foot is generally a bit sore all over. I am preparing for this to be over soon and looking forward to being able to take care of my skin.
The clocks go back tonight. It’s the 4th November. It will be lighter earlier for a while but it also means the sun will set around 5:30pm now. I best get some more batteries for my headlamp!
I’m tired.
It’s nice to be back in my tent.
