Day 14: 100 Miles!!!

Starting Point: Carter Gap Shelter (93.7)

Ending Point: Long Branch Shelter (102.4)

Total Miles: 8.8 trail miles.  1.2 bonus miles.

Steps: 24,133

Achievements: ***100 Miles***, Albert Mountain 

The night was rough.  I've tested my kit down to 20 degrees.  Last night was 18 degrees with 40 mph gusts.  That makes the wind-chill about -4 degrees.  I was smart enough to find a spot with a large log to block some of the wind.  I also set it up low.  I wore every single piece of clothing.

The good news was I was quite comfortable all night long.  It doesn't mean I slept well, and when I woke up everything was covered in a light dusting of snow from my breath. My dirty water bag was frozen so I hiked with just half a liter.

I tried chewing on a Clif bar, but they were quite frozen.  I sucked on them until they were soft. My tent stakes were frozen into the ground.

Blaze and the Sweeper got up early and hiked on.  We were going either 9 or 12 miles today depending upon how hard Albert Mountain kicked our collective butts.

All that cold sucked the life out of my legs.  Although it was rather flat, I couldn't get moving.

Feeling merciful, the sun came out and I could enjoy some views.

I stopped to refill my water bottle, I was out, but couldn't filter without a dirty water bag, so I found a natural spring and crossed my fingers.  It's a spring, I know it's fresh, but I don't like to take unnecessary chances.

I met up with Zack, who I camped near last night.  He was coming back in the opposite direction.  He seemed to have lost the trail.  I went with him and I lost the trail as well.  My GPS app said that it was within the error window and it looked like trail, but it was filled with blow downs.  It took a bit of overland back-and-forth, but we realized the trail took a hard left turn and we missed it.

Now exhausted after some bonus mileage, I hiked a bit and sat down.  I carbed up, drank some water, and gathered myself.  Albert Mountain was coming up, and it was a beast.  I contemplated taking the bad weather route.  The trail was in my head and winning.

Eventually, I reached the crossroad.  Do I suck it up and make the big climb?  The tower was a very long way up.

I decided that I've certainly done much worse.  I wasn't fast climbing up there, but I wasn't slow either.  I reached the traditional 100 mile mark on the trail.

With that, the spring was back in my step.  I put in some music and hiked on.  It turns out, I was only 30 minutes behind Blaze and the Sweeper.

Tomorrow, we'll hike 7.3 and pick up the shuttle into Franklin, NC.  We'll zero there.  After six days in the field, even I'm offended with my smell.

I told the boys that we must stop at a Walmart.  I need some athletic shorts.  Otherwise, with the loss of my laundry shorts, I have nothing to wear and will be lying in a towel naked.

We'll also learn Blaze's fate, unfortunately.  I've written about the four Ms of failing a thru-hike -- Medical, Money, Mental, and wasn't Meant to be.  In his case, his wife is struggling with him gone, and so he may pull off in Franklin.  Maybe I'll add a fifth, the Matriarch.