Day 47: Hiker Legs

Starting Point: Upper Laurel Fork (408.3)

Ending Point: Hampton, TN (420.4)

Total miles: 12.1 trail miles.

Steps: 32,210

Injuries: Intercostal Strain

Achievements: Hardcore Cascades

It started raining hard about 4 a.m.  Our little piece of heaven turned quickly into a muddy hell.

I was ready for this.  Everything was in my tent and dry.  When I popped out, my pack was loaded.  All I needed was to put away my tent.  The temperature dropped, so the rain was cold.

We hiked quickly.  Kea's gear was wet and he wanted to get to a hostel to dry off.  There was one 12 miles away.  We marched out in good order.

I had little problem keeping up with the faster hikers.  As we came to a large climb I felt a strange feeling... 

"Young Buck, trust your legs?"

"What?  Who are you? Trust my legs?"

"Put down the trekking poles.  They are fooling you.  Trust your legs."

Trekking Poles are like a life preserver.  You can use them to help you go up.  You can use it when the trail is full of treachery.  If you are hiking level ground, you are better off just carrying them. Using them is a waste of energy.  So, most of the time, I'm just holding them.

Unless it is an climb, then they are helping me chug like a choo choo train.  An out of steam choo choo train.

As I reached the climb, I just left them at my side, and I just walked up the hill like it was nothing.  The grade became steeper, and I just bent over a bit more and I kept on walking.

We'll hello there!  It's my trusty hiker legs.  It took a while, but they decided to show up!  The Sweeper was behind me, and he was in awe.  Seriously.  He told me.  Just like that and I'm walking up a hill like a kid who had his training wheels removed.

I hiked the rest of the day with my poles at my side unless there was treachery.  And, there was plenty.

With that, my speed should increase significantly.

As a group, we've decided to do some aqua blazing.  We're going to kayak some miles.  A ten mile kayak trip will cover 21 miles.  We're not going to do it tomorrow because it is Wisconsin cold here tomorrow.  Tomorrow we'll just rest.