Eisenhower, Monroe & Washington beyond laid themselves
out before me like a promise. And, the 360 degree, 100+ mile visibility of the
surrounding Valleys allowed me to see just how far I’d come in my quest to make
that promise a reality. The trail stretched out across the ridge like only Able
Crawford could have imagined. With some 12 miles to go, and countless views to
devour, “before I sleep” I hopped, skipped & jumped back onto the trail and
made my way to my next destination - Lake of
the Clouds.
Lake of the Clouds |
Despite the incredible views in every direction it’s always
a bit of a let down to make it to the peak of Washington only to see it
over-run with people – most of whom didn’t get there under their own power!
Don’t get me wrong. I’m not knocking the Cog Railway or the Auto Road. Heck, the first time I came up
to the top was on the Cog as a kid. But,
now that I’ve actually climbed the mountain, I’m always a little disappointed
to see the Disneyland like atmosphere at the
summit. Imagine hiking Everest and finding a McDonald’s at the top. It’s kind
of like that!
The Presidential Ridge |
Anyway, I did my obligatory touch of the summit sign and
quickly retreated to comfort of the trail - away from the throng of wide-eyed
tourists. I said farewell to Crawford’s Path and made my own across the earthly
moonscape of the Presidential Ridge. I hopped from rock to lime-green rock. I
zigzagged from cairn to blessed cairn. And, I carefully picked my way over each
boulder and along the edge of each sheer precipice - soaking the entire
heavenly panorama in.
As I made my way along the Gulfside Trail I felt something I
had never felt before at this high elevation. Hot! I’d been on the Presi Ridge
many, many times but this was the first time I’d ever had the good fortune of
such a clear and wind-less day. But, with this climatic anomaly came the burden
of soaring temperatures and glaring sun. And I was starting to feel its
draining effects. By the time I reached Sphinx Col it felt like I was crossing the Sahara
itself!
Sphinx Col |
It was during this stretch that I took a tumble coming off of
Jefferson. Fortunately I wasn’t going too fast
and was able to catch myself before I smashed my head against a rock. But my
knee, and hands were scraped up pretty good, I was bleeding and a little
shaken. It was the first real “digger” I had taken all trip and certainly
brought me back down to earth in a hurry. I tended to my wounds and tentatively
continued along the trail to my next stop – Madison Hut.
I reached Madison
around 4:30pm. I was so tired at that point that I didn’t even attempt to
summit the last two 4000 footers. I reached the front steps of the hut, dropped
to the ground and slumped over my pack. I was at a crossroads – literally &
figuratively. Do I head South to the Osgood tentsite and the Wildcat Ridge
beyond as originally planned? Or, do I continue North down to Appalachia
and an “early” exit from the AT? I had hiked 69 miles in 3 days and I wasn’t
sure I could go another step.
Madison Spring Hut |
The decision to cut my trip short was a sound one and paid
dividends immediately. Without the weight of 1 more day (and 24 miles) looming
over my head, I felt happy and free to enjoy my last few moments above
tree-line. I explored the new, improved and, dare I say, luxurious Madison
Spring Hut. I chatted with other hikers about their AT experiences. And spoke
to yet another thru-hiker who exclaimed, “This place is like heaven on earth
and there’s no place else I’d rather be!” And, while I couldn’t completely
agree with what he said, I sure as heck understood the sentiment!
Home Sweet Home |
I sat on a large rock next to my rustic encampment and ate a
bran muffin that I’d purchased earlier at the hut. I called my wife (who was in
Canada
visiting her family) for the first time since I’d begun my journey. But, when I
started to tell her about all that had transpired, I could sense she was worlds
away. I asked her to give the kids a kiss for me and crawled off to bed. As I
drifted off to sleep, I contemplated the sheer magnitude of a 2,184 mile, AT
thru-hike. The 72 miles I’d just done had taken a huge toll on me and I
couldn’t fathom doing it 30 more times!
Made it! Sort of. |
I was disappointed not to have completed the full 96 mile G2G. But I knew that another day on the trail would have ended badly. The sleepless night on the ridge had taken a bit of the wind out of my sails and I couldn't quite recover from it. In the end I knew that I had given it everything I had (and then some) but came up a day (and 24 miles) short. This fact was highlighted once more by the 2 hour trek (in the rain) back to my car with my beat-up, one-geared, no-brake, mountain bike which left me completely exhausted once again!
I arrived home a few hours later to find the house
completely empty. At first I was disappointed there was no one around to share
my experience. But, it was probably for the best as I was too tired to go
through it all immediately anyway. I felt blessed to have spent spend 3 glorious
days on the trail, but now, all I wanted to do was rest. Too pooped to unpack and
too lazy to fix dinner I collapsed in a heap on my bed. I slept all night but
it was a restless, uneasy sleep of a semi-defeated man. Tossing and turning. Half
awake and half asleep - drifting in and out of Appalachian Dreams.
The Route |
Sounds like you had a great experience out there and cutting the hike short by a day was a good decision. I've been thinking a lot about doing some AT sections hikes. Reading this makes me want to do it even more. ....but I won't start in the Whites!
ReplyDeleteNice job with all that hiking. I enjoyed reading your commentary, it is much easier and quicker than getting out there myself.
ReplyDelete