fool on the hill: a blog by matt kirk

ln(10)

2012-01-29T13:58:00.000-08:00

1.23: 1.5h, 200’ MTCC +ppp
1.24: 1.5h, 1600’ 3x Ida +ppp
1.25: 1.5h, 200’ MTCC w/pack
1.26: 1h, 750’ 2x Ida +ppp
1.27: 1h, 750’ 2x Ida +ppp
1.28: 6.5h, 6000+’ Grand Loop recon +ppp
1.29: 1.2h, 2000’ Woods Mtn. +ppp
∑=14.2h, 11,500’

Training through an achy knee and stuffy head cold is a sure sign of stubbornness. Although the jury is still out on whether or not this was a wise decision, I’m feeling pretty good about it at the moment. Maybe this is merely a result of looking at the week’s superfluous numbers, but I’d like to think that I’ve grown smarter after a decade of trial and error. I thank Brandon for helping motivate me to hit up the gorge this weekend.

Ever since I learned about the existence of a 40-mile route (100% trail), which circumnavigates the Linville Gorge Wilderness, I’ve been eager to explore this so-called “Grand Loop.” Brandon, Uwharrie and I put in at 8AM on a chilly but beautiful Saturday morning from Linville Falls TH with intentions of exploring the northern half of the Grand Loop in a counterclockwise direction.

Equipped with maps, compass and GPS, we launched headfirst into a labyrinth of uncharted trails in the NE sector. We connected with the familiar Jonas Ridge Trail three hours in. Up to this point, we had only made a few small navigational errors, which had cost us less than ten or fifteen minutes. We moved quickly over Standing Bear and on to the summit of Hawksbill.

We were on a tight schedule: I had to be back for our Chinese New Years celebration in Marion by 3PM and now we were bushwhacking all over the precipitous peak of Hawksbill looking for the obscure ledge trail descent to Spence Ridge. Brandon made the call: we didn’t have enough time, so we abandoned the search and retreated to the FS road and ran down to Spence Ridge TH. Soon we were across the river and trudging at a steady clip along the technical Linville Gorge Trail.

In the interest of saving time, we made another shortcut to access Kistler from the Cabin Trail. We were back to the car after 6.5 hours, approximately 23 miles and over 6000 feet of climb. I’m happy that we got a chance to explore about 75% of what we had hoped to of this northern section. I’m also excited to get back out there in the near future to finish up recon in preparation for an attempt at the entire 40-mile circuit.

The vegetarian dumplings were fantastic along with all the other dishes that our friends helped us to prepare Saturday evening at our Chinese New Year celebration. I thank Lily for gathering us all together for the feast. What a great idea! Sunday brought another beautiful spring-like day. Lily, Uwharrie and I made our way to Tom’s Creek and up the MST. Although I honestly wasn’t paying close attention to the time, I’m pretty sure I nearly tied my PR up and down Woods.

30 in 52

2012-01-26T15:45:00.001-08:00

http://run30hundreds.blogspot.com/

ln(11)

2012-01-22T16:21:00.000-08:00

1.16: 1.5h, 1600’ 3x Ida +ppp
1.17: 1h, 500’ Ida +ppp
1.18: 1.5h, 200’ MTCC w/pack +ppp
1.19: 1h, 1000’ 2x Ida +ppp
1.20: 1h, 750’ Ida w/pack +ppp
1.21: 6h, 6200’ Sultan 50K
1.22: 1h, 750’ Ida +ppp
∑=13h, 11,000’

On the tail end of MLK weekend, vowing to surpass 10K’ (a reasonable benchmark living in the shadow of the Blue Ridge), I started up Ida for the first of many reps this week. Turns out I was able to comfortably hit the benchmark as well as make up the difference from ln(12) thanks to the 4th annual running of the Sultan B-day 50K.

It may have been a rainy day for this fun run, but spirits were not dampened in the slightest. I have to give Mohammed and family mad props for keeping this crown-clad tradition not just alive, but thriving! Yet another memorable and surprisingly scenic traverse of the South Mountains was made by many a kindred soul. Thanks to all who helped out as well as those who came out to run! I certainly enjoyed spending some trail miles with my dad on the return. Happy Chinese New Year!

the new old school

2012-01-20T16:53:00.000-08:00

The first real workshop offering of 2012 is basically just a new twist on an old Roy Robinson poncho tarp-tent. Roy is the father of Brian Robinson, record-holder of the Barkley Marathons. I remember following Brian's AT shelter entries back in 2001 from his unprecedented 2001 Calendar Triple-Crown hike, a catalyst to my own interest in ultras, fast packing, etc. Good stuff.

Poncho on Colorado Trail in 2002

Trapezoidal rig on CT in 2002

The first couple versions built in 2002 and 2003 were from sil-nylon, as recommended. In 2009, I tried out a lighter weight cuben fiber. This fancy fabric is expensive and corners were cut. Consequently the dimensions of this poncho tarp-tent were a bit too slim to provide adequate protection from the elements.

Within the last couple weeks, I purchased a slightly burlier cuben fiber (CT2K.08) and went ahead and built a newer version, increasing the dimensions to approximately 70" by 104", which requires 4 and 1/3 yards of fabric (still rather pricey, even on sale). So far I'm happy with the finished 5 oz. product, which seems to allow enough space to be set up in the protective trapezoidal shelter configuration that I fondly remember. The Roy Robinson poncho tarp-tent is a good beginner's sewing project that I would highly recommend.

ln(12)

2012-01-15T16:06:00.000-08:00

1.9: 1.5h, 200’ MTCC w/pack +ppp
1.10: 1h, 500’ Ida w/pack +ppp
1.11: 1.5h, 200’ MTCC w/pack +pp
1.12: 0.5h, 100’ Peavine +ppp
1.13: 1h, 1000’ Jerdon w/pack +p
1.14: 7h, 6000’ Blacks w/pack +pp
1.15: 6h, 1000’ (& back) w/pack +ppp
∑=18.5h, 9,000’

Although the run commute twice a week to and from MTCC for night class is mostly off pavement, this 7-mile roundtrip (on an old RR bed) boasts little elevation gain. I didn’t get up Ida much to supplement the climbing, but there was still a good bit of time spent on the feet this week thanks to the weekend’s backpacking adventure.

Lily, Uwharrie and I had a difficult choice: a trip to the Gorge, or up to the Crest. Having gawked at the snow-capped Blacks all week, we chose the latter. On Friday after work, we stuffed our packs and drove a dozen or so miles from town to lower Curtis Creek. We night hiked in to bivy on the Jerdon Mtn. lookout tower. A nearly full moon illuminated the surrounding mountains including the distant ice-encrusted crest. We began questioning the efficacy of our equipment.

We ascended Heartbreak Ridge the next day and entered into a new world. At 5750’ along the MST below Potato Knob’s precipitous face, we found a sheltered campsite and went to work preparing for a night of bitter cold. Lily gathered an impressive stack of firewood; nearby I hacked away at bulletproof ice with a rock to access a rivulet of water while Uwharrie curled up on the sleeping bags. The fire warmed us inside and out and we celebrated our (what is nowadays all too rare) night on the trail.

We awoke to over four inches of fresh snow on the ground. We started a morning fire, had breakfast and packed up. This winter wonderland had us laughing out loud and rejoicing our decision to visit the Crest. As we lost elevation and looped back (in a similar fashion to the Mt. Gibbes 50K route), we left the snow behind and began to thaw out. I’m thankful to have such adventurous companions as well as such a beautiful backyard!

ln(13)

2012-01-08T17:30:00.000-08:00

1.1: 1h, 750’ Ida w/pack +ppp
1.2: 1h, 750’ Ida w/pack +ppp
1.3: sick
1.4: 1h, 750’ Ida w/pack +ppp
1.5: 1h, 750’ Ida w/pack +ppp
1.6: 1h, Peavine w/pack +pp
1.7: 7.5h, 8300’ Tanawha 50K
1.8: .5h, errands +ppp
∑=13h, 11,300’

Resolutions were on a roll until a sickness manifested itself on Tuesday. I fell into an achy fever and slept for fifteen hours. Beyond regretting an unexpected leave from work post-Taiwan, I worried about missing a weekend chock-full of wnctrailrunner fun. I am thankful to have a wonderful wife. Lily nursed me back to health so that I could run on Saturday, but I was feeling a bit too vulnerable for the VerticALE.

Brandon does a great job of putting on the Tanawha 50K. It certainly helps to have unseasonably warm weather. I hope to harvest many more hours on my feet with this exceptionally mild winter.

Yo se que

#11

2012-01-02T08:06:00.000-08:00

New Years Eve brought the eleventh annual single-day winter traverse of the Art Loeb Trail. With it being the last day of the year, there was no option for a rain/snow check had the conditions warranted (which has been the case in years past). As it turns out, the 31st tied with '06 for providing the most hospitable weather for ALTAR.

This year's post-run party celebrated my dad's 61st birthday. Both mom and dad have enjoyed being a part of the ALTAR craziness over the years. It certainly is a special tradition. Many thanks to all who came out. Here's to a happy 2012!

a trip to taiwan

2011-12-27T19:39:00.000-08:00

Other than stating that I am just amazed by the woman I married, my new family and this beautiful land, I will let this picasa album and the following cinematography do the "talking."

sunset blvd.

2011-12-04T20:15:00.000-08:00

viva el sueño

2011-12-01T12:18:00.000-08:00

Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

-Robert Frost, The Road Not Taken

On our frosty morning commute, Lily remarked: "It's already December." This simple observation speaks volumes for how this Fall, this year in fact, has felt to us. Time continues to accelerate. In a blink of an eye, everything electric will spread out as we fly halfway around the world to Taiwan, a week from today!

It being the first day of the last month of the year, we begin to look forward to 2012.

Over the past few years, I've had a significant summer adventure planned out. Next year (hopefully) will be the same. Two years ago, I found myself torn between two journeys. As it turns out, I was fortunate enough to get to do both. But as Mr. Frost observed, that is not always the case, especially as the complexities of each expedition increase.

So as in 2009, I'd again like your input on two diverged paths:

1.) The Great Smoky 1000: the challenge is to hike all ~800 miles of trails in the GSMNP in a month's time (averaging about 40 miles per day). This would certainly have to be a supported effort and will involve a significant amount of logistical planning.

2.) A self-supported Appalachian Trail hike: this would be thru-hike #3. The challenge would be to fast pack the AT in 60 days or less, most likely in a southbound direction so that I could "hike home" and bail more easily if I'm running out of time.

springer fever

2011-11-21T15:17:00.000-08:00

Dreams drive me up this mountain.
Rising above the stench of town,
A familiar scent greets me.

Everything electric spreads out,
Like Christmas lights below.
I could easily leave this behind.

Breathing deeply and smelling.
Thinking we can never have
What we fear to grasp.

ode to ida (pt. 2)

2011-11-17T15:31:00.001-08:00

Clearly this evening on Ida
A cold wind has stripped the canopy bare.
Uncloaked, the panoramas unfold.
Distracted, I slip
Up a steep blanket of burnt umber.
Topography unveiled,
I laugh and slip again.
Rejoicing and renewed
In this crisp primeval urgency.

7elevens

2011-11-13T08:28:00.000-08:00

On Veterans Day, 11.11.11, seven runners and two dogs joined me for an unsupported one-day westbound traverse of the scenic 35-mile section 11 of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail. This “7elevens” adventure run was to serve as a qualifier for our annual winter ALTAR pilgrimage.

Lily, Uwharrie and I met everybody at the finish at Woodlawn in a 15-passenger rental van at 7 AM. Lily graciously shuttled all of us to the start at Ripshin Ridge 45 minutes away. Our goal was to finish in less than 11 hours. We had a nice descent along Steels Creek to get the day started off right.

True to Adam’s pronouncement “It’s all downhill until the next uphill,” we soon began the first long climb of the day up to Table Rock and the precipitous rim of Linville Gorge. Charlie clocked over 8000’ of climbing for the day, which means an eastbound traverse, like last year’s, would have over 9000’. The perfect weather and abundant scenery served well to distract me from most of the physical exertion.

As the day progressed, I definitely began to feel the wear and tear a little more and started salivating over the idea of our post-run feast at Jalapeno’s. Despite a rather poor job of hydrating on the run, I still managed to finish in just over 9 hours behind Tim and Paul.

Charlie, Mo and Isaiah were not far behind, and Adam and Mike clocked impressive sub 8-hour finishes. The whole gang (canines included) seemed to make easy (?!?) work of the sub 11-hour challenge. Family joined many of us at Jalapeno’s for a celebratory feast. Congrats to each of the 7eleveners and thanks for a great day in the mountains (some of these photo credits belong to Charlie and Isaiah).

point lookout lightning

2011-10-30T19:08:00.000-07:00

Many thanks to Bill and the MTA for putting on the Point Lookout Lightning 5K this past Saturday. This event provided a great opportunity to reward McDowell Early College students for their dedication to Friday's running/walking for fitness class (with a goal of collectively reaching 1000 miles before the end of the year). The MTA was kind enough to provide a team discount. We had 6 students and 3 teachers participate. MEC left with a good bit of hardware, I'm proud of everyone's performance. It's been quite a while since I've raced a 5K. I thoroughly enjoyed this one and would highly recommend it.

sanctuary

2011-10-23T15:27:00.000-07:00

A rustling in the leaves grew louder in the darkness beyond our campfire. Just moments earlier, I had been relishing the peace and quiet of our secluded campsite in Horse Branch. The sound of cracking branches suggested the creature was big enough to be a bear.

A brutal workweek had come to an end. With waning energy levels Friday evening, I rushed to get packed up with Uwharrie. Fighting back second thoughts about an overnight trip, I quickly brainstormed a pack list and destination to A.) get away from the buzzing lights and noise of civilization; B.) relax comfortably in the woods; C.) travel light; and D.) move a substantial distance on a network of scenic trails.

As twilight faded, I polished off a second and last Old Chub. All objectives seemed met with one exception: objective B did not stand for bear. Uwharrie let out a guttural growl, which seemed to steer the unwelcome beast away. Well aware that the paltry food bag above our bivouac hung precariously in jeopardy, I somehow slept soundly and awoke at dawn to an undisturbed camp.

With memories cast upon a distant SAGE, we stopped for a coloramic breakfast atop Snooks Nose. With seven years of additional experience, I wondered if I could finish that ambitious loop today. The distant baying of dogs reminded me that this Saturday marked the opening of Pisgah Bear Sanctuary to hunters. Energy levels seemed low, but I was thankful to be here on a relatively peaceful morning.

Destinations were scaled back accordingly. Green Knob Lookout marked the turnaround. We made our way downstream along Newberry Creek. Large pick-ups stuffed with fluorescent orange heads crept back and forth along the gravel roads. We let the Fudds have their way with the forest and returned home well aware that our nighttime visitor was now most likely dead meat.

Sunday, between obligatory chores and homework, we snuck out: this time up to the Overmountain Victory Trail and MST. Pictures taken of and by mammals not hunted...yet:

light of fall

2011-10-19T15:44:00.001-07:00

We may fairly say it is autumn
When the woodlands are well lit.
We may even name the brilliance
Oak, Poplar, Sassafras, Maple.
But names are superfluous.

As we walk, we may notice
It gets lighter inside the woods.
A kaleidoscopic cathedral of color
Filled with sublime joy and wonder.
But words are barely any worth.

As the Earth orbits, the cycle repeats
Perfectly, in a language unspoken.
And we are like the leaves
Filled with the light
And beauty.

f.a.c. 50k

2011-10-15T18:07:00.000-07:00

Simply put: today was a beautiful day spent in the woods on a favorite stretch of MST with a great bunch of people. I enjoyed catching up with many folks I haven't seen in a while and had fun sharing 32 miles, 9000+ feet of climbing and a little over eight hours on the trail with Brian Kistner and Uwharrie. Congratulations to Adam for another impressive Pitchell 100K+++ finish and thanks for putting this fun run together year after year!

kitsuma krunk

2011-10-11T14:46:00.000-07:00

A few strong runs leading up to today's drizzly time trial suggested that it may finally be time to join the Kitsuma Klub. Over a week ago, I ran an 8 mile circuit over Snooks Nose at a fast uphill clip (for me anyway). Last Thursday, Lily dropped Uwharrie and me off at Old Fort picnic area and we ran the uphill split of Kitsuma in 39:39. And then over the weekend I got a chance to run 12+ miles out-and-back on the Pilot Mtn. Corridor Trail in sub-1:30.

Adam came out to pace Uwharrie and me up Kitsuma peak before dropping back to rest his legs for Pitchell. He seemed convinced that these somewhat sloppy conditions would actually bode well for a sub-1:20 time. A bloody butt slide down the slick ridge had me thinking otherwise. Nonetheless, I picked it up and hit the turnaround in 33:33. Now the workout had started: it was time to test my uphill skills. Atop the last climb, I knew, barring disaster, that I'd joined the klub. Stretching out the legs, releasing the brakes, I was surprised to krunk it in 1:14:13! Thanks Adam and Lily for the encouragement, good times!

across the crest

2011-09-25T11:46:00.000-07:00

Long after Pangaea divided, periodic episodes of folding and uplift continued to push ancient rock formations to the surface. About 65 million years ago one such geologic event exposed a jagged mass of gneiss and schist that had been buried since the earliest phases of continental movement. Between 39°5’ and 39°7’ north latitude (just northeast of the modern city of Asheville), some of the new mountains formed a fifteen-mile-long semicircle that vaguely resembled a fishhook. The odd formation did not conform to the general southwest-northeast sweep of the Appalachians. Instead, the peaks emerged as a cross range, extending at a sharp angle north and slightly west from the Blue Ridge.

For tens of millions of years, while nearby mountains on the Appalachian Plateau weathered into rounded hills, the compressed, superhardened rocks in this cross range proved highly resistant to wind and erosion. By the time humans got around to charting the region, it still contained eighteen peaks over 6,300 feet in elevation. Six of those were (and are) among the ten tallest mountains in the Appalachian chain. Just slightly south of the cross range’s midpoint, one especially durable chunk of mica gneiss stood as the highest spot of ground east of the Mississippi River. Because the peaks were covered with thick, dark forests, early white settlers called them the Black Mountains, or simply, the Blacks.

The book quoted above, Mount Mitchell and the Black Mountains: An Environmental History of the Highest Peaks in Eastern America by Timothy Silver, caught my attention several days ago with the approach of this weekend’s adventure: a traverse of the fishhook of the Black Mountain Crest.

Carl, Chuck, Mohammed, Isaiah, el Guapo and Uwharrie joined me at Bowlens Creek for the start of our marathon trek. As we ascended a few thousand feet in the first few miles, we left the humidity from low hanging clouds behind and entered the pleasantly cool environs of a boreal forest in early autumn.

Here the gentians, white snake root, goldenrod and mountain ash caught our close attention. In the distance, peaks rose like islands above an ocean of clouds. We did our best to soak in the beauty of this wonderful day, relieved to have a day like this after a week of rain.

Our group stuck together the whole way and enjoyed the technical challenges of the Black Mountain Crest Trail. By the time we reached the summit of Mitchell, we had passed several groups of hikers. We were now among hundreds of visitors atop the highest Appalachian peak on a rather warm and sunny Saturday.

With our stomachs reminding us about lunch, we continued down the Old Mitchell Trail to the restaurant. Over halfway into our traverse, we indulged in the luxury of a hot meal of (veggie)burgers and fries. Not only did this hit the spot, but we would also remain satisfactorily stuffed for the remainder of the journey.

Our goal of finishing at Cane River Gap by 5 PM had already been in jeopardy due to a delayed 8:30 AM start. But it was our extended lunch break, a result of an unexpected backlog of restaurant patrons, which encouraged us to reconsider our options at Stepps Gap. We opted to bypass the actual crest on a familiar and convenient old roadbed to the north.

Back to the singletrack of the Big Butt Trail, we marveled at the ongoing engineering and endurance of a trail work crew assembling extensive stairs over the “butts.” The homestretch was not for lack of scenic overlooks either. Between memorable spurts of trail running, we’d pause to take in the views out across the Ivy and Cane River valleys.

Looking back across the entire Black Mountain Crest, the low hanging morning clouds had long since dissipated. The afternoon was turning to evening. With some cold beverages waiting in the back of Isaiah’s truck, it was time for a quick descent to Cane River Gap by 5:30 PM. Many thanks to those who joined me for the good times! See you at the seven elevens!

stay

2011-09-18T16:04:00.001-07:00

Passion
Produces
Talent.

Boredom
Breeds
Restlessness.

You
Are
Here.

hot breath

2011-09-11T08:55:00.000-07:00

Deeply again: Haaaaaaaahhh.
Tongue out, breathing out.
I’m either a dragon, or a clown.
To purge a sickness, it’s worth a try.

This is Mommy’s remedy.
In my bath, I’d like to believe.
The flame of a candle flickers:
Images of a vigil, a dying sun.

After all our astronomy,
We looked back ten years.
The images sickened me.
Explosions: paper, people falling.

A decade has gone by.
And I’d like to believe.
But with all this inertia,
It’s still hard to swallow.

cemetery and back

2011-09-06T17:18:00.000-07:00

When lost in daydreams,
Not much can break my stride.
It’s a beautiful and breezy evening.

I pass a dove with a broken neck.
Barely moving, the bird gazes up to me.
The late sunlight causes her to squint.

A moment later, I shake my feelings.
Round and around the cemetery’s road,
I wonder over a name etched in stone.

He died a week ago today.
A gentle giant, nineteen years old.
Not much can break my stride. But this—

A moment later, I shake my feelings.
Round and around the cemetery’s road,
I wonder if I’ll see the dove again.

The breeze blows leaves over the ground.
Each movement catches my eye,
But I can’t find the dove.

anniversary

2011-09-05T11:31:00.000-07:00

One year ago today, Lily and I got married. We decided to celebrate this with a backpacking trip along an unexplored section of trail.

Yesterday afternoon, as we ascended the Overmountain Victory and Appalachian Trails through pristine mountain pastures and overgrown apple orchards, Lily remarked that we play well together. I couldn't agree more.

We often understand each other without speaking a word. We don't mind a rainy hike or sharing tent space with a wet dog. We already have many wonderful memories shared together and I look forward to many more. Happy anniversary, my love.

ode to ida (pt. 1)

2011-08-22T16:42:00.001-07:00

I’ve heard the voices say,
“Today is a good day to climb a mountain,”
So we go to the edge of the woods.
My line lingers through summer’s growth.
A trail etched upward from repetition.

From a distance I’ve heard them say,
“That’s not a mountain.”
Yet I know better.
I know it by name.
This is Mount Ida.

Summer had taken hold.
And scared the noise away.
In the thickness of the green air,
I feel welcome and protected.
This is Mount Ida.

cobbling adventures (cont.)

2011-08-11T16:32:00.000-07:00

School is starting back up, but I've recently had a chance to tinker, I'll save the geek talk for the homemade shoes wiki. R & D continues, in the meantime, enjoy Naresh's Vol-State report!

odyssa

2011-07-29T05:12:00.000-07:00

Another chance to hike 70+ miles over the last couple days with some amazing people... Those who don't already know the star of this video will by the end of this weekend:

the hidden jewels of appalachia

2011-07-21T11:42:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Joe Milmoe for this video. I think he did a great job capturing the beauty and fragility of his subject:

The Hidden Jewels of Appalachia from Joe Milmoe on Vimeo.

rest of summer

2011-07-20T15:40:00.000-07:00

A picture is supposedly worth a thousand words. Below are 24 more to round out our last few weeks of vacationing in July. After spending time near Shining Rock with my folks, Lily Uwharrie and I embarked on a ten-day exploration of the Monongahela with our good friend Mark. We then made our way to Hampshire County for a relaxing weekend visit with Jess. On our way back to NC, I got a chance to hike 70 miles of the AT over a day and a half with Odyssa. She and her not-so-secret weapon (Brew) are absolutely tearing it up... Go Jen! Special thanks to Mark and Jess for the good times!

back to the future

2011-07-08T09:14:00.000-07:00

Shortly after posting my MST write-up, the July/August issue of Orion arrived in the mail with this article by James Howard Kunstler on the future of cities. I found it an interesting read and perhaps you will too. There is an opportunity to participate in a forum about this article on July 12th.

Right now, we're not sure what the future holds for us regarding where we'll continue to live in the Appalachians. I hope it will be in a community that embraces alternative transportation, or at the very least shares a little bit of road...

from mountains to sea

2011-06-28T06:55:00.000-07:00

At 1:15 PM on June 25^th, 2011 after 24 days, 3 hours and 50 minutes, I completed an eastbound thru-hike of North Carolina’s 930+ mile Mountains-to-Sea Trail. The date is meaningful to me because it marks the ten-year anniversary of the completion of my first Appalachian Trail thru-hike atop Mt. Katahdin. It was at the end of this long-distance journey that the idea of a month-long MST trek was born.

In the spring of 2001, I convinced my folks that I could figure out my career path if I took a spring semester off from college to hike the AT. After four and a half months of meditation, my dad asked me if I’d figured anything out. “I like to hike,” I said. Judging by his face to palm response, this was probably not the answer he was looking for.

If I wasn’t speaking from my brain, I was at least speaking from my heart. I liked to hike, and I hiked stronger than I thought I could. I wanted to hike more and I had a month before school resumed, so what to do? Referring to the recently published Hiking North Carolina’s Mountains-to-Sea Trail by Allen de Hart, this nearly 1000-mile-long home state trail beckoned to me. But was a month enough time?

The guidebook suggested it would take twice the amount of time I had to spare. Having yet run my first ultra marathon, I was still quite impressionable, so I trusted these generalized perceptions of space and time. I deemed the month-long MST thru-hike impossible and pursued a more attainable journey.

A decade later, as a teacher with summers off, I had a chance to revisit this impossible dream. For the last several years, I’d effectively been altering my personal perceptions of space and time through hasty long-distance treks. I decided to give the month-long MST thru-hike a go.

One slogan for the journey would be “smiles over miles.” In other words, I didn’t want the trek to become an unpleasant death march simply for the sake of setting some kind of record. I approached it in a more casual thru-hiking manner: starting self-supported, but open to the serendipitous support (“trail magic”) that blesses most open-minded travelers. I understood that this would make my hike hard to categorize from a record standpoint. Freely experiencing and sharing my journey was of higher priority to me.

As might be expected looking back on such a journey, I feel as though it passed by so quickly. I hesitate to say that it’s all a blur, because that is untrue. At least for the time being, I vividly remember most every moment. The problem is, there are too many moments! I’ve never endeavored to recapitulate an adventure of this magnitude. So for sake of my sanity, I’m revising the structure of my report to highlight only the important parts. Hopefully this may be of some interest to others.

First and foremost, there are many thanks to give: I thank my wife Lily and my parents for their unwavering support (against better judgment) of my foolish endeavors. I thank Carl Laniak and Adam Hill for maintaining the runthemst wikispace during my absence, which will help supplement what I now put down in writing.

I thank Scott Ward for his work putting together a highly functional manual for hiking the MST. His passion for the trail and endless hours of research clearly show in his publication.

I thank Scott Wolfe for reminding me of the wu wei, the natural action that makes physical undertakings such as a month-long MST thru-hike sustainable for us mere mortals. To do without doing necessitates a flow from within and without. Many miles of this journey were spent floating forward in a nearly effortless fashion.

I thank Adam (again) for relaying a technique once taught to Apache warriors that I feel is an important manifestation of the wu wei, which is to run much of the way without opening my mouth to breathe. I thought this worked well to keep me comfortably within my aerobic threshold of 5 mph or slower. I believe it also helped filter the air through my nose and reduce my body’s water loss.

I thank Carl (again) for moral support from day 1 and beyond. He obviously loves this kind of thing and encouraged me to continue to pursue my dream. He was welcome company through the Smokies where the distance from my goal was the greatest.

I thank Mohammed for coming out to keep me company on days 4 and 5. He too loves this kind of thing and brought his unique “Sultonic” energy, which helped me endure my first physical difficulty of bruised soles.

I thank Scott Williams for the hospitality, pizza and physical therapy advice on days 9 and 10. Speaking of serendipity, he graciously gave this grubby hermit crab a new pair of nearly identical shoes to switch into as my first pair disintegrated.

I thank the Alexanders for their logistical support helping my mom navigate a labyrinth of backcountry roads, which allowed dad and me the chance to successfully complete day 10 on an unexpectedly closed section of trail.

I thank the Wilmoths for their hospitality on day 11, welcoming me into the Piedmont and a new realm of the journey. Flowing through a more populated landscape, I now experienced the people as well as the places. Even as an introvert, I must admit that this was a lot of fun.

I thank Brandon Thrower for throwing down on some wonderful accommodations and bean burritos in Hanging Rock State Park at the end of a very long day 12. He also kept me company on the trail to start off day 13.

I thank the Petrees for their hospitality at the end of day 13. It was a tasty carrot (or should I say squash?) dangling in front of me all those days preceding my arrival to the midway point in time to celebrate my mom’s birthday in good fashion and in great company.

I thank Frank and Lee for the unexpected and totally appreciated hospitality at the end of day 14. Frank, I hope your son feels better. You all have a sweet and mellow farmhouse, which reflects your sweet and mellow nature.

I thank cousin Judy for putting us (including mom, dad, Lily and Uwharrie) up for the night at the end of day 15 outside of Chapel Hill. The delicious spread of a meal and time together won’t soon be forgotten.

I thank John Goodie for wonderful accommodations at the end of day 17. John, whether you know it or not, your enthusiasm for ultra running is infectious and it definitely helped put the wind back into my sails.

I thank grandma, grandpa, my sister, Scott Brockmeier, Liz Bauer, Brad Smythe, Greg Paige, Denise Davis, Mike Dobies, the Foxworths and others for their kind messages of encouragement that I received somewhere between mountains and sea. They helped me to remember others far away still with me in spirit.

I thank my wife Lily and my parents (again) for their unwavering support. In the final days of the journey, they stepped up in a major way to help me realize the dream of completing the MST. At one point they asked me whether their presence in the final stages would in some way diminish my experience. I responded that it is indeed a welcome blessing to get to spend such memorable moments together.

During my time on the trail, several people asked me why I was running the MST. It seemed my first instinctual answer “I like to hike” or “I like to run” somehow didn’t quite cut it. So I spent several miles pondering my response a bit further and this is what I came up with:

I wish to inspire people of all ages to break free of the self-destructive habit of driving everywhere and get out and use their original God-given vessels, their bodies, for transportation. There are a million excuses, and some of them are fairly legitimate, for remaining encapsulated inside a car. But the benefits of walking, running and biking are undeniable.

In the months leading up to back-to-back-to-back 260+ mile weeks on the MST, I probably only averaged around 40 miles per week of actual training. I supplemented this with what Lily and I consider active living by design. Instead of driving to the grocery store, library, or school, we’d walk, run, or bike. In this way, amid a rather busy schedule, I was able to achieve an adequate level of fitness for the MST. As an added benefit, we saved a little gas money and cut back on pollution.

Without a doubt, we’ve gotten ourselves tangled up in a car-bound culture. Very few roads are built in NC with pedestrians and bicyclists in mind. Although a fitter society would certainly be an economic boon, policy makers aren’t likely to change this scenario without pressure from a critical mass of citizens that actually walk the talk.

Only a handful of folks will ever be seriously interested in pulling off what some may consider a stunt of walking all the way across NC. And that’s okay. If the majority of North Carolinians could be inspired to walk, run, or bike part of the way (whether it’s to the store, to work, to church, etc.) I believe we’d all benefit greatly.

For those crazy fools who venture to go the whole way across the state, I think they’d have to agree with me that it’s an invigorating experience to witness the beauty of the people, places and the promise of what could be. North Carolina is truly a gem.

Journey summary:

Date	Start Location	Finish Location	Distance
6/1/11	Clingmans Dome	Mile High CG	38 miles
6/2/11	Mile High CG	Near end of section 4	39 miles
6/3/11	Near end of section 4	Somewhere in section 7	37 miles
6/4/11	Somewhere in section 7	Somewhere in section 8	38 miles
6/5/11	Somewhere in section 8	Near start of section 10	38 miles
6/6/11	Near start of section 10	US-221/Marion, NC	12 miles
6/7/11	US-221/Marion, NC	Steels Creek	33 miles
6/8/11	Steels Creek	Somewhere in section 13	35 miles
6/9/11	Somewhere in section 13	US-421/Deep Gap, NC	40 miles
6/10/11	US-421/Deep Gap, NC	Near Devils Garden Overlook	40 miles
6/11/11	Near Devils Garden Overlook	Near start of section 20	37 miles
6/12/11	Near start of section 20	Near start of section 22	49 miles
6/13/11	Near start of section 22	Near end of section 23	34 miles
6/14/11	Near end of section 23	Section 25: Huffine Mill Rd.	40 miles
6/15/11	Section 25: Huffine Mill Rd.	Section 25: NC-57	37 miles
6/16/11	Section 25: NC-57	Shinleaf CG	38 miles
6/17/11	Shinleaf CG	Harris Crossroads	41 miles
6/18/11	Harris Crossroads	US-301	41 miles
6/19/11	US-301	NC-55	45 miles
6/20/11	NC-55	New Bern, NC	41 miles
6/21/11	New Bern, NC	Section 36: Croatan NF	42 miles
6/22/11	Section 36: Croatan NF	Section 37: Smyrna, NC	35 miles
6/23/11	Section 37: Smyrna, NC	Section 38: Hatteras, NC	41 miles
6/24/11	Section 38: Hatteras, NC	Section 38: Pea Island NWR	42 miles
6/25/11	Section 38: Pea Island NWR	Jockey’s Ridge	22 miles

Journey slideshow:

journeys

2011-06-26T08:39:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I finished the Mountains-to-Sea Trail in 24 days, 3 hours and 50 minutes. Thank you for such incredible love and support. I'll be sure to post more about this wonderful journey soon...

In the meantime, please direct your thoughts and prayers to Odyssa and Adam on their AT journeys as well as Sultan on his bid to summit Denali.

feel the heat

2011-05-31T06:23:00.000-07:00

Almost time: http://runthemst.wikispaces.com/

Colophon - Texas Heat

packed up... one last test

2011-05-28T18:13:00.000-07:00

Pictured from top to bottom, left to right: cuben fiber poncho/tent/bivy (polycyro footprint and extra cording on top); ziploc with data pages, sil-nylon wallet/camera/phone pouch; mesh backpack (w/ two 24 fl. oz. water bottles and assortment of containers for water treatment, salt tablets, foot care, hygiene, gear repair etc.), cuben fiber food bag, “heiny pot” (w/ 5 days of fuel tablets and kitchen kit); synthetic insulated poncho/blanket (w/ cuben fiber stuff sack, wool shirt, arm warmers, balaclava, socks, wind shirt and pants)

Gear weight (including fuel tablets): 5 pounds. Food weight (11,000+ calories/ 3 days): 5 pounds. Water weight (~48 fl. oz. water): 3 pounds. Total starting pack weight for MST: 13 pounds.

When I first started preparing for the MST this past winter, I thought I had it made. After all, I still had the 2009 BMT fastpack gear to tap into. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized how differences between these two journeys would require special tweaking of the equipment. Before I knew it, I’d spent another spring in the sweatshop logging a ridiculous number of hours tinkering with all this stuff. Now the time is nearly here to roll with what I’ve got…

Come Saturday we joined a small crew for Adam’s May Mountain Marathon AKA Assault on Mt. Pisgah. This would be my last real opportunity to test how everything felt prior to June 1st. We had a beautiful day to play in Pisgah. The full pack weight rode well at a ludicrous 5 mph pace for this round. All systems go with only a few days left…

The Ropers provided great aid at the summit parking area and back at the North Mills start/finish. It was great to hang out and visit with everyone. Many thanks to the Hills for their hospitality and the Ropers for their support.

you go girl

2011-05-26T10:54:00.000-07:00

This is a great interview from Jennifer Pharr Davis about her upcoming AT record attempt and about speed hiking in general:

smiles over miles

2011-05-22T21:09:00.000-07:00

Saturday: Uwharrie and I mooch a ride with Lily and Brooke who are travelling up to Damascus to camp and bike 50+ miles along the Virginia Creeper Trail. The plan involves a 50+++ mile adventure of our own: a two day, one night fastpack shakedown hike along the Iron Mtn., Appalachian and Virginia Creeper Trails.

We get started from Beartree Recreation Area by 11 AM. It’s a beautiful sunny day. Although many wildflowers are spotted along the Iron Mtn. Trail, the flame azaleas steal the show.

Uwharrie and I are thrilled to explore this path for the first time. Often overshadowed by nearby Grayson Highlands, the Iron Mtn. Trail still holds many treasures of its own.

Everything in my sub-10 lb. pack is under close scrutiny, including my fuel. The items on my daily menu: fig newtons, sandwich crackers, string cheese, ramen noodles etc. Hardly gourmet, what these snacks have in their favor is wide availability.

Joining up with the AT by 4 PM, we continue to move at a comfortable 3+ mph pace up into the Highlands. We feast on trailside teaberries and spot a spider that has set up shop in a Mayapple bloom. We also pass many groups of thru-hikers along this stretch.

Soon we enter into the expansive world of Grayson Highlands. A short ways past Scales, we stop for dinner and enjoy the peace and quiet that a secluded campsite has to offer. But it’s not yet time to stop for the night. Past the crowded Wise Shelter, we reach a rocky ridge in time for sunset. I carefully set up prototype #3 under a hawthorn tree.

The sun sets from our high perch. Lenticular clouds over Wilburn Ridge put on quite a show in the lingering twilight. After some peaceful stargazing, it’s time to crawl in to the tent and get some sleep.

A quick note on tent design: this is essentially an amalgamation of many previous ideas. The main push away from polycryo (for now) is to experiment with the added side ventilation to reduce condensation. The result is a tent (w/integrated bivy) that can actually be worn as rain gear.

Morning brings a new light. Packed up in twenty minutes, we hike over Wilburn Ridge in a chilly mountain wind.

Lou, an ultra light DIYer extraordinaire from High Point, NC calls out to me near Rhododendron Gap. He recognizes me and we stop to chat and geek out on our respective homemade loads for a bit. I’m very impressed with the craftsmanship of all his gear!

It’s time to keep cranking for Damascus still 30 miles away. Near Elk Park, I try to capture the beautiful fertility of both forest and field in photography. Words simply can’t describe how much of a pure delight it is to hike through the Appalachians this time of year. You’ll just have to go out and do it!

A brief rain catches us on Whitetop, but is gone as soon as it starts. Once over Buzzard Rock, we settle into an easy trot downhill for several miles. After one last refill past Lost Mountain Shelter, we hit the Creeper.

The miles accelerate in the hot afternoon sun along this bustling rail trail. Uwharrie and I bump into Brooke and Lily riding up to Whitetop. We agree to meet back up in Damascus. Along the way, we stop for a lunch break (baked beans, corn bread and ice cream) at a trailside restaurant in Taylors Valley.

After refueling, we continue along on our final push to town, pausing to beat the heat with a head dip in the gushing creeks. By 3:30 PM, we arrive to town and hang out for a couple hours waiting for the girls to return from their ride.

By all accounts, this was a great weekend of adventure.

the test continues...

2011-05-19T16:28:00.000-07:00

A tribute to the first blog post five years ago today (slightly altered):

My name is Matt Kirk, my wife’s name is Lily and my dog's name is Uwharrie. I'm keeping this online journal for friends, family and anyone else interested. This is a way to share our experiences through writing and artwork as we travel around the Southern Appalachians living out of our 2010 honda fit, tube tent, or what have you.

This summer, we are thinking globally and adventuring locally. We hope to get a better sense of this region in which we have been living in for many years. I look forward to living simply and packing lightly. More to come!

heart still pumping

2011-05-15T18:47:00.000-07:00

Saturday, 12:30 PM: Lily and Uwharrie dropped me off at the MST Woodlawn trailhead. The plan: hike 24 miles to meet them at a campsite along the South Toe above Black Mountain Campground. I carried the latest revision of my MST fastpack gear and traveled comfortably at a preordained 4 mph pace.

The humidity was thicker than the stress I carried with me from the week past. So it was a rapturous moment when the heavens opened up and unleashed a cool, clean and refreshing rain. Rejuvenated and cresting out on Woods, the trail worked its magic and I was soon in the zone.

Lady slippers, laurels and rhododendrons were a few of the more memorable blooms spotted along the trek. I had to constantly watch my footing for the newts all over the trail as well. Along one stretch of section 9, I spooked two yearling bear cubs up a tree. Simply for the celebration of life, it’s hard to beat this time of year in the southern Appalachians.

Lily and Uwharrie found a great campsite and had a fire started as I wandered in to join them by 6:30 PM. We enjoyed a delicious dinner and some G’Knight beside the fire as evening sprinkles added additional moisture to a lush twilight. Soon it was time to bed down and test out the latest revision of the polycryo tube tent.

Come morning, my mind was up before the sun, churning with ideas for further revisions. I decided on the luxury of a morning fire and got to work preparing breakfast. Lily soon awoke and we figured out how we wanted to get back to the car (parked near Ridge Junction).

We were packed up and hiking by 8:30 AM. We climbed to the summit of Mitchell on the MST and entered into a “whole new world” as Lily puts it. The weather on the summit was cloudy and cold, so we made a quick decision to try for the restaurant. Upon our lunchtime arrival, we eagerly sat down to enjoy a warm meal. This will definitely be a must-stop in three weeks. Powered up, we easily made it the rest of the way to the car and back to Marion.

Random MST thoughts during trek:
-Silk not cutting it, will definitely carry the wool to start the trek.
-Condensation a factor in tube tent, but still manageable?
-Lily’s offer to make this a supported effort is tempting
-Go self-supported through the mountains and reconsider…
-Revise BMT/MST wikis to keep them current.

Photos in this post from the Sony-Ericsson camera phone that Lily is letting me use for the MST:

Newtopia

In between storms

Blooming rhodos

Morning condensation

Ferntastic

"A whole new world"

may day

2011-05-01T05:32:00.000-07:00

Upon our return from last week’s spring break trip to FL, Lily and I have witnessed how quickly spring has sprung in the southern Appalachians. At this rate, it will be summer before we know it. We are in our final month of the school year, and it couldn’t have come sooner. Each week seems to be getting tougher.

Shifting gears…

The MST fastpack looms, so yesterday Uwharrie and I set out on a counterclockwise Woods Mtn. marathon loop six miles from town. Rather than a normal run, I carried MST fastpack gear and purposely moved at a slower “slogging” pace to get a feel for it. Truth be told: my energy level was a bit low at the beginning of this trek, so I’m not sure how much faster I could’ve moved.

Uwharrie and I enjoyed spotting the flox, violets, irises, trillium, lady slippers, laurels and ferns celebrating springtime. It was getting hot along the FS road section in the afternoon sun, so we cooled off in Armstrong Creek before ascending out of this pristine mountain cove. Soon we joined up with the MST and enjoyed ridge top views for the remaining nine miles back to Toms Creek.

With this warmer weather, I’ve got to work on maintaining my electrolyte levels better. Besides stress from work, I think this is the main culprit for getting so beat up on what was to be a fairly routine workout. Like last year, I plan to ramp up daily training in the final month before this summer challenge, so I’ll be sure to post how that’s going when I can.

Meanwhile here’s a video I put together about something else I've been working on recently: a streamlined ‘polycro’ tube tent (prototype #2). Enjoy:

south by southeast

2011-04-24T05:25:00.000-07:00

not quite to calloway

2011-04-17T14:48:00.000-07:00

None shall pass

Sunday afternoon: the sun is shining, and it’s hard to comprehend how this weekend’s training plan, a self-supported repeat of the “All the Way to Calloway” got smacked down by Mother Nature some 36 hours ago. Then again, neither could we comprehend it at the time…

Saturday morning: we didn’t understand what the torrential rain and hissing river were trying to tell us. Our camp beside the North Fork of the Catawba River was a two-inch bog upon which the tent floated. Breaking camp in a downpour is no fun, but we diligently packed and readied ourselves before dawn for a 35-40 mile trek.

After four hours of hiking in the rain, we had made it past Bald Knob and to the west rim of the gorge. We found temporary relief in an open radio tower storage building to call my dad and confirm that clear skies were still on the way.

More messages were received from the creeks, roads and trails, all gushing with muddy water. I thought: maybe we shouldn’t try fording the river… But there’s still a bridge, right?

As we deviated northward from the MST along the west rim headed for the Spence Ridge Trail Bridge, we took the opportunity to explore Rock Jock Trail. Clouds were beginning to lift and we caught glimpses of a waterfall wonderland. The rains had transformed the gorge into something both staggeringly beautiful and horrific.

The trail itself was a continuous cascade. We often found ourselves in positions that put us at risk of inadvertently taking the quickest way down to the river. Still, the clouds were lifting and so too followed our spirits

That is, until we actually got down to the river…

Swollen beyond recognition, it was an awesome sight. Reality began to set in, but we persevered to the bridge, or what was once the bridge. The message was now loud and clear: No one was getting across the Linville today.

After thirty minutes of staring blankly at the raging water, I blinked.

Now we were not so much in a hurry, so we decided to climb Pinch-In. We found a pleasant camp along the MST to bed down for a second night. Saturday night was windy and chilly, all in all another great opportunity to test some gear. Come morning, we returned to Woodlawn and made contact with my folks.

Although this ~45-mile out-and-back trek wasn’t exactly what I had in mind, it was certainly a memorable experience. Both Uwharrie and I hiked strong and the homemade gear performed well in conditions more extreme than what it was designed for. A little video action:

horizons

2011-04-12T18:02:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, day 9 of the work week... Can't complain as Friday through Sunday involved an overnight school field trip to the Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont, which conjured up memories of back burner dreams.

Still, I'm looking forward to our Spring Break, which is just days away. In lieu of the Highlands 100 route, I intend to fastpack ~sections 12-16 of the MST to test among other things a recently completed polycryo tarptent prototype.

A wintry tempest atop Pinch-In 10 days ago helped fuel the search for a hyper-light sanctuary through a bug-ridden coastal plain this summer. So here it is (93"L, 36"W, 31"H; 8 oz. of luxury):

gorgefest 50

2011-04-03T10:07:00.000-07:00

Fool’s Day, 5PM after work: Lily and Uwharrie drop me off at the Woodlawn/MST trailhead. The plan: run/hike the MST to Kistler Memorial Hwy, divert to Pinch-In, set up camp after nightfall, wake up, descend into gorge, ford river, ascend Cambric Branch and join crew for the 9AM start of Brandon’s Linville Gorge Madness Marathon.

For this 50-mile (with 17,000’ climb) adventure, I carry homemade fastpack gear with supplemental 35-degree sleeping bag and more powerful headlamp. I have 3500 calories packed away in the form of standard quickie mart fare in addition to the last half of a veggie burrito from Eddie’s that I wolf down while walking.

Lily and Uwharrie run and hike with me for the first couple miles in the late afternoon sun before returning to the car. I descend solo to the North Fork of the Catawba and up Bald Knob for a beautiful sunset. Above 3,500’, it’s blustery and getting chilly. I put on my wind shirt and pants and continue into the night. Lingering twilight makes the headlamp unnecessary along the gravel roads.

Reaching Pinch-In before 10PM, I descend a ways before setting up camp. The exposure on this burnt-out buttress has me pondering the 30% chance of early morning showers. I pitch the cuben fiber tarp underneath the stars and quickly climb into my sleeping bag before cooling down. Within a couple hours, the wind has picked up and a mixture of rain and ice is blasting my inadequate shelter.

Several bands of wintry precipitation are interspersed with clear skies, making for a fitful night’s sleep. Still, 7 AM comes quickly and unexpectedly. I break camp in a rush to make it across the gorge and to the start of the marathon in time. Grabbing two sturdy hiking sticks on the remainder of the steep descent, I prepare for a potentially dangerous ford of the river across to Cambric Branch. To my pleasant surprise the icy water only comes up to my upper thigh as opposed to my chest during last year’s gorgefest.

Across the river safely, I warm up on the bushwhack ascent of Cambric Branch and successfully make it to the MST before the proverbial sounding of the conch. It takes 45 minutes to ascend the Chimneys and reach the gang at the marathon start. Adam tops me off with coffee and soon we’re headed back over the Chimneys and towards Shortoff on a clockwise circumnavigation of the gorge.

After enjoying the company of my fellow adventurers, I soon find myself alone in caboose position without the fresh legs and unburdened shoulders of my cohorts. It’s okay, I’m happy to have a wonderfully sunny (albeit scary windy) day to use for testing out my MST gear and fitness. Fording the river once more, I face the second climb out of the gorge for the day up Pinnacle. Hannah and Martha are there to provide aid at the Pinch-In trailhead where I learn I’m 15-30 minutes behind the others.

I make my way back down into the gorge and pass several occupied campsites. Blasting through the tall rock walls, the wind causes two large trees to fall near me. One comes down across the river with a loud crack and explosion of limbs. Mesmerized by the confetti floating in the air, I realize it’s actually bark and branches coming my way and quickly take shelter. The destruction from above cannot detract from the celebration of life in the lower elevations: irises, violets and trillium are especially abundant in Conley Cove, the third climb out of the gorge.

At Babel Tower trailhead, the crew greets me and offers water and salty snacks in preparation for the last six miles back down into the gorge and up once more to Table Rock. I pass even more campers along this rugged stretch of the Linville Gorge before crossing the footbridge to start the long and steep ascent up Little Table Rock Trail.

Finally at the summit 24 hours from leaving Woodlawn and 8 hours from the start of this ridiculous marathon, I greet Lily and Uwharrie who have driven up to hike in and meet me on top. We endure the wind gusts to take in the panoramic views before heading back down to the parking lot to hang out with the rest of the gang. Thanks Brandon, Hannah and Martha for putting this on! And thanks to Brandon for the photos (below):

fool's day

2011-04-01T12:15:00.000-07:00

Today is the shadow of tomorrow

Today is the present future of yesterday

Yesterday is the shadow of today

The darkness of the past is yesterday

((((Madvillain tribute to the Maniak))))

And ahead is a weekend of much foolishness (in the Southern Appalachians)...

a break in the weather

2011-03-29T19:35:00.000-07:00

Ida before the break

The sun came out this afternoon so Lily, Uwharrie and I decided upon a post-work trip to Toms Creek. We warmed up together with a climb along the MST to Betsy Ridge. Lily told us to go on ahead. I decided that we'd try running every step of the 2,000+ ft. climb to the summit of Woods Mountain.

It felt great to feel the heart pump hard on this newly repaired trail. We passed a lightweight section hiker doing 100+ miles of the MST. We exchanged a quick hello before pushing on to the summit. Indeed, we ran every step of the way in 52 minutes and spent a few minutes taking in our surroundings before bombing back to the car in 25.

clawhammer 50k

2011-03-27T09:18:00.000-07:00

“You’ll be disappointed,” said one student when I asked my class on Wednesday if anyone had checked Saturday’s weather forecast. Sure enough, a cold drizzle fell, but it didn’t dampen spirits at Hayley and Damian’s Pisgah Running and Camping Weekend.

Lily, Uwharrie, Hannah, Brandon and I caravanned out to Brevard Friday after work to meet Terry, Nicole (+ family), Hayley and Damian at the White Pine North Group Campsite along Avery Creek. We set up our tents (a good opportunity to test the latest project), got out the growlers and gathered around the fire after some delicious pre-run pasta and salad.

Come morning, a lull in the drizzle post-breakfast was enough to motivate us to get going around 9:30 on a wonderful 17-mile circumnavigation of the Avery Creek Basin. We stuck together most of the way up Clawhammer Road, but by the time Uwharrie and I arrived to the Black Mountain Trail, we were ahead of the others. I felt good and pushed the pace along the ridgeline single track pausing to snap some pictures here and there.

These cloud enshrouded mountains seemed distantly familiar. I realized that it was almost 4 years to the day since Uwharrie and I blazed through this very section on our way to Maine. Bluets, lilies, violets and other early wildflowers eagerly drank in the earthy dampness. I laughed out loud at the beauty of it all: the Appalachians are truly a treasure!

While at a cliff overlooking the distinct granite pluton of Looking Glass, we saw a flash of light followed closely by the ominous sound of thunder. Uwharrie and I quickly pushed on to Bennett Gap. Terry and kids were there to provide aid about 13 miles in. I thanked Terry and informed him that I was thinking about turning around at Avery Creek to run the loop in reverse to log around 50K (and ~7500’ climb) for the day. I still had 3.5 miles on the Bennett Gap Trail to reconsider.

We arrived to Avery Creek at 2 hours and 38 minutes. Without any internal debate, we turned around and made our way back up the way we came. I tried to maintain my confidence after greeting the others in passing. I was a little worried about how few calories I had left, the rain began to fall harder and the new pair of shoes were beginning to rub my bare pinky toes raw. Through it all, I greeted this as an opportunity to explore the fatigue and discomfort associated with ultra-distance running.

The bonk came and went and we glided down Pressley Cove to finish in 5 hours and 16 minutes. Thanks to Terry, Damian, Hayley and Lily for refueling me. We hung out for a bit before packing up and making our way back to Marion. Despite the weather, the Pisgah Running and Camping Weekend was a blast, thanks guys!

A quick note on shandals: for the last four months, I've been running almost exclusively in two pairs of lightweight racing flats, (zoom streak xc 2s). Both of these pairs have about 400 miles on them, mostly on trails. Just this amount of wear and tear has damaged the mesh uppers to the point that I've decided to tap into my reserves: two fresh pairs that were meant to be worn exclusively for the MST, still two months out.

Considering my plan to ramp up training in preparation for near-1000 miles on foot in June, I'll probably go through six pairs of shoes in just seven months, which seems absurd and excessive. It’s the thin-mesh uppers (precisely what I like about the shoes) that fail first. Someday I hope we can devise an easy and durable MYOG shoe with these features. Meanwhile, I guess I’ll be practicing shoe repair…

the daily routine

2011-03-20T15:25:00.000-07:00

The weekend brought us some refreshing treats: SSSR, Bearwallow, Lisa and Matt's wedding, the super moon, and some down time to build a very roomy two-pound tarp tent for some not-so-fast packing.

Tomorrow is Monday, and it's back to work. I've been dragging my feet all day with the task of preparing for another week of school. On the plus side, there's now only a month left until spring break...

I realize this month is a crucial time to strike a balance with work and training. Although we plan to live it up with some weekend warrior outings, I hope to establish a daily routine that gets my body better prepared not only for June's journey, but for a healthier life in general.

I'm constantly inspired by many amazing people. Here's some food for thought: http://sugarwithdrawalsucks.blogspot.com/

Congrats to Adam and Jonathan for some amazing times in Montreat! And some pics of the project:

mt. mitchell marathon

2011-03-12T18:01:00.000-08:00

Mt. Mitchell from Ridge Junction

We are fortunate to live close to very special mountains. Not always do we take advantage of this, but this weekend we did. Inspired by good weather, health and the Maniak’s recent adventures, Lily, Uwharrie and I drove 25 minutes to Pisgah for some camping and running. We enjoyed a peaceful camp along Newberry Creek Friday night.

Come morning, the chill mountain air had me packing warmly for a clockwise marathon loop up Mt. Mitchell with 7000+ feet of climb. Uwharrie and I left Lily by the morning campfire at 8:30 AM with a promise to meet her at Green Knob fire tower (23 miles away for us, 3.5 for her) no later than 2:30 PM.

We proceeded up Newberry Cr., across the Parkway at Deep Gap and down FS Road 472 to the start of the Bald Knob Ridge Trail. The snowline started at 5500’ and we could hear the winds roaring on Mitchell. Upward we climbed through snow-laden spruce. Although the sun was shining, the wintry conditions had me thankful for packing wool tights and balaclava. We were at the summit by 11:45 AM.

Tiptoeing down the ice skating rink of Commissary Ridge and further down the last half of the dozen or so miles along the MST to the Black Mountain Campground, we reentered into spring. I stripped to my shorts for the 3-mile 2000+ ft. climb to Green Knob. We were there to meet Lily by 2:20 PM. After snacking and taking in the views, Lily led the charge back down to our Newberry Cr. campsite.

Another wonderful day in the woods!


Approaching the summit of Mitchell

At the top

Almost spring along the S. Toe

Green Knob Fire Tower

On the tower

springer it forward

2011-03-10T14:30:00.000-08:00

This challenge is beautiful in its simplicity: start from the southern terminus of the Appalachian Trail at midnight around the time when the clocks are springing forward, spring it forward yourself (north, of course) as far as you can get in 24 hours...

My opportunity to join this beerded fellow for the adventure fell through, but we'll all still get to live vicariously through his GPS gizmo starting at midnight tonight, so that's pretty cool. Go get 'em Carl:

the long slog

2011-03-06T20:53:00.000-08:00

These last couple weeks have been rough. Three years of teaching have taught me that this is typical for this time of year. Today, Lily and I observed that we still have six weeks until our spring break although it seems as though we've been slogging a long way through this semester already.

On top of all this, I'm healing up from a rough cold and a running injury (from a fall taken a week ago- more insult than injury) that have sequestered my running of late. Still, I'm thankful for our health and jobs. I'm thankful to have family nearby in good health as well. And spring break is on its way along with some exciting intermediate projects. Here's a sneak peak:

4th annual rattle my heart 50k

2011-02-20T18:51:00.000-08:00

As has become the norm, Saturday brought a nice long outing into the woods. This weekend was none other than Mad A's Rattle My Heart 50K, now in its 4th year. Thirteen of us started from Lake Susan shortly after 9AM on this beautiful sunny day. We warmed up on the first climb over Rattlesnake Knob, spending ample time taking in the views together from numerous outcrops.

The day started to get quite warm as we made our way over Kitsuma. Uwharrie and I picked up the pace down to the road and on to Graphite. I spent some of this solitary time reflecting on my experiences at the three previous Rattles. Unlike the others, this was going to be a "typical" singular 50K event, so I got to savor some relatively fresh legs. I was also quite thankful that the disconcerting sore throat that I woke up with was not causing much trouble.

Inevitably, Adam caught us as we began the notorious climb up Heartbreak Ridge. We would spend the remainder of the day together pushing each other to a faster finish than either one of us anticipated. Thanks bro! Although the 5:24 sounded like a PR to me, come to find out, I ran the loop in 5:03 back in 2008. A studlier time perhaps, but no way could it have been more enjoyable. A special thanks to Damian for the event photography.

After Ole's, we enjoyed a visit with Scott and Liz in their new mobile home.

sunshine

2011-02-17T15:35:00.000-08:00

The week following Valentines has boasted wonderful spring-like weather, and with it sunnier dispositions. There seems to be a little more pep in each step on the daily run up Ida. I'm still looking forward to the weekend for two reasons:

1.) the 4th annual Rattle My Heart 50K

2.) the obligatory post-run LP8 Listening Party

linville gorge pre-madness

2011-02-13T08:18:00.000-08:00

Just after 11 AM on Saturday, Lily dropped Uwharrie and me off at the MST Woodlawn trailhead and we made our way over and down to the North Fork of the Catawba. The day was shaping up to be beautiful and sunny, but somewhat breezy and chilly. This trail run was going to be 27 miles long with over 6000’ of climbing.

Our goal was to meet Brandon at 2 PM in North Cove at the base of a previously unexplored section of the Overmountain Victory Trail. We had time to take in the panoramic views from the summit of Bald Knob before proceeding northward to this historical 1780 passage. After a 2-mile descent, we rested for ten minutes while waiting for Brandon’s arrival.

Brandon was looking forward to some recon of the route for April’s Linville Gorge Madness Marathon, so we set out on a 14-mile loop into the gorge. We opted to run the loop in a clockwise direction and descended steeply down the burnt-out buttress of Pinch-In. Both of us had a hard time paying attention to the technical footing due to the abundant views of this wilderness’s stunning ramparts.

Before long, we were along the riverside fighting our way downstream through countless blow downs. After a gnarly blue-blaze ascent back to the MST, we climbed 1000’ up to Pinnacle where we took in our last view of the gorge near its gaping mouth where the river empties into the Piedmont. Both of us were ready to be done, but we enjoyed the sunset views over the Blacks on our final descent.

Lily had dinner ready upon our arrival to Marion. We sat back and enjoyed a pleasant dinner and visit with Brandon before retiring for the evening. This was a fun adventure, precisely what’s needed as planning and preparation continues.

North Fork of the Catawba

Cliff bands below Bald Knob

North Cove from Bald Knob

Along the Overmountain Victory Trail

Brandon descending Pinch-In

Shortoff and Pinnacle from Pinch-In

Tuckered out atop Pinnacle

Sunset views from the OVT

fastpack food

2011-02-12T19:56:00.000-08:00

Well, it may be a stretch to call it "gourmet" or "pad thai" but here's a video documenting some of my recent efforts and experiments in breaking the convenience store code:

fastpack gear

2011-01-31T13:03:00.000-08:00

Here's something that may be of interest regarding the gear I plan to carry on the MST (filmed on location, section 11 of the MST yesterday on an unusually summer-like January day).

the 3rd annual sultan 50k

2011-01-30T09:42:00.000-08:00

Out with the crowns!

We’ve had a wonderful warm and sunny break from the winter this weekend. The 3rd annual Sultan 50K took place yesterday. As always, we had a great time with a bunch fun-loving folks. Thanks to Mohammed for once again putting on this fantastic b-day run. The runners got to enjoy expansive views from many stretches along the route.

Winter lingers, especially in Jacob Fork Gorge

Congratulations to Scott, Mark and Adam for finishing in less than five hours. This is an impressive feat given the route’s 6000+ ft. of climbing. Reaching the cake turn-around in 2:13, I thought I’d be able to join them, but unfortunately ran out of steam, so I finished in 5:07, still a PR for the course.

The homestretch: Roper Hollow

After the run, a good bunch of us made our way to Jalapeno Fresh Grill in Marion. My folks, Lily and I enjoyed hosting Naresh, "the crazy Indian guy in VFFs" Saturday evening. It’s indeed SUNday, the birds are singing and an afternoon run is on cue. Hopefully I’ll be able to get my weary body out of the classroom and on some good training runs more often this spring as the summer challenge draws near.

foothold revisited

2011-01-28T17:47:00.000-08:00

A distant dream... Realized?

Running, breathing and seeking cleanse. Friday afternoon, a long week’s end, a sunny day ascending Betsy Ridge on the MST, 6 miles out of town. Uwharrie and I catch wonderful panoramas through the leafless forest out across the expansive Catawba valley to the South Mountains, tomorrow’s destination.

It’s quiet and peaceful up here. The medicine is strong. I can appreciate the small town down there in the valley we’ve just escaped. It looks so quaint. For better or worse, Marion has been our home for the last two and a half years. Lily Uwharrie and I have chosen to live here and establish a more sustainable routine.

Most days, we drive to work together, six miles roundtrip. Most errands are accomplished on foot. Between us, our average weekly gasoline consumption is less than two gallons. Discounting our summer gluttony, our yearly consumption for transportation right now is probably around 6 barrels of crude oil.

Factor in our other energy demands and this already unimpressive number grows and becomes even less so. Yet I look around and observe the staggering waste around us and realize we’re doing a lot better than most. Not that this matters much because we’re all in this together…

Many days I feel isolated in a land of ignorance and apathy. But when we get a chance to climb into the hills and look down on this land, this county, it looks just about right, nestled amongst its natural beauty. I just have to remind myself that there are other people down there that share this same view.

Death by plastic... A long way to go.

"cross training"

2011-01-23T14:05:00.001-08:00

The above video speaks for itself, but here’s a synopsis: winter camping with friends, good spirits, a midnight moonlit climb of Max Patch, sled descent followed by a daylight encore, soak in Hot Springs and stay at the Iron Horse Station. Good times indeed.

observation from afar

2011-01-19T16:29:00.000-08:00

Today was an absolutely gorgeous day! I observed this primarily from the class lab window. It gave me great pleasure even though I was stuck inside for most of the day. After school, Lily instructed Uwharrie and me (as I laced up my running shoes) to not return home until dark.

Three laps on the backside of Mt. Ida, a good 2500' of climb and 5 miles later, we're jogging home along the Old Peavine, which is still lit up from the sunset colors we watched from the summit when I catch sight of the GIANT full moon rising to the southeast. Perfect timing. Today was a brilliant opportunity for some lucky adventure runner somewhere on some all-day epic mountainous traverse...

Just not here, just not yet...

It may have been hump day, but I'm still smiling.

skip-a-beat

2011-01-14T19:25:00.000-08:00

This time of year is usually filled with the stress of starting back up with the second semester. That is, unless you have a whopper of a snow storm usher in what's essentially an unexpected six-day weekend. We didn't know what days we had off from teaching until the last minute. And of course there was half a foot of snow, which kept us close to home. But we still got out...

Beyond enjoying the snowbound peacefulness, we got to explore the undeveloped western half of NC's largest state park. Uwharrie and I investigated the uncharted yellow blazes on Camp Grier property. And MST planning and preparation continued. A 5.5 oz. 3-in-1 splash bivy was designed and built to replace my trusty 11 oz. 2-in-1 BMT bivy. I plan to post more on the gear soon. Also, I've been busy compiling useful trail data and posting it here.

Now it's off to Saturday school, manana...

inspiration

2011-01-10T10:15:00.000-08:00

winter around woods

2011-01-08T15:07:00.000-08:00

Wintery weather moved through the region last night, throwing off any chances of participation in Thrower’s Tanawha 50K. The last time I attempted this route, I had some prototype footwear to test out. This year, I was looking forward to testing out Maniak’s treads on the Icebreakers. But it just wasn’t in the cards: both rides bailed, the roads were too dicey.

New traction at work

Plan B: Uwharrie and I took our eager spirits and packed gear to Woodlawn at 11AM for a 21-mile counter-clockwise circumnavigation of Woods Mountain. There was about an inch of snow at the lower elevations and about four near the summit with flurries still coming down. I tried to imagine what it must’ve been like for the crew on Grandfather today. We found the white solitude and muffled silence, broken only by babbling creeks, chirping birds and wind gusts quite refreshing.

Around the North side of Woods

After four and half hours, we were back at the car. I managed to make the round in my pair of 4 oz. homemade shoes never once feeling the need to pull a back-up pair of Zoom Streak XCs from my quiver. As for the Laniak Shoe Goo Waffles, the traction they provided for less than an ounce was quite impressive. I attribute the soles’ decay primarily to a hasty superglue job. I don’t know if I’d go this minimal that far on a routine basis, but it was an insightful test.


Through the Rhodo tunnels of Bad Fork Creek Trail


Coming off Woods

Before...

After

running in the new year

2011-01-01T19:04:00.000-08:00

We spent New Years Eve and New Years Day in the Nantahala Mountains in good company celebrating my dad’s 60th B-day. The location at NOC brought back memories of a distant 2005 training run and a more recent Bartram Across the Years Adventure. The usual suspects were in attendance and cake was more than plentiful.

Unfortunately, dad couldn’t run with us due to a dislocated shoulder injury sustained from the 2010 ALTAR. Thanks to Scott, we would have plenty of time to hang out together in a rented NOC cabin (complete with wood stove) right off of the AT. These luxurious accommodations awaited us at the end of each of our two days of trekking in the precipitous surroundings.

On the 31st, we ran half of the NAR loop from Nantahala Lake up Wayah and back to base camp via the AT (approx. 27 miles and 6000’ climb). The conditions we encountered on both the Bartram and Appalachian Trails were better than anticipated and we mostly enjoyed the soft and slushy snow on the long descents.

Views were socked in on the higher summits, but the day could’ve hardly been better. Marmot, Balto, Uwharrie and I ran most of the way together and kept a steady pace over Wayah and Wesser Bald finishing in around six hours (a good trial of the reworked BMT/MST pack). After showers, the rest of the day and night was spent eating, drinking, telling stories and playing games.

A cold rain ushered in the New Year. Few of us wished to get up early and spend many hours outside in these conditions. There were zero takers at finishing the arduous NAR loop on the second day. Sultan motivated us by gearing up for an out-and-back to summit Cheoah Bald. Scott dropped me off where the Bartram Trail crosses the Nantahala River and I ran up Cheoah and back down the AT to NOC (approx. 13.5 miles and 3500’ climb).

Ledbetter Creek was extremely swollen from the continuous rain and snowmelt. The multiple crossings and snow at higher elevations slowed me down, but I still reached the summit in 1:18. Wasting little time in the wind-driven freezing rain, I high-fived Sultan and dropped back to NOC to finish in 2:30. I was pleased to run faster on the trails than I have in years. It was quite an invigorating experience!

The holiday is drawing to a close and I’m very grateful to enter into this New Year feeling happy and healthy. I’m fortunate to have such wonderful friends and family… And of course Lily, the love of my life. Happy New Year!

And now some videos:

new years plans

2010-12-29T19:30:00.001-08:00

downtime

2010-12-26T15:07:00.000-08:00

(((millenium falcon v. 2.0)))

With six inches of snow in the Piedmont, we've been laying low since Christmas and enjoying some delicious food. While not running all that much, the downtime has been good. Once the roads become passable, the falcon will take flight back to the mountains...

Good times

300-miler club

2010-12-19T08:56:00.000-08:00

At dawn on Saturday, twelve of us started the annual pilgrimage from the Davidson River to the Little East Fork of the Pigeon River. I'm happy to report that everyone made it out safely on the tenth year of our winter solstice traverse of the Art Loeb Trail. Ten for ten, this is by far my favorite adventure. I'm grateful to get a chance to share it. Thanks for all the great memories throughout the decade. Enough writing, here are some photos from this year:

Happy Holidays!

ida in the snow

2010-12-12T11:22:00.000-08:00

Woke up this morning with white stuff on the ground and the leap home stuck in my head. Eventually, Lily, Uwharrie and I made our way up Mt. Ida to enjoy the beauty of the snow. Our cross-country trek was quite unlike yesterday's 10 miles of sunny smooth sailing along Harris Creek's rolling single track. Nothing like a little old man winter to quiet some "Clingmans Fever"...

coming together...

2010-12-10T15:55:00.000-08:00

Over the last couple years, some major summer running plan has been dialed in by December. Such projects provide comfort and balance through the hectic spring months via obligatory outlets of planning and preparation. Eager to get this summer 2011 ball rolling, I slogged through the logistical knot of one potential adventure only to arrive back at Clingmans Dome and the idea of an MST fast pack.

If you missed out in 2009, here's your chance to join us for something a tad longer. If it looks familiar, there was definitely some copy/pasting going on from the other wiki. And if a month is too long to take off from work, consider a shorter jaunt on the Bartram...

Exciting stuff!

tsunami

2010-12-05T15:12:00.000-08:00

A semester’s stress and chaos recedes. Discombobulated, we catch our breaths. Ever fleeting, holiday will give way to tsunami: a new prep, a bunch of apathetic tenth graders, EOCs, the proverbial sword of Damocles…

But for today Lily, Uwharrie and I make our way to Graphite and up Heartbreak Ridge. Uwharrie and I run a wonderful loop of about twenty miles in length. As we climb, swirling clouds over the higher mountains hint at what’s to come.

By the time we reach Pinnacle Spring, we are in three inches of snow and more is coming down. I break off some icicles to refill my water bottle and head across the icy parkway and down the previously unexplored Bald Knob Ridge trail.

Feeling returns to all extremities as we cross the parkway once more and descend Newberry Creek, darting across Satan’s lawn (with Cujo fast on our heels), up Star Gap and back to Graphite. Good to get out and test out some new wool knickers and kicks.

back to bent creek

2010-11-28T13:42:00.000-08:00

The 5th annual Bent Creek Gobbler 50K took place this past Saturday, which is always a local favorite. I was thankful to get a chance to run with Jeremy and finish in under 4.5 hours after a delayed onset of tight hamstrings and a stiff knee on the second lap. Feeling less than fit for this one helped put Mad A's delivery of a sub-four (on a challenging course with a mile of climb while videotaping?!?) into perspective. Wow!

gordian knot

2010-11-26T05:12:00.000-08:00

(((arcane mathematics)))

section 11

2010-11-11T19:41:00.000-08:00

Congrats to Carl, Adam (and soon Denise) for setting FKTs on some tough traverses. Inspired by (and slightly envious of) all this exciting adventure running activity, I spent Veteran’s Day training on some beautiful local trail so that I may get back in shape to join in on some of the fun.

Lily dropped Uwharrie and I off at the Woodlawn MST trailhead at 8:30 AM. We met up with Scott Williams, who ran east with us for about an hour. Fresh off a 2:30 3^rd place finish at Shut-In, he turned back to let his legs recover. Uwharrie and I headed onwards to NC-181, some 37 miles and 8000’+ of climbing away.

We kept plugging along up over Bald and Dobson Knobs on a sunny and unseasonably warm day. We reached the summit of Bald by 10 AM, Pinnacle by 11 and the Linville River ford by noon. Not wanting to repeat a 2009 Labor Day ordeal, I tried to refill my water bottle as often as possible.

After enduring the brutally burnt out and exposed climb up Shortoff Ridge, Uhwarrie and I were pleased to find water at the summit spring. My bottle filled slowly from the trickle. Halfway through at 1 PM, we were on track to break 9 hours, which seemed like a worthwhile goal.

The distance and unusual November heat was taking its toll on my legs. They threatened to cramp as we plowed our way through the leaves on gnarly technical single track. Still, panoramic views of the gorgeous late season foliage took my mind off any suffering… That is, until the 1000’ steep climb to the Chimneys, which I had forgotten about. Ouch.

Onwards over Table Rock and down to Steels Creek, we encountered shade and cooler afternoon temperatures in this gem of a gorge. It was time to dig deep to finish in less than 9 hours. I would have much preferred to walk it in, but we trotted most of the way up the last 1500’ climb to meet Lily and Jessica at the finish before sunset at 5:15 PM. Good to get back out there.

november sky

2010-11-07T09:31:00.000-08:00

But of all the months when earth is greener
Not one has clean skies that are cleaner.
Clean and clear and sweet and cold,
They shine above the earth so old,
While the after-tempest cloud
Sails over in silence though winds are loud,
Till the full moon in the east
Looks at the planet in the west
And earth is silent as it is black,
Yet not unhappy for its lack.
Up from the dirty earth men stare:
One imagines a refuge there
Above the mud, in the pure bright
Of the cloudless heavenly light:
Another loves earth and November more dearly
Because without them, he sees clearly,
The sky would be nothing more to his eye
Than he, in any case, is to the sky;
He loves even the mud whose dyes
Renounce all brightness to the skies.

-Edward Thomas, 1914

into november

2010-11-01T11:18:00.001-07:00

October has come and gone quickly. It was a busy month without as much training as I’d hoped. Halloween weekend brought Adam’s annual Pitchell 100K. Despite my sore throat and prior commitment to attend the CMC’s banquet dinner in Hendersonville Saturday evening, I thought I’d have another go at this old nemesis of mine (3 prior DNFs).

A small crew assembled at Adam’s pad Friday evening and prepared for a midnight start from the summit of Pisgah: Adam, Dave, Jeremy, Psyche, Mike, Sultan and myself. We cached supplies along several MST/BRP crossings as we carpooled to the Pisgah parking lot. Surprisingly, the clear night was warmer than expected on the summit (temps would dip below freezing in Asheville) and the views were outstanding.

Night running is not my forte. Yet I had no intentions of getting left behind in the dark along Shut-In this year (as in previous years). I took off in the lead ahead of the bobbing lights of the speed demons. The last quarter of a large orange moon rose on the eastern horizon and I felt energized and ready to give Pitchell another go. The momentum lasted for the first few hours into Bent Creek where, too busy looking over my shoulder, I missed an important trail junction. After running a mile off course, I resumed my descent toward the French Broad feeling somewhat deflated.

The temperature continued to plummet as I neared the foggy river valley. Wind shirt, wool arm warmers and balaclava were insufficient armor against the chill. Sleepiness set in as I let go of trying to catch the runners ahead. Soon, it was a full on suffer-fest and the plan was quickly hatched to take the power-line cut just south of US-74A down to Adam’s house and bail at the approximate 50K mark. I arrived to the house just before dawn and startled a sleepy Lily, Duke and Uwharrie (Suzanne, Asa and Annie were out of town).

The accumulated exhaustion I felt from this night run, my sickness and the workweek at school was rather alarming. With the wonderful exception of meeting Peter Barr at the SB6K Challenge awards banquet, the rest of this weekend passed in a bedridden blur. Many thanks go out to Peter and Allison for making Lily and me feel so welcome. Saturday evening was definitely a highlight for this past month… Also a BIG congrats for Adam’s record-breaking Pitchell finish in 15:06… Outstanding!

sun, moon, lake, pinnacle

2010-10-24T14:57:00.000-07:00

Saturday evening: a run from the shoreline of the new Lake James State Park expansion along the Overmountain Victory Trail and up Pinnacle. Through brilliant fall foliage and MST to the summit rock in time for the show: sunset over the Blacks, a full moonrise over Shortoff... Silence.

log-a-rhythm

2010-10-17T16:44:00.000-07:00

(…Haven’t done one of these in a while. Fun to document back in the day AKA 2006-2008, but became less important as the balance shifted…)

Monday: 13 miles on the Woodlawn Mountain Loop with Lily. Great route, had it all: one mile approach on forest service road, three mile bushwhack ascent, four mile descent on the MST, and four on the rollercoaster gem of Harris Creek single track. Uwharrie and I gunned the last eight in an hour. 101s wore a hole in my heel.

Tuesday: 5 miles FAST errand run down to the bank and back with groceries, felt strong.

Wednesday: Back to work but still manage 4 miles in the rain up Ida Direct (bushwhack) plus Backside loop and down Hook n’ Anchor (slippery). Banged my toe pretty bad slipping on a rock, Sammy Smith Imperial Stout to dull the pain.

Thursday: 4 miles up Ida Direct and down Gravel Road to Ingles for some groceries and back home.

Friday: 4 miles along Newberry Creek. Camping with a group of nine students from MEC in Pisgah. Conveniently forgot Uwharrie’s dog food in the car to sneak in a run. Great trip with the kids.

Saturday: 4 miles up Gravel Road and down Ida Direct. Calves feel tight, toe still achy, but fun “skiing” down through crazy steep woods; thoughts on Barkley.

Sunday: 6 miles up Ida Direct, 2 x Backside Loop, down Gravel to Ingles to meet Lily for some Sunday grocery shopping and walk home.

= 40 miles for the week. Pretty low mileage, par for the course for me. I’d like to say it’s quality, not quantity that counts, but the truth is that I’d love to double this. Hopefully by spring I’ll have figured out a way, but thus far, the demands of work have hindered my attempts. Ah well, good work is getting done…

a decade @ the altar

2010-10-10T13:38:00.000-07:00

Just back from a leisurely backpacking trip exploring new trails in the Middle Prong and Shining Rock Wildernesses. The weather was perfect and the foliage impressive. Thoughts have returned to the annual winter solstice traverse of the Art Loeb Trail... Speaking of, ALTAR registration begins!

marionthon

2010-10-03T09:00:00.000-07:00

October is the month to begin training for 2011 adventures. If memory serves correctly, I’ve run only two ultra marathons in the last four months (a ~35 miler on the Gunnison Spur in June, and 53 miles of Hardrock in July). Post-season summer downtime, a lingering injury from SB6K, and a stressful startup of school explain the lack of runs beyond the twenty-something mark.

As always, the advent of fall weather brings a burning desire to revisit trails, mountains and great distances. In an ongoing effort to think globally and run locally, I plan to start right from our front porch in Marion on Saturday, October 2nd and run to Mt. Mitchell and back. Three quarters of the route will take me along the Mountains-to-Sea Trail.

I wake up Saturday morning and glance over to the clock: 4:45 AM. There’s an hour until the alarm goes off. A decision is made to get up anyway. While brewing up a cup of espresso, I decide that a 5 AM departure is better than 6 AM. Dressing quickly, I give Lily a kiss and go to turn off the alarm, but notice it isn’t on! My unexpected awakening is quite serendipitous.

So how long exactly is a “Marionthon?” This particular route, from house to summit is 50K, roundtrip 100K. I’m out the door two hours before dawn and headed through a lit-up downtown toward the Catawba River. The arm warmers and reflective running vest feel good in the cool, crisp night. My headlamp patches the shadowy holes in front of me. One hour of road running brings me to the bottom of Betsy Ridge.

Ascending Woods Mountain, I begin to remember this long dry stretch of trail and promptly realize I don’t have enough water. I search for intermittent trickles of water to refill my bottle. No luck. It’s still relatively cool after sunup. Rationing is bearable, but still dangerous.

I reach Buck Creek Gap along the Parkway around four hours in and call in to Adam and Lily to update them on my progress. Both intend to meet me later on in the day. I hope to reach the summit of Mitchell shortly after noon, which puts me over an hour ahead of schedule. This buffer will hopefully allow me to return to Marion before 9 PM, a self-imposed cutoff time. These days, I can’t afford sleep deprivation. So far, this school year has demanded too much of my time and energy.

After 22 miles on one water bottle, I finally arrive at a trickle of a stream. Recent rains haven’t been enough to recharge these creeks, so it’s a tad tedious to refill my bottle. I finish off 750 mL before arriving to Black Mountain Campground at 10:45 AM. I refill at the campground, chug a bottle and refill once more. It’s a beautiful sunny day, yet destined to get warm out. I need to rehydrate as much as I can.

The ensuing 3500’ climb has me thinking back fondly to last month’s Matrimonial Mt. Mitchell Trail Half Marathon and the need to mail out thank you cards to all the wonderful people in our lives. I pass quite a few folks climbing from the campground to the summit. This magical transitionary trek into the enticing smell of spruce never gets old to me! Multicolored deciduous trees slowly give way to the conifers and before I know it, I’m in a different world on the crowded rooftop of the Appalachians at 12:30 PM.

After taking in the views from the summit, I jog down to the concession stand to purchase a cup of hot apple cider and bag of fritos. I air out my feet and bask in the parking lot sun while snacking, rehydrating and waiting for Adam and family to arrive. After 45 minutes, I’m anxious to start heading back towards Marion. Cell phone coverage is spotty and as it turns out, I miss Adam by five minutes. My goal is to return with a negative split, which would put my arrival home just after 8 PM.

Despite my delayed departure from the summit, I feel like I’m making fairly good progress as I pound my way back down. Lily and Uwharrie run up from the Black Mtn. Campground to meet me. Lily has brought half a subway sandwich for me to snarf down. And Uwharrie has brought energy (perhaps too much?) to pace me to Buck Creek Gap where Lily will run in to meet me once again with water. I’m grateful for this support on what was to be a “self-supported” endeavor.

As I continue along a rollercoaster section of trail towards the gap, my legs grow heavy and slow. Soon my mind and spirit become bogged down. I’m entering a low, something expected during any long trek. Herein lies an opportunity to exercise the perseverance and mental fortitude paramount to successful ultrarunning. Unfortunately and perhaps due to an aforementioned lack of recent practice, I give in to the call to quit at Buck Creek Gap after 12 hours and 44 miles.

Lily, Uwharrie and I make our way down NC-80 via car towards home, stopping along the way to get ice cream and run some errands. As always, I’m overjoyed and grateful to spend these memorable moments together. As was done this spring with Mt. Gibbes, I still wish to run from my front porch to Mitchell and back like Mad A. So the Marionthon will happen again. When it does, I’ll be ready to go the distance. I’ve got six months to continue honing my skills for summer 2011. Let the training begin…

bring it

2010-09-24T16:16:00.000-07:00

A South Mountains Crossing (2008)

double kitsuma + kookout

2010-09-19T17:04:00.000-07:00

Two weeks since our wedding, the married life is treating us very well. However, it’s been hard to get back into a groove at the toughest job that either one of us has ever had. Having managed to sneak in only a few runs amid endless planning and grading, I haven’t felt very fit.

Come Saturday, the challenge of a sub-3 hour Double Kitsuma looms. Mom, dad, Lily, Uwharrie and I break camp along Curtis Creek in the chill early autumn morn. The camper cruises its way to Old Fort Picnic Area, the site of the Kitsuma Klimb time trial and post-run Kookout. Undaunted by trail closure signs and a rapidly warming day, Charlie, Adam, dad and I toe the line at 9 AM.

It’s no secret that Adam and I intend to double up on this out-and-back with hopes of a high noon finish. So the pace up and out of the cove is stout. Upon reaching Youngs Ridge, the reason for the neon green closure signs becomes readily apparent: a ditch witch has plowed its way for miles along what used to be some sweet single track. Stimulus funds may eventually restore this tread, but for now it’s an unpleasant obstacle course of upturned roots, rocks and loose dirt.

All this doesn’t bode well for a sub-3, but we keep cranking with a constant eye on the unpredictable footing. We pass Gail, who was clever enough to start earlier. Before I know it, I’m winding my way up toward the summit of Kitsuma and I realize there may be some advantages to this torn-up trail: it’s distracting me from seeking out known landmarks, so the checkpoints seem to arrive sooner.

Bombing down the other side to 40, I begin to wonder if the loose dirt will actually help soften some of the jarring descents. Suddenly, my left foot plunges calf-deep into soft berm. There’s now a pound of pebbles inside my shoe. I reach the turn-around in forty-five minutes and take a minute to dump the dirt from my shoes before setting off on the return.

Adam passes me with a high five about a minute back. I soon pass Charlie coming down the switchbacks from Kitsuma. I run all the way up and over the summit where I pass dad. On the long descent back to the picnic area, I cross paths with Ashley and Brandon. Mom and Uwharrie have hiked up the trail and cheer me as I pass. It’s starting to get hot, so I’m eager to don my “murse” (conceptual hydration pack) for the second lap.

Adam is still about a minute back as I start climbing out of the cove at 1:25. The second lap is all about survival. I’ve got a five-minute buffer, but given my diminished pace, I know it’s only worth a few walking breaks. So I cash in early to down a gel and guzzle some water. The climb to the top of Youngs Ridge seems to go on and on and I have to stop and walk a couple more times.

Adam catches me at the top of Kitsuma. We run together down to the turn-around at 2:16. In a brief conversation, we recount our respective journeys thus far on the pain train. He gets ahead as I stop (for the third time) to empty my shoes of unwanted debris. I know I won’t catch Adam. It’s now a race against the clock. I’ve got just under 43 minutes. I’m walking up the switchbacks to Kitsuma feeling a cramp building in my left quad and wondering how I’ll manage to drag myself to the finish in less than 3 hours.

Running-induced dyslexia

Somewhere along the way, I pass Ryan. In a daze, I start down Youngs Ridge for the final time listening to the distant and incessant drone of interstate traffic. Sunlight dances on the leaves and the heat throbs in my head. I realize I’m bonking, I pull the last gel out of my pack and down it as quickly as I can. All hope seems lost: I slog up a slight hill with no pep left in my step…

If there was a shortcut back to the finish, I would take it at this moment, but the shortest way home is straight ahead on the trail. I begin to shuffle, then jog, then run on the downhill. Soon I’m practically sprinting with my candle flickering, yet somehow still lit. I begin to descend into the cove with just five minutes until high noon. I’ve never run this stretch as fast as I have to now, but I just go for it… and it pays off: 2:59:38!

The (18+ mile w/ mile+ climb) run is fun, but the ensuing Kookout is what makes such gatherings so special. Everybody is ready for some creek soakage, local brew and the luckiest of potlucks. A little music, soccer and bocce ball thrown in for good measure and that’s what this beautiful afternoon shapes itself into for the 16 or so in attendance. See you at the next one…

hitched!

2010-09-06T22:50:00.000-07:00

This past Labor Day weekend, Lily and I tied the knot. Our wedding was everything we hoped for and much more. We're very thankful to have had the chance to share it with many of you. For those we missed, we hope to see you soon! We're in the process of putting together a picasa album of the big day. Thanks again to everyone!

bridal veil

2010-08-22T09:48:00.000-07:00

Lily under Bridal Veil Falls, 2009

With just two weeks until the "big day," Lily, Uwharrie and I made our way to DuPont State Forest to join Adam and thirty other folks for the annual Waterfall Bonanza. This run is really a great way to beat the heat. This year however, the refreshing creek plunges weren't so much needed with the continuous rain. Still, it was better than ever, especially with the wonderful post-run party at the Foxworth chateau. Thanks Terry!

I'm very proud of Lily for logging her first ten-mile run. Hmm, how much farther is she willing to go? Thanks to everybody for the fun this past Saturday. Finally, a belated thanks to Anne and Will for the recent SB6K article in BRO.

Adam giving some last minute instructions at this year's Bonanza

end of summer?

2010-08-09T15:46:00.000-07:00

just another kitsuma kid

If summer means vacation, then yes, it's officially over. If summer means hot weather, then no, it's unfortunately not. Classes are back in session, life goes on. Just back from running in the rain to the top of Ida fueled on local honey, life is still very good. Might as well share a tribute (the tradition continues) from a pacer's perspective to the Hardrock 100:

Many thanks to Scott not only for the opportunity to once again enjoy the majority of this event (minus entry fee and lottery ticket), but for unearthing some lost BMT footage from his camera as well.

2 hot 2 trot

2010-07-27T08:39:00.000-07:00

Delicious blackberries on Max Patch

Since returning to NC from our month-long trip to CO on the 15th, it’s been fun tagging along with Lily on her various adventures. After the 1st annual MTA triathlon at Lake James last weekend, we made our way to Max Patch. Uwharrie and I dropped Lily off near the summit and she made her way north on the AT to meet section-hiking friend Frindy. Meanwhile, we drove to Hot Springs and started hiking south in a key-swap scenario.

Our plan, “fast-pack” to I-40 and get picked up by Lily on her way from Hot Springs, reminded me of a 2009 trek with a similar MC Hammer-esque title. The car’s thermometer registered 91 degrees in the shade of Hot Springs Sunday afternoon. We passed hikers sweating their way down (!?!) the 3500’ climb of Bluff Mountain. We held out hope that we’d find relief from the heat at higher elevations.

Besides our escape from the brutal heat and humidity, I looked forward to testing out some experimental homemade lightweight gear for a potential thousand-mile fast-pack next summer. My old BMT pack, with a base weight (minus food and water) of 3.5 pounds held, among other things, a 3 oz. kitchen, a 3 oz. bug bivy and a new in-line water filter system to try out for the first time in the field.

Perhaps most exciting, the ongoing trial of a pair of “icebreakers” (so named as a pioneering homemade running shoe) proved to be fairly successful in that the shoes didn’t disintegrate and fall off my feet during this 30-mile trek. Research and development will continue. But with the end of summer less than a week away, time will once again be in short supply!

Fast Enough, Frindy and U-dog

U-dog wants her own bug bivy

Climbing Max Patch

Icebreakers after 50 miles...

the gunnison spur

2010-06-27T08:41:00.000-07:00

The Three Apostles from the Gunnison Spur

On Thursday and Friday, Lily, Uwharrie and I joined hardrockers Robert, Elise, Scott and Liz at camp below Iowa Gulch. While Scott and Liz hiked sections of the Nolan’s 14 route over Missouri and Huron, thoughts of running the Gunnison Spur of the Colorado Trail crossed my mind.

My nine-year-old CT guidebook and limited set of maps could plot out only the first fifteen miles or so. On top of that, it had just been a week since the grotesque swelling in my right knee (from the SB6K) had subsided. At this point, an unsupported high-altitude ultra marathon in an unknown wilderness would certainly be a leap of faith.

So it came as a surprise even to me on Saturday at 9:30 AM, after breaking camp, I was headed toward Crested Butte on foot. Lily and Uwharrie would drive around through Buena Vista, Poncha Springs and Gunnison to meet me on the other side. It would be at least 20, probably 30 to 40 miles before I would see any support again. I carried a hip pack and two bottles of water.

The first order of business was to get over the 12,600’ pass above Lake Ann safely before the inevitable barrage of afternoon thunderstorms. This was a rather late start by CO standards and I was a bit worried looking at the building clouds as I turned for the final climb to the Continental Divide below Apostles Basin. After getting some positive feedback on the snow conditions from some CDT hikers, I felt better.

The views from the pass were great: the Three Apostles soared immediately to the east; the snowy Elk Range (including Castle and Conundrum) stretched out to the west; behind me, I could see La Plata and Huron; below and ahead of me, the massive Taylor Park and reservoir beckoned. I sat and enjoyed a snack before descending to Texas Ridge. At this lower elevation, I entered a hot, dry pine forest that seemed to go on and on. Eventually, I popped out in the vast expanse of Texas Park and promptly got turned around on ORV trails.

Finally on the main road around the massive reservoir, I had a hot, sunny half-marathon of road running ahead. At the crossing of Texas Creek, I submerged my whole body in cold water. The dryness and relentless sun on this section were taking their toll. I was thrilled to have the shade of a storm cloud rumble in overhead just as I reentered the safety of surrounding trees.

Several miles past the dam, I intersected Lily and Uwharrie driving up to meet me. We loaded up and drove the remaining distance to a primitive campground outside Crested Butte. Lily cooked up a delicious dinner. Today we’re headed into the Elk Range for a three-day climbing trip. Then we will continue west and south to the San Juans. More pictures have been uploaded to the picasa album.

firsteener

2010-06-21T07:43:00.000-07:00

Our travels have brought us to Salida, Colorado. In addition to driving about 1600 miles and consuming about 50 gallons of gasoline, we've had some great adventures.

Lily and Uwharrie joined me for a climb of Blanca Peak (14,345') yesterday, a first fourteener for both of them. More photos of our travels here. Video of Uwharrie reaching the summit below (one giant leap for canine kind?!?):

westward

2010-06-17T10:25:00.001-07:00

there will be blood

2010-06-13T08:25:00.000-07:00

found in the archives:

a pertinent sense of guilt lingers

as we pack.

living the dream

2010-06-05T10:00:00.000-07:00

SB6K Summary:

Day 1: 68 miles | 20:30 | 14,000’ climb | 12 peaks
Day 2: 55 miles | 18:15 | 11,000’ climb | 7 peaks
Day 3: 50 miles | 18:00 | 11,500’ climb | 7 peaks
Day 4: 55 miles | 19:10 | 16,000’ climb | 5 peaks
Day 5: 40 miles | 13:50 | 11,000’ climb | 9 peaks
-----------------------------------------------------
Total: 268 miles | 4d, 14:38 | 63,500’ climb | 40 peaks

For the last several days, I’ve been hobbling around on a bum knee, trying to make sense of things. It’s been difficult to convey my thoughts. I’d been intrigued (and intimidated) by the challenge of linking all forty 6,000’ peaks in the Southeast by foot since 2003. Finally, last week, I had the opportunity to go for it. With everything in its right place, this adventure exceeded my hopes and expectations.

Having experienced the challenge first-hand, I have a renewed respect for the SB6K pioneers. Cave Dog’s 2003 performance remains the greatest of all time. While I tried to follow in his footsteps, I acknowledge that there are discrepancies between our routes. It would therefore be extremely hard for me to claim a record. I believe Cave Dog would agree that the overall spirit of this challenge was upheld. Perhaps that is what matters most. What follows is a lengthy first-person account of a five day journey across the rooftop of the Southern Appalachians:

1. | CLINGMANS | 5:45 AM | 5/26/10

On Tuesday afternoon, my dad and I made our way to the Smokies in a ’76 VW camper. The Clingmans Road was closed, so dad biked in our overnight gear while I hiked/jogged the eight miles of road to the summit from Newfound Gap. Billowy clouds threatened to, but never produced rain. All in all, it was a beautiful evening underneath the Clingmans tower. There were a few other hikers camped out on the summit. My dad and I retired early after a veggie sub dinner.

The alarm went off at 5:20 AM. I ate two bananas and got dressed. I was nervous and excited about beginning such a massive run. I had long since embraced the healthy attitude of just “trying the best I can” and not getting too overwhelmed, which is easier said than done. I helped dad pack and we then made our way in the foggy twilight to the top of the Clingmans tower. After a couple obligatory photos, I set off down the ramp and AT eight miles to Newfound. Dad biked down with the gear to meet me for breakfast.

2. | COLLINS | 6:31 AM | 5/26/10

The AT was in great shape after a rough winter. The sun had yet to break above the horizon, so I hurried along with a headlamp guiding the way. The song of birds and smell of spruce invigorated me. In 46 minutes, I was on the highest point of Mt. Collins. I put away the light and pulled out Carl’s GPS to verify my location and then used my cell phone as a voice recorder to document the time. I was pleased to be on track with Cave Dog’s pace. My goal was to keep up with him on his amazing first day through the Smokies.

3. | KEPHART | 8:26 AM | 5/26/10

I hit my stride in the lit up forest and arrived at the mostly vacant parking lot of Newfound Gap eight minutes ahead of schedule at 7:30 AM. Dad had coffee and oatmeal ready for me. I wolfed down breakfast and packed for the long haul across the Smokies. Dad joined me for an out and back journey to LeConte on the Boulevard trail. First we had to climb the AT out of the gap. We power-hiked our way to the Jump Off where I made a quick side trip to summit Kephart.

4. | LECONTE | 9:40 AM | 5/26/10

After caching my hydration pack at the junction, dad and I continued down the beautiful Boulevard at a quick pace. Dad had wanted to run this trail after I showed him some photos from my April recon. I was certainly glad to have the company to break up the isolation of this section and it afforded me an opportunity to take some photos and videos for documentation. (A camera was a luxury item I couldn’t justify carrying the whole way). We were both enthused by the pleasant weather. In just over an hour, I was standing beside the tall rock cairn on the summit of LeConte. I had lost a little time to Cave Dog, but wasn’t too worried at this point. Dad and I found it easy to log a negative split on our return to the AT.

5. | SEQUOYAH | 1:26 PM | 5/26/10

Dad and I parted ways at the AT. He would return to Newfound, drive to Cherokee to resupply and on to Mile High Campground, the finish for day 1. Meanwhile, I had well over a marathon of rugged trail and off-trail trekking before I’d possibly see anyone for support along Balsam Mtn. Gap Road. I felt confident that I had enough supplies to make it (having learned my lesson in April). Near Charlies Bunion, I spent some time to call Adam with an update. The long trek to Sequoyah was wonderfully uneventful. The GPS helped me target the ideal location to begin the short bushwhack to the highest point.

6. | CHAPMAN | 2:01 PM | 5/26/10

Back down to the trail, I had to cover a very short distance before bushwhacking to the summit of Chapman. This peak can be very easy to miss without the help of a GPS. The climb was short, but I was having flashbacks to an unpleasant experience in April as a light rain began to fall. I made my way down to Tricorner Shelter for a late lunch.

7. | GUYOT | 3:10 PM | 5/26/10

I met two hikers hiding in the shelter from the rain. This was all so eerily familiar to me. I pulled out a “Dobies” bagel sandwich (thawed veggie patty), refilled on water and cabled my pack for the out and back to Guyot and Old Black. The bewildered hikers cheered me on as I took off into the rain. I pushed hard to Guyot, but missed the best route. I fought my way through a terrible section of blowdowns before reaching the summit. I hadn’t lost much time, but my spirit had been deflated.

8. | OLD BLACK | 3:47 PM | 5/26/10

On the descent back to the trail, I had to fight my way through the same terrible section of blowdowns. This time, I banged my right knee on a fallen spruce. I didn’t think much of it at the time, but this injury would haunt me for the remainder of the challenge and beyond. I was having a terrible experience descending Guyot and losing time to Cave Dog. On the AT, I regrouped with some food and water before taking the short side trip to summit Old Black. I took a couple deep breaths and hit the trail running.

9. | MARKS KNOB | 4:53 PM | 5/26/10

In very little time, I was back at Tricorner shelter, refilling on water and packing up. I was in and out, focused on reclaiming some lost ground. The rain had abated, but thunder rumbled in the distance. Of all the peaks in the Smokies, I worried most about Marks Knob. The summit is about a mile off the main trail and can be very difficult to reach. I cached my pack at the Balsam Mtn. trail and proceeded to Marks. I was pleasantly surprised at how much easier the route was to follow than it had been in April with snow on the ground. I made quick work of the numerous blowdowns; the rain held off and my disposition improved dramatically.

10. | YONAGUSKA | 5:28 PM | 5/26/10

I was amazed to be able to run parts of the route from Marks Knob back to the Balsam Mtn. trail. At this point, I knew I’d be able to catch up to Cave Dog. I grabbed my pack and proceeded up the short, but steep bushwhack to Yonaguska. I’d been neglecting to take in calories for the last hour and a half as I sprinted to catch up. In the early stages of bonking, I made the navigational error of descending Yonaguska too far to the west. I popped out on the Balsam Mtn. trail between Tricorner and the turn-off for Marks Knob.

11. | LUFTEE KNOB | 6:24 PM | 5/26/10

Having already lost a few minutes because of this mistake, I decided it was time to feed my brain and body. I dug out another sandwich and settled into a fast walk along the trail as I ate on the go. I drained the last of my water and resumed a trot to reach the junction with the flagged route up Luftee. The climb to the summit was again much easier than Guyot and my hopes of getting to the gravel road at Pin Oak Gap around dark had returned. Back on the trail, I jogged to the Mt. Sterling trail and wasted little time refilling at the creek below the route up Big Cat.

12. | BIG CATALOOCHEE | 7:40 PM | 5/26/10

As in April, I found the off-trail ascent of Big Cat to be a pleasant one. I was at the broad summit fifteen minutes ahead of schedule and elated to be finished with the day’s peaks. With over an hour of quality daylight remaining, I quickly returned to the trail and ran on past the Laurel Gap Shelter toward Pin Oak Gap. The skies were clearing and an orange evening light warmed me. My body felt good and I estimated my arrival at Mollie Gap to be around 1 AM.

I was at Pin Oak Gap, over 50 miles in, just after 9 PM. Soon, a nearly full moon rose over Spruce Mtn. negating the need for a headlamp. I ran along the windy gravel road for miles and miles. Shortly after refilling in a nettle-lined creek, I saw a light bouncing down the road towards me. Dad had biked in from where the paved Balsam Mtn. Road was closed at Mollie Gap to the gravel road and then run from there to meet me with supplies.

In addition to tasty treats, dad brought news that Carl was at the Flat Creek trailhead and would run with me to camp. I munched a pimento cheese sandwich, guzzled some juice and felt rejuvenated. Carl regaled me with stories all the way back to camp. We arrived a little after 1 AM. I took a hot shower, put on my pajamas, ate some soup, crawled into my sleeping bag and slept till dawn.

13. | YELLOW FACE | 8:20 AM | 5/27/10

After getting dressed, grabbing my handheld bottle and gobbling a banana, I left camp at 6:20 AM. My right knee was stiff and I felt far from fresh. After a mile, I was moving well along the parkway and running most uphill sections. Dad and Carl drove ahead of me and met with Lily and Uwharrie (!) at the trailhead to Yellow Face. Dad had an egg and bagel breakfast ready with coffee. I opted to first summit Yellow Face with Carl and Uwharrie before indulging in the goodness. We reached the summit nearly thirty minutes ahead of schedule.

14. | WATERROCK KNOB | 9:09 AM | 5/27/10

The second day was shaping up to be just as pleasant if not more so than the first. Back at the parkway, we sat down to breakfast and went over the rest of the day’s itinerary. Lily helped me pack for the Plott Balsams. She and Uwharrie joined me for the stroll up Waterrock. We reached the summit at the end of the well-maintained trail and called in to Adam for an update and to give him a better ETA for Balsam Gap.

15. | LYN LOWERY | 10:00 AM | 5/27/10

The vague trail connecting the summits of Waterrock to Lyn Lowery was much easier to follow without the snow. After a quick farewell, Lily turned back at Browning Knob. Uwharrie and I made fast progress along the ridge to the summit of Lyn Lowery arriving 17 minutes ahead of schedule. Having learned the best route from earlier recon, we accessed the steep trail past the gigantic cross.

16. | PLOTT BALSAM | 10:37 AM | 5/27/10

I drained the rest of my water before leaving the fire road for the ridge up to Plott Balsam. Uwharrie and I had been running most of the way and I was happy to see that we were 30 minutes ahead of schedule at the summit. I knew there was a nice creek and long downhill awaiting. Upon returning to the fire road, we gutted out a trot till gravity could take over. I refilled at the creek and doused myself with ice cold water, which helped to wake me up for the next several miles of fast turnover.

We ran all the way down to the Orchards Overlook, arriving around noon. Dad and Lily were there and fed me a big lunch. We discussed how our lead would likely increase over the next stretch where the Dog Team had suffered a few logistical setbacks. Adam was en route to pace me through this section, but had yet to reach Balsam Gap. The sun was shining and there was a gentle breeze blowing in the peaceful parking lot. No sooner had dad suggested a nap than I was conked out on the top bunk.

17. | RICHLAND BALSAM | 7:48 PM | 5/27/10

Dad woke me from my unexpected slumber and I quickly packed and got ready. Uwharrie and I trotted down to Balsam Gap to meet Adam at 1:25 PM. We had lost our lead, but I was awake, recharged and in good company to make the push into the Great Balsams. Adam called this stretch the Bermuda Triangle and coached me through an effective fueling and hydration strategy. At Cowee Overlook, just past 7 PM, Uwharrie, Adam and I emerged from a long 18 mile trail section. We pushed on for Richland Balsam.

18. | REINHART KNOB | 8:20 PM | 5/27/10

We tagged the summit of Richland and turned on the afterburners to get to the notoriously difficult “chute” route up Reinhart before dark. One major setback is bushwhacking at night. Reinhart is a relatively short, but difficult off-trail ascent. If we could get up and back down before dark, all the better! Adam hopped on the bike with supplies and met me further down the parkway. We were headed up the slippery chute with time to spare. I was amazed at our 32 minute split between these two summits. We proceeded back on to the trail to Haywood Gap as darkness set in.

19. | HARDY | 11:23 PM | 5/27/10

At Haywood Gap, my body ached from head to toe. Adam fed me a homemade burrito, which hit the spot. I downed some “vitamin I” with a couple sips of beer. Without Adam’s uplifting spirit I would have called it a day, but onwards we pushed over Hardy and down to NC-215. The full moon came up and the joy of the journey returned along this beautiful wilderness stretch. We reached the summit of Hardy and maintained a great pace down to NC-215 by 12:35 AM, some eight and a half hours ahead of schedule. I was zipped up in my sleeping bag and sound asleep (so I’m told) by 1 AM.

20. | CHESTNUT BALD | 7:17 AM | 5/28/10

By this third day, the routine had been fairly well established: wake up by dawn, eat a couple bananas, grab a light pack, go about eight to ten miles, and then eat a bigger meal. This allowed dad time to get set up while enabling me to get going as early as possible. Adam and I were on our way at 6:20 this morning up the MST to a bushwhack of Chestnut Bald. We were on the summit by 7:17 AM. As quickly as we had made it to the top, we were headed back down to the trail.

21. | SAM KNOB | 8:29 AM | 5/28/10

Adam and I refilled with water at Flat Laurel Creek and made our way through the gorgeous vaccinium corymbosum high country of the Great Balsams to the double summit of Sam Knob. This was Adam’s first time on top and although some clouds lingered, the views did not disappoint. The weather was unpredictable: it would either turn into another beautiful partly cloudy day, or start raining; no way to tell. We ran all the way down to the Sam Knob parking lot at FS-816 where the crew awaited.

22. | BLACK BALSAM | 9:30 AM | 5/28/10

SB6K veteran Anne “Dixie Cat” Lundblad joined Lily, dad and Uwharrie at the mobile aid station at Sam Knob parking lot and brought some delicious homemade chocolate chip muffins and breakfast burritos to share. I was happy to see everyone and took the time to refuel, rehydrate and pack for the solo 20-mile journey through Shining Rock Wilderness. Adam caught a ride with Anne back to Asheville. With a full tank, I tackled the climb to the bald summit of Black Balsam, which was in and out of the clouds.

23. | TENNENT | 9:50 AM | 5/28/10

The 6ers along this stretch always bring back memories of our annual winter solstice adventure on the Art Loeb. By recalling the treacherous snowy conditions of 2009, I could appreciate the relative ease with which I now made my way through the rutted trails to Tennent. In twenty minutes, I was over the top and headed down the back side toward Ivestor Gap. On my way down, I bumped into a large group of backpackers.

24. | GRASSY COVE TOP | 10:25 AM | 5/28/10

The abandoned section of trail to the summit of Grassy Cove was in much better condition than I anticipated. This was my first time on top and officially my last 6er yet to be climbed of all forty. However, I didn’t spend much time for reflection on the summit as many more miles needed to be covered before I could rest.

25. | SHINING ROCK | 11:01 AM | 5/28/10

The skies were darkening over Black Balsam. I wanted to make it up and down Shining Rock before the thunder and lightning struck. I made the mistake of charging right past the spring at Shining Rock Gap and on up to the summit. I ate a snack and drained the rest my bottle on top of the white quartz outcrop. My plan of refilling from some run-off further down the Art Loeb fell through. The water source I had in mind was hardly flowing and I had to push on to Cold Mtn. without any water.

26. | COLD MTN. | 12:53 PM | 5/28/10

A light rain came and went, and kept me cool for a short period of time. Despite the downhill terrain to Deep Gap, I was feeling parched. I met a trail guide from Brevard who advised that I get water further down the Art Loeb past Deep Gap rather than the unreliable spring near the top of Cold Mountain. Earlier in the morning, Anne told me that the cats couldn’t find this spring in 2009. Wanting to foolishly bag the summit as quickly as possible, I pushed on past Deep Gap without stopping for water.

Of course I didn’t find any water on Cold Mountain. I left my pack at the dry spring and made a painful trip up and back down to the summit before 1 PM. Desperately in need of water, I retreated as quickly as I could. I hobbled about a quarter mile down the trail to the first trickle of a stream. My bottle filled slowly. I guzzled and refilled a couple times. I could feel the life reentering my body. I returned to Deep Gap and on up past the Narrows. I was at Shining Rock Gap and running down the trail toward Big East Fork by 3 PM.

Dad came running in to meet me. By this point, I was rehydrated from numerous creeks along the descent and feeling good. I opted to run to US-276 before stopping to eat. Dad fixed me a bagel and pimento cheese sandwich and I drank some juice at the trailhead. It was 4:11 PM. After about 20 minutes, I pushed on up the road to the MST. Back on the trail, my pace accelerated on smooth terrain.

I made it to Pisgah Inn by 7:26 PM. My goal to continue down Shut-In a ways toward Asheville before calling it a day remained intact. Mohammed came out to pace me at NC-151. He had brought a delicious pizza from Marcos and I enjoyed a couple slices as we prepared for a push through the night. Because the parkway was closed due to the threat of a landslide north of this junction, dad would have to take a detour to the other side where Lily and Uwharrie were already waiting. Cell phone reception was spotty and tensions were high as we improvised plans for the end of day three.

Within ten miles of night-slogging, it was clear that the wind had left my sails. The French Broad would have to wait till the next morning. I needed sleep. By 12:20 AM, Mohammed and I made our way along a side trail to Chestnut Cove Overlook where dad, Lily and Uwharrie were parked. Mohammed caught a ride with Lily and Uwharrie back to Adam’s house in Asheville while dad and I crashed out for the night at the overlook.

27. | CRAGGY DOME | 7:13 PM | 5/29/10

As expected, the morning brought a renewed energy. I got going around 6:30 AM with a handheld bottle and a couple bananas. By 7:45 AM, I had arrived at the bridge across the French Broad River. Dad was cooking up eggs and had some Krispy Kremes and coffee ready. Shortly after my arrival, Lily and Uwharrie pulled up and joined us for breakfast. After a hearty meal, the crew split up. Dad would run some errands in town while I continued plugging along the MST to the Folk Art Center.

Lily and Uwharrie ran in to meet me on the trail from US-25A. Here I got to refill my water and eat some salty snacks. I was happy to move quickly through the lowlands of Asheville before the heat of the day. Next stop was the Folk Art Center by 11:24 AM. Dad, Lily, Uwharrie, Adam and Suzanne were all there to meet me. I took an impromptu sponge bath and was treated to a delicious and nutritious lunch including a spinach, tomato and egg salad sandwich. We were all happy to be headed to higher elevations.

Adam and Suzanne started pacing me around Rattlesnake Lodge. The breeze picked up and temperature dropped the higher we climbed. Still, the sun continued to shine. Although the terrain over Lane Pinnacle was challenging, jovial company and gorgeous weather kept my spirits soaring. We arrived to Bee Tree Gap by 5:15 PM. I ate another spinach and egg salad sandwich. Adam and Uwharrie continued with me on the trail over the Craggy Gardens. Adam had to return to Asheville, but left me musically inspired for the push to Mitchell. First I’d have to scale a few other 6ers en route.

By the time Uwharrie and I arrived to the Graybeard Overlook at 7 PM, it had clouded up and started to rain. Up to this point, I’d been running without a shirt and was starting to get cold. Neither dad nor Lily was at the overlook and I was without my cell phone. Miraculously, Lily pulled up right as I was about to head off for the summit of Craggy Dome. She loaned me her rain jacket and went to go find dad while Uwharrie and I made the short out and back trip to the summit. By the time we returned, dad and Lily were both in the parking lot and had soup ready.

28. | BLACKSTOCK | 10:05 PM | 5/29/10

My goal of making it to the Gibbes cut-off before dark was not going to happen. In fact, darkness would set in before Balsam Gap. On top of that, it was foggy and rainy. I donned a headlamp, long sleeve shirt and Lily’s rain jacket (my jacket had gone missing somewhere in the camper). Lily would meet me at Balsam and Steppes Gaps while dad would drive the camper up to the summit of Mitchell before the gate closed. Uwharrie and I made the most of the remaining daylight over Bullhead Mountain.

Lily had another warm pot of delicious soup ready for me at Balsam Gap by 9:30 PM. Uwharrie was relieved of her pacing duties and I continued on solo into the night toward Steppes Gap doubling up on headlamps. The fog was thick and navigation along the trail proved tricky. I dreaded the upcoming off-trail traverse over Potato Knob to Mt. Gibbes, but tried to stay focused on the task of climbing Blackstock. I was at the summit shortly after 10 PM.

29. | MT. GIBBES | 11:29 PM | 5/29/10

To my relief, I remembered that I had used the GPS a few weeks ago to mark a waypoint at the Gibbes cut-off. This helped me find the precise point to leave the MST for Potato Knob. Unfortunately it then became a struggle to find the best route to the summit. I picked my way through a dark and foggy spruce forest. Soon I was on the boundary trail headed toward Clingmans Peak. I was tired, but moving fairly well considering my ability to only see about two feet in front of me.

At the summit of Mt. Gibbes, I considered backtracking to the radio tower road and following it down to Steppes Gap. I knew the boundary trail beyond the summit would be the fastest way to go, but if I lost it, I’d be in trouble. I decided to take the risk and soon lost the trail. I spent over thirty minutes fumbling in thick laurels and fog among blowdowns and cliffs. By the time I made it to the gap, it was after midnight and I was completely exhausted.

30. | HALLBACK | 12:35 AM | 5/30/10

Lily was relieved to see me. She had some hot tea ready. I sat in the backseat of the car, munched some cookies and sipped tea. I was as ready as I’d ever be for the final push to Mitchell. Lily and Uwharrie hiked with me. Lily carried her overnight pack. On the way, I made a short and uneventful bushwhack up the gentle peak of Mt. Hallback. Once reconnected with Lily and Uwharrie on the trail, we told stories to keep each other awake. Lily swapped her down jacket with me for her rain jacket. The added warmth helped to cheer me up and took my mind off my suffering.

31. | MITCHELL | 1:38 AM | 5/30/10

At the summit and Old Mitchell trail junction, Lily and Uwharrie descended to the camper to alert dad of our arrival while I made the quarter mile roundtrip up and back down the observation platform. By now, the clouds had partially lifted and the moonlit views from the summit were amazing. I lingered for a minute to take it all in. A wave of sleepiness urged me to jog down to the camper and get into my sleeping bag. By 2 AM, I was zipped up and passed out.

32. | CRAIG | 7:11 AM | 5/30/10

Dawn came all too soon. As reluctant as I was to get up, I knew the end was near. We packed up by 6:30 AM. Dad and Lily joined Uwharrie and me as we made our way from the parking lot toward the summit of Mt. Craig, over four hours ahead of Cave Dog’s pace. It looked like we could expect another beautiful day. As I loosened up for this rugged half-marathon peakbagging session along the Black Mtn. Crest Trail, spirits began to soar. All four of us paused for some photos on the summit of Craig before parting ways.

33. | BALSAM CONE | 7:41 AM | 5/30/10

The split times between peaks would give me an idea of our pace to Bowlens Creek. I was pleased to reach Balsam Cone within thirty minutes of leaving Mt. Craig’s summit, considerably ahead of schedule. I munched a leftover Dixie Cat chocolate chip muffin and guzzled some water. After recording my time on the cell, Uwharrie and made tracks to Potato Hill.

34. | POTATO HILL | 8:03 AM | 5/30/10

Uwharrie and I made it to the summit of Potato Hill. I recorded the time and noticed that we were still moving at a much faster rate across the Crest. On our way down to Deep Gap, we passed some overnight hikers on their way out. At the gap, we came upon more campers. We pushed right on through without stopping and up toward Winter Star.

35. | WINTER STAR | 8:43 AM | 5/30/10

At the summit of Winter Star, I munched a snack and thought back to our hypothermic recon of the Crest last November. Conditions were much better today. My thoughts returned to the end, just 35 miles away. Tears began to well up in my eyes. It was too early to get emotional; I gave Uwharrie a pat on the head and kept trucking. If we could nail the next two bushwhacks, we could be down to the road before noon. That sounded good.

36. | GIBBS | 9:42 AM | 5/30/10

Uwharrie and had a long slog across the rugged crest before we could make the short jaunt up and back down Gibbs Mountain. At various points along the trail, we could look back toward Mitchell and marvel at the majestic boreal spine of the Appalachians. It was great to be here, but I longed to be finished with the trek. I rechecked the GPS. Soon we found the flagging and were at the top of our 36th summit.

37. | CELO | 10:09 AM | 5/30/10

We returned back down to the trail and over to the gap before Celo Knob. In little time, we found our way up to the summit. The forest was open and the climbing was easy. Using the GPS, we descended directly to the west and intersected the trail down to Bowlens Creek. I stopped to refill at the first creek, mixed up some energy drink, and let gravity take over. Uwharrie and I were running past some day hikers at the trailhead and out to the road by 11:15 AM.

Neither dad nor Lily was parked at the trailhead. I pulled out my cell phone and called in to Lily. She was in downtown Burnsville cutting up some kiwi slices for me and informed me that the camper should already be there. Just as I listened over the phone, I caught sight of the mobile aid station parked fifty yards ahead. Uwharrie hopped into the van and I accelerated toward Burnsville, feeling a sudden surge of adrenaline.

Dad and Lily met me at five-mile intervals along this twenty-mile road stretch. At each shady stop, I doused my head with ice cold water, drank some juice and ate a sandwich with boiled potatoes. At 2:35 PM, I sprinted across the bridge over the North Toe and through a railroad crossing to beat a train. This maneuver saved me a good ten minutes of standing around in the punishing sun, but I’m pretty sure it pissed off the conductor.

At Red Hill, I switched out my road shoes and poured cold water over my throbbing head. I worried that the heat would slow my reaction time. With a bunch of Sunday drivers out and about, it was downright dangerous to be running on the road. Lily surprised me with a pint of ice cream. I ate about half of it and guzzled some water. Dad informed me that Adam was on his way to run with me to the finish. I found a renewed energy to push on. “You’re almost there. Enjoy it,” dad said.

38. | ROAN HIGH BLUFF | 6:50 PM | 5/30/10

Adam began pacing me at Fork Mtn. Road. and ran the last few miles of pavement with me up to Broad Branch Road. The High Bluff loomed ahead. Although we were still getting blasted by the sun down below, it looked like clouds were building up over the Roan. Adam patiently followed me as I recalled the route through the forest up the old stage coach road, which I had scouted some six months ago. We found our way and were soon among the spruce trees and cool breezes. By the time we reached the High Bluff, clouds had engulfed us and it had become downright chilly.

39. | ROAN HIGH KNOB | 7:23 PM | 5/30/10

We ran along the aptly named Cloudland trail back to the AT. Separated since day one, Adam and I rejoined this familiar footpath and made our way quickly to the High Knob shelter. We ran to the summit rock. I checked for cell service to reach Lily and dad in Carvers Gap in order to give them a head start to the final summit. The plan of pushing right through Carvers Gap to the finish had been hatched, but no luck connecting. Back down to the AT, we ran on.

40. | GRASSY RIDGE | 8:23 PM | 5/30/10

At around 8 PM, we stormed through Carvers Gap. Conditions had deteriorated to fog, wind and intermittent rain. My brain was fried, but I could trust Adam’s ability to pack a bag of clothes and headlamps for the unavoidable hike back down. I grabbed a banana and refilled my bottle. Lily took off ahead, worried that she wouldn’t be fast enough. We didn’t see her until the final turn-off for the summit where she waited on us. Fast enough indeed!

Adam soon caught me hiking along with Uwharrie. We started running. The trail seemed to go on and on. Finally we were on the last climb. I ran to the summit and tagged the rock: done. All the tears I’d fought back over the last couple days didn’t surface. This is how it was last year immediately following the BMT. I quickly donned my rain jacket and hood. We posed for some finish photos and then it was time to hike out. Eager to get back to warmth, beer, chips and salsa, we managed a jog for much of the way. Dad welcomed us back to the camper just as it got dark. Arriving to safety, I quickly deteriorated into a crippled mass of bones. Mission accomplished.

I couldn’t have asked for better support on this wonderful adventure: many thanks to mom, dad, Lily, Adam, Suzanne, Carl, Anne and Mohammed for helping me succeed!

28 days later...

2010-05-24T17:25:00.000-07:00

Roan High Bluff from Broad Branch Rd.

The waxing gibbous indicates it's time for another loony adventure. For the last month, I've been able check off my daily run and workout regime. All that's left now is to enjoy the ride...

A Sunday afternoon drive from Bowlens Cr. to Burnsville, what I'll be "running" about 225 miles in, next Sunday evening I hope...

french broad 50k

2010-05-16T11:23:00.000-07:00

On Friday evening, Lily, Uwharrie and I made our way up to La Casa Hill in Asheville for the night. Many thanks to Annie, Asa, Suzanne and Adam for their hospitality! Come morning, it was time for us to mobilize for Adam’s May Mountain Marathon. Sultan arrived and we carpooled to join ten other runners at the start along the North Fork of the Mills River.

Hayley, me, Toby, Jeremy, Terry, Damian, Wendy, Jim, Adam, Dave, Andrew, Mohammed, Mike

It’s been a while since I’ve been along the North Fork of the Mills River and I was amazed to see how lush it is in the springtime. We enjoyed many a creek crossing (with occasional full body immersion) as we made our way up the Big Creek Trail above the Hendersonville reservoir. Even as the going got steep up to the parkway, our jovial pack stuck together.

Adam’s fun runs continue to get better and better. This one may have been the best yet with an excellent aid station at the Mt. Pisgah parking lot courtesy of Terry’s family. We got to enjoy the goodies before and after a three-mile obligatory roundtrip summit of Pisgah. The views vanished in the mist, which came as a welcome treat given the heat and humidity.

Half a marathon in, back at the parking lot aid station, our pack split up with most folks venturing down the Laurel Mountain Trail to loop back to the start. Mo, Uwharrie and I chose to venture down the well-loved 18-mile Shut-In Ridge to check on conditions for the upcoming SB6K trek. The skies darkened to the west and a light rain began to fall as we set off. Soon, lightning and thunder erupted all around us.

We were climbing to the top of a peak when a simultaneous flash-boom had us crouching with eyes wide open. All in all, the thunderstorm came as a great relief for cooling us down and delaying dehydration. We ran on through a forest awash in wildflower bouquets: trilliums, bluets, azaleas, rhododendron, laurel and lousewort (among many others). The canopy, on the other hand, seemed lifeless in certain places where severe ice and snow had taken their toll. For this reason, I was pleasantly surprised by how few blow downs we encountered.

At Hardtimes Hollow, we rehydrated at a piped spring oasis. All three of us were low on fluids. Soon after, Adam rang on the cell and informed us he was en route to pick us up at Sandy Bottoms along the French Broad River two miles away. This worked out for a 50K option and afforded us the great opportunity after seven hours of slogging to join the rest of the crew at Marco’s Pizza for an honorary pint of French Broad brew followed by shot of wheat grass! Thanks everyone for the good times!

mt. gibbes 100k+++

2010-05-10T14:39:00.000-07:00

Morning along Old Greenlee

As the crow flies, Mt. Gibbes, at just over 15 miles away, is the closest 6er to Marion. On foot, the distance is twice as far. Since the Overmountain Marathon, I’ve taken an interest in exploring routes from home. The SB6K challenge still looms and there are far off nooks and crannies to be explored, but for now, I’m content with keeping it simple and local.

The approach isn’t all pavement pounding

I set out just before 6AM Sunday morning from my front porch headed for the summit of Gibbes. I enjoyed the sunrise and sound of birds along the quiet country roads out of town. After two hours and fifteen miles, Sultan and I rendezvoused at the Jarretts Creek forest service road at Curtis Creek for a "50K" lollypop loop mostly on trails to the summit and back.

A Sultan Special: tomato, basil and cheese

Mo had some gourmet calories and caffeine on hand. I drained the rest of the water from my hydration pack, stripped down to a singlet and switched over to just my hip belt. We began the long rolling approach on a grassy road to Heartbreak Ridge by 8:20 AM.

Our destination comes into sight

By 10 or so, we began climbing steadily towards the Parkway. The weather was fantastic and over a dozen varieties of wildflowers were seen blooming. The full green of spring hadn’t yet reached the highest ridges, which stood in stark contrast to the vernal lowlands. Although plenty warm on the climb, we were thankful to have packed our wind shirts.

Beautiful rhododendron

Is this some kind of laurel?

Sure don’t smell or look like a flower!

Nothing like singletrack in the spring!

Mt. Gibbes as seen from the Parkway

We refilled our water bottles and dipped our heads under the icy water of Pinnacle Spring. By noon, we were running up the Parkway towards the MST and the Crest. There was no turning back now. Dozens of vehicles flew by us on their way up and back down Mitchell. We were soon once again at peace on the singletrack.

Mohammed on the MST below Potato Knob

Overlooking the Burnett Reservoir from the MST

Blow down between Potato Knob and Clingman's Peak

Definitely another biome!

As we ascended the east side of Potato Knob, I pulled out Carl’s GPS and noticed that we had already come nearly 20 miles (a total of 34 miles for me) and had climbed 7000 ft. I notified Mo of this and we agreed that this loop was going to be considerably longer than 50K. We found our way over Potato Knob and around Clingman’s Peak. By 1:30 PM, we were eating lunch on the spruce-capped summit of Mt. Gibbes. Both of us donned our wind shirts in the chill mountain air.

Descending Gibbes

Approaching Steppes Gap, Mt. Hallback beyond

After the break, we made our way down to Steppes Gap to refill with water at the ranger station. We continued down the Buncombe Horse Range Trail to the South Toe River. We had lost enough elevation so that we faced one last climb up and over the Parkway and Eastern Continental Divide to the Newberry Creek Trail. I was feeling pretty tired by this point, but embraced the long descent back down to Curtis Creek.

Crossing Chestnut Bald, Green Knob beyond

On the long road home

We finished the loop in 9 hours: 36 miles and 9000+ ft. of climb. Mo had mulled 20 oz. of water for me and made sure I had plenty of calories for the final push. He had to rush back to Charlotte, but left me well prepared for the last 14 miles. Thank you, Sultan! The return to Marion was not as glorious along the hot sunny roads. My body was feeling the effects of a 100-mile+ training week, something it hasn’t experienced in over two years. After 14.5 hours, 65 miles and over 10,000 ft. of climbing, it was time for… Jalapenos with Lily!