| May
17, 1983 Tuesday From Gonzo!s Appalachian Trail
journal
Slept
well last night, perhaps the fatigue of an almost 16 mile day had
caught up to me. This time the alarm woke me up at 6:30 am. Today
was the beginning of the typical breakfast on the AT - oatmeal.
Instant oatmeal that is, and surely not the plain flavor! Brown
sugar, apples and cinnamon, or anything other than plain. Even for
the calorie starved hungry hiker, plain oatmeal can hardly be stomached
unless doctored up in some way with loads of sugar, or mixing in
a bag of some flavored variety. Instant oatmeal is light, and has
somewhat of a "stick to the ribs" desireability, is readily
available along the trail side stores, and is therefore a staple
breakfast.
We covered four miles rather quickly to Woody Gap with Jim leading
the pack, followed by Rich, and me bringing up the rear. The rest
of the day seemed rather slow. We stopped quite often even though
Jim's blisters and his leg seemed to be doing somewhat better. Although
the weather was somewhat overcast in the morning, the remainder
of the day was pleasant, and we had good views from the ridge on
Ramrock Mtn, and Big Cedar Mountain. Lunch consisted of Cheese and
Sardines. Boy, Jim and I must have been packing heavy with all that
solid food. This was a luxury that was soon to come to an end.
The last part of the day was a long, but not necessarily steep ascent
to the summit of Blood Mountain, supposedly named by the Cherokee
Indians. The Cherokee legend states that in a particularly bloody
battle fought on the mountain, the mountain flowed with the blood
of the dead and injured, and thus the name. Tonight's entrée
became one of our staples and consisted of a Lipton's Noodles and
Sauce dinner of Sour Cream and Chives flavor. We tried a sugar free
lemonade mix today that we found quite agreeable when added to our
water. Typically we did not treat our water in any way. Although
I may have carried some iodine tablets, I felt confident that the
water was safe. If attention is paid to the surroundings, and there
is nothing above the source such as farmland or settlements of any
kind, and water is taken directly as it comes out of the ground
as a spring, I have not had any problems.
Blood Mountain Shelter was an excellent place to end the day. From
a nearby rock one can see almost 360 degrees. The sunset from our
vantage point was but a haze. The disadvantage of staying at the
shelter is that there is no water there; water must be carried from
the last water source about a mile to the south, a place called
Slaughter Gap. We carried enough for the night, and breakfast in
the morning. The interior of the shelter is rather dark, but provides
shelter from the elements. My little thermometer indicated temperatures
in the sixties during the day, with 45 degrees on Big Cedar Mountain.
Windy and cool at night. 12.7 miles for the day.
Gonzo!
Appalachian Trail Journals ©1983
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