OmPi's Adventures

Hiking the AT is a microcosm of life. Day to day can be so different, one day you can enjoy every step and the next day you can struggle to find anything that interests you. Some days can feel like a constant uphill struggle but then the next moment you find the struggle shifts to spiraling downhill. Just like home when we see and experience the same things, no matter how awesome or once enjoyable, when we sexperience them so consistently we sometimes lose interest or it no longer impresses us.

Today was a long hard struggle for me. I woke up to find a little hole in my hammock bug net. After rolling into camp late last night I hurriedly set up my camp and kept a small thing of trail mix with me to snack on. A little mouse found it in the night and helped himself, damaging my home for the next 6 months in the process.

 After that I had a hard hike the vistas all started to look the same to me and I realized I was just walking to walk. A few times along the way I reflected back to what other successful thru hikers have told me. They all seem to agree that you have to find something enjoyable each day. Today I struggled for most of the day to find something enjoyable.

I stopped for a late lunch at Deep Gap Shelter. It was a bit off trail but it was beautiful. I was tempted to stay, I understand the privy was clean and hardly used. Nice! There I met AP (accident prone), and 2 guys one from FL that makes at least 10. The three of them all made arrangements to stay at the Holiday Inn express in Hiawassee. I was already feeling down so I may have felt a little excluded though I know it wasn't the intention.

Anyway I rested for a bit and decided to push on to get a little closer to Dick's Creek Gap so my Nero was as close to a Zero as possible. I went ahead and found a camp with Bojangels and his girlfriend and their two dogs Baxter (aka Foghorn, because he barks a lot) and Stella but decided to push a little further because they were still over a mile away. I then crossed paths with 2 guys a little further up but no room for my hammock they told me there was some flat space ahead. I went and bushwacked for a bit trying to arrange a spot then decided to just keep walking and if nothing made itself available I'd just head in to the hostel tonight.

Sure enough just by the road there was a  spot and even better someone had left some Coca-Cola cans next to a tree (more trail magic just when I needed it.) I used the running stream next to the camp to cool the coke down while I set myself up. After getting set I prepped my bear bag line and started a fire. Damn this shitty day has taken a turn. I'm about a half mile from the hostel so I should be one of the first there, my dinner of lime black bean was dip was delicious with my trail grown sprouts on flour tortillas. I have an awesome fire and one of the best camp sites I've yet to enjoy and I was enjoying it all to myself.

The sun set and some cars pulled into the gap parking lot. Out comes a guy with a headlamp and I began thinking that maybe I'm camped too close to the road or that I'm not allowed to have a fire here or something. Come to find out, he was scoping spots for him and his buddies to camp before their section hike this weekend. I told him they were more than welcome and the camp had plenty of space. Little did I know there was about 15 guys and a dog. Lol my peaceful little camp quickly filled with guys setting up gear in the dark, mind you with headlamps and all. It reminded me again that just when you think you are set on level terrain that there is always an adventure ahead.

The guys turned out to be really cool and offered to drop me at the hostel in the am or into town. Very generous! They asked for my blog and said they would like to follow my journey along the way.  Guys, if you are reading this, I hope you had an amazing section hike; I enjoyed the company around the fire and thanks again for the offer. Sorry I was so out of it.

What a day, one with lots of ups and downs both physically and mentally. In the end I found something enjoyable in a little lonely camp that became a hub of great trail community.

OmPi ( ॐ π )

No plans and no rush. The day started lazily as I spent a few hours relaxing in my hammock and catching up on blogs and postings, benefit of a campsite with 4G. I finally got going and 3/4 of the camp had cleared out. I talked with the last few stragglers as I packed my camp and prepared my day of food.

I had no plans or goals today and said I would just walk until I was tired. The beginning days hike was enjoyable apparently the easiest 4 miles in GA. I hike with Storm and Trooper for a bit, she got her name as she was basically crawling into camp one day not giving up and someone said to her, you're a trooper. I don't know the story of storms name but I do know that someone from his college heard of his hike and called him up. His friend shared with him the a story of how his friends grandfather had hiked a few miles of the trail in the NE and planned to do the whole thing when he was diagnosed with cancer and had died 2 years later. He asked if Storm would leave his grand father's walking stick on Spring Mountain in hopes that someone would take it to ME and leave it on Katahdin. So he has been carrying that wooden hiking stick the last 50+ miles.

This is the trail community, sure we can stink, eat like crap, and be a little rough but as a whole it is one of love and devotion. Strangely enough this became my walking meditation today. While at Blue Mountain shelter this afternoon I got word that there was Trail Magic on the form of bugers and soda down the mountain in Unicoi Gap which was 2 miles away at an elevation drop of 1000 feet... Needless to say those may have been my quickest miles of the day but all along the way I reflected on the immense love that trail angels embody. They take time out of their own lives to help others they don't know and will probably never see again with zero expectations. This is the meaning of Love!

After a double bunned sausage bacon hotdog with mayo, mustard and ketchup, some good conversations and an IPA that may have tasted better than any beer I have ever I had to leave. Before I did I asked the former thru hikers what they would do different in their hike. One said they would make a better account through journaling or blogging, the young lady said she would take a multi vitamin as she came off the trail highly anemic nearly needing a blood transfusion. The other guy who had blogged the whole way said he wouldn't change a thing.

The following miles were tough but with a full belly and renewed spirits I pushed on. Though I made no plans I knew I wanted to at least break up the crazy elevation shift near the end of the day. I managed to not only break it up but pushed on past it. Though I hobbled into camp just minutes before sunset I had hiked over 15 miles with almost 5800 feet of elevation change. It was an intense day and I am able to put Tray Mountain behind me. Another mountain conquered, another journey had and a day lived.

Much love to all. I look forward to hearing from you.

OmPi ( ॐ π )

My hike today was a fairly short one. I was one of the first out of camp, but have been constantly reminding myself that this isn't a race and ME isn't going anywhere. What is the purpose of taking six month and spending it in the wilderness if I'm just going to be racing by all that nature has to show me?

I've been reflecting a lot on the trees maybe because there are just so many of them or because change is coming to them or because their shapes seem to have personalities.

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And the springing plants that are dotting the trail and marking the fresh life that is about to burst forth after a time of shedding. It reminds me a bit if this journey where I have shed all that I am, even my name to come out on the trail and find fresh life.

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Today also included my first food trail magic of pancakes and hotdogs for brunch with trail angels "Waterpants" and "Stitches" and their two buddies (sorry I forgot your names). Just after coming into Woody Gap

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I see these 4 guys with chairs, a cooler and pancakes coming off their griddle.
They invite me over and we spend some time talking, hot food is hard to pass up on the trail. It is something to see people who take time out of their lives to help others they don't know and will probably never see again that makes anyone just feel OVERJOYED. Other hikers came rolling in and we all had a great snack midway through our hiking day.

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I'll tell you I've never had a hotdogs wrapped in a sypup covered pancake but that day I had 3 and would have had more if my I didn't hear my mother in my head saying don't be rude save some for the other hikers. Love ya mom but fair warning, your voice is getting softer or my appetite is getting louder.

The day continued with a little hike up the hill to Preaching rock where some day hikers where so happy to see me, a thru-hiker. It's still a bit weird to say and very weird that people make a big deal over it. I guess I should love it for now because there are towns in NC and TN that are less thrilled to see us come through.  They took a picture for me on the Vista.

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Wow what a beautiful landscape with hiker trash blowing through. Really OmPi socks over your pants baselayer? Anyway the day of meditation continued when I refilled my water at a spring high on the mountain.

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There is quite literally water coming up out of this rock making a tiny spring on the top of a mountain. The AT crossed this water source down trail when it was a creek.

Then again when it became a little stream.

It then ran into a larger river and as I meditated on this reality, it inspired me that something so tiny on the top of a mountain started this, as it worked it's way towards it's own goal it inspired others along the way who joined in until it literally changed the planet.

What little thing are you passionate about that you can work towards today? Don't be afraid or ashamed, you will inspire others and you too can change the world.

My hiking ended at the last "legal" camp ground before a bear canister requrement and blood mountain, the highest steepest climb so far. I could have probably hiked on today but I think my body would have hated me and tomorrow there is supposed to be afternoon showers followed by a day of rain. Looks like a zero is in my future as I roll into neel gap, I will take a page of the book of Bat who is the #FairWeatherHiker.

The night was nice with lots of people in camp and nice conversations around various camp fires. I met a few new hikers and old ones caught up. I am starting to see how the bubble will work. Time to rest my tired achy feet.

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Cheers all and thanks for reading. I've finally decided how to use my social media pages. I'm gonna use them the way they are intended imagine that.

Twitter will include my hiking logs and maybe a short summary of events.

Instagram will host most of my random photos along the way.

Facebook will be random postings and updates.

My blog will be for longer stories and reflections, it will be the fullest account of what is happening.

The NDN will also continue publishing my adventure in little clips so stay tuned there as well.

Follow me on all the networks to keep up with every aspect of the journey.

MUCH Love all!