I soon drifted off into a deep sleep with thunder peaceably by my side and woke to a campsite embedded in mist reflecting my headlamp (a cheap and easy to use Petzl Tikkina headlamp at 4.2 oz). Relieved (my bladder, that is) and back in my tiny ultralight tent, I scooted into my merino wool liner surrounding my pad. I remained in my literal cocoon (Cocoon merino wool mummy liner at 17 oz) until I woke naturally at 645am to quietly disassemble and organize my gear in the dark. I then boiled a pot of water and prepared a breakfast of freeze dried eggs and oatmeal plus a cup of instant Starbucks coffee. There is no reason to suffer on the trail. I thrive on a nutritious breakfast to fuel my long hikes into the unknown. (Actually, I had enough energy on this day to go another 4 or more miles after hiking 16 straight miles in just under 7 hours.) Too much planning creates stress so I had no idea what to expect when I left Carter’s Gap. Rumors scare hikers about simple climbs and descents with notations such as Albert Mountain will be a challenge to climb when hiking north. I found it, climbing Albert Mountain hiking north, to be quick and exhilarating. …show more content…
Everyone's hike will always be different and the reason people say, “Hike your hike.” 19 pounds (mine this trip) versus 31 (my Georgia hike) to 50 (what I’ve witnessed others carrying) could be what splits the rumors into different levels of