Day 7, June 20th Stoney Brook Lean-To

Day 7, June 20^th, Stoney Brook Lean-To

I wake up at 6:00 am. The boy scouts are just getting out of their hammocks. I do not think they will be on the trail by 6:30. I start my pack up and get ready to eat routine. The leaders come up to use the picnic table with me, and we talk about today’s plans. I hope to get to the bivouac area on the other side of the Allegany River. They are planning a food pickup at the next road junction. We all leave around 7:45. It does not take long for me to become aware of how much pain I am feeling everywhere in my body. The hiking is slow. Mentally and emotionally I am fatigued by the discomfort. The pack feels like lead even with 2 meals gone, though I have added 2 liters of water making my start supply 4 liters. I check the map often and double-check the blazes. I return to the AT habit of checking both forward and backwards for the blazes on the tree. One goes accustomed to and feels reassured to certain frequency of blaze marks on the trees, rocks, posts, or the road.

I have not developed a daytime eating pattern. On my Thru hike of the Appalachian Trail, I developed a 10:00, 12 noon, and 3:00 rest and eat break. I imagine I will get into the same pattern again. I remember a hiker on the AT who showed me how he had arranged his pack so that he could eat and drink as he hiked so he could hike all day without stopping for a break. I am not that hare-core!

My progress is very slow. I find that the slant of the trail plays some part in the pain of my non-surgical right hip. When I was doing my preparation walks in Wisconsin, the hip hurt, but I dismissed it. Here it often hurts with every step. I am still plodding along rather than hiking. My mind knows it takes more work because I loss the momentum of forward motion. I use my brain to instruct my body to stride. My body takes a few strides and then fatigues. I am back to plodding.

I stop about 11:00 am for food and water. I sit on a fallen log that is not too dirty. The scenery reminds me of the Appalachian Trail the canopy of green, the rocks, the trees, the smell and feel of the ground. The flashbacks of the past are being drowned out by the immediate present of the trail and discomfort in my body. The pack feels so heavy as I sling it onto my back. I feel cold water on my back and quickly take the pack down. In the awkward movement of slinging the pack up, I have pulled the bite valve off its tube. My old tube clip rusted and broke a couple years ago. I had been using a rubber band until yesterday when I found a discarded tent line and plastic tightener to use as a hanger. I swear realizing that to not have a bite valve will make it hard to drink while I hike. The pressure of the water in the Plady means that the bite valve could have shot several feet in any direction. A quick look around, I do not see it. I am careful not to disturb the leaves and grass so that I wont cover it up with my movements. I look again, no bite valve. I open the top compartment of the pack and fish out my glasses. With them on, I see the bite valve about 3 feet away from me. I figured out that I could double the water line and hold it with a rubber band if I lost the bite valve. I would not be able to replace the valve for many weeks until I got to a big enough town with a good sporting goods department. The only item I lost on the whole Thru hike of the Appalachian Trail was a small knife left on a rock wall after fixing dinner. I remind myself once again to double check before leaving a campsite and after I use an item to pack it away. I say a little pray of gratitude for finding the bite valve then rearrange how I have it placed on the pack. I resume hiking and recognize that I am behind on my planned itinerary.

It is 3:30 when I arrive at the Lean-To, I am tired, completely soaked, I take my pack off, and sit down at the picnic table. The sun is out and there is a strong breeze. I start thinking about how far behind schedule I am. I was planning to be at the Bivouac campsite tonight. The strong breeze feels good at first, but I start to feel first chilled and then cold and dull. I become more fatigued. It seems funny to my mind, but all I want to do is get warm. I take my sleeping back and air mattress out of the backpack and get out my large blue ground cloth. I set it all up; climb into my back put the pillow under my head and fall asleep feeling very cold. I wake up 1½ hour’s later feeling warm. I realize that I had first stage hypothermia even in this warm weather. I get up go to the spring get water, and come back to start dinner. I am in for the night. Going to bed at 7:30 is really early but feels good. I am now further behind schedule, but this is the right thing to do. I hear more coyotes and an owl in the early evening. Nice music to go to sleep by.