Miles 484.3-496.6 (12.6 mi.)
Total ascent: 4442′; descent 2221′
Before I get to today’s events, I’d like to ask all present and future namers and namesakes of trail features to please ensure their name isn’t already in use on the AT. Searching “Deep Gap” in Guthook yields three different points on the trail [also see: Sassafrass Gap (x3) and Siler(s) Bald].
Second, I want to point out the coincidence of the ascent being exactly twice the descent. Out feet thought it would be an even greater multiple, frankly.
Today wa tough,but we began it well. We lingered at our creekside, below-bridge campsite long enough to do some downward dogs and to give each other brief massages on the giant rock. We also did a dozen push-ups, having noticed our upper bodies atrophying to feed our legs and feet.
From the start of the day until the end, we went up (Rachel sings: “If it’s up, then it’s up, then it’s up, then it’s up”).
We went up switchbacks. We went up rocks. We went up poorly maintained, washed out trails.
Rachel hated it; I was happy about it because I find hiking downhill harder than hiking uphill.
Today was, fortunately, above average in the self-care department. We ate lunch earlier; applied and re-applied sunscreen; drank water until we peed clear; and took plenty of breaks.
We couldn’t not, on some of those fronts. It was sunny, but water was everywhere; we recover from specific pains faster, we’ve learned, when we don’t force the system to attend to things like sunburn and dehydration.
We didn’t see many people today, but we did have good interactions with those we did.
Sunshine, who hiked SOBO in 2019, gave us homemade strawberry and melon popsicles he’d carried in a cooler at least six miles. We also sat and talked with Cindy and Suzanne for a few hours before dinner, which they’d made earlier but were kind enough to enjoy with us. We’d seen them pass our camp this morning and wondered whether we might see them near the end of the day. We learned Cindy’s trail name is “Scallion,” because she likes to collect ramps, which she calls “scallions”; Suzanne’s is “Junco,” like the bird, because of her bird-watching and ornithology interests.
We also caught up by phone with Kara, who turned 29 yesterday. It sounds as if she had a lovely afternoon kayaking and relaxing at a cabin, thanks to her boyfriend Dennis.
Oh, speaking of awesome friends: Tessa restored our expired audiobook. We feel like MVPs at DBRL, where she works and is easily the best library to which I’ve belonged.
Tomorrow, we cross the 500-mile mark, climb Thomas KNob (what about Bob Knob?), and long for another popsicle.
Please, trail: Provide.
