Follow the Blaze...Adventure Awaits

As many of you know, normally I am NOT a very outdoorsy person LOL!  That has somewhat changed now that I have discovered the white blaze of the Appalachian Trail!

In 2020 the week after I ran my first marathon, my middle son Thomas was preparing to set out on his thru hike of the AT.  However, Covid changed his plans when they closed down the trail.  He thought about moving forward with his hike, but stories kept coming in about thru hikers not being able to restock in some northern states.  So, him and his girlfriend changed their plans and instead set out to complete the Colorado Trail.

I had checked off marathon from my bucket list...Check!  And as the pictures from their hike came rolling in, I set a new goal:  I was going to learn how to hike!

When my husband and I first got married, he had completed most of NC on the trail and parts of VA.  His lifelong dream was to complete the entire trail.  Twenty seven years ago I didn't understand.  Why in the world would you want to become homeless for 6 months, live in the woods, and just walk.  No showers, limited food, and limited contact with other people.  It just didn't make any sense.

In February of this year I told my son and hubby, "I want to go hiking.  I want to learn how to do this."  My son, laughing said, "Mom, all you do is put one foot in front of the other."

So, he planned our Easter backpacking trip to Greyson Highlands in VA.  More info on this beautiful piece of creation can be found here: https://www.dcr.virginia.gov/state-parks/grayson-highlands

Good Friday we set out for nearby VA.  I was optimistic.  Afterall, I was in fairly good shape.  I have run a marathon, I teach and practice yoga, I teach Zumba, and I do kickboxing 4 days a week.  Little did I know that I would be humbled pretty quickly!!!  

This was by far the hardest thing I have ever done!  Mentally and physically.  Greyson Highlands is absolutely BEAUTIFUL!  The wild ponies, the pristine farmland, and the amazing mountain views.  But, I wasn't prepared for the HUGE rocks...up and down rocks.  Rocks here.  Rocks there.  Rocks everywhere.

I was ill prepared.  My pack was "weigh"  (LOL) too heavy!!!  Weighing in at a whopping 28 lbs plus another 4 probably for water!!!  I wasn't prepared food wise!  I packed a little of this and a little of that.  I took way too much food!  As my son said, "You live and learn!"  Boy, was he right!

So, this past weekend we did the Max Patch to Hot Springs section.

This time we left Statesville around 5:30am.  I had booked a shuttle to meet us in Hot Springs and take us to Max Patch.  I recommend calling in advance to book your shuttle.  If you want a list of possible shuttles, let me know.

For this hike, I felt a little more prepared:

We arrived at Max Patch and set out around 9:15am.  I cannot tell you how beautiful this section of the AT is...you have to experience it for yourself!  There were wild blackberry bushes everywhere!  As far as the eye could see it was lush green.  The tall trees towered above.  The trail was covered in these beautiful, fragrant petals.  The petals were embellished with the most beautiful heart shapes.

Day 1 we made it about 8 miles. Lemon Gap was about an 800 foot ascent in just at a mile!  We met up with another hiker, David, who was going to be out there for 10 days.  We made camp about 4:30.  After setting everything up, we ate our dinner, and hit the hammock about 6:30.  That night I got about 11 hours of sleep.

Day 2 we headed back up the mountain, and then it was downhill.  What I have found for me personally, is that the downhills are harder.  My knees and hips started hurting.  The gradual declines don't bother me as much, but there were quite a few parts that were not so gradual!  LOL!  By the time we made it to camp, I was exhausted.  We had put in another 8 miles or so.  We got to camp around 4pm with only a little over 3 miles to Hot Springs.  We set up camp, chatted with some thru hikers, and hit the hammock around 7pm.  That night I got a little over 10 hours of sleep.

Day 3 we got up and took our time.  We set out for Hot Springs.  It was all downhill.  It was a beautiful section. Walking through tunnels of rhododendrons...I hate that they weren't in full bloom.  Some of the path was a little narrow with one misstep leading you over the edge.  I can't explain the feeling of approaching the town.  You could hear the business.  I can only imagine how the thru hikers feel each time they come upon a town after being out alone in the wilderness for days at a time.  When I finally made it to Hot Springs, the trail comes right out at Laughing Heart Hostel, which is where we had parked the car on Friday.  Rob, Thomas, and Bethany had made it out before me, and they were waiting in the car.  I said, "I really thought y'all would be waiting to cheer me on."  Their response, "But, we did the same hike!"  LOL

There was no one there cheering me on as I made the final steps into Hot Springs, but inside I was cheering us all on!  I was cheering for the section hikers we had met.  I was cheering for the thru hikers we had met.  And, I was cheering for us!  

The trail teaches you a lot about yourself.  You have time to pray.  You have time to appreciate creation.  You have time to collect your thoughts.

I am by no means a trail expert.  I am just a gal who is hooked on weekend hikes.  My ultimate dream would be to complete the AT with my hubby!  For us to take 6 months and set out for an adventure of a lifetime!  Who knows?  Maybe we will one day.

Some folks have asked what I ate on the trail and what other resources I used.  I am putting the links below.

Happy Trails,

Kimberly

My meals/food each day (I tried to stick to the times as close as possible):

-Breakfast: Keto coffee-https://amzn.to/3wQGpYA  This was truly the most delicious coffee!  It was one of the highlights of my day!  Especially drinking it in my new Sea to Summit collapsible coffee mug: https://amzn.to/3wQGpYA

-11am: Fat Bomb (I bought a variety of flavors.  My favorite was the Macadamia/Chocolate.  Each pack had about 2 Net carbs.   https://amzn.to/3N7nEac

-Throughout the morning and afternoon I had Hoody's Keto Trail mix.  I also added some strawberries and blueberries that I dehydrated to the mixture.  I kept these in my fanny pack.  I ended up taking too many!  I took 5, but ended up giving away 3 to a thru hiker :).  This trail mix is DELICIOUS!!!  https://amzn.to/3m16yPg

-1pm: Lunch consisted of:

..King Arthur sardines in Extra Virgin Olive oil-https://amzn.to/3wY8b5B

..Veggies I had dehydrated

..Justin's nut butters-https://amzn.to/3PR59IV

..Olives (these were the best ones we could find that were portable): https://amzn.to/3wWXkss

3pm (or thereabouts)

-Keto coffee

-Fat Bomb

I packed 3 avocados, but only ended up eating two.  I ate one with my dinners.  I gave the other one to a thru hiker :)

Dinner:

These meal were AH-MaZING!!!!  I will definitely be using these again and again!  I love the taste, and I loved the fact that it was only ONE serving!  Highly, highly recommend these!

Friday-Beef Tacos and added some of my dehydrated veggies and avocado

Saturday-Buffalo style chicken with dehydrated veggies and avocado

In my water I used Nuun energy during the day: https://amzn.to/3GBIz2x

and Nuun Rest before I went to bed: https://amzn.to/3lX8MPA

**I also used Go Far Endurance Fuel for Women in my water.  I would put one serving in my morning water.  While this is not specifically Keto, I had used this in my long distance running.  It not only provides your electrolytes, but it also serves as nutrition.  In all of my research while I was training for my marathon, this was the cleanest endurance nutrition I could find.  Like I said, IT IS NOT necessarily Keto/low carb. ** https://amzn.to/3MZwqHc

Other products I HIGHLY recommend:

-Altra Lone Peak 6.  I am a Hoka girl...I loved running in my Hoka's.  I was torn between the Hoka Speedgoat and these.  I decided to go with the Altra's for two main reasons.  1. The material is FAST drying!  2. The large toe box...this made a huge difference in the downhill steps.  My toes were scrunched together!

-Darn Tough Hiker Crew socks.  When we did our first hike I wore my regular running socks.  My son tried to tell me to invest in Darn Tough socks.  I didn't listen.  However, this time I did!  I bought two pair, and I LOVE them!  The are super comfortable and the best part?  They have a lifetime guarantee!

-Enlightened Equipment Enigma Quilt.  I have been borrowing my son's quilt, but will be purchasing my own before our next trip.  This is a little pricey, but it is so worth the investment!  My first trip it was 35 degrees with rain...if my bottom quilt had been snug (that's another story in and of itself), I would have been comfortable all night!  This go round I was more than comfortable!  I love that you can customize your quilt with the colors you want!  The one I use is the 0 degree quilt.  https://enlightenedequipment.com/enigma-stock/