Training Log Archive: Charlie

US Team Sprint at Dupont State Forest. Not a particularly fine effort. Got caught in the green, got off on some unmapped parallel features, lost a lot of time. Fun, though. Plenty wet.

Sprint - Splits

Lazy day, paddling around at Lake Oolenoy in South Carolina for a bit.

Woke up around 4 to lightning and thunder. Seemed to go away, and then came back fast with a lot of rain for an hour or so. This changed our plan of going down the Gunter's fork trail, which is only passable in dry weather, so back along the Mt Sterling Ridge trail to Pretty Hollow. At Pretty Hollow Gap, the second storm came through, with serious lightning, very high winds and hail. The wind was the scariest, bending the trees quite a bit Had planned to head to Walnut Bottom and camp one more night, but Zack was determined to hike out and set a merry pace. Tough on Rhonda's blister. Feet were pretty tired the last few miles. Zack was the horse all the way down, but flaked out at the car and slept most of the rest of the day. 40 pound packs will do that to a young whippersnapper.

C • An old whippersnapper too, and... 3

Day 2 of the backpacking trip, from Mt Sterling to Laurel Gap shelter. Supposedly the flattest high mountain trail in the Smokies and did not disappoint. Lovely streamside picnic lunch shortly before getting to the shelter. Not feeling too lively though, so turned in fairly early. Zack was not amused about sharing the shelter, so we pitched our tent instead.

A fine chorus of barred owls, starting in mid-afternoon, and then picking up again in the evening. Then late, after midnight, a short burst of coyote activity.

Backpacking in the Smokies with Rhonda and Zack. Day 1 from Big Creek to Mt. Sterling via Baxter Trail. Apparently most folks do the loop we chose in the opposite order. Very nicely maintained trail, but unrelievedly up. 6.2 miles, and then Zack and I had to descend about .4 miles for water and return, so Rhonda could make our supper. Met some nice folks from Illinois at the Mt Sterling campsite, and Zack took some great pictures from the fire tower. Quads and calves were in great distress most of the walk, but 13 hours in the tent seemed to restore me.

Up and back N on the Blue Ridge Parkway trail from the Folk Art Center in Asheville with Zack.

Art Sweeton loop with Hazel, before taking off for NC.