Days to Regroup

“Somewhere between the beginning and the end of the trail is the answer to the mystery of why we are hiking the trail.“

True confessions — the reason that I joined this slack packing group was that I was too scared to start the Appalachian Trail by myself. I have paid dearly for my fears!

I had envisioned the slackpacking group as a way to get both my mind and my body accustomed to life on the trail. The theory was great — I would spend the first 450 miles of the trail hiking long miles without the burden of a heavy backpack and getting used to the AT as part of a community of hikers before starting off on my own from Damascus and heading north with 25 pounds or so on my back. All the promotional material supported this view.

The reality of the slackpacking expedition was a complete contrast to what I had envisioned. The leader of the group was a tyrant, quick to yell and adept at insults. He allowed no discussion, was impatient with reasonable questions, and vocally disapproved of everything. 

The logistics were a challenge. The details are a bit complicated to explain, but things were quite a challenge for the two of us who did not bring our own cars.

I loved the hiking. It was truly amazing. But the non-trail time was a huge black hole.

No one needs this sort of negativity and logistical somersaults in their life, especially when hiking the Appalachian Trail is supposed to be the culmination of a dream and not a prison sentence. So last night I left the group (and the trail). I reached out to close friends who live in the mountains of North Carolina, and they very generously drove two hours from their home in the dark along twisty mountain roads to pick me up and then two hours back home again. I really appreciate their kindness. I’m now spending a few days at their house regrouping and recuperating.

I had hoped to go back to the trail tomorrow and head north from Damascus, but the weather looks rather dicey for the next two days. From Damascus I will be heading up to the Grayson Highlands, the highest area in Virginia. The trail there is quite exposed, so reasonable weather is a really good idea when hiking up there. Tomorrow and tomorrow night are supposed to be extremely windy and rainy, and the night after is supposed to be below freezing with gusts up to 30 miles per hour. In such an exposed area that weather obviously sounds like a recipe for hypothermia, so I will hang out at my friends’ house for longer than planned.

I am anxious to get back on the trail. I will spend tomorrow sorting and sifting through my bins that were in the slackpack van, figuring out what will go in my backpack and what will stay in the bins until they make their way to Williamsburg. Hopefully I will be back on the trail in a little over 48 hours.

This is a confusing time for me. I have been planning this hike for nearly two years, and I really messed up my own plans for thru-hiking because I let my fears get in the way.