Monday, July 27 9:38 pm 18.7 mi
AT 1308.9 Catfish Fire Tower → AT 1327.6 Gren Anderson Shelter
Weather: HOT and sunny
Trail Conditions: Rocky, but less severely so. Took a nasty tumble today – somehow ended up with trekking pole caught in a rock behind me and between my legs, which launched me forward and somewhat helicoptered me. Ripped left knee open (same exact spot that just healed up from 4 state challenge) and knocked air out of me as glasses, phone, gold bond chafe stick, and all 3 water bottles went flying. Otherwise, nice trail today!
My Condition: Aside from the fall, feeling good! Feet a little sore, but so far my body has greatly appreciated a new pair of shoes
Beautiful sunset and sunrise at the fire tower last night/this morning. Incredible crosswind last night kept me cool and dried out all my sweaty gear. Went swimming in Crater Lake today, which felt INCREDIBLE! The water wasn’t cold, not really even cool – just refreshing. Stopped at Gyp’s Tavern for dinner – incredible tater tots (perfectly crispy), mozzarella sticks which hit the spot, a Coke, a Code Red Mtn Dew, and a Yuengling. Beautiful lakeside ambiance, very hiker friendly, definitely had to pull ourselves away to continue onwards. Section hikers One Trick and Morning Zephyr at shelter site. One Trick has worked as the head of a collegiate outdoor education center for about 27 years. I have been following Mercury’s hike as she attempts to set the FKT record for the AT. Sadly, shin splints have been slowing her down, and today the FKT and the women’s FKT both fell out of reach in all likelihood. Happily, however, she shared that she intends to persevere and continue her journey fully intending to reach Katahdin. I was worried she’d pack it in, but I gained a ton of respect for her character in this decision. Best of luck Mercury!
Post Trail Analysis
Sadly, it was a little bit cool for swimming by the time we reached the pristine ponds and lakes of Maine, but today was the perfect day for it, and the water was great! Channeling the energy of my spirit animal (obviously a labrador retriever), I chased after a tennis ball Blue kept throwing. I thought about swimming across the lake, but gave up after quickly realizing that my arms weren't as useful as they used to be after having been mostly consumed by my legs for fuel. On hot, sweaty days like this, nothing beats cooling off in the water. The restaurant days on trail were some of the absolute best days! Sure, it’s nice to pig out on 2 blocks of cheese, a full pack of sliced pepperoni, half a container of Oreos, 3 king-sized Outrageous bars, and half a bag of Sour Patch Kids for dinner, but greasy fried food just hits different! We sat lakeside in adirondack chairs, gentle waves lapping against the shore as we chowed down. It was so much fun following along with Mercury’s journey every night, shouting updates between tents as we all wrapped up our evening routines. So much of my professional life has been focused on values-based, experiential education. From that perspective, grit and resiliency are two of the most important attributes a person can develop. Grit – the ability to keep pushing when things get tough. Resiliency – being able to get back up after failure. Mercury had her own reasons for being out here, but prominently among them was the goal of setting a new Fastest Known Time for the Appalachian Trail. The physical, mental, and emotional demands of a traditional thru hike are incredible, but the demands for an FKT athlete are even more grueling as they try to jam-pack the same 2193 miles into a mere 41ish days. No one would blame someone for throwing in the towel on an FKT attempt where it became apparent that the lofty goal was out of reach. To persist in defeat, though, is truly admirable – what she did showed some real grit and resiliency, and I’m proud to have shared the trail with her in 2020!
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