Day Hiking the Appalachian Trail in Shenandoah National Park, November 17, 2018

View West from Skyline Drive

Preparation

For several days I had been dreading the possibility of  the trip, hoping for rain, snow or any inclement weather.  It wasn't the cold or the ordeal that put me off.  It was the possible humiliation of having to quit from fatigue.  I had resolved that no matter what happened, I would proceed at my own  pace, rest whenever I wanted and rest for as long as I wanted.  I hoped that it would help me to endure the ordeal.

The Day Before

I got the bad news.  The weather would be good.  The trails would be open.  There might be some ice on the trails but the roads were clear north of the entrance from the highway, US33. I started preparing for the trip.

It would be a day hike, not over night.  So I would not have to pack a tent, sleeping bag, water purification equipment, a stove, gas, or food to cook. The day pack was ready with all the usual supplies: a trowel, Kleenex tissues, and a water bottle. For the cold weather I had to add a stocking cap, an extra pair of socks, a pair of wool knit gloves, and my new ultra light down sweater. I carefully stuffed the down sweater into its everted left pocket and zipped it up. It made a nice package about as big as a size 15 shoe. It would keep me warm if it turned cold.

In the day pack I also had an extra compass, a headlamp, a flashlight, an emergency signaling mirror, a butane lighter, a large folding knife, a small hiker's Swiss Army knife, a solar cell phone charger, and an emergency first aid kit. The first aid kit was important. It had aspirin, water purification pills, and many other small things that might be needed in various emergencies.

I also had a favorite toy, last year's Christmas present to myself, a titanium solar powered Pathfinder hiking watch. It features a compass, thermometer, barometer, and altimeter. I haven't yet learned to use it well but the altimeter is very useful. Generally, even if you don't know exactly where you are, the altimeter provides a good measure of the effort you have made and how much you have left to make.

Casio Pathfinder Watch

Asolo Boot

I laid out all the clothes I would need: a large hooded windbreaker, convertible pants, a bug repelling shirt, quick dry under clothes, bandana, thick wool socks, and my prize $300 Asolo Italian hiking boots, the best I could find at REI. I added to that my hiking sticks, a hiking hat, and a retainer made from a shoelace to hold my glasses when my nose gets slick from perspiration.
Then I reviewed the maps. I needed an Appalachian Trail map as well as maps of other nearby places in case I needed to divert to an alternative hiking trail.
I set alarms for the following morning. Then I began the arduous process of trying to fall asleep.

 The Next Day

Highway Route To Hiking Area

After showering, dressing, and loading the car, the trip was uneventful. Buy gas. Eat breakfast while driving, drink coffee and listen to the radio. It takes about an hour and a half hour to cross the  plain of the Virginia piedmont from DC to the park. Then it takes another half hour to traverse the winding roads through the mountains to get to the chosen trail head.

Today the plan was to park at the South River Picnic Area and take the Appalachian Trail north for two or three miles then hike back to the car. It didn't work out that way.

Hiking Trail Taken

The trail was not steep or arduous but it was uphill for at least two miles. The total altitude gain was about 600 feet. But because the trail goes up and down over the course of the hike, the actual gain is 1753 feet and the actual decent is 1498 feet. This is the same amount of work as climbing and then descending 163 flights of stairs. But, the rough trail requires you to place your feet carefully. That substantially increases the effort.

According to the Scottish mountaineer William W. Naismith (1856-1935), a smooth trail requires 1 hour for every three miles and another hour for every 2000 feet, gained or lost. 

It took 3:40 to cover the distance. According to Naismith's rule the climb itself, up and down, requires 97 minutes. The distance itself requires 90 minutes. Totaling 3 hours and 7 minutes. That means that slowness, rests, and picking steps through the stony trail consumed another 33 minutes. It is not good but it is not bad either.

Typically Appalachian Trail thru hikers cover about 12 miles per day. Shelters are roughly 12 miles apart.  But there is a lot of variation. If I had been nimbly and briskly hiking this trail at this pace without rests, it would have taken me over nine hours to cover 12 miles between huts. That is a very high bar for me.

Nearing the end of the ascending part of the trail I had the usual perceptions. Over and over again I felt I was nearly at the top of the mountain. Then I would find that another ascent lay ahead. At last the trail crested Bald Face Mountain at 3600 feet. This is a view from Bald Face Mountain Overlook. It is not my photo and not the same time of year.

View from Bald Face Mountain Overlook

The trail began a slow descent and I noticed it was much more icy.  I was now on the north face of the mountain. It had less warmth from the sun. At a certain altitude there were occasional ice needles beside the trail. In order for them to occur the air must be cold enough to freeze water just as it weeps from the ground.

Ice Needles

Waterfall

As I descended I came to a place on the trail where I had to climb down a kind of frozen waterfall about 40 feet high. The trail had been constructed to zigzag down a slope. Unfortunately that path was the only safe path that led down the mountain. And it had been a stream for quite a bit of water before it froze and became ice.

If you imagine something like this, a bit higher, a bit steeper, more narrow, zigzagging, and frozen you will have a good idea how it looked.


Fortunately as a boy I had a lot of experience walking along a frozen creek to get home from school. I could walk on the sidewalks and the street. But I preferred the path through the woods and along the creek.

This frozen waterfall was different. Any fall would have been catastrophic. I reminded myself, over and over again to proceed slowly. I had four contacts with the ground: two hiking sticks and two feet. I made sure that they were all planted firmly and I only moved one of them at a time.

Pocosin Cabin

I descended further, passing by a picturesque trail hut built of stone. It was padlocked. Then I went on to Skyline drive to hitch hike back to the car. Several cars passed by but a friendly park ranger stopped to give me a short ride back to my car. He also ran my driver's license and my plates, just to make an indelible record of his activities.