Takin' it Easy on the AT

I had pole vault camp in Boone this week and got to run a couple times with Hannah- once at Julian Price Park for around 12 miles and 27 miles on the Appalachian Trail. Good time. I like going on adventure runs with her and just posted the report of the Sauratown Trail run we did last summer... a very different experience. Last year was a little shorter, 30 degrees hotter, and we wondered if we would die. This year, was much more relaxed.

I guess it's time to "publicly" announce I'm planning to run/hike/fastpack all 2100+ miles of the Appalachian Trail in bits & pieces before I die. I've got a long way to go. Whether it'll take 10 years or 30, I'm not sure. I'm planning on running the first 100 miles of the trail from Springer Mountain, GA in 5 days next summer self-supported.

We parked at Bike Station in Damascus, VA and took their shuttle up to Elk Garden near Whitetop Mountain, the 2nd highest peak in VA. It had been raining all morning and ended up raining on us most of the day. Cleared up a little in the middle, but we were in a hard thunderstorm for the last hour or so. 65 degrees made it nice! 92 degrees when I got home to Charlotte. Ick. I'm really getting tired of the heat & drought.

The first climb was rough. 800' of climbing in the first 20 minutes. Hannah made me run more than I wanted to on this first climb. I wanted to ease into the day, but after 6 minutes, my calves already felt blown! Not what you want in a 27 mile run!

I knew this section was mostly downhill, but hadn't looked at the profile. There were significant climbs too. 4060' of ascent and 6265' of descent. Yeah, it was downhill, but 4000' of climbing isn't easy. I'm glad we didn't run northbound! I was capping off an 86 mile week (a lot for me) and really wanted to keep today easy. I've run over 300 miles for the month and am a little pooped. Not difficult to keep getting the miles in, but I don't have a long hard effort in me. I wanted it to be one of those runs where you have no more fatigue at 6 hours than you did at 1 hour. Mission accomplished there. The downhills and flats were effortless, though the quads & knees took a beating. I know Hannah wanted to run more than we did on the uphills, but I think she warmed to the idea later in the run. When I walked, I usually walked just about as fast as I could. My HR got as high as 192 walking uphill.

Because it was foggy and raining, we didn't see much. There weren't many overlooks though. The two balds we went on- Whitetop and Buzzard Rock were fogged in. For 1/2 mile in the middle and the last 1/2 mile followed the Virginia Creeper Trail, a rails-to-trail- a wide smooth crushed stone path. Lotta rocks elsewhere, but hey, that's what you get on the AT.

The bladder for my hydration pack sprung a leak after about 4 miles. I drank Hannah's water twice, a hiker offered me water once, and I waited for the springs other times (had to go over a mile out of our way to get it). For most of the run, I had to wait about an hour between drinks. I didn't want to eat without water, so I went light on calories and liquid. No ideal, but I managed. Had it been hotter, I would've been hatin' it.

Everything felt great. Just another day of running. Very relaxed and could've kept going all day, but I was fine with stopping. :) I had a fantastic time today, but I'd rate the trail section just "pretty good." Nothing memorable except the long Creeper Trail Bridge.

15 Hours on Appalachian Trail

What a great (but difficult) three days! 15 hours of running on the Appalachian Trail. I was planning on going up to the mountains Friday & just run the section from Carvers Gap to 19, but at the last minute, decided to go up two days early to get more running in. On Wednesday & Thursday, I ran on the AT from TN Hwy 19E to Dennis Cove & back. Wasn’t crazy about having to go out & back, but that was my only option. Wednesday, I started at Hwy 19 & ran about 11 miles out and 11 back. It was tough and 80 degrees. Long climb for the first couple of miles. I didn’t know much about this section, as I just decided to run it the day before. I thought it was flatter and less wooded than it was. I thought I read you go along roads and through farmland for much of it. There were a couple of old pastures, but those provided nice views. I didn’t eat enough, I was out there longer than anticipated because of the terrain and heat, and ran out of water for 30 minutes. I had been drinking sparingly as it was and when my hair & neck got dry, I knew I would soon be in trouble. Had it not been for a church spigot I passed at Buck Mountain Rd. with 5K to go, I would’ve been hurtin’.

The next day, I started at Dennis Cove and ran about 13 out & 13 back. Harder & warmer (82) than Wednesday, with a long four mile 2000’ climb coming out of Dennis Cove. The first ¾ mile had four distinct ecosystems as you went up in elevation, including a band of hemlocks and a larger section that looked like a temperate rainforest. Lots of ferns, moss, rocks & mud. All other parts of the trail were dry. A couple of nice rocky overlooks. Talked to some hikers for a few minutes at Moreland Gap Shelter. Below the shelter was about the only water source of the day, and it was a tiny trickle. Drought conditions throughout the region must make it tough on thru-hikers. The waterfalls Wednesday were nearly dry- not anything like pictures I’ve seen. Passed a place called Hardcore Cascades, but very little water there too. Not that hardcore. I drank and ate a lot more Thursday and felt better. It’s funny, though. 7 hours to finish a marathon! …and my PR is 3:22. Lotta difference between running on a flat road, a rolling trail, and rocky mountain singletrack. 16:00 pace can easily max out your heartrate & feel like 7:00 effort!

I was pleasantly surprised by the other sections, but the highlight of the trip was the third run- Carvers Gap to Hwy 19. I ran part of this section around Roan Mountain this past winter in 60 mph wind with sleet and rain trying to peel my skin off and poke my eyes out. J Couldn’t see more than 50’ ahead of me, so I missed the spectacular views. Many people say this is the most beautiful part of the entire 2,100 miles of the AT. The history of the balds is a little cloudy, but most experts agree that they were once forested, but cleared and burned on a consistent basis by Native Americans, and were farmed to keep them treeless. Today, trees would grow back if they the grass and brush weren’t grazed or hand cut on occasion. There are dozens of rare & endangered species on the balds and tons of birds.

I wanted to take the family out to see the rhododendrons in bloom & apparently everyone else had the same idea. It really was beautiful (Wren’s new word- apparently, everything is beeeeuuuuuutiful now.)! Catawba Rhododendrons and Flame Azaleas in bloom in huge clumps all over the balds. Views from the balds were incredible. …but it was crowded. Over a hundred people out there. Cleared out a little after Round Bald, more by Jane Bald, and by Grassy Ridge, the day hikers were gone.

When I started, it was 65 degrees, sunny and breezy. 45 minutes later, I was caught in a huge thunderstorm. The rain doesn’t bother me, but being on exposed balds in lightning was a little scary. When the bottom dropped out, I ran ¼ mile back to Stan Murray Shelter and waited it out for 30 minutes. Read the shelter journal. Left when it let up a little, but was still raining and thundering. Trail was like a river. Didn’t see anymore lightning for awhile. When I came out of the woods around Overmountain Shelter, the rain stopped and the clouds swirled through the valleys. Great view of Hump Mountain from Little Hump Mountain. Can’t get over how little these mountains look like NC/TN.

At Bradley Gap, between the Humps, I turned around & it was like a cloud completely gobbled me up! More rain, thunder & lightning. It was like the lightning was right on top of me. No bolts or anything- just flashes of light. Frightening lightning! To get off of the open bald, I ran more than I would have up the steep upper part of Hump Mountain, and fast down the other side. The trail over some of the balds is barely wider than the width of my foot, and sort of a 6” ditch filled with water. If you click onto the picture to the left, you can see the trail going all the way up to the top of Hump Mt. The north side of Hump Mt. barely had a trail- more like ruts and rocks through grass. In the fenced section you go through, there were longhorn cattle and horses. Four mile descent down to Hwy 19. Many sections of slippery rock- nothing but rocks with the occasional root, but no dirt. I took more chances than usual, slipping all over the place, but I never fell. Halfway down, there were several sections of quick slight downhill and sidehill trails. This is my favorite terrain- relatively smooth singletrack with a log or rock to hurdle every 15 steps and long views downhill.

I was ready for the run to be over, but it did seem short after the longer ones this week. I have two other Appalachian Trail runs planned for this summer, and I can’t wait! Pooped now though! Long days, lotsa rocks, 12,000' of climbing, but the most fun I’ve had in months.

8 Hours of MOUNTAIN Running

I enjoy a long training day much more than racing usually, but of course I like a change of scenery. I decided a couple of weeks ago that I'd take a solo trip to the mountains centered on running. I chose very difficult runs for my two running days- I didn't really know how runable either trail was.

DAY ONE- LINVILLE GORGE

December 27, I went to Linville Gorge, a deep gorge sometimes called, "The Grand Canyon of the East," with old-growth forests and a 50' waterfall. It's been 15 years since I've been there and when I was 18, I got lost in the dark with Tipa and camped who knows where (we shared a Walkman when we were sure we would be mauled by whatever we heard nearby!). I was a little nervous of that this time- or of getting hurt with no one to help me. People get lost for days every year in Linville Gorge. The trails aren't marked or blazed and some of the trails aren't maintained regularly. All of the trails are listed as "More Difficult," and "Most Difficult." I planned on starting on the west side of the gorge, going in on the easiest and shortest trail- Pine Gap Trail. It's only 0.7 mile and links up with the much longer Linville Gorge Trail, which travels the length of the gorge, hooking up with all of the other trails.

It rained the day before, but was clear & warm on the 27th. The trail was muddy with slippery rocks & roots. As I climbed (using my hands in places) further & further down, I wondered if I was on the right trail because it seemed a lot steeper than what I'd read. I ended up at the river & was almost certainly not on the right trail. I ran back up another trail and went out & back 20 minutes or so down three other trails. I ended up at the dirt road I parked on at a trailhead 1/2 mile from my car. I ran away from my car out & back for a total run of 2:50 with half of it on the dirt road. I had planned on runing 2-3 hours, so I was at the top end of that. The dirt road wasn't what I was looking for, but it is nice & narrow & through the woods. Good scenery, good run.

The highest elevation on the run was 4000' and total climb for the day was 2440'. Heartrate average 156. I was at 170-185 on most of the climbs. 50 degrees.

DAY TWO- APPALACHIAN TRAIL

The next day was a lot different. The forecast for Beech Mt. was 50mph winds. At 800' higher elevation, Roan Mt. had to be higher than that. Add to that 2 inches of pouring rain- and at times, a little sleet & snow, extreme fog, sheets of ice covering the trail... it was a pretty miserable day, but I had a good time. It was the kind of day where I got all my clothes on in the car and waited for just the right moment to burst out of the car and start running, as if I'd dodge the rain somehow. I ended up wearing two jackets. According to the National Weather Service, 35 degrees + 60 mph winds = 17 degree wind chill. Being soaked in that, I don't know what that equals... death?

The plan was to run along the Appalachian Trail from Carvers Gap up to Roan High Knob, back down and over to Round Bald, Grassy Ridge Bald, etc. to Hwy. 19 and back. I was planning on running 4-6 hours. I knew I'd alter those plans, given the conditions, but I was kinda proud of myself for running through more than I could have. After the first long climb, I told myself I had to at least run 90 minutes. Then 2:00, 3:00, 4:00, and finally, I told myself, "By the time you run 5 hours, it'll almost be dark. That's a good stopping point." So I ran 5:04.

I ended up climbing Roan High Knob (34 degrees at the top) & going back over to Round Bald, Jane Bald and Grassy Ridge Bald. This was the absolute worst place to run in these conditions! You're running along a 5800' ridgeline with no trees to block the 50-60mph wind! The wind was incredibly tough. Horizontal rain/sleet stung my face so bad! I was almost blown down a few times. This section had 4" deep mud in places. I had to turn around, but ran an hour on the balds. The decision to get back in the cover of the woods was a wise one. I later went back up and over Roan High Knob, towards Hughes Gap, over Roan High Bluff on the Cloudland Trail, and along the road for a little while. I was never more than an hour from the car.

Highest point was 6285' with a total elevation gain of 4270', which is a lotta up & down. Average heartrate was 148. Couldn't quite push myself on those uphills to top out like I did the day before, but more than that, I was negotiating the ice & mud a lot more and my HR would go down to 110-120 for a minute or so. I didn't feel any worse at 5 hours than I did at 1 hour. I was a little sore from the day before (calves & achilles), but not bad. The day after, I barely feel like I ran.

My Gore-Tex Keen Ochoco shoes did a fantastic job on the rocks (most sections were very rocky) and in the rain, but nothing could keep my feet dry once the trail turned into a creek later in the day. Water was flowing down the trail ankle deep in a lot of places. My feet were dry for the first two hours. In the New Balance 810s I normally wear, I couldn't have run a rocky trail like this. Also no blisters. Thanks, Ochocos. You're ugly, but dry and protecting.

I took a picture right before I started running on the Appalachian Trail. I knew there was no way the rain would let up and I'd be able to use the camera. They say the balds are the best views on the entire 2000+ miles of the Appalachian Trail. I wouldn't know. I couldn't see more than 50 meters ahead of me.