The first eight miles was ridge running. For some reason, many people this morning thought ridge running would be easy. That is almost never the case.
Ridge running involves walking perpendicular to topography, scrambling, and walking on angled often slippery rocks Most of the ups and downs do not take you to views. They just take you up and down. Someone was complaining about having to climb 800 feet this morning to get someplace without a view only to immediately decend. Ridge running tears up the body and puts you in situations where you are more likely to be hurt.
I think we are all still amazed at how the trail is often designed for maximum difficulty and danger without increasing the scenery.
I would have to say the trail is the most physically demanding thing I've ever done on a long term basis. We must be consuming far more calories now than marathon runners. The physical exertion is one thing, but the constant pounding is another. Every part of you body is pounded to some degree, but knees and feet take the worst of it. Hiking poles help, but you mainly just have to monitor the pain to make sure no long term damage is being done.
Thought Food just arrived at the shelter at 8:45 PM. I was getting worried. There were no places to camp the last 5 to 10 miles to the shelter.
My tent is wet from two nights ago. I wanted to dry it out last night, but it was too cold and windy outsite to set up a tent plus it rained most of the night. It was too crowded inside to dry it either.
I hear the weather has been unusally cold. I'm most greatfull. I hear the jet stream is unuaully far south, and no one knows when it will jump back north. The temperatures are about what they are in late April or so I'm told. This is good walking weather.
My email seems to be filled with a lose weight quicky with apatite control ad. If you want to lose weight quickly, try the trail.
I seemed to be recovering from my illness. My energy level is high, and I feel good.
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