Too cold for comfort – The Trek

a cold morning

Our ninth day of the trip was the coldest yet. Fortunately, the shelter we woke up in was a triple decker with a small landing on the third level that was mostly blocked from the wind and cold. The low ceiling and Cody’s creative solution of stuffing socks into the cracks that let in cold air kept us pretty comfortable. As people began to wake up, the idea of ​​starting a fire arose among the group, and before long, Cody and a few other fire-savvy people were gathering kindling and kindling. They crouched around the small circle of fire, carefully feeding and stoking the delicate operation of lighting a fire with wet wood. Lihat juga lksa. But soon they prevailed and all of us who until then had observed from a distance began to approach this new source of warmth.

I knew we had a long, cold day ahead of us. So I was the first to walk away from the precious warmth of the fire and suggest hitting the trail. Although I started the day with dry clothes, I was very aware that the clothes I had hung to dry the day before were more frozen than dry. That meant I had exactly one drysuit fit… the one I was currently wearing.

The border between Georgia and North Carolina

As we began our long 12 mile day, we slowly began to shed layers. We produced enough of our own heat as we climbed steadily away from Plumorchard and inching closer to the GA/NC border. We stopped momentarily to celebrate the achievement of completing the first state and entering our home state of North Carolina. However, our return home was not very welcoming. The frigid temperatures were intensified by swirling winds. The slope of the trail went from a steady climb to an almost vertical staircase that seemed to have no end. I could feel the sweat seeping into my last dry suit with every step.

A chilling walk

We continue walking. With our heads bowed, the sound of our heavy breathing was drowned out by the whistling of the wind. We took solace in sections of the trail that used the mountain to protect us from the cold blasts. Snow had covered the mountains the night before and as we climbed the snowfall increased from a dusting to almost 3 inches. Our first stopping point was a shelter around the 7 mile mark. We plan to have lunch there and hopefully get out of the cold. Unfortunately, when we arrived at the shelter, we quickly realized that it was situated on a ridge with full exposure to the winds from all sides. The shelter itself was located with its back to the sun, so there was little relief during our quick lunch break. Keep moving, stay warm. That was the motto of the day.

Camping in the snow

Just a few more kilometers to go, hoping the next shelter would offer more shelter than the last. With tired legs and exhausted spirits, we arrived at camp with only a couple of hours of daylight left. I quickly realized that the tough day of hiking left my base layer and mid layer damp with sweat, despite the sub-zero temperatures. As soon as we stopped moving, the heat dissipated and the cold began. I quickly completed the night’s tasks. He set up the tent, inflated the mat, prepared a hot meal, fed Turkenna, and climbed under the covers. I took off all my wet clothes and put the left one under the quilt with Turkenna. But the heat did not return.

Cody to the rescue

When Cody came to check on him, his concern turned into concern. He and a friend had already started lighting a fire. He offered his own mid layer and one of his dry base layer t-shirts. After reminding me of the hand warmers we had kept in our backpacks, he gathered up my damp clothes and quickly carried them to the fire. A few 20 or 30 minutes later, he returned to the tent and found a dry and almost warm wife. I was presented with a set of dry clothes as a lifesaver to endure the night and next day of low temperatures. The low that night was 13°, which was a 4° improvement from the previous night. Once Cody finished spending time with friends around the fire, we went to bed for a warm, dry night’s sleep.

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