The slowest roller coaster of all time: The Trek

Start the day dry

Well, the rain and bad weather weren’t over yet. When we woke up in Whiskey Hollow Shelter it was cloudy and gray. Luckily we were dry and so were most of our things. It’s nights like these that make shelters along the AT so valuable. And Whiskey Hollow was an especially pleasant refuge. We slept upstairs next to a guy named Shaggy and a 5-person tram slept below us. Our friend Speedy decided to set up a tent for the night and was already gone before we hit the trail. We all had several rain jackets and wet clothes hanging around the large covered porch.

mountain market

As we all took our time getting ready to hike, we talked about our excitement for Mountain Gap Market. Just five miles down the trail, a roadside market offers a free donut to hikers!

When we got there, our eyes lit up at the sight of cold drinks, fresh fruit, and hot donuts! We sat outside under the covered porch enjoying our reward when the rain really started to fall. Although we couldn’t wait. We still had 21 kilometers to go and we wouldn’t be staying in a tent or shelter. We had reservations to stay at The Bears Den Hostel. And what a necessary rest it was! But before we could enjoy all the luxuries of a hostel, we had to conquer almost 14 kilometers of the formidable ‘Roller Coaster’.

The roller coaster

Unfortunately, the AT roller coaster does not refer to a thrilling theme park attraction or even a relaxing roller coaster. It refers to the 14-mile stretch of trail that has steep climbs and even steeper descents. Hikers traverse thousands of feet of elevation change through this section. Signs on the south end told us to “enjoy the ride,” while the north end congratulated us on finishing this grueling section.

As we walked along this stretch of trail we came to a sign that seemed surreal. The sign informed us that we had walked 1000 miles. We celebrated for a moment but were also amazed at our achievement. This milestone was sweeter than any we’ve ever had before. These benchmarks motivate us to continue moving forward.

The bears’ den

Luckily, we were dividing this section in half. But when we reached the final summit of our 18-mile day, I was overjoyed to see the old stone building welcoming me inside. The Bears Den is one of the few lodges along the AT that is actually owned by the Appalachian Trail Conservancy. The caretaker Glen had us checked into our private room and showed us where the pizza, soft drinks and ice cream could be found. After a much-needed hot shower and changing into borrowed dry clothes, I felt like a new woman. The exhausted, soggy, hiker trash that walked in was replaced by a fresh, smiling woman! Cody’s transformation was just as impressive as mine! The pizza and ice cream were just a bonus.

It’s a beautiful morning

The next day was the first sunny day in what seemed like weeks of rain. It was probably closer to just a week, but it felt like a lot longer! We didn’t hesitate to get up and have a hot breakfast, pack our waterproof bag and put on clean clothes and dry shoes! What more could a hiker ask for?

I finished the roller coaster

We were both well rested and excited to hit the trail! With fresh legs, the last 5 miles of the coaster seemed to fly by with (relative) ease. And after the last climb, the path was very easy. We even stopped at the Blackburn Trail Center, where Fern greeted us on the beautiful porch. He offered us cold drinks and fresh fruit and showed us where to fill our water bottles. We are always so grateful for the magic of the trails! Trail angels like Fern make the hiking community and culture so special. Cody and I have often talked about how we would love to make magic on the trails when we get back to our «real» lives. Anything we can do to stay connected to this wonderful community and give back to the trail and the people who strive to walk it in its entirety.

Dinner at the gas station

The good vibes and magic of the trail continued later that day. Well, maybe not «magic» per se, but dining at the Sweet Springs tent beats eating a backpacker meal! All the little stops along the trail certainly brightened our spirits! From free donuts at Mountain Gap to a soda at Blackburn to sandwiches at Sweet Spring…it’s the little things that make a difference! Hiking the trail is not only a physical challenge, it is also a mental and emotional one. These breaks were exactly what we needed to lift our spirits that had been literally and metaphorically dampened by all the rain.

Another maraca noodle

Another round of: Can you see the rattlesnake?

As we finished the last few miles of our day, we ran into another little creature that was also enjoying the sun… ANOTHER rattlesnake! This makes three we’ve seen so far! This little guy was lying on a log right at the edge of the trail. I walked about a foot away from him when I saw his tail out of the corner of my eye. I tried to walk quickly and calmly to the other side of the trail without scaring him. But it probably looked more like I was walking on hot coals! When I was a safe distance away, I turned to look at her and she calmly walked further off the trail and found another sunny spot to sunbathe. Cody caught up to her and saw her before continuing walking. Our final destination for the day was dispersed camping. We like places like these where it’s just us, away from crowded lodges and other hikers, especially when the weather is so nice!

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