The thousand word picture Part 2

When I posted the picture last week I asked for some comments and received a few. They ranged from "courage" to "sleep walking".   I think that I captured some of the essence of what long distance hiking is all about.

First the picture. I could have staged a shot and fixed a few technical problems, but this was truly a snapshot. I like the composition. I like the way the trees are lit, the way our model was lit, the way the light looks like it is pushing at her. I like the placement of everything in the shot and I did not crop the final result. I like how our hiker interacts with the scenery and is the center of attention but still part of everything. Sometime you just get lucky ...

Then there is the feeling of action. There is a timeline in this picture; I see her putting one foot in front of the other, moving through the picture even though it is a frozen moment in time.  I see the confidence and determination; she looks strong with just a hint of fatigue.  She is definitely going somewhere.

She is walking on a trail, but in front of her everything disappears into a white nothingness. She does not know what is around the next corner or where exactly the adventure will lead. Behind her is a complete scene --- trees and trail and a sparkling, colorful landscape. It's like she is creating her environment as she goes. The experience belongs to each person and each hiker has the opportunity to make it into something uniquely their own.  She was choosing, or so it seems, to make special and and beautiful moments.

There is a story behind this picture.  This was day seven of hiking and we had been through a lot.  The day before we had watched EMS crews evacuate a friend with a broken arm off the mountain. We had spent a long night in a buggy, fairly awful shelter. We were all tired. Together we had done about 3 miles that morning and at a road crossing I bailed out so she could complete the last 15 miles in one high-speed push.  Her pack stripped of excess gear to lighten up, it was already 11:30 when she took off "slack-packing".

The rest of the team arrived to pick me up and we immediately set out to park at the next possible road crossing a few miles away to offer some "trail magic" in the form of ice water, cold drinks, snacks and our injured friend in the truck feeling better with her new sling on. That is where I grabbed my camera and took this picture. 

When I see that picture it takes me back to that day and everything that was going on. I see a woman who fought hard to get to this place and overcame all of the obstacles to push on. I see someone boldly walking towards the unknown and not breaking her stride.   I see a hiker that will achieve goals yet still enjoy the beauty around her.  I see a picture that tells not only her story, but shows anyone what it is like to be a backpacker on a difficult trail living life one step at a time.  

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Note:  Laura and Cristina completed this hike together and arrived in Damascus safe.  This blog was about this picture, but I would not feel right without mentioning Cristina and her efforts too.  Step by step she hiked this hike and inspired her own stories that are coming.  She completed every mile including this 18 mile day and I applaud her strength and courage.   A picture of them together would have told a bigger story but technology or my skill as a shooter did not allow that. 

Cristina (front) and Laura during their 15 mile slackpack and 18 mile day, arriving at the Trail Magic intercept point

The thousand word picture

I assume everyone would come up with a different story about what is happening here.  Some would see a picture of an attractive woman, others would see a hiker, some may wonder about where the trail came from or where it goes, others may be interested in the conditions, or her state of mind.

This picture jumped out at me and I really like it, and not just because Laura is featured in it or because I took it. There are a lot of interesting things happening in this picture and I wonder what someone sees who did not share in the experience. I think it tells a number of stories about this adventure and about hiking in general.

Take a moment and comment on my Facebook page at www.facebook.com/selectadventure.  Tell me what you see or how this picture makes you feel. 

I will post my thoughts in a future blog.  

Overnight at "Double Bug" Shelter

My little group was dwindling.  Six hikers had shrunk to three.  Kenny was ahead of the bunch, last we had seen of him was before Watauga Lake.  Cathie had been plucked off the mountain by Carter Co Search and Rescue just that morning and Andy had accompanied her.  Cristina, Laura and I had decided to press on despite a mix of emotions.  Cristina wanted to get off the mountain, I was overly concerned about water on the trail, and Laura was trying hard to hold it all together while dealing with her concern about Cathie and the group.

I remember that the trail was not exceptionally difficult that day, but it seemed to keep going up and up and up.  I think I was just discouraged when we got to the road but a debate ensued for quite a while before we decided to hike out again.  We needed to decide if we were going to bail out at the road and reset in Damascus, or keep going.  Emotion was running high.

We had just topped off our water and we were heading to a shelter called Double Springs.  Earlier we had encountered a hiker who had given us a good report on water at that site, but a group of young people came by and told me they had been unable to find water.  After my two water emergencies that did not strike a real positive note with me.  I voiced my concern to Laura who snapped back and held my commitment to the light of day.   She also reminded me that listening to trail reports from three rather awkward looking young people was not the same as getting a thumbs up from an experienced hiker, and that we would press on and find what we need because that is what happens. I had to overcome my fears.

I realized at that point I was just letting everything get to me and I really had to go all in or get out.  I opted to stick with it ... she was right. We were still strong, we had food and water, the weather was fine, and we had a destination called Double Springs.  Figured we would find at least one of them!  Cathie was safe and we had decided to press on.  I had to trust in my team, trust in myself, and do what I had come to do.

Glad I stuck with it because soon we were crossing a really nice part of the trail through some active pasture complete with cows -- and we were on the same side of the fence that they were.  Making a mental note to not mention anything about my beef eating habits until we were out of earshot, we cruised past the cows who gave us a few disinterested glances and resumed munching grass.  Soon enough we had climbed the second fence and were back in the woods.  This little interlude of sunshine, nice views, and pleasant terrain gave me a second wind.  Unfortunately I did not manage to take any pictures, but the images are pressed in my memory and I think I just needed to hike and immerse myself back into my goal.

Soon enough we found Double Springs shelter and we set up camp. Though we had the shelter to ourselves we soon found out we actually had company in the form of thousands of little flying gnats.  Cristina swept out the shelter and set her tent up on the platform.  After a thorough search of the uneven grounds Laura and I ended up huddling our tents together on the only flat surface we could find.

Laura with her color coded gear, and note one camp shoe, one boot, one bandanna knee compression device and her commercial knee brace slid down to her ankle.  This kind of abandonment of style was par the course of all of us.

Cristina's tent on the shelter platform

Laura and Todd sharing the single flat surface.  No fire tonight!

 I doused myself with a more than liberal amount of 100 percent DEET.  Barely legal and not advised for anyone who fears any number of strange diseases, it did keep the bugs away so I could cook and eat my dinner.  Laura cooked and ate her dinner while walking around.  Cristina noted that the leaves of all the trees were thick with some sort of bug ... but in true outdoor fashion it was more a curiosity than a concern and most hikers tend to not worry about anything that is not going to actually drag you in the woods and devour you.  The bugs could wait, I had dinner to eat and sleep to work on.

The bugs subsided, and the evening cooled off a bit.  Cristina hopped into her tent and fell asleep.  Laura and I, true owls in the woods, sat up for a bit and enjoyed one of those nice interludes that make all the work worthwhile.  The moon came out and we tried to take pictures.  We heard an owl in the distance.  We talked about whatever and remembered to try to not wake up Cristina, just few feet from the table in her tent.  We looked at pictures and sipped water and just enjoyed the night, being out on the trail and some peaceful and fun time together.  Eventually we unwound and realized we were tired and we dispatched ourselves to our tents for some sleep. 

The next thing I remember is waking up to a loud buzz.  It sounded like a fly had gotten stuck in my tent fly.  Actually it sounded like a lot of flies.  I crawled out of my tent and puttered over to the table.  Cristina and Laura were not up yet, so I quietly brewed a cup of coffee.  Sitting at the table, sipping my drink, I hear that same buzzing all around me.  In the early morning light, with my glasses off and my awareness dulled from a deep sleep, I slowly start to notice that the ground seems to be moving.  I stare at the motion to find it is flies.  Hundreds of flies, lazily flying around the site.  I recall the bugs on the leaves.  They were now awake.  I watch with mild interest, so deep into life in the woods that I really don't care so long as they are doing their thing and not coming after me.

Cristina stirs and calls out,"What is going on out there?"
She is hearing the fly ruckus too.  "It's flies.  Everywhere."
"Is it bad?" she asks.
"It's like the I-75 of flies out here," I reply, referring to our busy Cincinnati/Dayton interstate highway.

With some efficiency we finished our breakfasts,  Laura woke up to about the same question and answer routine, and she soon emerged from her tent to face the flies.  With even more efficiency we packed and headed out of there.  Double Springs shelter was not an ideal overnight place, probably due to overuse, a lack of leave no trace habits, and perhaps the location and timing.

That was night six in the woods.  It turned out to be our last night.  Wish it had been a pristine campsite but we made it work.  We had some campsites that were great, so one out of six is not bad.  I slept just fine and yes, Double Springs had plenty of water.  We were fed, watered, rested and ready to tackle another day.