Started at 4:00 am on 5/31/25. The first 20-30 miles things were moving well and I was “ahead” of schedule. I got super tired from the altitude and lack of sleep the two nights prior and was worried bc this was way too early to be feeling so fatigued.
I reached Newfound Gap by about 7:30 pm and headed up to the north side of the park. I saw a bear in my headlamp at Charlie’s Bunion! I was SO tired in the night, but couldn’t stop to rest because it was too cold and wet. The fear of having to do this a SECOND night seriously daunted me as the compounding effect of sleep deprivation was becoming grossly apparent.
At around 4:30 am I slept walked right off the trail (thinking I was going around a downed tree) and ended up getting super lost in the middle of the night — trapped in avalanche debris. Only having a headlamp was so disorienting and my sleep deprivation made my reasoning skills significantly impaired. I called my friend who talked to me while I climbed and scrambled and cried. I wasted about two hours trapped in avalanche debris and feel way behind in my nutrition and hydration.
I wanted to quit at Davenport Gap so much as my mental state was pretty derailed. I, instead, took a 20 minute nap and mustered all of my strength to pick myself up off the ground and turn around.
Night two was slow going as my lungs were acting up and I was coughing a lot. I slowed down and took breaks and took extra puffs on my steroid inhalers to prevent bronchial spasms.
I took a nap in the bathrooms at Newfound gap to get a break from the cold and then headed south on trail. I was moving so slowly leaving Newfound Gap as I had run out of water a mile or two prior and was searching for about two miles for a good water source on trail (there were many wet areas and I was looking for flowing water and couldn’t find any for 3 miles). Eventually, I stopped at a spring 3 miles south of Newfound Gap and filled up and started seriously pushing the caffeine. At this rate, I was looking at being out there for a third night and I was DETERMINED to finish before darkness.
I had some weather on top of Mt. Collins and Kowohi, but it was mild (more like I was in a cloud). I was happy to use my umbrella - and honestly it felt comforting somehow - like a little shelter or home.
I was feeling good for a while until I was about 20 miles to the finish and I crashed and burned so hard. I could barely make it to the next water source and took a nap 0.3 miles from the spring. I started pushing the caffeine again and realized I needed to increase my caffeine intake and keep a steady influx of it to finish.
My body had begun shutting down and sores all over my mouth and tongue cropped up due to my body’s stressed state from 48+ hours of exertion + the steroid inhalants, causing a change in the ecosystem of my mouth (Glossitis and oral aphthae and possible Thrush). This made eating any of my bars with sugar extremely painful so I was reduced to my chips and mashed potatoes and forced the gels down whenever I could.
The last 20 miles was so hard, but I used caffeine in a progressive manner (which prevented heart palpitations and anxiety) and I somehow made it to the finish. I wanted to quit with 3.5 miles left - to just lay on the ground and sleep through the night and finish in the morning. I needed serious sleep SO badly!
I arrived at Fontana Dam to a welcome party of Chap and Hops (fellow hikers) and I somehow had a decent stride at the end. I don’t know how I didn’t fall as the steep and technical descent was brutal. I finished relatively unscathed!
Comments
INSANE EFFORT! So so proud of you.