Slept at the Trail-er and prepped to start.
FIRST DAY: Start 10:03pm Saturday August 5th Hot Springs, NC
End 12:15am Monday August 7th Black Mt. Crest Trailhead (just outside Burnsville, NC
At least 82.2 miles in 26 hours and 12 minutes
58.8 miles on the AT
5.3 miles on USFS trails
2.1 miles on USFS road
19.7 miles (at least) on public roads (with elevation change)
Pacer: Sarah Michelle Baker
Pacer/Support Crew: Celia Eicheldinger
Support Crew: Warren Doyle
Transport to Hot Springs from Appalachian Folk School to Hot Springs provided by Terry Doyle.
Phenomenal display of endurance, intelligence and care.
One one-hour+ downpour.
SECOND DAY Monday August 7th
Start at 3:15am climbing up to the Black Mountain Crest (w/Celia) and then south on the Mountains to Sea Trail.
End - on MST/Blue Ridge Parkway outside Asheville Rt. 25 9:30pm
50.6 miles in 21 hours and 15 minutes
Same personnel
Same personal qualities
THIRD DAY Tuesday August 8th
Start at 1:30am (my watch gained 5 miles via glitch while I slept)
End at 10:30pm Haywood Gap on the MST/Blue Ridge Parkway
49.3 miles at 21 hours
Same personnel and added a pacer - Jenna Carroll
Same personal qualities
This day was rough, stomach and energy and began to realize added miles on the MST where the maps didn’t match the trail.
FOURTH DAY Wed. August 9th
Start at 4:10am
End at 11:30pm Rt. 441 Cherokee, NC
52.6 miles in 19 hours and 20 minutes
Rainy night walking
Same personal qualities
FIFTH DAY Thursday August 10th
Start at 4am - Rt. 441 Cherokee, NC
End at 5:45pm in Newfound Gap
36.5 miles in 13 hours and 45 minutes
a very rainy morning (2+ inches of rain)
fording a few swollen streams in GSNP (flash flood warnings)
Another pacer - Justin
(At the end of this day we drove to a lot to sleep and I didn’t know what to do with my watch so I paused it during the drive but after a mile or two and then paused it in the way back causing > mile and time discrepancies)
SIXTH DAY Friday August 11th
Start at 9pm (8/10) from Newfound Gap
End at 11:46pm in Hot Springs, NC
67.3 miles in 26 hours and 46 minutes
Epic comeback after much suffering.
Last 6,5 miles in 1 hour and 43 minutes at night, after 25 straight hours of hiking and numerous dirt naps.
Relentless, purposeful forward motion.
Good planning/strategy.
Amazing teamwork! Blisters and fatigue but no injuries!