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| Linking Mt. Sterling, Mt. Guyot, and Mt. Cammerer with one terrible loop |
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| The loop begins with 4,500ft of elevation gain, (profile does not include 1.2mi sidetrip to Mt. Cam) I hit the route clock-wise, beginning with a 6.2 mile ascent to Mt. Sterling. This trail has more elevation gain than any other in the Smokies, a perfect way to begin a 35 mile run. After about 40 minutes I abandoned any previous ambitions of running up Baxter Creek tr and settled in to a fast hiking pace. After an 1hr39min of shirt, shorts, and backpack soaking work I was relieved to be at the top of the tower. A big appeal to me for this route is that after ascending Mt. Sterling you can see the entire days route.  Perhaps the worst 10k in the world???  Looking toward Big Cataloochee and Mt. Guyot On the ascent to Mt. Sterling I spent a little time thinking about my own motivations for running long isolated sections of rugged trail for hours on end... a question that has been posed to me often lately. Typically to answer this question I will provide some glib response like, "Good question, maybe I should go for another run and see if I can figure it out." Today does not provide any better answers. There are times when I think I can describe the "why" behind my own running. My attempts at describing why always seem to ring hollow though, and the process nothing more than grabbing handfuls of wind. In the end it is beyond my reach to truly say why I run, I only know why while I'm running. By the time I've reached the Balsam Mountain Trail, I've moved on from such questions. I am simply a body in motion, moving quietly along the ridge and taking in the world around me. Winter Wren, Hermit Thrush, Brown Creeper, and Black-Throated Blue Warblers are singing their hearts out along the trail and I'm just happy to be passing through. The ridgeline section from Mt. Sterling to the AT is mostly runnable except for being brushed in and washed out in a few places. I hit the AT after about 3hr45min and it seems like a 4 lane highway by comparison.  Cruisin' along near Cosby Knob Heading North on the AT I kept myself motivated by comparing how I currently feel to how I felt when running the whole AT through the park. (Note: For this days run I feel much better). I'm still experimenting with how to deal with this summer heat. Chronically I have issues with cramping, which for me is typically tied more to salt consumption rather than simple hydration. Finding a cheap and portable solution to this problem is challenging. For todays run I tested single serving packets of soy sauce. ...Did it work? Well, I didn't cramp so I guess so.  About 4 1/2hrs later I'm looking at Mt. Sterling from the other side  No one else at the tower today Though there was great temptation to skip the side trip to the tower ( I was having very vivid day dreams of sitting in ice cold Big Creek) I pressed on and made the side trip. As always, completely worth it. This has always been one of my favorite destinations in the park. Stomping along the descent past Mt. Cammerer an older couple asked me to take their picture. I wish I'd had a voice recorder to more accurately capture the conversation. Here's an abridged version. Hikers: Are you a ridge runner? Me: I am running along a ridge. Hikers: How far you goin' today? Me: I'm on about mile 30 of 35. Hikers: ....Good grief. Hikers: Well what are you gonna do once your done? Me: Go home I guess. I believe I might've been the only trail-runner they've ever met... The last few miles were a blast. Bombing through the downhill sections was the most fun I had all day and the call of Big Creek was not quiet in my mind.  Soaking the legs and cooling off After 6hr58min of running I'm back where I started. Upon finding a good spot to relax I spend not a short amount of time sitting in the creek drinking a recovery drink (not the kind you get at a running shop). Today was exhausting in some ways, but absolutely invigorating in others. A solid reminder of why I run so much. |
I tried backpacking up Baxter Creek once. I found out years later that I was only about 100 yards short of Campsite 38 when I turned back, exhausted and mentally tired of climbing. I couldn't imagine even trying to run up it - at all.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was in the Marines, they had us drink something called e-water. I've googled it, but I can't find anything that says how to mix it up. It was basically water with some sort of salt and electrolytes added in. We only drank it when it was hot outside, and we were out in the field for long periods. They also encouraged us to drink Pedialyte instead of Gatorade. They said it contained more of what your body needed without all the extra sugar.
Don't know if any of that will help, but I thought I'd just let you know. =)
Thanks for the suggestion! I'm always looking for new stuff to try, but I'm incredibly stingy so I prefer to experiment with free or next to free options.
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