Cold, soggy two-day hike was the time of my life

It is not often I come back from vacations sore, exhausted and teetering on the verge of illness. Two soggy, cold days in the wilderness, negotiating strenuous trails and braving the elements will do that to you.

Actually, I couldn’t be happier.

I would recommend it to anyone who spends more time on the sofa than under the sun. I do a bit of hiking from time to time anyway, mostly quick trips while geocaching, but last week was really my most significant test to date. Phil Meeks, Whitley County’s UK Agriculture Extension Agent and I, along with a relative of his, headed out for a two-day trek in Red River Gorge last Friday. It was a scaled-down version of what we originally planned – a three-day hike in the Smokey Mountains south of Gatlinburg. Forecasts of three solid days of rain squelched those plans. I wrote about it in last week’s column.

So, instead of spending three wet, cold days in the wild we spent two. Meeks, who seems just as at home huddled around a campfire munching on trail mix as I am at home in an easy chair, was the organizer and spiritual leader of the trip.

Over the two-day stretch, we completed a 12.5-mile stretch of trails that, cobbled together, go by the informal name the Gray’s Arch Loop. Gray’s arch is a prominent natural geological feature on the trail.
Despite significant snowfall the night before, we threw caution to the wind and headed out. We covered about six to seven miles of trail the first day, some of it very rough and difficult. After finding a suitable campsite, we actually managed to locate a bit of dry wood for a fire. With only a few hours of sleep behind us, we hit the trail again for our final stretch.

It was a long, arduous haul made more difficult by the fact that we were pelted by a steady downpour or rain almost from the minute we set out in the morning until the second we walked out of the woods.
There is a point, when you get so wet and soaked, that it really doesn’t bother you anymore. I didn’t think that was possible, but it is.

I could not believe how many hikers and campers we saw on the trail the second day. There is a dedicated group of the hardcore that will seemingly go in any kind of weather. Maybe they consider it a challenge.
Though I was ready to be done with the hike when we got back to the car, I was also encouraged by the fact that I did it. We have not given up on the idea of a three-day hike in the Smokies. It is tentatively planned for May.

There are other adventures on the agenda. Among them, navigating the length of the Cumberland River in Whitley County. I don’t know how I get roped into these crazy ideas. I guess I’m just a sucker for a challenge and adventure.

If you want to see photos from the trail, go to our website, www.thenewsjournal.net. Also, I plan to blog more in depth about some things I’ve learned about ultralight backpacking and camping in the last few months.