chester in the stride
Joined: 18 Jan 2012 Posts: 56 Location: Slade, Kentucky
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Posted: Tue May 28, 2013 7:38 pm Post subject: Day 11 south of McKee to south of KY-1209-Arvil 18 miles |
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Day 11 just south of McKee to just south of KY-1209 (Arvil) (18.8 miles with one ford)
I woke up to below freezing temperatures and frozen socks so it was 11am before I got on the trail. Within a mile I had to ford the Birch
Lick Creek. Because of my late start I decided to bypass McKee and keep moving forward. I still had plenty of food and I knew if I wanted to get my miles in today I would need to hike fast with few rest breaks.
I had also decided to forgo the bear bell today since it appeared that I would be walking down county roads. I was against announcing my presence to the neighborhood dogs. In return, the wildlife started to appear. It started with a herd of turkey, then a deer or two or six. I saw more woodpeckers, grouse, skunks and squirrels. I was still just a tiny bit apprehensive about bear, but soon I just told myself to get over it. I never used the bear bell again for the rest of my thru hike.
It turns out I did not need to worry about the dogs. I had gotten my locations confused and there was little road walking with no dogs to worry about. This meant the crazy dog day would be tomorrow.
The weather was warmer and by the end of the day I was hiking without my coat. At some point in the day I heard a chainsaw that seemed to be very close to where I was hiking. I also noticed fresh dog tracks on the trail. I hoped this would mean that I might run into someone to chat with even if it were for just a few moments. I never did meet up with the chainsaw person. As the day wore on, it became apparent I was still pretty deep in the woods and still alone.
I knew I was not going to make my intended mileage for the day so I decided to hike until it got dark. By this time I was on pristine trail again and the hiking seemed easy. I learned my lesson from the night before and decided to sleep on a southward/eastward-facing hill that evening. The wind was calm and I felt pretty safe sleeping on higher ground.
Just when I felt like I was entirely alone I received just enough cell phone service to get a text from my brother, Chuck. “I was beginning to think you were going to hike all night. You did good today. Sleep well.” I was glad I had decided to carry the Spot Tracker. Even though I was alone in the woods it felt good to know that people knew where I was. |
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