Solus Baldus

 

I put my Element in park and replaced my jeans with a pair of well-worn and tattered Patagonia running shorts. The last 5hrs had been a noisy mix of punky/gothy tunes with the constant hum of a 2.4L engine in the background. The vacant trail head parking lot was a welcome sight. Within a matter of minutes I was winding up the gravel road along the Bartram Trail in silence watching the light from a setting winter sun stream across the distant mountain tops. 1.5 miles and 1000ft later… I crunched my way through the snow to the overlook. I had been craving this moment for weeks. I drew a breath and savored the solitude.

The past few months had been filled with loads of fun with friends and family. I took a trip up to Gatlinburg/Smoky Mountains with one of my day 1’s…

 

 

 

Spent the holidays with the fam fam…

 

 

 

 

Rang in the New Year  and 2.0’s old man birthday with a camping/running adventure at Savage Gulf with 2.0 and Silversnatch…

 

 

 

 

Enjoyed a weekend in a cozy cabin and racing Run Bum’s Cloudland Canyon 50 miler…

 

 

 

(ps: this pup ran the entire 50 miles... true statement)

Played on blasé Oak Mt trails with new and old friends…

 

And most importantly… got to spend a lot of quality time with my Dark Princess…

As much as I had enjoyed the past few months… my soul was longing for a quiet, peaceful weekend… and this short sunset run up the Bartram Trail was the beginning of just that. With the wifey out of town for a conference… I had the weekend to myself. No schedule. No one depending on me. Nowhere to be. Free to roam as I pleased.

"I love not Man less, but nature more."

I descended back down the gravel road to my car in the soft purple glow of twilight. Normally this would be the part of the story where I head to a secluded area or trail head and set up my bed in the back of my Honda Element… but this weekend my normal room in Hotel de Andrews got upgraded to a penthouse stay in Wingo Loft.

I’ve often said that I don’t need much more than a place to lay my head… and that’s practically the reasoning behind Hotel de Andrews. Believe it or not… when I visit the mountains I spend most of that time in the mountains.  If I can get away with staying somewhere free and can put the $20 I would’ve spent for a spot at a campground towards a tank of gas...  whiskey… or candy… I’m all the better for it.

OLG: “Now there’s no furniture… and no running water… but you will probably have power and heat… and maybe even a porta potty out front.”

Z: “Sounds perfect!”

I pulled up to the cabin and was flooded with memories from an amazing weekend a few summers ago. And sure enough… there was a porta potty…

 

I unlocked the door, flipped the breaker and turned on the one working light in cabin (which was located in the hallway downstairs).

I set up camp in the top upstairs corner (Wingo Loft)...

 

I cracked open my final beer of the night and turned off my makeshift nightlight…

 

The night was as clear as crystal and the massive windows provided a beautiful view of the silhouetted mountains across the valley. I sat legs crossed on my sleeping pad, sipped my French Broad brew and counted shooting stars until I could no longer hold my eyes open.

If happiness is not having to set an alarm for the next day… then what do you call waking up without an alarm with a view? Heaven?

 

The 21 mile route I had planned along the Appalachian Trail was secluded and with a lot of snow/ice still in the higher elevations… I figured I wouldn’t cross paths with too many people. I almost always run as minimal as possible… but I tend to over pack when it comes to long, solo outings in the backcountry… because shit happens and I always try my best to follow rule #1: don’t die. So far… I’ve been successful.

Though I would spend most of the day in shorts and a short sleeve Lululemon tech shirt… I packed a light Patagonia baselayer, my Outdoor Research Helium 2 jacket, an extra buff and a pair of gloves. I also threw in an emergency blanket, my Mini Sawyer water filter, some TP, a few gels, a Clif Bar, and a 12oz soft flask (which I didn’t have to use) as a backup for my 20oz handheld.  Now if this would have been a 21 mile route at Oak Mountain State Park… I would’ve packed a pocket full of gels and a handheld and wouldn’t have thought twice about it.

 

After christening the porta potty… I headed into Bryson City for some mountain fuel.

 

After breakfast… I leisurely made the beautiful drive out to Tellicho Gap. 

I chatted with a few backpackers that were heading northbound along the AT for a weekend trip before I started up the short climb to Wesser Bald. It didn’t take long before I was at the fire tower…

 

I climbed up the stairs and enjoyed the expansive blue sky views… I had the entire tower to myself.

After a few minutes I dropped back down to Tellicho Gap and started the climb southbound along the AT. The trail out of Tellicho was a mixture of ankle deep snow and ice…

But the snow deepened the higher I climbed. With the exception of about a mile… I spent the entire day in ankle/shin deep snow with the occasional patch of ice. My Salomon Sense Ultra 4 SG  gripped fantastically. I was never worried about traction (although I did take a few fun tumbles). Though there were no fresh tracks on the trail… I could tell someone had been out there the day before. They had left rather deep dug out imprints that made finding a running rhythm tough. I quickly accepted the fact that most of the day was going to be a slow moving run/hike/trudge due to the snow. It didn’t bother me too much because A) I was in the mountains playing in the snow B) the race I have in May is also going to be a slow moving run/hike/trudge so getting acquainted with moving slow was definitely needed.

 

I saw a sign with “5 min climb” sharpied into the wood so I took the short side quest up to Rocky Bald.

Since most of the route up to Rocky Bald was exposed rock… there was very little snow/ice up top. The view was definitely worth the quick climb.

I passed through Cold Spring Gap and stopped to check out the shelter. The book inside had a short message from a hiker that passed through the day before. I wrote a short message containing my own plan for the day before starting the descent down into Burningtown Gap.

I passed through an empty Burningtown Gap and continued my peaceful journey. I found myself pausing every so often to take in the silence. The snow had dampened all sound and created a stillness I had not felt in forever.

Eventually I arrived at the steep approach to Wayah Bald…

 

And finally the tower…

 

I was somewhat surprised to see people at the summit. I hadn’t seen a soul on the trail all morning.

A guy looked at his girlfriend/wife: “See! He wore shorts.”

The girl’s dad laughed and looked at me, “She said he was crazy for wanting to wear shorts.”

We sat around and chatted for a bit while we all snacked and soaked up the warm rays of the sun. I ventured up to the top of the lookout to scope out the views…

I wished the hikers safe travels and started my return trip to Tellicho Gap… falling right back into a tranquil rhythm through the snowy forest…

 

As I crunched along singing AFI’s “Love Like Winter”… I started to notice tracks that weren’t present on the way out to Wayah….

 

Fresh bear tracks heading in the same direction I was heading wasn’t exactly comforting… but it didn’t change my composure. It simply made me more aware of my surroundings since I obviously wasn’t the only one enjoying this section of the mountains. I followed the tracks for about 15 yards before they left the trail and descended down out of sight.

At Cold Spring Gap I met an older couple doing trail maintenance. They were responsible for the 2 miles between Cold Spring Gap and Burningtown Gap. They said they had been working this section for years and we got into a lengthy conversation about the layout of the area. The older man explained how there were a few balds that I could bushwhack to if I was interested. I was… but had no map and at the time had “beer brain” since I was closing in on Tellicho Gap. I thanked them for the information and their trail work before cruising back down to my car.

 

I went back to the cabin to change clothes. I rigged up an extension cord to Wingo Loft so I could charge my phone for the night…

And started drying out my soaking wet shoes before heading into town for dinner.  Still one of the best Christmas presents I've ever received!

I woke up Sunday to another beautiful sunrise…

I said goodbye to the cabin and made my way over to Winding Stair Gap. 

Since I had to make the drive back home… I planned to keep the run short and sweet. I decided to wear the Salomon Speedcross Pro for the jaunt up to Siler Bald.

 

 I figured if the trails were anything like the day before it would be nice to have that extra grip on the way back down. To my surprise Saturday’s 60 degree heat wave and blue skies had melted a lot of the snow.

The sections of trail exposed to the sun were actually free of all snow and ice, but some of the sections were iced over pretty badly… which made for slower and more careful navigation.

After a few miles of climbing I passed through Panther Gap… and like a basic taking pictures of her boots or her pumpkin spice latte with an autumn leafed background… I too became a boring cliché. I dabbed. I was in North Carolina… at Panther Gap… so I dabbed… because… Murica.

 I instantly felt better about myself and continued up the mountain. The higher I climbed the deeper the snow became.

The barren winter trees had provided incredible views throughout the entire climb up to Siler Bald, but as soon as I popped into the field to start the final ascent up the ski slope looking field to the summit… the greyness took over.

Now that I was out of the tree canopy… the wind had picked up and the temperature had dropped. I hung out on the summit for 10-15mins hoping the clouds would give way to the 360 views the summit offered…

But I eventually got cold and bored of sitting and decided to start the trek back down. Thankfully the view at the top is not the prize for me… my heart and joy is in the journey up and down the mountain.

The sky kept trying its best to open up for me as I descended the ski slope back to the Appalachian Trail…

 I finally got to let loose and enjoyed a faster pace descent back to Winding Stair Gap…

 

I am a firm believer in spending time alone. For me it’s a reset. The time spent not talking… but simply being quiet and listening… gives a clear perspective on the important things and people in my life.  Thankfully I have a wonderful wife that is laid back and supports my adventurous soul.

“It is in solitude… that I ever find my core.”

Run long, run wild and howl loudly!

Stay Haunted

 

He stood carelessly on the jagged cliff edge. His limpid eyes slowly scanned the ancient horizon in hopes of catching a brief reflection of a time long ago. His mouth curled upwards into a serene smile and I watched as he drew a breath… almost as if he was savoring the last drag of a cigarette. I shivered as a cool breeze whipped across the rock face and came in contact with the stagnant sweat that had collected on my lower back. He seemed unphased by the December air and continued to listen to the prehistoric language the Appalachians were softly whispering. Like the elementals of old… he desired nothing more than to wander valleys, ford rivers and haunt mountaintops.

Men climb to visit summits but cannot reside a top of mountains and for good reason. The conditions are oftentimes unfavorable and harsh… water is scarce and the ground not bountiful for growth. Mankind belongs to the valley. Man wasn’t designed to wander this world alone but instead to live in harmony with one another. Man needs community to not only perpetuate its species… but as a means to create… to inspire… to thrive.  However; equally important… the spirit needs its moments of solitude. The spirit can become diluted when the persistent and never-ending clamor of the crowd takes precedence of life. 

My stomach rumbled deeper than rolling thunder across vacant Midwestern plains. I peeled open and broke off half of my white macadamia nut breakfast bar and extended the other half to the wild spirit hopping around in front of me. He smiled and silently declined... continuing his gleeful mountain top dance along the cliff side.

I slumped against a rock and turned my face towards the heavens to bask in the morning sun. Hours had passed since we tiptoed out of our room and spilled into empty predawn streets for our first strides. We had silently bounded alongside swift moving rivers before intricately lacing together different footpaths leading us to our current location high above the city.  

I continued my detailed observation of this unique entity who was joyfully celebrating life among the clouds. I gazed upon him with envious eyes. He was completely and utterly blissful. In the few moments where he actually stood still… I saw his spirit at peace. I observed a man that was free. One not bound by the complexity this realm boasts. He wasn’t simply reacting to the environment but unconditionally aware of his motives. He was in competition with no man. He longed for something more meaningful… a deeper respect… one that was not tied into contests among men. He yearned to receive the same reverence from nature that he continuously poured into these mountains. Nature will mercilessly beat you down. She will humble you in unimaginable ways. Ways that are so unforgiving… so ruthless… that it will make one swear off revisiting this type of darkness. He not only understood this concept and accepted it wholeheartedly… but it haunted him... leaving him continuously returning to the mountains to try to capture nature’s heart and admiration.  

The glimmering smile from his adventurous eyes indicated it was time to continue our journey. I pulled my stiff, rigid body from my rocky chair and peered out over the horizon one last time. He smiled before darting down our elevated path. He was always one step ahead… playfully verifying his superiority. We descended the mountain together… hugging close to the ridgeline… in constant captivation of the expansive views. I found myself fascinated at the way he gamboled about in an elegant fashion. His movements were free flowing and ghost like as he scurried near sheer drop offs and navigated the well-worn footpath with ease. His laughter was as pure and genuine as a newborn baby playing peek-a-boo with its mother.

I felt a change in the air as we took a seat on a fallen evergreen. His eyes had transitioned from a radiant green to a dismal grey. We were a handful of miles from our final destination and he knew it would be many moons before we returned to these mountains. He was content with the time spent wandering the forests but yearned for the days where this type of outing would be a daily ritual and not simply a visitation.

We arose in silence and quickly synced our strides as we meandered along the heavily traversed section of trail. We were greeted with smile after smile as we moved closer to our destination… each one softly articulating a friendly unspoken greeting.  We paused momentarily along the final vantage point to soak in the Appalachian topography one last time before our final descent.

I stepped down from the ledge onto the soft packed dirt and instantly felt his absence. Other than silent communication and laughter, there had been no exchange of actual dialogue between us. I turned and shielded my eyes from the sun as I watched him slowly dissipate into the still mountain air.

Instantaneously I was engulfed in a cool breeze in which carried a simple phrase. The two words slipped in through the openings on each side of my head, trickled down my spine and resonated within my chest cavity.

“Stay haunted.”

 

PC: Varina Hart

Dear Lord,

If Heaven doesn’t have a vacancy when my time comes to bid adieu to this realm… I pray You allow me to wander Your sweeping valleys, ford Your flowing rivers and haunt Your prestigious mountaintops as a ghost within Your astonishing creation.

                                                                  - Fiction -