Shawnee State Forest, in south east Ohio
Full loaded expedition Packs, including PFDs, Pack Rafts and Hiking Poles
Goal: 20 miles in 12 hours
As I write this report I am still not sure this expedition race is a good idea. Its going to hurt, A LOT! The team decided to get together to do a over night hike in the most "similar" area that we could even get close to what we thought Maine terrain would be like. Brian says to us that this forest is known for NO SWITCHBACKS, its all straight UP and straight DOWN. I said "Great"(not enthusiastic what so ever and thought to myself why? did I say yes?) In my old age, as I was to turn 42 just a few days after this hike, I was beginning to think my better judgment was totally toss out the window when I turned 41!
Off to Cincy to meet Brian and Shawn(new teammate) to drive to Shawnee together. We meet at Shawn's house and wrapped our feet with moleskin and lueky' tape. Shawn was so kind to help me learn how to do this as we all know no matter how good a shoes and socks you have your feet will go first out there if you don't tend to them. Only one of my fears. :) Shawn's sense of humor fit right in with Brian and I so it was a total good fit! :)
Stopping at subway on the way to the park for some much needed dinner fuel before we hiked off into no mans land. Brian says about 10 min from the park, we are about to lose cell service so shut down your phones now. I thought great, first response to call 911 is out for the next 12 hours. And this was a good idea? LOL
We arrive at the lodge of the park to change cloths and back to the lower parking lot to "sign in" a log that we are leaving our car and going into the woods. Huh? I said did you sign us in? Brian said "Nope, there wasn't a pen". As we hiked away across the road and straight up into the woods, some how we all thought that reply was funny(no one knows your out there and your cell phones don't work! huh, whatever) but then stopped laughing to catch our breath as we hiked straight up out of the gate. Typical AR crazy people.
Let me just tell you, the trails are NOTHING like the trails back in Indiana. These were barley trails in most parts, over grown, not marked much(orange paint) that Lupine Wilma helped us find in some overgrown parts, very rocky, lose rocks and several stream crossings. We were lucky that every 6 miles there was a water pump station that we could refill(if we didn't find ourselves hiking right by it) so we didn't have to treat water that night. It was SO HOT, our gear was like we just got rained on and rained on again, every minute. Dripping! off my chin I thougth, OMG, its so hot. We hiked away taking turns on who was leading, the person in the back got the best of the bugs for some reason we couldn't figure that out but we all took turns.
Up.....down.......UP.....DOWN(don't slip)....."you OK?".....huff puff......"I like those crackers, A LOT"....."I'd like to slap some peanut butter between two of those"......."Want to try some rice in a bag?"..."Sure"!......"I got to pee"...."that's ALL Poison IVY!"....."That Snake is HUGE!(while poking his hiking pole at it!)"...... OMG, (high pitch squeal) I just jumped over a copperhead!, %*&$!....."How far is that?"....."Lets go this way"..."If we go in a circle I be pissed"...."I think I just ate a bug and several up my nose"....."Go away BIRD"(I think hes your new bff and hes staking us!).........Up.....Down......UP.....Down........
As the sun was coming up we were coming up the road to the car from the woods and all happy it was over. Great times, tuff hike and team energy was at its highest still! :)
Finish: 21 miles, 10 hours, 2 miles an hour, 4000 foot elevation gain
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