Day 1 - 6/3/24 - Know your Gear!

Allen Gap (289.9) - Hogback Ridge Shelter (317.7)

I woke up in a hotel in Asheville, NC and my mom drove me to the trailhead bright and early. As I was setting up my gear and we started saying our goodbyes, I realized one of my collapsible trekking poles wouldn’t stop collapsing. I taped it in place with bandage tape, and my mom planned to buy a hex wrench in town and meet me later in the day as this was not a long-term fix. 

As I set off, I was quickly reminded of what I had learned during my first stints on the trail: hiking with a 35-pound pack is hard. It would take time for my body to adjust and to earn my trail legs. When I stopped for a morning snack break, I got a call from my mom explaining that the hex wrench to fix the pole was actually just inside the pole when you take it apart. I laughed at myself a little that I had missed such a simple solution, and that I didn’t know my own gear as well as I thought, but I was relieved to have the issue resolved. The rest of the day passed by uneventfully as I settled into the rhythm of hiking. I reached a shelter around 8 pm after a solid 12-hour day, and quickly set up and fell asleep.