Appalachian Trail Day 72
Day 72, 05-10-01
Gravel Springs – Jim and Molly Denton Shelter
18.6 miles, AT – 954.9 – 1,310 feet
6:40 AM 2:35 PM 80s
I slept very well last night. Not too cold. Got a quick start. I saw six deer (49), a dead mole or shrew, and the highlight was seeing a gray fox. He ran the length of a wood boardwalk, right in front of me. The deer in the park are so tame. They just sit and stare at you. One of the males had small stubs on his head.
I took it easy in the AM but after lunch I put the after burners on. Tonights shelter has a cooking pavilion, shower (not working), deck, furnished patio and its clean.
Since I got here early, I just cleaned up and chilled out. I also took a nap. Not much went on today. Tomorrow is another 18, but we get dinner at a restaurant. I think the plan is to play cards again.
My book says a hiker who burns 4,000 calories a day, is equal to two marathons. Thats 30 marathons over a five month thru-hike! Or half a million calories.
I can hear a Cardinal around the shelter. No new birds today. Ive been looking for a Cedar or Bohemian Wax Wings but no luck so far.
Scatman 2011- Just another easy day in the park. I was so excited when I saw the fox. His tail was huge! At first I thought he was a coyote but then saw his body and figured it out. The shelter was amazing and topped off a great day. This was one of the first days we didn’t eat at a restaurant, which isn’t a bad thing. As I always say, “Eat it or carry it!”
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Scatman
Get out there!
Glad to hear you’re doing well on your adventure.
1/2 a million calories, really?! Great work!
This is a retrospective from 2001. It was fun though.
I’m not sure I agree with your maths there Scatman. I hear the average person needs 2,000 calories per day without doing a marathon. So I doubt burning 4000 is two marathons, but I’m not nutritionally trained. And then the AT is 2100 miles which makes it 80 marathons in 5 months.