Charlie+Roberts

=Charlie's BMT Updates & Info=

I plan to write a few entries on [|my blog] with details of my gear & food selection, and how they worked for me on the trail. I know at least a couple of people who have mentioned interest in this.


 * DNF UPDATE:** I am disappointed to say that I am off the trail and back at home. Physically I was ok, and could have easily kept going, but the start of the attempt just happened at a bad time for me. I just kept thinking that I really had more important things I should be doing than running around in the woods for a week or so.

After the first day, it became clear that an "early" finish just wasn't going to be possible. I changed directions on the trail a few different times before finally convincing myself to backtrack and make my way over to Blue Ridge, GA to search for a ride home. I ran into Mohammed on my way back and let him know what I was doing, at which point he decided to join me. I felt really bad at first, because I didn't want to be part of the reason he dropped, but he assured me that he'd already planned on stopping after the next day. So, we joined forces in finding a way out of the woods and getting back home.

I really enjoyed the parts of the trail that I completed. There were some beautiful sections and a wide variety of scenery along the way. One of the highlights for me was the firefly light shows. I passed a couple of open fields while night-hiking that had thousands of fireflies dancing around and lighting up the sky. I don't think I've ever seen as many of them in one place before.

I think the trail has more elevation gain/loss than any of us had originally guessed. A few days before the start, I used a GPS track I found online and calcluated the cumulative gain to be 72,000+ ft. We all thought 72k was way too high, but I recorded 8,270 ft of gain and 10,110 loss in the first 36 miles while hiking, so that figure could be fairly close to the actual!

OTHER NOTES FROM THE TRAIL:

I ran into Matt at the 50 mile shelter just before daybreak on Sat morning. He was looking great and really moving fast with the lighter weight he was carrying //[Matt had changed plans and decided to maildrop some food and purchase supplies along the way, and started with 8-10lbs less than Carl, myself and Mo...I think we all silently mumbled a few swear words while wishing we'd done the same! :-)// ]

Kevin passed me around mile 55, while I was sitting and debating which way I was going to go. He seemed to be in good spirits and making steady progress.

I didn't see Carl again after leaving Springer.

I'm wishing the best for everyone still out there! I hope they're able to stay healthy, focused, warm, dry, and keep making steady progress towards the goal !

Video of Charlie and Mo running together on Day 1. media type="youtube" key="V4SGyCqfDow" height="340" width="560"