The following is a journal written by retired Marshall County Judge David Evans, who is hiking the Appalachian Trail. He frequently sends updates, which are added to the bottom.
March 21, 2007 — My wife, Melody, and I left for Dahlonega, Georgia in order to get away from the cares of home and spend our last time together before I left for the AT.
March 22, 2007 — My brother, Mark, and his wife, Priscilla, came to Dahlonega in their motor home to see me off. That evening, Mark took all of us out to a fabulous dinner at The Crimson Café for my "last supper". I enjoyed every course of a meal that you can have from appetizer to dessert. I was very full but knew that in just a few days I would be wishing I had that meal to eat again! Sleep was difficult that night as my wife and both began to have a few anxieties regarding my imminent departure.
March 23, 2007 - Melody and I hiked to the top of Springer Mountain by a Forest Service Road and walked to the Southern Terminus of the 2,175 mile AT, where I signed in with Roger, "Many Sleeps", who is an AT Ridge runner. He stays on top of Springer Mountain for ten days at a time and then goes home to South Carolina for four days. He is stationed there by the AT Conference just to sign in hikers for the record and to answer questions. He also conducts a Leave No Trace program that encourages and teaches hikers to practice being environmentally friendly and to pack out all of their garbage. The hike up the mountain really took the edge off of us, as it was beautiful, the trail was well marked and just finally being able to experience the reality of it. My wife and I spent Friday night packing and repacking my pack trying to eliminate some items to reduce the weight. Since you are going to have to carry EVERYTHING necessary on your back there are two concerns (1) having every essential thing and (2) how much does it weigh? My pack weighed 52 pounds which included a cook stove with fuel, five days food, granola bars, a water filter, three quarts of water, camp shoes, cold weather clothing, warm weather clothing, socks, rain gear, a sleeping bag, a first aid kit, a small radio, toiletries, a notepad, pen, postcards, sleeping mat, and one man tent.
March 24, 2007 - was a day I had been waiting for a long time. My brother, Mark, says that I had been talking about walking the AT since I was 12 years old. I can recall talking to one of by Army buddies from New Hampshire into going with me back in 1970. He has since backed out. After having the breakfast buffet at Amicalola Falls State Park, Mark drove me, Melody and Priscilla to the trial head. We said our "goodbyes" and I started out at 10:00 a.m. There were 19 people that started before I did that day. A fairly large group, but it was a Saturday on a beautiful spring day. Most people who attempt a thru hike do it in late March to early April to avoid most of the bad cold weather here and get to Maine before the first snows close Baxter State Park where the trail ends. Most hikers allow six months for the journey. I had only gone about 3 1/2 miles when I met Jim Hill, a thru hiker who is from Las Vegas, Nevada; although, he had grown up in Huntsville, attended Snead College and Athens State College. He, like me, had recently retired. Jim and I were taking a snack break by a stream when I heard someone running along the trail yelling. I hollered back because he looked like Ray Uptagraff, a friend of mine who is a former Probate Judge from Choctaw County, Alabama and now runs A-1 Plumbing and Electrical in Guntersville. His wife owns Darlene's Beauty Shop on Blount Avenue. Ray is interested in hiking the AT and has gone with me to visit Earl Talley of Arab who thru hiked the AT in 1995. I could not believe he got up and left Guntersville at 3:30 a.m., and then had to run the entire distance to where I was to bid farewell. I was so honored he went to all that trouble and effort. He's in terrific shape to pull that off! Jim and I continued on to Hawk Mountain Shelter. Jim was done for the day, but I didn't feel like staying around a shelter with two troops of Boy Scouts and kept going. Shelters are generally three sided wooden buildings with a floor and sometimes a loft. There is usually a picnic table out front. I continued on up the trail and came across Tony Pierce, a 48-year-old computer consultant from Washington, D.C., who had the same idea as me. We intended to take the first campsite we saw but that ended up being a couple of miles up the trail on a bluff with a beautiful view. We pitched our tents at 5:00 p.m., but still had until 8:15 p.m., to enjoy the sunset. I listened to WWL (New Orleans AM Station) to the Kansas/UCCLA basketball game.
March 25, 2007 - Up at 6:15 a.m., but it's still dark. I fixed coffee and had a granola bar. We began our hike at 8:00 a.m. It was up and down all day long. We reached Gooch Mountain Shelter in the early afternoon. Tony had a blister on his foot so I went on to Woody Gap - about 11 miles total for the day. Woody Gap is at a major road crossing so I hiked 20 minutes further to get away from the road. I pitched my tent in a nice place by myself by 7:30 p.m., and went to bed with the last of daylight at 8:30 p.m. I'm tired but everything seems to be working okay. My shoulders are tired from pulling up and down the mountains. It wasn't until this trip that I appreciated hiking poles. First they give you stability. It does not take long to fall with 50 pounds on your back. Secondly, your arms and shoulders can help your thighs climbing. Thirdly, you can use them in front of you on a descent to break your momentum. It is easier to get hurt going downhill than up or flat. Blisters happen faster on a descent also.
March 26, 2007 - I started at 8:00 a.m., with a climb out of Woody Gap and it was the usual up and down until the final climb of the day, Blood Mountain, the highest point in Georgia at approximately 4,000 feet. Blood Mountain was named such as a result of a big Indian Battle there where so many people were killed the survivors said the slopes of the mountain ran with blood. Since I had only had a granola bar for breakfast, I decided to cook a broccoli, rice and cheese package and add tuna in a foil pouch. It was enough for two, so I put a serving in the tuna pouch and saved it in case someone came along. A few minutes before I was going to leave a hiker, Barking Spider (Dan), came along and was thrilled to have a hot meal before he climbed Blood Mountain. He was so thrilled he pulled out his telephone and did a video interview with me and said he was going to post it by cell on his page on white blaze, the place where some people leave video journals - way too technical for me! The climb up Blood Mountain was not too bad. You just can't stand at the base of it too long and look up. You just have to focus on the next 100 yards and not look beyond that. I reached the summit at 2:30 p.m. There is a stone shelter up there built by the CCC in 1931. No one stays there, but I'm sure it was nice at one time. The mice would probably be terrible. I reached Walasiyi Mountain Crossing at 4:30 p.m. This is an outfitter center with great people. I was having a problem with my pack leaving all the weight on my shoulders. The salesman looked at the pack on me, put it on the floor, took all the straps off of it and put them back on. It seems to fit perfectly now and it should make my trip much more comfortable. It took 20 minutes to do this, but there was no charge. The store had free pizza and beer out on a patio for the hikers - nice break. I checked in the hostel to bunk #10. A bottom bunk, which was good since I didn't feel like climbing anymore. While I washed clothes a fellow hiker, Peter, age 59, a retired computer consultant from St. Louis borrowed the center's car and drove into Blairsville, Georgia. He brought me back a burger and fries while I showered and washed clothes to carry me through the next four days to Hiawassee, Georgia. There are fourteen hikers in the one room — both men and women. All have the same goal - Maine. Mostly two groups - one young and just before mortgages and children and my group the recently retired whose kids are out of school. The hostel was a welcome break; although the mice were scooting around about 11:00 p.m. - not bad for $15.00. The weather has been hot and dry, which is good for me, but water is important and somewhat scarce. You do not pass up a water source if you have empty bottles. I last pumped water out of a coffee cup size hole at a small spring. Had it been raining recently, I am sure the spring would have been flowing freely.
March 27, 2007 - Up at 6:15 a.m. It is foggy and 65 degrees - way too warm for this time of year, but I am sure that will change.
March 27, 2007
I got up about 6:15 a.m., as usual and made coffee. I had to stay quiet until 8:00 a.m., or so for everyone else to get up and then I started packing my pack. I loaded about 3 lbs of equipment out of my pack into a box to send home - things I decided I did not need after carrying them from Springer Mountain to Mountain Crossings. Some of my new trail acquaintances - Jim Hill and Tony Pierce showed up. Winston Porter, owner of Mountain Crossings, the hostel at which I was staying, offered to "thin out" my pack for me. I let him and he got it down 12 lbs so I am now carrying a 42 lb pack - okay, I'm cooking and 12 lbs of my equipment, things I thought I must have, are on there way back to Guntersville courtesy of US Mail! Winston had knee surgery the day before and was hobbling around buts wants to run a marathon in the fall! I left Mountain Crossings at 1:00 p.m., and I began to hump it. After four hours I made a mistake. I saw a shelter that was 1.2 miles off the trail so I decided, "okay, let's go to Whitley Gap". No one was there which is a little unusual. The last entry on the shelter log was from someone who said it was too creepy and decided to leave. I decided to go also at 6:10 p.m. I went back up the mountain and down the mountain. I got water at Hog Pen Gap. I was nearly 7:30 p.m., and I had to find the first campsite across the highway as it was getting very late. I found a nice spot, but there is no one else around. I did eventually meet, Lee, a Grand Canyon Fireman on a leave of absence to walk the trail. I got in my tent at 9:15 p.m. I am hoping to sleep. I have a significant rash on my lower legs below where my socks are each day. It is not poison ivy which I am very susceptible. I have been bitten by a lot of gnats but I think it is a heat rash from the gaiters I wore today.
March 28, 2007
I got up at 6:00 a.m., and cooked Ramen Noodles. They never tasted so good and at 29 cents a pack you just can't beat it. I broke camp and started down the trial at 7:45 a.m. About 7:00 a.m., just at good light "Gator Gump" and "Barking Spider" came by. "Gator Gump's" wife had let them off at Hog Pen Gap and they were off. They have been "slack packing" since the beginning. "Gator Gump's" wife drops them off in the morning and picks them up in the evening. They sleep in hotels every night and do not have to carry everything on their back - sleeping bag, tent, daily food or extra clothing. That arrangement ends for them tomorrow when his wife goes back to Florida. Soon after leaving camp I passed Tony #2, an older farmer from Massachusetts breaking camp. The walking is easier today. The "ups" are not quite as steep or as frequent. Water is still a problem. Everyone, Northbound and Southbound, asks about water sources and distances to water. The woods are very dry and the few springs are down to a trickle. Treatment of water is also a very important aspect. Mountain Springs are probably okay but if you are going 180 days and do not treat water, you will probably have an illness that will end your trip or at least delay it while you recover. Iodine tablets and other chemical treatments are popular. Water filters that have a porous ceramic filter that has openings that will not allow bacteria to go through is important. You have to pump the water which is a time consuming process; however, my friends, April and Darren Haramija at Guntersville Outfitters have taken great care of me and I have exactly what I need out here. I had a 12-mile day to Blue Mountain Shelter. I am here with Tony Pierce and Joe from Massachusetts who sings unusual songs at the top of his lungs on the bluff and does his Tai Chi exercises at sunset. He is staying at the shelter. Tony and I are in our tens some distance away. I am planning my biggest day so far for tomorrow - 14 miles to Deep Gap Shelter. That will put me 4 miles from Georgia Highway 76 and a motel room in Hiawassee, Georgia. Melody will come up from Guntersville for Friday night, then it's back on the trail on Saturday. It rained about 8:30 p.m., for about 30 minutes - just enough to settle the dust and get us wet. It smelled good though. I was in bed at 10:00 p.m.
March 29, 2007
I have not seen much wildlife on this trip so far. I have not seen any deer or deer tracks. I have not heard or seen any turkeys although this is the season for them to be gobbling. At 2:00 a.m., last night some coyotes came by within a couple of hundred yards of my tent. I was up at 5:30 a.m. I cooked Ramen Noodles and left about 7:15 a.m. I hit Unicoi Gap at about 8:30 a.m. "Gator Gump" and "Barking Spider" were just getting out of their car and "Gator Gump's" wife handed out Gator Aide to everyone there. My first climb was not that bad. It was to what is called the Cheese Factory. Tony and "Spider" filled up with water there but I decided not to carry the extra weight over the top of Tray Mountain. Tray Mountain Shelter was one of the best so far with a spring that came out of a pipe. I got water there and cooked lunch for the energy for what I had planned as my longest day yet. I was in the fog and everything started getting wet. I left there at 2:00 p.m. with 7 miles more to do. The temperature dropped at least 10 degrees and I stopped and changed clothes. Tony caught up with me at the swag of the Blue Ridge, which is over 10 miles from where we left. I decided to let him pick the campsite since his foot was hurting. Sassafras Gap was it - 12.3 miles. A nice little spring that popped up there went away in 25 yards. It was raining, winding and cold. I ate dinner (spaghetti) and went to bed at 8:00 p.m. I slept well even though it rained through the night. Everything in camp is either damp from the rain or from the condensation inside the tent.
March 30, 2007
I had thought I would not be able to sleep from 8:00 p.m., to daylight but there is something about 43 degrees outside with 15 to 25 mph winds that keeps you inside even a single wall tent. I was able to pack up inside the tent in order to spend minimal time outside the tent in the wind and rain. At 7:30 a.m., Tony and I started out without breakfast and walked steadily in continuing wind and lessening rain. We were about 6 miles from Dick's Gap, which is 11 miles from Hiawassee, Georgia. I met "Seattle Sailor" and "Grandma Hero" on the way up a climb. She is 70 years old and on her north as well. There was only one major climb for the day to the top of Kelly Knob and even that was only about 800 vertical feet over about a mile. Although there were ups and downs after that, it was primarily downhill to Dick's Gap. We had guessed we would arrive at 11:00 a.m., and we were there right on time. Although we were worried about getting a ride into town, there was a former through-hiker, Tater, waiting to give hikers a ride. He gave us a cold cola and drove us to our motel - The Hiawassee Inn. He would not accept any payment or contribution for gas. The Inn Proprietors, Ron and Sam, were great hosts. They brought tubs with Epson Salts for us to soak our feet in and had us into their kitchen for coffee. Tony and I went to the AYCE (all you can eat) Chinese buffet next door and ate enough to make up for missing breakfast. This was after a badly needed shower. Soon after we got back Sam had washed and folded our nasty clothes and had them back to us. Melody got here at 3:30 p.m., along with our Lab, Nelly, who is allowed to stay here. Melody has brought food and gear from home for replacement, if necessary. We visit with the arriving through hikers who nearly fill the small motel. It looks strange to see a full motel with only one car - Melody's. Everyone is on foot. Dinner at Daniel's Steakhouse - another AYCE!
March 30, 2007
This is a "zero" day meaning no hiking and accumulation of miles. I had some reservations about not getting back out but it was a great time visiting and meeting everyone. Lunch at a bar BQ place and went to Mexican for dinner. The little town of Hiawassee is getting to be quite the tourist and lake house place with many new homes on a lake that seems to wrap around town, much like another place we are all familiar with. I watched the Final Four semifinals and went to bed.
April 1, 2007
Melody dropped Tony and I back on the trail at 7:30 a.m. I am wearing my shorts and a T-shirt until it starts raining - which it is going to do. We walk into the fog again, the temperature drops to 55 degrees with a wind of 10-15 mph. My rain suit and pack cover go on. After about 4 hours we get to the North Carolina/Georgia line marked by a big oak tree and I cook soup to warn us up in the rain. There was a long steep climb to over 4,600 feet and then a descent to Muskrat Creek Shelter. Only one person was here he was already in his sleeping bag to keep warm. Then it came a sure-nuff rain that drove every hiker in the area to the shelter. The shelter only sleeps 6 maximum but there are 10 to 12 people here. The last arrivals pitch tents, but luckily it stops raining before dark and they were able to get it done. It is 8:00 p.m., and everyone but me is in their bag. This will be my first night in a shelter. I have taken all the mouse precautions about leaving my pack pockets open so they do not chew through the pack. You just let them check it out. I have hung my food bag in a tree, as did everyone else. I saw my first wildlife today - two grouse exploded from the hill beside me like two-pound quail. I later saw one more and heard another drumming nearby. It must be mating season. I saw some old faces, and some new ones today. Tony has begun classifying some of the characters we meet as OI's (odd individuals); VOI's (very odd individuals); or CB's (crazy ba_ _ _ _ _ ). Of course, many folks would think you have to be at least an OI to be here - walking in the rain for hours and sleeping on a wood floor, shoulder to shoulder with a bunch of people you do not know.
April 2, 2007
I got up at 6:00 a.m., and started packing up. Tony got up and we had Ramen Noodles and hit the trail in the rain and fog. The walking was pretty easy but was complicated by the fog and rain. Even though it was cool early my outer gore-tex rain suit kept the wind and the rain off me. Darren and April at Guntersville Outfitters helped me pick out just the right outfit for this weather. You cannot wear cotton out here - only wicking quick dry materials that are light. From fog and wind with 50 degrees the weather changed to sunny and 75 degrees fairly abruptly. I am back down to shorts and a T-shirt for the climb to the top of Standing Indian Mountain. The irony of today's walk into North Carolina is that after spending 15 miles on the trial in North Carolina we are now at Carter Gap Shelter a half mile from the Georgia State line. Tomorrow we will start North again with our next stop in civilization to be the Nantahala Outdoor Center on Friday. The temperature is supposed to be 40 degrees in Atlanta on Thursday night. There are saying 20's on top of these mountains. It is nice to be at a shelter in good weather by 3:15 p.m. We were able to hang out our wet clothes to dry, fix dinner in the sun, and sit around a campfire. I am going to my tent at 9:00 p.m., to listen to Florida vs. Ohio State. I left "Mountain Man" (a 48 year old former trucker who is a big guy, 6'2, 275 lbs, who has always wanted to do this) Tony; "Bubba" (a self proclaimed Ph.D. pheromone expert); and "Echo" (a 20 year old kid from Massachusetts) around the campfire. Two brothers from Indiana and South Dakota are in their tents already snoring.
April 3, 2007
I am up at 5:30 a.m., and packing things in my tent. I fixed coffee and ate a granola bar. Tony was up and, as usual, we were the first on the trial. His foot was still hurting so I went on with the idea we would meet at Rock Gap Shelter - 12 plus miles away. At my 2-hour rest stop I had covered about 5 miles which was way more than the 3 we were doing in Georgia. It is a combination of easier terrain and getting used to the routine. At 6 1/2 miles Albert Mountain reigned the pace back in with climbing that caused me to use my hands on occasion. There was a "blue blaze" bypass trial for those who were not up to it. I hope "Seattle Sailer" and "Grandma Hero" pass that one up. A person could get injured easily on that climb. The remainder of the hike to Rock Gap Shelter was fairly easy; although, my shoulders and back get uncomfortable later in the day. There is just no way to carry all this weight up and down all day without something being sore. I covered the 12 miles by 1:40 p.m. I fixed some macaroni and cheese while waiting for Tony. When he got there we determined the shelter was too small for us and there were no good tent sites. The shelter slept 6 but 4 were already there. We loaded up with Dave, Dan and "Echo" and stuck out to the top of Rocky Cove Knob. Tony and I set up our tents on top of the mountain overlooking a beautiful valley on either side of the mountain. Everyone else went on down the mountain to a campground with water, but we had enough and liked our site. I fixed dinner about 6:30 p.m., and I sat out watching the sunset. We covered nearly 15 miles today and are both feeling it. We are losing people at a fair clip now as injury and tough glogging thins the ranks. Several people who are on the trail with us now have had to go to the doctor and take a couple of days off. Bad weather is supposedly due Thursday night with temperatures around 25 degrees. I will try to get to bed at 9:00 p.m., or so. I may try to get to the Nantahala Outdoor Center by late Thursday afternoon so as to avoid being out in the wind Friday morning. The hostel is at the center and does not cost a lot. In order to do that I will have to have two more 14 mile days. It may be too much but I will see.
April 4, 2007
The day started early - 1:30 a.m.! The wind had been blowing hard all afternoon, but at midnight or so it really picked up. My little lightweight one-man tent was flapping like a flag in a hurricane. Then it started lightening and pouring rain. I packed everything in my tent into my pack and put on all my gear - even my boots and rain jacket and pants. This was just in case I had to make a run for it. We were on a saddle between two peaks - not the best place, but not the worst either. After about an hour the lightening went further away and I tried sleeping on the ground without my sleeping bag or pad. The air was getting colder and the ground was taking the heat out of my body. After about an hour of no sleep, I pulled out my sleeping bag and was able to go to sleep until 6:00 a.m. We packed up our soaking gear and headed out. A highway crossing is just a mile ahead and just as I reach it 3 or 4 cars show up with lawn chairs, coffee, snacks, and hot chocolate. These people are called Trail Angels and they show up unexpectedly to disperse "trail magic". Those times when you least expect something, there it is. Because of the rain, wind, and cold I did not fix even a cup of coffee for breakfast, so this was a wonderful thing at a great time. We were all soaked, cold and hungry. If you had seen the four of us hikers under an interstate bridge passing around a bottle of Mad Dog 20/20 you would have thought nothing was out of place. We looked like that's where we came from. They were handing out Gideon New Testaments and I took one. I figured I dealt with the Old Testament fellow last night. I started the usual climb out of Winding Stair Gap on US 64 and headed for Silar Bald, which was 4 1/2 miles away. A bald is a mountaintop without trees or particularly without trees on top. After several more climbs and 13 1/2 miles for the day, we pulled up at Licklog Gap and got out tents up to dry around 4:00 p.m. It is still windy and cool so we eat and go to our tents. On the way up to Siler Bald I run into "Genesis" a/k//a Andrew Miller, a really fast through hiker; "Handyman" with his girlfriend, "Doodles". I am planning to make the Nantahala Outdoor Center tomorrow. It appears to be right at 16 miles so I will try to get going early. The advantage will be I will not have to set up my tent, prepare dinner or get water, so I can walk as far as necessary to get there. It is suppose to be 30 tonight. The wind is really ripping.
April 5, 2007
It kept getting colder and colder through the night. I have a 20-degree sleeping bag and by 5:30 it is 23 degrees. The wind is still blowing hard so it makes breaking camp very hard in the dark. It was tempting to stay in my bag but I have got to get going. I fixed Ramen Noodles and it was worth it just to hold the pot. My drinking water was frozen in its container. I was able to shake up my cooking water enough to get some out. My tent section poles were frozen together. I left Tony in camp in his bag at 7:30 a.m., and started climbing immediately. While my body got warmer the wind did a job on my hands. I had to stop and put them inside my shirt until the feeling came back. After the first two hours I had already covered 4 1/2 miles. No one else appears to be out but as I pass a shelter at 9:00 a.m., folks are starting to get ready to move. One of them is a retired schoolteacher and basketball coach from Brooks High School in Muscle Shoals. He is a musician who carries a packable guitar. I had heard there was a musician on the trail. He is in the company of two girls, one of whom is a really good singer according to those that have heard her. There is a talent competition at Trail Days on May 16th and 17th in Damascus, Virginia. Smart money is on "Coach" and "Songbird". I do not know their official trail names. "Handyman" and "Doodles" are on the trail. "Handyman" is a recent military retiree from Grand Junction, Colorado. "Doodles" is a young woman traveling alone and doing a good job. It stays very cold until after noon. My drinking water has finally thawed out about 2:00 p.m., when the temperature goes above freezing. I have had to treat one bottle at a time. Since it takes 30 minutes for iodine to kill the bugs. So, when you drink the last, you find a water source and go ahead and treat it. At 3:30 p.m., I walked down the hill to the Nantahala Outdoor Center. The trail goes right through it. After 10 minutes Tony walked out. He had caught me at the Wesser Bald Shelter 5 1/2 miles from NOC. Seems he realized it was not going to get any warmer and that he might as well get going too. We have covered 15 fairly tough miles but are ready to get out of the weather. It will be low 20's here for the next few mornings. Melody and my youngest daughter, Lauren, are coming up to Bryson City, North Carolina to visit tonight since I called and had arrived a day ahead of schedule. I am looking forward to seeing them and a warm bed a good meal that I did not fix squatting on the ground in the cold and the wind. Tony and I hitched a ride with a lady that works at NOC - $20.00. She carried us to Bryson City, NC. Tony and I will take a couple of days off. We plan to take a day a week or so to recover - very few folks stay in the woods for more than a week.
April 6, 2007
We wake up and go for breakfast at a great breakfast place - Emmett Street Diner. I hang out around the room and then Melody, Lauren, Tony and I drive down to NOC to have a good lunch overlooking the river. It's back to the room for a nap - everyone is tired. Tony used our car to go to the grocery store to load up on provisions. At about dark it starts snowing enough to cover cars and it keeps on snowing!!
April 7, 2007
There is snow. You can see the snow in the mountains and it is bitterly cold and windy. We took Tony to NOC about 8:30 a.m., for him to get back on the trail. It is suppose to be 22 degrees in Ashville, so it may break 20 degrees in the mountains.
April 8, 2007
I left the hotel at 8:30 a.m., to go back to the Nantahala Outdoor Center to get back on the trail. The temperature is in the 20's and it snowed yesterday. After pictures and goodbyes to my wife, Melody, and my daughter, Lauren, I headed across the river and up the hill. I got no more than 400 yards up the mountain before I realized one of my hiking staffs would not stay extended. I went back down the mountain to the Nantahala Outdoor Center and the staff replaced the lower section of my hiking staff without charge and I was on my way at 9:15 a.m. The first part of the hike was a 7-mile assent out of the Nantahala Gorge from about 1500 feet to over 5000 feet. Although it took a good while it was not that difficult. My hiking companion, Tony Pierce, had left the previous day and was going to take 3 days for the trip. My plan was to take 2 days, which would involve about 28 miles. I wanted to leave no more than 15 miles to do on the second day so I pressed on to Stecoah Gap and arrived a little before 6:00 p.m. There were Trail Angels there serving hot dogs, snacks, drinks and hot chocolate - without charge. They were through hikers of the Appalachian Trail from previous years. "Bear" and "Jelly Bean" had set up all day long serving through hikers. Bear was a retired police officer from Florida and "Jelly Bean" had taken off a week from work to do this. She is from Asheville, North Carolina. I set up camp down a Forrest service road out of sight of the highway with "Swamp Fox" and "Blue Sky" who are married, in their fifties and from Maine. Also there was "Rock Dawg", a 50ish section hiker. I got in my sleeping bag expecting 20 degree temperature in the morning.
April 9, 2007
I stayed in my sleeping bag until 7:00 a.m., but was packed and gone before 8:00 a.m. It only got down to 28 degrees at the gap, which seemed like a blessing. The first 2 1/2 miles were pretty difficult, but you know you'll have to climb anytime there is a "gap". Most of the last 6 miles of the 15 miles were downhill to Fontana Dam at 1710 feet. I arrived there at about 4:00 p.m., and Tony was waiting for me and we registered for a backcountry pass for the Smokies National Park. You have to list the shelters where you will be staying while in the park. The bad thing about hiking in the Smokies is that you do not have the option of tent camping between shelters. We stayed at the Inn at Fontana Village for the night.
April 10, 2007
I was up early but breakfast wasn't available until 8:00 a.m. The post office will open at 8:30 a.m., and I can pick up my package from home which Melody shipped a week or so ago. It will have camp meals, other snacks and equipment from home. Then I am off for a 2,800-foot climb to Mollie's Ridge Shelter in the Smokies National Park.
April 10, 2007
After a great breakfast we went to the post office to pick up my box. We took the meals and snacks we needed and mailed the rest back. I filled up my stove bottle with white gas at 20 cents an ounce and caught the shuttle to the sign in station. I hiked the 1.1 mile to Fontana Dam then across and up the road to where the trail started. I was on my way to Mollie Ridge Shelter about 9.9 miles away and mostly up. I am feeling good and pass 12 people which is good because there will not be enough room in the shelter. I passed a good number of people that were faster than me, I just did not take a break to speak of. I saved Tony a place, which was good because a group of 8 people or so came in right before him. "Coach" and "Songbird" are here and several of the young people play "Coach's" guitar. There is a fireplace in this shelter and a canvas over the front, which is blowing in the wind. Too many people are in here but what do you do? We are stacked in what looks like the sleeping galley of an old ship - two layers of shelf divided off with two feet of clearance above our heads. I have already seen mice in the rafters. The good news is I will not have to listen to them because the wind is blowing hard. The bad news is that the wind is blowing hard because a rain front is coming in - good conditions for hypothermia. Danny Norman, my best friend in high school from Albertville was Chief Pilot for University of Tennessee Hospitals in Knoxville and Erlanger in Chattanooga. He says the most common reason for evacuation of hikers is hypothermia in 50-degree wind and rain. I will try and avoid that by leaving early so as to avoid the worst weather. I go to bed at 9:00 p.m.
April 11, 2007
I hardly slept at all. The inside of the shelter sounded like being in a very large potato chip bag with someone working it over. "Coach" and "Genesis" played the guitar and April sang. Tom Petty's Freefalling song was changed to "suppose to be Springtime in North Carolina but I'm freezing my ass off" was substituted. We left at 8:00 a.m., and stopped at the next shelter and made coffee and hot breakfast. I decided to stop at the next shelter and hold up for the night. The thunderstorms were on the way with 25-45 mph winds and 41 degrees. Had we not been in the Smokies and had to make the next shelter, we may have gone on. I gathered wood for the fireplace. We got in our sleeping bags at 1:00 p.m. to get warm. A father and his three sons came in about dark - soaking wet. They were wearing cotton and parkas and the shelter quickly filled with dripping wet clothing and cold kids. They promptly got in their sleeping bags. Tony and I got a pretty nice fire going in the fireplace. The back drafts caused the shelter to fill with smoke but it was some comfort just for the heat. The thunder passed at 4:30 p.m., but it rained off and on until midnight. I slept the best I have slept since I have been on the trail.
April 12, 2007
I got up at 6:00 a.m., and started packing. I did water for coffee and we started off at 7:00 a.m. headed to Siler Bald. We went over Rocky Top and Thunderhead. I got to Siler Bald and the bear door was off the shelter and it did not look that good. We decided to go on to Double Spring Gap. It was not a bad day - 38 degrees when I left Spence Field Shelter with 15 mph winds gusting to 25 mph. Everyone is hanging around outside in the sun. The wind eventually drove everyone into their sleeping bags by 8:00 p.m. We are stuck together in this shelter like cord wood - shoulder-to-shoulder. There are 15 of us on two wooden sleeping shelves. The wind kept blowing fairly hard all night. No mice spotted, no bears visited which is good because 5 people had to tent camp right outside. The shelter had chain link fencing all over the front with a gate to keep the bears out.
April 13, 2007
Got up at 6:20 and packed. Tony and I left at 7:00 and began walking the four miles to Clingman's Dome. It was 28 degrees and the wind was blowing 40 mph. It seemed brutally cold most of that way because we were mostly on a ridgeline. Went over one narrow ridgeline and someone had put his sleeping bag on the other side of a rock not much bigger than his bag and it had it all closed up. I asked if he was ok and he said yes, but there was frost all over the outside of the bag from his body vapor condensing and freezing. Got to the top and a sign said .3 to the observation tower. I took what I thought was the trail and found out 1/2 mile later that I had missed the trail. Of course, it was all up on the return. Met Tony- who wondered where I had been. We started out again and I tried making a cell phone call. We were supposed to meet at Mt. Collins Shelter, which was 4.5 miles away 1/2 mile off the trail. When I got there, Tony was not there. I took my only break of the day and had a candy bar and some Propel powder mixed in water. Off again for Newfound Gap, 4.5 miles away. The trail crosses a big parking lot, and I suppose since there were no bears, thru hikers were an attraction as we got some water. Any time a location says "Gap," you know you'll be heading on a climb when you leave. Met a number of people out for short hikes on my way to Icewater Spring Shelter, which is only three miles, but is 5920 feet up from Newfound Gap 5045 feet. There are two girls from Indiana, Wino and Turtlefoot (Alisha). "Wino" because she bought five bottles of wine from a vineyard out of Gatlinburg and had to drink them before she got back on the trail two days later. "Turtlefoot" because of a picture on her shoe. "Batman" came in- a 19 year old from Batcave, NC near Hendersonville. He treated some pretty tough looking blisters, so I don't know if he can keep that up. There are three guys from Cincinnati, OH who drove here for the weekend. They work together at the Cincinnati Museum.
Starts to rain at 8:30. It would not be surprising to see snow tomorrow if the temperature drops a little. We're headed to Tricorner Knob Shelter, 12 1/2 miles, which will be over Mt. Sequoya (6069 feet) and Mt. Chapman (6417 feet). The shelter is only partially full tonight- 8 of 12 spots taken- but four girls tenting down the hill checked it out in case they got wet. The walking was treacherous at times today with ice on the trail. I slipped and fell before I knew it, but didn't hurt anything.
April 14, 2007
Got up at 6:15 and put on my wet stuff, did coffee, packed, and was out of the shelter by 7:10. 41 degrees and 15-25 mph winds. Forecast is for .25 inches during the day, and 1-2 inches with thunderstorms in the evening. We're going to Tricorner Knob Shelter, which is 12.6 miles and try to get there before the thunder starts.
First stop was at Charlie's Bunion, which is a popular day hike since it is only four miles from Newfound Gap. Took some pictures and proceeded on. Sawtooth ridges connected most of the mountains, so we didn't have to go down to a gap and back up. The trail might be three feet wide with a couple of feet on each side before a steep drop-off. The wind was not nearly as bad as previous days, but was still a factor at 45 degrees and 15-20 mph. One pretty good climb to 6400 feet over Mt. Sequoya and Chapman Mountains. Arrived at the shelter at 2:38. Wino and Turtlefoot arrived at 4:00, just as it started to rain. Two girls from Boston arrived just as it started to pour, and two girls (?) persistent arrived during the downpour. I had met them at Indians Gap near Clingman's Dome, waiting for some friends.
April 15, 2007
Got up at 6:15, did coffee, and was up the trail by 7:15. 43 degrees and 10-15 mph winds. Pretty comfortable compared to previous days. Weather is supposed to get worse as the day goes on. I'm doing 18 miles to Standing Bear Farm, a hostel beside the trail. It's supposed to snow in the afternoon and evening. As we go down the mountain from Icewater Shelter, the temperature starts to drop to 36 degrees and the rain gets consistent. The trail is a little creek with the run-off from the all night hard rain. I make remarkably good time since 3/4 is downhill to Davenport Gap, where I-40 goes through from north of Knoxville to Asheville, NC. Met a Ridge Runner named "Shattered" on his way to maintain Icewater Shelter. He said he had several mental breakdowns in the 90s and then thru hiked.
Got to Davenport Gap at 15.6 miles into the day, then had to hike another 2.1 to Standing Bear Hostel. Bunk house is rustic but welcomed considering it began snowing about the time I got here and snowed steadily until 11:00 p.m. I bought a pizza from the hostel store, as did David Snell, a 35 year old IBM employee on LOA for seven months. He just got notice his job was being outsourced to Brazil. We split our pizzas as they came out and shared with others. Tony came in about 7:00. We call in an order for chicken enchiladas to the restaurant the hostel owner's wife operates and had a second dinner at 10:00. Since I hadn't eaten anything except a snack bar at 7:00 a.m., it worked for me.
There are eight bunks in the bunkhouse with 16 people. It's all OK since there is a wood stove. Medicare Pastor, a 65 year old woman minister, Papa Bear, and Ferrell (?) retired Bell South employees from Birmingham on a section hike through the park to Hot Springs. Riggy, 6'7" 25 year old, Third Time from Denver (65+), M&M, Wonder- 30ish 60s girl looking for Rainbow Gathering taking place today.
April 16, 2007
I got up at 6:15 a.m., but I have several blisters to attend to this morning. Walking in wet socks has gotten me some hot spots that I have to take care of. This morning there is snow on the ground with winds gusty to 50 mph and the forecast does not sound good but that's springtime in the Smokies for you - apparently. I started hiking from the hostel at 8:30 a.m., and began to climb out of the gap. Although the snow did not stick on the ground very well at the hostel, as I gained altitude to Snowbird Mountain the snow eventually covers the ground and later it got to four foot deep with deeper snow on top of the mountain. The top of Snowbird is a bald with 4 x 4 posts marking the trail for use in locating it in just these conditions. I met "JP", a retired Veteran's Affairs Officer from Dallas, Texas, who has been living in the Philippines with his wife for the past four years. He says he does that because his average monthly living expenses are only about $800.00 total. I also meet, "Retriever", retired, and "Batch", retired, who are from Milwaukee. At Brown's Gap a Trail Angel named "Apple" had a beautiful Mountain Hardware Expedition Tent set up and he was serving hot dogs and soft drinks. He was a 57-year-old retired IBM employee. The irony of his trial name did not strike me until I was 30 minutes down the trail. Apple is the biggest competitor of IBM in PC's. I left the Trail Angels tent at 4:00 p.m., after a 30-minute break on a climb up to Max Patch. It took 1 1/2 hours to get to the top of Max Patch but it was the most striking vista I have seen yet. The wind was supposed to be 50 mph today, but it was more than that up there. You could see forever. I took a few shots and a short movie with my camera just to let folks see how bad the wind was and then headed down. "Papa Bear" and Farrell" were supposed to camp after Max Patch and I was going to throw in with them. There was no good place out of the wind so I continued to Roaring Fork Shelter, which was full. It was 6:30 p.m., so I tent camped. The nearest Volunteer Fire Department came out for someone during the night.
April 17, 2007
I got up sort of late and did not leave camp until after 8:00 a.m. The wind was blowing all morning and it was about 35 degrees. We went over Bluff Mountain and began a long descent to Garrenflow Gap. By the time we got down near the gap someone switched spring on. "JP", "Retriever", "Butch" and I lay down on the grass on an old forest service road in the Sun as temperatures reached 65 degrees or so. I changed into shorts and a t-shirt for the rest of the way in. I talked to Melody for the first time in several days. At 4:00 p.m., I began the 7-mile stretch to town. I finally made it about 6:45 p.m. Hot Springs, North Carolina is a pretty little town on the French Broad River. I got a room at the Alpine Courts. I called Tony and left him a message as to where I was since he was a day behind me. Before I checked into my room I stopped at the first cage in town and had a double cheeseburger, fries, fried green tomatoes and three glasses of sweet tea. I went to my room, took a shower and put my sore, aching body to bed.
April 18, 2007
I got up and out by 8:00 a.m., to breakfast at the café. I order the skillet breakfast with a top layer of eggs, cheese, and ham under layered by several inches of fried potatoes. The whole thing is served in a fajita dish and is way more than any of us can eat. We read the newspaper about the Virginia Tech Massacre and break up to go over appointed rounds. There is really only one main street in Hot Springs that is only 4 or 5 blocks long. It is good for walking because everything is right there - the post office, the outfitters, the café and several nighttime restaurants. I see "Barking Spider" and he invites me to join him at the hot springs for a 1:00 p.m. reservation. I do that and we go into a fenced off gazebo with a conventional hot tub. "Barking Spider", "Gentle Giant" and I soak our aching feet and bodies for an hour in the hot springs. "Barking Spider" will not let us contribute to the fee so I do not know what the cost is. These hot springs are the only ones east of the Mississippi and have been in use by settlers since 1800. In WWI Hot Springs was an internment camp for German prisoners. When I get back to the motel Tony is there. We wash clothes and go to dinner at the café. The motel is full of hikers but, again, from the road there are no cars there. We all gather outside to talk since it is a warm night (relative to what we have experienced) and we greet the late hikers arriving into town since the trail actually runs down the main street on the sidewalk. They have placed AT trail symbols in the sidewalk. Tomorrow I plan to go 15 miles out of Hot Springs on the shuttle run by the local outfitters. Also, when the outfitter opens tomorrow I will be able to pick up my mail drop and replenish my pack with food.
April 19, 2007
I got up at the motel at 6:15 a.m. I had an alarm clock in my room, but I loaned it to "Retriever" because he wanted to get up at 5:45 a.m. That being said, he still pounded on the door to bring back the alarm clock and woke us up. Tony went with me to the diner and we met all the folks who were "slack packing" that day - "Retriever", "Butch", "M & M", and "Medicare Pastor". The outfitter charged us $7.00 to take us 15 miles up the trail so we could walk back into town without our packs. It's called "slack packing" because you only have to take water, a snack or two, and, on this day rain gear. I had a bag tied by a rope over my shoulder and we started off at 8:30 a.m. I carried just a little water, preferring to treat it on the trail as I needed it as opposed to carrying three quarts at a time. After noon it started raining and continued for several hours. By the time I was in sight of Hot Springs it had quit and afforded a beautiful view over the French Broad River and the town. It is truly a gorgeous sight. I got back in town at 3:30 p.m., and as I was pulling off my boots outside the room, Melody drove up. After an hour or so of socializing with everyone we went to eat and turned in fairly early. My feet are pretty beat up, swollen and blistered but I am going to have two days off and they should get better.
April 20 & 21, 2007
We get up, check out and head for Wolf Laurel Ski Resort where a friend of mine has arranged for us to stay in a condominium for free. Bob Hornbuckle, formerly of Albertville, has family who graciously allowed us to stay the weekend. We had dinner in on Friday night once Tony's girlfriend, Barbara, arrived from Washington, D.C., by way of plane and then rental car from Knoxville. Saturday was spent visiting Asheville, North Carolina. Tony and Barbara went to The Biltmore House and we went downtown. I got my hair cut. The barber let Melody cut my ponytail off and we saved it. It was just too much trouble. We went back to the condo by dark and packed for the next morning.
April 22, 2007
We get up and have breakfast and Melody and I pack the car. We drive back roads and get to where I left off at Alan's Gap and I begin my walk about 1:45 p.m. Melody heads back to Alabama while I head back into the mountains. She will be home before I stop walking some 8 or more miles. I set up my tent by myself. The first shelter was too close (5 miles) and the second shelter was too far (11.5 miles), so I split the difference. Ramen noodles and crackers for dinner but I am still coasting from the weekend's eating. Melody brought the scales from home and I have gone from 202 pounds to 191.5 pounds. I have gone from a 38-inch waist to a loose 36 inch. There'll be more weight loss to come, I'm sure. At 10:00 p.m., I am disturbed by something in my cooking utensils. Although I've hung up my food, I have left my stove out and my coffee cup with a Folgers's bag of coffee still in the Mylar baggie. A mouse is in my coffee cup when I pick it up.
April 23, 2007
I got up at 6:30 a.m., and packed and headed out for a pretty big day. I hope to get to Hogback Ridge Shelter, which is less than 2 miles from I-26 from Johnson City, Tennessee to Asheville, North Carolina. As soon as I get rolling from my campsite at about mile 293 I start up the to the ridge. For the next several hours I climb over and up and down rocks on the top of a ridge, which offers great views. The land to the west appears to be fairly flat for as far as you can see, but to the east are mountains. I get to a shelter (Jerry's Cabin Shelter) where there are a good many people I know - "Handyman", "Coach", "April Batman", "Shalom" and "Doodles", so named because she draws pictures in the log books that are in each shelter. "Doodles" has a great deal of nerve. She is doing this by herself. She has temporarily joined "Coach's" group, because there are 4 or 5 girls her age (21-25). After about 10 miles there is a 3 miles climb of 1,700 feet so I don't fill up with water. I have containers for about a gallon but water gets heavy on a climb. I start with a little over a quart, thinking I'll get some after the top of the mountain. After reaching the top I found no water until the shelter and at mile 18 I was out. The weather was great all day but there is supposed to be rain for tomorrow.
April 24, 2007
I've been on the trail a month now except for 6 zero days and have covered 311.8 miles. Thank goodness spring has arrived. It's much more tolerable to wake up to cool temperatures without a big wind. Now we can take a break and sit down during the day. There were days when the wind was blowing so hard and it was so cold that I kept my pack on 7 hours without taking it off. You had to keep moving just to stay warm. Today I turned on the radio to hear the Asheville weather and was told it would be sunny this morning with falling temperatures and possible thunderstorms this afternoon. Just as the announcer said sunny all morning the first drops of rain hit the tent. I jumped up and broke camp as quickly as I could since you do not want to carry an extra 5 pounds of wet gear. After that first sprinkle the rain held off. I crossed under I-26 2 miles from the shelter and began a six miles climb to the top of Big Bald. I tried to keep going so as to beat any afternoon thunderstorms. None came, which is good, because Big Bald is a 5500-foot mountain with a mile of open territory to negotiate. There is no place to hide - you just have to get off the mountain if it thunders. I hiked on past Big Bald to Whistling Gap by 6:30 p.m. I camped by myself until 3 guys arrived about 7:30 p.m. Ben from Maine and "Demon Deacon" (a guy going to law school this fall at Wake Forrest) and a Miami graduate, "Wolf", from New York. They had seen three bears 2 miles up the trail so I hang my food higher than usual. The trees are still not out on the mountain although there is a new carpet of green plants and flowers covering the ground. The trees should spring out leaves anytime - 325.2 miles down and 1848.8 to go.
April 25, 2007
The group cleared out by 7:30 a.m. and we walked the 13 plus miles into Erwin, Tennessee. From your first view of Erwin from the mountains over the tree tops and the Nolichuaky River it takes 45 minutes to get down to the river. You are still 4 miles from town but people are used to hikers and rides generally come quickly. I got to the Super 8 Motel, get a room and shower. Then it's off to eat, buy food for the next leg and do laundry. Many of the usual suspects are here - "Barking Spider" has been here 2 days nursing shin splints. He knows the ropes and where things are. He arranges a ride and I'm able to eat Mexican food, do my laundry and buy groceries all in the same mall. We got a ride back to the motel within 10 seconds. "Spider" has a small banner (8 in x 24 in) that says "HIKER NEEDS RIDE TO TOWN". A good idea - it weighs next to nothing and takes up no space to speak of. At the motel several of us visit, compare blisters and discuss plans. David Snell and I are going out tomorrow at 8:00 a.m., by a shuttle from the motel.
April 26, 2007
Since the weather channel predicts thunderstorms by 3:00 p.m., I want to get a good start this morning. I get up at 6:30 a.m., and finish packing. One problem - I can't find my wallet. The last place I knew I had it was at the supermarket. I call them at 7:00 a.m., and they have it. A man in the lobby of the motel that I have never met before loaned me his Ford F-250 pick up and I retrieved - trail magic. We are shuttled to trail and I take off at 9:00 a.m. The climb out of town is beautiful. The trail follows streams up the mountain for a long way. No lack of water. I stopped at the first shelter 3 miles up to treat my blisters on my left heel. The usual hiker remedy is moleskin cut to size then covered liberally with duct tape. Things go well until 12:30 p.m., when it starts to sprinkle. The first 5 minutes was very refreshing. That wonderful smell of the first gentle rain soothing the dust. They should bottle that smell. I would buy it. I wait 45 minutes to put on my rain suit - just to be sure it's serious. In very light rain you'll get wetter under your rain suit from perspiration that you do from the light rain, particularly if you're climbing. After 30 minutes the rain stops and I take the suit off. I'm trying to keep moving to get over the mountains before the promised thunderstorms. I get over the mountain at 5:30 p.m. - Unoka, 5,180 feet. That was quite a climb into a dense hemlock and rhododendron forest on top. Then down the last 3 miles to the shelter at 7:15 p.m. A long at 16.2 miles. I set up the tent and it starts to rain. It is 55 degrees and 10 mph wind and very comfortable. The shelter was full when I got here. "Castaway", a 40 plus year old construction worker has a tennis ball named "Wilson" that he has a hat on - small version of Tom Hank's soccer ball. I am doing 15 miles tomorrow to the top of Roan Mountain at 6,275 feet. It should be a tough day.
April 27, 2007
I try to get up early to get a head start on what will be difficult, because the last 3 miles will involve a 2000 foot climb after I have already walked 12 miles over fairly demanding terrain. I walked most of the day with "Castaway" from Richmond, Virginia, age 51 and Matt from Boston, a graduate of MIT, age 33. I climbed to Little Rock Knob where cliffs overlooked the valleys below. It was beautiful scenery. By 3,100 feet Matt and "Castaway" are out of sight and I begin the climb with my energy tank running low. I make the top of Roan Mountain at 5:30 p.m. and the shelter at 6:00 p.m. Roan Mountain is said to be the coldest spot on the Southern AT at over 6,000 feet with a pretty stiff wind, the temperature dropped from 55 degrees at 6:00 p.m., to 43 degrees at 8:00 p.m. Although there is a four sided shelter with a door, I choose to set up my tent since it is obvious mice are active. Matt, "Castaway" and a section hiker stay in the shelter. Because of the cold, everyone turns in at 8:00 p.m. There was once a hotel at the top of the mountain where a foundation still exists. The Cloudland Hotel was half in Tennessee and half in North Carolina. It was demolished in 1915 - 370.3 down and 1803.7 to go.
April 28, 2007
I got up to 35 degrees and 30 mph winds. When I turned on my flashlight in the tent there was visible fog in a one-man tent so you know there won't be visibility outside. I pack all I can in the tent, put on my warmest clothes and get up to break camp. Although it is not raining, the condensation from the clouds on the mountain soaks the trees and the wind is knocking it off. Everything is wet that is outside and I have to pack my wet tent. The trip down the mountain is wet and windy and cold but I am assuming that will change as I descend. It does warm up to about 45 degrees but as I begin climbing a series of bald mountains the rain sets in with high wind to make things pretty miserable. I cross Yellow Mountain Gap which is the route used by the Overmountain Men in 1780 to get to the Battle of King's Mountain in South Carolina which was a victory for the Colonial forces versus the British and Loyalists. These were all volunteers who brought their own guns and horses, thus, the origins of the Tennessee Volunteers. The rain finally let up at 3:00 p.m. I camped at Applehouse Shelter near the town of Roan Mountain. There was a full moon - 385 down and 1789 to go.
April 29, 2007
I got up at 6:00 a.m., to a beautiful day. I break camp and get underway by 7:15 a.m. I have a mail drop at Kincora Hostel close to Watauga Lake but that is over 24 miles away. According to the elevation profile map, it involves no large climbs, but lots of small climbs can add up. The trail was great, the terrain was good and I was able to cover 19 miles by 5:30 p.m. With the fact that 2 of the last 5 miles were downhill convinced me to make it to the hostel. I made it at 8:30 p.m., just as the last light of the day faded away. I got a bunk, took a shower and had dinner. The hostel is run by Bob and Pat Peoples. There is no charge but they have a donation box with a suggestion of $4.00 per day. There is a full kitchen, laundry, bathrooms and a hot shower. The hostel is sort of like a big garage they have attached to their house. The breezeway between the house and the garage or bunkhouse is where the laundry and showers are located. I have decided to slack pack out of here tomorrow. I will go 9 miles from the lake and back.
April 30, 2007
I am up at 7:00 a.m. I cook oatmeal and Bob takes us to the lake for a slack pack for "Medicare Pastor" and me and the resumption of the trail for 3 others - "Baby Steps" and 2 section hikers. The 9 miles was the most photogenic of the trip per mile. A good bit of it is along Laurel Fork up to the falls, which are beautiful. I took my time, plenty of rest stops and a number of pictures. I got back to the hostel at 3:00 p.m. and helped prepare for the feast of the Celtic New Year. Our host explained it was the time when Scots drove their cattle between two large bonfires up to grazing in the high pastures. Maybe this means it's really spring! Our meal consists of Chocka-leekia Soup, corned beef, onion pie, cabbage with potatoes, green beans, beer bread, Irish soda bread and raspberry trifle. All of this was prepared and laid out as hikers continued to show up. There was enough for everyone. All of this was free of charge.
May 1, 2007
Twelve of us get up at 6:30 a.m., to get to our respective missions. Bob loads us into his club cab truck with all of our packs. We are really crammed in with some of the women sitting on top of the packs. We make it to the drop off. I make my way around Watauga Lake, across the dam and back up into the mountains. We go from 1990 feet to over 4000 feet in a couple of miles but then it's relatively unremarkable. There is a ridge that stays around 3800 feet with only changes of a couple of hundred feet. After passing two shelters, I elect to stay near the Nick Grindstaff Monument. I had heard it had water and campsites. Nick was a hermit who was born in 1851 and died in 1923 on top of this mountain. He's buried in front of his chimney with an inscription on his tombstone that reads, "He lived alone, suffered alone and died alone." No one else is here and there is a full moon. I hope he doesn't decide to visit that camper at the bottom of the hill! 434.8 down (16.6 today)
May 2, 2007
I got up and got going by 6:50 a.m. after a cup of coffee. After 5 miles I run into 3 guys just getting started. They are recent college graduates from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. They are two brothers, J. Beard & Dash and "Spock," allegedly from his similarity in appearance. The brothers were Mennonites and sported big red beards to go with their long blonde hair. I took a midmorning brunch break at 10:00 a.m. at the Double Spring Shelter to fix dehydrated potatoes and a foil pouch of tuna. I figured I needed some carbohydrates and protein. I took back off and at a highway crossing there was a handicapped access ramp to the AT that led up into a large field of the most beautiful grass. They had a wide packed gravel path to a location where you could look down at least 10 miles or so. Just a beautiful place. At another road crossing, I take a break at a picnic table next to a spring beside the highway. This is great because sometimes you have to walk a long way to safe water. Here you sit there and drink your fill. You try to carry just enough to get you to your next stop but no more. What you drink beside the spring doesn't add to your pack. "Hiking Pole" shows up. Her husband, "Music Man" is some ways back because of an ankle injury. He's walking with "Student" (she carries a lot of books). All of these folks are in their twenties. "Student" has done the trail before in 2003. She is lagging because she has a cold. "Hiking Pole" is a tall, thin girl from the Polish Republic. She is anxious to get to it and move on since she and her husband stayed 5 days at Kincora Hostel waiting for his ankle to heal. I have been hiking along with a number of these twenty something year old kids for several days. They are much faster but I get moving 2 to 3 hours before they do. I finally set up my tent some 5 miles from Damascus, Virginia so I can get into town and pick up a package at the post office. Melody is coming in tomorrow evening and I will take 2 days off there. Damascus is five hours from home by car. We have visited Damascus before but it was to ride mountain bikes down the Virginia Creeper Trail. You can bring your own bike or they will rent you one and a helmet. You are taken to the top of Mt. Rogers and can ride the bike 18 miles downhill along an old railroad bed of a train they called the Virginia Creeper, because it moved so slowly up the mountain.
May 3, 2007
I got up early and got moving by 7:00 a.m. I arrived in Damascus about 9:30 a.m. Although it is nice to get into a new state, there are more miles of the AT in Virginia (544) than I have done so far (459.5). At 9:30 a.m., I had an All You Can Eat pancake breakfast with ham at the Dairy King. The waitress said the record was 22 pancakes. I am ready for two days off.
May 6, 2007
After 2 days of on again, off again rain today started off cool and sunny. I was thankful that I had taken off the two rain days, since those that did not came into town looking like drowned rats. I started walking out of town late for me - 11:15 a.m., and began the climb from Damascus to Mt. Rogers, Virginia's highest point. The weather was perfect - cool and breezy which helped for a long climb. Melody had brought me a lightweight sleeping bag which Darren at Guntersville Outfitters thought would do the job. It is rated 40 degrees and weighs only 16 ounces. With the change in sleeping bag and sending home some cool weather clothing I have lightened my load by 5 pounds. This will be more noticeable when I go through some of my food. I am carrying enough for 6 days at 2 pounds per day. My next stop is in Rural Retreat, Virginia, some 75 miles away. The cards of encouragement I have received at my mail drops are very uplifting. Thanks to April and Darren and Ray Uptagrafft for coordinating that. I am camping by myself tonight at Creek Junction next to a railroad tressel of the Virginia Creeper Trail some 13.5 miles from Damascus. I am probably going 15 miles tomorrow.
May 7, 2007
The cold front that pushed the rain through over the weekend left the temperature at 38 degrees at my campsite with some wind. Some of my cold weather gear was already sent home but I had enough - if I kept moving. My 40-degree sleeping bag got a test last night. I was not overly warm but it got me by. Being in a tent probably helped 5 degrees or so. It was too cold and windy to fix breakfast so I headed on to the next shelter, Lost Mountain, and cook a little something warm - coffee and Ramen Noodles in the mid-morning. It had warmed some, but the wind was still blowing. I climbed 2700 feet for the day to the top of Mt. Rogers. A lot of the walking was in open areas that are kept that way by grazing several herds of wild ponies that inhabit the mountain. Mt. Rogers used to be called Balsam Mountain for the trees on its very top. When I got to the top it was reminiscent of Christmas with the smell. The shelter was nice with a corral around the spring to keep the ponies out. I pitched my tent with a number of section hikers as well as "Blue Meanie" and "Hiker Chick", a 57 year old married couple from Greenville, South Carolina. "Scholar" (I earlier identified her as "Student") was also in the group. It was a windy and cold night as one might expect on a mountaintop - 487.5 miles down.
May 8, 2007
It was so cold and windy it was hard to get up early. I did not fix anything warm. I just ate a granola bar and started moving. From the beginning I encountered the wild ponies. They were not afraid of humans and would stand on the trail. The terrain looked a lot like Colorado or New Mexico with open areas, rock out croppings and grassy areas. I walked through several herds of ponies on my way out of the Grayson Highlands which went on for miles. I finally got to a shelter at 11:15 a.m., and cooked lunch. "Scholar", "Blue Meanie", "Hiker Chick", and "Hang Glider" came in and did the same thing. By this time the weather is perfect. After lunch we begin moving again. "Blue Meanie" and "Hiker Chick" stop at a road crossing which marks 500 miles on the AT. "Scholar" and I move on to Hurricane Shelter on the other side of Iron Mountain, so we will not have to climb it first thing in the morning. Half the folks in the shelter are going into Troutdale, Virginia tomorrow to resupply but I pass. "Scholar" and I are going on to Partnership Shelter 20 miles up the trail so we will be in position to go into the Relax Inn at Rural Retreat, Virginia where we both have mail drops of food waiting. The temperature is pleasant tonight.
May 9, 2007
I wake up early beside a creek in the rhododendron and pack up. I am moving north by 6:45 a.m. There is an 800-foot climb at about 5 miles which is not too bad. I had planned on cooking at a shelter just 3 miles away but it had been torn down after the Hurricane Shelter was built and I ended up cooking at Trimpi Shelter 9 miles into the day at 11:15 a.m. Shortly after leaving the shelter I met some southbound hikers who had a pack of goats carrying most of their gear. They were registered "service animals" like a seeing eye dog, so they had special permission to be on the AT. At about the point I met them there was a step up fence crossing that involved an A frame with 5 long steps up and 5 steps down to get over a barbed wire fence. They had to take the packs off of the goats but they did just fine. A few minutes later I met a southbound hiker named "Tyvek: so named because his pack, water bottle holders and even his sleeping bag were made out of Tyvek, an external sheeting used to cover the outside of houses before bricks or siding are put on. Many hikers use Tyvek for a ground sheet under our tents because it is waterproof and tough, which prevents holes being punched in the waterproof floors of our tents. I cannot believe it would make good sleeping bag material since body vapors could not escape - it would be like sleeping in a plastic bag. Tyvek was also barefooted. I cannot imagine how that would work no matter how tough your feet got! He was also lobbying for "the long walk home.com" which proposes a 2 week debriefing period for soldiers coming home from Iraq. I crossed the South Fork of the Holston River before beginning a long climb over Brushy Mountain - 800 feet over 4 miles or so. It is 8 miles to the Partnership Shelter which is adjacent to the Mt. Rogers Public Interpretative Center on Virginia 16. I get there by 5:00 p.m., and everyone orders pizza from Marion, 6 miles away. They deliver and we all dig in. There was also a solar shower and running water. My expectations were not high but it was great. We all have to stay in the shelter because of regulations of the center but that will probably be okay since it is new and there is a cat that hangs around.
May 10, 2007
I guess it was good to be reminded why I do not regularly stay in shelters, even new ones. Two people snoring, moving and getting up. At about 11:00 p.m., a mouse jumped up on my forehead. I had put my jacket which doubles as my pillow at night next to the back wall and had cut off the mouse's usual path along the wall. I moved about a foot away from the wall after that and had no more problems. I got up and had coffee and pizza for breakfast. I left at 8:00 a.m., since I only had 12 miles to get to the Relax Inn in Rural Retreat, Virginia. It is between US 11 and I-81 with a restaurant, a truck stop and the motel. I had a cheeseburger for a late lunch/dinner. "M & M" and I split a room, so it was only $20.00 each for a bed and a shower. It is suppose to thunderstorm tomorrow, so we both lay out our rain gear.
May 11, 2007
I wake up to humid but sunny weather. The rain gear goes back in the pack but put at the top so it will be handy. After breakfast at the Red Barn Restaurant, we will head out for a planned 14 miles day to Knot Branch Shelter on our way to Bland, Virginia then on to Pearisburg, Virginia in about a week. I will not be stopping in Bland as I have enough food to carry me to Pearisburg.
May 11, 2007
After we packed up at the motel, we walked up to the restaurant and had a large breakfast of pancakes, bacon, sausage, biscuits and eggs. Butch came into town and joined us. I made some phone calls afterwards and didn't start back hiking until 10:30. A late start is not a problem today, since I'm only going 14. I walk under I-81 into farmland west of the interstate. The farms are on rolling hills of mostly pastureland. There are several stiff, small climbs lasting less than an hour. The sky is beautiful and blue despite the weatherman's predictions of thunderstorms. Went to the Knot Maul Branch Shelter at mile 548.7. M&M had already hauled water from the spring .3 miles away when I arrived, which let me get right to preparing dinner. Kiwi showed up at dark along with snowplow. We had enough water for them too. We all slept in the shelter that night. Snow Plow got his name in the Smokies for being the first one out to break trail in the snow. Kiwi is a 51-year-old massage therapist from Atlanta.
May 12, 2007
Slept fairly well except for a flying squirrel that visited at 2:30. When I shined my light on him, he just looked at me like "This is my place. What are you doing here? We get up and get going by 7:30, because we have a big day with a 2,000-foot climb to the top of Chestnut Knob and a total of 19 miles. The climb was not that bad. It did start raining when I stopped at the Chestnut Knob shelter for lunch, but quit before I left. It was a 4 sided, old fire ranger station with a door, which is unusual. The roof was held down by steel cables in an apparent attempt to keep it from blowing away. I thought the rough part of the day was over, but I was wrong. While the map indicated we'd be walking a mountain ridge for 6 miles and that it was relatively level, it didn't indicate that it was a ridge made of rocks tilted at a 40 degree angle, so I spent several hours stumbling over very poor footing, crisscrossing that ridge. I was thoroughly worn out when I got to Jenkins Shelter right at dark. Set up my tent in the dark and did my cooking in the dark. Worst trail day I've had—excluding weather considerations.
May 13, 2007
Got up a little late, but leave by 8:00 for a 14-mile day. As bad as the trail was yesterday, it is good today. Although there are climbs, they have switchbacks and the trail is generally smooth. At I-77 I saw Dash and the Mennonite brothers trying to hitch to town (Bland). They were having no luck, but they were going to stay the night anyway since the Post Office wouldn't open until tomorrow. Because the trail was so good, I made it to the Shelter by 3:00. Snow Plow showed up at 5:00 because he had hitched into town and had 2-foot long Subway sandwiches. Medicare Pastor departed the trail today, as planned. I saw her at the road fixing her last trail meal before her ride arrived. I sure wouldn't fix a dehydrated meal if my ride were due in 30 minutes even for the sake of nostalgia. We hang our bear bags fairly high tonight, since we heard a story about Hang Glider spending a restless night in his tent on this side of Partnership shelter as a bear sat and watched his tent. He had carried his food inside, which many of us do on occasion.
May 14, 2007
M&M and I got up at 6:30 and starts out on a 16-mile day to a country store on Virginia 606 where there are campsites, showers and laundry for $6.00 per night. M&M didn't sleep that well, because he said something was stomping around his tent for a good while last night. He thought it was deer. There seems to be a lot more wildlife here in Virginia. We've lately seen raccoons, deer and some have seen bears. I heard a turkey gobble this morning for the first time this trip. I had brought a turkey call, but sent it home after a month of not hearing anything. I think we were just too high up. The trail was good with only one major climb. As I approached a road a note was attached to a tree that had fallen across the trail at about head height to me. The note said, "This tree is covered in poison ivy." And it was. I wish they had put the note 50 feet back, but I didn't touch any of it by a stroke of luck while I read the note. After crossing the road about 50 yards into the woods we came across Capri Sun drinks in a cold mountain stream. 30 yards after that there was a bag of oranges and little Debbie's hanging on a tree. Trail Magic. We had one of each and left a note of thanks to our unknown benefactor. We had a pretty good climb in front of us, but the trees are greening up now and that makes it cooler. The greening up also means that poison ivy is getting more prevalent.
May 14, 2007
M&M, Kiwi and I got up to wet tents this morning. That's one of the hazards of staying near a creek where condensation will collect on the inside of your rain fly if there is no wind. M&M wanted to slack pack back here but couldn't work it out. That gave me time to dry my stuff out and wash my clothes. Swamp Fox and Blue Sky were at the store eating breakfast cheeseburgers when we left. Back on the trail at 11:00. We had 16 miles to go to our goal of Doc's Knob, 10 miles outside Pearisburg, Virginia, on the banks of the New River. We had no time to waste with a 2,000 foot climb. We began the climb up Brushy Mountain (about the 5th Brushy Mountain so far). Near the top the smell of wild azaleas was pervasive. They are about 6' tall trees of mostly pink and orange as opposed to the bushes I am used to in flowerbeds. The rhododendrons are blooming also, but they don't smell. We pass a big spring fed pond on the mountain near the Wapiti shelter. This was named after the Eastern elk, which was last studied in the 1940's by Roy Wood before they became extinct. His widow runs a hostel near here. Mr. Wood was an assistant to the Secretary of the Interior in the Carter administration before he died in 1987. Brushy Mountain and Pearis Mountain form a "V" with the open end facing northeast. From the south side of the "V" we can see the next 20 miles of hiking we'll do. We can even make out the outskirts of Pearisburg at the base of the mountain at the northeast tip of the "V". We arrived at the shelter at 7:45 and had to set up our tents just about in the trail, since there were no flat tent sites. Some guys came in at 9:00 and just set up in the trail. It was wide there, so there was room for their sleeping bags. 613.9 down.
May 16, 2007
Up and going by 7:30 for the 10 miles to Pearisburg. The trail is pretty level and good, so we make good time. We're in town by 11:30 at an AYCE pizza place. Added benefit is that we beat the rain, which fell all afternoon. We checked in the Plaza Motel—$17.00 each, but plenty nice. M&M found us a ride to Damascus to Trail Days at 3:30 tomorrow. Hopefully, we'll be back at it Sunday from here.
May 16, 2007
Up and going by 7:30 a.m. The trail is pretty level on top of the mountain so the 10 miles to Pearisburg goes pretty quickly. When we get to the brow of the mountain the town is laid out all in view. The New River is on the Northwest border of the town. We come down on the outskirts of town but it is less than a mile to the downtown so we walk. Before we get to the hotels there is an AYCE Pizza Buffet, a Hardees and a DQ. "M & M" got a thick burger and joined "Kiwi" and I go the pizza place. There is plenty of pizza and sweet tea to hit the spot. They even let us special order pizza for the buffet. We walked on into town and got a room at the Plaza Motel - $17.00 each for a two room, three double bed room. We take showers and go to the post office where I pick up a box and another card from well-wishers. The cards are wonderful to look forward to at my drops. It certainly is encouraging to hear from old friends, new friends, acquaintances and people I don't even know yet that I look forward to meeting when I get back home. I really appreciate all the continued support and encouragement I receive from everyone in Guntersville - it makes a huge difference to me out here. After the post office, "M & M' tries to set up a 20 mile slack pack for tomorrow but we find a ride back to Damascus, Virginia instead for Trail Days that leaves at 3:30 p.m. and cancel the slack pack. We eat dinner, re-pack and go to bed.
May 17, 2007
When I get up at 7:00 a.m., "Kiwi" is already gone back to the trail. "M & M" and I are going to Damascus, even though it means three days of no miles. It is the biggest event for thru-hikers and is part of the traditional trail experience. We leave our packs at the motel while we go to the library and to Hardees. "M & M" does not have a Hardees in Rochester, New York and is quite taken with the concept. At 3:30 p.m., Michael DeHart picks us up in his pickup pulling an enclosed trailer with his photographs he has to sell at Trail Days. Ten of us hikers ride with him the 2 hours to Damascus. "M & M" and I help him put up his tent since there is a storm coming then we go to Tent City where the hikers stay on the edge of town but no more than 1/2 mile from downtown. We pitch our tents in a swampy area and head to a free dinner at the Baptist Church. We are camped at the "quiet" section but it didn't make that much difference. Many of the people who produce hiking gear are here and have tents. They repair broken equipment, clean camp stoves and consult wit hikers on any problems they may being having with various equipment. The next morning, Friday, we go to a $3.00 breakfast at the fire hall and then to a free shower in a Disaster trailer at the Baptist Church. It was great. I ran into many folks I had not seen in a long time, including Tony, who has recovered from what turned out to be a serious sinus infection and is now only 125 miles behind me. There are many seminars on various topics some of which I attend.
May 20, 2007
We ride back with Mike DeHart and he took us to where we left off. It was 5:30 p.m. and we have a mountain to climb and 6 miles to go to the first shelter. We hoof it and come in right at dark to the Rice Field Shelter on a mountain which is the border of Virginia and West Virginia. We don't even eat dinner, just go to sleep. We are going to try a big day tomorrow of 22 miles or so to make up for lost time in Damascus.
May 21, 2007
We are up and going before 8:00 a.m. I've brought some Ivy Block to prevent a reaction to poison ivy. I've used it in the past and it works well. We walk down a mountain ridge separating Virginia and West Virginia. Everything goes well except there are some rock ridges that seem to go on for a long time. As I approach Pine Swamp Shelter, which is low in a hollow as its name suggests, I hear a rattlesnake to my right. Although I can see nothing for 3 or 4 feet to my right on the ground, I don't know whether the snake is in the rhododendron or on the ground. I decide NOT to stick my head in the bush to see, because he's obviously upset with me since I am able to hear him so well. When I get to the shelter in about 10 minutes, a young couple, "Cheek" and "Little Step" ask if I saw the rattlesnake and I said that I only heard him. They had taken a picture of him next to the trail 5 minutes before I got there. There were 10 other people at the shelter fixing a mid afternoon snack meal trying to make a campground 21 miles away from Rice Field Shelter. We have a quick hot lunch and move on down the trial beside a creek through a valley across other creeks and up 1600 feet then down 1900 feet. We have to ford a creek where a bridge is out. It's not that difficult but one slip and everything you own is wet. We stop to rest at Bailey Gap Shelter late in the afternoon but go on to a campsite with a spring 5 miles further on. We decide to go on because the terrain looks level but which turned in to another scramble along a rock pile for 4 of the 5 miles and we get in right at dark - 9:00 p.m. There are tents nearly touching when we get there but we wedge in, cook and go to sleep. (650.1 miles)
May 22, 2007
We got rolling late because of the long day before but we hope to get another day in. Water is becoming more scarce so we have to plan ahead a little better. We have two major climbs today and before the last one is a creek next to a forest service road. We are all sweaty and grimy from several days without showers so we have a general skinny dip in the knee-deep creek as we rinse out our clothes. Everything we wear is quick dry and we put it back on wet anyway. Besides, we're going to perspire heavily going up the 1800 feet to the Sarver Cabin Shelter. The shelter ends up being .5 miles off the trail down the mountain with water .3 miles further down. A long day was made longer. "501", a retired tax lawyer from Marlborough, Massachusetts, "Catchup" and her brother "He Man" , both retired, she a New Hampshire school teach and he a retired Air Force; "Uncle Tom", a PhD Psychologist; Kim and Trevor, late 20's; and, Willy and Able are staying in the shelter. (666 miles down)
May 23, 2007
From Sarver Cabin we head out trying for Pickle Branch Shelter. If we get there it is only 12.9 miles into town. Everyone in our group is headed there to eat at the The Homeplace which is open Thursday - Sunday from 4:00 p.m., until 9:00 p.m. We get to the turn to Pickle Branch and see that it is .5 miles off the trial with water further and decide to hike on to a campsite and get a 500-foot climb out of the way. When we get to the top it is a rocky ridge with few places to set up a tent. "M & M", Butch and I finally find a wide enough spot and set up.
May 24, 2007
We woke at 5:30 a.m., to try and get a jump on the day and make the post office in Catawba. It will only be 13 miles but we have to make it to the post office before it closes at 5:00 p.m., which involves a hitch or a hike into town. The first part of 7 miles we make to a roadway by 11:00 a.m. There is a country store .4 miles away and we all hike to get a hot dog and/or barbeque mentioned in the guidebook. We get there and I have a hot dog, a barbeque, Fritos and two Pepsi's. Supposedly Pepsi has 11 teaspoons of sugar as opposed to co*ke's 8 so hikers tend to drink a lot of Pepsi when they can. We are back on the trial by 12:00 p.m. "Snow Plow" was at the store and was sick. He had been throwing up all night and had called someone his wife knew in Roanoke, Virginia to come and get him. He's not been doing well since Damascus and is going to take off a few days. We have to spend the next few hours hiking the 7 miles around the mountain around Catawba to get to a gap 1 1/2 miles east of town. The gas station was a mile and a half west. "M & M" and Butch beat me to the gap and I see them pull away as I get there. I resign myself to walking but get a ride almost immediately from Dean, a fellow in a 1956 Thunderbird with the top down. I felt like the homecoming queen pulling into Catawba. I make the post office before 3:00 p.m., and get my package containing my 34" waist shorts, a visor that I really like that I got when I ran the Ironman and a belt for my other pants. My 36" pants were falling off by now. I started pushing 38" pants when I left and have been dropping weight or redistributing weight since I started the hike. It was getting to where I had to stop 10 to 20 times a day to pull my pants up and cinch them high enough that I would need a "paw-paw pass" if I were in public only to have them drop to the level of pants of some teenagers in the mall before I had to start the process over again. We kill time at a country store waiting for The Home place Restaurant to open. We repack and resupply for the trip. At 4:00 p.m., we head to the restaurant .3 miles from the store and proceed to have one of the most memorable meals I have had in a long time. I had fried chicken, barbeque, lemonade, mashed potatoes, gravy, biscuits and many of my other favorites. The only restaurant I can think of that compares is Ms. Mary Bobo's boarding house in Lynchburg, Tennessee. Many hikers are there because of its reputation and we all go lay out in the yard in the sun afterward - as satisfied as dead pigs in the sun. At 6:15 p.m., eleven of us get a ride back to the trail in a van. We hike 2 miles and get up to the Catawba Mountain Shelter. (696.5 down)
May 25, 2007
We get going on what should be one of the most scenic days of the trip with vistas to McAfee Knob and Tinker Cliffs. There are more pictures made at McAfee Knob than any other place other than M. Katadin (the finish point). McAfee lives up to its billing and we take pictures of each other sitting or standing on the ledge. I use my cell phone since it is high enough to get a good signal and call home. On to Tinker Cliffs 5 miles further for more photos and then the hike toward Daleville/Roanoke. Because of the multiple stops we thought we could not make town by dark but 7 days without a shower and the sounds of I-81 near by lured us on. We got into the Econolodge at 8:00 p.m. I showered quickly and went to the next door Mexican Restaurant - civilization has so many advantages.
Editor s note: David Evans did not make journal entries from May 26 through June 3.
June 4, 2007
Bill Aldridge, a proprietor of the Bed & Breakfast, dropped M&M and I off at Rockfish Gap to begin our walk through the Shenandoah National Park at 9:30 a.m. We have to register at a sign-in in the woods or risk being fined. Although we got a late start, the trails are good and we make great time. The trail is close to the Skyline Drive but there is usually pretty thick foliage and we can only hear the traffic on occasions. We make very good time on a well maintained trail and stay at Black Rock Hut for the night it is a shelter.
June 5, 2007
We cover another 20 miles on good trails. We have our first visit to a wayside store in the National Park where we get a blackberry milkshake and a cheeseburger.
June 6, 2007
I wake up to 50 degrees and a 20 mph wind. It was hard to get going but after a breakfast of granola I pack and get going. Three tablespoons of powdered milk in ½ cup of water with granola poured in makes a surprisingly easy and satisfying breakfast. Once we are moving the temperature and wind feel good and we are making good time. The springs are more numerous and are some of the best I have encountered. A four inch clay pipe coming out of the side of the mountain into a concrete 2 x 3 box is very easy to work with and very cold, good water. I pass several deer through the day who look at me with detached curiosity as I pass within yards of them. Obviously humans pose no threat to them. There is a lot more climbing today than the previous two days. At Swift Run Gap there are a couple of major highways running together and no marking for the AT. I went the wrong way, based on my map, and found no trail. A fellow my age came running up and told me where I was. He was training for the Leadville, Colorado 100, a 100 mile race through the Rocky Mountains mostly above 10,000 feet. He will probably cover that 100 miles in less than 36 hours. He makes me feel like the tortoise although he is not carrying 50 pounds. Because I am trying to cover 20 miles today, I stop at a picnic area next to the trail to water up and eat. An early lunch is the ever popular Ritz Crackers and cheese and the late lunch of Ritz Crackers and peanut butter. Other hikers talk about one through hiker last year who counted the jars of peanut butter he ate between Georgia and Maine and it was 39! Because the water is from a faucet, I do not have to use my filter which is nice. By 6:00 p.m., I reach Big Meadows campground. M & M got there before me and had already gotten us a campsite. I shower for $1.00 and wash my clothes. We put up our tents while my clothes dried and we went to the dining room and had dinner. The lodge at Big Meadows was a very old building with wooden beams and nice rock work. We got back to the campsite by wondering through almost tame deer in the dark.
June 7, 2007
For a campground with vehicles it was a very quiet, peaceful night. I slept very well with a combination of low temperatures and being very physically tired. The shower and a good meal did not hurt either. We go to the lodge for breakfast. Eggs, bacon, and coffee were a good start to the day. We leave at 9:30 a.m., but plan on making good time even though we go over the tallest mountains in the park. At 1:00 p.m., I am close to Skyland Resort Lodge and cannot resist the temptation of Reuben sandwiches. The dining hall is only 100 yards off the trail and so I am back on the trail quickly. Hiking through a national park like Shenandoah is a luxury for a thru hiker. We do not have to carry as much food since the trail runs so closely to Skyline Drive. The park service has established many wayside stores which usually have some type of restaurant for the park visitors that are driving and that means quick access to food for the hikers. There are lots of ups and downs today, but I get to the Pass Mountain Hut before 7:00 p.m. M & M , Blue Sky , Dirty Ernie , Wolf , Little Red , Poots , Evil Eye , Two Dogs , and a section hiker are at the shelter cooking dinner. The spring is right behind the shelter and is a great flow of clear cold great tasting water. The hut journal indicated a bear was in a tree right behind the shelter twice today.
June 8, 2007
M & M , Dirty Ernie ( a retired 65 year old policemen from Pennsylvania who carries a stuffed Ernie toy on the outside of his pack which has gotten quite dirty on the hike) and I are tent camped on the other side of the shelter and get up around 6:30 a.m. Ernie heard a bear around us at 4:00 a.m. I heard nothing. M & M and I are probably only going a little over 13 miles today so we are in no big hurry. I have granola breakfast then pack up. There are heat warnings for Washington, D.C., on the radio station I am listening to. When we get to the AT and start North, the woods explode with bears. We see three but think another one ran off as we arrived. I got pictures of two of them one from 15 yards as he contemplated climbing a tree. The hiking is not too difficult and everyone who was at the shelter met at the Elkwallow Wayside and ate lunch at the last stop in the park. Because it has gotten so hot and humid we are in no hurry to leave and start the 1000 foot climb in front of us. About 2:00 p.m., a male and female cyclist pulled in where we were to take a break. I had seen them earlier really flying and checked out their bikes, which are top of the line light racing bikes which probably cost about $7,000 each, according to the male. He mentions that the female cyclist had just won the world championship duathalon in Europe ten days ago and you could believe it from seeing her ride. At 3:00 p.m., a cloud moves over and we all start up the mountain, at which time it started to rain hard. I cover my pack but not myself since I am already soaking wet with perspiration. The rain feels good and only lasts about twenty minutes. It is only six miles to the Gravel Spring Hut so it seemed like a short afternoon. When we get there thunderstorm warnings are still out according to the radio. We pitch our tents as quickly as we can, cook and get inside. Ended up there was just wind and thunder — no rain. (941.8 down)
June 9, 2007
Since we were only going 13 today, M & M and I are the last ones out of camp. The walk is substantially downhill and we get to highway 522 by 2:00 p.m. It is a busy crossing with people getting off and on the trail and there happens to be a taxi that pulls up. He charges us $6.00 total to take us to town, so we jump on that and get to a KFC to wait for Melody to arrive. She is driving from Guntersville to visit for a few days. It will be about a 670 mile drive for her, alone, so I am sure she won t mind that we have gotten to town and she won t have to drive out to pick us up. Melody arrives at the KFC just as I am about to finish my fifth glass of pink lemonade. I can tell by the expression on her face that I must look tremendously different since she last saw me on May 1st. When we get to the motel, the first thing I do is weigh myself on the scales she brought from home. I have lost 30 pounds since I left. After a shower, we go eat dinner with M & M and we try to get back some of the weight we have lost. During dinner M & M tells the story of when we came down the last hill to the gap that we passed an eight foot tall chain link fence that ran for about ½ mile. Later we found out it was a compound operated by the National Zoo Conservation and Research Center. Although the fence is probably to keep coyotes and local predators out there is what may be a story based in fact about the hiker who was being watched by cougar on the outside of the fence. The police were called and the center did a recount of big cats in for rehabilitation.
June 10, 2007
Melody took me, M & M , Swamp Fox and Blue Sky back to highway 522 and we were able to slack pack the 20 miles to Ashby Gap on US 50. In the meantime, she went to Front Royal, Virginia, and bought Pepsis, snacks and Gatorade and came back to do trail magic at Ashby Gap. By the time I got there, she had become a popular Trail Angel, running hikers around in the car and getting cold drinks for all who wanted them. There is some talk among the hikers of allowing her to be substituted for me from here on out. Just before the gap there was a sign saying that during the Civil War, Colonel John Mosby established a 27-mile border between there and Snickers Gap as the line between the Union and the Confederates. He conducted raids on the North side of the line and became known as a land based pirate or a freedom fighter depending on which side of the line you lived on. We stayed in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, this evening so we wouldn t have to move around for several days.
June 11, 2007
Melody took M & M , and back to Ashby Gap for a 21 mile day. This was a section which included the Roller Coaster, a series of 13 small mountains. Since there were no views from the top of any of them and to us hikers they were only obstacles, they are referred to as PUDs (pointless ups and downs). By the time we got to Snickers Gap our legs were feeling the toll of exertion. Melody had hiked in to the first shelter from Snickers Gap after leaving the trail magic she had become known for. She would have had a hard time picking a tougher 3.6 miles (7.2 round trip), but she was waiting at the shelter when I got there. After visiting a few minutes, I went on to the gap and across the highway another 7.3 miles to the Blackburn AT Center. The Potomac AT Club operates a shelter there and provides a free dinner to hikers as well as a solar shower. A young couple are in full time residence there with their small child. The child s trail name is Hikelet. If the air is clear, which it rarely is nowadays, you can see the steeple of the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., from there as well as the Washington Monument. Melody had to drive some dirt roads in the mountains to get there and pick us up, but she was waiting on us when we hiked in and joined us in the feast of spaghetti and salad with M & M , Swamp Fox , Dirty Ernie , two other Blue Skies , Poots , Evil Eye , Two Dogs , and about five other section hikers. We got to Harpers Ferry fairly late, but with a short day of 13 miles planned for tomorrow we do not have to start as early as we usually do.
June 12, 2007
Melody drops M & M and I off at the top of the mountain at Blackburn Center. Everyone is already gone but that s what we expected. We are going from over 1600 feet to only 270 feet to Harpers Ferry today, where the Shenandoah River runs into the Potomac River at point between two mountains. The rivers have scoured the rocks to form steep cliffs and a natural bottleneck through which highways, railroad tracks, a canal and the rivers run. The topography on the map is quite dramatic. Melody hiked up the mountain, which was basically all up, to meet me and hike with me back into Harpers Ferry to check in at the AT Center. She did this despite blisters caused by the hike yesterday on the Roller Coaster. Although she has been walking regularly and is only carrying a small camelback for water, she has found there is a big difference in hiking the AT as opposed to walking the river trails at home. I check in the Appalachian Trail Center and am through hiker number 267 this year. My odds of making it to Maine have now improved from 10% to 50%. The center has my mail which has birthday cards and cards of encouragement from all who have signed at Guntersville Outfitters. The cards and notes from everyone at home are such an inspiration to me to keep on hiking. As much as I enjoy the trail, I miss everyone from home and the cards take care of some of that. To everyone that has sent me a message of inspiration thank you. After having my photo made to go in the 2007 trail book, Melody and I join everyone at the local pizza place for a late lunch. Harpers Ferry is the psychological halfway point for the thru hiker. On the hike into town, we have passed over 1,000 miles from Springer Mountain, Georgia. (1009.1 down)
June 13, 2007
Melody gives M & M , Two Dogs , and me a ride out to I-70 past Boonsboro, Maryland, and we begin a 22.4 mile trek back into Harpers Ferry. After three miles we come upon the first Washington Mountain which resembles the rook of a chess set. After six miles we pass Fox Gap, the scene of a battle leading up to Antietam. Two generals (Reno, Union, and Garland, Confederate) were killed here in the days leading up to the main battle. In another six miles we come to Crampton Gap, which was also important in Antietam as passage through either was of strategic value to both sides. At Crampton Gap is a large unusual memorial to War Correspondents of the Civil War. There is a drink machine and a restroom here and we wait out a thunderstorm for 45 minutes and avoid getting wet. We set out again and get to the top of the mountain above Harpers Ferry at 5:30 p.m. The sky becomes ominous and we hurry down and hit the old C & O Canal Path used for mules to pull barges in a canal beside the Potomac. Melody met us a couple of miles out bringing drinks and taking our day packs to the car so they would not get wet in what was obviously going to be a significant rain. We got soaked coming into town, but it was only for a couple of miles and across the foot bridge into Harpers Ferry. (1031.5 down, only 18 more miles to Pennsylvania).
June 14, 2007
I am going to take a few zero days. I have not taken an off day in about 10 to 11 days. Melody will leave in a couple of days and I will not see anyone from home until September, so I am going to enjoy this time and rest from hiking and prepare for the next leg of this adventure.
June 18, 2007
After four no-hiking days the time has come to get back on the trail. Melody left Harper s Ferry, West Virginia at 6 a.m. headed home and Beth Carnes, first cousin to Jimmy Carnes, came at 7 a.m., to pick up Ray Uptagrafft and me to get us to I-70 in Maryland where I had left off the trail. Ray Uptagrafft has joined me on the trail to walk with me for a couple of weeks. He is an AT enthusiast and aspires to thru-hike next year. He completely surprised me by showing up. He had threatened several times to come but I never really believed he would square everything away and make it. It was really good to see him get off that train and know that I will have a hiking partner (especially someone from home) for the next couple of weeks. Ray is in great shape and I have no doubt that he is up to this. After Beth Carnes picked us up, she took us for a brief visit to her farm near Boonsboro, Maryland as it was on the way. We got to see her burrow, dogs, goats and cat. I really appreciate Beth picking us up as it allowed Melody to get started on her trip home much earlier in the day than she would have. We started hiking at 9 a.m. The trail is fairly easy with no big ups or downs and with good water sources. We cross Antietam Creek, climb a mountain and set up near the Devils Racecourse Shelter. We have gone 14 miles today but we need to go conservatively because although Ray is in good shape and an experienced hiker, we do not need to overstress his body if he is going to go for two weeks. We tent camp with two father/son groups and have a good night.
June 19, 2007
I got up at 6:30 a.m., and got ready to go. I left at 8 a.m., on a muggy day with our first destination Pen Mar Park on the Pennsylvania-Maryland border. The trails were good except for a steep, rocky down near the park. The caretaker of the park arrived and opened the exhibits up at 10:30 a.m. He took us into the concession stand and sold us popsicles for 25 cents each. We each had three before Life Traveler , a really nice early 20s young man and Uncle Tom showed up. Uncle Tom s wife came to visit him from Maine and he took off several days to be with her so he was just getting back on the trail too. Uncle Tom read that they deliver pizza to the park so he called in a large and we split it, after it was delivered 40 minutes later. What started as a short break ended up at two hours but no thru-hiker was in a hurry. Dash , J. Beard and Mangrove showed up. I had not seen them in a while and we all caught up. At 12:30 p.m., we moved out and went into Pennsylvania. After three miles we were at the first shelter where six fellows from Michigan had set up in one of two shelter buildings. Uncle Tom and Silver Cloud , a 35-ish fellow from Rhode Island, had pulled in for the night. Since it was fairly early, we moved on to the next shelter a little more than two miles away. There was a radio warning for severe thunderstorms and damaging hail, so we picked up the pace when we heard the thunder. We arrived at Antietam Shelter 15 minutes before the rain did. It ended up not being that bad but we stopped for the night anyway. We set up our tents in the shelter to keep mosquitoes away and figured the roof of the shelter can handle the hail a lot better than our tents. Ray is doing great and has no real problems. We will probably try 15 miles or so tomorrow.
June 20, 2007
The severe storm warning was a false alarm. The humidity was partially cleared out and it was a little cooler, which made for good hiking. The trails were smooth and there were no major ups and downs so we made good time. At Caledonia State Park in Pennsylvania we were able to get a cheeseburger and hand cut French fries for lunch. Needless to say thru-hikers were there in numbers. After another order of fries and ice cream we left to get some more miles in. When we go to the Quarry Gap Shelters we found an immaculate shelter with a wonderful spring, board games and flowers in pots. Uncle Tom and Cheeseburger (25-year-old guy from Massachusetts) were there. After a brief stay Ray said he was feeling good and he was ready to press on. We hiked to the next Shelter, Birch Run, and set up for the night. Half Step , a thru-hiker with a friend, 30 Pack were there along with Gimpy , a 54-year-old Air Force retiree. There was also a mother and her son and two daughters who attend the University of South Florida. The husband/father was in Iraq as a contractor for his second six-month tour. A good time was had by all. Everyone sang Happy Birthday to me. I was in bed by 9:30 p.m. It is a good night for sleeping 50 plus degrees and breezy. Ray did a great job today by putting in over 20 miles with no problems. He certainly wowed the thru-hiking crowd. (1078 down)
June 21, 2007
Today is a big day from several perspectives: 1) it is the first day of summer, 2) I will pass the official half-way point and 3) I will eat a half gallon of ice cream. After several miles of hiking we walk into the Pine Grove Furnace State Park. It is a tradition to eat a half-gallon of ice cream to celebrate being halfway through the trail. I picked peanut butter cup and finished in about 25 minutes. I was given the traditional wooden spoon with half gallon club on it. I then ate a cheeseburger and drank a Sprite before we left. We hiked through the park, passed a lake and up a mountain leaving Uncle Tom, Cheeseburger and a couple of other hikers I did not know to the ice cream challenge. Ray is still doing great so we went to the James Frye Shelter at 1095.1
June 22, 2007
We get a little bit of an early start today in order to get in 20 miles to Carlisle, Pennsylvania. The first 12 miles are uneventful for the first couple of hours but then we started climbing and descending smaller rocky mountains until we get a couple of miles from Boiling Springs. We walk out of the woods into a series of wheat and corn fields on beautiful farms with silos and large barns. There are usually stone fences separating the farms. There are wild cherries, blackberries, blueberries and mulberries all along these borders. Boiling Springs is a very old town surrounding a very large spring like Big Spring Park in Huntsville. We have lunch and start walking the remaining 8 miles to US 11. We cross many more immaculate farms and roads. The remote blacktops in the country have no trash in the ditches. We did not see the first beer can or burger wrapper in a single ditch. Ray did another great job of covering a lot of territory. He had to wait for me a few minutes at the top of a couple of climbs. The only times I have waited for him were when he had his head in the bushes eating cherries, blackberries, mulberries or blueberries. We got a room at a motel to get a shower, wash our clothes and rest. The temperature in the morning has been in the 50s with the high in the afternoon only around 80 degrees with a good breeze just great hiking weather. M&M called last night and is only two days ahead of me. He is going to slow down and let us catch up but it will still take three or four days to do so. Our goal tomorrow is Duncannon on the banks of the Susquehanna River. From there it will be mountains and the rocks Pennsylvania is famous for.
June 23, 2007
I got up early at the motel in Carlisle, Pennsylvania and had breakfast at the Middlesex Diner next door. The breakfast special was two eggs, hash browns and toast for $1.59. The motel shuttled us back to the trail and we started north through fields and over Interstate 81. We had about six miles of fairly flat before we started the mountains. The gypsy moths are hatching now and the air is thick with them when we walk through areas where they have stripped the trees. At the last water stop before climbing the mountains Ray found a Corona beer placed in the stream where one would fill up for water trail magic. We split it and began to climb. The mountain and the trail were very rocky, slowing our progress but we finished the last of our 18 miles at 4:45 p.m. when we arrived in Duncannon at the Doyle Hotel, a century old establishment that you can probably find a picture of by the definition of fire trap in Webster s Dictionary. Despite its shortcomings it is the place for thru-hikers with nightly rates of $20 for a single and $30 for a double. They take pictures of all hikers and put them in a book kept on the bar which is also where registration takes place. Uncle Tom , Thunder , Blue, Ishmael, Calamity Jane, Signage, Tank, Dog s Life, constitute two-thirds of the bar s patrons. I have turkey meat loaf and mashed potatoes, visit with everyone, call home and go to bed. Ray is gaining notoriety for hiking so far right out of the blocks.
June 24, 2007
I slept until around 7 a.m. Ray and I got up to go get breakfast but stopped out on the balcony to take a look. Trail Angel Mary was there with two breakfast casseroles, coffee and biscuits perfect magic this morning. We get moving at 8:30 a.m., but stop in a convenience store to get last minute necessities. There is a long walk through town and over the Susquehanna River, a very broad but shallow river that runs right up to the mountain. It s a very steep climb but not over a mile and a half to the top. Once up we have to start a series of rock scrambles along the ridge. The gypsy moths are thick after they come out of their cocoons and we try to keep our mouths closed to prevent breathing one in. Everyone on the trail stops at the first shelter to get more water and rest after the climb. We all move out about the same time on top of the mountain. The hiking is hard for the next five miles over and around rocks. It doesn t help that there are reports of a rattlesnake between shelters. After five miles the trail gets good again but we are looking for a spring to camp near as we approach the end of the mountain. We come out on a field of rocks about 50 yards across on a pretty steep hillside. There are three or four notes from hikers saying the rocks have snakes in them. Batman reported three timber rattlers and a copperhead. Someone had hung a large snake skin shed over the rocks. I picked that time to fall down in those rocks. Needless to say I got up fast. We later jump a hen turkey. The spring was not where the book said it was so we had to keep going down the mountain and across a highway some three miles further but we found a great spring, set up camp and cooked dinner. I finished cooking at 9:15 p.m., and went right to bed. (1150.3 down; 17.4 for the day)
June 25, 2007
Woke up to gentle rain at 4:15 a.m. Because of the rain I stayed in until it quit at 6:45 a.m. We watered up and started up at 8:30 a.m. The trail up the first mountain was really good and gradual. We later found out that there were old coal mines up near the top and the trails were the old rail road beds a real blessing. We are able to make good time to the next shelter which was 12 miles away. After lunch at that shelter we went through the abandoned town location that used to have 1,000 people at the end of the 19th century. No evidence remains except an inversion well which takes water from a lake and forces it through crushed limestone to produce water that when blended with the run off water from the old coalmines takes the pH from 4 to 7. At 4 no fish can survive. There were brook trout in the stream right below the point where the inversion well put in the lime infused water. I m sure tax money was used for that project, but I was glad to see it spent for that purpose. We went on closer to I-81 and underneath it to begin a climb of Blue Mountain. We went low on water and a couple of day hikers, a father and daughter (Whitney, 21) gave us a couple of quarts so we could cook dinner. We gave most of it to Rio , a 25 ish, thru-hiker who was nearly out. Pitched tents within hearing of I-81 and cooked dinner before dark. Dog s Life , 35-ish corporate lawyer from Boston showed up about dark and pitched his tent with us. Our site is the only level ground we saw on the side of the mountain. We could reach out and touch each other s tents it so close. (1169 down; 6 more and I ll have less than 1000 to go)
June 26, 2007
I got up in the fog with the sound of interstate traffic a half-mile away and began an 800-foot ascent of Blue Mountain. There is more poison ivy in the 9 miles to the first shelter than I have seen on the trip up to that point. The hike is rocky and relatively slow. When we get to the spring at the shelter we are about out of water and have to spend a fair amount of time gathering enough of the trickle out of the pipe to fill our bottles and bags. It is very humid and getting hot (90-ish). I am using at least twice the water I normally use. Hemlock shows up. He has had a stomach virus over the last 48 hours and we have all avoided him. He hiked 24 miles yesterday so he is probably okay now. That does not mean he couldn t pass it on so he does not touch any of our stuff or offer us any food. He is a 27-year-old environmental consultant from Richmond (Scott Adams) and knows Rio , also from Richmond. At the next shelter we run across a lady who needs a push for her truck. She gives us a bunch of crackers, a Yahoo, a Carnation Instant Breakfast and some water all much appreciated. We go on to the shelter and find a four sided structure with a Dome Skylight. Hemlock is there wanting to order lunch from an Italian Restaurant that delivers. We all order subs at $5 with free delivery. While we are waiting we all get showers in a solar shower next to the shelter. Even though it is water from a hose connected to a 55-gallon drum it is much appreciated by all including Silver , a 60-ish woman thru-hiker from Eugene, Oregon that started in February. This stop probably kept us from reaching another 20-mile day but it was worth it to get out of the heat, have a cold shower and eat a hot sausage hoagie. At 3:30 p.m., we start moving north through rocks and boulders and make another 6 miles. Hemlock , Ray and I pitch camp at a site with good water on both sides. We consider it a good sign of good water if a frog jumps into the pool you are going to dip from. I did not see any rattlers today; although there are many sightings by other hikers. Hemlock showed us his video of two rattlers he saw in the rock pile I fell in yesterday. The day has taken a lot out of everyone and we all turn in early. M&M called from Port Clinton this morning which is where we are going into tomorrow. I am only one day behind him now and will probably catch up in the next three or four days. (1184.8 down; 989.2 to Katadhin first day below 1000 miles left)
June 27, 2007
We got up early to get a start in the cool morning. If there are no major problems we should reach Port Clinton before the post office closes. There are plenty of rocks to contend with but we kept moving very well without any long breaks. We do take 10 minutes at Fort Fietrich Synder, the site of an old Indian outpost in the early 1700s. We are moving well and trying not to carry too much water but our luck runs out when our last scheduled spring for water is dry and we are still five miles from town without anything but a couple of mouthfuls left. We know we will make it but with 90 plus temperatures and high humidity it is not very comfortable. Severe thunderstorms are forecast and we move on at a good clip, particularly Ray. When Hemlock and I got to town, Ray had gone to get us iced teas and meet us part of the way into town. A trail angel, Mary Anne from Maryland, pulled up at the post office and gave us a ride to the new Cabela s store in Hamburg, three miles away. We had the Italian buffet and looked around the huge outfitters store. Mary Anne came in and found us and brought us back to the gazebo where thru-hikers are allowed to stay free at the end of town. When we got there there was a gentleman who was driving back to Harrisburg where Ray was to catch the train on Saturday. It was too good of an opportunity for him to pass up and he rode off with him to be able to leave a day or two early without having to worry about getting out of the woods at a remote location and hitching over 100 miles to make his connection. After he left I went into town which has no stores but I saw an open light next to the fire hall. There was a button for entry but someone opened the door and let me in. It was a bar operated by the fire hall. You have to be a member, but someone signed me in as a guest. I was able to get a partial charge on my cell phone while I had beer with the patrons of the only bar in town. The thunderstorm came through and I waited until it passed to walk back and join about 20 thru-hikers at the gazebo. On my way back Silver called to me from a bus shelter for kids waiting on the school bus. She had just gotten in town at 9 p.m., and did not know where to go. The bus shelter got her out of the rain and lightening. I did not get too much sleep with 20 people in the shelter, half of whom were up until after midnight. (1202.9 down)
June 28, 2007
I got up a little late, packed and headed out to the mountains in this coal-mining town. I am only going 15 today if the weather does not stop me.
June 28, 2007
I did not leave town until 10 a.m., as a result of late night in the shelter by the younger folks. An early 20 s girl named Sish left at the same time I did. She was wearing Keen Sandals and a skirt interesting dress for a thru-hiker. There have been lots of rattlesnakes lately so I am on alert when going through rocks. It seems Rio was listening to his Ipod and felt the rattling through his shoes. When he looked down, he had stepped on one. He used his hiking poles to go straight up and away. The snake missed him luckily. I went by the pinnacle which is a beautiful point from which to watch the Hawk migration from mid August to mid December. Some 20,000 hawks, eagles and falcons pass Hawk Mountain each season. There is an observatory and a visitor viewing area at the sanctuary. The AT passes one mile from the facility. Twenty minutes from the Eckville Shelter the sky opens up and I get soaked. It was not a problem for now since I was already soaking wet from perspiration but it got my socks and boots wet. They may not dry by the morning. M & M called and they will only be 25 miles ahead of me at Palmerton, Pennsylvania tomorrow night. I may try to make it if the trail is okay and everything works out. The shelter has a solar shower and electricity. I took a shower since I was wet anyway and got cleaned up. I ended up setting my tent up at dark so that I could avoid the crowded shelter. Dog s Life and Earthquake are here. Earthquake is a 25ish guy from New Jersey so named because at a shelter early on he sat down at a table and shook someone s stove over then sat down somewhere else and knocked packs down.
June 29, 2007
I left Eckville Shelter with wet boots and socks hoping to make it to Palmerton, Pennsylvania some 25 miles away. The first 7 miles took a long time and were tough over the rocks so I gave up on the 25 miles. At Pennsylvania Highway 30 there was a restaurant where a parade of thru-hikers got the black and blue cheeseburger. After that it was back to the trail to the Bake Oven Knob Shelter. Another series of straight flat, smooth trails and difficult, rocky scrambles. I arrived at 7:15 p.m., and was looking for a place to set up a tent when Matterhorn, Earthquake, Couch and Dog s Life showed up and we put our tents up in the only area we thought was available. They were all so close we could just about touch the tent on either side.
June 30, 2007
I woke up to 54-degree weather and a beautiful morning. The walk into Palmerton by way of Lehigh Gap was just like the last few days. There were stretches of boulders and stretches of smooth trail. My trail clothes are so smelly that I put on my town clothes a mile out of town and walk in. The town operates a free hiker hostel in the basem*nt of city hall where the jail used to be located. All the necessary businesses are close by so we can wash clothes, buy groceries and get a hot meal within 2 or 3 blocks. Later someone comes through with gift bags for the hikers. It just seems like good business for the town. We may look and smell like bums but we do a have a little money to spend at local businesses for groceries, meals, etc. The IGA gives all hikers a free apple and the library gives a free book. The shower is so good after what we have been experiencing, it is a real change. There was so much water pressure it about took my ears off. Little Red and Wolf have arranged a shuttle to take us back to the trail at 7:30 a.m., tomorrow so we can get right back to business. (1043.2 down)
July 1, 2007
The shuttle driver showed up right at 7:30 a.m., and took six of us to the trail head. The mountain s trees were poisoned by the air from a zinc mine and separation facility. As a result, the mountain looked like it should be in Colorado. It was climbing using our hands as much as our feet. Once we get to the top there is a stunning view of the Lehigh River Valley and the onion domes of the Russian Orthodox churches. On the way up I met Randy Miller, the 52-year-old commissioner of police in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. He was a very fit 6 3 fellow who obviously was a body builder at one time. He had thru-hiked in 1979 and finished an AT section hike of the trail in 2005. He is training for a three-week hike of the Grand Canyon in about a month. We hiked together for 9 miles and had a continuing discussion of law and criminal behavior. At our first break, I noticed that my sleeping pad had fallen off the back of my pack where it was tied on. He was going back the same way we had just been and said he would drop it off at Wind Gap, which is my goal for the day.
After he turns back, I proceed to try and make progress over the rocks for which Pennsylvania is famous amongst hikers. Not only does this slow me down, it is very hard on the feet. Water is a problem now since there has not been much rain. Springs are located as much as .6 of a mile off the trail so everyone tried to conserve and make road crossings where there may be city water. Also, Trail Angels will leave jugs of water for us from time to time. As I approach the last shelter I see my camp shoes hanging on a tree with a note Don t touch Grasshopper s Shoes my trail name is Grasshopper (when my hair was long they said I looked like David Carradine who was on the show Kung Fu and his name was Grasshopper). I am happy they had been found and wonder who my benefactor is. I have walked over 3 months and over 1,200 miles and have not lost a major item and now two have dropped off. I pass Wind Gap and get a liter of water from a motel desk clerk before I climb the mountain on the other side of the gap. It is getting late so I started looking for a campsite. I was very lucky and found one with a smooth tent site. Because I do not have a pad I would feel every rock and root. It is cool and windy but it feels good after climbing a mountain. (1264 down)
July 2, 2007
I got up early to a cold breezy day 50 degrees and a 15 mph wind. I started walking at 6:30 a.m., without eating. I was going to try and cover 26 miles and catch up with M & M who was gong to a site 11 miles north of the Delaware Water Gap. Based on the first 7 miles it was obvious that I was not going to make it. I have to get a mail drop at Delaware Water Gap and buy a new sleeping pad. As I get closer to Delaware Water Gap I come to a point which is marked on my map as the southern most point of glaciations during the last ice age. I suppose that may be the explanation for the Pennsylvania rocks. After that point there seemed to be fewer rocks. As I get closer to town a number of day-hikers were out for the day. One told me there were some gloves at the bottom of the mountain saying, Don t touch Grasshopper s Gloves. I believe Dog s Life is messing with me. Someone else saw some men s underwear with a note that said, Don t touch Grasshopper s underwear. Neither was mine.
I got to town at 3 p.m., in this place that is carved out by the river wearing down the mountains. I picked up my package at the post office and got a new sleeping pad. Then I went to the bakery and had the special of apple pie with a hot dog for $1.49. I had one apple and one pumpkin pie with two hot dogs. Then I had a chicken pot pie. I left town at 5 p.m. and walked out of Pennsylvania over the Delaware River and into New Jersey. I climbed the mountain and went to a backpacker campground in the state park. It helped make the decision of where to stay and how far to go when the regulations said I had to stay at a site 5.8 miles out of town. I set up my camp at 7:30 p.m. A bear and three cubs just left.
July 3, 2007
I woke up to temperatures the radio said were from 46 degrees to 52 degrees in the area. Since I am on top of the mountain I will assume it was closer to the lower number. From what Melody says about the heat at home, my weather is a whole lot different from what you guys are experiencing in Guntersville. Although I intended to get up and get going early, the cold kept me in my sleeping bag until 6 a.m. I packed and got going by 7:15 a.m.
The first sight on the trail was a glacier pond carved out during the last ice age. The water was clear but a sign said it was so acidic only yellow perch could live in it. This New Jersey is a pretty place but it still has a fair number of rocks to deal with. The hike is generally along the top of a mountain with a few dips now and then. People in front of me and behind me saw bears but I did not. Water is more available but you have to plan ahead on when to stop. I make it to the Brink Road Shelter for the night at 1,304 miles. Castaway and Hangman are here. Usually Castaway is ahead of me but he went back to his son s graduation near Richmond, Virginia for a week and is getting started back. He used to carry a fishing rod attached in two parts to his hiking poles but he has given that up now. I will try another 20 miles tomorrow to make some miles before some forecasted rain arrives. In walking to get water tonight I thought, I will never take tap water for granted again. By the same token, I will never take cold spring water for granted again either.
July 4, 2007
I left camp at 6:50 a.m., going the 3.6 miles to Culver s Gap. The female M & M was slack packing Southbound with her friend Nancy and said she was gong to give M & M and the group he is with a ride into Branchville to a hotel so I thought I might have a chance to catch up if I got to the gap before they took off from there. At 8:52 a.m., I got to the Gap and heard a group cheer of Grasshopper ! It seems M & M had said If I know Grasshopper he should be walking out of the woods in 8 minutes just as he said that I stepped out. Since there was severe weather forecast for later that day we set out at a good pace.
By High Point State Park we know that rain is imminent and try to make it to High Point Shelter 1.7 miles past the park. The park is named for the highest point in New Jersey. It has a replica of the Washington Monument on that location. It begins to rain at the start of our trek and everyone is soaked. The shelter has a leak which Pootz and Evil Eye fix with a sheet of plastic while I go look for M & M who apparently went blowing by the turn while the rest of us made the change of direction. There were 6 of us in the shelter made for 6 when a young man named Batman showed up and we made room for him. We were shoulder to shoulder with all our wet gear hanging. We take turns cooking and turn in since there is nothing else to do. There is no sleep tonight for me with 7 people in a 6 person shelter and 3 of them snore; however, it is great to have finally caught up with my group and be back with M & M.
July 5, 2007
Everyone is up early but getting gear straightened out with no room to pack is a problem. We leave at 8 a.m. for the Secret Shelter 7 miles away. An individual makes that shelter available with solar showers and well water. The secret shelter is, of course, no secret. I suppose because it is provided by an individual and not maintained by the Appalachian Trail Conference it got its name. The solar shower is warm and much appreciated after several days without one. After watering up we complete the hike to a road outside Unionville, New York.
The AT crosses the road .4 miles out of town so we walk into Unionville and find Pootz, Evil Eye and Kiwi are talking to Butch, the mayor of Unionville s personal representative. Butch takes us to the mayor s residence where the six of us take real showers, charge our cell phones and are allowed to use his phone for long distance calls. We also do our laundry there in his washer and dryer. Butch then shuttles us to Gander Mountain Outfitters and the grocery store which are mostly in other towns 15 miles away. It took Butch until 7:30 to complete all of our rounds. The mayor came down to the town park and welcomed us and got Pootz a fire department hat to wear to Katahdin.
The town is very small (600 people) and I suppose the economic impact of 10 hikers adds to the city coffers and to the registers of the town s businesses, notably a general store, grocery, a tavern/restaurant and a coffee/bagel shop. The city park has great level grassy tent sites and a couple of gazebos where we are allowed to sleep. We set up our tents as soon as we go there because there was supposed to be more thunderstorms and we do not want to set up in the rain. After our errands we go down to the tavern and have dinner. We constitute over half the patrons of the business so you know the owner would miss us if we were not there. We went to bed by 10 p.m. Everyone is worn out after being wet and not sleeping in a small shelter so we all slept well.
July 6, 2007
Everyone is still pretty beat up but after breakfast at the bagel shop we start out before 9 a.m. and take a lunch break at the first shelter. Since we are only going 12 miles we are not in a big hurry. It seems like 12 miles is slacking off when you have been doing 20 miles regularly but 12 miles a day will get you from Georgia to Maine with some time to spare. The female M & M has joined our group and at lunch she arranges for a friend of hers to pick us up at highway 94 near Vernon, New Jersey. We came across trail magic in the woods in the form of water and granola bars and a road junction with a cooler of soft drinks. Both were appreciated.
The female M & M s friend met us on a mile-long boardwalk over a wetlands and brought cold drinks with him. M & M (female), M & M (male), Kiwi and I were the first to meet him and he took us to the hostel at the St. Thomas Episcopal Church at Vernon after a stop at an ice cream shop. The hostel is in the basem*nt of the church and has internet, phone, television, showers and laundry. The suggested donation is $10 and a chore. I clean the shower, bathroom and wash the towels. We went to the A & P/Fresh Market and then to an Italian Restaurant for dinner. We sleep on the floor on our sleeping pads.
July 7, 2007
At last we take a day off to clean up, patch up our bodies and our equipment and replenish supplies. I concentrate on working on my new blisters from the Pennsylvania rocks. Blue Sky from Georgia is staying with his twin brother, a continental airline pilot for their birthday and is coming to pick us up to stay at his brother s house tonight. He does barbeque competitions and is going to cook dinner for us tonight. Mike, Traci and John, their 6-year-old son, came to pick us up at 3 p.m. and we went to their house on a small lake. We all sat around and relaxed while Blue Sky cooked the chicken, burgers and hot dogs.
Everyone had a good time and close to dark M & M and I set up our tents down by the lake with our flaps open so we could watch the fireworks go off over the lake. John thought the tents were cool so he talked Traci, his mother, into setting up the family tent with us and we all went to bed. Traci, Mike and John went in their tent and we never heard anything from them. Apparently John adapted well and slept all night. Most kids would have wanted to come out after 30 minutes or an hour. We went to sleep watching fireworks over the lake. Blue Sky, Tom B, Pootz, Low Branch, and Kiwi stayed in the house on the couches and the floor.
July 8, 2007
We all got up at 5:30 a.m., packed, had coffee and pastries and loaded the truck to head to the trail. We got started at 7:15 a.m., with a pretty stiff climb over Wawayanda Mountain. At 5 miles we took a break and stared out again to the New York/New Jersey border. Water is scarce and dark-colored. We treat some just in case we run out. At 9 miles we cross into New York and take a lunch break and begin negotiating a ridge top that went on for miles over bare rocks. It got very hot and we were all about out of water when we got to a creamery for ice cream at 3:30 p.m. I had a quart of coconut ice cream. They made their own ice cream and there was a line out of the door and out into the woods. Pootz, Tom B, Kiwi and Evil Eye decide to go to a lakeside resort that is nearby. M & M and I continue on to Wildcat Shelter at 1359.8 813.2 left. Ishmael, Thunder and Blue are here along with Two Dogs.
July 9, 2007
Although we got going before 7 a.m., this morning we were the last ones out of camp. The morning was humid and the day heated up quickly. Water was scarce but luckily Trail Angels had figured out our plight and put water near road crossings. After about 4 miles we came across a road that was supposed to have a waterfall after it. There was only a trickle of a spring at the bottom of it so M & M and I watered up for the climb. He went on ahead and I followed at a slower pace trying to take into account the heat. I signed a trail register at the top of the mountain, went down a blue blaze trail for a view and came back to the trail, which was on top of a large rock. I then followed the white blazes down the mountain until I got to the bottom and noticed that I was at the same waterfall.
I immediately started back up the mountain after filling my water bottle again and got to the register at 10:50 a.m. two hours after my original entry at 8:50 a.m. At that point I was more than 2 hours behind and had to keep going without a lunch break to make our goal. Although the terrain looks substantially similar with scrub oaks and rocks, I still should have noticed some similarities. My punishment was 2 additional hours to an already long, hot day. I called and left M & M a message about what happened and told him to go on. He would normally check his messages after he set up camp. As I entered Harriman State Park I took a water break where someone had left jugs of water. The Trail Angel, Paddy-O, showed up and gave me a quart of PowerAde and 3 small bags of Grandma s Cookies 370 calories each and I downed 2 with the PowerAde immediately - much appreciated. More ups and downs in 95 degree heat. Much like Georgia without water. When I get to the shelter I turn on my phone there is a message from M & M who is at a hostel. They will come and pick me up at a road .6 miles away. Since water is over .5 miles away the hostel sounds good. It was $18 for a bunk, a shower and a swim in the lake. (1375.2 down 798.8 to go) The hostel did not pick Low Branch and me up until 9:30 p.m. They saved us some chili-mac so we ate, had a cold shower and went to bed at 10:30 p.m.
July 10, 2007
Pancakes and coffee at 6:30 a.m., started the day off. The shuttle got us out to the trail at 8 a.m., through traffic headed for New York City, which is only 36 miles away. The hiking starts off pretty well for the first 4 miles but then reverts to its old ways of rocky ups and downs without water. We are all carrying more water than usual since you cannot count on Trail Magic to provide it. After a couple of climbs my shirt and shorts are soaked to the point perspiration is dripping off the bottom of my shorts. About 2 p.m. we get to the top of Bear Mountain. At the top of the mountain there is no water, just co*ke machines selling can co*kes for $1 and PowerAde for $2.
We talk with the maintenance man about how water is needed by hikers as a safety issue hoping he will allow us to use whatever faucet he may have available. He seemed unimpressed with a that s not my job attitude in the air. After a steep descent we pass Hessian Lake and through the Bear Mountain Zoo. The trail goes right through the zoo to the banks of the Hudson River. We were going to stay at the Holiday Inn Express but the hotel was going to be a 2 miles hike so we did not. While taking a break in Fort Montgomery a lady told us to go to Highland Falls some 4 miles down the road where there were cheap motels and more food possibilities. We catch the buss for $1.50 and get off at the West Point Visitor s Center. The United States Military Academy is based in this small town. We wash clothes, eat and watch some of the All Star game in San Francisco on TV.
July 12, 2007
We got a cab from the West Point Motel to the Bear Mountain Bride over the Hudson River. At the time the bridge was completed in 1924 it was the world s largest suspension bridge. It is amazingly wide for a bridge built back then and carries a lot of traffic every day. After we cross the bridge, M & M, Two Dogs, Radar (a 40-year-old stonemason from Maine) and I climb the mountain and begin the day s hike. The weather is cool and the sky is blue just perfect. The first stop is a monastery on top of the mountain where we fill up with water and take a break at 6 miles. We began to think we could do some extended distance today with good weather and a reasonably good trail. I saw Owl and Lil Cubit, an early twenties couple who were headed into New York City for a couple of days. It is just a short distance away as the crow flies less than 50 miles southeast. Water is more plentiful and we make it to Fahnestock State Park for the night 18.2 miles. There are free campsites with hot showers. It is 1 mile off the trail but it s worth it for the shower and the water. Uncle Tom is here as the only thru-hiker other than us. (1406.5 down)
July 13, 2007
We got going by 7 a.m., walking down the 1-mile trail back to the AT. We did not even try to hitch a ride this time. No one in New York has waved or even made eye contact much offered to give us a ride. There is very little water but we have loaded up at the campground and are okay to go a while. The next shelter was 7 miles away but the water out of the well pump was very discolored. A girl who had stayed there the night before showed us her water bottle and the last half inch was sludge. I took water and treated it as reserve. Five miles later at New York 52 we went .4 miles to a deli and had sandwiches and ice cream. I poured out my reserve water and filled my bag and my water bottle from a hydrant. We hike on to another shelter and set up right before it started raining. I had to wait until it stopped raining to cook a dinner of Raman Noodles and a pack of tuna. It is a cool night after the rain and that made for good sleeping weather. (1422.5 down)
July 14, 2007
I started at 7 a.m. on what we intend to be a long day that should end in Connecticut. We cross New York 55 where we get water from a house next to the trail where the people leave a hose for hikers much appreciated. There is an oak tree at that highway crossing that is over 350 years old. We hike out through fields and over a swamp on a boardwalk until we get to a train track where there is a stop for AT hikers. The train stops 2 times a day on the weekend to take hikers to New York City for $12. Tempting but I need to move on. There is a German woman there whose trail name is Alpine. She is tall and strongly built but says she started in Georgia weighing 180 pounds and has lost 44 pounds. We talk about how she does not need to lose any more weight or she might not be able to finish. She is still carrying a heavy pack and I told her that I had to cut down on my pack weight to stop the weight loss as well in addition to eating a lot of high calorie food. Bowsley, a 30ish thru-hiker from New Hampshire was in our group all day. He had a well-mannered lab that carried his own food with his doggie backpack. As we get close to our destination, a Trail Angel, had put out cold water, cookies, iced tea and fruit. At that point I had hiked 16 miles without stopping for lunch so I was very thankful. I got to the Ten Mile River Campsite at 5 p.m. It was on a beautiful river and we wasted no time washing ourselves and our clothes when we arrived. The Ridge Runner, Lump, gave us oranges and snickers as we were settling in. If all campsites were like this, it would be a whole lot more fun. We are 2.8 miles into Connecticut now. (1442.9 down - 731.1 to go) There are only 50 more miles of Connecticut with Massachusetts next.
July 15, 2007
We started out at 7 a.m., by crossing a pedestrian bridge across the Ten Mile River and began climbing beside the Housatonic River. We had several pretty stiff climbs getting over to the road to Kent, Connecticut but the first one was about 1,000 feet and we have not done that much elevation in a climb in a while. Everyone is headed to Kent to resupply but there are few places to stay and they are pricey. We walk into an old, quaint town that is obviously upscale. A double room at the local motel is $130 on the weekend so we pass on that and arrange to camp out on the lawn of the Lutheran Church and use their restroom.
We are expecting a big crowd and the next door neighbor of the church offers us his back yard. It is looking like rain so we pitch tents quickly to shelter our gear while we do laundry and eat. Lil Red, Wolf, Ziplock, Nitro, M & M and I are camped together. M & M and I went to resupply food for about 3 days at the grocery store. About that time a storm came and dumped a lot of water quickly. Evil Eye has left the trail for four days to visit his kids but Pootz, Tom B, and Kiwi pull into town where Pootz has arranged to borrow a friend s car. We chose to stay here close to the trail as we can get an early start.
July 16, 2007
Pootz delivered us to the trail outside Kent by 7:15 a.m., and M&M and I began hiking north with Kiwi. We were slack packing but Kiwi is carrying his entire pack. There are some hikers who believe you must carry your pack every step I am not one of them. Kiwi does a great job of keeping up despite carrying 20 or more pounds on his back. Pootz is driving north and then he will hike south with Tom B (short for too many birthdays). We got to the car after over 16 miles and drove back and picked them up. We head to Housatonic Meadows State Park for a shower and a campsite with water.
July 17, 2007
We now have Tony, Pootz friend who runs the campground and the female M&M on our slack packing adventure. Today I use Tony s car and drop off Pootz, Kiwi and Tony to hike north from West Cornwall Road and M&M (male and female), Tom B and I go north 18 miles to Salisbury and head south. These little rural New England towns are beautiful, upscale, post card places. After climbing several mountains, we go along a river walk beside the Houstain River. We meet our Northbound friends and break for lunch. One of the good things about hiking south is that you get to see your Northbound friends in short order. We see Bowley s and Lab Bono, Two Dogs, Radar, Lil Red, Wolf, Ziplock and Nito plus others we were not that familiar with. Pooch (with a German shepherd) and Bloody Nose from Jasper, Georgia. We finish after some more climbing and Tony picks us up and provides plenty of PowerAde. We go back to the campground and I cook mac and cheese with salmon.
July 18, 2007
I wake up to rain with predictions of thunderstorms so the group decides to resupply and wash clothes and wait for a break in the weather today.
July 19, 2007
Despite predictions of rain we decide to hike on a slack pack for 17 miles. M&M, Tom B., Kiwi and I hike north to Jug End Road at 1501.8. The day was uneventful except that we had to be very careful with hiking over rocks and roots that were slick with yesterday s rain. We climbed over Bear Mountain (2316 feet), the highest point in Connecticut and Mt. Everett (2602 feet). Once we crossed into Massachusetts the weather had become threatening later in the afternoon. When I got to the fire tower location on Mt. Everett the bottom fell out and I put on my rain gear. We had to go another 4.5 miles in the rain to the car. The tops of the mountains are composed of large boulders of granite that are smooth from the glaciers. While these boulders are no problem when dry, they become very slippery and dangerous when wet. As I went down one, I saw I was going to fall so I chose to fall in some two feet tall bushes to my left. As I looked from the ground level, I saw a snake about 18 inches from my head. It was a garter snake so it was no big deal but it caused a moment of anxiety prior to figuring that out. We get back to camp, shower, dry out and have dinner. We are still in the campground so like is not as bad as it would be in the woods. As we approached Jug End Road there was a steep descent. We were told a thru-hiker had to be taken off the mountain by the rescue squad because he had broken his ankle. Turns out it was Loner-Boner. His year is over. We took about twice as long to get down because of that. (1501.8 down; 672.2 to go)
July 20, 2007
We still have access to two cars so Kiwi and I go to Jug End Road, a 45-minute drive from the campground and start north. After a couple of miles we cross US 7 and a long swampy area. Because of the big rain the mosquitoes all but dragged us into the bushes. We covered the 6.5 miles through the swampy areas in a quick manner without a break, since the bugs were eating us up. We passed a monument to the last battle of Shay s Rebellion in 1787 an uprising about Federal Taxation was put down in the early years of this country s history to establish the authority of the Federal Government to tax. Thankfully, we got away from the bugs when we got up into the mountains. We crossed paths with our friends coming the other direction who had left us a car at the end of our journey at Beartown Mountain Road at 1520.4. Bad weather threatened all afternoon long but held off until we got back to camp. When we got back after a 45-minute drive from Massachusetts to our campground, I found the chipmunks had chewed a hole into my tent which I plugged with duct tape. We enjoyed our last shower at the campground and went to bed knowing we were moving out at 6:30 in the morning.
July 21, 2007
M&M, Kiwi, Tom B and I dropped off Pootz and female M&M an hour and 15 minutes away from our camp and went back to Beartown Mountain Road. We were hiking north with our backpacks to Upper Goose Pond Cabin. The ATC maintains this two-story building for a donation of $3 per night and a volunteer caretaker provides a pancake breakfast at $7 each morning. It is a beautiful place on a clear lake with a privy, gas lights and stove and bunks. I pitched my tent since I sleep much better in it than in a room full of people. Even though we only went 13.5 miles, this is one of the great stops on the trail. Today we crossed a small road into Tyringham, Massachusetts where Mark Twain spent his summer. I wonder if he wrote A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur s Court there. On the way to the trail we passed through Stockbridge, Massachusetts where Norman Rockwell lived.
