Overmountain Shelter

14.8 miles, 379 total.
HOLY COW! The next few posts will contain crazy stories from eastern Tennessee. These are true and happened on the days indicated...in eastern Tennessee.
This morning at 4:00 am, yes 4, the neighbor of the Greasy Creek Friendly Hostel was outside the bunkhouse screaming like he was in a pig calling contest! Did I mention it was 4:00 am and he was hollering like a pig?!? Then he started his tractor/riding lawn mower thingy and parked it on his side of the property line right across from the bunkhouse. It ran until it was out of gas...then he re-hollered and re-filled the tank and re-started the thing. This went on until 7:30 am. CRAZY. Turns out he's trying to get the hostel to go out of business because he doesn't trust smelly hiker trash people.
I left the hostel after breakfast - around 9:00 am - and the neighbor was trying to get his dog, "killer", to attack me from behind his fence. He and the dog were both behind the fence and he was screaming, "get him, killer, get him!"
oh well. The hike was very steady most of the day, or maybe it was just me that was steady. I'm starting to get into a groove. although, i had to hike up Roan moutnain (6285) which was a huge climb. with ice and snow covered rocks...and not a lot of great views because i was in the trees most of the time. And coming down the other side (in the sun) was wet and muddy. It was like riding that crazy viking log ride at World's of Fun. You get just wet enough to be miserable but not really wet enough for it to be any fun.
After Roan were 3, yes 3, balds. They were each taller than the first and the wind was blowing like 40 mph. Good thing is it was clear by then and I got some really good pictures and even took a half-minute video. After the balds, the trail descended into a valley/ridge walk that was like going over rolling hills in fall. There were leaves covering the trail and everything else. It was like the background scene that comes with Windows XP. Trees and a leaf covered path. By the way, I don't like windows! Anyway, it was a good end to a long day. I got to this shetler right before the dark clouds moved in and the wind started to howl. It will rain tonight and tomorrow. I'm staying in a big red barn that has been converted to a shelter. It's really cool. Here with a section hiker from Virginia who calls himself Crawfish...and his dog Max. It's called Overmountain because there is another trail that crosses the AT called Overmountain Victory trail. It's the trail that the Tennessee Volunteers took to go fight in the revolutionary war. Back then they were called Overmountain Men, not Volunteers. I don't know how they got the pale Orange color for their school though. Rumor has it that Florida uses its orange until it pales, then they send it to Tennessee. ha. a little S.E.C. humor, i guess.
That's it for now.
Later,
L

Greasy Creek Gap (GC Friendly)

7 miles, 364 total.
Short day today. COOOOOLD last night. My bag was warm enough, with most of my clothing still on, but I didn't get much sleep. The wind blew like a freight train all night long. Last time I looked it was around 20 F and at 8 AM it was just under 30 F. I slept with a liter of water in my bag along with my shoes and the clothes I wanted to wear today...also wore a fleece hat, socks, and gloves.
Hiked out at about 9:30 after having some coffee and a couple of granola bars. looks like we got about 3 inches of snow and it was still sleeting a bit when I left. Trail was frozen in some spots but muddy in others. Quite a bit of climbing in the 7 miles to the GC gap. Several parts of the trail were very close to roads and there was a lot of big trash near the trail. Saw several tires, a clothes washer, an old stove, and a lot of white 5 gallon buckets. Maybe somebody wanted to dump their pickle buckets over a ledge next to the highway!
Decided to stop at a very small hostel here and spend $8 to bunk in their barn with a few other hikers. Got in early in the afternoon. It will give my feet a rest before tomorrow's ascent of Roan Mtn. This is a nice place. C.C. (she) has run the hostel for several years and is very hiker friendly. I'm typing this on her computer in her living room...next to the wood burning stove. Tonight is going to be cold again but I will be warm. Hope to get an early start for tomorrow's big run. Hopefully I can get in 15-18 miles, if the mtn. and weather allow.
Still no cell service...maybe on the mtn.
Hope Sharon has a great "last day of work" tomorrow (31st) and an enjoyable first day of retirement on the 1st.
Later,
L

Cherry Gap Shelter

17 miles, 357 total.
Had breakfast in Erwin then hit the trail around 10:30. Originally planned to make it an 11 mile day, but that didn't happen.
First 4 miles to Curly Maple shelter were all straight up. Went from 1700 feet at Erwin to 3070 at the shelter. It took over 2 long hours to go the short distance so I stopped and had a little lunch at the shelter...trying to lighten my food heavy pack. First day out of a pitstop is always more difficult because it usually involves a big climb and a heavy pack. This was no different.
My plan was to go an additional 7-8 miles and camp out at a scenic overlook called Beauty Spot, but shortly after lunch it began to cloud over and sleet...then snow. I was hiking in a cloud and never saw signs for the Beauty Spot or any other possible stops in that area. I also didn't even realize it until I looked at the time and it was 4:30 - way past my target time for stopping. Still snowing/sleeting so I decided to hike until closer to dark and then find a flat spot to pitch the tent. Next thing I know I'm at this (Cherry Gap) shelter - 17 miles from Eriwin.
Here with Chestnut, Deuce, Hunter, Bluegrass, and E. Deuce and BG are going to keep going in the snow after eating dinner but the others are in for the night. Chestnut and I had a great talk before the others got here. He has so much to share about hiking and the trail. He keeps offering to trade items he has for my ultra-light backpack. HA.
Going to be a very cold one tonight and the wind is blowing directly into the shelter, which has no tarp or other covering over the front. Already 35 F at about 8 pm. Since I had such a long day today I might cut tomorrow short because Roan Mtn is coming up (6000+ feet) and I don't want to attempt until Tues. when it will be warmer.
We'll see what happens.
Later,
L

Erwin, TN

3/27/09
17 miles, 340 total.

I made it into Erwin in the pouring rain...well pouring for the last 4 miles. really nice hike through some very nice looking forest. even saw some deer today in a small clearing as i came down the mtn. long hike, though. met a section hiker named Ken at a shelter about 10 miles into the day. we had lunch and talked about where i should stay in town. he was very helpful..and asked me to autograph his AT Trail Book because I was the first thru-hiker he's met this year. odd. :)
i'm staying tonight and tomorrow at Uncle Johnny's Hostel, which is right on the trail and on the edge of town. it's full but nice. i think my blister will be healed up and i can head out on sunday morning. i went to town and bought a new supply of Knorr rice side dishes, cheese, carnation instant breakfast, granola bars, snickers, and other goodies. same old same old.
so...we'll see if i have coverage this week. i've posted several posts below that took place when i didn't have any coverage over the last week. might end up doing the same this next week. looks like i will be out from sunday to friday again before resupplying. and NO, Rich C., I wasn't eaten by a bear!
enjoy!
L

Bald Mtn. Shelter

10.1 miles, 323 total.
Great hike. mostly uphill...all day. nice because i took my time getting ready and leaving camp. all 9 of us left within an hour of each other. even though it was still really cold, rainy, and foggy i could always see someone within a 1/4 mile in front or behind me...up the mountain or down. i crossed Bald Mountain today. over 5000 and the top is used for cattle grazing in the summer. looked a little like a field in Kansas - except i could only see about 50 feet in any direction.
rolled into the shelter early - 2:00. decided to leave a big hike for tomorrow (17 miles).
here tonight with CRS and Lops, the couple from Maine.
Blister on my ankle getting worse so i'll take off a day in Erwin, Tn. should be there tomorrow afternoon sometime, depending on weather.
since i got here early i decided to do something productive. i'm packing and repacking all my gear to see how i can do things better. i also cut apart the ankle brace and sewed it together again (with dental floss) without the elastic tubing that is causing the blister. cool. i think it will work. i'm a pioneer! maybe i'll kill me a squirrel for dinner. :)

later,
L

Hogback Ridge Shelter

14.7 miles, 313 total.
rainy, windy, and cold today.
started in the middle of the night and made the day go really slow. late start -didn't get going until after 9:30. here at 4 pm and aleady 8 others (in a shelter for 6) getting ready to bed down early because it's blowing rain - and really cold. probably won't cook, just get into the bag and chat - ugh. i don't like chatting. and we'll be packed in like sardines tonight...maybe it will make it warmer.
ankle is feeling much better but the brace has caused a big blister. nice.
had cell coverage for a few minutes so i called K and then larry to let them know i'm alive. frustrating not being connected.
couldn't see much today because i was walking in a cloud all day. hate that because my glasses fog up and can't see...and can't see if i take them off. geek. :)

later. i'm going to get warm.

jerry cabin shelter

15.4 miles, 298 total.
another really tough day today. feet feel better but it felt like it was just up, up, up. many great views - got some good pics. went over something called big firescald knob - 4350 feet - and then along a rocky ridge with steep drop offs on each side. it was wild but I could see for miles in all directions. leap-frogged with chestnut, rick & luke, and a couple from Maine (crs and lops). here at shelter with d'leader and crs & lops. getting very windy tonight and looks like clouds blowing in. tomorrow I should cross the 300 mile mark. warmer weather means bugs but also more animals. only small ones so far.


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spring mtn shelter

11 miles, 283 total.
very tough 11 miles out of hot springs. only thing easy was it was only 11. almost all uphill. feet were killing me all day. new insoles and ankle braces - double ouch. hope tomorrow is better because it's 15+.
here with d'leader and a guy named rick who is hiking with his dog, luke. nice dog. also met chestnut. he's on his 4th thru and is a wealth of knowledge, so I'm asking him a million questions.
later


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hot springs,nc

sorry for the lack of communication. no AT&T coverage for the past few days. I'm ok. in hot springs, nc after a short 4 mile hike this morning. the ligaments/tendons on the inside of my right ankle are hurting, but not too bad and not swollen. I spoke with someone at the outfitter and with a specialist - I haven't torn anything and I'm not changing shoes/boots yet, but I did buy stronger ankle supports. I might take off tomorrow if it still feels really sore in the morning. otherwise, I'll have an easy 11 mile day. I'll see how I feel. got into town early today, so it's almost like a day off. nice - except there's not a lot here. 600 ppl and public Internet. that's it, basically. a diner, restaurant, and dollar store - but a really great outfitter. jeez, I miss NYC. I'm standing half-naked in a laundrymat/convenience store waiting for my clothes to dry...drinking a dr pepper. the sign on the door reads: Keep your clothes on while doing laundry. A towel does not count as clothing.". COOL!
also! I'm staying at a $20 motel tonight. the "keeper" told me not to pay the old guy (his father) when I check out in the morning, because his father is crazy and will bury the money somewhere in the backyard. I'm NOT making up this stuff!! between you, me, and the Internet - I think I already paid the old guy, and then he walked to the backyard to get my receipt!
later,
L


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deer park mtn shelter

it was cooold last night. low was in the teens and it was about 20 at sunrise. lucky for me a group of sectioning baptist church workers liked to play with fire. they made a nice fire, after much work, right in front of the shelter. gave a little heat for most of the night. got up and made coffee and oatmeal to help warm me. my ankle was a little swollen so I took some meds, taped it, and put on my ankle sleeve. it worked ok. didn't give me too many problems but it's still very sore. most of the day it was sunny and cold. hiked 14.8 miles to this old old shelter. here with about 15 scouts and their leaders. ugh! didn't mention a couple cool things that happened yesterday...mostly because I was upset about my ankle. so here you go. a group of us were hiking spread out over several hundred yards and we passed a group of scouts (not the group here tonight) and their leaders ordered them to the side of the trail so we could pass. when we passed them, the leader said "attention scouts, these are thru hikers. their destination is maine. let them pass."
hehe. funny. then later we passed another younger group that was sitting down eating lunch and the leader made them stand up along the trail and salute us as we passed. funny!
also, 2 other thrus in the last week have stopped me to look at my backpack and ask what and how I've packed - because it's so small. cool
anyway, I have a very short 4 miles into town tomorrow (Sunday), but it will be another good test and then rest for my ankle. I don't want to take off Monday, but I will if I don't feel completely comfortable because I will have a tough couple of weeks getting to Damascus, VA. there are only 2 easy and reliable places to stop and resupply between hot springs and there...and it's over 180 miles, if my math is any good.
later,
L


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roaring fork shelter

woke up at 7 to clear skies this morning at standing bear hostel. somebody had already started a pot of coffee - nice - which made it easier to get up. got ready quickly, had some oatmeal, and hit the trail at a little after 8.
the two big climbs were really tough today. the max patch mtn was also weird. it's completely bald and big. some guy cut down all the trees many years ago to raise sheep. evidently the sheep eventually froze. hehe. anyway, it's still bald and looks a lot like Kansas. bad thing is that I rolled my ankle something fierce on top of the mtn and it hurts - really bad. good thing is that there are several doctors, including and orthopedic specialist, camping next to our shelter and they're giving me advice. I'll probably tape it and wear the spare ankle brace I brought (always prepared for joint injuries) and take a bunch of ibuprofen. have to only go about 11 miles tomorrow, so I can take it easy. will stop early if it really bothers me. then about 9 miles into hot springs the following day. depending on how I feel, I might take a day off there - but I don't want to do that unless it's really necessary. ugh.
anyhoo, still hiked over 15 miles today - the last 3 with a bit of a limp.
later,
L


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mile 204 gatlinburg, tn

late last night a family (dad and two boys) showed up at the shelter. they were cold, wet, and noisy. so I didn't get to sleep until after 11, and then I was up at 6:30 packing up for the hike. I guess in my normal life this wouldn't be a big deal, but it felt like a huge deal this morning on the trail.
had to cross clingmans dome (6600) early today. highest point on the AT. it was windy, cold, and wet. much of the trail was frozen...and when not frozen, really muddy. at one point my left shoe was pulled off by the quick sand - like mud and my sock became soaked with water and mud. nice. for a short time the trail was covered with about 4 inches of solid ice, so it was slow going. also...I'm writing this while I repeat to myself "I'm here to grow" over and over: I left camp in a spread-out group of four, and someone ahead of me took a wrong turn so we all made the mistake of assuming we were going the right way...even though I knew it was wrong, but I was too far behind to get their attention. SO we went over a mile out of our way and had to backtrack. nice. so after 10.5 miles we were finished and I hitch hiked into gatlinburg - oh yeah, I hitch hiked with d'leader at newfound gap. some other hikers picked us up in their pick up truck and drove us 15 miles to town. cool. staying at a creepy cheap motel tonight after having a big dinner at a weird brewery in this really odd town. it's like Branson, MO without the music. hehe.
stomach is fine now, HA David - I'm not dying of some odd virus! did laundry, bought groceries, and doctored my feet.
everything seems ok - just wish the trail were friendlier. have supplied myself for about 5 days - hitting the trail again tomorrow morning and should be in hot springs, nc by sunday or monday.
talk later. KU is a #3, really? go DUKE!

L

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double spring gap shelter

late last night the shelter filled up. there were even ppl sleeping on the dirt floor of the covered eating area, but I stayed snug in my bag until 7 am this morning. it actually cleared up from about 9 pm to 3 am, then it started raining again. ALL DAY - it rained off an on. but I was set on making up for the short hike yesterday. d'leader and I broke camp around 8 am behind caveman and two other unknowns. we made the first 6.3 miles by 11, so we had an early lunch at derrick knob shelter. after a tough day of many ups and downs we cruised, in a downpour, into double spring gap at 3:30 (I think) for a total of 13.5 miles. starting elevation was 4900, final was 5500, highest was 5650, and lowest was 4800. just to give you and idea. many signs of bears and other critters but still no sightings. saw stallion today - a southbound thru-hiker who started in Maine on October 25. he's almost finished.
final total mileage after today is 194 miles. tomorrow should break 200 if all goes well. at 5:30 pm there are only 5 of us here and it's still raining. probably won't see others coming in tonight. hopefully I'll get in to gatlinburg, tn tomorrow. I need to do laundry and get food. only have oatmeal and snickers left in my food bag for tomorrow, and I'm wearing my last pair of dry socks and underwear to bed tonight. also, my hiking pants can't hold much more mud!
later,
L


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spence field shelter

cold and wet again. and what a cold night. stayed in my bag from 6:30 pm to 9:00 am. put on my wet pants an started out again. the trail conditions are horrible today-muddy and sloshy. I felt like I took a step and a half just to go one step. it's very tiring to try and keep your footing all day. only went about 6 miles in 5 hours before calling it quits. about my slowest pace yet.
the shelter is right next to a big field surrounded by trees. lots of color up here. yellows, greens, reds, and even some blues. think I got some good pics with the camera today. the shelter is very nice with a fire place and sleeps 12. here with d'leader, one stick, and a couple of local sectioners. think I'm startin' to get me a twang - cause uh awl tha talkin' to these here locals I been doin.
hehe.
tomorrow I'll probably try to get in 11-16 miles if it's not raining. should be a little nicer tomorrow afternoon. my stomach feels a little better but it's still acting up a bit.
later,
L


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mollies ridge shelter

after a day off my feet feel much better. spent the day soaking them and just hanging out with rich (aka: d'leader); eric and dave headed back to the northeast. another problem now - my stomach is upset something fierce. not sure if it was water I had or what. ugh.
today: cold, rain, sleet, and mud. did I mention mud? hiked 11+ miles, mostly ascent, out of fontana dam into SMNP and now at mollies. rules of the park state that section and weekend hikers must reserve and pay for their spots in shelters. therefore, if a shelter fills up the thru hikers must leave and set up their tents next to the shelter. BUT you can't sleep in your tent anywhere except next to a shelter AND only if the shelter is full. odd.
mollies holds 14 and there are now 10 here, so we should be okay tonight. thank goodness their is a tarp covering the front of the shelter because it's 38 degrees and blowing rain.
most of the hike today was in the clouds and sliding around in the mud. couldn't see much of anything. I think the high was 44 - according to my trusty thermometer.
tomorrow should be dry but still chilly, which will be much better. rather be sweaty an not drenched in rain water than sweaty and drenched. taking meds for my stomach but if it's not better in a couple days I'll go to a clinic I'm gatlinburg when I resupply.
later,
L

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fontana dam shelter

16+ miles today puts me at 163.7 total. it's cold.
started to sprinkle at about 3 AM. was warm and dry in the tent. I love sleeping in the tent instead of the shelters. got up at 7 to clean up camp and have breakfast. started hiking at 8:01 because dave's oatmeal took a minute too long to cook! was overcast and 43 degrees, and the warmest it got today was 57 - not too bad for hiking but it was freezing every time I stopped for a break. lots of rocky trail today. I tweaked my right ankle twice - still sore tonight - and the blister on my little toe is a bit bigger. I'm working on it tonight but it still hurts. hiked past a bunch of caves today. some had fresh tracks leading to and from, but I didn't see any critters.
didn't see other hikers today. at the shelter tonight with eric, dave, and rich. also here are 3 guys doing a section from here to the turn off for gatlinburg; about 4 days. haven't decided what I'll do tomorrow. see how my feet feel in the morning. might rain again tonight and tomorrow. we're making a fire now, so we might be up late tonight - later than 8!!!
got a text message from starbucks today. he and downhill are a half day behind me. whenever I do start, I will be in the great smokey mountain national park. cool.
later,
L


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unknown mtn, mile 147

got up and had a big breakfast in prep for the big climb and hit the trail at 9. the steep 7 miles went quickly and were painless. just proves that the descents are tougher on the body than the ascents...terrain being equal. some of the trail was really rocky again today - see pic below. this iPhone only takes blurry pictures when used by my shaky hands. :)
after lunch, tortilla bread with peanut butter and a snickers bar, decided to go another 4.5 before setting up camp. total is 11.5 for the day and I'm with eric, dave, and rich (d'leader) on an unknown mountain top - tenting it tonight. nice. I found out eric and dave are electrical engineers from new hampshire and rich is in finance and lives I'm charlotte (maybe), but has worked out of NYC quite a bit. dave an rich are in their 50's and eric is in his 30's. they all hike mostly faster than I do, mostly. dave and eric will leave the trail Friday at Fontana and rich and I will continue. I think I'll make gatlinberg, tn by midday march 17 and meet russ s. there for st patty's day.
today it was cloudy and rained a little bit - nothing much to see; although, it cleared up late when we were cooling dinner. tonight I had couscous with dried veggies and olive oil, hot cocoa, a protein bar and half a liter of water. still don't think I'm getting enough water daily, but I'm working on it. always thirsty. knees are okay today, but I might have a small blister on my little toe - I'll look in the AM and dr, if needed. if it's clear in the morning we should have a good sunrise.
later,
L





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nantahala outdoor center

NOC.
thought today would be an easy 11.5 mile day. wrong. straight up and straight down over jagged rocks and roots. at one point I just sat down and scooted over the rocks because I thought I was going to slide over the edge. the last 2 miles went from about 4700 feet to 1700 feet...mostly straight down, mostly. now I can officially say, my knees hurt. I've got a bunk at a hiker hostel at the outdoor center. not many ppl here because it's still "pre-season" for them. I'm rooming with the 3 guys from new hampshire. turns out one is from N.C. and on a thru hike.  I think his trail name is d'leader or daleader.  The other 2, from N.H. will leave the trail in a few days at fontana dam. tomorrow will be interesting. first 7 miles are straight up again, back to 5000 feet. not sure how many miles I'll be able to get done after that. also, will be sleeping in the tent most of the time now because it's getting warmer out and is too hot in the shelters. I think I have all my gear issues worked out, now I just need to figure out the food. lightest possible combination with most calories and also easiest to prepare. went across several "peaks" today and an old fire lookout station. cool.
later,
L








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cold springs shelter

3/9/09
the super charitable ron haven dropped me off (with 4 others) at winding stair gap this morning a little after 9. time to start again. I had planned to go about 11 miles but 16 came very easy to finish by 4 pm. it was lovely today. my thermometer showed a high temp of 70. I think I got a bit of a sunburn along some of the higher ridges during midday. there were a couple of long ascents early and a big one at the end, but most of the day wasn't too rough; although, the trail had a lot of exposed roots and smaller rocks. many times I tripped or stubbed my toes. on the highest ridge I saw a lot of bear fur/hair on logs and branches but nothing looked very fresh. passed a bunch of "bald" top mtns. from what I've read and heard, logging companies in the late 1800's and early 1900's would completely clear off top sections of these mountains and not replant. however, they were tricky about it. they would clear cut sections just in the middle of the tops. from a distance, one can't/couldn't tell anything was cut because the trees around the edges hid the damage. like male pattern baldness. hehe. anyhoo, these areas are now meadows or grassy fields. wait, maybe those two things are the same.
almost forgot, more trail magic today. 1 mile before the shelter there was a retiree with 2 huge 12 person tents set up - 1 even had a wood burning stove in it! he had fruit, cookies, hot dogs, soda, water, hot chocolate, etc. I sat for about 30 minutes and rested while drinking water and eating apples. yummy. his trail name is apple and he does this here and in Colorado on the Colorado trail and the continental divide trail. ppl who do this regularly are called trail angels - not sure if I've mentioned that before. very nice.
I'm here at the shelter with splinter (thru from boulder, co) and 3 sectioners from new hampshire. good crew. one of the guys hung a clothes line, so I washed my shirt and socks in a stream and they're drying now. probably won't do anything except make the stream dirty!
the extra hour of sunlight is great! won't have to get in my bag until 8 or 8:30. late night. now only 11 miles to the NOC. I'll grab some more food there tomorrow and then head to Fontana dam to get more food before heading into the smokies. my feet are a little sore because I bought new insoles cause the other ones were dead - mostly from being water logged and frozen, mostly.
mmmmm, eating jelly beans I bought at a gas station in franklin. sold to me by a very large southern woman named Bea. love the south!
later
L


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franklin nc

tonight I'm in franklin, north carolina. about 107 miles into the AT. I got up early and had coffee and oatmeal before hiking out of camp at 8:30. it was a beautiful day. first day that has been sunny all day. I hiked in a short sleeve shirt all day and used sunscreen for the first time on my journey. there were several very technical sections today. for real, on something called big butt mountain I was teetering on a very slippery rocky ledge for about a mile. beautiful views but I couldn't look or I would fall to my death! another ascent involved hand over hand crawling up about 500 feet of rocky terrain until I reached the peak - which had a lookout tower that one could climb for even more extraordinary views...if one wanted...this one chose not to. but I got good pictures anyway. by noon I had hiked 10 miles and was still going strong. I got a little more trail magic today. on the trail was a big teddy bear with a sign that read, "boo-boo is rooting for all thru-hikers. please take one." next to the bear was a cooler full of ice and water bottles and soda cans. I took a bottle of water and a picture! wonderful. 16.7 miles after I started I was at winding stair gap. I called Ron Haven, owner of several motels and a hostel in franklin. I found his name and info in one of my guidebooks. when he answered his phone he told me he had rooms available and he was already on his way to get me because he was picking up other hikers along the way at various locations. he gave me a lift, 11 miles, to franklin and would accept no gas money for the ride. also told me he knows exactly where hays, ks is located because in the 70's and 80's he was a pro wrestler and did shows at gross memorial. holy cow! he was honored to have a Kansan in his van, and he told me several crazy jokes in a very southern accent. he also gave me detailed descriptions of his visits to NYC, ks, ca, nv, and other states. the man knows the USA. the hostel is full so i opt for the motel. for $35 I get a single room, free laundry, Internet, and a ride anywhere in town that I need to go tomorrow. people are too nice out here. my plan is to take tomorrow off to soak my feet and get supplies.
I think I have 3 - 6 days before I enter the smokies, so I want to make sure I have everything sorted out. wow, the ppl down here are chunky. I'm having dinner in a bar-grill and I feel really skinny, but I haven't lost that much weight yet. saw a little of the ku game tonight and I hope to see the duke - nc game tomorrow. I'm sporty! god, I need a manicure and a pedicure!!! don't think I'll ask these folks where to go. by the way, I stink. I took a 30 minute shower and used an entire bar of motel soap and I still smell weird. it's not like my normal sweaty smell-it's different. oh well. washing all my clothes and airing out all my gear.
later,
L


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more photos

not sure why these haven't been appearing.












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photo test

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carter gap shelter

yet another day passes on the AT. got up early after a rough night - two of my shelter mates took it upon themselves to set mouse traps after the rest of us had gone to sleep. during the night they caught about 3 mice and had to wake the rest of us all each time. ugh. FYI - mice are around the shelters because hikers leave food, trash, etc. so it's understood that if you want to sleep in a shelter vs. a tent you just deal with it. the just scurry around after dark looking for food; don't really bother you much. oh well. I left camp before the others - at about 8 am. at 10 am I crossed the GA-NC state line. I'll try to insert a pic below. yippee, my first state is complete. nc has been so much more colorful. lots of green and yellow instead of mostly brown. so I hiked my 12.5 miles to get to standing indian shelter. I think I mentioned something about good weather in my previous post - big fat lie! it was cold windy foggy and rainy. and I would have had so many chances at great pictures. most of the day was easy hiking along a long ridge line, but I couldn't see anything except fir the vegetation on either side of the trail. so I'm sitting at the shelter when some people start to show up who were a ways behind me - people I'd rather not hang out with, oh yeah, I think I can leave at 4pm and hike another 7.6 miles to the next shelter before dark. I DID! wow. I broke the 20 mile mark; holy cow!! I'll be sore in the AM. I was almost running, but I made it just as the sun was going down. very stupid. I had to quicky boil water for coffee, so I could have something warm in my body and then hang my food from a tree by the light of my headlamp. then change clothes and get in my sleeping bag by 7 pm (dark already). blondie (adam) and long legs (brittish fellow) just showed up, so I won't be alone tonight. nice. saw several undated posts today about a local bear that has been stealing things and is not afraid of humans - great. jeez, those two guys have been trying to hang their food for about 20 minutes; I'll go help.
later,
L



-- Post From My iPhone

plumorchard gap shelter

easy day today. 8.6 miles from deep gap to plumorchard shelter. only a few ups and downs and quite a bit of ridge walking with great views. here at the shelter with two guys from chatanooga, tn (originally from wisconsin and new york) on spring break, and with a brit and guy from mass doing 2 months on the AT. all were at neels gap and a couple other shelters also. really funny and down to earth. forgot to mention that from neels on north ppl stop talking about the approach trail and # of days - only talk about miles from springer mtn, daily miles, and next stops. so I'm about 71 miles into the AT and about 40 miles to my next resupply stop.
probably start sleeping in the tent again since the weather is getting nicer. it's been in the upper 40's and low 50's the last 2 days and will continue to warm until I get to smokey mountain national park - might see more snow there. next two days will be big for me. 12 and 14 miles each so I can get into Franklin, NC in 4 days.
had to explain to several section hikers today that this is not a vacation. they didn't get it. I told them that on vacation I like to stay in nice places, eat at nice restaurants, go to museums, etc. NOT eat boiled food and skip showers for days and days and walk miles and miles in the mountains. they still didn't get it. oh well.
later,
L


-- Post From My iPhone

deep gap shelter

after being dropped off by dwayne this morning, the hike began with a steep ascent of 1300 feet over 1.5 miles. nice way to start off the day after a great night's rest. most of the day the terrain was rocky and it switched regularly between snow covered, frozen, and muddy. there weren't many other difficult stretches until the end of the day with a 1000 foot ascent in less than a mile followed by a 1000 foot descent in about .75 mile. the shelter was in a valley and it faced east. the 5 of us who spent the previous night together all arrived at the shelter over the span of an hour or two around 4 pm - after a 12.75 mile day. nice. I saw many fresh bear tracks in the mud during a 1 mile stretch along a ridge with beautiful views of the mountains, but no actual bear sightings. I ate lunch at the top of tray mtn. with wonderful views all around. I'll try to insert a pic below. tonight we made a campfire and stayed up until after 9 pm!! that's hiker midnight. the sky was clear, the stars were everywhere and the moon was our night light. lovely evening. we met another thru tonight, zach. we probably won't see him again because he's already blazing 20+ days. ouch. I'll stick with 10 - 15 days for now. tomorrow we all split up, maybe for good. jonathan and nick go back to school and downhill and starbucks are laying over for a couple days in the next town (4 miles ahead) so I'll be on my own again to meet new ppl in the coming days. I'm going to hit franklin, nc in about 4-5 days and might stay an extra day, depending on how I feel.
that's all for now.
L



-- Post the trail

trail magic

so today was crazy. at 6 am we woke up to single digit temps. even tho there were 12 ppl in the shelter it was freezing. at least I know my 20 degree bag works well. my water, shoes, socks, and basically everything else - all frozen. everyone slowly started moving once the temp got to about 12 degrees - when the sun came out, even the this kid we called nick-sicle who had a 40 degree bag. only pop tarts and granola for breakfast because my hands were too cold to work the stove. tried doing soccer warm up drills to get warm, but they didn't work. decided the only way to warm up was to hike. put on my cold socks and shoes and headed out.  we left the shelter area a few at a time again this morning. trail was frozen. either frozen dirt, snow, or ice. i hiked with my frozen water hanging from the back of my pack so it would thaw in the sun. hiked 10+ miles with lots of ups and downs and slippery rocks. had my first fall of the hike. lost my footing on an ice covered rock and fell backwards off the trail and down the mountain. landed on my pack and slid about 10 - 15 feet before wrapping my legs around a small tree to stop myself. I'm ok! but it was rough and probably funny to see. in the morning, and confirmed along the trail, 5 of us had agreed to go into Helen, GA for the night because it was going to be just as cold again. that was jessica (downhill), charles (starbucks), me, jonathan and nick (Vanderbilt students on spring break - a couple of fun guys we met in the hostel at neels gap). we got to unicoi gap one and two at a time and met dwayne and linda. they were next to their truck grilling food for hikers. it's called trail magic. what a sight. fresh fruit, juice,water, hot dogs, etc. when they found out we wanted to go into town they insisted we stay with them in their spare "cabin". so we did. they took us to the grocery store to get stuff for dinner and then they cooked for us and sat and talked to us for a while. we had a great night sleeping in front of their wood burning fireplace, and in the morning they made us breakfast and drove us back to the trail after taking our picture and then printing it out for us to sign. I washed dishes for them, but dwayne refused money for gas. thank you both!!!
it got down to 8 again on the mountain - good thing we were insde. back to the trail.
L

-- Post From My iPhone

low gap

oh what a day. left the hostel at neels gap at 8 am. it was 14 degrees with 25 mph winds and there was about 8 inches of snow on the ground. I left with charles because we thought it might be better to travel in pairs because of the extreme conditions. we were the second group, of 6 groups, to leave so we followed the first group's footprints - hoping they knew where they were going. within 20 minutes my face mask was frozen to my beard and face. by mid-day the winds calmed and it got into the low 30's. my clothing for reference: thin capilene long underwear bottoms under my hiking pants. ss breathable shirt, ls midweight techwick shirt, rain/wind jacket. heavy weight hiking socks. balaclava, breathable gilligan hat, hood on my jacket. fleece gloves. getting to know the layering thing and knowing when to unzip my jacket and its underarm zippers for ventilation.  this combo worked well for me today.
we hiked about 11 miles over some great peaks and past cool vistas to the low gap shelter. we were the 5th and 6th people at the shelter which is built for 7. got here around 4pm. first day I've seen the sun. got some good pics i think. changed clothes ate hot food and drank hot coffee and cocoa and then closed up the front of the shelter with tarps. now there are 12 of us crammed into the shelter, but it's nice because it's 29 degrees at 6 pm. will get much colder so we're laying all over each other and already burrowed into our bags for the night.
for tomorrow: hike 7, 15, or 22 miles. I'll wait until i see how the trail looks and how early I can get up if it's still cold.
feet and body are feeling good. mind is doing well also. hike on!


later, l
-- Post From My iPhone

stuck in snow

well, it got crazy cold last night. all my gear was wet and cold when I got up this morning because it started misting, raining, and snowing off and on all night. we made it over blood mountain this morning with quite a bit of effort. several people who stayed near the shelter last night decided not to join us.  only took 30 minutes to go up in the rain and drizzle, but the top and the other side held a big surprise. at the top of this 6000 foot pile of granite it began to hail and sleet and then snow. it was very slippery with no visibility. on the way down the other side the hail turned to heavy snow. it took a couple hours to get down. but all is well. I'm at neels gap at the hiker hostel run by mountain crossings outfitters. 30 bucks gets me a bunk, a warm meal and snacks, Internet, laundry facilities, and a hot shower. very nice. forecast says at least 6" of snow and possibly up to 11". if it's a lot more than what's on the ground already I will probably stay another night and head out tuesday early with warm gear and food resupply. more to come soon.
l


-- Post From My iPhone

woods hole shelter

so another day of rain. at least the ups and downs weren't as severe as yesterday. the trail was extremely muddy when I left the gang at gooch mtn shelter at 9 am. it rained and drizzled all day. today I took a couple of pictures on top of a few peaks that probably have nice views when it's not rainy and foggy. saw several burnt out areas with probably only a year or two of regrowth - everything was black except for the small new trees ground cover. saw several fresh signs of bear today as I hiked alone. good that I didn't see the bear responsible. feet are a little sore but knees are ok. I take off my shoes whenever I can and as early as possible when making camp. also using gold bond powder on them nightly. I hiked about 13 miles and decided to call it quits around 4 pm here. neels gap is only about 4 miles away but I have to pass over blood mountain which is straight up about 1000 feet and it's mostly rocky. so I'll wait. but rumor has it that it might snow quite a bit tonight or tomorrow which will make it difficult. we'll see. here at the shelter tonight with charles and jessica - who I met at the shelter last night. they arrived about an hour after I got here. misting heavily - everything is wet. hopfully the shelter mice aren't active tonight. but i'm sure they will be due to all the trash laying around the site here. they don't pose a threat, just scurry about looking for food. so every now and then they run over your sleeping bag. ugh.
laters
l

-- Post from the trail