Records 21 to 30 of 83

The weather has been perfect the past two days. It's been cool and clear at night, good for sleeping. I'd say it was 38 degrees this morning at 6:00am when I started walking. The days have been sunny and warm, probably 70 degrees today.

I reached the top of Clingmans Dome at 7:30 today. It was deserted, no tourists. This is a far cry from what it would have been yesterday afternoon. The photo today is the observation tower on top of Clingmans Dome.

After leaving Clingmans Dome the the trail follows along the left (west, for the most part) side of the road up to the Dome, sometimes in sight, but always within hearing distance. You can hear the traffic on the road all the way down to Newfound Gap. So much for the remoteness I spoke of yesterday. But that did not diminish God's marvelous creation.

The forest seemed even more grand today. Huge hemlocks, balsam fir, spruce and white pine trees line the trail and fill the woods.

I reached Newfound Gap at 11:50. There is a big parking lot there, restrooms, and an overlook. Day hikers take short walks on the AT here. The afternoon's walk from Newfound Gap to tonight's camp reminded me more of the western mountains than the Smokies. The mountains are steeper and laced with spines of exposed slate. There were several steep scree fields next to the narrow trail, close enough to cause me to walk cautiously as not to step off the side of the trail. It was straight down maybe 300'. I met another Ridgerunner named Shatter at 3:45. He was headed south. We did not talk long. I was in a hurry to get me a spot in the shelter.

Tonight I was honored to join a group of men from a Baptist church south of Jacksonville in a devotional. The night's leader talked about heaven, its perfection, and all that we Christians have to look forward to there. I was fraught with emotion. If all I've been walking through out here is a creation groaning for redemption, how much better is heaven going to be? I am writing this paragraph on the morning of May 1, and I did not write down the groups' names or information. But I told them about this website and if they look it up when they get back home I just want to say thanks and God bless. Send me a note through the website if you will.

The reason for today's title is that this is my first 20 mile day, 21.2 hilly miles I might add. I left Double Spring Gap, mile 192.8, at 6:00am and arrived at Pecks Corner Shelter, mile 214.0, at 4:22pm, for a total of 21.2 miles for the day, plus this camp is .4 miles off the trail. I am tired but very happy with this mileage. It gives me a real feeling of accomplishment. God bless you all. I miss all of you back home.

I knew this would be a long day so I was up at 5:15 and walking and 5:55. Gimpy and I were determined to get out of the Smokies today. And we did. I made it through the Smokies in four days. They say that's not bad. Maybe so, but it's pretty tiring.

Here's some thoughts on the Smokies:
-The pungent, overwhelming aroma of the conifer forest.
-The deep green and softness of the heavy moss.
-The huge conifers, both standing and down in the woods.
-The vast difference in the ecosystem at the higher elevations.
-The steep, rocky mountainsides.
-The rutted old trail. (photo)
-The coolness in the air.
-It was sad to leave the higher elevations, but good to be back where there are less rules and regulations.

At 10:00am, near Snake Den Ridge, I walked by the wreckage of a small aircraft. It gave me pause to think of those aboard when it crashed.

Tonight I am staying in a bunk house at a the Standing Bear Farm Hiker Hostel owned and operated by Curtis and Maria. I've had a shower and a shave and baked a large deluxe frozen pizza for supper. I ate it all, crust too.

Baltimore Jack, evidently an AT legend, is here tonight. He cooked up a big pot of vegetable pasta and some others prepared a huge bowl of fruit salad that we all shared. Some of you do a key word search on Baltimore Jack / AT and let me know what you find out about him. He definitely has the heart of a servant. By the way, Baltimore Jack tells me that there are more different species of trees in Smoky Mountain National Park than in all of western Europe.

Right now it's 10:00pm. There is a big campfire and music on a CD player, but never fear, this journal entry is nearly done and I've got a good set of earplugs, a gift from Gimpy.

Well, another fairly big day today from a mileage standpoint. I started at Pecks Corner Shelter, mile 214.0, and ended at Green Corner Road, mile 237.3, for a total of 23.3 miles. A rhythm is starting to develop.

Yesterday I forgot to tell you that I met a volunteer trail worker at Davenport Gap at about 4:00pm, a guy about my age. He's been section hiking the AT, south to north, every summer vacation for several years with his grandson. This summer they will start at Fort Montgomery, NY, and go for five weeks. He said his grandson will be 15 when he completes the AT at Mount Katahdin in Maine. I thought this was pretty neat.

The wildflowers up here are coming on strong. The most abundant variety right now is sort of a lily look-alike with a bloom about 3" to 4" in diameter. Some are white (photo), others are pink and lavender. There are lots of other smaller ones too; blue, red, purple and yellow. I saw a mountain laurel bloom starting to open today for the first time.

Gimpy and I left Standing Bear Farm at 7:11am today. We don't actually walk together as our paces differ, but we are close enough to equal that we see each other off and on through the day. Gimpy says he is going to take a zero day in Hot Springs, NC. He's got some blisters that need tending too. We'll get to Hot Springs at about 2:00pm tomorrow. I feel good so I'll probably keep on going, but maybe not. I may spend the night in
Hot Springs.

I reached the top of Snowbird Mountain (elv. 4265') at 9:30am today. There is big FFA navigational tower there.

From about 2:45pm until 3:50pm I walked beside a beautiful, swift running mountain stream. The trail crossed the stream several times as it snaked its way up the mountain, sometimes by fording and other times on log bridges. It was an afternoon delight.

Don't get the idea that this business is easy. It's not. You get to a low spot, usually Gap So & So, look at your guide book and note a 900' climb to the top of the next mountain and simply take a deep breath and start climbing. An hour and a half later you reach the crest, descend into another gap and do it all over again. The trail doesn't miss a mountain top. It goes over every one. Certainly not a walk in the park.

Today was another 20 mile day. I started at Green Corner Road, mile 237.3, and ended at Walnut Mountain Shelter, mile 257.6, for a total of 20.3 miles. The additional mileage seems to be coming with less effort. 20 miles today seems like 12 two weeks ago. But, I don't take this for granted. I just thank the Lord for strength and good health. God bless you all.

This morning I was up early and started walking at 5:58am. As an example of the ups and downs I wrote about yesterday, Walnut Mtn. Shelter where I started today is at elv. 4260'. You immediately descend to Kale Gap, elv. 3700', then ascend to Bluff Mtn., elv. 4686', all within 2 1/2 lineal miles. Up and down and up and down. But it has its rewards.

Just after good first light I saw three chipmunks skittering around a log. They ducked in a hollow place when they saw me coming. Later, as the final descent down to into Hot Springs, elv. 1325', began (lowest since I started at Springer Mtn.) farms and civilization came into view. The mountain laurel blooms (photo) were just bursting open and there are wildflowers everywhere. The forest canopy at this lower elevation is about to the point it was in the LBL when I left western Kentucky almost three weeks ago.

When I arrived in town at 12:45 I stopped at a diner for a plate lunch of fried chicken, mashed potatoes with lots of milk gravy, green beans and cornbread with lots of butter, and refill after refill of sweet tea with lemon. Delicious. I picked up my drop box at the post office (my son, Glen, is my logistics man back home) and checked around for a room. I found one upstairs at the Bridge Street Inn. No TV and no air conditioning, but screens on the windows. Perfect.

What a joy to be here in this first "real" trail town. I feel like I'm relaxing for the first time since I started. I feel peaceful. The previous towns where I've resupplied have been several miles off the trail, at times a logistical hassle. But the AT runs right through the middle of Hot Springs, here on the banks of the French Broad River. It's touristy, catering to outdoor types, hikers and river paddlers and rafters, not your upscale tourists.

Tonight I ate down below in the Cafe'. I had a big fancy salad and a rib eye steak dinner. Then I walked down the street for a pint of Ben & Jerry's Cherry Garcia. Now I'm stretched out in my bed eating ice cream, typing this and thinking of all those I love. What a joy. What a pleasant place to be. But only for tonight. Rain is predicted for the next two days and I'll be walking early in the morning.

Today, of course, was a short day, not a nero, but short. I started at Walnut Mtn. Shelter, mile 257.6, and got to Hot Springs, NC, mile 270.7, for a total today of 13.1 miles. Gimpy and Flaxseed are here too. Gimpy is taking a zero tomorrow -blisters. He bought a new pair of shoes today. Maybe they will help. God bless you all.

The day dawned cool and cloudy. I was up at 5:30 but had to separate and repack my drop box items. I took my time, not really all that excited about leaving my cozy little room and facing rain all day. But I can't start backing out because of rain. If I start doing that now I'm likely to keep doing it. I left the inn and walked back south for two blocks to the Smoky Mountain Diner where I had lunch yesterday. I ordered pancakes, sausage and coffee. I slathered lots of butter and syrup on the cakes and added more syrup as I ate. It takes a lot of calories to walk this trail. Flaxseed and I ate together.

As I walked across the French Broad River bridge leaving Hot Springs I continued to think about how nice (and easy) it would be to stay here another day. But soon I was committed and there was no turning back.

As it turned out this was a perfect day to walk. No rain and cloudy all day. The trail was in excellent condition, in many places cushioned with pine needles and crushed leaves. Much of today the trail was similar to the trails in the LBL, just greater elevation changes.

At about 10:30 I came upon a concrete dam and behind it a big pond (photo). This is the first pond I've seen on the trail, an oddity.

I passed a lady hiker, Tango, at 11:00. She has been out here since March 26. She says her knees hurt and she's going to take a week off for a Colorado vacation and then return to the trail. Chances are she won't be back. It takes enough will to keep going when you are out here, much less leaving and having the will to return.

At 2:15 I passed seven Methodist men from Huntsville, AL, headed south for a weekend of hiking and camping. I showed them the ring trick and prayed for them to have a good safe weekend.

Tonight after I got to this shelter, cleaned up, and cooked and ate supper, it started to rain. Other hikers started showing up. Now there are nine of us in a six person shelter; Flaxseed, Tango, Oregon, Spartan, Reckless, Dirty, Fox, Jones and yours truly, Ringmaster. Quite comfy, cozy, just like my room over the inn last night.

Today I began in Hot Springs, NC, mile 270.7, and got to Little Laurel Shelter, mile 290.3, a total of 19.6 miles for the day. Maybe this rain will blow over tonight. It sure is comforting being dry and listening to the rain on this tin roof. It's making me sleepy. God bless you all.

I know it's Cinco de Mayo. And I know it's Derby Day in Louisville. But up here at Hogback Ridge Shelter you'd never know it. Keeping warm and dry is the order of the day. Dry, under these conditions, is a relative term. Even my dry stuff is clammy, if not downright damp. But, you take it as it comes and look forward to the next sunny day when, at noontime, you can spread everything out in the sun, eat a leisurely lunch, take a good long nap, and let it all get good and dry. Now that's something to look forward to.

This morning I left camp at 6:33am in the rain. Actually I'm not certain you can call all of it rain. You are in the clouds that are producing rain, and sometimes a better description of what it feels like would be "dripping condensation". This is my take anyway, you'd need to consult a meteorologist to be sure. Whatever it's called it continued until about 30 minutes before I got to camp at 4:15pm.

The highlight of the day occurred at Devil Fork Gap where the AT crosses NC Highway 212. Scouts and leaders of Boy Scout Troop 237, Johnson City, TN, were there with "trail magic". They had been there since 8:00am. I arrived at 1:15pm and they hollered out, "Here comes our last customer." And man, what a meal. A big pile of taco seasoned ground beef, tons of shredded cheese, diced tomatoes, taco sauce, ketchup, hot biscuits, butter, strawberry jam, and lots and lots of whole milk. I drink skim milk at home, don't even like whole milk, but today I couldn't get enough of it. I bet I drank a quart and a half. I finished up with a dessert of apple pie filling right out of the can. Thanks Troop 237. You truly are Trail Angels.

Today I came from Little Laurel Shelter, mile 290.3, and ended up here at Hogback Ridge Shelter, mile 311.8, a total of 21.5 miles for the day. All of us here at Hogback Ridge, Flaxseed, Flying Turtle, Josh, Sara, Sweetwater, and Fuzzy Monkey congratulated each other on completing 300 miles today. I didn't get the PDA device out of the pack today because of the rain so today's photo from yesterday shows an important directional sign that we see at all these Shelters, very important.

This morning we awakened to a foggy drizzle. Everything that was wet last night was still wet. So, you put your wet hiking clothes and shoes back on, pack your gear and hit the trail. I was on the trail at 6:25am. The rain and mist lasted all morning. Sometimes I actually walked above the clouds in which the rain was forming. Up there the sky brightened and the rain stopped. As I descended it started raining again. I have never experienced anything like this before. Today's photo shows wildflowers along the trail in the morning fog. At almost exactly 12:00 noon the sky cleared and the sun came out. It was a beautiful afternoon.

For much of the morning there was an old barbed wire fence running right beside the trail, sometimes on the left, sometimes on the right. We are still following the ridge that forms the North Carolina / Tennessee border, have been forever it seems, and I wondered if this old fence was the border itself.

At 9:50am I came upon a drink cooler, a Tupperware container of full of chocolate cupcakes, sugar cookies, and a big thermos of hot coffee. Trail Magic. It was at the top of a mountain served by an access road. I had two cupcakes, two cookies and a cup of coffee. This trail magic food is really appreciated out here.

There are thousands of what appear to be bumblebees collecting nectar from all the wildflowers. I saw a wild turkey hen at 2:00pm just before arriving at Spivey Gap. I surprised her and she took off running through the woods.

As an aside, I want to say hello to my Uncle Ben's Sunday School class down around Azle, TX. I talked to Uncle Ben a couple of days ago and he told me he was following my adventure and that some of you were too.

Today was the biggest day yet from a mileage standpoint. I started at Hogback Ridge Shelter, mile 311.8, and walked to the Nolichucky River, mile 338.7, a total of 26.9 miles for the day. Tonight Flaxseed and I are bunked down at Miss Janet's, a legendary AT hostel. We got here at 7:00pm just in time for supper; barbecued chicken, baked beans, corn-on-the-cob, baked potatoes and a salad. For dessert we each had a pint of ice cream. Tomorrow morning we will eat a big breakfast here and get a late start on the trail. God bless you all.

Today's photo is of Miss Janet, owner of Miss Janet's Bunk & Breakfast. She is holding this morning's breakfast, a big quiche made with eggs, cheese, onions, peppers and mushrooms. Breakfast at Miss Janet's is a big deal, a trail tradition. So big that there are no early shuttles back to the trail. Miss Janet wants to meet everyone, learn a little about them, and hear about their experiences on the trail. At 9:00am we all gathered under the sun on the patio. A long table was set with china and white linen table cloths. We had the quiche accompanied by sweet rolls, fresh fruit, bacon and sausage, coffee, orange juice and milk. After everyone had finished eating Miss Janet asked each person to identify themselves, both by real and trail name, and tell something about the trail that was different than they had expected. Most responses related to the steep hills and the rocks. I said that I am staying in shelters more than I thought I would. I explained, as I have told you before, that it gets lonely walking alone all day and I cherish the fellowship. After breakfast Miss Janet loaded all of us that were going back to the Nolichucky bridge in her van and took us back where we got off the trail yesterday. She loves hikers, doesn't charge very much, and goes out of her way to help. Ours was her first shuttle of the day. She makes many more that have to do with "slack packers".

Slack packing is a big deal on the AT. The term basically means hiking the trail without a full pack. But it seems to have been expanded to include hiking with or without a pack and in just about any direction. If you stay at Miss Janet's for example she will drop you off and pick you up at any number of highway or Forest Service road access points. This allows a hiker to stay at her place for several days while slack packing and return each night via Miss Janet's shuttle to the hostel. Today I ran into several groups of hikers that ate breakfast with me. Some had small day packs, some had no packs, some were headed north and some were headed south. If the goal is to touch all the trail with your feet then I guess a through hike could be accomplished in this fashion. My choice is to walk it all with a full pack from south to north. In any case you now know what it means to slack pack.

After the big feed I was on the trail at 10:50am. I started the day with the swift running Nolichucky River on the east in the valley down below. As I climbed high above the river it disappeared but was replaced by many rushing streams cascading down the mountain. Words cannot accurately describe the beauty of God's creation along this trail.

I reached Cherry Gap Shelter at 6:10pm. A father and son from Bangor, Maine, were eating supper but planned to try to get in another four miles before dark. As usual we conversed. Turns out we are all Eagle Scouts and Scout leaders. In about thirty minutes three more Scouters (adult Boy Scout leaders) show up that I had passed earlier on the trail . Surprisingly, one knew the guy eating supper from Bangor. They serve in the same council. This fellow, the second Bangorite, pulls out a flag that he is asking every Eagle Scout he meets on the trail to sign. He already had about 25 signatures and the three of us signed it. A discussion on Scouting ensued and all six of us agreed that we would not be up here today had not been for Boy Scouts. By the way, 1956, the year I earned my Eagle Badge, predated all others on the flag.

So, today I started at the Nolichucky River, mile 338.7, and ended at Cherry Gap Shelter, mile 355.1, for a total of 16.4 miles. God bless all of you.

It was cold up here last night, coldest night yet. I had considered sending my second pair of long underwear bottoms home from Hot Springs but last night I was happy to have them. Before the night was over I had on two pairs of long underwear, long nylon hiking pants, a long sleeve Capilene shirt and a fleece pullover, all this inside what is supposed to be a 30 degree sleeping bag. I don't have a thermometer but it seemed to be about 32 degrees when I got up. I left camp at 6:25am and before long I was shucking clothes. Walking in the woods will warm you up.

At 10:20am thousands of small, dark bronze colored grasshoppers started jumping alongside the trail. They were so thick it sounded like rain as they jumped. This lasted for 30 minutes or so and then it was over, no more grasshoppers.

The ups and downs, mostly ups, were very tough today. Before the day was over I climbed from 3900' at Cherry Gap Shelter to 6285' at Roan High Knob. It would be tough enough if this was all in one climb, but it is not. You are up and down and up and down all the peaks that lay in between the low point and the high point. This trail literally finds them all; doesn't miss a one. But you take it one day at a time, sometimes one step at a time. There are times, seriously, when you wonder if that foot attached to that leg that you are trying to move 2' up to that rock is going to move at all. But, if the will is there, it always seems to move ahead. Thank you Lord.

At 12:05 on top of Little Rock Knob a vista opened up revealing several little farms with vineyards down below. This must be a wine making area.

Today I walked from Cherry Gap Shelter, mile 355.1, to Overmountain Shelter, mile 376.8, a total for the day of 21.7 miles. God bless you all.

Today's entry is about contrasts. I like to get up and get started early. Today I started walking at 6:15am. Most folks out here sleep later and start later than I do, many much later, particularly the younger ones. It's not unusual, in fact it happened just this morning, for me to have walked 6 to 8 miles and pass a Shelter site or campsite where hikers are still asleep or just getting moving. This is at 9:30 or 10:00 in the morning. They don't usually hike any later in the day either, resulting in fewer miles per day. That's not a judgement, just a contrast.

Here's another. This morning, walking over two balds (grassy fields at the top of many peaks with no or few trees ), Little Hump Mountain (elv. 5459') and Hump Mountain (elv. 5587'), it was exceptionally cold and windy, so cold my fingers did not want to grip my pencil to make notes. The 360 degree views were magnificent. Then, as the descent started down to 2820' at US Highway 19E, it got hot and muggy. I had a resupply box at the Roan Mountain, TN, Post Office so I had to get into town. At 10:41 I stopped at a hostel that was .3 miles off the trail and plugged in my PDA. There was no one available to take me to town (3.4 miles) so I walked up to the highway a stuck out my thumb. I was sweltering. In less than 10 minutes a gentleman picked me up, took me to the post office, waited for me to open my bounce box and replenish several things and remail the bounce box to send it up ahead. Then he took me to a small grocery and back to the hostel. What a gentleman. Thank you sir.

At the hostel I repacked my pack with the new food and supplies from home. There were three older men there that said they were through hikers but for one reason or another they had stopped hiking. I've seen this at the other hotels too. They were watching a dirty movie on a VCR in the middle of a beautiful sunny day. It made me sad and anxious. I felt out of place. I wanted to get back on the trail fast. I felt closed in and, like the movie they were watching, sort of dirty. It made me think of the two old boys on Hee-Haw that complained of "gloom, despair and misery". I'm not judging here, just telling you how sad and uncomfortable this made me feel. Lord, help those guys get back to doing what they set out to do.

Here's the final contrast. After leaving the gloomy hostel with 4 days food and a heavy pack I encountered lots of trash on the trail where locals, hostile toward hikers, had intentionally littered. There were signs on the trail warning hikers about theft and vandalism. The air was still hot and muggy. Compared to the mountains it was almost like being back home in the Barlow Bottoms in August. But then I started to climb. You always climb out of trail towns. Soon, after ascending only vertical 800', the air cooled, even dried. A cool breeze picked up. There were pine trees with the fresh scent of new spring growth and mountain freshets tumbling down rocky ravines. The contrast could not have been greater. I was back in the mountains, my new home. I felt alive again. Well, that's my tale of contrasts. I don't really think my words have nailed exactly what I wanted to express but it's the best I can do for now. It's 8:50 and I've got to get some sleep.

Today's walk was decent considering almost three hours to resupply. I left this morning from Overmountain Shelter, mile 376.8, and finished up at Mountaineer Shelter, mile 394.2, a total for the day of 17.4 miles. The photo is last night's hotel, an old barn. My suite was in the hay loft with several other good folks and a dog. God bless all of you.

Records 21 to 30 of 83