Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Hot Springs

4/22
I stopped by the shelter this morning on my way up the trail. It had gotten pretty cold and was raining so I ducked in to cook my oatmeal and tea. The weather was dreary most of the morning but finally turned into a nice day by 1pm. I ended up pulling two BIG mile days and made it to Hot Springs around 5pm. The final mile coming down from the mountain provided a grand view of the town. It was like torture knowing that a hot meal was waiting down there. I virtually ran down the mountain.... Unfortunately, the two big hiking days took there toll on my shin and my foot. I got a shin splint half way thru the day and the blister that I've been nursing on my foot has started to morph into a second round.

I ended up taking two more days off, hobbling around town on my beat up leg/foot. I stayed at the campground to save money but ended up spending way too much at the bar. Hot Springs is a great little town although there's not much here. Just a few motels/hostels, shops, and two bars.

On Easter Sunday the town had a parade. It was nice to see the families out and the kids running around enjoying themselves. I spent a lot of the day sitting around and soaking up the sunshine. My leg was still sore but was feeling a bit better so I decided to push on the following day. One more night of town life and then back to the trail.

I've hiked 272.4mi ... 1908.6 to go.

Max Patch

4/21
I walked back down the driveway from the hostel to the I40 intersection where I had left the trail two days earlier. My goal is to make it to Hot Springs in two days. That's 33.7mi to cover.

The hiking has been spectacular the past couple of weeks. The highlight of this section came at the end of the day when the trail climbs to the summit of Max Patch. This bald was created by a farmer in the 1800s who cleared the land of trees for planting crops. Its a very unique spot and I've been looking forward to seeing it.

I walked through the green grass over the summit, wound around the round hill top, and found a nice little campsite at the bottom of a hay field on Max Patch. I ate dinner, watched the sunset over the bald, and enjoyed my first night in my tent outside of the Smokies.

253mi hiked ... 1928mi to go.

Bluegrass friends on the trail

During my stay at Standing Bear Farm there was a BBQ with live music. I was very surprised to see that two musicians that I know from Nashville were the ones playing. Matt Kinman and Brian Volmer are old time musicians that I run into all the time back home at picking parties. It was a strange but GREAT surprise to see them on my journey. The music was fantastic and made me feel right at home!

The Great Smoky Mountains

4/14-4/19
I started off the day by walking down the road that crosses the top of Fontana Dam. At the other end of the dam the trail turns right, officially enters the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and follows another road up a hill for awhile before finally re-entering the woods. The hike that morning was a KiLLER! Straight up almost 4,000ft of elevation gain. It was rough but the weather was nice so the day was pretty enjoyable. After hiking 11.3mi I pulled into my first Smoky Mtn shelter and snagged the top left bunk. The shelter was a sturdy built stone shed with a tin roof and open front. Tarps have been fastened across the front by former guests in order to keep out the wind and rain.
The wind and rain came down with a vengeance all night! I stayed warm and dry and the noise from the storm actually helped drown out the orchestra of snoring coming from my shelter mates. Thankfully, I brought earplugs!

It took me 6 days of hiking to get thru the 72mi of trail in the park. I made it thru without venturing into town and had to carry 6 days of food in my pack. It was HEAVY the first few days but got lighter as I hiked/ate. I was briefly tempted to hitch into Gatlinburg when i crossed US441 at Newfound Gap. I developed cheeseburgeritis and was dreaming of civilization. Luckily, when I got to the crowded tourist overlook at the highway I was greeted by a couple who were providing trail magic to the thru-hikers. They fixed me up with a bowl of homemade chili, sodas, and endless snacks. I LOVE trail magic! I pushed on past the highway with a full belly and made my way down the trail towards the shelter for the night. It was a good day :0)

Everyone always warns to be prepared for the weather in the Smokies... I got it all. I encountered warm, cold, wet, rainy, sleet, and VERY windy weather while walking thru the park. The most concerning was the day that I walked over some beautiful balds with tall flowing grass and short shrubby trees that ebbed and flowed with the wind.... The winds were gusting around 70mph that day and my pack was like a sail. I got knocked down a few times. Once into a bush! I'm sure it would be hilarious on film but it was a little concerning at the time. Still a cool experience tho!

Overall, the Smokies were an amazing place and I had a great time there. Although I did NOT enjoy being forced to sleep in the shelters during my stay in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, I did enjoy the hiking. The forest began to transform into whole new species... I was now hiking thru green needled trees and wildflowers. The views were some of the most stunning yet. I was experiencing the Southern Mountains in a whole new way and loving every bend of the trail.

I left the park on 4/19 and made my way towards the Spot where the AT intersects Interstate 40. It's somewhere between Knoxville and Asheville. There's a Hostel just up the trail from there and I spent two nights resting up in the hay loft of a 100 year old barn. The sleeping accommodations at Standung Bear Farm Histel consisted of a bunkhouse, cabin, a field for tenting, and an old barn. Everything else was full so I slept in the 100 year old barn. It was actually pretty cool despite the rumors of hauntings.

It's a HUGE feeling of accomplishment to have made it thru the Smokies. I'm beginning to feel like I might have a real shot at finishing this adventure and I'm looking forward to the challenges ahead. There will be many!

237.9mi hiked ... 1943.1 to go!

Don't worry... I'm still alive!

***UPDATE***
I'm soooo sorry for the delay in my posts recently. Ive had very little cell/data/Internet coverage for the past several weeks. Ever since entering the Smoky Mtns the signal has been non-existent. I'm hoping for better luck down the trail but please be patient... I'll update as often as I can.

Thanks so much for all of your comments on the blog page. I get notifications on my phone whenever someone leaves a comment. Many times Im reading your comment while sitting atop a mountain or sitting by a stream in a huge forest. It REALLY makes my day to hear from my friends & family back in the "real world"...

Several folks have inquired about sending care packages to me along the trail. That would be AWESOME!! Id really appreciate a letter and some goodies from home (especially home baked treats)... Just get in touch with Alex by email and she can let you know the best address to send to and by what date: alexgamelang@yahoo.com . She also has a list of the items that I resupply with every week.

I hope your enjoying the journal so far. I'll try to keep it interesting and up to date. Many nights I'm just too tired to write about my day. It's a lot of work climbing these hills day in/out........ but I'm having a blast!

Sunday, April 24, 2011

Fontana Lake

4/11-4/13
After Alex left on Sunday I wandered around the NOC for awhile and setup my tent. I spent another night camped in the "hobo" campground down the railroad tracks by the river (hey, it's free!) In the morning I had one last civilized meal then headed back into the woods. It was a tough climb all day long and the weather was warm. I spent most of the day thinking about Alex and sulking at the thought of not seeing her again for several weeks. I had a tough time keeping up my pace but I trudged along and hiked 10.4 mi.
Another nasty storm rolled thru last night and I found myself once again at the mercy of mother nature. I laid in my tent til 10:00am the next morning, hoping the rain would stop. It did not. So, I packed up all of my wet gear and started walking in the rain. Today's hike included a section called "Jacobs Ladder" which climbs straight up for what seems like eternity. It wore me out! The weather was cold and rainy all day. Nothing to do but keep walking. I hiked into Cable Gap Shelter, setup camp, and hit the sack.... still missing Alex. 12.1mi hiked today...
It was a short hike Wednesday morning into the Fontana Resort area. I caught a shuttle in the Village and had lunch at the lodge with new friends Splitter and DVD... After lunch I did some laundry, laid my tent out to dry, and retrieved my food package that I left at the general store.
Later that evening I caught a shuttle back to the trail and hiked another mile to the shelter. This shelter is referred to as the "Fontana Hilton". It's super fancy and even has showers.... In reality, it's still just a dirty/stinky shelter. I slept in my tent and watched the light fade over the waters of Fontana Lake.
The next morning I watched the sunrise while drinking my morning tea in my tent. Today I will enter The Great Smokey Mtns National Park. It will take approx 6 days to get thru the park and while there I'll have to follow extra rules and regulations. No more tent camping for awhile. I'll have to cram into those dirty-mouse-filled shelters with 14 other smelly/snoring hikers... FUN!

I've hiked 163.7mi ... 2017.3 to go!

Sunday, April 10, 2011

Yes, Forest Fires

4/08
I forgot to mention that I could see a couple of forest fires burning in the distance All day yesterday. When I finally got close to where I would be camping for the night I realized that one of the fires was right in the area. I walked past some firefighters and asked if it was going to be dangerous to camp. They assured me that I would be fine and that the fire was under control. I made it thru the night so all is well! I did wake up to the smelling smoke a few times. I'm just starting to take things like this in stride! What could possibly come next?
I hiked 1 short mile into the Nantahala Outdoor Center. It's a collection of shops, restaurants, and outdoor outfitters centered around the area where the AT crosses the Nanatahala River. It's a cool spot! On Friday, I ate a bunch of food, drank a few cold brews, and just relaxed. Alex showed up around 10am and found me right away. We spent the weekend hanging around the NOC and Fontana Lodge relaxing, eating, and helping out my fellow hikers with free shuttles here and there. It's going to be tough saying goodbye but time is flying right on. We'll be back together soon enough for another adventure. Back to the trail early Monday morning.

135.2mi hiked ... 2045.8 to go.

Wayah Awesome!

4/07
I can't quite put into words how amazing my night/morning was in the tower. I'm not sure that I'll be as to top it. It was definitely the coolest place I've ever laid my head for the night and I will be back for sure! We ate some dinner, played Monoply (I won), then retired to our sleeping bags. The wind was bitter cold but my sleeping bag kept me toasty warm all night. I woke up to the sun rising over the mountains in east, packed up my gear, and head north. I reached a road crossing around lunch time and was greeted by MORE trail magic. A group of former thru-hikers was grilling and having a hiker party. I enjoyed a burger and soda and relaxed for about an hour. They had music blaring on an iPod which was great! I haven't listened to any music while I've been out here and it's been tough. Apparently I LOVE music and miss it very much. Who would have guessed it :0)
I finally found the energy to get moving again and ended up pulling the my biggest mileage day yet. I hiked 16.4mi and am only 1mi short of the NOC where I will meet Alex on Sat.. I'm a full day early so I plan to relax and enjoy some real time off. Theres a hiker festival here this weekend. It should be fun!

134.2mi hiked ... 2046.8 to go!

Siler Bald

After procuring a couple of biscuits from Bojangles this morning, I walked down to the on ramp for Hwy64 threw out my hitchin thumb. After a few minutes a tiny little 2 door Geo hatchback swerved onto the shoulder and stopped to pick me up. There were already two folks in the front chain smoking cigarettes, so I crammed my pack into the back seat and squeezed myself in. The couple was quite friendly and very interested in my hike. Unfortunately they were only heading up the road about 3mi and the trailhead was 11mi outside of town. They deposited me back on the side of the hwy at their turn off and wished me well on my adventure. I started walking with my thumb out and a few minutes later a nice guy stopped in a truck. He was heading to deliver a cold drink to a stranded motorist a few miles up the road and carried me another 3mi closer to the trail. I was back on the side of the hwy, again, and had a BIG hill to climb. Fortunately, a very nice older couple stopped and carried me the final few miles and I was finally back on track. A church group was setup in the parking lot dispensing trail magic. I had a cup of coffee, talked with the nice folks, and grabbed a few snacks for the trail. I was back in the woods by 10:45am and on my way again. I stopped for lunch on Siler Bald. A side trail led 1/4mi up to the summit with 360 degree views. It was beautiful! I ran into a couple of young hippy dudes named RedBeard and Matt... They said they were planning to sleep in a tower at Wayah Bald tonight and invited mento join them. I spent some time taking pictures and lounging on the summit then started making my way to Wayah Tower. I finally arrived around 7:30pm and threw down my pack with the other guys in the tower. There are 4 of us camping in the tower tonight. Me, RedBeard, Matt, and Matts Uncle Rippin Riles. It should be a good night. The views from the tower are stunning, the weather is clear, and the air is crisp!
117.9mi hiked... 2063.1 to go

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Another day/Another town

4/05
After my apocalyptic storm night I decided I'd break camp as soon as the sun came up. I was just ready to get the heck out of those woods and town was only a short 4mi hike away (plus a hitch)... It sounds like an easy enough task but the temperature dropped overnight from 70 to 30 and it began to sleet and snow just as I started my hike. Oh well, at least its not lightning anymore! I trudged along and made it to the highway in about an hour and a half. I walked directly to the shoulder of the road and stuck out my thumb for a ride. Within 2 minutes a van stopped and I was on my way. The van belonged to an eccentric guy named Gordon. I couldn't understand a word he said but the other hiker he had picked up translated for me. Gordon lives in his van and travels around giving support got the thru-hikers. I wish I could have found out more about him. He seemed like a true character. He dropped me off at the Huddle House, I thanked him, and then headed inside for a warm breakfast. I sat down with a group of hikers that I've been seeing along the trail over the past few days. We exchanged horror stories about sleeping thru the storm. They had all camped at the same shelter that I was at and had caught a ride into town from a section hiker that was parked nearby. We all survived!
I made my way over to the Microtel and got a room for the night. I spent most of the day today doing laundry, getting groceries, and shopping at the outfitters. I'm beat! I only hiked 4 miles today but all of the errands wore me out. Tomorrow I'll need to find a ride back to the trail. Then it's just 3 days of hiking to the NOC where I'll get to see Alex. Woohoo!

107.5mi down... 2073.5 to go.

100 Miles down!

Today I passed the 100 mile mark. The spot was nothing special. Just a rock on the side of the trail upon which someone has written "100 mi". I stopped briefly and congratulated myself, then pushed ahead towards the next 100... The weather was beautiful again today and the hiking was very enjoyable. The climbs in NC seem to be a little less intense than GA. Or maybe I'm just starting to get into shape! In any case I moved along at a good pace for most of the day. There was one BIG climb today and it was a killer! At one point I was basically climbing straight up and even had to use my hands to pull myself up a bit. At the top of Albert Mtn there was a fire tower. I was too tired to climb the tower stairs but the view was great from the base as well. I didn't stay long. I knew that I was up against a nasty storm and wanted to get as close to the next town as possible... I made it to the Rock Gap shelter at 5:30pm and considered pushing on another 4mi to the intersection of Hwy 64 where I could hitch into Franklin NC and avoid sleeping in the rain again. Unfortunately, it began to rain lightly just as I got to the shelter so I decided I'd better get my tent setup ASAP. It rained lightly on and off until I finally finished up dinner and went to bed at 8pm. I was awoken at 10:30pm by the WORST thunderstorm I Have ever experienced. It lasted until around 3:30am and I was thankful to still be alive. I'm only slightly exaggerating. It was an experience that I do not wish to relive again... EVER! 103.9mi down (plus a near death storm)... Only 2,077.1 to go!

Sittin on top of the world

4/03
The weather today was AMAZING! Such a nice change from the miserable cold rain I've been hiking in so far. I broke camp and hit the trail at 9:30am. All day yesterday the word on the trail was that a group had setup at Deep Gap and was handing out trail magic (hot food, drinks, etc...). There was no chance yesterday that I could have made the 16mi needed in order to get to Deep Gap before nightfall. I had forgotten all about it until I got there this morning. The group had camped out last night and were just packing up when I arrived. It appeared that I had missed out. However, a very nice couple unpacked their personal cooler and laid out all the fixins to make a deli sandwich along with a selection of home baked goodies. Score! I got some trail magic after all! With my belly full and spirits high I cruised up Standing Indian Mtn without blinking an eye. According to legend, this Mtn was once inhabited by a dragon. The local Indians stationed warriors as lookouts. A great bolt of lightning struck the Mtn and killed the dragon but turned one of the warriors into stone. I didn't see any dragons but the view was simply breathtaking. I spent at least two hours up there basking in the sunshine. It was a very enjoyable hike for the remainder of the day with only gradual climbs. I covered 12.5mi today and camped in a nice little spot tucked away in some rhododendron bushes. There's a nasty storm on it's way and although I'd like to make it into Franklin NC before it hits Monday night, I just don't know if my feet can make it. We'll see what happen tomorrow. 91.8mi down.... 2089.2 to go!

Back to nature

4/02
I slept in my bag last night on TOP of the bed at the motel. I'll admit it. I'm a hotel snob. Even though I watched housekeeping clean the room I just couldn't bring myself to crawl into the sheets of the redneck honeymoon suite. Needless to say I was up and ready to go as soon as the sun came up. I walked down the street and bought two biscuits from Hardees. I ate one on the walk back to the motel and saved the other for my lunch on the trail later. A very nice guy stopped by the motel around 9am and gave a few of us homers a ride back to the trailhead on the outskirts of town. I was welcomed back to the trail with a nice steep climb right off the bat. The weather was sunny but cold and VERY windy. I was just happy to be dry for once and trudged along trying to get my rhythm back. Two days off in town was a nice break for my feet but my legs were not quite ready to wake up yet. I finally caught the groove and before I knew it I had crossed my first state line. I've completed the GA section and finally feel like I'm on my way! I stopped at the famous gnarled/twisted tree that marks the unofficial state border and ate an avocado. Avocados are quickly becoming one of my gave trail foods! I lounged for quite awhile before finally making the last tough climb of the day. I covered a total of 11.7 miles today which was just about all my poor feet could handle. I've decided to change my plans and meet Alex at the Nantahala Outdoor Center. This will allow me to cover a little less mileage per day this week. I think I got ahead of myself with the 14mi per day plan. I'll work my way up to bigger miles but not until my feet can handle it. Just taking things one step at a time for now. I'm having a blast though! Despite my foot troubles.... 79.3mi down... 2101.7 to go!

Friday, April 1, 2011

Foot Rehab

Not much to report folks... I've been laying around the hotel for two days in Hiawassee in order to give my feet some time to heal. My blisters are beginning to turn the corner but it's still pretty painful to walk around. I'll be heading back to the trail in the morning and need to average 14mi per day in order to meet Alex at Fontana Village next Saturday. I've got my work cut out for me but if my feet can handle it I think I'll be OK. I checked out of the Holiday Inn Xpress this morning and walked to the other end of town to check-in at the Hiawassee Budget Inn. It's a typical Bates Motel style joint and even has a creepy house perched on a hill just behind the building. The only non smoking room they had available was a "bungalow" room separate from the regular motel room block. It's decked out with a whirlpool tub surrounded by mirrors. It has kind of a redneck honeymoon suite kinda vibe... It will do for one night. Tomorrow, I'll be done with Georgia. North Carolina here I come!