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!

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!

Hiawassee here I come...

Day 8 3/30
We were hit by a nasty thunderstorm last night and were glad that we were not camped out on top of this mountain. The rain, lightning, and thunder raged all night. Of course, my tent is soaked on the outside. It's keeping me pretty dry inside. Even with all of the heavy rain I've experienced. I'm Sooo ready for a warm/dry spell. The weather is really making things miserable. I hike over endless Mtns each day but the views from the top are all wasted because I'm walking thru clouds with no visibility. I'm over it! Bring on the sunshine!
I cooked some oatmeal and coffee and started packing up my gear. We hit the trail at 9:15 and began the slow trek up Tray Mtn.... There were several tough climbs today and we covered 13 miles to Dicks Creek Gap. The trail comes out of the woods and intersects a major county highway. Hiawassee GA is 11 mi down the highway and we had a tough time finding a shuttle to come pick us up. We stood by the road with our thumbs out for about 45 minutes and finally a very nice lady in a small truck stopped and picked us up. We piled in the back and started the cold ride to town in the open bed of her pick-up. She dropped us at the front door of the Holiday Inn Xpress and we were very grateful for her kindness... After a nice HOT shower we headed down to the Hardees for dinner. I scarfed down a Six Dollar Thick Burger, fries, and 32 oz Mellow Yellow in about 2 minutes. I was tempted to order an encore meal but decided to walk up to the grocery store first. I got my resupply for the next 3-4 days, picked up a few snacks for the room, and a sixer of Sierra Nevada Pale Ales. Back at the hotel it was laundry, snacks, beer, and bedtime. I've pushed pretty hard the past few days and my left foot is in a sad state. I need to take a day off to allow my blisters to heal. I can hardly walk on my left foot and it may be getting infected. Im taking care of it now and it should be fine. I hate to fall behind my new buds but my feet need to be healthy to make it to Maine and it's too early to push my body past it's limit. I can't afford to stay in towns like this all the way to Maine but I think it's a wise investment in these first few weeks. I'm still hopeful that I can make it to Fontana Dam by next Sat and meet up with Alex. I have less than 10 miles to go and I'll be done with GA. GA is known for being a tough state and it will be nice to put it behind me. I've hike 67.6 AT miles... Only 2113.4 to go!

Midnight Mouse

Day 7 - 3/29
Last night I was visited by a mouse. I had stowed a half eaten Snickers bar in a mesh pocket in my tent. I woke up a few times overnight to the sounds of pattering mouse feet racing across the top of my tent. I thought I was just being paranoid until I awoke to discover a hole in the outside mesh of my tent. The little guy chewed thru and liberated my snickers bar. I found it nibbled and laying on the ground. Lesson learned. No food in tent overnight. We hang our food bags in the tree to keep the bears away. This is called a Bear Bag. I am now going to refer to them as Mouse Bags as the mice seem to be a bigger issue than the bears.
We all broke camp around 9am. Pace Car and Phil were the first ones out and accidentally headed South out of camp. We hiked all day expecting to run into them, not realizing they had gone the wrong way. They finally caught up with us by the end of the day. We had all put in a big day and pushed thru more rain and cold. Our friend Max bailed out into Helen GA. He's having trouble with his foot and also needs to shakedown his pack to reduce his weight. He's carrying a lot of non-essential items and is paying the price. I hope to see him up the way again.
The rest of us pushed on to a campsite located at an old cheese factory site. In the 1800's an eccentric Northerner had taken a land grant and decided to start a cheese factory up on this remote mountain top. Apparently he made a superior cheese and won several accolades. The site is now empty and nothing remains of the old factory. It's still an interesting spot. It's half way up Tray Mtn., so it will be nice to finish the climb in the morning.
When we rolled into camp, Grim was already there and had a BIG camp fire going. It was very cold and rainy so this was a sight for sore eyes. I setup my tent, pumped some water, cooked dinner, and went to bed. I was beat! I hiked 13 mi today. My new boots are treating my feet well. I have some nasty blisters from my previous pair but after a few painful first steps in the morning I'm able to walk all day with only a little dull pain. Tomorrow calls for more bad weather. We're going to push out 14 miles and head into Hiawassee GA for resupply and to get a hotel room for the night. Living out in the cold rain SUCKS! I'm dreaming of cheeseburgers and the Holiday Inn Xpress tonight... Ive hiked 54.5 AT miles... 2126.5 to go!

Truckin

Day 6 - 3/28
I met a group of guys last night and we ended up hanging out and watching a movie at their cabin. These guys have formed a group and are hiking together. They are Mark from Boston (Pace Car), Phil from Cape Cod (Smooth), Mike from NY, Max from Maine, and Martin from Germany. They're a great group of guys and it was nice to have some company... I made my way back to my cabin around 10pm and stayed up watching TV on the couch til I passed out around 11:30... It was still raining a bit when I woke up but had stopped by the time I was packed and ready to hit the trail. I was back on the AT at 10:30am. My new friends from the cabin left out at 9:30 and I was determined to catch up to them. I hiked 11 mi to the Low Gap shelter and pitched my tent with the group. I made good time and was only 20 minutes behind the guys. It's still cold and wet so the hiking and scenery has been pretty dismal. We started a small fire with wet wood to try and warm up and socialize a little but it was a lost cause. We were all in bed before the sun went down. The weather is going to be rainy and cold over the next few days so it's going to be miserable for a little while longer. I've hiked 41.5 miles on the AT so far. Just 2139.5 to go!