831.7 miles.
Perfect hiking day and another easy one. It was cool and cloudy and we got to where we were going by 1:00. There were gorgeous wildflowers all the way -spiderwort, pussytoes, trillium, and a pile of new ones I don't know.
Going over three ridges we climbed the last big mountain along the trail until we get to Vermont. I'll kind of miss those big ass-kickers.
Tom and I hiked this same section a few years ago for a weekend trip, and we have a picture of us about half way up the mountain looking like we're going to keel over. I remember when we got to the top and down the other side thinking I was going to barf. This time I was hardly out of breath. Sure is nice being in shape.
Skipping ahead 200 miles has landed us up the trail with the young and ambitious. All the hikers we've met up this far are guys in their young 20's covering 20 to 30 miles a day -kind of makes us look lazy. I think I'll be glad when we're back in with our cohort of slightly less maniacal trekers.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
April 29: Harpers Creek Shelter, VA
825.5 miles.
Man, you can cover some miles when you do the AT by car! We met up with Jeremy yesterday in Bland, and after covering our options of where we'd like to hike for the next few days and how we'd get there and back to civilization, we decided to drive up to C'ville, swap his car for Sven (on the logic of no one would ever want to steal a '91 Saab left by the woods edge), and head back down to the Tye River at Rt. 56, about a four day walk from home.
Those 200 miles of southwest VA we skipped , well, we'll just have to come back to see them next summer. We've figured given the pace we're going if we want to get to Katahdin by early August, we need to skip a section somewhere, so it might as well be the part that will be easy to come back to later.
So yesterday, at what seemed like the speed of light, Jer, Tom and I took the interstate to Charlottesville, where we planned to pick up the car and go incognito to go back to the trail lickity split. Should've figured how small of town it is though. We stopped to pick up the car at mom and dad's, stayed and chatted with them a while, then on our way out ran into brother Joe who'd come over to feed the horses. Then Graeme stopped by to work on something, so we chatted with him a while. then, on our way to Ryans where we planned to pitch a tent for the night, we stopped at Maupins to get some beers and there were Jessie and Stan taking a break from their bike ride. So we headed over to Ryan's and so did they, and Ryan and Laurel were cooking up a feast of fresh greens and mushrooms and asparagus from their garden for us. Leah and Joe came over, too, and it was just a regular ol perfect night in Free Union of friends and laughter and great food. It felt so good to be home.
We slept out under the trees, and the trees! Oh my lord, they have leaves up here, and everything is so green and alive! Spring is out of control. So beautiful.
This morning, after tea and breakfast with Ryan and Laurel and Nathan, who'd just come home from CA late last night, Tom, Jeremy, and I got Sven packed up, went to town for a few supplies (i.e. Greenberries and Bodos) and headed down 29 to Nelson County and the beautiful area around crabtree falls. We left our car there (hope it's still there in five days!) and headed up the hill to return to our adventure.
The three of us have about three and a half days to cover the 50 miles between here and home, so we'll be moving along at a nice pace. Forecast says it should be cloudy and soggy all week, but maybe it'll give us a break here and there, show us a little sunshine, perhaps a view or two. Can but hope.
Man, you can cover some miles when you do the AT by car! We met up with Jeremy yesterday in Bland, and after covering our options of where we'd like to hike for the next few days and how we'd get there and back to civilization, we decided to drive up to C'ville, swap his car for Sven (on the logic of no one would ever want to steal a '91 Saab left by the woods edge), and head back down to the Tye River at Rt. 56, about a four day walk from home.
Those 200 miles of southwest VA we skipped , well, we'll just have to come back to see them next summer. We've figured given the pace we're going if we want to get to Katahdin by early August, we need to skip a section somewhere, so it might as well be the part that will be easy to come back to later.
So yesterday, at what seemed like the speed of light, Jer, Tom and I took the interstate to Charlottesville, where we planned to pick up the car and go incognito to go back to the trail lickity split. Should've figured how small of town it is though. We stopped to pick up the car at mom and dad's, stayed and chatted with them a while, then on our way out ran into brother Joe who'd come over to feed the horses. Then Graeme stopped by to work on something, so we chatted with him a while. then, on our way to Ryans where we planned to pitch a tent for the night, we stopped at Maupins to get some beers and there were Jessie and Stan taking a break from their bike ride. So we headed over to Ryan's and so did they, and Ryan and Laurel were cooking up a feast of fresh greens and mushrooms and asparagus from their garden for us. Leah and Joe came over, too, and it was just a regular ol perfect night in Free Union of friends and laughter and great food. It felt so good to be home.
We slept out under the trees, and the trees! Oh my lord, they have leaves up here, and everything is so green and alive! Spring is out of control. So beautiful.
This morning, after tea and breakfast with Ryan and Laurel and Nathan, who'd just come home from CA late last night, Tom, Jeremy, and I got Sven packed up, went to town for a few supplies (i.e. Greenberries and Bodos) and headed down 29 to Nelson County and the beautiful area around crabtree falls. We left our car there (hope it's still there in five days!) and headed up the hill to return to our adventure.
The three of us have about three and a half days to cover the 50 miles between here and home, so we'll be moving along at a nice pace. Forecast says it should be cloudy and soggy all week, but maybe it'll give us a break here and there, show us a little sunshine, perhaps a view or two. Can but hope.
Monday, April 27, 2009
April 27: Laurel Creek, VA
576.1 miles.
Man. Perfect day.
Make that days. The sun has been shining strong for five straight, and it is glorious out. Yesterday as we climbed higher and higher up Brushy Mountain the dirt path became paved with sandstone, and at the top enormous sandstone boulders jutted up into the air at a diagonal, as though pushed up from below. Fossils of seaweed and shells marked the stones. To stand at the top of a mountain and know that it used to be at the floor of the ocean so long ago - that just knocks my little socks off.
The flowers are doing their thing in full force. Yesterday I must've seen a dozen, maybe two, different kinds of wildflowers -toothwort, bloodroot, chickweed, violets of all colors, crabapple, trillium, aster, lobelia, buttercups, wild strawberries, dandelion, hepatica, spring beauty, trout lily, mayapple, wood anemone, bluets -and then all the ones I don't know the name of, which is a lot more than I do know.
The leaves on the leaves are starting to come out, too, and we'll be glad for the shade since we're in the sunshine all day long without their cover.
Back to today, that perfect day. We woke up as the sun rose over Blake's Garden, the beautiful valley below, got up slowly and took our time over the first miles to the shelter ahead since we only had eight miles to cover all day. We got to the shelter, and there was a sign on the wall saying on Monday mornings from 9-12 the Methodist church five miles down the trail offers free all you can eat breakfast to hikers. Looked at the watch. Monday. 10:30. Tom said, "oh, that's too bad, we're gonna miss it." And I said, "oh I don't think so."
And then we ran. For five miles. Up a mountain and back down with our 30 pound packs on.
At 11:40 we came barrelling down the hill to the road, and there were two gentlemen with their trucks, waiting to give us a lift to the church shwere seven women were cooking up a feast. Packing up a feast actually, by the time we got there, but they welcomed us in and then placed before us coffee and juice and milk, grits, biscuits and breakfast casserole, sausage, pancakes, homemade applesauce, and bananas. And then we had seconds. And then they gave us cookies and fruit and fudge and bread for the road.
The pastor gave us a lift back to the trail (good thing, I don't think we could've walked), and we had just a half mile left to hike for the day. So here we've been , at this lovely campsite on Laurel Creek all afternoon. A bunch of friends from the trail who'd gotten to breakfast sooner were here, too, and so we played uno and told stories and relaxed in the sunshine until it was time to press on.
No pressing on for us cause tomorrow we'll get into Bland, VA where we'll meet up with Jeremy, one of our good friends from Okinawa, and then we'll head north a bit and hike with him towards Charlottesville, aiming to get there on the 3rd of May.
Once home, Patrick and Hannah are coming from Omaha to visit for a few days, and we're looking forward to hanging out with them, resting our legs, and catching up with friends and fam. We'll be taking about two weeks off the trail to fit in all of that good fun, then heading north again on the 18th from C'ville. Hope we don't get to squishy hanging out and drinking beers! But I guess if we got in shape once, we can do it again.
Man. Perfect day.
Make that days. The sun has been shining strong for five straight, and it is glorious out. Yesterday as we climbed higher and higher up Brushy Mountain the dirt path became paved with sandstone, and at the top enormous sandstone boulders jutted up into the air at a diagonal, as though pushed up from below. Fossils of seaweed and shells marked the stones. To stand at the top of a mountain and know that it used to be at the floor of the ocean so long ago - that just knocks my little socks off.
The flowers are doing their thing in full force. Yesterday I must've seen a dozen, maybe two, different kinds of wildflowers -toothwort, bloodroot, chickweed, violets of all colors, crabapple, trillium, aster, lobelia, buttercups, wild strawberries, dandelion, hepatica, spring beauty, trout lily, mayapple, wood anemone, bluets -and then all the ones I don't know the name of, which is a lot more than I do know.
The leaves on the leaves are starting to come out, too, and we'll be glad for the shade since we're in the sunshine all day long without their cover.
Back to today, that perfect day. We woke up as the sun rose over Blake's Garden, the beautiful valley below, got up slowly and took our time over the first miles to the shelter ahead since we only had eight miles to cover all day. We got to the shelter, and there was a sign on the wall saying on Monday mornings from 9-12 the Methodist church five miles down the trail offers free all you can eat breakfast to hikers. Looked at the watch. Monday. 10:30. Tom said, "oh, that's too bad, we're gonna miss it." And I said, "oh I don't think so."
And then we ran. For five miles. Up a mountain and back down with our 30 pound packs on.
At 11:40 we came barrelling down the hill to the road, and there were two gentlemen with their trucks, waiting to give us a lift to the church shwere seven women were cooking up a feast. Packing up a feast actually, by the time we got there, but they welcomed us in and then placed before us coffee and juice and milk, grits, biscuits and breakfast casserole, sausage, pancakes, homemade applesauce, and bananas. And then we had seconds. And then they gave us cookies and fruit and fudge and bread for the road.
The pastor gave us a lift back to the trail (good thing, I don't think we could've walked), and we had just a half mile left to hike for the day. So here we've been , at this lovely campsite on Laurel Creek all afternoon. A bunch of friends from the trail who'd gotten to breakfast sooner were here, too, and so we played uno and told stories and relaxed in the sunshine until it was time to press on.
No pressing on for us cause tomorrow we'll get into Bland, VA where we'll meet up with Jeremy, one of our good friends from Okinawa, and then we'll head north a bit and hike with him towards Charlottesville, aiming to get there on the 3rd of May.
Once home, Patrick and Hannah are coming from Omaha to visit for a few days, and we're looking forward to hanging out with them, resting our legs, and catching up with friends and fam. We'll be taking about two weeks off the trail to fit in all of that good fun, then heading north again on the 18th from C'ville. Hope we don't get to squishy hanging out and drinking beers! But I guess if we got in shape once, we can do it again.
Friday, April 24, 2009
April 24: Davis Path Shelter, VA
541.0 miles.
Today was the first morning it wasn't too cold to make me mind getting out of my sleeping bag. I love my sleeping bag.
Up until today I did everything I could do from inside it in the mornings -eat breakfast, get dressed, pack up- then I'd jump out, stuff it in my pack, and start moving quick as I could to get warm again.
But this morning as the sun rose the birds were singing and the air was, well, not freezing. That of course turned into a sweaty 80 degree day, and I wondered to myself how we'll ever deal with the smothering heat of the summer. For now it's just straight up spring in all of its glory -flowers everywhere, fresh leaves on the trees, warm air, and happy people.
Today was the first morning it wasn't too cold to make me mind getting out of my sleeping bag. I love my sleeping bag.
Up until today I did everything I could do from inside it in the mornings -eat breakfast, get dressed, pack up- then I'd jump out, stuff it in my pack, and start moving quick as I could to get warm again.
But this morning as the sun rose the birds were singing and the air was, well, not freezing. That of course turned into a sweaty 80 degree day, and I wondered to myself how we'll ever deal with the smothering heat of the summer. For now it's just straight up spring in all of its glory -flowers everywhere, fresh leaves on the trees, warm air, and happy people.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
April 21: Grayson Highlands State Park, VA
496.1 miles.
Whoa! What a day.
When the newspaper says high of 58 and mostly sunny, they don't mention that if you might be heading up in the hills a few thousand feet you should subtract 25 degrees and multiply the weather by CRAZY.
We saw it all today. Sunshine, driving rain, sideways blowing snow, sleet, and hail. And now the sun's out again and on its way down.
We came through Grayson Highlands State Park today -what a gorgeous place. Who knew Virginia had such rugged country. High balds, open mountaintop meadows littered with house size boulders. Looked like braveheart territory. You half expected some blue chested men in kilts to come running over the hill. No men in kilts, but we did see the wild ponies, which stand about three and a half feet tall and are as friendly as could be.
We went up and over Mt. Rogers today, too, the highest peak in the state. It was covered in spruce and firs suited to its cold, wet climate. High as it may be, all we could see from the top was the clouds we were in.
It's so fun to see this part of the state. We've talked about coming down here many times -instead we came up to it. Well worth the walk.
Now it's snowing and time to hunker down. Big day.
Whoa! What a day.
When the newspaper says high of 58 and mostly sunny, they don't mention that if you might be heading up in the hills a few thousand feet you should subtract 25 degrees and multiply the weather by CRAZY.
We saw it all today. Sunshine, driving rain, sideways blowing snow, sleet, and hail. And now the sun's out again and on its way down.
We came through Grayson Highlands State Park today -what a gorgeous place. Who knew Virginia had such rugged country. High balds, open mountaintop meadows littered with house size boulders. Looked like braveheart territory. You half expected some blue chested men in kilts to come running over the hill. No men in kilts, but we did see the wild ponies, which stand about three and a half feet tall and are as friendly as could be.
We went up and over Mt. Rogers today, too, the highest peak in the state. It was covered in spruce and firs suited to its cold, wet climate. High as it may be, all we could see from the top was the clouds we were in.
It's so fun to see this part of the state. We've talked about coming down here many times -instead we came up to it. Well worth the walk.
Now it's snowing and time to hunker down. Big day.
Saturday, April 18, 2009
April 20: Lost Mountain Shelter, VA
478.8 miles.
Home sweet home we made it to VA! We crossed the TN/VA border on Saturday just before rolling into Damascus, where we took a day to rest and resupply. It's a cool little town -a little heavy on churches and police, and pretty hard to find a beer (we actually never did), but it's full of characters and, like all the god-blessed towns along the trail, offers a shower and bed and lots of food amd friendly people. I got a box of fruity pebbles and a half gallon of milk from the dollar general and worked on that most of Sunday. Got a new pair of shoes for my achin feet today, and we picked up a mail drop from mom that was chock full of delicious nutritiousness.
We got back on the trail this morning and took a detour on the Virginia Creeper trail for twelve miles or so along Whitetop Laurel Creek until it met back up with the AT. Weather changed from sunshine to rain and back about five times today, and the beautiful spring flowers were in full bloom all along the river. Up on top of the mountain here the trees haven't budded yet, the air is cold, and the ground is brown with last year's leaves. But spring is creeping higher and higher and soon we'll be surrounded by greens and grateful for the shade of the leaves. In the meantime, we're working on our gator tans (that ten inch section of bare leg between shorts and gators), sweating during the day and bundling up at night.
We're in a shelter tonight, and the rain on the tin roof is comforting. And a handy drone to soften the snorers' snores. Man, there are some really loud snorers out there. How come they always fall asleep before everyone else?
Home sweet home we made it to VA! We crossed the TN/VA border on Saturday just before rolling into Damascus, where we took a day to rest and resupply. It's a cool little town -a little heavy on churches and police, and pretty hard to find a beer (we actually never did), but it's full of characters and, like all the god-blessed towns along the trail, offers a shower and bed and lots of food amd friendly people. I got a box of fruity pebbles and a half gallon of milk from the dollar general and worked on that most of Sunday. Got a new pair of shoes for my achin feet today, and we picked up a mail drop from mom that was chock full of delicious nutritiousness.
We got back on the trail this morning and took a detour on the Virginia Creeper trail for twelve miles or so along Whitetop Laurel Creek until it met back up with the AT. Weather changed from sunshine to rain and back about five times today, and the beautiful spring flowers were in full bloom all along the river. Up on top of the mountain here the trees haven't budded yet, the air is cold, and the ground is brown with last year's leaves. But spring is creeping higher and higher and soon we'll be surrounded by greens and grateful for the shade of the leaves. In the meantime, we're working on our gator tans (that ten inch section of bare leg between shorts and gators), sweating during the day and bundling up at night.
We're in a shelter tonight, and the rain on the tin roof is comforting. And a handy drone to soften the snorers' snores. Man, there are some really loud snorers out there. How come they always fall asleep before everyone else?
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
April 15: Watauga Lake Shelter, TN
423.3 miles.
The last five days with Jessie and Sunny were waaaay too much fun to stop and write in the journal. What awesome company they are -you couldn't ask for two better travel companions. Two positive, adventuresome, flexible, athletic women, and they love to laugh.
Together we covered 60 miles of the AT -no small feat- and we just had an absolute blast the whole way: talking, laughing, planning out our futures, marvelling at the views, the ancient trees, the crazy weather, the change in seasons and forests as you go up and down and over the mountains.
On their second day we climbed Roan Mountain, one of the highest peaks on the AT, in a thick, drizzly fog. Kinda like the Smokys, couldn't see a dang thing. The trail at the top was a slushy ice river flowing over our feet and into our shoes. It was bitterly, drenchingly cold, but no complaints from those two.
At the gap on the other side we came upon a cooler that someone had left for hikers full of homemade brownies, cokes, pecans, and carrots, which got us talking about the trail magic we can bestow on hikers back home in VA -we've planned a feast of chili and cornbread, deeritos, and margaritas. Maybe in August or September we can catch some south bounders coming through VA. Definitely next May we'll catch the nobos. We also talked about how fun it would be to start a hostel up on the AT around Afton. And we talked about the farm we want to live on at great length -what we'll grow and build and do and love. We generated a great many inspired ideas walking through the mountains. That's one of my favorite things about life on the trail -all the time in the world to think and dream and plan.
The night before easter we stayed at a beautiful old barn that had been converted into a shelter. Tom and I had hauled in a pile of easter candy, a bunch of lunch bags I'd cut and colored to serve as baskets, and the dozen eggs we'd boiled and dyed back in Erwin. Before the sun rose on easter morning I went around and put a little basket of goodies at each sleeping hiker's head. There were probably fifteen or so of us there, and everyone was so appreciative and cute about it. A bunch of grown men in their 20's, 40's, and 60's stuffing chocolate in their mouths, taking pictures of their baskets, and offering thanks to the easter bunny. It was well worth carrying the extra pounds for a few days.
The days with Jessie and Sunny flew by. Yesterday we walked into Hampton, TN, ready to throw down and celebrate the ground we'd covered. They'd parked Jessie's truck there, so we drove over to Boone, NC for the night to whoop it up, found an awesome hotel for $40 for the four of us, and went out for beers and food, then some more beers and more food. It was everything we'd dreamed it would be.
This afternoon, after a rockin good breakfast, a few hours in the grocery and gear stores, and a quick drove back over the mountain, they dropped us off on the trail and headed home. What wonderful women. I'll miss their company.
The last five days with Jessie and Sunny were waaaay too much fun to stop and write in the journal. What awesome company they are -you couldn't ask for two better travel companions. Two positive, adventuresome, flexible, athletic women, and they love to laugh.
Together we covered 60 miles of the AT -no small feat- and we just had an absolute blast the whole way: talking, laughing, planning out our futures, marvelling at the views, the ancient trees, the crazy weather, the change in seasons and forests as you go up and down and over the mountains.
On their second day we climbed Roan Mountain, one of the highest peaks on the AT, in a thick, drizzly fog. Kinda like the Smokys, couldn't see a dang thing. The trail at the top was a slushy ice river flowing over our feet and into our shoes. It was bitterly, drenchingly cold, but no complaints from those two.
At the gap on the other side we came upon a cooler that someone had left for hikers full of homemade brownies, cokes, pecans, and carrots, which got us talking about the trail magic we can bestow on hikers back home in VA -we've planned a feast of chili and cornbread, deeritos, and margaritas. Maybe in August or September we can catch some south bounders coming through VA. Definitely next May we'll catch the nobos. We also talked about how fun it would be to start a hostel up on the AT around Afton. And we talked about the farm we want to live on at great length -what we'll grow and build and do and love. We generated a great many inspired ideas walking through the mountains. That's one of my favorite things about life on the trail -all the time in the world to think and dream and plan.
The night before easter we stayed at a beautiful old barn that had been converted into a shelter. Tom and I had hauled in a pile of easter candy, a bunch of lunch bags I'd cut and colored to serve as baskets, and the dozen eggs we'd boiled and dyed back in Erwin. Before the sun rose on easter morning I went around and put a little basket of goodies at each sleeping hiker's head. There were probably fifteen or so of us there, and everyone was so appreciative and cute about it. A bunch of grown men in their 20's, 40's, and 60's stuffing chocolate in their mouths, taking pictures of their baskets, and offering thanks to the easter bunny. It was well worth carrying the extra pounds for a few days.
The days with Jessie and Sunny flew by. Yesterday we walked into Hampton, TN, ready to throw down and celebrate the ground we'd covered. They'd parked Jessie's truck there, so we drove over to Boone, NC for the night to whoop it up, found an awesome hotel for $40 for the four of us, and went out for beers and food, then some more beers and more food. It was everything we'd dreamed it would be.
This afternoon, after a rockin good breakfast, a few hours in the grocery and gear stores, and a quick drove back over the mountain, they dropped us off on the trail and headed home. What wonderful women. I'll miss their company.
Friday, April 10, 2009
April 10: Deep Gap, TN
352.0 miles.
Whoa that mountain weather is crazy!
Sunday's sunny 70 turned into Monday's cold rain, and as we climbed higher the rain turned to sleet and then the sleet turned to snow. We hiked into Erwin late in the day with snow swirling down fast. Uncle Johnny's hostel was full since everyone was coming off the trail to get out of the storm, so we headed to the Holiday Inn Express for a night of luxury -two long soaks in the tub, individualized pillows with 'soft' and 'firm' embroidered on the cases, a huge comfy bed, and pizza delivery.
By the morning there was over two feet of snow on the trail, so we decided to stick around Erwin a few days and let our legs rest. We moved over to Uncle Johnny's -awesome place- where we had a little cabin to ourselves. We borrowed two bikes to ride to town, went to the library and the Choo Choo cafe, and got a good supply of easter candy so we can make easter baskets for hikers on easter morning. In the afternoon we dyed eggs and did some repairs to our gear -replacing gator straps, fixing the pot lid that snapped off, making a new journal out of cereal boxes. It was a wonderful couple of days.
Yesterday midday we got back on the trail and most of the snow had already melted and the sun was shining -feels good to be back in the woods. Last night we camped with a good crew of nobos (north bounders) -Phoenix, Crispy, Grayson, and Walkabout, hung out by the fire for a while, then slept soundly under the full moon in our Hubba Hubba. A full four weeks on the trail -we're really doing it!
Today we'll meet up with Jessie and Sunny who are coming down for a week to hike with us. I can't wait to see them! We meet lots of great people along the trail, but I miss our good buds back home, and I'm stoked to hang out with those two and share this experiences with them.
Gonna be awesome!!!
Whoa that mountain weather is crazy!
Sunday's sunny 70 turned into Monday's cold rain, and as we climbed higher the rain turned to sleet and then the sleet turned to snow. We hiked into Erwin late in the day with snow swirling down fast. Uncle Johnny's hostel was full since everyone was coming off the trail to get out of the storm, so we headed to the Holiday Inn Express for a night of luxury -two long soaks in the tub, individualized pillows with 'soft' and 'firm' embroidered on the cases, a huge comfy bed, and pizza delivery.
By the morning there was over two feet of snow on the trail, so we decided to stick around Erwin a few days and let our legs rest. We moved over to Uncle Johnny's -awesome place- where we had a little cabin to ourselves. We borrowed two bikes to ride to town, went to the library and the Choo Choo cafe, and got a good supply of easter candy so we can make easter baskets for hikers on easter morning. In the afternoon we dyed eggs and did some repairs to our gear -replacing gator straps, fixing the pot lid that snapped off, making a new journal out of cereal boxes. It was a wonderful couple of days.
Yesterday midday we got back on the trail and most of the snow had already melted and the sun was shining -feels good to be back in the woods. Last night we camped with a good crew of nobos (north bounders) -Phoenix, Crispy, Grayson, and Walkabout, hung out by the fire for a while, then slept soundly under the full moon in our Hubba Hubba. A full four weeks on the trail -we're really doing it!
Today we'll meet up with Jessie and Sunny who are coming down for a week to hike with us. I can't wait to see them! We meet lots of great people along the trail, but I miss our good buds back home, and I'm stoked to hang out with those two and share this experiences with them.
Gonna be awesome!!!
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Hunger = Weird Burritos and Hot Pink Rice
So we've had the usual bumps, bruises, sore spots and achy joints but most surprisingly is an insatiable hunger that has become ever present. Anna and I eat like food deprived teenagers and the selection of what we eat is just as scary, just think of some odd combination of tortillas, cheese, cheese nips, dried fruit, peperoni and then add chocolate and or peanut butter. Please do watch out for your small pets, scraps of food left on plates and really anything within a three foot radius of us when we get back into the civilized world. We may need some sort of "handler" for awhile, like an old zoo guard equipped with a sedative dart gun. I've watched Anna eat entire kitchens out of food, and southern kitchens at that. Oh and I've definitely had my share in scaring buffet owners and pie makers around the southern portion of the trail. We think that the restaurant owners are notifying towns further north of our imminent arrival in order to fortify their menus and or close down until we pass by like some thunderstorm of hunger.
The weird burrito: chocolate, peanut butter, raisins, cheese nips, almonds, dried mango's and a tortilla.
Hot pink rice meal! Yeah! Apparently dried beets added to anything will make anything hot pink.
Hey, why not add pretzels to Ramen noodles?
Some great hiker guy that was handing out Root Beers on a hot day!
Adventurous Anna, she almost fell, twice and I didn't even laugh once.
The weird burrito: chocolate, peanut butter, raisins, cheese nips, almonds, dried mango's and a tortilla.Hot pink rice meal! Yeah! Apparently dried beets added to anything will make anything hot pink.
Hey, why not add pretzels to Ramen noodles?Overall we are just having a blast, some days better than others but more often than not we are having a good time. The worst thing we encounter out here is bad weather. A day of rain is fine and dandy but 5 straight days of rain hiking through the Great Smoky Mountain National Park is great for the drought but not the best for (enjoyable) hiking. Oh well, part of the adventure, right?
Some great hiker guy that was handing out Root Beers on a hot day!Adventurous Anna, she almost fell, twice and I didn't even laugh once.Hope everyone is doing well and we miss you all. T of T&A on the AT.
Sunday, April 5, 2009
April 5: Bald Mountain Shelter, TN
323.0 miles
Until yesterday we had barely seen the sun for 12 straight days. Friday was cold and the wind was blowing around 40 mph, but when we woke up Saturday the sun had finally come out. Today, too, was beautiful -up around 70 and nothing but sunshine. Two trail angels found us today -one bearing sodas and apples, a thru-hiker from '05, and then a really nice young couple offering drinks and snacks and a ride to anywhere we wanted to go. Despite their tempting offer, we stayed on the trail -an 18 miles day today, but now my feet are telling me we should've taken them up on the lift.
I like the long days of hiking, but the joints on the lower half of me are starting to fuss, and my feet ache pretty well at the end of the day. Maybe we'll cut back to something less ambitious, take our time a little more. Tomorrow we should make it to Erwin, TN (16 miles from here), and we're looking forward to another day off there. Everyone's saying snow is on the way. Good thing we didn't mail home our warm clothes at the last town. Our packs are heavier than when we started (mostly on account of me going to the grocery store hungry) and we're trying to ditch some weight so we can hike easier. When we left Hot Springs my pack was 33 lbs. with food and water -more than I ever want to carry again! Around 20-25 is good with me. In an effort to lighten our load, we've been eating as much as humanly possible on the trail -and I think we still have about three days worth of extra food. Gotta work on that!
We might just have to start planning ahead or something.
Until yesterday we had barely seen the sun for 12 straight days. Friday was cold and the wind was blowing around 40 mph, but when we woke up Saturday the sun had finally come out. Today, too, was beautiful -up around 70 and nothing but sunshine. Two trail angels found us today -one bearing sodas and apples, a thru-hiker from '05, and then a really nice young couple offering drinks and snacks and a ride to anywhere we wanted to go. Despite their tempting offer, we stayed on the trail -an 18 miles day today, but now my feet are telling me we should've taken them up on the lift.
I like the long days of hiking, but the joints on the lower half of me are starting to fuss, and my feet ache pretty well at the end of the day. Maybe we'll cut back to something less ambitious, take our time a little more. Tomorrow we should make it to Erwin, TN (16 miles from here), and we're looking forward to another day off there. Everyone's saying snow is on the way. Good thing we didn't mail home our warm clothes at the last town. Our packs are heavier than when we started (mostly on account of me going to the grocery store hungry) and we're trying to ditch some weight so we can hike easier. When we left Hot Springs my pack was 33 lbs. with food and water -more than I ever want to carry again! Around 20-25 is good with me. In an effort to lighten our load, we've been eating as much as humanly possible on the trail -and I think we still have about three days worth of extra food. Gotta work on that!
We might just have to start planning ahead or something.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
April 2: Hot Springs, NC
271.8 miles
What with my sore legs and this bottomless pit of an appetite I've developed, these last two days in Hot Springs have been a slice of Heaven Pie. Elmer's, the renowned hiker hostel here, was full up when we walked into town late Tuesday evening. The rain started to fall again, and we'd about limped the last of the day's 20 miles, so we settled for a motel down the road. Not as charming, or as cheap, but there's just nothing like a hot shower and a soft bed to make you feel like royalty after days of hard hiking.
Yesterday we took our first day off the trail (a zero day as the hikers call it), went to the gear shop and dropped a paycheck on a new pair of boots and a new tent -an MSR Hubba Hubba- since our tarp tent has proven to be a bit of a soggy experience in the rain, then we took a good long soak in the hot springs, and went out for a supper and local beers with a few other hikers. The Smoky Mountain Diner has fed us about five times since we arrived -awesome, inexpensive, and not holding back on the calories, it's just right.
Last night we got a room at Elmers, had a family style breakfast with twelve other hikers there for the night, and now, refreshed and excited to try out our new gear, we're heading back to the trail for some more of that mountain love.
Walk on.
What with my sore legs and this bottomless pit of an appetite I've developed, these last two days in Hot Springs have been a slice of Heaven Pie. Elmer's, the renowned hiker hostel here, was full up when we walked into town late Tuesday evening. The rain started to fall again, and we'd about limped the last of the day's 20 miles, so we settled for a motel down the road. Not as charming, or as cheap, but there's just nothing like a hot shower and a soft bed to make you feel like royalty after days of hard hiking.
Yesterday we took our first day off the trail (a zero day as the hikers call it), went to the gear shop and dropped a paycheck on a new pair of boots and a new tent -an MSR Hubba Hubba- since our tarp tent has proven to be a bit of a soggy experience in the rain, then we took a good long soak in the hot springs, and went out for a supper and local beers with a few other hikers. The Smoky Mountain Diner has fed us about five times since we arrived -awesome, inexpensive, and not holding back on the calories, it's just right.
Last night we got a room at Elmers, had a family style breakfast with twelve other hikers there for the night, and now, refreshed and excited to try out our new gear, we're heading back to the trail for some more of that mountain love.
Walk on.
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