April 8th - 35 - Iron Mountain Shelter to Abingdon Shelter.
At about 5 AM Live-n-Learn, Blink, and Haiku Pack up and head out looking to make Damascus tonight, almost 27 miles away. Dan and I feel less inspired and try 16 miles today and a short 10 miles in to town tomorrow. I worry that Tree Frog and Squirrel are upset that we got the last spots in the shelter last night, neither has emerged from their tent as I hike out around 9. Its a rainy and cold day, but the terrain on this section is pretty smooth.

Nick Grindstaff, Hermit grave with the flavor text "Lived alone, Suffered alone, and Died alone."
Real cheery stuff.

One of the highlights today was being treated to eight tenths of a mile of handicapped accessible gravel pathway. Triton catches up with us and we talk for a bit. The path goes right through a pasture and it passes some older farm buildings with views out to the valley.

There is a old shelter on McQueens Knob that is a side note in AWOLs. The shelter is in pretty rough shape with maybe room for 2 hikers. Someone has taken the liberty to carve Holiday Inn on the header beam, Dan and I get a laugh out of this. Blink told us yesterday that Rambo had zeroed at Kincora and with the intention of hiking the 46 miles to Damascas today. When I get to Abingdon Shelter, I wonder when or if he will come through. He surprised me before, and I believe in his ability. Water here is a spring down a few hundred feet behind the shelter. Hiking to get water like this is rough, most times I've already taken my boots off, and my camp shoes offer little support on technical alpine mountaineer like this blue blaze. I meet the other Tree Frog, the only other occupant at this shelter. Penguin Man is here too, camped out in the grassy area in front. Penguin Man cooks with Esbit tablets, although lighter than my canister set up, the smell alone guarantees I will never use that fuel. It makes me think of burning mothballs with some sort of terrible acid.

Dan and I stay up until 9:30 well after dark when we see a headlamp coming down the hill. Rambo, in shorts and a t-shirt, stops in for a Powerbar. I give his some Snickers and Water and he presses on into the night.

April 7th - Day 34 - Kincora to Iron Mountain Shelter

Well its raining this morning. Between that and the real mattresses everyone is sleeping on, its a slow morning. I spend a bit rearranging my food supply. There is a bit of a debacle when Bob shuttle people out to Watauga lake. He said its his only shuttle today and I am not packed up. I though Dan had worked something out with him to go into town a bit later. So I end up standing in the rain with Bob looking dumbfounded about not being packed. Everyone heads out to the truck except for Dan, Turtle, Live, and I. Turtle is going to zero. Dan convinces Bob to going into town and make another run out to drop us off at Watauga. I feel bad about wasting his time. I think a lot of trail legends feel a pressure to perform. They love what they do, but often the trail community can take them for granted. I feel this way about Bob and Fresh Grounds, both of whom are amazing people, but often pressured by trail folk into being so. I imagine this can be stressful.

The three of us hike fifteen miles or so to Iron Mountain shelter. We run into Tree Frog and Squirrel getting water from the stream. This must be the water source for the shelter. We stop and chat, and fill up on water. I head up to the shelter and there are only 3 spaces left. Tree Frog and Squirrel have to tent out in the drizzle. I feel bad about this. I meet, Triton (AT'11), Steady(triple crown), and another hiker. Triton asks us about a Ridgerest he accidentally dropped a few miles back. I saw it but was in the zone a went right past it not even using any brain cells on it. I initially don't like Triton for his brashness and being from Staten Island. but, just like many other New Yorkers, I would eventually warm up to him. Blink eventually showed up toting the sleeping pad with Haiku, and peace was restored to the galaxy.

April 6th - Day 33 - Mountaineer Falls to Kincora
Even though all the people at the shelter last night were hikers, I sometimes get un-easy around large groups of people I don't know. Most morning are chaos when there are this many people in a shelter, so I try an get up and out early. I get up this morning around 5:30, Turtle is the only other hiker up . Turtle is a gruff older gentleman enjoying a smoke and an early breakfast, he hikes by the slow and steady method, but we are about covering the same miles everyday.

I eat and am hiking my 7. Dan and Live are the next I see. We hike 16 miles by 1:30pm, it must have been pretty smooth or downhill. Kincora is a legendary hostel in its last year. Bob Peoples is the owner and a true hero of the AT. Bob takes us 9 miles out to,Watauga Lake, the next road crossing and Live, Dan. and I slackpack back and stay at Kincora. The same crowd as last night is here at Kincora tonight. With small groups of hikers here, its takes the form of a house party. The kind of party where you sit around talking and elevating legs. A community meal is made in the kitchenette area of the hostel. Good times are had by all.

I don't have very many pictures from hiking today, so here is Neil Young and Booker T.

April 5th - Day 32 - Mountain Harbour to Mountaineer Falls Shelter
So I've slept one month on the trail. I feel slightly accomplished, this is twice as long as any backpacking trip I had been on so far. It was just the beginning, the intro, 390 miles walked, almost 1800 more to go.

Fresh Grounds was right. this morning i was treated to what I can only describe as a thanksgiving style feast of a breakfast. Its seemed like all the counter space in the kitchen was covered with another tasty homemade breakfast food. Sausage, egg, and cheese stuffed potatoes were my favorite. Nutella dipped fruits, a brief foray into luxury, I had to remember I was on trail.

When we hit the trail at 11am, the already great day, just got better. The first part was steep through a valley up towards some un-named wooded high point I was sure. There were a few open field walks with bluebird skies. I one such places there was a big sycamore tree that 7 of us managed to climb into. When someone felt hungry we all stopped and ate a sunny lunch by the Elk River.

Handsome Dan by the Elk River enjoying a winter hiker delicacy, sun softened Clif bar.

The trail skirts the edge of this river for a while. Not too far longer Mountaineer falls and the shelter, carrying the current trend we stop and snack, a few of us take turns going under the falls. Now when we arrive and see the shelter a new, clean three story, its an almost unanimous decision to stop here for the night. Not even ten miles to the day, tomorrow Ill have to punish myself.

Th water source for this shelter is the stream feeding the top of the waterfall and may be the only water source I sat at and enjoyed for this long. In addition to Dan, Live, Blink, Halfmoon, Rambo, and Mama Bear; soon Fun Size arrives and says a much larger hoard of friends is on the way from Overmountain. Sunbear, Grease, One-Day, Facts, Haiku, Wrong Leg, Canary, Joules, Turtle, and Hard-to-Kill show up tonight. Its cool to see this many hikers in one spot randomly in the woods.

April 4th - Day 31 - Overmountain Shelter to Mountian Harbour
Well, I get out of my sleeping bag to cook, eat breakfast, and watch the sunrise. 3 Mile, Mama Bear, and Halfmoon follow suit. I may have hyped the sunrise a bit last night. It's still park, stars are out as I lay out my cook set and food bag. It's a little chilly an there's a slight breeze coming up from the valley. It's very silent in the woods. So when the first bird calls out, its sound pierces the morning air. Slowly getting brighter. My expectation far exceeds the truth of the sunrise. By 8 when everyone is up and I am headed out on trail the sun has just peaked out Hump mountain. for some reason I thought it would rise through the valley all picturesque like. But the Overmountain shelter was in a valley protected form the mourning sun, one of the last places to get light this late winter morning.

The Overmountain Shelter

The hike today is another one of the many great hikes on the AT. Through the Roan Highlands bald, up and over Little Hump and Hump. Up on Hump with Dan and Live, we watch a small heard of deer crossing the bald below us.

Live-n-Learn and Handsome Dan hiking up Hump Mountain.

Just as we are nearing the treeline, Tree Frog and Squirrel caught up to us and noted that there was a thunderstorm coming in. Sure enough the clouds were upon us and the our pace picked up a little on the decent.

At the road, with the rain still threatening, we took a three tenths road walk Mountian Harbour. Fresh Grounds had heralded this place as having the best breakfast on the AT. Coming from Freshy G himself, these words hang heavy in our mind as we checked in. Yes, I'll have the breakfast. Blink, Rambo, Live, Halfmoon, Dan, Mama Bear, Cheeseburger, Baggie, Tree Frog, Squirrel, took the shuttle to get BBQ in town and re-up on snacks. It was still afternoon as Rambo broke into the collection of VHS in the hostel, Braveheart is up first. Squirrel and I hitched to go get PBRs. Cheeseburgers bithday is tonight, so these cause to celebrate... not as though we needed one. Finally got my mail drop that was bounced from Hot Springs. Another great night on the Appalachian Trail.

April 3rd - Day 30 - Greasy Creek Friendly to Overmountain Shelter
We are greeted with flashing light, rain, and the sound of revving ATVs. Connie's neighbor is out doing who knows what at 4 and 5 in the morning. He comes by in between ATV runs to flash lights into the bunkhouse. What a people person.

16.9 miles today. Not initially sure if we would hike out. It's pouring rain and thundering in the valley, but conventional knowledge is silly on the AT. When its thundering, go to the highest point you can. Up and over the last 6000 foot mountain until Mt. Washington in NH. Roan Mountain was a great hike, stared a little sloppy but the sun came out around noon. There was even ice after 5000 feet or so, giving it that air conditioned feel. Most of the upper mountain is in the wonderful smelling coniferous forest. The summit is up a side trail from the Roan High Knob Shelter. I just pick up water and eat lunch. I meet Cheeseburger and Baggie for the first time, a couple hiking together, tomorrow is Cheeseburger's birthday. A round of high five were had to celebrate this mountain. I initially wanted to stay up here on the mountain, but another storied shelter is only 8 more miles, and it's all downhill.

Blink headed in to the Overmountain Shelter

I read about the Overmountain Shelter before coming out on trail. It is worth all the hype. Huge open barn. Hikers just find some flat space and lay out. there are 12 hikers here tonight are no-one is within an arms reach of another. I think I had read that the sunrise is supposed to be magnificent so maybe ill try to get up early.I run into Tree Frog and Squirrel again as they're setting up camp at Stan Murray shelter. Rambo, Blink, Dan, Halfmoon, Live, Mama Bear, 3 mile, and Trutle are here. there are some sections pitched up in the lower floor.

NB The Overmountain privy is absolutely top notch. An unforgetable destination for all visitors to the area.

April 2nd - Day 29 - Leap Frog Cafe to Greasy Creek Friendly

Fresh Grounds is up at three or four in the morning. I think he may have run into town to get more supplies, but by the time the troops have mustered, he is whipping up banana pancakes, bacon, and home fries faster than comprehension. I am hiking by 9 AM. The first bump of the day is a bald that has a 360 degree view, we see our next climb up ahead; Unaka Mountain. Unaka is a unique mountain on the AT, I am sure that all thru hikers can remember Unaka just by the name. the summit has no views but instead is completely in coniferous trees that block out all sunlight. It is one of my favorite summits, we sat and ate lunch in a silent beautiful mountaintop forest.

The AT headed towards Unaka Mtn.

WE hiked about 16.5 miles total today to get to greasy creek gap. The hostel was another six tenths of a mile off trail. AWOLs guide says go east on the jeep road. to the west there is a very distinct road bed, but to the east there is a campsite and some rhododendron. Rambo was hiking in front of us and missed the turn off. Mama Bear, Blink, Live, Halfmoon, Dan, and I venture off trail to where we hoped there would be friendlies. We all each considered heading back to the trail at some point on this spur trail. between the derelict building and garbage dumps, this didn't seem like the right place. sure enough we eventually came upon a bunkhouse with trekking poles outside it.

Greasy Creek Friendly

Since reading about this place in AWOL on the Appalachian Trail, the co-proprietor's husband has left and she is left working to try and buy him out. There is a crazy neighbor who seems to hate hikes, and probably just anyone in general and the two have been at war since the hostel opened. In truth both parties and a little mentally unstable, but there is nothing wrong with that, aren't we all a little crazy. Connie, the owner, sells smiley face stickers that you can immediately exchange for a beer or glass of wine, as long as you promise that you are of age. Her way of getting around liquor laws. I liked rockets approach of ignoring legality completely, but this is kinda fun. So I buy a couple beers and we sit out on the front porch cooking and eating and watch a thunderstorm come through. Good times are had by all.

April 1st - Day 28 - Erwin, TN to Fresh Grounds Leap Frog Cafe, Mile 348.8
Slept in until 8AM. Caught the 9AM shuttle into town, Uncle Johnny's is located on the outskirts of Erwin. Re-stocked on lunch foods. I've been eating pepperoni and cheese in a tortilla. I weigh my pack before I start out. It checks in at an all time high for the trail of 40.5lbs. Turrrrrible,

I don't leave uncle Johnny's until twenty of two. Real late start. We only hike 8 miles. Blink, Live, Rambo, Halfmoon, Mama Bear, Dan, Turtle, and I are here for the night. I love Fresh Grounds but my pack isn't getting lighter. Tonight is another banner night on the AT. Here is the excerpt from my journal:

"Legendary man, legendary night. Fresh Grounds made popcorn in a cast iron skillet and set a laptop out and we watched "the Other Guys" under the stars. Eight thru hikers & a trail god sprawled out on tarps and in sleeping bags."

Photo courtesy of Fresh Grounds Leap Frog Cafe Facebook. Handsome Dan(on cooler), Turtle, Goliath, Live-n-Learn,Rambo, Blink, Halfmoon, and Mama Bear (clockwise).

"Fresh Grounds is getting exhausted from 3.4 week of cooking for thru hikers for donations. I feel like he is pressure by the support and lack of support he has gotten. Even non-hikers contribute dollars to keep the Leap Frog Cafe open. Last year he went 808 miles up trail. but he is going to take a week off." Fresh grounds had a rough stretch this year. He had to put down his dog, and he got hit by an 18 wheeler all within two weeks and he still went out and put on hiker feeds. Fresh Grounds is a truly amazing individual. We caught him on a bad night. Someone the night before had messed up his cooking system and he is dealing with a lot of external problems. The hikers and community keep him going but also create pressure and problems. Its truly amazing what Fresh Grounds does and I don't think he gets enough respect for it.

Fresh Grounds recommends we stay at the Greasy Creek Friendly tomorrow night. He knows the proprietor Connie well and speaks highly of the place. We would not be disappointed.

March 31st - Day 27 - Bald Mtn. Shelter to Uncle Johnny's Erwin, TN
Got a late start on trail, everything is pretty frozen up here. Not hiking until 10 ish. I catch up to Walk Worthy who has been following the NCAA march madness. He informs me of UCONN's come from behind victory against Michigan. As the hike drops in elevation the temperature gets more bearable. with the sun out, one could say its almost hot. the last 10 miles before Erwin are beautiful, I love the smell of pine forest and this section before No Buisness Knob traverses through plenty of it. At the shelter Live and Learn and Blink catch up. they are slack packing today after ditching out of the snow yesterday. I meet Halfmoon and Mama Bear a mother daughter team who are slacking with them. Only six miles left until town.

View into Erwin, TN from the trail.

I rent a bike from Uncle Johnny's and ride to the Valero to buy beer. The south is weird about their booze. The north is very open about their alcohol problems, they don't use laws to try and stop them. The  two mile bike ride on the flat is more than I wanted, but I owed squirrel a beer. We spend another night having a great time, sitting by the fire talking. Rumors around that fresh Grounds is set up only a few miles down trail. Should be an exciting day tomorrow.

March 30th - Day 26 - Devils Fork Gap to Bald Mountain Shelter
I walk outside the shed we are staying in and see all white. Oh good, there's snow again. The other hikers staying in the shed are Walk Worthy and his nephew.  We all eat and gear up for the trip out into the cold. We get the second trip out the trail head are the wind is whipping snow into the air and its cold. Two hikers decide they'll wait it out another day. Dan and I march onward. As soon as we are under tree cover the wind dies down and we just have to deal with the cold and snow drifts.

Handsome Dan geared up for a walk in the snow.

Its a burly hike once on the ridge up to Hogback Gap Shelter. Periodic drifts up to our knees and we are breaking trail. We stop for a late warm lunch at the shelter and chat with Journeyman. he tells us that they had 10 people last night crammed into an eight person shelter, and that one hiker slept in the doorway. That hiker was Live and Learn, who undoubtedly got caught in the rain storm and stumbled into a full shelter. Journeyman and I have an unexpectedly meaningful conversation about life and travelling. He is zero-ing at the shelter to try and dry some gear out.
Sam's Gap is less than 2 miles further and a previous thru named Yonder (AT 07) is set up with trail magic. I meet back up with Dan cram 3 brats down and we make a final push eight miles up and over Big Bald.

Dan and I are good hiking partners, both logically minded with similar life experiences and opinions. We share musical tastes and coordinate our Ipods on this climb to "Joe's Garage" an album by Frank Zappa.

The summit is well earned, we push hard to get here. Long cold uphill rewarded by a windier, colder summit. Fueled on Adrenaline and snickers bars. I will never tire of 360 degree views from balds. 

Big Bald summit victory.

Sunset looking back at Big Bald

At the shelter we run into Ginko from Germany, Professor Turtle, Grease and his parents. Ginko draws elaborate sketches in the shelter logs and, Professor Turtle writes blurbs about flora and fauna of the trail, sometimes with samples included. Its been a long day, but I can't be happier to be on the AT.

March 29th - Day 25 - Hemlock Hollow Inn to Devil Fork Gap
Dan sorts out a slack pack from here to 20 miles up trail at Laurel Trading Post. Its a nice hike, but I am itching to get back out into the woods for a night. Laurel Trading Post cost 32 dollars for dinner and a bunk, and not even a shower. $32 for little more than I would have gotten in the woods. There are six bunks in a one car garage bay and the heater is broken. The bunks are a two by four frame with chicken wire and a thin foam pad to sleep on. I don't blow up my Big Agnes pad for fear that it may pop. I do eat a burger, so it evens out a little. If I hike the trail again I will stop at neither of these places. 60 dollars more I could have spent supporting other hiker institutions like The Doyle.

I guess my point is there are all sorts of accommodations on the trail. Sometimes you need a shower or want to get out of the weather. Sometimes you don't need to stay inside. There are some places worth staying at regardless of conditions. There are also some places I would avoid at all costs. In my experience there are places, more so early on in the trail, that nickel and dime the shit out of hikers. Maybe Ill start a running list of the stay and not stay places on the AT. I did a lot of research before my hike but only heard of a few dos and don'ts for hostels. Kincora for example, is a great place to stay, run by a great man who truly cares. The Doyle Hotel, its rough appearance and owners can be a lot for some people to handle. but you live in the woods and these people really care about hikers. If I could do anything about it I would have more lodging dollars go toward Pat and Vicki at the Doyle than places like Hemlock Hollow and Laurel Trading Post. Save it for people who care.

March 28th - Day 24 - Rich Mountain to Hemlock Hollow

"No decision is a wrong decision on the AT"

This is the conclusion Dan and I come to sitting on the porch of the Hemlock Hollow Inn. Everything works out.  I got a hot shower, not that I deserved it only being out one night. Four Fingers is here, so Live opted against staying. Gandalf, Midnight Sparkle, Copperhead, and a few others are here. Chainsaw is the caretaker here, the irony in the name comes from the fact that he is missing more than a couple front teeth... Its a good night, sitting around a campfire with new friends and beer. I take a very sketchy shuttle into town with an obviously intoxicated Chainsaw, not the best judgement on my part, but I needed those Swiss rolls. There are very many hostels on the early part of the trail so it is too easy to get sucked into the comforts of the real world, but eventually everyone learns the real fun in the AT is out in the woods. Save the hostel dollars for when you really need it.

March 27th - Day 23 - Hot Springs, NC to Rich Mountain
Pack up at the hostel with the intent of leaving town. A mail drop from Bozeman is still not in so I wait with Dan and Live at the Hikers Ridge Ministries. Queen Diva is the trail angel in charge of this wonderful institution. She bakes cookies for and takes pictures of hikers coming through and is all around just a good human being. We would watch her facebook page later on through the hike to see how many hikers were coming through.

Its getting later and later on in the afternoon. My mail drop still hasn't come in. Word of the community dinner reaches our ears. Sunbear, Packrat, Dan, live, and I decide to stick around to eat and then night-hike out of town to avoid lodging costs on one more night in town. What a great idea.

Many friends show up for the community dinner. At 7:30 the sun starts to fade and five thru-hikers head up the mountain. This is my first night hike, and the first of many great night hikes. It starts off with a beautiful sunset over beauty spot.

Sunset over Hot Springs, NC

I hadn't met Packrat until today, but he shares wild stories from his previous through hikes including my personal favorite about the time he was taking a vow of silence and got pulled over by the cops for crossing the Bear Mountain Bridge too many times. He also talks about frequently pulling off trial to explore for caves. Dan renames him sling blade for his accent and appearance and every time we pass a cave together we call out for Packrat. He is a good kid, I imagine he is consistently misunderstood. I don't quite understand him...

A moment that will stay with my for the rest of my life takes place as we are resting on a bench by a small pond. The frogs are out, but all else is silent. Delirious but full invested in the spirit of the hike, Dan whips out "Freaks come out at night" an 80s rap song by Whodini. This song perfectly captures this moment, and would become the theme of many night hikes to come.

March 26th - Day 22 - Zero Day in Hot Springs, NC
My journal entry today is a bulleted list and reads as follows:

• Slept in until 9AM
• Coffee & ate oatmeal 
• Trip to Outfitter
• Organized food bag from mail bag
• Hot mineral bath with 6 dudes
• Beer & Fire @ hostel
• Four Fingers is a drunk fool
• I can't wait to start hiking again

Certainly an interesting look into the mind of a sore, mile-less hiker. Nine AM seems early to my college self but on trail it is inexcusably late. I'm not sure why I wrote that I had my typical breakfast. I believe I got fuel at the outfitter, I went a little OCD before my hike buying gear, so not only was my budget already maxed out but I rarely needed anything other than what I had (less fuel). Maybe I'll do a gear list one of these days. It always took a little time to organized the food I had shipped to myself into a food bag. These early multiple hour events where just practice for the frantic repackings I'd have, like in the pouring rain outside a taco shop in Greenwood Lake, NY, but more on that later. As for the mineral bath, Hot Springs resort has an hourly rate on the hot tubs, so round up the Pabst Blue Ribbon and the dudes. If my memory serves me, Live, Blink, Dorothy, Dan, Grease, Haiku, and myself pile into one of the group tubs. I know that's 7 but whose counting. We take turns jumping into the French Broad River for a system shock. Grease is another very impressive character, certainly in my opinion one of the highest regarded hikers I've met. Hiking mostly with Sunbear their intelligence and wit is unmatched. Grease has to finish by mid-July to attend med school. I respect anyone who can get on trail for 6 months. There are a few fine individuals I would meet on trail, Grease and Sunbear are two of them, that I have the utmost respect for. 

Back at the hostel I meet Gandalf(young) a hiker Rambo talked about who has been in town for 5 days chasing a blonde bartender known simple as Deez Nuts. Four Fingers is in his natural state, stumbling around searching for someone to take to about football or whatever. He shows me how to drunkenly break your cigarette and then repair it without tape. Advice I hope I will never need.

March 25th - Day 21 - Walnut Mountain Shelter to Hot Springs, NC

Anyone who has ever had to get up early for a flight, vacation, anything out of the ordinary is well aware of the feeling of being too excited to go back to sleep. This is my feeling as a northerner waking up to see everything covered in snow.

View from my sleeping bag this morning.

 My trip to the privy is probably the most pleasant on the most trail. Its a door-less privy looking out over a pristine snow covered landscape with some gentle snow falling, feels like I am in a screensaver. Live -n-Learn confirms this experience with a trip of his own. My inner peace is broken when Four-Fingers wakes up, starts playing Trick Daddy on his cellular, and complains about the snow. We learn that he earned his name by dislocating his finger with a hatchet on the first night of his journey. Seems legit.

Walnut Mountain Shelter, complete with hanging hiker gear, holes for snow to come in, and a brand new picnic table.

As much as I have been enjoying the sunny winter here in the south, I also really like hiking through the winter wonderland. It only takes about 3 inches to negate the painful impacts your feet make with the ground when your hiking. This is a welcome change. It's about 13 miles down to Hot Springs and it seems as if I'll be taking my first zero day of the journey tomorrow. Dorothy and Blink catch up to Dan, Live and I on the way into town. Pooh Bear also leap frogs with us the whole way.

Following Live up a snowy grade.

On a more sour note, we meet a group of five college girls hiking in the opposite direction who give us Hershey kisses as trail magic, but we later learn they had to be evacuated that night with hypothermia and all around ill-preparedness. Link to news article. Hard times.

Hot Springs approach through leak-less trees.

Getting out of the woods and into to town is always the easy part of the day. There is an initial sense of relief, accomplishment, and hunger. Followed most often by food coma and the confusion and scramble to find accommodations. Today is certainly not an exception. Elmer's is a well known trail hostel, my mail drop is there, but they only have two spots, and not to be picky but I want greasy meat based food. Elmer's is known for the great, healthy cuisine. I  know its probably better for my and tastes good, but ill leave my spot there open for someone who really cares. We stop at the diner in town, I eat the hiker special burger. I have a care package coming in from a friend in Bozeman, but it is no where to be found. I check with Elmer's and the post office but Ill have to wait until tomorrow to check again. After a few laps across town and back we settle at the Laughing Hearts hostel. I highly recommend this to anyone hiking in the future. I buy some beer and a fire is made. despite the coldness and snow in the mountains, in town tonight is quite pleasant. Motor plays guitar and I am happy to be where I am, hiking the AT.

March 24th - Day 20 - Standing Bear Farm to Walnut Mountain Shelter

I met a thru last night named Rambo who was dead set convinced he was going to make the 33 mile trek all the way to Hot Springs today. Its around nine when I finally pack up and get out of dodge. My doubts in Rambo's ability only grow. I was about 100% convinced he was full of shit until at about 10 he rips past me and Live on the trail, Holy shit I thought. he wasn't joking. But even for most of the day I was sure we would catch up to him at the last shelter.

White blazes over Max Patch Bald

I had been hear about Max Patch Bald for a while. Today is the day, Max Patch is beautiful we were lucky again with the weather. I hike with Live and Handsome Dan all day.This would become my hiker posse for a long time to come.

With Dan's push I hike my first 20 mile day to Walnut Mountain Shelter. We hang out, have a great time, I eat two whole dinners. with resupply tomorrow the time to pig out is now. Rambo checked into the shelter log at four and said he is continuing on to Hot Springs. I stand corrected, maybe this kid is a badass.

At about midnight, Four Fingers stumbles in. Less than quietly and visibly drunk I glad it wasn't a bear or something, but at least we could have scared off a bear. I don't really get upset, he is a source of entertainment. He seems to be having a good time. Poorly outfitted he came across the first shelter realized it was full  and decided to trek on to Walnut Mountain. 

AT Journal Day 19

March 23rd - Day 19 - Tri Corner Knob to Standing Bear Farm
I wake up around 5:30 to the sound of pounding sleet and rain, maybe the reputation of the Smokies had final caught us. We had four beautiful days of hiking so far through the mountains which everyone had said would be our biggest challenge yet. The hills are no joke, but its fearsome weather had yet to play a factor.

Finally seeing why they're called the Great Smoky Mountains

I eat breakfast, visited the privy, and decided it was too early and too cold to go anywhere. I got back into my sleeping bag and slept another hour. Finally started hiking around 8, last day in the Smokies. Its a cold wet day, to keep moving is the only way to remain slightly comfortable. After enough hiking you start to be able to judge distance better, I keep thinking we must be getting close, I am hungry, should we stop here? Finally the smell of campfire catches us, we must be close. Tree Frog and Squirrel had rekindled a fire that the occupants had going last night. My gloves and socks are soaked, as is pretty much everything else, but I can only dry these items. We eat lunch and chat and keep the fire going for the next people to stop through; Grease and Sunbear. Its a long downhill to Davenport Gap from here. It gets warmer and the sun even pokes out when we reach the next shelter. Davenport Gap Shelter is the only shelter in the Smokies on trail that retains the bear fence, a chain link fence and gate that stretches across the open front. Despite my yearning for sleeping in this jail cell,  its only 3 miles to Standing Bear Farm, a hostel with a hot shower and a name I recognized from AWOL's book about his thru-hike (AWOL on the Appalachian Trail). 

Standing Bear is quite the place. Comprised of out buildings, kitchen, two bunkhouses, shower, caretakers office, privy. very basic but has everything anyone could possibly need. Never met the owners but the caretaker Rocket makes his money selling single beers and running the camp store (surprisingly good resupply). We have a root beer and a high five, listen to classic rock, and some stories from the Rocket archive. This is where Four Fingers comes into the story. Among all the people staying here tonight, Handsome, Rambles, Live, Panzer, Money Maker, Night Whisperer, Blink, Rambo. Pooh Bear, and W.O.L.D.? or something like that, I cant remember. Anyway, Four Finger made the biggest impression. Ole boy can put in some work on Bud Light, was stumbling around by 4 and would continue to do so until after I threw in the towel. 

AT Journal Day 18

March 22nd - Day 18 - Best Western Gatlinburg to Tri-Corner Knob Shelter
The day starts with a distinct and flavorful, six dudes in one hotel room, smell. I feel bad for the poor housekeeping staff that have to revive this room. The continental breakfast is more about quantity than quality, as i get older the less and less appealing this food is to me.

Mountain Mama and Godspeed told us yesterday that they would be headed back up to Newfound Gap and if we were at the NOC outpost at 9 they would be more than happy to give us a ride. Goal 1. It's a mile walk across a deserted Gatlinburg. a stark contrast to the drunken hustle and bustle of tourists last night. I alerted Dan to the ride offer and he too made the trek across town. As advertised the trail angels showed up and nine of us piled in and headed up the mountain.

Wrong Leg (in black,Center), Motor (red cap), Spaghetti, and Blink taking a rest on Charlies Bunion.

Three or so miles north on the trail a feature called Charlie's Bunion exists. Its pretty cool. We stop for lunch and a chill. The hike from here is very cool, It travels on the knife edge between Tennessee and North Carolina and the trees have turned to nearly all pine/evergreen. This is more of what I had envisioned the Smokey Mountains would be like. It will be about 15 miles total to the shelter tonight were we meet back up with Sunbear, Grease, Tree Frog, and Squirrel.

AT Journal Day 17

March 21st - Day 17 - Double Spring Gap to Newfound Gap (Gatlinburg)
Clingman's Dome is first on the menu this  morning. Despite a cold night, the skies are clear, making today all the better. Clingman's Dome is the Highest point on the AT, but it is rather uneventful hike. Not nearly as steep as mountains elsewhere, even Roan seemed to be a tougher hike. The summit is also wooded which is nice because that is obviously how its supposed to be, but you have to climb a man made obstacle to get any views. Other than the balds, this is true of most mountains in the southern portion of the trail. So Clingman's is a nice hike but other than the stat on paper it is rather unrewarding.

Spaghetti and Motor on the Clingman's Spiral

The rewarding part of today's hike is the 7 mile down climb into Newfound Gap as the weather becomes increasingly beautiful. I have been on the edge about going into Gatlinburg. I have enough food to get me to my next mail drop, but the trail is about experiences and towns are certainly an experience. Gatlinburg is a shiny, neon example of that theory. Gatlinburg is refereed to as the Atlantic City of the trail, a far cry from the expectation I had formulated by listening to that Johnny Cash song.

When we reached Newfound Gap, trail angels Godspeed and Mountain Mama hailed us over to the parking lot where they spoiled us with soda, fresh fruit, hard-boiled eggs, and ham and cheese sandwiches. The sun was out, we shared stories and thank yous, and watched the conventional tourists mill about the parking lot (I say conventional because we are tourists of a sort, we just walked here). Godspeed and Mountain Mama offered us all a ride into town. Happy Feller, Spaghetti, Motor, Blink, Haiku, Wrong Leg, Dorothy, Live, and I pile into their appropriately sized pickup.

Gatlinburg is a wonderful, distusting, entertaining, and otherwise useless tourist trap and the only real grocery store is a mile and a half out of town, luckily there is a bus system. Six of us get a room at the Holiday Inn, which if any of you are wondering smelled pretty bad after we left. We meet up with Handsome Dan and Happy Feller at Five Guys for dinner. Desert at Wendy's. We wandered through the tourists for a while but were all tapped out at about 7. Can't get too crazy, the trail angels were nice enough to offer me a ride out of this hell hole at 9 in the morning.

AT Journal Day 16

March 20th - Day 16 - Russell Field to Double Spring
"Hiked 16.4 miles to Double Spring Gap. It was full so we had to camp out in the field. Freezing cold night."

By far my shortest entry thus far. I must not have been very excited to write this night. As a result I can only draw on my pictures as to what I did today.

I came around a corner and saw Sunbear standing a few yard off trail in the fog smoking a cigarette with his hockey stick and leather hat. This lends to the mystery and legend of the character.

We also meet a ranger on trail and proudly display our papers. I guess it was a good thing we bought those permits as unconstitutional as they may be. 

I remember getting to Silers Bald Shelter and being exhausted but there is only 1.7 miles to the next shelter which is right before Clingmans Dome. So I decide to push forward. The shelter was full with reserved guests; a college group and some old folks. So the thrus pitched up out in the field and quietly jested at these people. Even though it is freezing cold I remember sitting at the bench cooking and eating with Live, Haiku, Wrong Leg, Blink, and Dorothy just laughing my ass off, these are good people. The leader of the college group is a Gossamer Gear trail ambassador and he sees me setting up my tarp and he comes over and talks to me about ultralight gear. It is clear he is an ultralight nerd. Nothing wrong with this except his look of disgust when I tell him that; yes, I have an 18 ounce shelter but my pack weight is still 30 pounds loaded. He gives me his card and says I should check out ultralight backpacking forum, I am think to myself, yes ,yes I will do that with all the free time I spend on the internet out here....

AT Journal Day 15

March 19th - Day 15 - Fontana Hiton to Russell Field Shelter
Fresh Grounds cooks bacon early, and only a fixed amount. I make it for a slice or too. Live, Wrong Leg, Midnight Sparkle, and I get a shuttle into the village to print out our Smokies permits. Handsome Dan is here and he shuttles back out to the shelter with us.

The Great Smoky Mountains have an aura about them. The only things I've heard has been words of warning. This time of year the Smokies are cold and unpredictable. After a week below zero in Montana I feel confident that I can handle whatever weather is thrown at me.

Its all uphill 13.8 miles to Russel Field where we stay the night. Same crowd as last night with the addition of Happy Feller, Pooh Bear, a kilt-clad father son team of sectioners from Florida, soon to be married repeat thru-hikers Tree Frog and Squirrel, and Motor and Spaghetti show up late.

The water source is a little dodgy here. Dorothy lets me borrow his Katadyn filter to pump out of the puddle since I have the Sawyer and no scoop. (Tip: scoops may sometimes be necessary, think about it.)

A view from Shuckstack firetower

Taken from the top of Siler Bald in N.C.

AT Journal Day 14

March 18th - Day 14 - Brown Fork Gap to Fontana Hilton
Still foggy. An early get out an 13 miles walk to Fontana Hilton. The downhill into Fontana Dam takes forever. This is compounded by the rumor that Leap Frog Cafe is set up at the Hilton. When you reach the road going northbound there is still another 1.1 to go before reaching the shelter, but there is an immediate clean bathroom, so we have that going for us. Fittingly the sun comes out just as we get to the shelter. The rumors are true. Fresh Grounds whips up seemingly endless batches of beans, hot dogs, and chessy eggs. This is one of the early large gatherings of hikers that I really enjoyed. There is something about Fresh Grounds that brings the best out of hiker culture, it accentuates the vibe of this crowd a lot I feel. We've made it to the Great Smoky Mountains. This is where the hike moves into the small child stage. Most at this point are comfortable with the idea of a thru-hike, but there is still a lot to learn. One more day and this will be the longest backpacking trip I have ever been on. I am breaking new ground. I meet Sunbear, Grease, Canary, Joules, Haiku, Blink, Dorothy, Rambles, Wrong Leg, and TurtleFish. All young people. Turns out the older contingent stayed at the resort down the road.  It is a perfect afternoon to sit around and arrange resupply and eat as much as possible.  Sunbear immediately makes an impression on me. He is very quick witted and tries to make a joke out of everything even when he knows it may fail, but it rarely does, or at least I don't think it does.

One if the things I forget about this early stage is that it is still very cold. So this rare sunny, slightly warm day is very welcomed.

Hikers take advantage of the sun to dry their brightly colored belongings

AT Journal Day 13

March 17th - Day 13 - NOC to Brown Fork Gap Shelter
The uphill out of the NOC is one of the hardest on the trail. Whether its the terrain or the relative inexperience of the person hiking it, its eight miles up and its raining today.

Live - n - Learn resting atop Cheoah Bald

I meet Handsome Dan and Happy Feller at Stecoah Gap. Someone left some fresh fruit on a picnic table here and I help myself. Right after Stecoah Gap there is a section of trail called Jacob's Ladder which is just very steep, steeper than anything I've encountered so far. At the shelter we meet a group of hikers from Moorehead State University.  The student s from Moorehead share their leftover pad thai and make s'mores for us. As a thru I can't turn down any of it. This interaction is also nice because neither Live or I would have taken the time to build a fire tonight, we are both exhausted. To sit around an effort-free fire and converse with people I've just met is great. Meeting new people everyday, and meeting people you wouldn't talk to in "normal" life is a really rewarding part of the trail. Travelling in general opens you up to a new way of approaching and interacting with people. This helps me a lot, it kind of forces me into new social interaction, which is never a bad thing.

AT Journal Day 12

March 16th - Day 12 - Wesser Bald Shelter to Nantahala Outdoor Center
Set off hiking really early, around 6am, its still dark out. Chowder is a cool dude to hike with. Its raining but spirits are high. Hiking can go from the last thing you want to be doing to the most fun you'll ever have, and I experienced the full spectrum on the 5 months I spent hiking. This hike is cool because I have a chill hiking partner and the sunrise comes up and we watch the fog come through the valley. By 9am we reach the NOC and its pouring rain. We meet up with Live who spent the night somewhere around the NOC, we post up in the pavilion and charge our devices. We can't get into the hostel until 11 and the beer store doesn't open til 10. The hostel here is slightly disappointing, with design cues from a chicken coop, but I feel oddly at home surrounded by the OSB walls. At least the showers are hot. I hitchhike for the first time in my life down to a gas station to buy spaghetti and sauce for dinner. Facts whom I first encountered near Rock Gap gets a bunk in the hostel as well. I meet Spaghetti and Motor(who gets renamed Papa Squats at some later point) sleep in the cafeteria, I should have thought of this.

A rainy sign at the NOC

AT Journal Day 11

March 15th - Day 11 - Wayah Bald to Wesser Bald
Something like 13 miles. Less interesting day of hiking. From the shelter logs we learn that One Day, Professor T, and Two Forks are only a day ahead. At this point these are the only people I know on trail. I would still consider this part of the infancy stage of my hike. Live and I relate on a lot of topics, or just as much as two men really have to to hang out with each other, and its good to have a hiking buddy. around mid-day we meet up with Chowder, whom we met back at Standing Indian, and hike with him the rest of the way. At the shelter its about 4, I am beat, my knees hurt mostly on the downhill and it is 6 more miles of downhill to the NOC (Nantahala Outdoor Center). live decides to go on. Columbus and Queen show up and tent out, showing some disgust that chowder is here, smoking cigs in the shelter and supposedly he snores. I care about neither and am just happy to have a laid back person to kick it with. Wrong Leg from Surrey shows up for the night as well. I am initially impressed with Wrong Leg as he is one of the few thrus so far who seems to really have his gear sorted. He also has a British accent which lends him some sort of imaginary credibility. A handful of young kids roll up to the shelter very poorly outfitted looking to camp. I admire their sense of adventure, mostly clad in skate or basketball shoes and one is carrying a crossbow and some arrows. After surveying us they decide to move further up the trail. The forecast is rain in the morning so chowder and I decide to get out early and make it to the NOC before we get too soaked.

My rig as of March 15th, at the Wesser Bald Fire Tower

AT Journal Day 10

March 14th - Day 10 - Rock Gap to Wayah Bald
Ron Havens delivers us to Rock Gap around 11am. A couple doing trail magic is here, Fred and Sharon Stephenson are trail angels. After 3 miles of hiking I, discussing the intricacies of dating, Live and  get to Winding Stair Gap and Fred and Sharon have moved up here and we get round two on donuts and magic. The woman how we saw at rock gap yesterday morning is now camped out by the road at Winding Stair. Live and I get our first taste of the southern balds and I'm impressed. The weather is perfect, North Carolina has been great. We hike on nine more miles to a camp spot just before Wayah Bald.  A couple Columbus and Queen camp here, as well as father-son team from England.

Live-n-Learn hiking up Siler Bald, first of the southern balds.

AT Journal Day 9

March 13th -Day 9 - Long Branch Shelter to Franklin, NC
Cold morning, there is a dusting of snow about and the moisture in the ground has frozen into tiny vertical columns jutting through the leaves. This creates a very crunchy sound to the hike. It's only 3.5 miles to rock gap where an advertised shuttle should be at 9am. Live and I got to rock gap and there was another hiker there. After striking up conversation we found that she was just a denizen of the trail had been on for nine years or so. She had two packs on, camo head to toe, smoking a cigarette, and she spoke in a half cry half angry yell. Ron Havens shows up in a bus to shuttle us to town. Ron Havens is the most intelligent man in this part of the south, owns multiple motels, has been in government, yet still he reminds me of the stereotype fat segregationist southern mayor. He is a lovely man. his prize quote of the encounter, speaking of his home town in the summer, "Hotter than the blue blazes through purgatory in the summer." In town Live and I resupply, find lunch, and get a motel room. March madness is in full swing and we spend the afternoon watching basketball. sitting around doing nothing is just what I need right now.

AT Journal Day 8

March 12th - Day 8 - Standing Indian to Long Branch Shelter
I wake up to driving rain and cigarette smoke. Chowder was tented out 30 yards in front of the shelter and in what is now a small lake. He and a section hiker are smoking in the front of the shelter debating how to go about retrieving his tent. By the time I am packed up and fed the rain is still coming down.Regardless Live and I head out up and over Standing Indian mountain. We want to make it to long branch shelter so we can nearo (near zero mile day) into Franklin, NC. by the afternoon we make it to Albert Mountain and the 100 mile mark of the AT. I call my mom and savor the moment. I am very happy and even happier that there are 2085 miles to go. The fun is yet to begin. By 7:30pm the fun has ceased, the temperature is dropping fast. This would be the coldest night on the AT.

100 mile graffiti atop Albert Mtn. in Georgia

My dinner tonight consists of a sweet and sour chili pasta side, a tuna packet, half a summer sausage, 2 swiss roll packages (4 total) a tea and hot cocoa. Today was a long day and I need the energy.

These guys.

AT Journal Day 7

March 11th  - Day 7 - Dicks creek gap to Standing Indian Shelter
Hiking with Live - n - Learn. Long uphill slog to muskrat creek shelter. We cross the North Carolina border around noon. A hiker named Rear Admiral Foggy Caboose offers up a celebratory pull of whiskey at the border. Even more uphill.... At the shelter Live and I opt to take the 0.25 blue blaze out to ravens rock. Still one of the best views of the Trail. A group of hikers we met pushed on 5 miles to Standing Indian shelter and we follow suit. Country, Mason(later Rockfish), Illlinois, Chowder, Live, and some section hikers are here including a 2013 thru. The former thru entertains all of us around the campfire with his stories of working as a teacher inside a prison.

AT Journal Day 6

March 10th - Day 6 - Tray Mtn to Top of Georgia Hostel, Dicks Creek Gap
My knees are really starting to hurt at this point. Going down hill is more painful than going up. After 11 miles down hill from Tray Mountain the hostel at Dicks Creek Gap is looking awful promising. Around three we reach the gap, I hiked with Professor T, Two Forks, and Panzer down the mountain. The hostel is a half mile off trail down towards Hiawassee. I decide to stay for the night and Live- n - Learn show up not too long after. The hostel is run by Sir Packs-a-lot, a triple crowner, and helper of hikers. Here are his 10 tips for a successful thru-hike:
1. Be mentally and adtitudinally prepared
2. Be physically prepared
3. Be gear ready
4. Understand what you "bare necessities" are
5. "Hike your own hike" with an open mind
6. "Don't quit on a bad day"
7. Take the time to "see" what you see
8. Have your "real life" affairs in order
9. Prepare for the harsh physical realities of a 2189 miles of backpacking
10. Don't let the small problems become big ones.

Found this video from 2012 about Napoleon.

So much love for this man. Had the opportunity to hike with Napoleon from Delaware Water Gap to Katahdin. This is him everyday. Wherever you are man, you're in my thoughts. Rock on,

AT Journal Day 5

March 9th - Day 5 - Low Gap to Tray Mountain
My second 15 mile day, this is big for this early in my hike. I average 14 miles per day over the entirety of my hike, but no 15 mile day will hurt as bad as this one. Georgia is rough. Early on, not flat, and mostly out in the middle of nowhere.

At the shelter I set up my tarp for the first time. Most people have free standing tents. And I am a little nervous about just sleeping under a tarp, but its light. Professor T, Two Forks, and One Day are at this encampment. Tons of others are scattered about the shelter area. The sunset from the overlook is quite pleasant and I am very happy about being here.

AT Journal Day 4

March 8th  - Day 4 - Neels Gap to Low Gap Shelter
I often think of the different stages of my thru-hike as stages of human life. Early on in Georgia and into North Carolina/Tennessee it felt like the infantsy stage of the hike. I was still wandering about the woods aimlessly. Everyone on the trail is new. Advice is everywhere, the amount of learning to do is immense. In the months leading up to my hike I did a lot of research, planning, and thinking. This all undoubtedly helped, but one of the strange things about the AT is that now that I am out here, none of that work matters any more. If I had done physical conditioning for my hike, it wouldn't matter now either. Now what matters is being out here, staying out here, and enjoying and experiencing as much as possible.

A church group is cooking burgers at Mountain Crossing, and although it attributes to a late start, we all indulge in their amazing charity. Trail legend Baltimore Jack is here, he tells me that I should elevating my bothered knee at night. Slowly set out towards low gap shelter and make it as the sun is setting.

Appalachian Trail Thru-Hike Journal Day 3

March 7th - Day 3
Still damp this morning. During my shuttle to Amicalola Ron Brown informed me that a man named fresh grounds is set up with trail magic at Woody Gap with the Leap Frog cafe. Rumor is true. Fresh Grounds puts on amazing hiker feeds at random points along the trail. As Two Forks, Professor T, One Day, Stride, Tarzan, Kodak, and others arrive, Fresh Grounds whips up a batch of cheesy eggs and banana pancakes. There are a handful of people here helping out, former hikers, and friends of the trail.One man named Jimmy offers to slackpack us to Neels Gap. Alex and I take him up on his offer.

The Leap Frog Cafe

Tarzan, Kodak, One Day, Stride Live - n - Learn(Alex) hike over blood mountain to Neels gap and rent a cabin at the Blood Mountain Cabins for the night.

LIve - n - Learn on top of Blood Mountain

More random squiggles.

Appalachian Trail Thru-Hike Journal Day 2

March 6th - Day 2
Sleeping alone in the woods is relatively conducive to waking up early. I pack my things and eat my first oatmeal breakfast of the journey. March in the mountains of Georgia is still cold. I start hiking in my insulation layer and soon have to stop to take it off. Rookie mistake. It became commonplace later in the hike to remove all insulation before hiking so you didn't ruin it with sweat. I don't remember much of the hike. I pass Professor T and Charlie (who later gets trail name Two Forks) who had camped a mile or two past the shelter. I also pass biscuit, an older gentleman from Syracuse, NY. I hike 13 miles or so to Gooch Gap Shelter. My journal entry indicates that my knees are already starting to hurt on downhill sections of trail. I speculate about this pains' relation to Lyme disease I had in my knees as a kid, There is a large number of hikers at the shelter tonight. Jenn(One Day), Stride, Tarzan, Dillan (who is now being called kodak or paparazzi), Mathmagicain, a couple from Iowa the husband is being called Seth Rogen to whom he bears a striking resemblance, his wife, can't remember her name, but she is ultimately responsible for my trail name. Seth Rogen builds a fire and we all gather around and chat. Upon coming back from gathering firewood Seth Rogen's wife jokes that I look like Goliath carrying too much firewood. It sticks. Unfortunately. I never really got used to the name. David(my real name) and Goliath(trail name). I always feel pretentious when introducing myself as Goliath. Jenn also gets her trail name, One Day, tonight. A kid named Alex rolls in a bit later looking very exhausted and soaked(it is now raining).

Photo Courtesy of One Day (AT 2014)

Appalachian Trail Thru-Hike Journal Day 1

March 5th - Day 1
As it starts to get light, my train is still zipping down the tracks. I see mostly dirt roads, trailers, a school bus picking up kids, and green grass. Coming from the Montana and New England winters, this is exciting. I arranged a shuttle from the Gainesville Amtrak station to Amicalola before I got on the train. Ron Brown is waiting as promised and we are soon on the way to the park. Its the beginning of a new day for most, but I am feeling the all-nighter delirium, but still too excited to do anything about it. no words to describe the feeling as we drive up to Amicalola. At about 8AM I buy a couple of fuel canister from Ron and head into the visitors center there. not open. I meet a perspective thru-hiker couple Megan and Daniel and we chat for a bit. We take each others pictures at the gate, sign in to the register and start my hike.

The stairs take it out of me. I did almost no prep for my hike, conditioning wise. I get to the summit of Springer Mtn. around 2PM. I've eaten very little, probably a by product of me not sleeping. I meet Professor T and Charlie two guys hiking up the Approach trail, Dillan Forsey(Dillan's Blog) and Tarzan(AT 2012) at the summit. Chris and Alison a couple from Kansas attempting a thru. I chill for a while and try to take everything in. Its sunny and comfortable here.

There is a shelter not too far from the summit with a lot of people around, I have my first Privy experience, and decide to continue on to the Stover Creek Shelter. I meet Jenn and Stride in the parking lot 0.9 miles past Springer. Stride has already hike the AT(08) and PCT(12) and is attempting the CDT this year. Jenn is in my boat, beginning of our very first thru hike. It is 2.8 miles from Springer mountain after the 8.8 mile approach trail I've done 11.6 miles today, on very little food. My body feels it. I eat around 5PM my first backpacker's Pantry, well deserved in my mind. no one else is here. A few people pass through but no one stays. Being alone in the woods makes me miss home, family and friends a bit. This would be the last time I camp alone for the remainder of the hike.

Appalachian Trail Thru-Hike Journal Day 0

March 4th, 2014 - Day 0
10:45 AM Mom and I drive down to the Amtrak station in Windsor, CT. Emotional departure for her, I am too excited for these feelings. I guess I never had trouble with separation anxiety. I take the local train from Windsor to New Haven. In the hour I spend waiting in the station I feel a little weird toting my Vaude backpack, clad in hiking boots and synthetic clothing. This would be my attire for the next five months. Sweaty train ride through the urban centers of the northeast metro corridor. From the rails you see mostly the neglecting backsides of cities. Washington DC I switch to the south regional train to New Orleans. Its dark. A gentleman from Danville, VA sits next to me. We exchange cordial conversation, He's a professional welder who works all over the US, and most recently in Massachusetts. I have a really hard time trying to understand his accent. This is my first time in the South less a trip to Disney World when I was a small child. He gets off in Danville and I am rewarded with the empty seat next to me. I try to sleep. Still too excited, nervous feeling to get a wink of sleep. Everyday from now on is a complete unknown. I'm on my own... just the way I want it.

N.B. After hiking each day, generally right before or sometimes while I feel asleep I wrote in this journal. While I won't copy it word for word into this blog I am going to try and do a day by day retelling of my experience. 

Tree I drew a while back. Figured I'd put it here.

Blog Attempt

Lately I've been motivated to start a blog. I have a Wix webpage/e-portfolio but I am not a huge fan of the editor tool. It reflects how good the final product looks but I was yearning for a more simple format.