April 14^th Tuesday

 

          We were up at 3:30 am.  My son Adam, his friend, Anthony, and I drove to Edmonton to pick up my dad and my nephew Jamie.  We took a few pictures, said our good-byes to my Mom and Gram then drove to the Edmonton International Airport.  It was a strange feeling of excitement, leaving for this adventure and not expecting to come home for at least six months. Jamie was flying to the North West Territories to start a new job with Ledcor, at the Broken Hills Properties diamond mine, as a contract electrician. Papa and I boarded a Boeing 737 to Calgary at six in the morning.  In Calgary we went through customs. All the worry about crossing the border to spend six months in the States and all the document preparation was almost for naught. The inspecting officer asked what we were doing and how long we were going to be in the States. When I told him that we were hiking the Appalachian Trail, he let us know that he was from Pennsylvania, and that he had hiked the trail in that state. He barely looked over our drivers’ license and passport before waving us on through, smiling and seemingly quite happy for us. He didn't even look at the paperwork; our bank statements, mortgage documents and travel insurance. We boarded an American Airlines McDonnell Douglas Super 80 for our flight to Dallas. The stewardess served us a small breakfast: Special K, banana, muffin and coffee.

 

When we landed in Dallas at 1:30, we got a big scare. The humidity was stifling!  I started sweating as soon as I entered the walkway from the plane into the terminal. It went through my mind that I could never take heat and humidity like this, for the next six months. There were people everywhere, thousands, and we had to walk about a mile and pass over four pedways to get to the correct gate to depart for Atlanta.  The flight to Atlanta was 1.5 hours long in a packed plane. We landed early, before 5 pm, picked up our packs from the carousel and made our way outside. The skies were heavily overcast and the temperature in the 50’s.  The incoming planes appeared from a ceiling of clouds, a mere five hundred feet above us. We sat outside, waiting for an Atlanta Airport Shuttle, an AAR van, to take us to Gainesville Georgia.  After just over an hours wait, the shuttle van arrived.  We threw our packs in the back and piled in with two other passengers.

 

The driver, Roger, enjoyed talking, answered all of our questions and volunteered almost more than we needed to know about Atlanta. He mentioned that Elton John resided in the top two floors of a downtown high rise and discussed how the city had grown over the past ten years. We passed a Wrigley’s gum factory near the outskirts of the city.  While on the topic of treks, one of the other passengers from California told us how he had traversed America on a bicycle in less than three weeks. The other passenger was much quieter, but wished us well on our journey when he got off at the Lake Lanier Resort.  Lake Lanier was a man made lake; a popular area for the well to do.  The lawns were manicured; the trees were in leaf.  It was much like New Brunswick in July. This was vastly different from the carpet of snow we had left in Edmonton. There were many small deer, the size of large dogs, running through the park areas. Roger drove us through Hall County, then to Gainesville, which is famous for its large chicken processing plants in the area.

 

Roger dropped us off at the Masters Inn, on the outskirts of town.  We checked in, and asked for a city map. We had to buy groceries before we could move on to Amicalola State Falls Park, and the map would help us find the nearest store. We had no luck finding one, so we crossed the street to the Huddle House Restaurant for some supper. Papa ordered a small bowl of chili and I had a ½ pound burger and fries. The Huddle House restaurant was part of a chain of restaurants that had a "50’s era" appearance. It was here that I got my first exposure to the racing car craze of the south. Posters of racecar drivers were everywhere. After the meal, we walked back to the hotel, settled in and flicked on the TV.  Nothing lets you know better that you are far from home like the television. Here, the advertisements and the weather reports were extremely different.   We had difficulty going to sleep. I guess this was because of all the excitement of our first days travel. It was hard to believe that I had been in Dallas and Atlanta in the same day.

 

April 15^th Wednesday

 

          I slept very lightly and got up around 7:00 am.  After we washed up, we crossed the street to Huddle’s restaurant again.  We both ordered ham and eggs.  When it arrived, I commented to Papa that I had never seen ham sliced so thin. You could almost see through it. After breakfast we went back to the hotel room, packed our gear and called a cab. Jeff, the cabby, showed up and took us to the Food Lion grocery store. When we asked him about a ride to Amicalola Falls State Park, he gave us his business card and told us to call him. Papa and I went into the grocery store and bought all the provisions that we needed on our list and probably a little bit more. The only item that couldn’t be purchased at the Food Lion was camp fuel. Once outside the store, I phoned for Jeff and waited for him to arrive.

 

The weather was overcast again with the occasional drizzle. Jeff came back with his wife and took us back to the hotel to pick up our packs. We piled everything in the trunk and headed for the park. We stopped at a large Kmart store to pick up a gallon jug of white gas. On the way out of Gainesville, to the State Park, Jeff showed us Bill Elliot’s headquarters. Bill was a NASCAR driver. His home base had at least 10 buildings, and outside were large pressurized cylinders.  There were houses all along the way on the ride to the Amicalola Park.  Nonetheless, there were more cows than people by the time we reached the park.

Papa at Amicalola Falls State Park

Jeff dropped us off in front of the park center.  Papa paid him $50.00 for the ride. We immediately went to work, ripping open the food packages and stuffing our packs. Our plan was to be at the park by the end of the day, but it was still only 12:30. We could hike to the first shelter, seven miles away, and get ahead of our schedule. Once the food was stowed away, we walked to the park center. We then toured through, checking out the maps and books and signing the register. I spent the last of my change on a couple pens that I would send home later. A spring type scale hung in the back of the center, so we weighed our packs. Mine was 54 lbs. and Papa’s, 32. My original plan was not to carry more than 45 pounds, so I was surprised that the pack was that much overweight. At 2:00PM we commenced our hike uphill to Black Gap Shelter. There was an overcast sky when we arrived at the park, but the sun came out as we climbed. The trail climbed steadily upward on a wide road. Near the top we stopped to look at the falls and talk to a few day hikers. After the seven miles, we reached the area of the shelter. Papa went to fetch water for our supper. I set up the tent about 200 feet from the shelter. Seven or eight people occupied the shelter already.  I should have gone over to check it out, but I started cooking instead. We dined on tuna helper and had a Snickers bar for dessert, then crawled into our sleeping bags shortly after sundown. 

 

April 16^th Thursday

 

          After a good sleep, we rousted out of the tent shortly after 07:00. Our breakfast was rye bread, a cheese and turkey roll, and hot coffee. We packed up our gear and then hiked two miles to the top of Springer Mountain.   There we would start our journey. The skies were overcast again and one could not see past a hundred feet in any direction. At the plaque, which indicated the southern terminus of the trail, we met Frank Ivy, a slight, wiry built gentleman in his 50’s, from Fairbanks Alaska. He took our picture and we each signed the trail register.

 

Papa and I at the top of Springer Mountain,

Southern terminus of the Appalachian Trail

 

On the way to Hawk Mountain, it began to drizzle, then rain. We arrived at Hawk Mountain Shelter by 2:00 pm and found about 10 other hikers assembled there. The shelter was a three-sided wooden structure, complete with roof and a flat platform off the ground, where one could roll out a sleeping bag. My first impression of the shelters was one of security, much like a child would think of a fort that would provide protection from the rain and shade from the sun. I naturally thought that the people at this place were attempting a thru hike also, so when I spied some pretty Latino gals, with huge thighs, I wondered how far they expected to make it on the trek. There was a young lad, tending a fire, who "wheeled and dealed" for gear and food. He talked a lot and some of the other hikers didn’t appreciate his presence there. Papa and I had Kraft dinner and then hiked six miles to Justus Creek camping area.

 

Rhododendron trees

 

Along the way, we met a young man by the name of John Hopwood, sitting at the side of the trail. He was 28 and from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. We struck up a conversation as we walked. He had done very little backpacking but had quit his camera store job to hike the A.T. The last 3 miles were tough to do and so we arrived late, around 7:00 pm.  Papa and I had Ichiban noodles; peanut butter sandwiches and a turkey roll for supper. An army lad strolled in as we ate and told us that there would be a group doing maneuvers later. He warned us that they would be making a little noise in the night, with their dummy rounds. It had rained all day and we had hiked 15 miles, so it was into the sleeping bags by 8:30 pm. During the night we heard lots of voices and sporadic gunfire. The rain came down in sheets, the lightening brightening the sky and the thunder shaking the ground. A small stream which passed right under our tent, made our sleep anything but restful. A great start to a long journey!

 

April 17^th Friday

 

          When we crawled out of the tent at 07:00 am, we discovered our gear to be thoroughly soaked. We boiled water for coffee and had oatmeal, a turkey roll and peanut butter sandwiches for breakfast. It tasted a lot like last night’s supper. We gorged on that turkey roll and lightened the pack a bit. We packed everything up wet and headed out for Gooch Gap, 3 miles away. When we stopped for snack and water it cleared up for the first time, enough to see down hill any distance from the top.  There were pines and some open areas.  Mountain laurels crowded near the streams. Along the trail there were insects galore: centipedes, millipedes, newts, moths, butterflies and the type of snails that carry, shells (home) on their backs.

 

A newt with an earthworm dangling from its mouth

 

We hiked another 3.5 miles and passed a couple older ladies that appeared to be dykes. We had passed by them previously, a couple times, and they always seemed to be sitting down. The trail continuously moved up and down. At the bottom of the hills, an area called the gap, there was perhaps a 100-foot horizontal and then another hill, without a switchback to be found. I caught up to a gentleman with a "huge" pack. When we talked, I commented on how heavy his pack appeared to be.  He didn’t disagree because he was struggling under the weight. I told him that my dad would be along and would probably pass him.  He must have been carrying 80 to 100 pounds.  His name was Rob and he was hoping to make Neels Gap soon.  There he planned to send a lot of the unnecessary items home.

 

I moved on to Woody Gap and there stopped to dry out all our gear. A light breeze and a little sun dried up the extra moisture.  I stayed there 2 hours before packing up and then heading to the next campsite, three miles away.  The supper menu was rice pilaf, turkey roll and tea with Snickers for dessert. Hopwood pulled in just as we were finishing up. After climbing and descending Granny Top Mountain, we stopped at the next campsite for the night. As I soaked my feet to draw out the heat, I resolved to get the weight of my pack down. This day, 9.3 miles were trekked.  Shortly after dark, I crawled into bed.

 

April 18^th Saturday

 

          We were up early this morning and dined on oatmeal and the rest of the turkey roll, bundled up our gear and headed for Blood Mountain Shelter, 5 miles away. We climbed within a mile of the shelter before we stopped for some water and lunch; Ramen noodles and a Snickers bar. After an hour, we started our ascent of the 4461’ Blood Mountain. The story had it that the Creek and Cherokee Indians had a battle 400 years ago on this site. The hill was covered in blood; thus the name. It was a steep climb to the top that had just enough of an opening for its stone shelter. The C.C.C. built the shelter in the 1930’s. (Civilian Conservation Corp)  The floor was the sleeping area and there was a back room that had garbage someone had failed to remove. There were four or five people there already.  We met a group of boys with 2 adults that were going to stay the night. Papa and I took each other’s picture in the doorway of the structure and proceeded to carry on down the trail.

 

Papa and I at Blood Mountain shelter

 

The path down was on a rock shelf that had familiar white Appalachian Trail blazes painted on it and some cairn to follow. Somehow we zigged when we should have zagged and found ourselves bushwhacking straight down the hill. Shortly, we came to a trail that crested the mountain and we checked the map to see which direction we should take to get back on the A.T.  As fate would have it, we went the wrong direction and after 20 minutes, stopped again to check the maps. Papa convinced me that a trail would be found if we would go the other direction so we hiked back. A half-hour later we found the A.T. and moved down the hill to Neels Gap. At Neels Gap there was another beautiful stone structure that was converted into a store. I went inside and bought 2 Cokes and an A.T. data book for Papa. We sat outside with Hopwood for almost a half-hour before proceeding onto a trail, which passed under an archway connecting the store to a storage area.  We hiked up to Bull Gap, a mile away, where we could not find the water source to make supper.  We were forced to walk another 2 miles to get water at Rock Spring Top. We set up camp and had potatoes and a can of chicken for supper. We were tired.  Because it began to rain, we went into the tent right away and listened to the rain through the night. Ten miles was covered today but the bush whack had made it feel like fifteen.

 

April 19^th Sunday

 

We awoke to the sound of rain, crawled out of our bags and made a quick breakfast of coffee and sandwiches. After we packed up the wet tent and gear, we started on our way to Low Gap, 7.5 miles away. It seemed to rain harder with every step.  I arrived at Low Gap Shelter before Papa. There were four other people there already, waiting out the storm. We introduced ourselves to one another. I met Hiwater and his dog Kiva, Plaqueman the Ringbearer, Sunburn the Brit, and some girl traveling with her dog. Hopwood rolled down the hill and in a short time was followed by an older gentleman by the name of Caterpillar.  I waited until Papa showed up and then started to make tuna helper for lunch. The rain let up, but it was cool and we needed something hot to eat. I chatted it up with the original four from the shelter and found out that Sunburn was from England.   Plaqueman had gone to MIT for 10 years and was from Boston; Hiwater was in the army and had just recently received his discharge.  They slowly packed up and moved on as the skies cleared. Hiwater’s dog Kiva, seemed to be an unwilling participant in the hike. He just lay there and woefully opened one eye when it was time to go.

 

Papa and I packed up and charged off towards Chattahoochee Gap, 5 miles away. It was a pleasant afternoon and we arrived there early in the evening. Papa strung a line up between a couple trees so we could half dry the tent and some of our clothes before setting up camp. For supper, I made a pot of soup and threw in some extra pasta.   Hopwood arrived and decided to camp with us again. He and I sat up into the night talking and watching the twinkling lights in the valley. It got cold quickly, so we were in our sleeping bags shortly after our 12.8-mile day.

 

April 20^th Monday  

 

It seemed cold all night and I didn’t sleep a lot.  Wet socks were put on in the night to keep my feet from being chilled.  We awoke in the morning to a bright sun that was warm enough to draw the vapor from our tent and sleeping bags. We had coffee with cheese and summer sausage sandwiches for breakfast, then packed up our damp gear and headed to the road at Unicoi Gap.  After the 5 miles to the gap we stopped for a lunch and dried our boots out in the sun. Plaqueman was there and we talked of hockey and life in Boston. Papa mended his boots that were pulling apart just behind his ankle. The boots had been bunching up and causing him grief.

 

Bluets border the trail

 

 

 

After an hour or so we packed up and headed up over Rocky Mountain and down into Indian Grave Gap. From there it was a climb again, to the old Cheese factory site. There was no structure here but one could tell that there was something in the area at one time, as there was an old road in a small clearing. Hiwater and Kiva were there, having a lunch, and then Hopwood, Frank Ivy and Sunburn showed up. Papa and I decided to stay because it was a nice spot and the sun was shining, we could dry out our gear again.  Frank carried on to Tray Mt. but Hopwood had supper with us before he continued his journey. He had to reach Franklin, N.C. by Friday, to catch the post office for a mail drop. We only completed 8 miles and were still 20 miles from the Georgia\North Carolina border. We had been trying to keep an average of 12 miles per day and thought we could make up the difference later. Supper was a rice pilaf with a canned ham, tea and some wagon wheels for dessert. By 8:30 we were in the tent and ready for bed.

 

April 21^st Tuesday

 

          Our morning began at 7:00 am with a breakfast of summer sausage and cheese on rye bread, washed down with coffee. We packed up quickly and were away by 8:00 o’clock. The trail seemed easier now that my pack was a little lighter. We made our way to Sassafras Gap. I went on ahead of Papa and after three hours and six miles I stopped for a break. I had passed Frank Ivy and Hopwood. When they came by again, I traded two Slim Jim pepperonis for a cup of Hopwood’s Grape nut cereal. Papa showed up a little later and we had Kraft dinner with a can of Spam, for lunch. We set off for Dick’s Creek Gap, 6 miles distant, and I caught up to Hiwater who was limping badly. He had turned his ankle and was using his walking stick as a crutch. We stopped at the picnic tables in the gap and met a section hiker who didn’t carry a pack. His wife dropped him off every morning, and picked him up every evening. He talked to us about the trail and when Papa caught up, he wanted to take our picture. This notoriety of hiking the AT was quite easy to get used to and pleasant to the ego. I’m not sure how our listeners took it when they found out that we were trying to thru hike the complete trail. Their initial reaction was one of disbelief that quickly progressed to a “you must be nuts” response.

We rested a while, and then proceeded up the hill to our campsite, just a mile away. By the time I got there, it had started to rain again, so I quickly threw up the tent and tied up the tarp, to make a shelter.  A good hot supper of potatoes and ham filled us up and we were in the tent by 7:30. We checked over the maps to plan for the next day. It had been a 12-mile day and I was beginning to feel that we were getting the rhythm of things; the miles were becoming easier. Just as we were ready to go to sleep, the rain started coming down in sheets. So far everything was still dry and I hoped it would stay that way till morning.

  

April 22^nd Wednesday

 

          It was still raining when we awoke.  A quick breakfast of the summer sausage with cheese on rye and coffee lightened our load.  Papa packed up and set off early. I finished my packing in the rain; everything became soaked once again. As I walked back to the trail, I passed Hiwater’s makeshift shelter. He had a small tarp, a poncho and some small branches constructed into something that looked like a funnel that would catch the rain and dump it directly onto him. He said he spent a miserable night and I didn’t doubt him. I really had expected more from someone who spent four years in the service. It rained on and off throughout the day and I caught up to Hopwood. We passed the Georgia\North Carolina signpost together and so stopped and took a picture of each other.

 

Gnarled tree at Bly Gap, North Carolina

 

 

After another 11 miles of trudging, we stopped at Muskrat Shelter to go take a break and have some water. We met two young lads from Arkansas, Yogi and Booboo, Gryme Dugal from Savannah, Georgia and P.O.D. from New Jersey. They were building a fire to dry their gear and would probably stay there for the night. A few minutes later another young lad arrived with a very small pack and sneakers on his feet. His trail name was Ozone and he liked everyone to know that his pack was only 28 lbs. and that his parents lived in Hawaii. He had started the trail on April 3^rd but had to take some time out for a family illness, two weeks back. 

 

Papa arrived and we snacked on trail mix and water, then he left again, for Deep Gap. Soon, I started out to do the five miles to Deep Gap and passed Papa shortly. The trail was a very rough descent with large wet rocks and bushes. I stopped near the dirt road at Deep Gap and laid my gaiters a little off the trail so Papa could see them.  I walked down a side road about 200 feet to a clearing, and proceeded to put up the tent. I kept looking for Papa but he didn’t show up. After an hour of waiting, I started back up the trail towards Muskrat Shelter. I walked a little more than a mile and called for Papa, but there was still no sign of him. It was getting dark so I headed back to the tent, hoping he was there, but no such luck. By nine o’clock it was pitch black and I crawled into the tent. Where could he be? Lots of thoughts rushed through my mind, none of them very good.  I didn’t really know what to do so I prayed for his safety and crawled into my sleeping bag. Not 5 minutes later I saw a light cast on the tent and heard footsteps coming up beside it. It was Hopwood.  He told me that Papa missed the turnoff and hiked up the hill to Standing Indian Shelter. There were lots of people there; they had made Papa some supper and had given him a spot in the shelter. He said I didn’t have to worry.  I thanked him profusely and told him that I would catch up in the morning. I was very appreciative to John for his kind act of walking down from the shelter in the dark so that I wouldn’t be worried about my Dad. Consequently, I got a good sleep.  I had traveled 15.6 miles this day.

 

April 23^rd Thursday

 

          It rained during the night and I arose at 07:00. I packed up my wet gear and quickly climbed to Standing Indian Shelter. Standing Indian Mountain was the first peak over 5000 feet elevation (5498). My dad and I had a tuna helper for breakfast and then Papa started off early. I stayed for a while longer and talked to a young man, Chris, from Portland Maine and a couple of older gentlemen from Kentucky, Carl and Harry, who were section hiking. The older gents, retired chemists, were in there 60’s or 70’s. They were very friendly. We enjoyed a few laughs together before I left.

 

I did the eight miles to Carter Gap Shelter. Hopwood was there and we talked for an hour before anyone else showed up. There was a storm; thunder, lightening and hail. The ground turned white as we watched from the safety of the shelter. Slowly the hikers started arriving. When Papa came in, we dined on hot minestrone soup with extra pasta. After lunch, we completed the last four miles to Betty Creek Gap campsite. The clouds had lifted so we emptied our packs to dry out our gear. The shelter area was low and the covering of mountain laurel trees hindered the success of our clothes drying. Papa and I had coffee, cheese and the rest of the summer sausage for supper.  We crawled into the tent by 8:00 pm, for it was cold enough to see your breath. We wore our clothes inside the sleeping bags to aid drying them and to also stay warm. Earlier today it was 36 degrees during the hailstorm.  It certainly didn’t feel any warmer! 

 

          We completed 12 miles though we hadn't left camp this morning until 10:30 am. Tomorrow we hoped to be up early so we could attempt to make good time to Winding Stair Gap. The US 64 was the highway that led into Franklin, NC. There we would stop to hitch a ride to a motel.  It was time to get off the trail for a break. Our clothes and our bodies had developed a rancid smell and it would be good to have a bath and some restaurant food.

 

April 24^th Friday

         

          There was no rain during the night but the temperature was very cool. We woke up to sunny skies at 7:00 AM and made a couple Lipton noodle packs for breakfast. We broke camp at 8:15 and started our climb up Albert Mountain. It was an extremely tough, steep climb; hand over hand, in places. It made me wonder what else could be expected on this trail. These hills in Georgia were elevation climbs of 500 to 1500 feet and there were no switchbacks. Going up meant bending forward and putting your legs to the task. Descending meant hammering your feet and knees to prevent gravity from throwing you into the gap. There also was no respite.  The trail went directly over the top of each hill in front of us. One got accustomed to knowing the direction of the trail by picking out the next tall mountain. A young lady, by the name of San Dog met up with me. She and I stopped at the top of Albert Mountain, near the fire tower. I took her picture with her camera and then headed down the other side to the Big Spring Shelter.

 

Yogi, Booboo and Chris were there and were just getting up. I stayed for about an hour and then started off in pursuit of Papa.  I walked at least an hour before catching up to him. We made it to the Rock Gap Shelter by 1:30 and snacked on Slim Jims, dried prunes and a Snickers bar.  When we arrived at the Winding Stair Gap road, Chris, Yogi, Booboo, POD and Gryme were sitting and waiting for a ride. They had just finished smoking a big reefer and were contemplating hitch hiking into Franklin. There was a 3-inch plastic pipe that ran up to the hill and was placed in the stream at the upper end. The water flowed down to the road where some folks, mostly locals, stopped to get a drink. In less than 5 minutes, the boys caught a ride to town in the back of a truck. Papa and I stood out on the road and waited for 20 minutes.  A couple of young lads in a small truck stopped to pick us up. We told them we wanted to go 10 miles into Franklin and be dropped off near a hotel. Papa told me he hadn’t hitched a ride for over 30 years.

 

On the way into town the driver met his sister and stopped to talk. I could barely understand what they were saying, because of their heavy southern drawl. The boys dropped us off at the Franklin Motel and we thanked them. We walked into the motel office, which appeared to be the staff living quarters. A rather large attendant was sitting back and watching car racing on TV. I asked if there was cable TV in the rooms, so I could watch the hockey playoffs. He let me know that hockey was OK, because there weren’t any blacks in the sport. I mentioned there was Mike Grier of the Oilers and another black player from Boston.  He didn’t think that much of hockey anymore. Our room was right beside Yogi and the boys. Hopwood came walking across the parking lot complaining about the rooming house that he was in.  He made a deal with Yogi and the boys so they split their room four ways. Papa and I spread our gear outside on the railing to dry, and then took turns in the shower.  Later, Hopwood, Papa and I walked around the town looking for a KFC.  We couldn't find one and so ended up, back at the hotel, still hungry. We went across the street to the B&D restaurant and ordered supper. Lots of people were there, so we figured that the food must be good. I ordered an open-faced beef sandwich with fries and gravy. Good-sized portions of food were served and we were content. After leaving the restaurant, Hopwood and I went to check out the Ingles grocery store down the street. I picked up a quart of chocolate and almond ice cream and two beers to take back to the hotel. We watched Philadelphia beat Buffalo, and the first period of Colorado against Edmonton, Colorado prevailing.  We retired to bed at 11:00, after making plans to take the day off tomorrow.

  

April 25 Saturday

 

           It is April 25^th and Papa’s 66th birthday. We got up early, around 7:00, and cleaned the room a bit. After checking over the packs and remaining food, we made a grocery list and then strolled over to B&D’s for breakfast. We sat down with Chris, Yogi, Booboo and Hopwood.   I ordered grits and a ham and cheese omelet with biscuits and gravy.  The biscuits were fresh; something southerners are very proud of. After breakfast, Hopwood and I went back to the motel to get our fuel bottles and headed to the hardware store.  They filled them up for a buck a bottle. We then walked to the post office so I could send a postcard to the “A” crew at Sundance and get some stamps. John sent his tent home because it was too heavy to carry. It was a two man Clip Flashlight that probably weighed four or five pounds. This was too much for one person. We walked back to the motel and then headed on out to the outskirts of town where there were big department stores and an Outfitter.  On passing a yard sale, Hopwood bought a pair of sandals. Then we checked out the library.   I found the top 20 of the TSE in the Washington Post. Stocks were up. At the outfitters, Hopwood bought a tent, a one-man Slumber Jack bivy. I picked up a couple of food stuff-sacks, some Second Skin for Papa’s feet and a small Nalgene bottle for honey. At the Kmart I bought Jiffy sew, moleskin, Ziplock bags, a birthday card for my Gram Doten, slide film, a watch for Papa and a few grocery items. We walked the couple miles back to the motel and my arms were stretched out from the weight of the bags.

 

While sitting in the sun outside the motel room, I met another hiker. Bagman, a gentleman from Arlington, Virginia, was in his fifties and had worked at the Pentagon. We talked of going to supper, but Hopwood and Papa went to do the laundry instead. I walked over to Ingles Grocery to shop, and used a traveler’s cheque for my purchases. The checkout lady told me she was from Australia. She mentioned to me that she had been married at some cathedral in Toronto. After we had shopped and done our laundry, we all met back at the motel and walked up the street to the Mi Casa Mexican food restaurant. I ordered two burritos, one chicken and one beef. The boys had a good time with the attractive waitress and everyone was well fed. We arrived back at the motel before 9:00, just in time to catch the taxi that was to bring the Dairy Queen cakes ordered for Papa’s birthday. The two 10 inch cakes arrived with “Happy Birthday Papa” and “Happy Trails” written on them. Yogi, Booboo, Hopwood, Chris, Papa and myself set to eating them and watched the hockey game. I got a picture of the cakes and all of us together. After Pittsburgh beat Montreal, the boys went back to their room. Papa and I were in bed at 11:00.

Papa, Yogi, Chris, Booboo and Hopwood at the motel room

Celebrating Papa’s birthday with Dairy Queen cakes

 

April 26^th Sunday

 

          Papa and I got up at 6:30 and showered. We sorted out the food and put our packs together. Papa went to pay the motel bill, $78.00 for the two nights. I phoned Tara, my daughter; to make sure that all was well at home. We didn’t expect to be able to call for another 12 days, not until we reached Hot Springs N.C., 160 miles away. Papa and I started walking out to the highway, more than a mile away, with Yogi, Booboo, Chris and Hopwood. We waited for 20 minutes on the highway before an older couple in a small truck picked us up. They wished us well on our journey after they dropped us off at the Winding Stair Gap.  We started hiking our way up to Siler Bald and then stopped for lunch. Lunch was rice pilaf and Spam, with an apple for dessert. Yogi found a small nerf football and we chucked it around for a while. He also saw a snake down from the shelter a ways. The sun was shining brightly when we started out for Wine Spring, which had a campsite, 5 miles away. Somehow I missed Wine Spring and reached the stone lookout at Wayah Bald. Our group had spread out over the distance, Hopwood and Chris in the lead. When I reached the lookout, I was tired and wanted to stay there. I searched around for water and talked to some day hikers. I met Yogi and Booboo.  They were going on to the next campsite. Papa came along and we decided to stay on top of the bald. We had tea with some bagels and honey, peanut butter, cheese and salami. The temperature was quite cool and windy, so we were in the tent shortly after 8:00. (10 miles completed this day)

Wayah Bald Lookout

April 27^th Monday

 

          The wind blew hard all night and we got out of the tent at 7:00. Inside the lookout, away from the wind, we had our breakfast; oatmeal, cheese, rye bread and coffee.  We got away on the trail by 8:15 and hiked downhill a half-mile, to the campsite. Our gang was there with a couple of other unfamiliar tents. It began to sprinkle so we left quickly and covered seven miles before stopping for lunch. After lunch we hiked the 4 miles to Wesser Bald Shelter. There we met Tea Berry and Double Cup, an older couple. Teaberry was a nurse who worked at rehabilitating injuries and Double Cup was a retired education administrator. They had prepared for the AT by practicing on trails in Colorado. When I made the 5 miles to Wesser Bald Shelter, it started to rain hard.  I met Carl and Harry again, who were all set up to spend the night. Papa came in, a half-hour later, nursing his leg. His pack was slung over his shoulder and he was in pain. He told me that he had pulled a muscle above his knee and that he didn’t want to go on. He could make the road tomorrow but wanted to go home. I tried to talk him out of it and suggested we get off the trail for a couple days, to see if his leg would heal. He was adamant about going home, so I split our gear up into two groups. One group I would take with me, and the other would go home with Papa.  I sent the tent, most of the toilet kit, one of the cooking pots and the rope back with Papa and I kept the tarp to use as a shelter. We cooked vermicelli and chicken in a tomato sauce that another lady section hiker had given me. We climbed into the tent early to discuss our plans for tomorrow. The temperature was low, as Wesser Bald was over 4000 feet in elevation.  We had done 11.5 miles and were asleep by 9.30 pm.

  

April 28^th Tuesday

 

          Papa and I got up at 8:00 and had a quick breakfast.  We were on the trail by 9:00. It was a tough steep climb down and I fell a couple of times. I did the six miles into Wesser by noon and started making phone calls to change Papa’s return air ticket from May 15^th to April 29^th. I phoned American Airlines, who in turn directed me to Canadian Airlines, to make the flight change.  It cost $75.00.  I was sitting outside The Outfitters, having a pop, when Papa, Carl and Harry showed up. We went to a restaurant for lunch. The Nantahalla River flowed right by the restaurant and there were several kayakers practicing in the rapids. I had a mushroom burger and fries and when we were finished, Carl and Harry prepared to give Papa a ride to the bus station. When they left, I phoned Mom, but she wasn’t home. Consequently, I phoned Gram to let her know that Papa was on his way home and when he should be picked up at the airport. I talked to the girl who served us spaghetti sauce last night, and found that she thru hiked in “96”. She told me that she averaged 12 miles per day until Harper’s Ferry then 15 miles per day from Harpers to Katahdin. I left Nantahalla River around 2:00 and started the climb to Sassafras Gap Shelter, seven miles away. It was a long hard 3000-foot climb.  Carl had forewarned me.   I had to stop once for a rest, as it was steady up, almost the whole seven miles. I reached the shelter by 6:30 and met Minnesota Firestarter, Fayetteville and Verbal Pennsylvania. I set up inside the shelter for my first time then started to make supper.  Yogi and Booboo arrived later and tented beside the shelter. I was carrying too much food and was very sore.  Bedtime was at 9:00.  It had been overcast all day.

 

April 29^th Wednesday

 

          I was up at 7:00 and had grape nuts, milk, honey and coffee. There were mice scampering around the shelter all night. I couldn’t sleep that well for fear my ears would be nibbled on.

Shelter companion

Compliments of Hansel & Gretal

I left the shelter by 9:15 and hiked the nine miles to Brown Fork by 1:30 then I stopped for lunch. The sun was shining and it was warm for a change.  Verbal Pennsylvania had a lunch of ichiban noodles, a pepperoni cheese sandwich with me. His real name was Jeff and he was about nineteen. He had worked at parks in Colorado and Florida. I think his folks had some problems with the bottle and were split up. “Slow Poke” showed up and had some lunch also. He was a big lad, in his mid 30’s and maybe just a tad slow.  Jeff and I left at 3:00 and did the tough up and down, six miles to Cable Gap Shelter by 6:30. My feet were sore and I was tired, but I still felt good. I wrote a postcard letter to Sharon McConnell and the rest of my bowling team. Supper was salami and peanut butter with honey on a bagel and tea. Jeff and I had the shelter to our selves. The sky was sunny with just a few clouds earlier in the day. I cooled my feet off in the stream and got to bed at 8:45 pm.

  

April 30^th Thursday

 

          It started raining sometime in the night and it carried on through until the morning. Jeff and I were up at 7:30 and breakfasted on oatmeal and coffee. We packed up and left the shelter by 9:00 and made Fontana Dam, six miles away, by noon. We hitched a ride to the store and post office, where I bought cookies, tea, beans, wieners and a half-gallon of milk. I phoned Papa. He had a misfortune at the Atlanta bus station.  His wallet was grabbed but he made it home safe and sound. I met Sunburn, Plaqueman and Alfred at the store.  They had arranged a ride back to the trail for a dollar. I mailed my camera back home and bought a disposable one. I knew that the pictures would not be as good, but I had to be very conscious of the weight that I was carrying. The van driver dropped us off on the road. We walked into the Fontana Hilton Shelter. A guy named Pack mule was there. He was a rotund 45-year old originally from the Moncton, N.B. area. I cooked up the beans and wieners and split them with Jeff. I took a couple pictures and at 3:00 PM, set off with Jeff across Fontana dam and up the trail.

 

Fontana Dam

 

Fontana Dam was 480 feet high, the highest dam east of the Mississippi. It was also the boundary between North Carolina and Tennessee and the southern border of the Great Smokies National Park. We climbed 2500 feet, hiked 5.2 miles to Birch Spring Shelter and arrived the same time as Sunburn, Plaqueman and Alfred. The shelter was made from stones and had a fireplace, a dirt floor, and a chain link fence in the front to keep out bears. Only five of us here and we had plenty of room. We had a good banter and I made a supper of Ramen noodles, wieners, cookies and tea. While hiking today, I had thought of a good trail name for myself. “Canuckelhead”. The only reason for trail names that I could understand was the fact that you could be hiking with three Johns or two Toms, of which the trail name could distinguish one from the other. “Canuckelhead” fit the bill for me. I ran it by Ringbearer and claimed it, before someone tagged me with a name that I didn’t care for. We climbed into bed at 8:15 and talked into the night before sleeping. (12.5 miles were covered this day)

  

May 1^st Friday

 

          We rousted out of our bags at 7:30.  Breakfast consisted of a sandwich, oatmeal and coffee. I packed up and got away by 9:15 to walk five miles to Mollies Ridge Shelter. I stopped, had cookies and water and then hiked another five miles to the Spence Field Shelter.  Lunch was noodles, with a Snickers bar for dessert. During the afternoon hike I almost got caught short, doing what should never be seen in the open terrain at the top of a hill.  However, there was enough brush to hide me taking a crap. I climbed the six miles to Derrick Knob Shelter where there was a group of young folks playing baseball; they were using a stick for a bat. A few others were playing hackey sack. I couldn't understand where they got their energy.  I dropped my pack beside the shelter and began to make a supper of granola bars, jerky and tea. We stood around the campfire and met a few of the hikers. Fletch, was a young, clean cropped, redhead, from Florida and had worked as an administrator for a division of scouts. Freeman was from Montreal and the first Canadian I had met so far. Joliet Joe was from Illinois. He seemed to be a very nice fellow. The shelter was situated high on a hill, supposedly an old grazing area for a local farmer. There were a couple deer in the trees close-by, and after dark, a warden came out of the bush, with a rifle.  He explained to the group that he was hunting wild boars.  Boars imported from Europe were not native to the Great Smokies Park, and tore up the ground, destroying the habitat so that native species could not live there.  Because the shelter was full, Sunburn and I bunked down on the ground just inside the fence.  There must have been near twenty hikers here and most of them thru hikers.  I had traveled 16 miles today and I was very tired.

 

May 2^nd Saturday

 

          The rain came down all night long and I got up at 7:00 am and had some oatmeal, a sandwich and a coffee for breakfast. Our little group, Sunburn, Plaqueman, Alfred, Jeff and myself, were on the trail by 8:00AM and, after five and a half miles, stopped into Siler’s Bald Shelter for lunch.  There, we met a gentleman that had stayed overnight.  His name was Old Moose and he was from upstate New York.  I asked him if he had ever met John Hopwood.  He had…that very morning.  This might be my chance to catch up with John again, so I gulped down some snack mix and water and then headed on to Clingman’s Dome.  It was four miles away, and was 6643 feet of elevation; the highest peak on the Appalachian Trail.  The weather didn’t cooperate, even a little bit.  It rained hard and was extremely cold.  Plaqueman and I took the side trail to Clingman’s and then went up to the oval at the top.  The wind gusts moved us around as if we were little dolls, but we managed to take pictures of each other.

 

 We headed down the trail again, to the Mt. Collins shelter, two miles away.  John was sitting inside the shelter, almost ready to go again, when we showed up.  He decided to stay the night with us.  The sun came out and we built a fire to dry out some gear and clothes.  We boiled water for tea and then made some potatoes for supper.  We planned the next four days journey to Hot Springs N.C.  Old Moose pulled in later, so there were six of us at the shelter that night.  I boiled water and put it in my Nalgene bottle.  The bottle was put in my sleeping bag to keep my feet warm.  It sure made a difference!  We were into our sleeping bags by 9:30.  The Smoky Mt. Park would be beautiful, if only we could see more than 50 feet from the tops of any of the hills.  We had been covered in clouds for days and no change was expected for the near future.  I resolved that I would return one day and see what the Smokies actually looked like.

  

May 3^rd Sunday

 

          We got up early at the Mt. Collins Shelter and had a quick breakfast.  The rain started early and we hiked the seven and a half miles to the Ice Springs Shelter.  We had a small snack and then moved on in the rain, seven miles to the Pecks Corner Shelter. We passed the Rockefeller Memorial on our way to the Smoky Mt. National Park.  The epitaph told of the cooperation between the states of Tennessee and North Carolina and the gift of land from Mrs. Rockefeller.  The trail climbed quite high after the memorial, most of it over 6000 feet.  The air was cool when we reached Pecks Corner and the shelter was full.  There was a group of five or six section hikers in for the weekend. One man, the father, carried a revolver in a holster.  It must be there to keep the hikers away from his daughter. She had very long red hair and was very attractive.  The remaining hikers were young lads between the ages of 18 and 24. They were a little hung over and leaving this day, so they offered us their leftover rations. I got two packages of broccoli and rice and a pack of ballpark franks.  Our group was intact, except for Jeff who hadn’t shown up yet.  We started out for Tri Corner Knob Shelter in the hope of completing a 20-mile day.  The trees had gone from deciduous to evergreens; evergreens being more prevalent at the higher elevations. 

 

“Smoky Mountain stone shelter.” Bear fence in front

We arrived at the shelter at 7:30 and set about cooking the food that was given to us.  Alfred stayed at Peck’s Corner and Jeff still hadn’t shown up.  It began to rain and hail as we bedded down.  My feet were tired and I had a blister on my left foot on top of the big toe.  Wet boots and a twenty-mile day had done this.  It felt good to have a full stomach.  Two hikers came into the shelter late.  Both were from Maine and in their late teens; Puck and Brother John.

  

May 4^th Monday

 

          We rousted out later this morning.  Some of the other hikers were up at 6:00 and gone by 7:30. Two section hiker gals gave John some fuel and we shared an apple that was given to us. We got away by 9:30 am and did seven and a half miles to the Cosby Knob Shelter.  We stopped for a short lunch then headed on to Davenport Gap, the northern terminus for the Smoky Mountain Park. Sunburn and I hiked together, down to the gap, and then took the road down to Mountain Mamma’s Kuntry Store and Lodging.  The rain came down in buckets while we were on the road and stayed that way until we reached the store.  There were five or six hikers there already. Bagman, Ozone and two I hadn’t met yet.  They turned out to be Bump and Applejack. Bump was from Machias, Maine and Applejack was from North Billerica, Massachusetts.  The bunkrooms  $10.00/person for the night), were very small and had room in each for only five hikers.   There was only one light bulb and no heat. We got to take a shower in a room behind the store and then went to eat.  The store had a dining area that was walled with cartons of cigarettes and there was a small selection of groceries at the other end.  I sat with Sunburn, Plaqueman, and Hopwood and had a large cheeseburger and fries with apple pie and ice cream.  Plaqueman (Tony) ordered two cheeseburgers and a pizza. 

 

While sitting and having a tea, we watched the rain outside, that had let loose again.  For ten minutes it came down in sheets.  Bobby Thigpen, the owner, said that he collected two inches in the last hour or so.  We planned to do some laundry, so we flipped coins to see who would do it. Hopwood lost and so we all went to get our clothes for him.  The shower rooms had a heater in them, so I took my boots there and turned on the heaters.  I told the rest of the group about it, and everyone followed suit.  I had only a towel and a rain jacket to wear, so I made a big pot of tea in the bunkroom and had some cookies for a snack. I went over to the other bunkhouse and talked to Bump, Apple Jack and Ozone. I was surprised that we had caught up to Ozone because he was intent on doing big mile days, with his lighter pack and sneakers and all.  When I listened to Bump and Applejack, they told stories of Red Rushing, a hiker gal they had met.  I almost split a gut! These two were the funniest pair, and I hoped that I could travel with them more.  When the clothes finished drying, we took them back to the room.  Ten and a half miles were completed this day and we were in bed by 10.30.

 

May 5^th Tuesday

 

           We were up at 7:00.  The sky was slightly overcast.  The clothes were separated and we put our packs together.  My watch got filled with rain yesterday!  It had gone blank.  We retrieved our very dry boots from the exceptionally warm shower room and checked over our feet.  I had moleskin on my one blister but was doing well compared to some of the others.  Together we walked to the store and sat down for breakfast.  I had six pancakes and ham and then strolled over to look at the groceries.  I picked up some gravy fixings for instant potatoes and some cookies.  We loaded up the packs into Thigpen's van and he gave us a ride back to the trailhead.  Hopwood and M&M (Walt) had to wait until Thigpen came back to pick them up.  Bagman, Ozone, Bump, Applejack, Sunburn and Plaqueman started up the hill.  I stayed behind to do my "bear" imitation of shitting in the woods and then waited for Hopwood.  He and M&M showed up fifteen minutes later.  We took off to follow the rest. 

 

We crossed the Pigeon River and then traveled under Interstate Highway 40.  After this, we headed up into the North Carolina Game lands.  Hopwood and I caught up to “Bump” and Applejack and so we talked as we walked.  Bump, 32, went to the University of Maine at Orono, worked as a substitute teacher in Machias and knew quite a bit about hockey and baseball.  He lived with his Grandma.  He had never met his dad, didn’t get along with his Mom, and talked with a heavy Maine accent.  We hit it off wonderfully.  Applejack, 50, had a thick New England drawl and used to have seasons tickets to the Bruins and the Celtics.  He ran his own company, which contracted out instrumentation repair services; mainly air conditioning and temperature control.  He had never worn a backpack before.  One day he decided that he was tired of the trade he was in. He wanted to take a break and reassess his life.  He thought why not do the A.T?  Bump had completed the journey from Springer Mt. to Harper’s Ferry in 1994. 

 

As we climbed the 2500 feet and hiked the 9 miles to Groundhog Creek Shelter, we passed Sunburn and the rest of the hikers.  At 2:00 and about two miles before the shelter, we saw a tent set up just off the trail.  Near the top of Snowbird Mountain, I came across two more hikers, Second Nature and Mirage, lazing in the sun.  Mirage, a southern belle, was from Kentucky and Second Nature was from Georgia.    Both had gone to Georgia Tech.  When I reached the shelter there was no one around, so I set up a line to dry some clothes and waited for the rest.  Sunburn, Plaqueman and Hopwood showed up and we decided to stop early and enjoy the sunshine.  I wrote a letter to Gram Doten on her birthday card and a thank-you letter to Carl B. Jenkins, the gent who took my dad to the bus station.  Potatoes, gravy and Spam were made for supper around 6:00.  We built a fire because it started to get chilly.  M&M and Slowpoke showed up at the shelter so there would be six of us staying the night.  Bump and AppleJack must have gone on and camped in the woods.

 

North Carolina hills

 

Slow Poke was the hiker in the tent, two miles back.  It must have been a strenuous day for him.  As we talked, he came up with the idea for a board game, using the AT for a theme, with all its’ trials and tribulations.  We all thought it was a great idea and each of us thought up our own versions of the way it would work.  Tonight, there was supposed to be a large meteorite shower, so Sunburn and I stayed up to watch.  There was only small view up through the trees, here at the shelter, and after an hour of not seeing anything, we got into our sleeping bags.  I had only done nine and a half miles and as I lay there, I thought of the different terrain that we had passed through so far. Georgia and the Chattahoochee National forest had deciduous trees, sandy soils and steep hills where the trail went straight up and down. The gaps between the hills were short, 100 feet or less, before the trail went up again. The Nantahalla National forest was higher again but the trail was more winding upward with a little longer “gaps” between the hills.  The Great Smoky Mt. National Park was almost all over 6000 feet in elevation with some evergreens and steep ups and downs to towns like Fontana Dam and Wesser.  In North Carolina, the trail and the forest had opened up a bit and reminded me of New Brunswick; the trees being a mix of deciduous and evergreens.

 

May 6^th Wednesday

 

I was up at the crack of dawn but couldn’t tell time because of my useless wet watch.  Watch or no watch, it shouldn’t be difficult to wake up anywhere on the trail.  Every morning, just as the first light peeks over the horizon, the birds nearby start to chirp.  There are one or two chirps at first.  Within five minutes there is a noise that is impossible to sleep through.  It seemed that the woods were alive with creatures; feathered ones that beep, chirp or caw.  I couldn’t sleep so I got up and made breakfast.  I had coffee and two bagels; one with salami and cheese and the other with honey and peanut butter.  M&M got up and we exchanged our stories on how we came to be doing the trail.  He was about 60, retired from JC Penny department stores.  He had four years of college, starting at the bottom, filling sock and clothes bins.  After 36 years he had made it into administration and traveled a lot in Atlanta, New York and Texas, where he now resided.  He finished his oatmeal, had a coffee with me and then began to pack.  He had an American gallon Nalgene bottle that he filled with water that he had filtered.  That baby weighed almost ten pounds alone.  It was no wonder his pack was heavy.  He traveled slow and was as thin as a rail.

 

When he left, I packed up.  The rest of the crew came around.  It looked like another sunny day; two in a row.  I think it was a record!  I started out first and passed M&M on the way to Max Patch. 

 

Plaqueman/Ringbearer on Max Patch Bald

The path turned on to a dirt road that traversed Max Patch hill and then branched off to go straight up over the top.  There was not a tree on the hill and you could see for miles.  I stopped at the top, had a snack, and warmed in the sun.  Sunburn, Hopwood and Plaqueman came by, shared the moment, and took some pictures.  A previous excavation at the bottom of the hill indicated that Indians used to live near this place around 300 BC.  We packed up and headed down the other side.  The trail crossed a creek.  We followed it, passing by beautiful rhododendron trees and several varieties of flowers.

 

We had a gentle downhill trek almost all the way to the next shelter.  That was a first.  We stopped and checked the shelter register at the Roaring Fork Shelter and watched as a party of six section hikers, who appeared to be in their 50’s, arrived.  The group consensus was to move on to the Walnut Mt. Shelter, which was a short climb of 500 feet, and over three miles to walk.  The shelter was very old!  Wind blew through the big gaps between the logs.  It was to be torn down, but it was a comfy enough place to stay for the night.  We set up to have supper.  Bump and Applejack showed up, along with M & M.  We talked and had a few good laughs at Bump’s expense.  He filled his small pot with three crushed up Ramen noodle packs.   That was all he ate!  He said that he had lost seven or eight pounds already.  I made potatoes and gravy but added cheese and salami.  It tasted very good.  For dessert, Hopwood made a mix of butterscotch pudding and then added some peanut butter cups.  It was delicious and there was enough for everyone to have a little portion.  We talked the evening away and just before bedtime it began to rain.   Everyone was feeling jovial, as tomorrow would be a town day.  Hot Springs, here we come!

 

May 7^th Thursday

 

I got up a little later in the morning.  It had been rainy and windy all night.  The sleep I had in the night had been sketchy because of the drafty shelter.  I had tuna on bagels for breakfast.  Sunburn, Hopwood & Plaqueman started their journey early.  Just before I left, Long Distance Man and Alfred came into the shelter.  Alfred commented that if he stopped for even a part of the day, it would probably take a week or so longer to catch up to his partners.   I left them and caught up to Sunburn and the rest at Deer Park Mt. Shelter, ten miles away.  We stopped for a break, snacked and then hiked the trail down into Hot Springs, N.C.  Once there, Hopwood and I looked around for a motel room with cable, so we could watch some hockey.  There was only one motel, the Alpine Court.  Sunburn and Plaqueman shared a room.  Bump and Applejack, Hopwood and I, Alfred and LDM all paired up to do the same.  Ozone had the room next to Hopwood and I.  Hopwood and I took turns having a very hot shower before getting together with the rest of the gang and walking down to the Smoky Mountain Diner.  Three tables were put along side one another so we could all eat together.  I met a couple more new hikers, Florida Guy and the infamous Red Rushing.  Wingfoot (Dan Bruce), author of the thru hikers Handbook, who had thru hiked seven times, was at a booth talking to Ozone.  Ozone and several other hikers were keeping their journals posted on the Internet… thanks to Wingfoot and the celebration of the 50^th anniversary of the first thru hike by Earl Schaffer.  Wingfoot and Ozone played a trick on Bump by getting him to mention Red Rushing’s name, after Bump had said he wouldn’t.  Wingfoot didn’t look the same as he did in the videos I had watched.  He called himself Wingfat now.

 

Hopwood and Applejack in Hot Springs

 

For supper, I pigged out on a steak sandwich and fries.  On the way back to the motel, I stopped in at the convenience store and bought a pint of Ben & Jerry’s New York Super Fudge Chunk.  This was the first time I had tried this ice cream that I had heard so much about.  Yes, all that was said was true; it was delicious.  Back at the motel, we found out that the cable didn’t have ESPN.   There would be no hockey game.  I was so disappointed that I decided not to spend an extra day in this town.  An hour or so before dark, there was a tornado warning on the TV.  Watching the sky was like looking into a witch’s caldron; dark clouds swirling and the colors changing to a grayish green tint.  Everyone was watching from the motel doorways, when all of a sudden it broke loose.  There was thunder and lightening while the rain came down in sheets.  Luckily, we were all safe inside the motel.  After it blew over, I went back to the convenience store for some snacks and gave my son Adam, a call.  He told me that Edmonton had beat Colorado but was losing their first game to Dallas.  I got a busy signal when I phoned Mom.  Her call would have to wait until tomorrow.   I met POD and Gryme Dugal.  They had yellow-blazed (hitch-hiked) ahead to town but now followed me down to the motel for a visit.  They left around 10:00 and John and I watched TV until midnight.  The rain and thunder started up again just as we were going to sleep.  (12.7 miles today)

 

May 8^th Friday

 

Hopwood and I got up early, around 7:00 am and watched TV for the weather report.  It looked grim.  In three of the next five days, thundershowers were forecasted.  Our plan of action for the day was to shop for groceries before checking out by 11:00 am.  We showered once again and then headed for the grocery store down the street.  It didn’t have a lot of the spices or food that we required so we picked up only a few items and then went back to the convenience store.  On close inspection, the convenience store had everything we needed, including pepperoni.  We walked back to the hotel, bagged our food, readied our packs and then hiked down to “The Outfitter.”  I bought a polypropylene shirt, two tent stakes, two hot chocolate packs and filled my fuel bottle.  After The Outfitters, I went to the hardware store and bought an 8’ by 10’ tarp.  It was bigger than my 6 by 8.  I also picked up 25 feet of nylon cord.  We tried to make the diner for breakfast so we could eat with everyone else.  The pretty waitress told us that we were too late.  They were serving a diner special of Salisbury steak with mashed potatoes, peas, cornbread, coffee and carrot cake for $4.99.  I couldn’t pass that up and was glad that I didn’t.  It was delicious!

 

From the diner we went back to the store and picked up some cheese and Spam and then checked in on Sunburn and Plaqueman at the motel.  They had decided to stay another day in Hot Springs.  I phoned Mom again with no luck.  So, I phoned Gram.  Virginia Corey had passed away and Dallas had beat Edmonton.  I was still disappointed that I didn’t get to watch any hockey during my town visit.  While I was talking on the phone, an old Winnebago pulled up.  Three women, a girl and a man got out.  They had body piercings everywhere and even had stardust in their hair.  They also looked like they hadn’t washed, nor had done laundry for a long time.  “Poor white trash” or “gypsies” came to my mind.  The little girl asked what my gaiters were for.  I explained their purpose before giving the motley crew the green cotton shirt my folks had given me on my birthday a few years back.  It was one of my favorite shirts but I couldn’t carry it anymore.  These people might as well have it.  John and I were ready to leave town around 1:00, but we stopped at The Outfitters first.  Ozone had told me that if he picked up a new pack cover, he would leave me his old one at The Outfitters.  Sure enough, he had.  I packed it.  Sunburn was there, looking at the new tents.  Hopwood and I weighed our packs.  Mine was 45 pounds on the nose and his was still 52.

 

The infamous Bump from Machias Maine

 

Leaving town, we crossed the French Broad River by bridge, and then started climbing immediately to Lovers Leap Rock. Someone had discarded excess clothing by the trail. 

Second Nature and Mirage clowning around

Compliments of Second Nature & Mirage

 

We met Second Nature and Mirage again and then caught up to Bump and Applejack.  For a while we walked with them and I laughed until my stomach ached.  Before we climbed Rich Mt., we crossed the US 25 and the US 70 highways.  On the other side of the road was the same Winnebago that had been in town.  All the young people were out walking in the woods.  It started to rain a bit.   We did the eleven miles to the Spring Mt. Shelter in four and a half hours.  The shelter was full when we got there.  Ozone, Frank Ivy, Florida Guy and a girl by the name of Selky were all in their sleeping bags.  We had passed a few hikers while getting there.  They were Second Chance, the M&M’s (middle-aged couple), Boy Scout and Weatherman. 

 

I set out to putting up the tarp and making supper.  I had tea with Applejack and a bagel with honey that he had given me after he arrived.  I made potatoes with gravy and cheese and added some of the pepperoni stick.  Bump and Applejack kept us in stitches all night.  This would be the first night that I would use my new tarp.   It was very difficult to be satisfied with any way that I strung it up.  The skies were overcast and by the time we climbed to the shelter, it was as if we were in the clouds; very foggy and very cool.  I had the tarp tied between two trees and staked it at three corners.  It resembled a lean-to.  Weatherman walked by and shook his head.  He didn’t think that I would have a comfortable night.  The wind picked up and it started to rain just as we bedded down.  It was nice and warm in my sleeping bag but I had to take precautions that it wouldn’t get wet.  My sleeping bag was filled with down and probably wouldn’t dry out too quickly.

 

May 9^th Saturday

 

I was up at 7:30 am.  There was not a lot of rain in the night, but the wind blew steady.  All my gear managed to stay dry under the tarp.  I didn’t sleep that well though; the mice ran roughshod over me all night.  It started to rain lightly again, so Hopwood and I cooked our breakfast under the tarp.  I had coffee and two bagels with cream cheese.  We packed.  When the rain let up, we hiked three and a half miles down to the highway and went to a store about a quarter mile down the road.  The store was situated between the two state lines of North Carolina and Tennessee.  Selky, Applejack and Bump came to the store also.  We all sat out front on the pedestal of the gas pumps, which had been dismantled long ago.  Selky was a pretty girl, with blond hair and she wore glasses that were in style in the early 60’s.  Ozone had the “hots” for her, but she managed to put him off rather nicely.  While in Hot Springs, she had met someone who she liked a lot and had found it hard to leave.  The gentleman was headed for Europe, so she pulled herself away.  Nonetheless, she was still feeling blue.  We teased her about it. 

Selky, Timm and Jim Slate

Compliments of Fanny Pack

The store had seen better days, as there was not a great selection of food.  It did have a coal burning stove and was toasty warm inside.  The elderly woman who ran the place just sat in her chair and watched the people go in and out.  I bought an ice cream bar, pork rinds and an oatmeal cookie, a Pepsi then took them outside to eat.  Bump and Applejack, true to form, were hilarious.  Our stop lasted over an hour.  Hopwood, Bump and I left the store and started the steep climb up to the Little Laurel Shelter.  After five and a half miles of tough slugging, we arrived.  My motto had become “No Stop till the Top.”  There were others at the shelter already and our gang started filtering in.  Selky, the first vegetarian that I had met on the trail, made some hummus.  I dipped my potato chips in and tried it.  I must have been hungry because it tasted good. 

 

We left after an hour and headed out to the Jerry Cabin Shelter, seven miles away.  We made pretty good time and got there early enough to get a spot in the shelter.  It was a nice location.  There was and open area around the shelter and it looked as if a road (that had grown in) had passed by it some time ago.  The shelter had a phone attached to the wall as a joke.  There was a plaque in memory of someone who had stayed there. He had suffered a heart attack and passed away in his sleep.  Florida Guy, Frank Ivy, Hopwood, Salvador Dali and myself shared the shelter while Second Nature, Mirage, Ozone, Bump, Applejack, Boy Scout and Weatherman slept in their tents.  Boy Scout was a very pretty blond actress/dancer from New York.  She danced and did enough acting to pay the bills.  Weatherman, her boyfriend, trained dogs for a living.   They were hiking for some volunteer group like girl guides or scouts, and had received their gear free.   I had heard that they were quite full of themselves.  They did not appear to be the sort that would embrace a walk that was 2100 miles long.  They had taken three or four days off in Hot Springs because Boy Scout was not well.  She seemed better now.  They were nice folks; not at all like people had rumored.

 

 My feet and legs were sore and I was very tired after a tough climb of fifteen miles.  Dinner was a box of Kraft dinner, a half can of Spam and a Zero bar.  I felt much better on a full stomach.  There was almost a full moon in the evening.  The clouds separated enough to allow us to see it; the temperature had dropped.  I went to bed listening to Salvador Dali chatter on about something ridiculous.  He snored also.

 

May 10^th Sunday

 

I was awakened early.  Ozone was up at dawn, moving around and making a racket.  We laid in our sleeping bags and talked for a while; not ready to crawl out and embrace the day.  Eventually I got up and had tea and two bagels with cream cheese for breakfast.  Hopwood and I left the shelter at 10:30 leaving Bump, Applejack, Second Nature, and Mirage behind.  On the morning walk, the terrain opened up a little.  We passed through fields, on our climb up to the Flint Mt. Shelter, six miles away.  I passed Salvador Dali who was sitting, admiring the view.  My thought was that he wouldn’t be admiring the view at the Katahdin in September because he had left the shelter at least an hour and a half before us.   We passed a grave marker where someone had spread the ashes of a past thru hiker named Basset, one of the first fifty people to thru hike.  

 

The Shelton Memorial Graves

 

We also passed a memorial to the Tennessee Shelton brothers; three Union soldiers who were ambushed by the confederates, when returning home to Tennessee.  I caught Ozone and Florida Guy just before they left the Flint Mt. Shelter.  Hopwood just stopped in for a bit and then took off.  I prepared a lunch of Ramen noodles, a bagel and cream cheese and Kool Aid.  Boy Scout and Weatherman, who I now called Ken and Barbie, showed up just before I left.  Bump and Applejack were there also and had started playing a game of rummy as I left. I suspected that I wouldn’t see them in the night because it was already 14:30 and there was still another eight and half mile journey to the next shelter. 

 

I hiked nonstop up and down the 2000 ft. climb and arrived at the Hogback Ridge shelter at 18:30.  I met Jiminy and Cricket, a married couple, and also Gideon and Wild Flower, a father/daughter twosome.  I fetched some water from the spring that seemed to be a mile away and then went back to set up the tarp and make supper.  The potatoes, gravy, cheese and Spam tasted real good.  I had tea and a Charleston Chew for dessert.  Frank Ivy was tenting here tonight and as I was setting up my tarp I asked him if he could impart to me some of his experience of camping in Alaska.  He thought it over for a couple of seconds then very flatly said that he “bought a tent.” 

 

It began to rain lightly as I crawled in my bag under the tarp.  I talked to Hopwood for a while, before going to sleep.  During the day, we had passed the 300-mile mark.  Not long after I had gone to sleep, I woke up to lights that were coming down the trail into the shelter.  Bump and Applejack arrived around 21:30, and were very tired.  I got up and made some tea for them and we talked and laughed while they set up their tents.  I told Bump that I would like nothing better than to be sitting in a big Lazy Boy recliner watching a hockey game with a cupboard full of Charleston Chews.  We both laughed until the tears started to flow.  A.J. got a big kick out of what Frank Ivy told me about setting up the tarp and buying a tent.  Even though it was raining, we were all in good spirits, as we bedded down for the night.

  

May 11^th Monday

 

John and I got up at 6:30 and made a big breakfast of rice with Texas hot sauce, a bagel and cream cheese and tea.  It was raining lightly with and overcast sky as we left the shelter.  We caught up to Gideon and Wildflower on the tough, muddy slug up and over the High Rock.  John sang a Joanie Mitchell song and Gideon said, yes, “that was a Johnny Mitchell song.”  John and I had a good laugh.  We passed Gideon and Wildflower and made our way down to Sam’s Gap, to cross the US 23.  There was a dead dog that had just recently been run over and he sure was a sight for sore eyes.  It startled me when I came upon it, because it was beyond recognition until you were right beside it.  Hopwood said that he thought the same.  John caught up to me as we climbed up the Big Bald.  We planned to do a 20-mile day.  Near the top of Big Bald, where the view was to be spectacular, we couldn’t see for the clouds, and the wind was blowing so hard that we had to lean into it.  We walked on another mile or so to find the shelter.  The shelter was fairly new but some folks had left their garbage lying around and it was messy.  Florida Guy showed up and decided to call it a day, after only doing ten miles.  I had some Lipton noodles with pepperoni and tea for lunch.  Hopwood and I decided to push on as the skies were starting to clear up.  We met Frank Ivy, Jiminy and Cricket as we left the shelter. 

 

It was a fairly quick descent down to Spivey Gap and the US 19W.  Just before hitting the highway, we came across Hiwater and Kiva, who had set up camp near the road.  We were not too sure how he got by us but we suspected he had yellow blazed.  I also saw my first wild turkey.  As we came down the trail, this huge bird took off from the side of the trail and flew off into the woods.  It looked like a Hercules taking off and sounded like one too.   The birds were so heavy!  They must move a lot of air to lift off of the ground.  Leaving Spivey Gap, we walked two hours and five and a half miles uphill to the No Business Knob Shelter.  There were two section hikers from Michigan here.  They questioned me about my accent, and I questioned them about the hockey playoffs.  They told me that Detroit had lost their first game against St. Louis.  They were tenting, so John and I had the shelter to our selves.  I walked back down the trail a quarter mile or more to get water from the stream.  By the time we started to make supper, it was dark.  I had a half of a tuna helper with a snickers bar and tea.  We climbed into bed by 9:00 and talked.  If the sun would be shining, it would be a short day tomorrow.  This would give us time to dry some of our gear.  I was tired and had sore feet but a full stomach felt good.  We had been leaving nasty notes in the shelter registers, taunting Sunburn and Plaqueman, to try and catch us.  The registers were a great way to find out who was on the trail ahead of you and what the trail would be like.  It was a treat to read them at each shelter.  John and I started to plan what kind of a break from the trail we wanted to take soon.  Hot Springs was over sixty miles behind us and Trail Days in Damascus was scheduled for this weekend.  We carefully considered how we would get there.

 

May 12^th Tuesday

         

We were up at 6:30 and made a big breakfast of oatmeal, bagels, cheese and tea.  We left No Business Knob by 9:00 and made our way down to the Nolichucky River, just outside the town of Erwin.  The sun was shining and the trail was dry for a change.  At the bottom of the hill there was a road and, less than two hundred feet away, a brand new hiker hostel.   John and I sauntered over and rested for a while.  A hiker by the name of Wild Bill was there, cooking burgers on a bar-b-q.  I ordered two cheeseburgers and enjoyed them immensely with a Coke.  This would be a hard place to leave, as the sun was shining brightly, and it was getting powerful warm.  Here, we had finally caught up to Caterpillar.  He was having a small problem with his feet.  I also met Lost Boy and Mid Life Crisis.  Lost Boy was young, 23 or 24 and was caught in hostel trap.  It was too easy to stay at the hostel and forget about the much harder hiking, day after day.  Mid Life Crises had tendon problems, so he had been there for three days.  He worked for a company that allowed him to travel to Montreal.

 

He said his hike was a present from his wife and he truly wanted to finish but his feet and knees were killing him. I could understand because he was a hulk of a man, standing 6 foot 5, and he must have weighed in at 250 pounds. John and I stayed almost 3 hours and met the owner who went by the name of Uncle Johnny. Uncle Johnny told us his story of how he was hiking with a couple friends last year and had made it this far. He spied a For Sale sign on this property and as he climbed up the hill, northward, he thought of how good it would be to have a hostel here. He turned around and came back to ask the gentleman how much he wanted for the property. From then on, his hike was history, and he set about building a couple extra buildings, a laundry room, an outfitter store and a hot tub. This was his first year in business and it had been going well. He also shuttled people into town for shopping and also for slack packing. He seemed nice enough but I got the feeling if he had his arm around your back, he was probably reaching for your wallet.

 

Just before Hopwood and I left Uncle Johnny’s, young Jeff  (Verbal Pennsylvania) came into the hostel. He told us that the had taken a wrong turn at Tri Corner Knob, 115 miles back, went 5 miles before he realized his mistake, and that was why he didn’t show up the night that he had turned up missing.  He had been reading the nasty notes that John and I had left in a few of the shelter registers, taunting Sunburn, Plaqueman and himself on how slow they hiked. He said he had walked 2 twenty mile days, after his fellow hikers had teased him that he couldn’t catch up to us. He had proved them wrong. The three of us crossed the Nolichucky River Bridge together and started climbing up towards Curly Maple Gap Shelter. It was a very steep climb on a very warm day. We were lucky most of the walk was in the shade but it was still hard work.  There were three lady hikers there, when we arrived. Grandma Jones was older, wandered around and complained of her sore feet and wounds, but did muster up the strength to leave. The other two were college teachers, one from Connecticut, and one from Virginia, doing a section hike. They were laying beside the shelter, soaking up the sun. I strung up a line and hung my sleeping bag and clothes out to dry. The sun went behind some clouds shortly after. I took the time to go down stream and washed up a bit before supper. The small creek was swarming with small black salamanders. It had been a long sweaty five-mile climb to the shelter so the salamanders were no deterrent at all. Supper was potatoes, gravy, cheese and pepperoni with cookies and tea for dessert. Frank Ivy showed up and camped behind the shelter in the trees. Hopwood and I went to visit him before going to bed. After dark, when we were in bed, the girls started to tell stories and laugh. Around 10:00 a friend of theirs showed up and bunked down in the shelter. He also taught at the college. We had hiked 10.5 miles today and felt fairly clean going to bed tonight. Sleeping bag felt a little greasy though. May have to do something about that.

 

May 13^th Wednesday

 

           Up once in the night, after effects of the hot chocolate and liter of water I had before going to bed. My back was sore and I couldn’t understand why. The pack had been light because I had very little food left. The sun rose around 7:30 and it was another good-looking day. I had a bagel with rest of the cream cheese and a cup of tea. We left camp shortly after 8:00. I couldn’t tell if Frank had left yet because of the trees that he was camping behind. I met a couple older gentlemen on the trail, day hiking, checking out the flowers. Stopped and talked for a minute or two then proceeded on. The trail crossed a couple roads then wound up towards an old homestead, called the Beauty Spot. I met a large group of seniors checking out the flora nearby. The beauty spot was just that. I could see in all directions and the view was spectacular. The sun was beating down mercilessly now. 

2” by 6” blaze on a tree. The rule of thumb was by the time

 you reached a blaze, you should see the next one.

The trail followed blazes that were painted on posts in the ground and moved down to the next big climb of Unaka Mt. (5200’) I stopped for some water at a spring and took a 45-minute break before moving on. The climb up Unaka started with a few switchbacks then proceeded straight to the top. The ground was very dry going up, but at the top, the tree cover of red spruce, was so dense, that the sun never hit the top of the mountain. Moss was growing all over the ground and the stillness of this place, other than the hum of insects, lent to it being a solemn walk through a cathedral. There was something about this place that made the hair stand up on the back of your neck. The flat top of the mountain was just less than a mile long, before proceeding down to Cherry Gap Shelter. Stopped in at the shelter for 20 minutes. Hopwood and Jeff caught up and we talked to Bald Eagle and Scrabble, who were at the shelter. 

 

We hiked on the 3 miles to Iron Mt. Gap and the highway, Tenn. 107. We ditched our packs in the bush and walked the ½ mile to the store. Just a little disappointed, as there were no dairy products and little selection of food. I bought a can of beans, Treet canned meat, 3 moon pies, chips, peanut butter and a strawberry drink. We had traveled 15 miles to this spot and we were getting tired. Sat outside and had a snack, then hiked back up to the trail. There was supposed to be a stream, a mile or so down the trail, but we didn’t find it and had to keep moving on. Around 6:30 we were getting really tired and spied a sign for a spring, about ¼ mile down a steep hill. We went down, watered up and climbed back to the trail. Looked around for a flat spot to set up camp. I was so tired; I had to rest before making supper. After a half-hour, I got up and cooked up ½ the beans and ½ the Treet. Made tea and had a vanilla moon pie. Felt much better as I bedded down to sleep. The night air was warm, and I could leave the sleeping bag open. 19 miles today and I could feel it. Checked out the maps and data book. Looking forward to reaching Roan Mountain and getting some time off, with a big tub of ice cream. We discussed doing an easier day tomorrow and if there was a bus service in Roan Mountain, we may go to Trail Days in Damascus.

 

May 14^th Thursday

 

           Some sprinkles in the night but couldn’t really be called rain. I heard an owl and some dogs at a nearby farmhouse also but still slept great for a change and felt rested when I awoke around 7:00. I ate the rest of the beans and Treet for breakfast along with a moon pie and tea then packed up and left. Felt very good hiking wise, and I nearly ran up Little Rock Knob. It was a very steep climb but I was felt stronger than ever before. From there we began the climb up Roan High Bluff. It was over 2000 feet up and I still felt strong. Near the top I met Boyscout, Weatherman, Dutch Boy, Buddha Boy, Second Nature and Mirage. They were hiking south without packs. Uncle Johnny from Erwin had shuttled them around so they could do some slack packing. They were stopped, talking to a gal named Clover. Clover, from Boston, was very pretty, and worked as a masseuse at a ski resort in Utah. She had long brown hair and a slim build and nearly always had a bright smile. Bump and Applejack had told me about her. We got introduced and when we left Boyscout and Weatherman, we hiked together, the rest of the way up Roan High Bluff. At the top there was a picnic area and parking lot with a washroom and rest area. The sun was shining brightly and we decided to stop and take a break for lunch. Jeff and Hopwood caught up and we talked and laughed over lunch.

 

After an hour or so we left and I stopped into the Roan High Knob Shelter, which was just an old camp (former fire warden’s cabin) with an upstairs. This was the highest shelter on the A.T. at 6275’. I signed the register, but didn’t stay long. I continued on down the very rocky washed out road towards Carver’s Gap and then crossed the highway to what was called Grassy Ridge. It was a beautiful open ridge and one could see the trail, distinctly, moving to the top. The trail headed straight up, with old railroad ties to step on and protect the hill from erosion. After I passed the first knoll and looked up to the second and third, I got the feeling that this was almost as high as Roan High Knob. It wasn’t, but it sure felt like it. I hiked up to a group that looked like a large family outing of 10-12 people. They were resting on the side of the trail and started to question me about my trip. For 20 minutes they asked questions like my trail name, when I started, when I expected to finish, what I ate, why I’m out here? I enjoyed talking to them, but had miles to make, so they wished me well and I started off towards the top again. Just before the peak, the trail swung west and ran the ridge through some low brush. If it were raining, it would have been a terrible muddy slug. Clover was at the Stan Murray Shelter when I arrived and Hopwood caught up to us there.

Overmountain Shelter

 We left together, headed for the Overmountain Shelter, 2 miles away. Clover and John took turns singing Joanie Mitchell songs then sang duets. They were very easy to listen to, as they both had pleasant voices, and I could tell they loved to sing. It made the miles go by quickly.

 

Before reaching the shelter there was a sign indicating that hundreds of volunteers trekked through this pass back in 1776 to a battle at King’s Mountain, during the Revolutionary War. We walked down into Overmountain Shelter by 6:00, and met 4 new hikers. There were two hikers from Wisconsin, Frenchy and GI Jane, Wombat from Australia, and Happy Feet from Michigan. The two girls, GI Jane and Happy Feet had shaved heads and knew Clover. Wombat sang the song he had composed about being in love on the Appalachian Trail. He had the hots for Happy Feet.

 

The Overmountain Shelter was really a barn converted into a shelter. The side facing the valley has been opened, and had a flat bunk space, for at least 12 hikers. The loft could also hold several hikers. A movie called the Winter People starring Kurt Russell had been filmed on this site. The weather was nice so the sunset and the view of the valley could be appreciated. We all took turns cooking supper on the picnic table between the bunks. I had tuna helper with a moon pie and tea for dessert. We talked the evening away and watched the fog roll into the valley as night approached. I was told to watch “Harold and Maude” and also “When We Were Kings”. Hiked 13 miles today and planned on having at least one day off the trail at Roan Mt. tomorrow.

 

May 15^th Friday

 

           Slept well at the barn but was up early. Laid in the bags for a while and let the sun come up a bit. Skies had cleared over night, after a little rain, and we admired the beautiful view down into the valley. Everyone was up by 7:00, and I made tea with a cheese and tuna on a bagel for breakfast. The other group got away early, so they could get a ride to Damascus for Trail Days. Clover, John, Jeff and I pulled out at 8:30 and started our climb up the little Hump. The trail over the Humps was worn in some places, over a foot in the ground. After reaching the top of the second Hump, we had caught up to Wombat and the other group. We sat, rested and snacked, admiring the view from the top of the bald. This would have been a heck of a place to cross if the weather had been bad. The wind sailed briskly through here even when it was nice. The sun was bright though, and my arms and head began to turn red. John, Jeff and I said our good-byes to Clover and we started down to Apple House Shelter. Ozone, who we hadn’t seen for at least a week, caught up from behind and we planned to stop with him at Roan Mountain. At the shelter John and I stopped for a half-hour, for some water. Ozone went on and said he would leave a note at the road, as to where he was going.

 

When John and I reached the road, we said goodbye to Jeff who was going to carry on hiking. Ozone left a note saying that there was no hotel in Roan Mt. and that he was going east to Elk Park in N.C. John and I decided to hitch into Roan Mt. and after 20 minutes we got a ride in, right to the post office. John picked up his mail drop and checked it out. More grape nuts, honey, rice granola and film. We walked back to the grocery store and went in. I bought a half-gallon of chocolate ice cream and John bought some Pringles chips. We met another couple hikers, Jim Slate and Mango, at the store. They told us the garage down the road would shuttle to Elizabethton, Tenn. for a fair price. We sat outside the store and split the ½ gallon of ice cream and chips, and pigged out.  After the food was gone, we walked down to the garage and talked to the attendant, named Virgil. He said Boss Hogg was out on a run right now, but would help us when he came back. Sitting outside in the shade, we watched a couple cats play, talked to Virgil and waited until Boss Hogg showed up. When Boss arrived, it was $5.00 a piece to get to Elizabethton. Our options were to go to Elizabethton and rent a car to go to Trail Days or buy food at the store here, and go back to the trail. It had been 11 days since bathing and being in town, so we chose the former. It was 17 miles right to the door of the Comfort Inn and they offered a 10% discount on the room, for a thru hiker rate. It also had a Continental breakfast and the room cost us $20.00 each. We went up to our room, stripped down the packs and sorted out our gear. We took turns having a shower then headed out to a restaurant down the street. It was a busy restaurant but our orders were quickly served up. I had a steak and fries with coleslaw. We ordered clam strips to go and after it arrived, we went next door to the Winn Dixie, and bought a gallon of chocolate milk for 99 cents and a box of oatmeal cookies for $1.09. We walked back to our room and watched Washington Capitals beat Ottawa 3-0. I phoned Mom, Dad and Gram and had a great chat, filling them in on what had been going on. We had hiked 382 miles from Springer Mountain and we were going to take a day off to enjoy ourselves. The folks sounded very happy for me. We also decided to rent a car, to go to Trail Days. We ate and watched TV until 11:30, when we started to feel a little uncomfortable from eating too much.

 

May 16^th Saturday

 

           We got up early, around 7:00, and flicked the TV on. Frank Sinatra had died and that was all we heard. Dressed enough to go downstairs to get some coffee, Danishes, oranges and cereal from the continental breakfast. We went back a couple more times before it closed. Phoned the car rental place and ordered a pick-up at the hotel for 9:15. Packed up what we needed for the day and waited in the lobby. We got taken back to the rental shop and presented with a red Cavalier for $56.00 for the day. Not a great price, but we took it. It was then, off to Damascus Virginia, with John driving. From Elizabethton it was almost straight north and a little east. We saw the Tennessee countryside and crossed the trail at Watauga Lake, where we would be in a few days. I noticed a lot of churches of just a few denominations, mainly Baptist. We arrived in Damascus and the town was full of people and cars. We found a place to park on a side street and the first person we saw was Gryme Dugal. He was someplace, lost in his mind, but he did recognize us.

 

From there, we walked to the outfitters and into a packed store. Most of these hikers were a week or more ahead of us on the trail, but we did know a few. The pretty waitress from Hot Springs was here and she introduced me to her hiking partners that were doing the trail, Flamingo and Cricket. We picked up fuel, socks and a disposable camera and I looked over the tents. They had a one man Walrus Swift that was just over 3 pounds. I hefted it and checked out the floor model. I pondered for a few minutes then picked one up to buy. It was only $125.00, and I was tired of the shelters for sleeping and especially the tarps, where the mice would run over me at night. We took our gear back to the car and walked to the other end of town, to be in the parade.

Tyvec Man at the parade at Damascus Trail Days

There were probably 400 hikers with a marching band and police car in the lead. I saw Tyvek man who walked barefoot, and several other odd hikers, dressed up in strange apparel. The onlookers and hikers both had stocked up with water balloons and the whole way down Main Street the balloons go sailing helter skelter. After the parade we walked down to the river and checked out the tent city. A large flat area was set-aside for hikers to set up tents and stay for the festivities. Hikers from years gone by, return for the festivities at Trail Days. I was glad we were hoteling it, because the area looked a bit low and damp. I’ve had more than my share of rain and wet gear for one trip, so far.

 

 At 6:00 we made our way to the Methodist church to listen to Warren Doyle speak on how the trail had changed over the last 25 years. He had walked the trail 11 times and organized trips for large groups to slack the whole trail so I guess, he might know something. At the beginning of the talk, there were just a few people there but with the stragglers coming in, it ended up being about 50 – 60 folks. He kept it informal and the crowd could ask questions about anything. The biggest changes mentioned were the advent of water filters and walking sticks. I didn’t think the filters were necessary, as did he, and the walking sticks were a personal choice. The meeting ran on a bit and when it was over John and I walked over to the talent show. This was where we saw Yogi, Booboo, and Chris, Weatherman, Boy Scout, Buddha, Dutch Boy, Wildhair, Long Distance Man and many more. We saw Wombat perform his love song and I think he won 3^rd place. Also saw the Iron Mt. Kids, 4 girls and their mom, who were doing the trail. A gal named Twilight sang her AT song. Didn’t know Twilight at the time but did get to meet her later. Near 7:00, John and I went back to the car and met Selky. We talked for a while then headed back to Elizabethton. We stopped at the Winn Dixie and bought rib-eye steaks, corn on the cob, chips and chocolate milk. Took the food back to the hotel and cooked it up on our stove in the bathroom. Had to run the vent fan and close the door so the smoke wouldn’t set the fire alarm off. We had a real pig-out and had that uncomfortable, distended stomach feeling again. We watch Dallas beat Edmonton, 2-1, then watched TV and put our grocery lists together. Hit the hay just after midnight.

 

May 17^th Sunday<

 

           I woke up early, around 7:00. I’m not sleeping as well as I would like to, on a bed in a hotel, but this gave us more time at the continental breakfast. Made 3 trips down for food and decided what we were going to do. Because we have the car and there was no one at the shop on Sunday, we don’t have to take it back until much later today and with the fact that Detroit played on TV this afternoon, I easily convinced Hopwood to stay another night at the Comfort Inn. With that out of the way, we planned our day to go shopping at an outfitter in Bristol, Tenn. I phoned Jerome Campbell at work and talked a ½ hour about what was going on there and of course the stock market. He mentioned the 4% raise due to the surplus in the pension fund. After the call I took a good hot bath and readied myself for the trip.

 

We were off in the car on a very hot day, near 95 degrees, and stopped at Walmart, Kmart and the outfitter in Bristol. I bought a watch at Kmart and a fleece sleeping bag at the outfitter. We drove back to Elizabethton and dropped the car off at the rental place. I phoned a cab to take us back to the motel. The hockey game was on already and St.Louis ended up beating Detroit 3-1. Bummer! I took my new tent outside and set it up on a grassy patch to check it out. Only needed 6 of the 12 stakes and could carry it all, in 2 stuff sacks. I tore the tent down then headed to the Winn Dixie, to grocery shop. Walked up and down every aisle looking at all the food. I found it best to carry a basket, rather than push a cart, because if the basket got heavy and your arm got tired, you could well imagine what would happen to your back, feet and knees on the trail. I bought salami, pepperoni, cheese, coffee, cereal, spices and sauces, ginger cookies and bagels, just enough to get us to Damascus where we would resupply again, in 5 days. I carried it all back to the hotel and packed it up. John and I both went over our packs and rid our selves of any unnecessary weight, no matter how small. My sleeping bag was to go back home, along with my toilet kit and the journal that I had written so far. Hefting the box, I would say maybe 4 pounds. We phoned out for large pizzas, a Hawaiian for me, and a pepperoni and mushroom for John. They arrived with pop for $14.00, with coupons, and were demolished while watching the Simpsons and X-Files. We were ready for bed at 10:30.

 

May 18^th Monday<

 

           Happy Birthday Gram Doten! Up early again, around 6:30. Partook in the Continental breakfast again and set to work on packaging our food up and then readied the packs. I phoned Boss Hogg and 20 minutes later we went down to the lobby and checked out. The front deskman was queer as a three-dollar bill. We sat outside and waited for the Boss. It was going to be another hot day in Elizabethton. Boss Hogg arrived around 9:00 and we threw our packs on back of his flatbed and hopped in front for the ride to Roan Mt. On the ride back we noticed the elevation gain and the temperature drop between Elizabethton and Roan Mountain. Boss dropped us off at the post office and we mailed our boxes home. Mine had my sleeping bag and cost $12.00. From the post office we walked over to the garage and Mr. Hogg gave us a ride back to the trailhead, east of town.

 

With our packs on, we headed up the trail at 10:00. We crossed several roads and saw a cleaning crew from some correctional institution. We walked a couple hours, through some farmer’s field and past a few cattle, to a campsite 5 miles away. Stopped for lunch by a stream, in the shade. I treated my water with iodine here, letting it sit for 10 minutes then added just a tad of Kool-Aid with ascorbic acid, to rid the water, of the iodine taste. A little trick I learned from Bump and only getting to try now because, this was the first time I felt I had to treat my water. We hiked for another couple hours and stopped again for lunch. The trail had been up and down, and the temperature hot today. We soaked our feet in a stream and just before we got up to go, Bump came down the trail. He was his usual merry self and we talked until AppleJack arrived. They had many stories to tell about staying in Elk Park and we told them of Trail Days and Elizabethton. At 6:00, we all hiked on to Moreland Gap Shelter where we found Thirsty Boots was already set up for the night. Thirsty’s real name was Jeff Reilly and we were close in age. He was section hiking from Hot Springs to Damascus, 182 miles. We had done 13 miles in the heat today and we didn’t think of going on. I had a bagel, salami and cheese for supper with cookies and tea for dessert. We talked until 9:30, and crawled into bed. According to the register, Sunburn and Plaqueman were ahead of us now, wondering where we were. I had a great day, feeling rested and being with our New England buddies again.

 ;

May 19^th Tuesday>

 

           I got up around 6:30 with the section hiker Thirsty Boots. He was a vice president of the Gibbs Wire and Steel Company in Connecticut. A very pleasant fellow and we got along well, telling each other our background, family and jobs. I made a couple bagel sandwiches, one with jam from the Comfort Inn and one with salami and cheese. Washed them down with tea. Thirsty Boots left early. I crawled back into the bag and slept till 9:00, when Bump got up and woke everybody else. Florida Guy came into the shelter and we talked until 11:00 before packing up and leaving. John and I hiked for a couple hours to get to Laurel Creek, a beautiful spot with a swimming hole at the base of the 30-foot falls. Each of us took a cool dip in the hole and had a long lunch. The male teacher that we met back at Curly Maple Shelter, near Erwin, showed up for a swim and we talked to him for a few minutes. He told us that Pond Mountain is a tough climb, so John and I prepared to leave, after a 2-hour rest. We expected to make it to Watauga Lake shelter, 9 miles away. It was hard to get motivated and we walked 20 minutes to Laurel Fork Shelter and stopped again. Checked the register and read of the taunting from Sunburn and Plaqueman. After a ½ hour we headed up Pond Mountain, in the heat. Started to feel better climbing and made great time. Near the top of the mountain, I heard a rattling and turned quickly to my left, just in time to see a 4 foot black snake slither across the trail and down the bank. It startled me and I waited for John to catch up to tell him. We carried on over the mountain, which had a false peak, and started down the other side. We ended up on an old road that took us down to Watauga Lake and to the highway that we had drove to Damascus. We stopped to eat and rest at a picnic area by the lake then headed off to the shelter 2 miles away. We stopped and talked to a couple locals, who were fishing. They had a couple catfish that must have weighed 4 or 5 pounds each.

Timm & Adam

compliments of Fanny Pack

We made the shelter just before dark and met Timm and Adam, a couple young ex marines. Adam, John, Thirsty Boots and 3 section hikers took the small shelter and I set up my tent for the first time, beside Timm and his hammock. Sunburn and Plaqueman had stayed here last night so they were a full day ahead of us. Retired into the fleece blanket at 10:30, after a supper of bagels and meat sandwiches.

 

May 20^th Wednesday

 

           Up at 7:00, to another sunny day. I was hungry so I made spaghetti for breakfast and chatted it up with Thirsty Boots. John and I left the shelter at 9:00 and walked down the lakeshore to a dam that crossed it. We met Frenchy, GI Jane, Happy Feet, Cool Rabbit and Mitch. Happy Feet and Wombat had fallen out of love with a little bitterness between them. Cool Rabbit walked with John and I and we planned to do 20 miles today. He was an ex-marine, with a strange story lurking behind his eyes. His real name was Atticus Mullican and he told us that his ancestry was black Irish. I’m not one to argue.

 ;

Cool Rabbit

 ;

We did the steep hot climb and hhiked to the Vandeventer Shelter, stopping for water at a spring along the way. Once there, we stopped for a rest and let the others catch up. The teacher from Curly Maple showed up and we talked and checked out the view behind the shelter. He told me that he and the other teachers were day-hiking the southern sections of the AT over the summer. We may see him now and again, but he wished us well as we left. The trail was good, but it was hot and we tired-out as we got closer to the next shelter. Cool Rabbit had gone on already and John and I planned to stay here at Iron Mt. Shelter. The water was a ½ mile back up the trail, but it was a 6-mile walk to the next shelter, that we just didn’t have in us. Thirsty Boots was here, so he and John took to the shelter. Mitch, a young girl from Pennsylvania, and Happy Feet and I set up our tents. It was early, so I climbed in my tent and wrote a letter to Brent Hartley. I then got up to make spaghetti for supper. I was hungry again so I made a big pot full. We talked to Thirsty over supper then watched a storm move in. The skies darkened and we heard the thunder in a distance, getting closer. The girls got scared and when the rain broke loose, we all head for the tents. The storm passed right over us, pelting rain and the thunder shook the ground. I figured those girls were pissing their pants about then. My batteries were dying in my headlamp and when I turned it off, the lightening lit everything up, like day. I was ready for sleep at 9:30 after a 14-mile day.

 

May 21^st Thursday

 

           A second storm passed in the night and we were up at 6:30. Breakfast was Cranberry Almond Crunch cereal, mixed with milk powder and water, in my cooking pot. It turned out I liked it very much. Was there any doubt? The tent weathered the storm well, but the gear still got damp. The skies were cloudy today as we set off for Double Springs Shelter, 8 miles away. The walk was fairly easy in the light rain and I met Thirsty Boots talking to a lady hiker in her 30’s, named Monica Lewinsky. They were discussing the trail, the people on the trail and other trails like the C.D.T.(Continental Divide) and PCT(Pacific Crest). Monica was heavy set and wrote 2 or 3 entries in all the shelter registers, under different names. Her Lewinsky entries were funny, but in her others, she complained a lot. She had a bad experience with two hikers called the Bikers and never failed to bad-mouth them. I was hungry, so I had a Kraft dinner for lunch and listened to the others.

 

Another young girl came in to the shelter for lunch. Her name was Dawn Treader and she had started a week after us. She had only 18 weeks to do the trail, was slender, but you could crack a nut anywhere on her. If she kept this pace, she just might do it.  As John and I left the shelter, the sun came out and we made fairly good time on the easy ridge walk to Abingdon Gap Shelter, 8 miles away. There were 9 or 10 of us at the shelter for the night so I camped in my tent about 100 feet away. There was an older gentleman taking pictures of everyone and a family group of 3, a father, son and daughter. The son, Lightweight was thru hiking, and the father and daughter were section hiking with him, for a couple days.

My new single man tent, a Walrus Swift weighing 3 pounds

 

Thirsty Boots and John set up in the shelter and they made a fire to dry some clothes.  The sun had come out, so we made supper. I had spaghetti with salami and threw in some macaroni due to the lack of pasta. Thirsty Boots gave me the rest of his fuel, of which, I was very grateful. We sat up late and talked by the fire. He told me of his family, job and some history of his family. He was 44, married with 2 grown children. He had one brother and lived in Connecticut near the ocean. He and his wife liked to sail and kayak. His dad had a pet store in his youth and he remembered a kid with a withered hand, coming by every day, to look at the animals. The kid’s dad came by to see if Mr. Reilly could give the kid a job. I don’t remember if he did or not but, this kid turned out to be Radar O’Reilly from the TV show MASH. Thirsty’s dad had retired and moved to Florida and Thirsty and his wife had moved into the cottage from their house. Thirsty spent 2 years on the road with his dog, touring around the States and when he went to college, he had Warren Doyle as an advisor. The company he worked for, Gibbs Wire and Steel Company Inc. sent him to Japan now and again. He was a vice president there and it was easy to tell he was worth his weight in gold. It was after 10:00 before we got to bed, but it would be a short 10-mile day to cross from Tennessee into Virginia and stay at Damascus, on the morrow.