Pearisburg, VA to Black Horse Gap, VA 4/6/2009-4/12/2009

Photos: http://outdoors.webshots.com/photo/2775015860104728652QtuTZw

4/6/2009 - 9:00 PM - Bailey Gap Shelter - 23.2 mi today - 649.1 mi total

Woke up an had granola. Got all my stuff packed quickly as I wanted to hit the trail. Everyone else was planning a short hike, but I wanted to get some mileage done before I met my Dad. Paid for the room and said my goodbyes. Hit the trail at 9:15. First couple miles were ugly. The trail passes by a chemical company and then a landfill. Not very nice scenery. Pretty good climb out of Pearisburg, then it was flat ridgewalking for miles. Weather was raining off and on most of the day. I had lunch by myself at Rice Field Shelter, and just as I was about to leave, Stumblefoot arrived walking the other direction. She's a really nice lady. She's 66 and has section hiked about half of the AT over the past 16 years. Pretty impressive that she can do 12 miles days regularly. From there to Pine Swamp Branch Shelter was a breeze. Got there at 5:15 and started cooking dinner. Met a couple thruhiking with their dog. They started in early February, but didn't seem to know too many other thruhikers. Ate and decided to push for Bailey Gap Shelter as I still had daylight and it was only 4 more miles. Pumped water on the way. Finished with a 1000 foot climb in the sleet. Got here to find someone in a huge Coleman dome tent in the shelter...obviously not a thru-hiker. We'll see who emerges in the morning. This guy might be a bum. Hope it doesn't get too cold tonight. Supposed to snow tomorrow, so we'll see what happens. Already a thin layer on the ground. Time to snuggle with Harley.

4/7/2009 - 9:00 PM - Sarver Hollow Shelter - 21.0 mi today - 670.1 mi total

Woke up to a winter wonderland. Harley was not impressed. Temp was in the 20's. I wrapped him in the sleeping bag while I packed everything else. The bum complained about having to walk 1.5 miles in the snow down to the road. Pretty sure he was trying to sound like a hiker and wasn't actually planning on moving all day (later confirmed by some of my friends). Hit the trail at 9:15 and was slow going. Was quite rocky most of the morning along the ridgeline. Had lunch at War Spur Shelter after taking four hours to hike 9 miles. Privy had an April 2009 golf magazine! Took a long lunch. Saw Stumblefoot for the third day in a row and she told me that my friends had decided to take a zero in Pearisburg yesterday to avoid the weather. I left a message in the shelter log calling them the "Fearless Five" and then changed it to "Feeble Five." I told them that I was planning on going to the AYCE in Catawba and that they should get moving if they wanted to make it to Southern BBQ night. Got going again at 2:30. Precarious stream crossing to start with. Harley almost fell off the poorly constructed bridge. Pretty long climb back into the snowy hills. Hit Laurel Creek Shelter at 5 and decided to continue against the dog's wishes. There were a lot of fence crossings near the two roads. Walked through a couple farm fields. One had a mule that did not like Harley and chased him around the field. I broke for the fence in a panic and the dog ran in a terrified circle around the mule and met me at the gate. Once we were both safe on the other side of the fence I had a good laugh. It was scary at the time, but hilarious afterwards. Wish I had a video of that! Harley was not amused. Later we saw Keffer Oak which was massive! It's about 300 years old and 18 feet around. Very impressive. Got a video of it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ooAS90WagA4
As we walked the final mile along the ridgeline, it began to snow again. I had to laugh because the sun was shining, but it was still snowing. Kind of made me miss Rochester weather. Got to the shelter at 7:30. Nice and new with a covered eating area. Met two section hikers (Think Tank and Becky) who are getting up early tomorrow. I'll probably pass them at lunch. Dinner was good and now to bed. Hoping tonight won't be as cold as last night for Harley's sake.

4/8/2009 - 7:45PM - Pickle Branch Shelter - 16.1 mi today - 686.2 mi total

Woke up today at sunrise. Think Tank and Becky were already moving. Ate my granola and took my time as I knew it was going to be an easy day. Still managed to hit the trail at 9. A bit rocky to start. The sun started to heat everything up pretty well. Passed Think Tank and Becky on the way to Niday Shelter. Had peanut butter and imitation crabmeat in m wraps. Tasted really good! Tried to eat up most of my lunch supplies so I can pig out at Homeplace AYCE in Catawba tomorrow. Really looking forward to that. After Niday, there was a pretty big climb up to the next ridgeline, then flat for a long time. Passed a monument for Audie Murphy, the most decorated WWII vet who died nearby in a plane crash. Kind of made me realize that even though I am so disconnected from everything, the world is still turning and stuff is happening. I wonder what President Obama did today. There were a ton of leaves on the ridgeline, so I took off Harley's pack and let him roll around in them. Got a video of it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQ7mStDKn-Y
Got to the shelter at 5 PM. Harley was happy with the short mileage. Pumped water and a thruhiking couple arrived (Adam and Melissa). I've leapfrogged them a couple of times, so it was nice to finally get to talk to them. Adam is from Buffalo, so we talked about the Bills and TO. Still can't believe he is on the Bills. Had dinner and got ready for tomorrow. Hoping to get a good jump on the day and get to Catawba in the early afternoon so I can make my phone calls before Dad's arrival. Dragons Tooth is supposed to be pretty perilous. Hope Harley does okay with it. Looking forward to AYCE and seeing Dad.

4/9/2009 - 8:30 PM - Campbell Shelter - 17.0 mi today - 703.2 mi total
Got up at 7 and made breakfast. Everyone was excited for AYCE. Left camp at 8 and began the long ascent to Dragons Tooth. I had heard a lot about it through the shelter logs, so the anticipation was mounting. Each time I saw some rocks, I got my camera ready, only to discover that it was just a dragon molar (this happened about five times). Finally I got there and found that the "tooth" was down a blue-blazed side trail. Checked it out and took some pictures. Guess I had built it up too much in my mind because I wasn't overly impressed with it. Took an early lunch, but didn't eat much (I didn't want to spoil my appetite for AYCE). The descent from Dragons Tooth was really cool. Very steep and quite precarious. There were even a couple rocks that had ladders bolted in. The dog had no problem getting down and jumped from rock to rock. From there I tried to pick up the pace so I could get to town and use the payphone. Reached the parking lot at 2PM and tried to get a ride the the general store one mile down the road. The lady in the parking lot didn't pick up on my subtle hints that I needed a ride. Decided to try hitching, but it was a busy road and I nobody pulled over until I was about two thirds the way there. I was thankful all the same. Got Harley some water while I ate a grilled cheese, Mountain Dew, and ice cream sandwich to hold me over until the restaurant opened at 4. Called Dad and found to my dismay that he was much closer than expected and would be ready to hit the trail shortly after 4PM. After a 10 hour car ride, he wasn't really in the mood to stuff himself with Southern BBQ. He told me to go ahead anyways, but the timing didn't work out. At 4:15, the shuttle rolled up and took me back to the trailhead, away from the sweet smells of Homeplace. Glen and Pam (two of my Dad's friends) were getting their packs on as we rolled back into the parking lot. Hit the trail again at 4:30 after almost getting run over crossing the road. Glen dropped his water bottle in the road and dad left his in the car. Regrouped at the shelter one mile down the trail. Dad didn't have any water and I hadn't pumped since this morning, so we shared what little I had left. Decided to check out the view from McAfee Knob as the forecast for tomorrow looked grim. The view was absolutely amazing. Probably the best of the trip so far. I got a video of it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CcQMDLxS_No
Zak (another thruhiker) caught up with us there and warned me that Chert, Grizzly, Wally and Pacman were on the hunt for me as they had taken my "Feeble Five" statement as a challenge. They had done mega miles to catch up and meet me for dinner, and of course I was on the trail instead of at the restaurant! I feel bad that I missed them, and I am sure they will give me crap for it tomorrow when they do catch up. The view did make up for the lack of BBQ. Got to Campbell Shelter and set up the tents. Pumped water (double dose) and cooked dinner in the dark. Dad accidently grabbed the wrong dinners (singles instead of doubles) so we had to cook dinner twice. We made the best of it and enjoyed Mum's home cooking (peanut butter chicken for Dad and Keelbassa stir fry for me... YUM!). Mum's dinners are getting better every time. She should start a business. Even so, I wish that my belly was more full. Hope the weather doesn't turn sour tomorrow.

4/10/2009 - 8:00 PM - Hay Rock, Tinker Ridge - 11.4 mi today - 714.6 mi total

Got up at 7 and started making breakfast. Dad wanted oatmeal, so I got the water boiling for him. He also bummed some coffee off of Glen. Glen hit the trail first, Pam followed shortly. Dad and I took our time packing up. It was nice to take the day slowly and not rush anywhere. About 2 miles before we stopped for lunch, Grizzly, Chert, Wally and Pacman caught us and started to roast me. I got a lot of crap for laying down a challenge and then standing them up at the restaurant. They made sure to describe just how good that dinner tasted. I gave them my box of Cheez-its to appease them. Laughs all around. Had some great views from Tinker Cliffs. Ate lunch at Lamberts Meadow Shelter with everyone. Started to rain on and off. Dad and I pumped water and Pam treated her big blisters. Got going again around 2 after a long filling lunch. Took it easy in the afternoon also. Found a pretty good spot to camp under a huge rock about 4 miles before Daleville. Glen had to set up his hammock in a windy spot, but our tents were well protected under the rock. May have thunderstorms tonight. Mixed two different pastas for dinner, and it turned out really well. Mum's food is getting better by the day. Dad lent me his ipod so I listened to three of my favorite songs in the hopes that the stupid "CC's Cat" song would be banished forever. It's a curse! Looking forward to eating by the thruway tomorrow. Great day on the trail with Papa Jolly today. Hope tomorrow is just as good.

4/11/2009 - 8:00 PM - Fullhardt Knob Shelter - 9.0 mi today - 723.6 mi total

Got up at 7 to a nice sunrise. Clouds were cool colors. Glen was already packed up by the time Dad and I got out of our sleeping bags. Guess he had a windy night. I left my tent door open so I could watch the lightning. The rock protected me well all night. Had breakfast and slowly descended into town. Got to the car around 11 and found everyone else in the parking lot. Glen and Pam had already chowed down on Wendy's and were moving on to Bojangles. Chert, Grizzly, Wally, and Pacman had hit the outfitters and then went to Krogers for food resupply. At one point we had the car surrounded with 8 backpacks as everyone was off doing their errands. I sorted through the food boxes while Dad went to get coffee. The coffee shop aalso filled up our water bladders with ice water. Once everyone had done all the town chores and I had taken care of Dad's micro-blister, it was food time. Glen and Pam were set, so they hit the trail again. The rest of us headed to the Mexican restaurant and Dad treated us all to a great lunch. It was the first time the Brits had tried Mexican. The dessert was amazing. Some kind of fried cheesecake creation (xango?). After lunch, Dad hit the trail while I shuttled the guys to Dollar General and the Post Office. Hit the trail again at 2:45. Easy 5 miles to the shelter, but my left foot was hurting more. Felt like it was falling asleep, so maybe I just have the laces done up too tight. Will adjust tomorrow. Got a nice fire going (sitting by the coals now) and cooked dinner. Another great day on the trail. Hoping the weather holds tomorrow too. PLanning to camp near the Blue Ridge Parkway for an easy pick-up on Monday morning. Really enjoying my hike with Dad, Glen, and Pam.

4-12-2009 - 11:30 PM - Comfort Inn - 9.4 mi today - 733.0 mi total

Woke up at sunrise to temps in the high teens. Got up and made oatmeal for breakfast. The fire coals were still hot, but it was too much effort to get them going again. Hit the trail around 9 and had a nice easy walk to start. First hour was a breeze. The closer we got to lunch, the more steep the hills became. Dad had some trouble with his knees, but managed to push through it. Got to Wilson Creek Shelter for lunch around noon. I went down the hill to pump water while Dad took care of his knees and played around with his layering system. Rehydrated a hummus mix for lunch and ate it with rice crackers. Yum! Also finished up some jerky and pepperoni. It was a nice little cocktail party. Dad wrote in the shelter log, and after a nice long two hour lunch, we pushed on. At Black Horse Gap, the trail meets the Blue Ridge Parkway, which it parallels for the next 200 miles. At the Taylors Mountain Overlook, we decided to call it quits. It was only about 4:00, so instead of camping in the woods, we called a local trail angel named Del for a shuttle back to where the car was parked in Daleville. He was a really nice guy, though I had trouble understanding what he was saying through his accent. I did learn that a couple of my thru-hiking friends have unfortunately fallen off the trail. Aparently SpiritFingers is battling some ort of illness that has taken him off the trail. I hope he is feeling better and is able to continue his hike. Also, one of the guys I met in Damascus (Splinter) has developed a staph infection and is headed home to recover. I send my best to both of those guys, as well as Steamboat, who should hopefully be returning to the trail soon. When we got to the parking lot, we decided on Wendy's for dinner. Dad and I had a triple stack cheeseburger each with a large order of fries. MMMMM that went down well. After a filling dinner, we decided that we would rather spend a night in a motel than camp on the ridgeline, so we headed to Comfort Inn and paid the "hiker-corporate" rate of $40 for a double room. After playing around with my gear, uploading my photos and videos, I am finally ready for bed. Be sure to check out my Webshots account as all of my pictures have been uploaded. I have also inserted the new videos into my older blog entries. Tomorrow, Harley and I will hit the trail with an overflowing food bag as Dad, Glen, and Pam head back to Rochester. This has been a nice change of pace, but I am ready to get back on the saddle and crank out some miles. I am hoping to get to Waynesboro by Friday or Saturday. Look for my next update then.

Atkins, VA to Pearisburg, VA 4/2/2009-4/5/2009

Photos: http://outdoors.webshots.com/photo/2455432780104728652bSQWdZ

4/2/2009 - 9:00PM - Chesnut Knob Shelter - 23.0 mi today - 561.3 mi total



Woke up to the smell of bacon at 7 AM. Breakfast was excellent! We ate all the French toast, eggs, bacon, and hash browns we could take. Finished it off with chocolate cake. After breakfast, it was time to take care of Harley and pack my bag. Loaded up the truck and van and hit the trail at 9:15. Cloudy, but dry to start. That changed. It soon got foggy and wet. Pretty boring walk due to the crappy weather. Quite hilly (for Virginia) most of the way. Harley managed to climb over one of the fence crossings. He couldn't repeat the feat, so it must have been beginners luck. Lunch at Knot Maul Branch Shelter. Tried to eat a lot. Got pretty wet during the last 9 miles. Had to pump water a mile before the shelter because there is no water source here. The pond water clogged my filter and made it hard to pump. This shelter is fully enclosed as it used to be a firewarden's cabin. I really appreciate that as it looks like we are in for a big storm. Weather is supposed to be bad tomorrow as well. Shame because this shelter is supposed to have a beautiful view. The shelter I am heading for tomorrow only sleeps 6, and it looks like we'll have 7. Need to get there early to claim a spot. Not looking forward to the rain. Harley is snoring loud tonight.



4/3/2009 - 8:30 PM - Helveys Mill Shelter - 24.0 mi today - 585.3 mi total



Last night was the worst on the trail by far. If that wasn't rock bottom then I don't want to know what is. I woke up at one point to go to the bathroom. When I came back, I decided to move to the concrete floor because I was feeling cramped on the overcrowded sleeping platform. Good thing I did, because not too long afterwards, I awoke to the sound and smell of Harley vomiting on the side of my sleeping bag six inches from my face. To be honest, it was probably my fault. Rambunny gave me some bacon and leftover bacon grease to mix in with his food yesterday morning. I knew I shouldn't have given it to him, but I felt bad for making him sleep out in the barn on his own all night. I'm sure that is what threw his digestive system for a loop. No more people food. Period. So I spent about a half hour in the dark cleaning up the mess and comforting the dog. I used my entire 10 pack of tissues and my green bandanna. When I finally got back to bed, I tried to put things in perspective and thought to myself "At least I have a roof over my head and I am warm and dry." Ten minutes later, just as I am about to drift off to sleep, the storm picks up and we discover that the roof is leaky, and of course it starts to drip on my face. I moved for the third time, and finally got some sleep. Got out of bed at 7 and we all laughed about the eventful evening. It was really foggy and windy out, so much so that the pivy had a major updraft. If you timed it wrong, then you had to duck so the TP didn't come back to hit you in the face. Trail life is certainly entertaining. Eventually, I dragged myself out of the shelter and headed North. I was feeling sluggish due to the lack of sleep and sore legs. Usually, I speed up after the first hour, but not today. It took me almost five hours to walk ten miles. I was really feeling down about the trail. It certainly is a roller coaster of emotion. The dog did his best to cheer me up. I had a big lunch and gave myself a peptalk. Hit the trail again at 2:30 with a fresh outlook. Felt much better and was finally able to get up to speed. Crossed over yet another Brushy Mountain. Whoever is on the naming committee in this area needs to get more creative. I have climbed 5 "Brushy Mountains" in 3 days. Found a trash can at Laurel Creek and bid farewell to my green bandanna and Harley's mess (Leave No Trace!). Also found an empty trail magic cooler. Bummer. From there it was a very windy walk. Crossing I-77 was not fun. You walk along a road for over a mile. Finally got to the shelter at 7:30 and was glad to meet up with my friends. Today started out terribly, but I was able to dig deep and turn it into something. I'm proud of myself and Harley for pushing so far today. Hopefully he feels better and tonight will be without incident. The sleeping bag doesn't smell as bad as I thought it would, but I am planning on washing it in Pearisburg.

4/4/2009 - 8:30 PM - Wapiti Shelter - 24.0 mi today - 609.3 mi total

Woke up to a great sunrise. Didn't even have to get out of my sleeping bag. Ate my granola and fed the dog. He didn't quite have his appetite back yet. Pretty easy walk in the morning. Made it to Jenny Knob Shelter by noon. Had some pretty intense food fantasies along the way (Garbage plates and Dinosaur BBQ and french bread with slices of brie cheese...). I can't remember the last time I had fresh bread. Pumped water after lunch and hit the trail again. There was a grocery store a half mile away from the trail. I decided it was worth the extra mile roundtrip. Almost got a ride, but the lady had pet allergies. Bought two grilled cheese sandwiches, a coke, York Peppermint Patty, and beer for dinner. That was a nice treat. Sailed through the last 8 miles and met up with Grizzly, Chert, Wally, Pacman, and Spirit Fingers at the shelter. Weather was great today which made for fast happy hiking. Made chili for dinner (yum) and got into bed. Harley had his appetite back. Hitting Pearisburg tomorrow and looking forward to AYCE Chinese. We're going to put them out of business!

4/5/2009 - 11:30 PM - Rendezvous Motel - 16.6 mi today - 625.9 mi total

Woke up and had granola for breakfast. Harley was feeling especially lazy this morning. Last night I woke up to find myself sharing the pillow with him and getting a full blast of dogbreath every time he exhaled. He also went for a midnight stroll and came back 5 minutes later. There was no way that I was going to get out of my bag to follow him. He's a funny dog. Foot was hurting a bit to begin. Had a pretty good climb to start with. Got some excellent views from the ridgeline. Weather was wonderful (sunny and 70's). Had lunch at Doc's Knob Shelter with everyone. Descent into Pearisburg was major. Lots of switchbacks. There were a lot of day and section hikers out due to the nice weekend weather. One of them kept talking to me for about ten minutes, and then when we saw another hiker approaching, he complained about how its so hard to find "peace and tranquility" out here with so many people on the trail! Got to the motel, and they agreed to let all six of us stay in one room with two double beds! It will only cost $9 a person. Showered and watched the weather channel...not good. Once everyone was ready, we decided to hit up the Chinese place. Luckily, a section hiker named Stumblefoot let us borrow her car so we didn't have to walk a mile there. I drove for the first time in six weeks. I love driving, so it was a nice treat. Had 3 heaped plates of Chinese plus a plate of desert. Only cost $9. Amazing! Afterwards, we went to Food Lion and Dollar General to resupply. I bought a pack of fun size Snickers to give to Stumblefoot as a thank you. Started the laundry and watched some late night tv. I called home and found out that my SPOT hadn't sent up a message in two days. Mom was panicking and about to call the police. I put in new batteries, so we should be all set to Harpers Ferry. Looks like I will meet Dad in Catawba on Thursday. There is an AYCE place there that I hope to hit up while I wait for him to arrive. Also found out that Steamboat is off the trail for two weeks because of his shin injury. Hope he is feeling better. Everyone was bummed to hear that. It can happen to anyone. I'll try to listen to my body more from here on. No sense in risking the hike for a couple extra miles.

Update from Catawba VA 4/9/09

Hello!

Unfortunately I have not been able to access a computer recently, and do not have time now to update my blog. Just wanted to let you all know that I am happy and healthy on the AT! My dad and some friends are joining me to hike for the next couple of days which should be fun, and then I am off to Waynesboro where I will hopefully get the chance to catch up with my blog and add some more pictures to the album. Thanks for following me and supporting my journey, happy reading!

Damascus, VA to Atkins, VA 3/28/2009-4/1/2009

Photos: http://outdoors.webshots.com/photo/2793970840104728652VnLVGR

3/28/2009 - 11:30 PM - Damascus, VA - 0 mi today - 463.0 mi total

Busy zero day! Woke up at 8:30 and had leftover pizza for breakfast. Hit the Post Office at 9:00 and got my bounce box. Sent it on to Pearisburg. Next went to the library to update the blog. Ran out of time and the librarian wouldn't let me back on even though there was nobody waiting. (Maybe I should have chatted her up and mentioned that my Mum works at a library!) Did the laundry and called home. Got a milkshake and went back to the hostel. Hung on the porch with everyone until dinner time. Two other thruhikers came in (Splinter and Endor). Nice guys. Had dinner at Fatty's Diner. One pound burger was filling! Some local firefighter attempted the five pound burger challenge, but only ate about half of it. I bet a thru-hiker completes the challenge in the not so distant future. Had desert back at the hostel and hung on the porch some more. Going to bed now. Looking forward to hitting the trail again. Harley is ready to go too. He's not a big fan of towns.

3/29/2009 - 7:00 PM - Lost Mountain Shelter - 15.8 mi today - 478.8 mi total

Got up at 8 this morning. Let Harley out and gave him breakfast. He did not want to spend anymore time in town. He wanted to get back on the trail and off the leash. Took my time packing my stuff and chatting with Steamboat. He decided o take another zero in Damascus as his shin is killing him. The medical center was closed for the weekend, so I think he is going to drop by there on Monday morning. Hope he is feeling better. Went to the only restaurant open on a Sunday morning (all the other ones were closed for church). It was pretty good. Got an omellette and orange juice. Harley had to stay outside so he pouted and gave me dirty looks through the window. Finally hit the trail around 10:45 with Wally, Pacman, and Spirit Fingers. Said goodbye to Steamboat, but I am sure that I will see him soon (according to his SPOT, he is back on the trail!) It's going to be wierd to not hike with him for a while. We've shared a shelter almost every night since Springer. Still, I have to hike my own hike, and that means that it is time for Harley and I to move on. Started out slowly. Pack felt heavy with 5 days of food. The trail follows the Virginia Creeper Trail (an old railway line) for a while, but then diverges and runs parallel through the woods for about ten miles. It was quite frustrating to hike up and down the hills and look to the right and see a nice well graded, gently sloped trail meandering by the river. The switchbacks in Virginia seem very gradual compared to the three previous states. Had lunch at Saunders Shelter with Wally, Pacman, and Spiritfingers. Tried honey and tortilla. Yum! Got cold and moved on. Trail was pretty easy. Follows the Virginia Creeper for a bit which was a nice break. Chert, Grizzly Adams, Wally, Pacman, and WizKid were all at the shelter when I arrived. Spirit Fingers followed, but he moved on after dinner. Harley was asleep on the ground when I went to pump water, but when I cam e back, he had moved to my sleeping bag. Cheeky dog! Snowed a bit during dinner (St Patricks Stew... yum!). It's going to be cold tonight! Snow is already starting to accumulate a bit. Trying to plan out the next couple days based on how much food I have. Of course, I packed in too much! Hope Harley stays warm tonight. He's under his blanket now. Looking forward to orange juice in the morning (I packed it in as a special treat!).

3/30/2009 - 8:30 PM - Old Orchard Shelter - 23.2 mi today - 502.0 mi total

Great day on the trail! Woke up to E.L.O. (Wiz Kid couldn't find his cell phone in time to shut off the alarm. I didn't mind because it got a new song stuck in my head. I was sick of the stupid "CC's cat" version of "Jessie's Girl!"). There was a light coating of snow on the ground. Temp was pretty cold. I quickly packed up and had breakfast (Poptarts and real OJ!). Was on the trail at 8:15. Took a load of picture of the snow and Harley. Climb up Whitetop Mountain was long. I felt like I was in a time warp at one point as I started to think that I recognized trees that I had passed fifteen minutes before. As I approached the summit, the trees thinned out and offered some great views. Temp was in the 20's with a strong wind. Got a video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mz65ScDQAtk
Walked in a big group for a while. When we got to Elk Garden, everyone stopped for lunch, but I decided to keep going. Saw that Grumpy had signed in today on one of the trail registers (there are a lot in this stretch). He's doing a day hike with his wife. I tried to catch him, but never did. Hopefully, I will see him up the trail. Pretty walk with the snow everywhere. Wind was knocking it off the trees so it covered the ground and looked like coconut shavings. Met up with Spirit Fingers at Thomas Knob Shelter. He is pushing hard to meet his Dad tomorrow. Said he walked over Whitetop at 9 last night and was knocked over by the wind! The wind was bad at the shelter too. It stole one of my tortillas and fed it to a puddle. Ugh! Other guys caught up and moved on while I ate. Walk from there to Wise shelter was really cool! There was a tunnl that we had to squeeze through (called Fat Man Squeeze Tunnel). Harley navigated it with ease. I had more trouble. This area is also known for wild ponies. Harley and I saw a total of nine. He was very well behaved around them which was a pleasant surprise. Two of the ponies came up to me and licked my hands. I think they wanted food as they were sniffing the pocket where I keep Harley's treats. They let me pet them too. Got some really cool pictures and a video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fwo2A6iSV9Q
Caught up with everyone at Wise Shelter. Also met a section hiker from Maine. Cooked dinner and decided to move on as I still had energy and daylight. Cranked out the last 6 miles to reach Old Orchard Shelter before dark. It's a six person shelter, so I decided to tent with the dog. He goes crazy everytime I set it up. He loves it for some reason. I toweled him off before I let him in and now he is lying on his back between my legs asleep (literally like a hot dog!). I got a picture of it. Really enjoy having him here. Nothing like a great day of hiking with your best friend!

3/31/2009 - 8:30 PM - Partnership Shelter - 24.7 mi today - 526.7 mi total

Got up around 7:30 this morning. Went to pump water and found a tiny leak in my Camelbak. Not the way I wanted to start my day! Packed up the tent and hit the trail at 9 after everyone. Took my lunch break at 10:30, which was early. Not too many interesting sights today. Allowed me to get through the miles quickly. Reached Trimpi Shelter at 2 PM and caught Wally and Pacman. About a mile after the shelter, I found the abandoned yellow bus in the field that had been featured in the movie Trek. If anyone wants to know what it is like to hike the AT, watch Trek. I saw it before I left, and it gave me a good preview of what life would be like out here. Took a video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZ_cQYVMrPY
Nice to knock off another landmark. Reached Partnership Shelter at 6PM. I average 3mph today! Definitely have my trail legs now. From here, you can order pizza from Atkins, which we did. I ate a large pepperoni and split a 2 liter of Coke with Wiz Kid. Yum! Harley cleaned all the pizza boxes. Nice to be able to relax after a long day and still have some daylight. Wiz kid let me use his special glue on my Camelbak. Hopefully it will plug the hole. We'll see tomorrow. Dog is sleeping on me hot dog style again. Living the dream! Will hit Atkins tomorrow, but not sure about the hostel. Might just shower and move on. Have to pick up my packages from the Barn Restaurant.

4/1/2009 - 8:15 PM - Happy Hiker Hollow Hostel - 11.6 mi today - 538.3 mi total

Heard the rain last night and a coyote howl at one point. Pacman sat bolt upright, but Harley barely stirred. Harley was a bit sluggish this morning. We had breakfast in bed, and then he decided to take a nap on my sleeping bag as I was trying to pack it up. I didn't mind as I was feeling lazy too. Finally got on the trail at 9:30. After a mile, I realized that I had left my SPOT at the shelter! Harley and I dropped our packs and walked back to get it (2 miles of walking that don't count towards the total!). Got going again at 10:30. Had lunch at Chatfield Shelter and tried to finish off my lunch supplies as I knew there would be a load waiting for me in town. Caught up with everyone else outside a shut down Exxon station. Everyone was debating their options. I nipped across the street to pick up my package(s) from the Barn Restaurant. I had three! The guys were laughing at me as I came out fully loaded (turns out that one was for me, one was for Harley, and the other was trail magic for everyone from Rachel). We called the Happy Hiker Hollow and they came out to pick us up. Somehow managed to cram seven people, one dog, and seven packs in the old minivan. We were riding low! Got to the hostel and relaxed. The dog is outside in a little barn. He slept almost all afternoon. He's not happy with me because I left him out there on his own all day. I unpacked my boxes and got it all portioned into my stuff sacks. I'm going to do a straight seven day run from here until my Dad meets me next Thursday morning (April 9th). We'll see how far I get. I have enough food for seven days. Took a shower and tried to upload photos to Webshots. Dinner was amazing. They had a full spread out for us. We had turkey, gravy, bbq chicken, salad, stew, dinner rolls, and of course cake to finish it off. They looked a little disappointed when we didn't finish both cakes they had ready. Looking forward to breakfast tomorrow (French toast, bacon, and eggs!). About to go call home and then hit the sack. I feel weel rested and ready to tackle a long stretch of trail.

Erwin, TN to Damascus, VA 3/21/2009-3/28/2009

Photos: http://outdoors.webshots.com/photo/2794972420104728652XbaGGl

3/21/2009 8:00 PM - Curley Maple Gap Shelter - 4.2 mi today - 344.1 mi total



Harley woke me up at sunrise. Everyone else was getting up then as well. Got dressed and sorted out my bounce box and food bag with Dad. Steamboat, Flo, Dad, and I went to the Huddle House for breakfast. Omelette was excellent. Hit the post office on the way back. Packed up my bag and hung out with Dad and Flo for a while. Got a burger at Sonic for lunch. Dad and Flo left for New York. Took it easy in the afternoon. Harley napped for a while in the sun so he probably won't sleep much tonight. Chilled with Wally and Pacman for a while. Cool kids. Finally decided to hit the trail at 4:30 PM. My pack was loaded! Probably close to 40 lbs with all the food and water. Nice 4 mile hike through the woods. Met three section hikers at the shelter. All local high school band teachers. Nice guys to hang out with. Made ramen with canned crab. Cut a whole in the can and attached it to a string from the ceiling (This is supposed to prevent the mice from crawling down the ropes into food bags. Not sure if it actually works, but they are at every shelter). Improves the shelter and makes less trash for me to carry out. About to hit the sack now. Looking forward to a good long hike tomorrow.



3/22/2009 - 9:15 PM - Greasy Creek Gap - 20.1 mi today - 364.2 mi total



Harley was up early and moving around a bit. Having only hiked 4 miles yesterday, he was well rested. Got up and made breakfast. The section hikers were still in their sleepin bags when we left camp. Got a good start and hit the trail at 8:45. Pleasant walk to begin. Took a break after two hours. The climb up Unaka Mountain was pretty steep. At the top, the trees were all evergreen and it looked a lot like Maine. Steamboat and I found a nice spot for lunch at the top. Met a trail maintainer. Headed down the hill and pumped water at Cherry Gap Shelter. We decided to shorten ou day and head to the Greasy Creek Friendly. Tough hike towards the end. I fell over for the first time, but didn't hurt myself luckily. When we got to Greasy Creek Gap, we had to walk half a mile down a forest service road. There were no sign posts, so we hoped we were walking down the right road. Luckily, we were right. Got to the place and met CC. Very nice lady. Aparently, she has a crazy neighbor that runs a lawnmower all night long so the "hiker trash" can't sleep. Haven't heard it yet, so maybe we'll be lucky. Amazingly, Harley was still running around with lots of energy, despite the long hike. I don't know where he gets it. That dog food must be like jet fuel. Mike and I split a pizza for dinner and watched the end of the basketball games. Syracuse is in the sweet sixteen. Woohoo! After dinner, I showered and sat in the house chatting with CC and Sheperd (the work-for-stay guy). Aparently she's writing a book. As she says, there's never a dull moment at Greasy Creek! We watched My Name is Earl and then Steamboat and I realized that we don't have enough cash to cover the bill. Yikes! I hope we can work it out with her in the morning. Maybe she takes credit cards. Not looking forward to that. At least I have a warm bed tonight.



3/23/2009 - 9:00 PM - Overmountain Shelter - 14.8 mi today - 379.0 mi total



Got up really late. Surprisingly, CC's crazy neighbor wasn't very loud last night. At 2AM, he honked the car horn for a couple minutes, but that was all I heard. I saw his lawn mower in the front yard, but he didn't run it for some reason. Went inside at 9:00 for breakfast. Explained our lack of cash situation to CC, and she was nice enough to accept an online check. Once that got sorted out, she made us a nice breakfast. I had cheese grits for the first time. Yum! We also ate scrambled eggs, turkey bacon, and toast. Really good! After breakfast, we packed our bags and took a couple pictures. CC also performed two songs for us with her big cat Nemo. First was "Fat cat, fat cat, wacha gonna do? Whacha gonna do when they come for you?" Second was "Oh I wish I had CC's cat!" It was quite entertaining. Harley didn't know what to make of it. I've had those songs stuck in my head all day (and all week!). We got a hug each. As we were leaving, at 11:30, Wally and Pacman showed up for lunch. They had heard about the crazy neighbor and wanted the full experience. Steamboat, Harley, and I sluggishly made our way back up the hill to the trail and headed North. Took a break after 2 miles at Clyde Smith Shelter. Picked up the trash there and packed it out. It's annoying when people leave their trash in the woods, but I guess we increased our hiker karma. Also found a good luck message from Grumpy in the shelter log. He's 5 days ahead of us, so he is likely in Damascus now. From there, it was a couple miles to Hughes Gap where the accent of Roan Mountain begins. In 2.6 miles, we climbed 2160 feet! Halfway up, the dog showed me his new trick. It's called "play dead." He flopped over on his back and pretended he was dead. I got a video of it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghSl9rAP2Kc
Very funny! At the top, we had our lunch at the site of an old hotel. This is the last time we will be above 6,000 feet until Mt Washington in New Hampshire. Again, the evergreen trees reminded me of Maine. Descending from there, we reached Carvers Gap, where there was a real road. I thought there might be a trash can, but no such luck. From there, we walked over three balds in a row. I got a video from the middle one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKiwxEyOiok
Pretty views, but there must be a forest fire in NC because there was a lot of smoke that way. From there it was mainly downhill to the shelter. A lot of the path was covered with leaves which really sucks because they hide all the roots and rocks that will trip you up. Quite frustrating. Got to the shelter at dusk. Saw a nice sunset from the last ridge. Pacman and Wally must have passed us at lunch because they were already here with Wiz kid and 3 section hikers also. Shelter is an old barn that has been set aside for hikers. Looks out over a valley. Should be a nice sunrise. Steamboat and I are upstairs. Tons of room. Had mac and cheese for dinner. Yum. Now looking forward to an 18 mile day tomorrow. We will also officially leave North Carolina and cross into Tennessee. Thank goodness. Its annoying when you don't know what state you are in!




3/24/2009 8 PM Mountaineer Shelter --18.0 miles today -- 397.0 miles total


Woke up a little too late to see the sunrise. Apparently it wasn't that good anyways. Wiz Kid had already left. Made cold oatmeal for breakfast. Cinnamon flavor was pretty good. Steamboat and I got on the trail at 9:15 a little behind the Brits. Hike over Hump Mountain was spectacular. Great views, took a bunch of pictures. There was a government SUV at the top and the guy didn't get out to say hi either, it was a little strange. The descent started out nice but soon we were shuffling through leaves again. It is frustrating when you can't see the obstacles you are about to trip over. Took a snack break at Doll Flats and celebrated our official entrance into our third state, Tennessee. Since I started the Smokies the left half of my body has been hiking in TN, now the right side has decided to join. We should hit the fourth state, Virginia, in three days. Had lunch at Apple House shelter. Meet a couple of trail maintainers and an Australian guy that was looking at his elevation profile upside down. He was pretty frustrated that he had a long uphill ahead of him instead of a long descent. Crossed 19E, pretty major road with no crosswalk. Pretty pleasant walk from there. Saw Jones Waterfall, which was really cool. Took a video there:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pt935sAIhtM
The dog took a nap. Steamboats legs were hurting him pretty bad. My knee is much better than it was before the Smokeys but still give me pain now and then. Ibuprofen helps a lot. Walked along Elk River for a bit. Daffodils were in bloom. Got some pictures for Mum. Reached the shelter just after 6. Nice and new, built in 2006. Water source is at the top of a small waterfall. Cooked Goulash for dinner, which was excellent. Sharing the bottom level with Pacman and Wiz Kid. Steamboat is upstairs and Wally is in the loft. Feels like it might storm tonight. Hoping the rains come overnight so we don't get wet on the walk to Kincora. Looking forward to meeting Bob Peoples. He is a legend on the trail. Must get there by 6 so we can catch the shuttle for AYCE chinese. We'll have to leave the dog behind. We'll see how that goes. Only 15.6 miles tomorrow. Elevation doesn't look bad either. From there hoping to hit Damascus in a two day run. Still having fun and the dog is behaving himself most of the time. I did wake up at one point last night to find myself pushed off the sleeping pad with him sitting on it. He leans into me pretty hard at night. Hope he wakes me up early tomorrow so we can get to Kincora in the early afternoon.


3/25/2009 10 PM Kincora Hiking Hostel -- 15.6 miles today --412.6 miles total


Didn't sleep well last night. Tossed and turned and listened for the rain to roll in. Of course it didn't start raining until sunrise, convenient! Everyone slept in to try and avoid the rain. Finally got up and made breakfast. Hit the trail at 10. Boring hike. Rain dampened my mood considerably. Wore all my rain gear but still got soaked because I was sweating so much. Had lunch at Moreland Gap Shelter. Some section hiker had a fire going but the smoke and ash were blowing into the shelter. Ate and left. Last 6 miles were pretty boring as well. Got to Kincora at 4:30. Nobody was there because the shuttle had left at 4 0'clock. There was another dog at the hostel that didn't behave himself very well. Section hiker couldn't control it. Felt better after a shower and a phone call home. Ordered 8 large pizzas for 7 people. Yum. We'll have leftovers for breakfast tomorrow. Met Bob Peoples. Really cool guy. Wish I had more time to chat with him but I have to keep moving. Got my mail drop. Thanks Kat for the orange juice. Got all packed up and ready for tomorrow. Need to get moving so we don't run out of sunlight. Weather looks terrible. Yuck. At least I have a warm dry bed tonight and all my stuff is clean and dry. Looking forward to Damascus but the next two days are going to be tough. There are 12 people here tonight and everyone is heading for the same 6 person shelter. Steamboat and I are the slow ones, so we will likely be tenting tomorrow. It is going to be tough to tent with a wet dog. Guess I just have to put my head down and crank out the miles.


3/26/2009 10:15 pm Double Springs Shelter -- 31.9 miles today -- 444.5 miles total


Wow what a long day. My longest by far. Steamboat and I woke up at 6:30. We set our alarms for 6:30 so we could get a jump start on the group. He promptly went into the kitchen and knocked over some pots and pans. Our plan was foiled and everyone was up in 15 minutes. Still managed to be the first two out the door, which drew surprised looks from everyone as we were usually the last. Hit the trial at 7:30 am in dim light. Overcast and a bit humid to start. First couple miles were quite fun as we walked past Laurel Fork Falls. Got some good pictures. From there it was up and over an 1800 foot mountain that we easily could have walked around. The people who planned that part of the trail must have been laughing about that little trick. Churt and Grizzly Adams passed us at the top while we took a snack break. From there we went back down 1800 feet to Watuaga Lake. Steamboat and I stopped at the shelter for lunch. Wiz Kid and Zack stopped as well. While we were eating Wally and Pacman and Spirit Fingers also passed us, but Steamboat and I figured we would still have a spot in the shelter as long as Churt and Grizzly Adams tented, which they usually do. Crossed the dam and headed up the ridgeline lading to Damascus. The trail literally follows the ridgeline 35 miles to Damascus. So there aren't any big climbs or descents to spice up the journey. With landmarks few and far between the hike was pretty dull. Caught up to everyone at the Vandeventer Shelter but Steamboat fell behind with a shin problem. We also discovered that Wooden Spoon and Wooden Duck were also ahead of us heading for the same shelter. Having not seen them since Hot Springs, there is only one way they could have passed us...YELLOW BLAZING! This pissed me and Steamboat off because it meant they would be taking our two spots in the shelter. The last 6 miles to Iron Mountain I debated my options. The weather was crappy and I didn't want to set up my tent in the rain. The closer I got to camp the better my legs felt. By the time I got there I made up my mind that I was going to push on and turn my 24 mile day into a 32 mile day. The Shelter was overful with Wally, Pacman, Spirit Fingers, Wiz Kid, Zack and the Wooden Duo. I gave Harley his dinner and announced my plan to move on. That drew quite a few shocked looks. With about 45 minutes of light left Harley and i hit the trail again. I tried to push myself to make use of the limited daylight. The dog lead the whole way. Once it got dark I used my headlamp, but Harley knew where to go. Before I knew it we were crossing a road at the half way point. Soon the fog rolled in and I really couldn't see anything. I got worried that I might get lost in the fog, but then I would pass a white blaze, Harley really is amazing on the trail. We hit the handicap accessible half mile and walked across the field. Harley stopped and started to growl at one point. I banged my poles together and whatever threat he sensed subsided. We continued without issue. Crossing the field was probably the scariest part because I had no clue if I was on the trail or not. Once again the wonder dog came through. I really must change his trail name because Kneecaps doesn't do him justice after this performance. We rolled into the shelter just before 10 oclock having hiked the 7.6 miles in 2 hours and 20 minutes. We found 4 section hiker sleeping and Harley woke them up. They graciously made a spot for me and gave Harley a well deserved belly rub. I unpacked and jumped in before having dinner. Harley promptly began to snore. I didn't care at all because he had earned his keep. Still can't believe I broke the 30 mile barrier, we'll see how the legs feel tomorrow.


3/27/2009 11:30 pm Damascus, VA -- 18.5 miles today -- 463.0 miles total


Woke up around 7:30 and chatted with my shelter mates. Nice group of people. Answered a bunch of AT questions as I packed my stuff and ate breakfast. Hit the trail at 9 oclock for an "easy 18". Found some trail magic at Low Gap, sodas and Snickers. I loooove trail magic. It really makes your day. Got to Abingdon Shelter around noon for lunch. Weird to eat alone. From there it was 10 miles to down. Pretty boring walk and it started to rain. Harley is a weenie when it starts to rain. He tried to hide in Rhotodendrum bush. Didn't bother to put my rain jacket on so I got soaked. Crossed into VA at 3 pm. Took a video and pictures of Harley:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_IyqBhF_pY0
Got to town and arranged a two night stay at Dave's Place Hostel. Pretty basic, but adequate. Too late to get to the post office. I showered and toweled off the dog. He has to sleep outside tonight :( Bought some post cards and wrote them on the porch. By 6 oclock everyone was in town including steamboat who was pretty hopped up on pain killers. He said he is going to the medical center tomorrow to get his shin checked out. Grizzly Adams, Churt, Wiz Kid, Pacman, Wally, Spirit Fingers, Steamboat, and I went to the pizza place for dinner. MMMM mushroom pizza. They had live music going. A violin and a guitar. Afterwards I hit the Dollar General and got some supplies. Came back to the hostel and relaxed on the porch for a while. Everyone was telling trail stories. We have so many to tell now that we have come so far. Really good group of guys. Late now so I have to hit the sack. Harley is pissed that he can't sleep next to me tonight. I think I'll sneak him inside the hostel tomorrow.