The Smokies are looming in the distance but I have imposed a "Weather Zero" so that I can see the views. While in waiting I have had the fortunate pleasure of staying in one of the best shelters on the trail. Dubbed the 'Fontana Hilton Shelter', it boasts a shower a few hundred feet away and a water fountain just a few steps from the cooking table. To topper is that a few past hikers came by with some trail magic of hot dogs, cookies, root beer and Pabst, just to keep it classy.
About 2 miles away is the Fontana Dam which is the largest dam of the eastern U.S. At the bottom of the hill is a little gas station which has the strangest combination of gasoline, beer on tap and nachos at a full bar. I have never had better gas station food!
Unfortunately, I don't have the writing bug today. It is too bad since I have a pretty good spot at the computer. I am more interested in watching some hockey highlights. I am sure there will be many great stories to tell once I have crossed the Smokies.
Keeping up the trail
***Update***
After I signed off at Fontana, I found out the front desk lends out frisbee for the very big and challenging course they have. I got a few snacks and drinks to head out into a great afternoon of Frolf.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Saturday, March 28, 2009
heading into the Smokies
Hello all,
I find myself at a very nice resort in Fontana Dam awaiting the weather to clear so that I can fully appreciate the Smoky Mountains and their views. I have come out of the rain and soon will be taking a shower to finally fully clean off. There is only one computer in the lobby of the lodge but I will make sure to come back to tell a story or two. Some other hikers are in waiting and I don't want to bogart the virtual world. I will also be able to post pictures this evening.
Until later.
I find myself at a very nice resort in Fontana Dam awaiting the weather to clear so that I can fully appreciate the Smoky Mountains and their views. I have come out of the rain and soon will be taking a shower to finally fully clean off. There is only one computer in the lobby of the lodge but I will make sure to come back to tell a story or two. Some other hikers are in waiting and I don't want to bogart the virtual world. I will also be able to post pictures this evening.
Until later.
Monday, March 23, 2009
Made the 100 mile mark
And I didn't even know it. It was a little stream were I sat for a spell and had a cool drink of water. The days are melting together so much that many times I have to really think hard about what the date is and even more so about the actual day of the week. I believe this was yesterday!??!
Since Hiawassee, some of the "Dream Team" has fallen behind mainly because we have been doing 12 mile days: Bison on the first day; Rusty, Goof and Flossing Bison (Chris) on the second. I bet 2 poptarts either 1 of them would catch up and make it to camp. I have yet to know the results.
Another phenomenon of the trail are the registers placed at every shelter. These detail the travels of the hikers who pass through with as little or as much detail as one could imagine. It has become my bible (King James bibles are abundant as well) and I enjoy taking a break during the day to read the entries of hikers I have met and of those whose names I have heard of from passing hikers. I slowly get to know others still whom are a few days ahead, whom I have not met but whose entries catch my eye.
I just spend the night in Franklin on an impromptu dash into town. Ian and Kendra (from here on in Iken) and I were pushing forward a bit looking for a campsite since the shelter was far too crowded for anyone to be comfortable; one guy seemed happy to be able to sleep on the table. We came to a road crossing when a little red pickup pulled up and told us he was taking someone into town already. Well, we jumped in the back and split a hotel room, load of laundry and pizza. Showers were seperate and individual.
I don't have much time to write this morning because I want to run to Kmart to get some cheap walking poles(they really do make a huge difference) and a bag liner to keep warm in the Smokies. The next town I hit is Fontana Dam about 50 miles away. That town will be the last point of revitalization before heading into the unpredictable and capricious Tennesse Smokie mountains. The elevation will be the highest I have climbed at more than 6,000 ft.
Onwards and Upwards.
Since Hiawassee, some of the "Dream Team" has fallen behind mainly because we have been doing 12 mile days: Bison on the first day; Rusty, Goof and Flossing Bison (Chris) on the second. I bet 2 poptarts either 1 of them would catch up and make it to camp. I have yet to know the results.
Another phenomenon of the trail are the registers placed at every shelter. These detail the travels of the hikers who pass through with as little or as much detail as one could imagine. It has become my bible (King James bibles are abundant as well) and I enjoy taking a break during the day to read the entries of hikers I have met and of those whose names I have heard of from passing hikers. I slowly get to know others still whom are a few days ahead, whom I have not met but whose entries catch my eye.
I just spend the night in Franklin on an impromptu dash into town. Ian and Kendra (from here on in Iken) and I were pushing forward a bit looking for a campsite since the shelter was far too crowded for anyone to be comfortable; one guy seemed happy to be able to sleep on the table. We came to a road crossing when a little red pickup pulled up and told us he was taking someone into town already. Well, we jumped in the back and split a hotel room, load of laundry and pizza. Showers were seperate and individual.
I don't have much time to write this morning because I want to run to Kmart to get some cheap walking poles(they really do make a huge difference) and a bag liner to keep warm in the Smokies. The next town I hit is Fontana Dam about 50 miles away. That town will be the last point of revitalization before heading into the unpredictable and capricious Tennesse Smokie mountains. The elevation will be the highest I have climbed at more than 6,000 ft.
Onwards and Upwards.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
67 Miles into the Trail
8 days on the trail has brought me to a town called Hiawassee which is small but has all the amenities a hiker could ask for. Yesterday we showered and had an All You Can Eat (AYCE) chinese buffet. But let me catch up some of the details.
It is strange the transition you go through when taking on a long voyage of this sort with others whom you do not know, yet hold so much in common with. The first days were more about getting through the day with as little pain as possible and getting to the water source. I was still concerned with not letting others know where I was traveling as the AT guide had recommended. However, a few days of rain and close quarters will do wonders in getting to know someone ASAP.
As you will notice by the pictures, there are a few days of complete fog and rain. This was a trying time for everyone but seems to have solidified a group of us into a team. The players are Goof, Bison, Rusty, Mr. Right and Crybaby Spiderman, Jolly Ranger, Weatherguy, hightop and Ian and Kendra (they don't have or want a trail name but will probably get one anyway). I have been dubbed Chef Whiteshoe for my culinary expertise (basically adding dried mushrooms to Ramen noodles) and white shoes I wear in camp.
Unfortunately, I only have a few minutes to finish this part of the blog since my library session is only 1 hour. I have been able to add some photos and thank Matt for posting the shots he took of me on that first day. I will attempt to come back again today to add more about the fine characters I have met and travel with so far. One quick example: Backyard Boogie- a retired truck driver who could tell you everything you would want to know about the trail but didn't know to ask. He did it in '07 with plenty of time (Jan to Oct), plenty of money ($15,000) and plenty of good times. He had sayings like "they will hand you a hamburger the size of a '58 Cadillac hubcap...it's so good you'll want to smack you momma".
Seems I can extend my time. Let me just say the first few days were quite hard and since the weather was so poor the vistas were covered so in a way the days went by quickly. There was not much to see and morale was not very high. It was at the Walasily Hostel and outfitters where morale, hiking bonds and great advise help spurt the following leg. I was able to get a shake down on my pack to see how to reduce weight and also purchase a new bag since the one I had was quite old and not fit for the trip. I listed the places the bag had traveled (Quito, Machu Pichu, Galapagos islands, Cambodia and Thailand) so it could be placed in the rafters to be immortalized with other bags and random hiking materials. I am now down to about 38lbs as opposed to 50lbs at the start of the trip.
The day at the hostel was gave a chance to dry out, clean up and get ready for more. Dinner and breakfast were served by Pirate the in-house keeper who also served bloddy mary's at 8am since it was Sunday. He was quite a trip. Has thru hiked for the past 21 years. Doesn't purify his water. Eats bacon and eggs and "real food, not that hiker crap". Carries a pack of nearly 60lbs. He also looks like a pirate.
When we set off the following day, a dog from the hostel began following us. He arrived at camp but never begged for food, bothered anyone or was in the least way aggressive. Since we thought he was from the hostel, we did not feed him so he would return to his master and home. It was only ofter the second day when someone finally called the hostel that we found out he was not theirs and sadly abandonned on the trail. His rear paws were getting raw in between the pads and beneath his thick winter coat, Bear as we named him, was actually quite skinny. We fed him what we could at that point and hoped he would find his way.
That night at the shelter was miserable. The shelter was so crowded I slept in my hamock so others would have room on the floor, the wind was cold, morale was down ( I did not really talk much that day), and everything was wet.
The following day the sun finally shone through the clouds and all of us were in better spirits. Nothing could have prepared us for the next bit of luck (Luck of the Irish you could say since it was St. Patrick's day) when a huge pick up truck pulled up from the road as we were about to head up the trail. Linda and Dwayne popped out of the truck, unloaded a BBQ and promptly told us to hang on because they were going to have burgers ready in a 1/2 hour. Trail Magic at it's best. We feasted on potato salad, pea salad, brownies, doughnuts, sweet tea and OJ until our bellies were happy. It's incredible the amount of food you can consume while hiking. I am always hungry.
Dwayne and Linda like to do trail magic because they follow the trail journals of the hikers they meet. You can find Bison's trail journal at http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?trailname=8329. He is ex military and very detailed oriented. He also has been planning the AT hike for a long time and has read trail journals for 10years so knows how this story telling takes shape. (Side note: Dwayne took Bear to an animal shelter. Those two really are magic)
This pretty much takes us to to the current news. I am taking a 'Zero day' which means I do not miles on the trail so I can catch up on internet, go food shopping and eat as much as I can. You will hate me for the diet I have which is basically poptarts, candy bars, noodles, rice, chocolate, chips, and anything with a high caloric count. All that fat stuff you avoid is exactly what I go for.
The next town I head into is Franklin which is about 4-5 days aways (50 miles). I am happy to hike with everyone but know I will eventually have to go on ahead. I am finding my hiking legs and eventhough I am the last to leave in the morning, I am usually the first to arrive. Although I have already seen some hiking friends press on and I am about to do the same, I know we will meet up again down the trail.
It is strange the transition you go through when taking on a long voyage of this sort with others whom you do not know, yet hold so much in common with. The first days were more about getting through the day with as little pain as possible and getting to the water source. I was still concerned with not letting others know where I was traveling as the AT guide had recommended. However, a few days of rain and close quarters will do wonders in getting to know someone ASAP.
As you will notice by the pictures, there are a few days of complete fog and rain. This was a trying time for everyone but seems to have solidified a group of us into a team. The players are Goof, Bison, Rusty, Mr. Right and Crybaby Spiderman, Jolly Ranger, Weatherguy, hightop and Ian and Kendra (they don't have or want a trail name but will probably get one anyway). I have been dubbed Chef Whiteshoe for my culinary expertise (basically adding dried mushrooms to Ramen noodles) and white shoes I wear in camp.
Unfortunately, I only have a few minutes to finish this part of the blog since my library session is only 1 hour. I have been able to add some photos and thank Matt for posting the shots he took of me on that first day. I will attempt to come back again today to add more about the fine characters I have met and travel with so far. One quick example: Backyard Boogie- a retired truck driver who could tell you everything you would want to know about the trail but didn't know to ask. He did it in '07 with plenty of time (Jan to Oct), plenty of money ($15,000) and plenty of good times. He had sayings like "they will hand you a hamburger the size of a '58 Cadillac hubcap...it's so good you'll want to smack you momma".
Seems I can extend my time. Let me just say the first few days were quite hard and since the weather was so poor the vistas were covered so in a way the days went by quickly. There was not much to see and morale was not very high. It was at the Walasily Hostel and outfitters where morale, hiking bonds and great advise help spurt the following leg. I was able to get a shake down on my pack to see how to reduce weight and also purchase a new bag since the one I had was quite old and not fit for the trip. I listed the places the bag had traveled (Quito, Machu Pichu, Galapagos islands, Cambodia and Thailand) so it could be placed in the rafters to be immortalized with other bags and random hiking materials. I am now down to about 38lbs as opposed to 50lbs at the start of the trip.
The day at the hostel was gave a chance to dry out, clean up and get ready for more. Dinner and breakfast were served by Pirate the in-house keeper who also served bloddy mary's at 8am since it was Sunday. He was quite a trip. Has thru hiked for the past 21 years. Doesn't purify his water. Eats bacon and eggs and "real food, not that hiker crap". Carries a pack of nearly 60lbs. He also looks like a pirate.
When we set off the following day, a dog from the hostel began following us. He arrived at camp but never begged for food, bothered anyone or was in the least way aggressive. Since we thought he was from the hostel, we did not feed him so he would return to his master and home. It was only ofter the second day when someone finally called the hostel that we found out he was not theirs and sadly abandonned on the trail. His rear paws were getting raw in between the pads and beneath his thick winter coat, Bear as we named him, was actually quite skinny. We fed him what we could at that point and hoped he would find his way.
That night at the shelter was miserable. The shelter was so crowded I slept in my hamock so others would have room on the floor, the wind was cold, morale was down ( I did not really talk much that day), and everything was wet.
The following day the sun finally shone through the clouds and all of us were in better spirits. Nothing could have prepared us for the next bit of luck (Luck of the Irish you could say since it was St. Patrick's day) when a huge pick up truck pulled up from the road as we were about to head up the trail. Linda and Dwayne popped out of the truck, unloaded a BBQ and promptly told us to hang on because they were going to have burgers ready in a 1/2 hour. Trail Magic at it's best. We feasted on potato salad, pea salad, brownies, doughnuts, sweet tea and OJ until our bellies were happy. It's incredible the amount of food you can consume while hiking. I am always hungry.
Dwayne and Linda like to do trail magic because they follow the trail journals of the hikers they meet. You can find Bison's trail journal at http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?trailname=8329. He is ex military and very detailed oriented. He also has been planning the AT hike for a long time and has read trail journals for 10years so knows how this story telling takes shape. (Side note: Dwayne took Bear to an animal shelter. Those two really are magic)
This pretty much takes us to to the current news. I am taking a 'Zero day' which means I do not miles on the trail so I can catch up on internet, go food shopping and eat as much as I can. You will hate me for the diet I have which is basically poptarts, candy bars, noodles, rice, chocolate, chips, and anything with a high caloric count. All that fat stuff you avoid is exactly what I go for.
The next town I head into is Franklin which is about 4-5 days aways (50 miles). I am happy to hike with everyone but know I will eventually have to go on ahead. I am finding my hiking legs and eventhough I am the last to leave in the morning, I am usually the first to arrive. Although I have already seen some hiking friends press on and I am about to do the same, I know we will meet up again down the trail.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
A trail by the Moonlight
I leave this afternoon for the trail head. It has been some time coming and, I am remiss to say, the excitement level has not boiled over. I am just happy to begin. A few weeks ago when the planning was approaching its final stages, my head was swirling with thoughts until the deep hours of night. Now I am calm and ready; upon hearing of my restless sleep my grandmother wrote, "Dear Child, I can understand your impatience but know that the best part of the trip is prepraration, since you have the time to dream, to plan and to change what you would like; Go to Sleep! (Cher enfant, je comprends ton impatience à partir, mais sache que c'est le meilleur du voyage de le préparer, car on a le temps d'en rêver et de planifier et de changer dans la tête plein de trucs, endors toi)". Merci.
The few days I have been able to spend with my friends outside of Atlanta have been a strange and welcome contrast to my own journey. Matt and Nadine's newly purchased house leads them to dream of their future, to plan 101 home repairs and change a stranger's house into their home. We painted over walls that were not completely theirs until the final coat of paint had dried; took out carpets in order to place hardwood flooring so their first steps would be fresh.
While they accumulate I try to shed all but my necessary gear. I look forward to the moments, I look forward to not having to ask 'why?', to just doing something without a defined goal, to accomplishing an arduous task and to having a simple defined purpose...getting from one point to another. Everything got so topsy turvey in the last 6 months, I just want to slow it down; not think too much.
I leave you for now but know I have eaten as much fine Georgia BBQ as my body could handle and my feet are in good shape. Matt found a pre-owned walking stick when we went to the park on Monday; we came to that conclusion by the hand worn smooth finish on the handle and snub nose tip. I have enough food for 5 days and the weather is "A Georgia Peach".
The few days I have been able to spend with my friends outside of Atlanta have been a strange and welcome contrast to my own journey. Matt and Nadine's newly purchased house leads them to dream of their future, to plan 101 home repairs and change a stranger's house into their home. We painted over walls that were not completely theirs until the final coat of paint had dried; took out carpets in order to place hardwood flooring so their first steps would be fresh.
While they accumulate I try to shed all but my necessary gear. I look forward to the moments, I look forward to not having to ask 'why?', to just doing something without a defined goal, to accomplishing an arduous task and to having a simple defined purpose...getting from one point to another. Everything got so topsy turvey in the last 6 months, I just want to slow it down; not think too much.
I leave you for now but know I have eaten as much fine Georgia BBQ as my body could handle and my feet are in good shape. Matt found a pre-owned walking stick when we went to the park on Monday; we came to that conclusion by the hand worn smooth finish on the handle and snub nose tip. I have enough food for 5 days and the weather is "A Georgia Peach".
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