Hey folks. I'm either too tired or too dirty or I can't get internet service to blog frequently at this point. I'll try to update when I get to a computer. Blogging on a phone is a hassle.
Hawk Mtn. Shelter, March 6 8.1 Miles
Left Stover Shelter without any mouse holes in my pack and walked six
miles to hawk mountain shelter. It was clear weather and a fairly easy walk with the change in elevation of about 1000 feet. It felt good to be walking.
When we arrived at Hawk MT Shelter, there were about eight people there in tents. We grabbed a spot in the lean-to and set up our sleeping pads and bags. By nightfall at least twenty-five were there and had a fire going in front of us. It got down to about 40 degrees that morning. I was tired and fell asleep pretty quickly.
Tough Nut
Found myself walking with a former Marine gunnery Sergent named Sacramento Sally. She named me Big Baby. Not digging the name and it probably won't last. Enjoying her company though. She's about 5'10" well built and a rough and tumble type, sassy and brash, but has a sweet side well hidden. Around 2002, she tells she was in a helicopter accident on a battle mission in Iraq. The operator next to her was hit and the chopper went down. When the medics got to her she was bloodied with the operator's blood and the medics thought she was hit. They didn't find out until days later that she had a spinal injury and required immediate surgery. As a result of her injury she lost all sensation in her left leg. When she walks, she literally pulls her left leg along. I christened her Tough Nut. She liked the name: "It's real," she says.
Gooch Mtn. Shelter, March 7 15.8 miles
Left Hawk Mtn andf had our first tough day. It rained and was windy for a few hours and my umbrella got some use. Worked fine. Climbing Sassafras mountain and Justus mountain was the first ruff climb. No switch backs and straight up and down a thousand feet with lots of rocks. It was hard on Tough Nut I could tell, though she didn't say anything. Marines don't complain she said. We conquer and never quit.
Along the way we ran into Honey Bee, a thirty-five year old personal trainer carrying a foam muscle knot roller and therapy balls. She was walking along at a nice even clip. She took our picture in front of a great oak with a large hole at it's base and walked with us to Gooch where there were a number of people there but a surprisingly empty lean to. Some people just do lean-tos all the way to Maine. By nightfall we had five at the bottom of the eight person shelter and four up the ladder on top.
It got down to 34 that night. At the end of the day I am tired and ready for sleep, and slept through all the socializing at the fire and just chatted with Dr. Lung, a lung specialist, bagging next to me. Honey Bee was running around camp and Tough Nut was high on some moonshine. She started talking to people about Honey Bee running around tent to tent. "You old biddy," I told her, "gossiping behind someone's back. I ought to call you old blue hair." Then Bee returned feeling high. It was 7:30 and I was tired and stuck my head inside my sleeping bag, "You do that shit to me Peg and I'll kick your ass." She laughed. "I got your back buddy," she said.
Lance Creek, designated camping area March 8 24.3 miles
Woke up and my hips were aching. Left Gooch at eight and began walking through a dense fog watching roots and rocks and by late morning I had my umbrella out in a steady drizzle. Afternoon, I put on a poncho which lasted about fifteen minutes. It was suffocating. I heat up pretty well after hiking awhile and even start sweating in 40 degree weather. But I found some good water protection inside my sack.
I met Sam "Bubble Boy," at Stover. He was wearing like two coats of puffy jacket and Tough and I got a good laugh about it. I could tell he was just a confused hillbilly. But it was hard to stop him from talking and you just had to walk away. He had a blue dingo dog with him and you could tell they were close.
About three o'clock this afternoon I ran into Sam on the side of Ramrock Mtn. Last night, he come in with a soaked pack inside, all his shit wet. Then, he got stoned and perched on the side of a hill and was sliding down it all night. Tent sliding down hill. Now, he said he was out of shape, he was afraid he was having a heart attack and his dog was whining. I sat with him about 45 minutes, and figured he was grieving over his mother who had died a few months ago. She was his rock he said. His family hated him..I told him to hitch down to Suche's in .5 miles, that he had accomplished his mission. He agreed and I left him, relieving him of his heavy Bible and heavy dog food. He must be carrying forty ponds to my 28 or so. That's nuts.
Bee and Tough were about an hour or two ahead of me. I took my time and enjoyed my solo time, taking pictures and enjoying the weather.
I'm learning how important the weather is to a hiker. This is all about the weather: It can be your best friend or harshest one. I was to learn more in coming days.
I descended into Lance Creek about 7PM . Tough was ecstatic saying how much she missed me and such. I was tired. I passed a fire and I set up a fast fly, ground cover and fly, alongside the creek with about fifteen others and was soon tossing and turning in bed at nine. Still not used to this air mattress thing. Hard sleeping when both hips are aching. Ah stop whining ya little pussy cat.
Neel Gap, US19 March 9 31.7 miles
Got a late start leaving at nine o'clock. I wanted to leave early because we had to climb Blood Mtn., at 4457 feet, our highest ascent. I also wanted to hit the famed Neel Gap and pizza. But Bee and Tough were taking their time. I dropped the dog food off with Iceberg and his terrier mutt pack dog.
Then I went up the hill, grabbed a tree and took a dump, covered it up and went down and burned Sam's heavy Bible. I wasn't going to carry the weight and no one else would either I'm sure. It wouldn't burn all the way so I buried the cover and burnt pages. I'm such a Ranger Rick Tough says, picking up trash along the trail and such. But I believe in the AT Conservatory mantra, "Pack it in, and pack it out." These woods are my sanctuary, my crazed green heaven.
Come on Leg!
It was a long slow walk to the top of Blood Mountain, named because of an Indian battle there according to the info given Tough.. It didn't get too rough until we arrived at the base of the mountain when it started a steep ascent and I had to stop every ten feet or so to catch my breath. Tough was struggling, shouting out every fifteen minutes or so, "Come on Leg! You bitch, you whore. Come on leg." So Bee and I picked up on it and we were shouting out "Come on Leg!" all the way to the top. I got to the top first and was hot and tired but tired in a good way. I took out the camera and got some shots and about half and hour later the other two arrived. There were about forty or so people up there lounging on the big rock. I went to the register, there is a register at every shelter on the AT so you can keep track of friends along the way. Tough has taken to calling me Big Daddy now and I feel like I need a gold tooth cap and some hiker ho's.
We descended Blood Mountain through a trail of low scrub trees, stubby because of the windy elevation I imagine, and many granite rocks. Bee and I were enjoying the is in pain who wants to hear some cheerful asshole singing '''Coming Round the Mountain?"
At the bottom of Blood we came into Neel Gap at about 3125. What a welcome sight: a country store! A paved street! Cars whizzing by! Food! Drink! A shower!
The Deluge or Why Never Camping was Not a Good Idea March 10
The store, Mountain Crossings, wasn't what we had expected, some kind of small village. It was a store, outdoor deck and an attached hiking shelter. It had expensive goods such as three dollar apples and a fourteen dollar titanium spork. Tough and I checked out the quarters and they were dark and dank bunks inside the "Dungeon." We decided to camp a mile and half up the ascending trail. Honey Bee opted to stay in the hostel.
And after gorging on Cokes and Sprite and apples from the largess of a hiker with a birthday, we walked up the hill, but after .4 miles or so Tough had had enough. Luckily, we ran into a campsite with two different camps. A kindly fellow waved us in and offered us homemade beef jerky, whisky and a Bud. We took the jerky and saw that he had a hammock system with tarp. It was state of the art and he seemed quite proud of it. The other campers, two guys, spent about an hour putting up their tent. Why all that trouble? I threw down a ground sheet and fly. Tough noted that the fly didn't hit the ground. Kind Guy said it was a clear night and should be fine.
Tough set up her string tree to tree Marine tarp. I set up the fast fly but I couldn't find my damn stakes and resorted to sticks in stead.
A young couple came in to set up their tent and said a church group was providing salads at the hostel. That sounded good and I went down to the hostel to do a Yogi. I had a few plates of salad, pasta salad, brownies and iced tea. We talked about Young Harris where I went to college many a day ago.
It was dark and a full moon by the time I hit the trail. Luckily there was some light. Peg was half asleep when I got there and not hungry. I hit the bag about eight.
Then I woke up to a big splash of cold air hitting my face. My stakes had come undone and half my tent was flapping in the wind. I went out and grabbed more sticks and crammed them in the ground. Kind Guy under his tarp was swinging in the wind. I grabbed my food bag, four pounds maybe, to hold down one side, my phone charger for another, and church food for another and went back to sleep.
About half an hour later another huge wind hit the side of my tent, unstaking it again. I grabbed the T of the frame so it wouldn't blow down the hill and called out to Tough to see if she was all right. She said she was coming over. She suggested holding it down with rocks. Duh. She rolled her tarp over her stuff and I threw some rocks on it and then put some on mine. Happily, I now had three closed sides and one open. Good enough.
Tough squeezed in and then right on cue, as I said, "I'm glad it's not raining," it started raining. Then thunder and lightening. It was a long series of deafening thunder claps, the lightening flashed right outside the tent like a forties press photographers light. Both of us jumped. The rain began to pour and the wind shifted from the North to the East, picking up force, probably 60 MPH, and water began streaming inside through the gap wetting our bags and all our stuff. .
We sat there until five AM eating the church's bags of salad. Then I remembered Kind Guy and pictured him in his hammock flapping in the gale like a manic waterfly. We had a good laugh and lay down in the wet bags and mud and tried to get a couple of hours in.
At seven we awoke, crammed all our muddy shit into our backpacks, and went back to the hostel at Neel's Gap.
There, we learned there were cabins just a short distance down the road. Kind Guy had called his wife to pick him up--his three day camping out was over. He said his tarp kept coming undone all done. He gave us a ride to Blood Mtn. Cabins . He is a great guy.
Tough Calls it Quits
Tough wanted booze and so caught a ride down into Helen with a few guys. She bought some whiskey and beer while Bee and I used the laundry service, doing Tough's muddy stuff too.
Nice folks at the Cabins with great pizza. We sat around the clean and cozy store drinking hot chocolate. Later, I washed out my tent and storage bags in the Fox Cabin's sink and took my pack to the shower.
Free spirit and innocent twenty-three year old Sunny decided to join us and split the cabin four ways. Tough and I took a room and Bee and Sunny took the couch and the floor.
Then Tough came back and we started drinking and guy who had been hiking with Sunny sometimes, Jo Jo, came in and thought to crash with us. He started flirting with Bee which pissed Tough off. When he and Sunny left so Sunny could buy us pizza, she went on a rant about what a rat Jo Jo was hanging around folks with money, pink blazing girls, contributing nothing. I was feeling drunk and laid on the couch to "rest up a bit." The last thing I heard was Jo Jo saying,"I'm leaving here. I don't feel welcome." Then Sunny saying "he never bothered me."
Tough shook me awake about 11PM in my bed. I must have sleep walked to my room. She said she was leaving the next day. Puss was coming out of her dead leg's heel. We went to the kitchen and shared the bottle. She told me her mother was bringing a car to pick her up in the morning. Holly awoke and said she heard her name. She told Sunny to shut up and go to sleep and Holly started crying. "She's a kid Tough," I said.
She then talked about the accident, about how the helicopter went down, how she was setting the coordinates for planes to bomb the enemy, how the operator was in his twenties with two kids, how she was in charge, and how the hit had torn off his face and drencher her in pink slime. She began crying. "I can't stop seeing it. The pink slime everywhere. Pink slime everywhere. It won't go away." Those therapists she said, "all of them just salad salad." She wiped away her tears with the back of her hand. "It won't go away."
We talked some more about our hike and I was feeling tired and climbed the loft to bed. I heard her crying as I drifted off to sleep.
I'll miss her strength and perseverance against the odds. She did more than I could ever do in her condition and she did it with out complaint. And my respect and empathy for our wounded Vets has risen profoundly. Amazing how we humans persevere through untold pains and suffering.
But I sure could use less Drama. Been there done that. I told Honey Bee that liked being by myself, always have, and the time could come when we split up. She understood: " I feel the same. Leave your number before you go."
Low Gap Shelter March 11 42 Miles
They say it takes a few weeks to get your legs. The walk to Low Gap was our longest but Bee and I did it at a two mile and hour clip, up from our 1.4 mile hour clip. It was overcast and no rain. Yea! Bee is easy to walk with, likes following, is a positive and easy talker, stopping frequently to hydrate and eat a power bar. That girl can eat!
Lots of broken rock on the trail, but I've learned to watch my step very carefully so as not to twist my ankle. The crocs are fine enough but one foot has some bruised toes. I'll check them out in Hiawassee.
We got in about 4PM and set up our tent. It is supposed to snow tonight and after the deluge I wanted the whole tent set up. There were about ten tents in the clearing. I didn't bother going to the shelter or getting water. I cooked some rice and mashed potatoes with the water I had, put some water in a cup for breakfast and went to sleep at nightfall.
About three AM I felt some cold fabric on my face and a weight on my body. In the dark I realized my tent roof had collapsed and pushed the frame up into the air seeing and hearing a gray mass slide off my tent. Oh good, it was just slush from the sleet.
But in jerking myself up in my bag, I dumped over my cup of water and it slid all over the floor of the tent. What was I thinking?
I woke up to a wet tent and a muddy bottom. The Big Agnes ground cover is practically worthless: water and mud soak over and through it. Snow blanketed the ground and after a Snicker's bar and packing up, Bee and I set off to Hiawassee for another zero mile day.
I'm picking up some trail shoes at the PO. Yea! I'll carry both shoes. I noticed my bruised foot had twisted Velcro bands. That could be the cause of the food sliding on the downhills.
Hiawassee, Ga March 12 52.2 Miles
Walked nine miles today over Blue Mtn. and descended into Unicoi Gap over the usual rocky trail. It was windy and about 35 degrees. The weather was clear. Maybe I'm a little Pollyannaish, but I feel blessed with little rain during the day and high to low forties. Hikers comment when I wear shorts on cold days. But I was wearing pants today. It's cold today.
Trail Magic at Unicoi Gap
Descended into Unicoi Gap where Bee cried out," Is that trail magic down there across that highway?" I couldn't see since I walk without my glasses but sure enough it was trail magic. Paul, Donna, and daughter Kristina were under a set up tent in the parking lot cooking hamburgers, hot dogs, and simmering chili. They had soft drinks, fruit drinks, and water for hikers and charging not a dime. Paul had done some section hiking before on the AT and wanted to give back. I could tell he had a strong spiritual side as well. I can't believe the friendly people I've met so far, hikers and non-hikers, and how people tough it out and grin through all the good times and the pain. I love it.
Trail Mama came by and took some hikers into Helen in her car. We were going the opposite direction and wanted out of the cold. I offered a rather neurotic acting lady, seventy years old and thru-hiking, named Peanut Brittle, a place at the Holiday Inn, to save money. She is booked at the hostel the next day she says.
We got picked up after a half and hour of thumbing by a former thru-hiker and she dropped us off at the Holiday Inn, the popular Hikers Hostel being full. They got all you can eat breakfast and indoor pool and hot tub! Wow luxury.
Hiawassee/Bee Sick and I Ain't Bouncy Either March 13
Bee is all red under her nose and has a fever from a hand check. She coughed all night and Peanut Brittle, about 5'3" with down to her butt long gray hair, and cracked knarly hands, puttered around not taking a shower or doing laundry. Bee was exasperated with her I could tell.
The next day I took Peanut Brittle down to Safeway (rice packets), Ingles (sleeping aides, Tylenol, and mole wrap for the toes), the Hardware Store (light painters outfit and ground cloth?), the 5 and dime (nail clippers--my toe nail is coming off), and to the PO for shoes. Sent one pair back. Can't wait to try them out. Around 2Pm I told Peanut that we were leaving the room and she needed to go to the hostel that she had booked. Subtly don't work with some people.
Bee looked at me in her laid back way and said," Are you through Ranger Ricking everyone?" I had to laugh at that. But I like Peanut Brittle; she's just a little quirky.
My traps are killing me. I''ve been wearing my pack cinched wrong most likely and at 5'11", I have the same size medium pack as Peanut; I should've gotten a large. Each time I turn my head a certain way my traps scream out in pain, like its been torn. It hurts just typing at this computer at the Inn. If it ain't one thing it's another. But around here I'm hearing about shin splints, Achilles heels and blisters and bunions and lost nails. Come on Leg!!
Tonight the middle-aged Columbian man and wife came in. They are nice people and have been a day behind us since Gooch. They are at a little loggerheads because she wants to carry lots of food and doesn't want to get out of her bag on freezing mornings, so they leave late and set up late. Not a good practice. Oh well. We ate Mexican tonight. I ate a salad with shrimp and helped the couple eat some of their huge plate of chicken and beef. What a kind soul I am.
Arranged for a shuttle tomorrow at nine to take us back to Unicoi Gap. My traps are stabbing me at every turn of my head but I'm over the hot tub and indoor life.
Hiawassee/ Tweeking Gear and Recovering March 14
Jammer came in today and said he wouldn't go out today or tomorrow because it is supposed to snow heavily and the temperature will be down to the teens. He says he know because he has done the AT twice.
So I spent the night shedding pounds off my pack, trying to reach 20lbs. Reducing 5lbs of food to four days at 4lbs. with oatmeal and grits packets (courtesy of the Holiday Inn) and mashed potatoes which are lighter than rice. Ditched the tuna packets cause they stink up your hands and your tent. Carrying about a pound or two of candy bars. Power bars suck and I am favoring Snickers and Baby Ruths during the day. Gummi Bears are great.
Tommorrow I'll see if I can trade out my Nemo air mattress. Not happy with it. Too bouncy. Jammer says you spend a lot of money learning what works for you. It just is.
Hiawassee/March 15
Returning the shoes my wife sent me. I like my sport crocs better. Gonna forward the mattress to Fontana Village, about one hundred miles away, and test out this new air m V1 mattress I bought this morning. It has less warmth but with my emergency blanket and sleeping in my hiking clothes I should be fine. I'm happy with my Radiant bag.
Looks like Number Nine who is all over You Tube just arrived. He is interviewing people in the lobby. "Why are you hiking?" I really don't wanna get into it. I need to get to the P.O..
Something else: The Columbian couple said they saw Tough a couple days ago. Her brother had come down and taped her foot and she was looking for us. She passed Unicoi Gap and was probably a couple days ahead of us by now.
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