Appalachian Trail - Day 029

Day:  029
Date:  Saturday, 31 May 1986
Daily AT Miles:  0
Daily Other Miles:  0
Total AT Miles:  524.9
Total All Miles:  540.5
Weather:  Warm, sunny.
Nutrition:
  Breakfast:  Sausages & eggs, chocolate milk
  Lunch:  Ham & salad rolls, ice-cream.
  Dinner:  Hamburger steak, salad, ice-cream.
Aches:  Both heels sore.  Left heel swollen.
Animals Seen:
People Seen:  Many.

Journal:
I got up at 8:30am and had breakfast at the restaurant.  I passed the morning writing, watching TV and shopping.  I again had a lunch of micro-waved salad rolls and enjoyed an afternoon of sports watching on TV – baseball, bike racing and the first World Cup soccer match.  The latter reminded me that one cost of this trip will be missing the Cup matches (as well as the Commonwealth Games).  At about 5:00pm, Stu, Greyhound (Tom) and Patti turned up, having seen my boots outside of my room.  It was good to see and talk to them and we later had a pleasant dinner together in the restaurant.  They all decided to spend the night on a nearby lawn where they had been given permission to camp.  I spent the remainder of the evening watching a few crummy TV programmes and packing for a quick getaway tomorrow.

Appalachian Trail - Day 028

Day:  028
Date:  Friday, 30 May 1986
Daily AT Miles:  10.8
Daily Other Miles:  0
Total AT Miles:  524.9
Total All Miles:  540.5
Weather:  Some fog, partly cloudy, very warm.
Nutrition:
  Breakfast:  Muesli, health drink.
  Lunch:  Two ham & cheese rolls, ice-cream, chocolate milk.
  Dinner:  ??
Aches:  Both heels and some toes.
Animals Seen:  Cows, chipmunks.
People Seen:  Four overnight hikers, many others.

Journal:
Got up at 6:30am to find my food bag intact and packed up again taking time to tend my ugly feet.  Decided to hike to the motel near Atkins and stop there for tonight and maybe tomorrow night as well.  I got going at about 8:15am on a pleasant warm day.  The Trail was good – gentle grades, easy walking and lots of flowers in the forest.  For the first hour my foot hurt quite a lot but, after my first rest, it improved quite a lot and I almost thought about leaving the motel stop out.  However, because I would have to push it to get Troutville by next Saturday midday (to get mail) it seemed wiser to have the day off now.  The Trail descended from Glade Mt and I had a break at the nice Glade Mt Shelter where a few weekend hikers were stopped for lunch.  From there it was four miles down to the motel next to the freeway.  The last couple of miles were down a pleasant country road past lots of pretty little houses.  I checked into the motel at about 1pm and spent the afternoon eating, doing some washing, and some shopping at a nearby Texaco mini-mart, as well as watching TV.  There was a restaurant attached to the motel where I had a good cheap meal.  After dinner, I watched TV and wrote a letter to Barb before going to bed at about midnight.

Appalachian Trail - Day 027

Day:  027
Date:  Thursday, 29 May 1986
Daily AT Miles:  24.7
Daily Other Miles:  0.3 (to Trimpi Shelter)
Total AT Miles:  514.1
Total All Miles:  529.7
Weather:  Partly cloudy, warm.
Nutrition:
  Breakfast:  Muesli, health drink.
  Lunch:  Biscuits and peanut butter, health bar.
  Dinner:  Biscuits and peanut butter, instant pudding, scroggin (gorp).
Aches:  Both heels.
Animals Seen:  Chipmunks, squirrels, cows.
People Seen:  One AT Thru-Hiker

Journal:
MY WORST DAY!  I got up at 6am but, because of the time taken to tend feet – particularly the left – didn’t get away until 8:20am.  I could hardly bear to put on my left boot, but decided to give it a go.  A mile was enough.  The pain was too great so I put the old Brooks sneakers back on and the heavy water-logged boots in the pack, making it quite heavy.  Even with the Brooks on, the foot hurt a lot and progress was slow.  A pity because the scenery was pleasant to the eye and the grades gentle. There were lots of blooms including many rhododendrons.  As I walked I occasionally listened to my radio and mulled over what to do about the shoe situation.  I was afraid the boots had damaged my Achilles tendon internally, and bruised it at least, ao I didn’t think I could wear them again.  The Brooks sneakers weren’t going to last much longer so I decided some replacement running shoes might be best.  I decided to ring Mark and Fran, friends in Washington, to buy some shoes and mail them to Pearisburg.  There was supposed to be a phone at the Mt Rogers National Recreation Area HQ as well as water, so I decided to make for there for the night.  As the day passed I was feeling very drained and, I guess, stressed as to my foot’s prospects.  The tiredness could have been related to a lack of sleep the night before, the extra weight in my pack (full water bottles and wet boots), the warmer weather, or awkward walking style.  I stopped for a late lunch at Trimpi Shelter where I was bothered by mosquitoes.  I pushed on after lunch and met a southbound AT Thru-Hiker (taking two years), Tom Burns, and stopped and talked to him for 20 minutes or so.  Enjoyable, but making me even later.  Progress remained slow and I finally reached the NRA HQ at 8pm.  I rang Fran, who was obviously pleased to hear from me, and we talked for nearly 30 minutes.  By the time I found the water tap, filled up and walked to a camp area about 300 yards back along the Trail.  My feet were very sore and required treatment, yet I wasted the last 15 minutes of daylight unsuccessfully trying to get a rope over a tree bough to string my food up (to protect it from bears).  In the end I gave up and washed, treated feet as best I could, and had a cold dinner in the dark by the light of my little penlight.  Movement was very painful and I wondered what tomorrow held.  Maybe I would just hike to the highway, 10 miles away, and put up in the motel there for the rest of the day.  Despite the stuffing around and the belief I would never get to bed, I did so at 10:30pm and found it very comfortable.  I put the food bag in the tent.  At about 1am, I was awakened by the sound of some animal snorting and crashing around not too far away.  Deciding that it could be a bear, I got up and moved the food bag about 10 yards away from my tent and then was so tired went back to sleep without waiting to see what happened.

Appalachian Trail - Day 026

Day:  026
Date:  Wednesday, 28 May 1986
Daily AT Miles:  20.7
Daily Other Miles:  0
Total AT Miles:  489.4
Total All Miles:  504.7
Weather:  Some drizzle and fog in the morning, partly cloudy in the afternoon, mild.
Nutrition:
  Breakfast:  Muesli, health drink.
  Lunch:  Biscuits and peanut butter, health bar.
  Dinner:  Spaghetti sauce and macaroni, instant pudding, health bar.
Aches:  Blistered feet including a very bad blister on my left Achilles.
Animals Seen:  Horses.
People Seen:  None.

Journal:
Got up at 6:15am after a reasonable night’s sleep but didn’t get away until about 8:15am because of time spent tending to my feet, particularly a nasty big blister on my left heel.  I’m worried about how the boots will go.  It will be difficult to keep up the miles if my feet are getting progressively worse.  The first three miles involved a steady ascent to Buzzard Rocks and Whitetop Mt.  The top of the mountain was clear of vegetation and alpine, but cloaked in heavy fog which ruled out views and made the Trail difficult to follow in parts.  After descending through some wet and muddy forest, I reached Elk Meadow, a large open saddle which was also heavily fogged in.  I was despairing of getting any views for the day when, about noon near Wilburn Ridge, the weather began to clear and I got some good views of alpine scenery with rocky bluffs, some pine-covered areas and, in the distance, inhabited valleys.  There was even a bit of sun here and there. I stopped for lunch at a craggy bluff in Grayson Highlands State Park and read my Syntec (economics magazine produced by my former employer).  My feet were sore, but I decided against dressing them again since I was going through Vaseline and moleskin too fast.  After lunch the Trail left the alpine meadows and squelched through some forest occasionally coming out into the open.  After a few easy climbs and descents, I arrived at Old Orchard Shelter at about 5:50pm. There was a bit of dry firewood there so I decided to light a fire and cook dinner.  First I washed and tended my feet.  The left heel looked particularly nasty and I was worried about how I would walk tomorrow.  It was extremely difficult just moving around camp and I was trying to dry out the huge blister.  Real problems.  I was afraid it could get infected.  After a nice dinner, I read Syntec’s Political Outlook with great interest since I had heard little of the recent Australian political scene.  I went to bed about 9:15pm having seen no people for the day apart from a pick-up in the fog at Elk Meadow.  My heel was throbbing badly and I wondered if I had damaged it internally as I lay in bed, but eventually went to sleep.  The valve on my air mattress wasn’t even working at all now.  I will get Mark and Fran to bring me out a new one when I get to Shenandoah National Park.

Appalachian Trail - Day 025

Day:  025
Date:  Tuesday, 27 May 1986
Daily AT Miles:  18.7
Daily Other Miles:  1.0 (around Damascus)
Total AT Miles:  468.7
Total All Miles:  484.0
Weather:  Light rain in the morning, mostly cloudy in the afternoon, rain again at night.
Nutrition:
  Breakfast:  Ham and eggs, chocolate milk.
  Lunch:  Biscuits and peanut butter, health bar.
  Dinner:  Muesli, instant pudding, health drink.
Aches:  Big blisters.
Animals Seen:  Grouse.
People Seen:  Several in town.

Journal:
Got up at 7am and had a shower before walking down to the Post Office to see what mail I had.  My boots were there together with letters from Barb and Pam, and a card from AT hiker, Lisa.  I put the boots on and walked up to the Douglass Inn where I had a cooked breakfast with Gene and Dave.  I returned to the hostel, finished working out a mail schedule, packed my old boots and other things to send to Marj, and wrote a card to Lisa before returning to the Post Office.  I cashed a travellers cheque at the bank on the way back, finished packing, bade farewell to the others and set off in the light rain which had persisted all morning.  I was glad to be on the road again but sorry I hadn’t left earlier than 11am because the first shelter was 26 miles away with a few hills before it.  I resolved to see how I would go.  I shouldn’t be too ambitious because my new, heavy, boots will have an effect.  The Trail climbed up into the mountains past many blossoms in the forest and, at times, followed or paralleled the route of the old Virginia Creeper rail line.  I didn’t stop for lunch until 3:30pm and then spent some time tending to sore spots on my feet.  At about 5:30pm, after more climbing, I decided that my feet were too sore and it would be too late to press on to the Shelter.  Around 7pm I found a nice campsite near a spring in the forest and set up camp.  It rained a little while I had dinner, but not too much.  I went to bed at 9:30pm and, although it rained during the night, I did not get wet and slept well.

Appalachian Trail - Day 024

Day:  024
Date:  Monday, 26 May 1986
Daily AT Miles:  0
Daily Other Miles:  1.0 (around town).
Total AT Miles:  450.0
Total All Miles:  464.3
Weather:  Overcast and mild.
Nutrition:
  Breakfast:  Ham and eggs, chocolate milk.
  Lunch:  Ham and cheese rolls, fudge brownie.
  Dinner:  Chicken and chips, ice-cream.
Aches:
Animals Seen:
People Seen:  Six AT Thru-Hikers, eight transcontinental cyclists, many others.

Journal:
I got up at 8:30am and went up to see if the grocery and laundry were open on Memorial Day.  They were, so I did my grocery shopping and rang Barb on my way back to the hostel.  After repacking my food I accompanied Mark and Stu up to the Douglass Inn where we had a good breakfast.  We returned to the hostel and I finished packing food before going up to the Laundromat wearing only my Goretex rain trousers and polypro top.  While the laundry was being done, I went next door to the grocery and bought a few items I had forgotten as well as some hot ham and cheese rolls for lunch.  On return to the hostel, I spent the afternoon chatting to the other residents and writing letters and cards.  During the afternoon, eight Bike-Centennial Transcontinental cyclists stopped at the hostel for the night.  They were unimpressed with the rooms and erected their tents outside.  “Greyhound”, the drunk-look-alike, returned after a day spent wandering around trying to find the AT north out of town.  Another south-bound AT hiker returned to the hostel after having been bitten by the same dog that bothered me on the way into town yesterday.  Mark’s parting entry in the register revealed that he had been on the run from the law for two years after his third drunk-driving offence.  He was going back to face the music after talking to the Methodist pastor.  A rum lot, these hikers – or so the cyclists told me when I joined them at the Douglass Inn during dinner.  I spent a very pleasant three hours talking with them, especially to Gene, a rich Canadian from Vancouver, Dave, a college undergrad from Detroit, and Diane, a 31 year old nurse from Des Moines who had run a 3:03 marathon.  I told her to get in touch with me if she wanted to come to Australia – she was interested.  I returned to the hostel at 10:30pm and chatted further with the hikers before going to bed at 11:15pm.  The cyclists returned about 11:45pm and made a lot of noise, keeping everyone awake.

Appalachian Trail - Day 023

Day:  023
Date:  Sunday, 25 May 1986
Daily AT Miles:  25.8
Daily Other Miles:  1.0 (around Damascus)
Total AT Miles:  450.0
Total All Miles:  463.3
Weather:  Cloudy, continual rain showers, mild.
Nutrition:
  Breakfast:  Muesli, health drink.
  Lunch:  Biscuits and peanut butter, Mars Bar.
  Dinner:  Chicken slaw, cheeseburger, chips, ice-cream.
Aches:  Occasional hip joint pain.
Animals Seen:  Grouse.
People Seen:  Five AT Thru-Hikers, eight overnight hikers, many others.

Journal:
Got up at 6am and left at 7:20am for the 26 mile walk into Damascus.  It was gloomy and threatened rain.  I told Mark I would see him there.  The Trail was relatively level and I made good time along the ridge though the views weren’t up to much.  It began raining mid-morning but I pushed on in good spirits and enjoyed listening to my Walkman.  Because of the rain, I pushed on to Abingdon Gap Shelter for lunch and arrived at 1pm leaving me only 10 miles to go in the afternoon after 16 in the morning.  After lunch I walked down into Damascus on mostly gentle grades in continuing showers and arrived in town at about 4:45pm.  As I walked down the main street, I met Stuart, another AT Thru-Hiker who was about a day ahead of me and was now waiting for John to arrive so they could team up.  He didn’t think there was a motel in town so I all but abandoned the idea and followed him to The Place, the Methodist-run hostel for AT hikers and trans-continental cyclists.  I was a bit taken aback at how run-down it was and the fact that there was a smoking drunk in the kitchen (who later turned out to be relatively sober, a “professional” AT hiker aka “Greyhound”, who had slurred speech).  Another resident was Tim aka “Marshmallow” who’d been there for two weeks while a stress fracture mended. The hostel was dirty, run-down, and the beds were moth-eaten pieces of foam runner on the floor.  Not very wholesome but the guys there seemed friendly enough and honest.  Mark, whom I’d met in Nolichucky, turned up by car having abandoned his Thru-Hike.  So there were a few despondent people there.  I resigned myself to the two nights and a day to be spent in The Place since tomorrow was Memorial Day and the Post Office would be closed.  I walked round the town a bit, had a chicken dinner at a diner and later came back for a cheeseburger to fill me up.  I wasn’t sure when I’d get breakfast tomorrow because the diner didn’t open until 10am.  Back at The Place I chatted with the other residents and did some schedule planning before retiring about 10:40pm.

Appalachian Trail - Day 022

Day:  022
Date:  Saturday, 24 May 1986
Daily AT Miles:  23.7
Daily Other Miles:  0
Total AT Miles:  424.2
Total All Miles:  436.5
Weather:  Mostly overcast, mild, occasional rain.
Nutrition:
  Breakfast:  Muesli, health drink.
  Lunch:  Biscuits and peanut butter, cookie, Coke.
  Dinner:  Beef and tuna (cold), chips, instant pudding, Mars Bar.
Aches:  Hip joints occasionally.
Animals Seen:
People Seen:  Four overnight hikers, fifteen others.

Journal:
Got up at 6am and left at 7:30am on a dreary morning.  The Trail was relatively flat for a short distance before it began a steep rocky and difficult climb up Pond Mt.  The AT used to miss this mountain and, after labouring up it for not-particularly-good views (OK, though), I think they could leave it out.  The descent was treacherous because of the recent rain and consequent mud.  I slipped several times and finally fell near the bottom.  I walked to a small garage store and stocked up on a few goodies to make morning tea, lunch and dinner more appealing.  Then I walked on to a picnic area where I stopped at a table with two hikers, one of whom turned out to be an Australian girl from Elwood.  The Trail was supposed to be easier now and I looked forward to it.  It began to rain as I crossed the Wautauga Dam and I decided to push on to a shelter for lunch.  The grades, though uphill, weren’t too bad as I climbed onto a long ridge in dripping forest.  I reached Vandeventer Shelter at 3pm and found Shirley, a south-bound by sections AT hiker, stopped for the day.  We had a pleasant chat while I ate lunch.  Then I left to push on the last eight or nine miles to Iron Mt Shelter, my target for the night.  I arrived at about 7pm to find it surprisingly empty.  The wood was too wet for a fire, so I settled for a hodge podge of meat which later led to an uncomfortable night.  The rain had stopped, at least.  At about 9pm, I was startled by the arrival of Mark (from Texas) who I had thought was in front of me.  The Australian girl I had met in the morning had told me how he had set fire to himself last night while cooking.  We chatted for a while and I went to bed at 9:30pm.  At about 2am we were hit by a giant thunderstorm which literally shook the Shelter but, fortunately, we didn’t get leaked on.  I’m looking forward to a day off inDamascus but wished they had a motel there.

Appalachian Trail - Day 021

Day:  021
Date:  Friday, 23 May 1986
Daily AT Miles:  21.6
Daily Other Miles:  0
Total AT Miles:  400.5
Total All Miles:  412.8
Weather:  Rained all day.  Cool.
Nutrition:
  Breakfast:  Muesli, health drink.
  Lunch:  Biscuits and peanut butter, Mars Bar.
  Dinner:  Muesli, instant pudding, Mars Bar.
Aches:  Left Achilles.
Animals Seen:  Rabbit, cows.
People Seen:  One overnight hiker, four others.

Journal:
Got up at 6:10am and after a remarkably quick pack-up left at 7:20am.The two ladies hadn’t moved. It started to rain shortly after I left.  The Trail was a hodge podge of other trails and roads and passed through some muddy farmland.  Two miles after putting on my raingear I realised I no longer had my hat.  The rain continued as the Trail into more forested country passing through groves of dripping rhododendron on occasion.  Because of the rain I pushed on to a late lunch in the Moreland Gap Shelter.  The seven or eight miles before that, the Trail was continually dipping down to cross small boggy streams and the going was slippery.  My left Achilles tendon was not enjoying the walk.  The rain continued after lunch as I walked along the ridge of White Rocks Mt with no views.  The Trail then descended, slippery and steep, to Dennis Cove Rd where it passed through a small poor-looking community before following an old rail link which was easier waking.  Despite the wetness, my spirits were never really down because I knew there would be a dry shelter at the end of the day.  The Trail left the rail cutting and descended to the very impressive Laurel Falls before climbing to Laurel Falls Shelter.  Bill, a south-bound by sections AT hiker was already there.  He was a college economics lecturer and a pleasant type.  There was no dry firewood at the Shelter so I had a cold dinner – not too bad.  The rain stopped and there was a bit of sun before the fog closed in making for an early dusk.

Appalachian Trail - Day 020

Day:  020
Date:  Thursday, 22 May 1986
Daily AT Miles:  19.1
Daily Other Miles:  0
Total AT Miles:  378.9
Total All Miles:  391.2
Weather:  Mostly sunny but cool at altitude.
Nutrition:
  Breakfast: Muesli, health drink.
  Lunch:  Biscuits and peanut butter, Mars Bar.
  Dinner:  Macaroni cheese, instant pudding, Mars Bar.
Aches:  Left Achilles, both heels.
Animals Seen:  Cow.
People Seen:  Seven overnight hikers, four others.

Journal:
Got up at 6:30am but took until 8:20am to get going as I had to finish repacking groceries.  The day was fine and sunny and the morning involved a number of tough climbs, the major of which was up Roan Mt (6150ft).  The views were good from Roan Mt and even better from Round Ball summit (5807ft).  The latter was a “bald”.  These are alpine in appearance and always seem to give better views.  I descended to Roan Highlands Shelter where I had lunch.  During the course of the morning I had met John and dog. The same was to happen in the afternoon as the Trail crossed some reclaimed farmland and crossed some more balds culminating in the very impressive Hump Mt which I reached at about 5pm.  It was cool in the wind but clear enough to give excellent views in all directions of the Appalachians receding into the distance.  The gradual descent was spectacular in the patchy afternoon sun.  The descent became steeper until I finally reached Apple House Shelter after passing through an old mining area.  Two 40ish women were in residence and, though polite and friendly, were a little stand-offish.  They retired at 8pm to zipped-together sleeping bags.  I stayed up until 9:15pm.  It was a cool night and plenty of mice.

Appalachian Trail - Day 019

Day:  019
Date:  Wednesday, 21 May 1986
Daily AT Miles:  23.8
Daily Other Miles:  1.3 (1.2 to shop, 0.1 to Shelter)
Total AT Miles:  359.8
Total All Miles:  372.1
Weather:  Overcast and cool in the morning.  Sunny in the afternoon.
Nutrition:
  Breakfast:  Muesli, health drink.
  Lunch:  Biscuits and peanut butter, health bar.
  Dinner:  Chilli macaroni, potato chips, instant pudding.
Aches:  Left Achilles and both heels.
Animals Seen:  Cows.
People Seen:  One AT Thru-Hiker, two overnight hikers, six others.

Journal:
Got up at 7am and rang Barb at 8:20am before leaving.  Mark decided he was going to hang around for a cooked breakfast but I had places to go and wanted to get to the Iron Mt Gap store before it closed.  The day was overcast and started unimpressively when the Trail was extremely bad as it followed a creek upstream.  However, as the day progressed things improved and the Trail wound its way around the slopes of mountains through forest and rhododendrons.  It climbed to the summit of bald Beauty Spot where the views were reasonable – still cloud about – then climbed to the summit of Unaka Mt (5180ft) which was in the middle of a mossy conifer forest.  I had lunch there.  The Trail then descended over a series of knobs in sunshine until it reached Iron Mt Gap where I arrived at 4pm.  I walked down the road, off the AT, for 0.6 of a mile to a small store where I managed to find enough provisions to last to Damascus and ate a pint of ice-cream and had a Coke.  I returned to the Trail at 5:15pm and then walked another six miles to Clyde Smith Shelter through reasonably-graded hills in forest and a lovely late afternoon sun.  I arrived at 7:30pm and met John again, an AT Thru-Hiker and born-again Christian, I had met earlier in the afternoon.  My fire was slow because of damp wood but had a filling dinner including a can of chilli, potato chips and Coke.  Didn’t get to bed until well after dark and still hadn’t repacked provisions or had a wash.  Too late to stop, but not a bad day.

Appalachian Trail - Day 018

Day:  018
Date:  Tuesday, 20 May 1986
Daily AT Miles:  25.9
Daily Other Miles:  0
Total AT Miles:  336.0
Total All Miles:  347.0
Weather:  Cool and foggy.
Nutrition:
  Breakfast:  Muesli, health drink
  Lunch:  Biscuits and peanut butter, health bar
  Dinner:  Muesli, biscuits and peanut butter, health drink.
Aches:  
Animals Seen:  Chipmunks
People Seen:  One AT Thru-Hikers, two overnight hikers, several others.

Journal:
I got up at 6am so I could be away by 7am with the intention of a long day to get to Nolichucky Expeditions and a bank and hot meal.  The weather was again pretty miserable, very foggy and everything was wet underfoot.  My fast-wearing shoes wear even faster when wet.  The Trail was rough, rocky, steep in places and sloped steeply from right to left, making walking difficult and putting extra strain on my shoes.  I reached Big Bald (5516ft) which was sort of alpine grassland but, though it was clear at the summit, the surrounding mountains were covered in fog so there were no views.  The Trail continued through calf-high wet grass which had me worried about rattlesnakes (a fellow hiker had killed one a day earlier) though it was probably too cold and wet.  I had lunch at High Rocks where it was foggy, windy, cold and water dripped continuously from the trees.  I was a bit miserable.  I descended steeply after lunch then climbed again on a very rough rocky track followed by one with a steep camber.  More strain on legs and shoes.  Overall, though, my progress was OK and I arrived at rocks overlooking the town of Erwin and the Nolichucky River at about 5:30pm, made a last steep descent before walking the 1.5 road miles to Nolichucky Expeditions.  Unfortunately, the cook was off for the night but one of the employees kindly offered to drive me into town in the next hour.  So I stayed, had a shower, and met the other occupant, Mark, a nice guy with low self esteem and a few personal problems, who had missed large chunks of the AT so far.  Our promised ride into town failed to materialise, annoyingly, and I ended up eating muesli and biscuits and peanut butter for dinner.  I tried to ring Barb at her parents at 10:30pm but she wasn’t there.  Will try again in the morning.  Went to bed and slept well after my most depressing day so far.

Appalachian Trail - Day 017

Day:  017
Date:  Monday, 19 May 1986
Daily AT Miles:  20.8
Daily Other Miles:  0.5 (to spring)
Total AT Miles:  310.1
Total All Miles:  321.1
Weather:  Foggy and drizzly in the morning.  Some sun and warmer in the afternoon, then rain and fog.
Nutrition:
  Breakfast:  Muesli, health drink.
  Lunch:  Biscuits and peanut butter, health bar.
  Dinner:  Macaroni cheese, instant pudding.
Aches:  Some friction points on feet.
Animals Seen:  Chipmunk.
People Seen:  Three overnight hikers.

Journal:
Got up at 6:30am and left by 8am on a dreary foggy morning with faint drizzle.  The Trail became rocky and passed through dense groves of rhododendrons, some in bloom, which blocked progress and got me quite wet on a morning which was cool enough anyway.  After a while the drizzle stopped, but it remained foggy.  The Trail passed through some wet meadows and my Brooks were thoroughly soaked – still hanging together, though.  The Trail became much easier as it joined an old forestry road and proceeded along a fairly flat ridge.  There were no views because of the fog.  The Trail then descended fairly steeply into Devil Fork Gap where it crossed a road and then passed into a more settled area.  There were small farmlets, trailer homes and lots of Off Road Vehicle tracks.  The Trail ascended steeply from the Gap and it was very hard work.  Progress slowed to less than two miles per hour.  I could hear trail bikes roaring around on nearby trails and the one I was on was obviously used by them too.  The sky darkened and it began to look like rain as I approached the turn-off to hogback Ridge Shelter.  I covered the 150 yards to the Shelter, which was unoccupied, and went to get water at the spring one quarter of a mile away.  It began to rain while I was there – 5:10pm, same time as last night – but I made it back to the Shelter without getting too wet.  While it rained I washed and set up, then managed to get a fire going with damp wood but it took time and attention to cook dinner.  I relaxed after the meal and went to bed at 9pm.

Appalachian Trail - Day 016

Day:  016
Date:  Sunday, 18 May 1986
Daily AT Miles:  19.3
Daily Other Miles:  0
Total AT Miles:  289.3
Total All Miles:  299.8
Weather:  Sunny and hot in the morning.  Cloudy, humid, thunderstorms and rain in the afternoon.
Nutrition:
  Breakfast:  Chocolate milk.
  Lunch:  Biscuits and peanut butter, health bar.
  Dinner:  Spaghetti, instant pudding.
Aches:  Hot spots on feet.
Animals Seen:  Grouse with about eight chicks, tortoise.
People Seen:  Some in town, one overnight hiker.

Journal:
Got up at 7:20am after a bad night’s sleep.  Ate too much yesterday.  Decided to just have chocolate milk for breakfast and threw out almost two litres of Coke, some chips and a pint of milk.  I left soon after 8am and posted some letters on the way out of town.  I was very worried about the repaired boot and kept checking it.  There was a tough climb out of town up to Lovers Leap on a steamy morning and I was soaked in sweat.  There was a good view over the town.  After about three miles my left foot suddenly felt loose in the boot (my good boot!).  It had come apart.  Swear words!  Should I return to town and get Marj to post the new boots to Hot Springs?  It would take until Tuesday.  I didn’t really want to waste three days, so spent an hour gluing the left boot back together.  I set off gingerly.  I decided I could hitch a ride back into Hot Springs from the road I would cross in about five miles if the boots were bad.  They seemed OK as I passed through pastureland and next to an old dam.  I surprised a grouse nesting, apparently, on the Trail.  Mother and chicks took off in all directions except for one that stayed.  I crossed the road – boots still OK.  The Trail now passed through forest with no views and occasional hills.  Suddenly, the left boot began coming apart again.  Curses.  I changed to the old Brooks sneakers and decided to keep going to Damascus, 170 miles away.  I hope the Brooks and feet last.  I stopped at Spring Mt Shelter for lunch and read the first hut register for a long time.  Not many in front, but a couple are “religos” leaving religious messages in the register.  I made my own entry in the register and set off, now aiming for 20 miles for the day instead of 26 because of the time wasted on boots.  There was some thunder and intermittent rain and drizzle in the afternoon.  I arrived at Little Laurel Shelter just before 5pm.  No one else was there and I went and filled my water bottles at a trickle spring, during which time it began raining heavily.  Fortunately, I had already got some dry firewood to add to that already in the Shelter.  The rain stopped after an hour and I cooked dinner. I had a relaxed evening and went to bed at 9pm, cursing the boots.

Appalachian Trail - Day 015

Day:  015
Date:  Saturday, 17 May 1986
Daily AT Miles:  12.5
Daily Other Miles:  0
Total AT Miles:  270.0
Total All Miles:  280.5
Weather:  Fine and sunny.  Hot in the afternoon.
Nutrition:
  Breakfast:  Porridge, pop tarts.
  Lunch:  Soup, hamburger steak.
  Dinner:  Fish platter, ice-cream sundae.
Aches:
Animals Seen:
People Seen:  Lots in town.

Journal:
Got up at 6am with the other occupants of the Shelter after a not particularly restful night and, after good-byes and last photos with the Greenville crew, left at 7:40am on a beautiful morning after a wet night.  My pack was light and I made good time on what was mostly a descent.  Hot Springs was 12.5 miles away and I thought it would be good to get there before the Post Office closed, check for mail (not expecting any), and sign the hiker register there.  The Trail passed some of the best blossoms yet – azalea and laurel (?) – reds, oranges, yellows, blues, mauves, whites – could it be the rain.  The Trail was washed bare of all loose soil and leaves by the torrents of yesterday and last night.  With about three miles to go I got a flapping feeling against my right foot and, to my horror, discovered the upper had two-thirds separated from the sole of the boot.  I continued walking for a while but decided that was making it worse.  I changed to my backup worn Brooks running shoes which I used around camp.  I got to the PO at 11:55am.  No mail. Signed the register and asked about a cobbler.  None.  Went to the hardware store across the street in the small town.  They sold me a glue that other hikers apparently had used.  Hope it works.  I decided to get Marj to send new boots to Damascus – nine days and 180 miles away.  I went to the only motel in town and, after checking they had TV, booked in.  After a shower I went down to the “greasy spoon” café for lunch.  It was getting hot.  Quintessential America – hot, ceiling fan, proprietor and local nattering at front table, occasional clattering from the kitchen as meal prepared, fly buzzing, train slowly crossing road outside, cars queued up to cross – fantastic.  After lunch I bought groceries including chips and four litres of Coke for my motel room.  On the way back to the motel, I checked out the town laundry for soap and met another AT Thru-Hiker, Murray, who said he would leave some soap for me.  I returned to the laundry and washed practically everything I had with me, wearing only my waterproof trousers.  On the way back to the motel, I bought ice-cream, M&Ms, and chocolate milk – over-ambitious.  Spent the afternoon packing food, eating ice-cream and watching the Celtics (my adopted team) beat the Bucks and other sport – relaxing, but not as much time as I would have liked.  TheGreenville crew, having finished their weekend hike, were in town and called to go for dinner at 7pm at the other café in town.  Mark, an AT Thru-Hiker I had met in the Smoky’s who had just arrived in town, came too.  It was a pleasant couple of hours, but I’m over-eating.  I called Marj, returned to the motel and wrote a letter to Barb.  Crummy TV programs.  Accidentally spilt a large amount of Coke on the carpet and spent 30 minutes trying to clean it up – could have done without that!  I began mending my boot at 11pm and it took 90 minutes.  I packed up and went to bed at 12:40am.  I didn’t sleep well on a very full stomach.  I didn’t drink much of the second two-litre bottle of Coke.  Hope boot is OK.

Appalachian Trail - Day 014

Day:  014
Date:  Friday, 16 May 1986
Daily AT Miles:  18.0
Daily Other Miles:  0
Total AT Miles:  257.5
Total All Miles:  268.0
Weather:  Sunny at first then drizzle, then thunderstorms and heavy rain.  Cleared later.
Nutrition:
  Breakfast:  Muesli, health drink.
  Lunch:  Biscuits and peanut butter, health bar.
  Dinner:  Macaroni cheese, instant pudding.
Aches:
Animals Seen:  Rabbit.
People Seen:  Eight overnight hikers.

Journal:
Got up at 6:30am and seemed to take a long time to pack up before leaving at 8:30am.  The uphill slog continued, but the scenery was good and the grade not too bad.  It became overcast and threatened rain though not cold.  About noon it began drizzling very lightly then at 12:40pm began raining heavily.  I stopped under a rhododendron bush to have lunch and was soon forced to put on my Goretex.  After lunch it was a short climb to the bare-topped Max Patch in clearing humid weather.  The views from the crest were spectacular with thunderclouds filling the valleys and the dark peaks of the Smoky’s and other mountains looming in the background. I left the crest and headed northwards next to paddocks and then along a stream surrounded by rhododendrons and other shrubs. Very eerie.  It began to rain again and became very heavy.  I splashed onwards hoping that the Walnut Mt Shelter, which the Guide said was inadequate in bad weather, wasn’t that bad and resigning myself to muesli for dinner.  On arrival, I found the Shelter occupied by six hikers from the Greenville area of North Carolina.  They were a friendly bunch of guys led by Bill, with Herb the most talkative.  There was dry firewood in the Shelter, but the lads insisted I use their gas stoves.  I had arrived at 5pm and had plenty of time to sit around and talk.  I went to bed in the Shelter with three of the lads (ages 30-55) whilst the others slept in tents.  Around 10pm it began to rain and became torrential.  The Shelter leaked near the feet of Dave and Dave, two of the group, so it was fitful sleep as we checked the damage every so often.  In the early hours a dog began barking nearby, disturbing sleep further.

Appalachian Trail - Day 013

Day:  013
Date:  Thursday, 15 May 1986
Daily AT Miles:  20.4
Daily Other Miles:  0.3 (returning to better campsite)
Total AT Miles:  239.5
Total All Miles:  250.0
Weather:  Foggy at first then mostly sunny and warm.
Nutrition:
  Breakfast:  Muesli, health drink.
  Lunch:  Biscuits and peanut butter, health bar.
  Dinner:  Macaroni cheese, instant pudding.
Aches:  Feet sore from long descent.
Animals Seen:
People Seen:  Two AT Thru-Hikers, four overnight hikers, two day hikers, one ranger, six others.

Journal:
Got up at 6:30am on a quiet and dull foggy morning and packed as quietly as possible so as not to disturb the others.  Most were up by the time I left at 7:50am.  The Trail was damp but I soon emerged from the fog and began to get good views from the graded trail which was mostly descending.  The lower I got the warmer and sunnier it became.  There were good views when the Trail wound around precipices.  I met a National Parks ranger who gave me a hard time about not having a permit initially, but softened later.  I reached Davenport Gap, the northern limit of The Great Smoky Mountains National Park, at about 2:30pm and crossed into National Forests land.  I spent many moments of the day imagining where Barb was in her flight and and wondering if she was excited or depressed.  By my reckoning she would arrive in Sydney about 5pm, my time, and in Melbourne at 9pm.  These thoughts, the realisation of how far I had to go despite my big miles, and leaving the Smoky’s for less spectacular country made me a little depressed and despondent, but none-the-less resolved.  I decided to get to the town of Hot Springs at Saturday lunchtime and stay in a motel that night for a break.  Should be good – if the motel’s open.  There was a particularly hard slog uphill from Davenport Gap (1975ft) until I reached a pleasant campsite on Painter Branch Creek.  I walked about 300 yards past it looking for a second site before returning to camp.  Stopped at 5pm which was good and gave me time to potter around and boil water for tomorrow, though the creek was probably OK.  Slept in my tent (20% chance of rain).  Went to bed at 9:15pm.  Barb should be in Melbourne.

Appalachian Trail - Day 012

Day:  012
Date:  Wednesday, 14 May 1986
Daily AT Miles:  25.5
Daily Other Miles:  0
Total AT Miles:  219.1
Total All Miles:  229.3
Weather:  Mild, foggy, occasional rain and thunderstorms later.
Nutrition:
  Breakfast:  Muesli, health drink.
  Lunch:  Biscuits and peanut butter, health bar.
  Dinner:  Dehydrated turkey casserole, instant pudding, scroggin (gorp).
Aches:  General fatigue, blister on a toe.
Animals Seen:  Deer.
People Seen:  Six AT Thru-Hikers, four overnight hikers, ten day hikers, many others.

Journal:
Got up at 6:30am and away by 8am on a foggy damp morning.  I spent the first hour climbing up to Clingmans Dome through fairytale forest, dripping wet and covered in moss and lichen.  The peak was extremely foggy, but I climbed the look-out tower anyway.  There were a few people about as you can drive to the look-out.  The Trail was rocky, root-bound and slippery and progress wasn’t as fast as hoped, especially to do the 25 miles to Tri-Corner Knob Shelter.  I pressed on.  It rained quite heavily for 30 minutes in the mid-morning.  The Trail was often quite close to the road and I could hear cars.  I thought frequently about Barb waking up to her last morning in the US (we had been touring in the US for over twelve months).  Her plane should leave about 3pm, my time, I think.  I crossed the busy parking area at Newfound Gap, then impressed a few inquisitive day hikers on the Trail.  I decided to go for Ice Water Spring Shelter for lunch in case it rained again.  My pace has improved.  After lunch the Trail was very impressive as it snaked many miles along knife-edged ridges.  There was no long visibility, but enough to see the shadows of the closest mountains.  Began to feel very weary and to wonder about the sense of 25 miles today after 22 miles yesterday – all in mountains of up to 6000ft.  I began to think I might prefer to be on a plane back to Australia.  In mid-afternoon I met a 54 year old black guy with a white beard who told me he was The Great Appalachian Super Athlete and was returning back along the Trail after hiking from Key West to Canada.  He was a likeable, talkative and fit guy.  He picked I was a marathon runner and said the trip would result in a come-back.  He also said I could make Tri-Corner, so I pressed on.  I passed two AT Thru-Hikers, Debbie and Martha, deciding whether to go for Tri-Corner as well, or stop earlier.  I said I was going on.  They said there would be two guys there waiting for them.  I turned my Walkman on to hear the news and take my mind off my fatigue.  With 1.5 miles to go, and thunderstorms all around, it finally began to rain.  I arrived at the Shelter at 7pm to find Mark and Dan, and Caroland Frank, already in residence.  Lucky for me they had a fire going and I cooked dinner and chatted.  The girls arrived at 7:40pm.  It was cosy but dark in the Shelter with thunder and lightning outside.  Got into bed at 9:30pm without a wash.  Cosy.  I thought of Barb taking off.  It would be nice to be heading back to her welcome.  My turn will come, though it won’t be quite the same.  Mice ran over my face several times during the night.

Appalachian Trail - Day 011

Day:  011
Date:  Tuesday, 13 May 1986
Daily AT Miles:  22.2
Daily Other Miles:  0
Total AT Miles:  193.6
Total All Miles:  203.8
Weather:  Mild, some rain, cloudy, occasional fog.
Nutrition:
  Breakfast:  Muesli, health drink.
  Lunch:  Biscuits and peanut butter, health bar.
  Dinner:  Dehydrated lasagne, instant pudding, scroggin (gorp).
Aches:  Feet sore.
Animals Seen:  Two deer.
People Seen:  Andy, nine overnight hikers, one ranger.

Journal:
Got up at 6:30am and set off at 8am with the intention of trying to walk to Double Springs Gap Shelter, 22 miles away.  It had rained during the night and everything was damp and foggy.  The Trail was rough and alternately climbing and flattening as it went up on to the crest of the Great Smoky Mts.  The vegetation became more luxuriant.  At about noon it began to rain quite hard and did so for an hour.  At first I only put on my pack cover but then felt a little cool and put on my Goretex.  The Trail passed through some lush green meadows dotted with blossoming trees.  I stopped for lunch when the rain stopped near the top Rocky Top (5441ft).  The Trail often followed narrow rocky ridges or passed through groves of rhododendron.  At lunch I decided progress had been too slow, so I tried to maintain a good gait in the afternoon.  The weather gradually cleared allowing some nearby mountains to be seen, but not many.  I passed trails down to Cades Cove where Barb and I had camped at Easter.  I met four young people drying out in Derrick Knob Shelter from earlier rain.  I reached Silers Bald Shelter at 5:40pm – good going – and decided to stock up on water and carry it the two miles to Double Springs Gap Shelter where apparently the springs had almost dried up.  With all water bottles and my water bag filled, it increased my pack weight by 10-15 pounds and it was a hard slog to the Shelter.  I had a wash in my saucepan then, as preparing to light a fire, was visited by a National Parks range with a rifle and spotlight.  He asked to see my permit but seemed satisfied with my explanation.  He and a colleague were hunting wild boar, which were not native to the area.  They had shot seven last night.  I had difficulty lighting my fire, then managed to spill half of the main course while moving the saucepan.  It was a nice spot with some sun breaking through at last.  It was nice to have it all to myself whereas there was likely to be at least six hikers staying at the previous shelter.  Retired at 9:15pm.  Could hear wild boar(s) rooting around very close to the Shelter, but the cage across the front was locked.

Appalachian Trail - Day 010

Day:  010
Date:  Monday, 12 May 1986
Daily AT Miles:  6.9
Daily Other Miles:  1.0 (to grocery in Fontana Village).
Total AT Miles:  171.3
Total All Miles:  181.6
Weather:  Warm, humid and partly cloudy.
Nutrition:
  Breakfast:  Rice bubbles, eggs, sausages, chips, orange juice.
  Lunch:  Biscuits and peanut butter, health bar.
  Dinner:  Macaroni cheese, instant pudding.
Aches:  Little toe on left foot very sore.
Animals Seen:  Long black snake.
People Seen:  Three AT Thru-Hikers, six day-hikers, many others.

Journal:
Got up at 7:50am and prepacking set off to the cafeteria for breakfast.  Had to wait in a long queue - lots of old people.  Breakfast only fair.  Went to laundry dry remaining socks and tea towel.  Then went post office and collected mail and return shortly after to send off used maps, etc., and letters.  Went to grocery and did shopping and returned to room at about 10am.  Supposed to be out at 10am.  It took an hour repack all food and pack.  Left 11am.  While walking back to the Track along the road, I met Kevin an AT hiker who had lived in Australia and chatted for a while.  Got a lift back to the Trail in a pick-up truck and walked to Fontana Dam VisitorCenter.  Lost the Trail a few times and ended up walking further than necessary.  At the Visitor Center I learned that the National Park Service ranger had been in in the morning and may be back in the afternoon around 4pm.  I was not pleased since he was supposed to be there between 1:30pm and 3pm.  Tennessee Valley Authority rangers in the Visitor Center tried to contact him without success.  Sat around for a while (read Barb’s letter), met another AT Thru-Hiker who'd come down from the Fontana Dam Shelter for his permit.  Went outside to have lunch during which time Andy turned up.  He’d successfully got lifts to and from Fontana DamVillage after arriving on the road in the morning.  We hung around (Andy had a shower) until 2:30pm when the TVA guy came to say he thought the NPS ranger might not show at all.  We decided to ring Great Smoky Mountains National Park Headquarters in Gatlinburg and did so.  They gave us the go-ahead and I set off at 2:40pm, having wasted a large part of the day.  In the Smoky’s you have to stay in shelters so it looked like Birch Springs, 5.5 miles away, would be the target although there was another, 4.5 miles after that, if I made fast progress.  From the Visitors Center I walked across the huge Dam wall (highest in eastern US) and entered the National Park.  Shortly afterwards, after being warned by a motorist, I saw a very long blue/black snake on the road.  It was a solid climb up to the Shelter with the views hindered by the heavy haze.  I arrived at 5pm and decided an early night would do no harm after a late one last night.  Andy arrived at about 5:30pm.  There was plenty of time after dinner to sit around watching a beautiful evening set in with the birds singing.  The Shelter had wire caging across the front to keep bears out and there were a lot of mice in the Shelter, even before we went to bed at about 9:15pm.

Appalachian Trail - Day 009

Day:  009
Date:  Sunday, 11 May 1986
Daily AT Miles:  20.3
Daily Other Miles:  3.0
Total AT Miles:  164.4
Total All Miles:  173.7
Weather:  Cloudy, warm and humid.
Nutrition:
  Breakfast:  Grapenuts, cherry pie.
  Lunch:  Biscuits and peanut butter, Mars Bar
  Dinner:  Roast chicken and vegetables, apple pie and ice-cream.
Aches:  Feet very sore.
Animals Seen:  Squirrels, chipmunks, a small snake.
People Seen:  Two overnight hikers, many others.

Journal:
Got up at 6:30am and was away by 8:10am.  I decided to see if I could get to the Fontana grocery before it closed.  The gradients were tough, but it was a little cooler than yesterday and I felt much better so maintained a good pace.  After a steep descent to Stecoah Gap, there was a particularly tough climb the other side but my fitness is good and I haven’t had to stop on ascents and have recovered very quickly after reaching the peaks.  The views were marred by a heavy haze but you still got a good sense of height.  I had a half-hour break in the morning and only half an hour for lunch but didn’t feel I needed more.  I passed Cable Gap Shelter at 2:45pm and pressed on, the worst of the Stecoahs behind me (supposedly the toughest part of the Trail).  As I neared Fontana Dam there were good views of the Dam from High Top.  I made a rapid descent to the main road, stepping over a small snake en route.  I reached the road at 4:35pm and began hiking to Fontana Village, 2.5 miles away.  I had no luck hitching a lift and arrived footsore, weary and grimy at 5:20pm.  The grocery had closed at 5pm, but would be open tomorrow.  I walked up to the Guest RegistrationCenter for the Village – it mainly catered to elderly people in what had been the construction camp for the Dam.  Despite my appearance, I secured a room for the night and adjourned there.  I had a bath because the shower didn’t work.  I then walked the half-mile to the cafeteria for a reasonable dinner and did my laundry – someone had kindly left a soap packet there.  While washing I wrote a letter and then returned to my room to find I’d forgotten some socks and a tea towel.  I washed these by hand and then went out and telephoned Marj and Barb.  I returned to my room and wrote a letter to Barb, who seemed a little depressed (especially in contrast to my good spirits) and consumed a few cans of Coke.  I then watched TV News in the Lodge Lounge and the first half ofBattle of the Bulge before retiring at 12:30am.  Tired but satisfied – the Stecoahs were behind.

Appalachian Trail - Day 008

Day:  008
Date:  Saturday, 10 May 1986
Daily AT Miles:  16.2
Daily Other Miles:  0
Total AT Miles:  144.1
Total All Miles:  150.4
Weather:  Mostly cloudy, warm and humid.
Nutrition:
  Breakfast:  Grape nuts.
  Lunch:  Soup, bread, chilli-cheeseburger, chocolate milk, orange juice.
  Dinner:  Rice and vegetable soup.
Aches:  Feet very sore.
Animals Seen:  Dogs
People Seen:  Three AT Thru-Hikers, two overnight hikers, 50 others.

Journal:
Got up at 6:30am and left at 8am.  Andy and I were both aiming for Wesser for lunch, but were happy to travel separately, meeting occasionally.  For most of the morning the Trail descended steeply from Wesser Bald (4627ft) from where there were reasonable views on a hazy day from an old fire-tower.  The descent was long, steep in places, and punctuated by sudden sharp climbs over knolls.  The forest was lovely and, as the Trail got lower, there were lots of blossoms and leafy glades.  I arrived in Wesser about 11:40am and went to the campstore to buy a few items for the one night I anticipated spending on the Trail between Wesser andFontana.  I then chatted with a couple of AT Thru-Hikers, Angus and Tony, who were spending a day in Wesser and going white-water canoeing in the afternoon.  Wesser was really the Nantahala Outdoor Center which comprised a restaurant, shop, hostel, etc., and ran rafting trips on the Nantahala River.  I went to the restaurant and ordered a reasonably-priced lunch of soup and a chilli-cheeseburger.  About 30 kids arrived at the Center in the middle of my meal.  I left the restaurant, got a chocolate milk, filled my water bottles, and set off at 1:30pm.  I hoped to go 13 miles, but this next section is supposed to be one of the toughest on the Trail.  I said farewell to Andy and set off.  The Trail climbed steeply out of Wesser and I regretted the chilli-cheeseburger which was making me sweat even more than necessary on a humid day.  The Trail was spectacular and cut across steep faces and went along rocky ridges.  My feet were very sore from the morning’s descent and I began thinking that 13 miles in the afternoon was too much. I eventually decided to stop at Sassafras Gap Shelter and did so at 5pm.  Stopping here made it unlikely that I would get to Fontanaon Sunday morning in time to do grocery shopping in the store which possibly closed on Mondays, and also meant that tomorrow night’s dinner would be a hodge podge, but it was nice to stop early.  Andy arrived about 20 minutes after me and we had a pleasant relaxed evening.  Kept waking up again during the night and, at one point, found a mouse nibbling on a cherry pie inadvertently left out.  All other food was hung up.  Maybe my sleeping bag is too narrow to use a sheet in.  Will experiment.

Appalachian Trail - Day 007

Day:  007
Date:  Friday, 9 May 1986
Daily AT Miles:  21.5
Daily Other Miles:  0
Total AT Miles:  127.9
Total All Miles:  134.2
Weather:  Hot, humid and partly cloudy.
Nutrition:
  Breakfast:  Three buns, orange juice.
  Lunch:  Biscuits and peanut butter, potato chips, Coke.
  Dinner:  Vegetable sauce and rice, instant pudding.
Aches:  Feet sore
Animals Seen:  Marmot, squirrel, chipmunk.
People Seen:  Three AT Thru-Hikers, four others.

Journal:
I got up at 7:40am, packed up and walked up to the Campground store.  I had three buns and some orange juice for breakfast and then got a lift back up to Wallace Gap.  On the way we saw two AT hikers walking down to the Campground.  The day was already quite warm.  The Trail again climbed up to peaks and down to saddles, mostly through fairly dry open forest, with occasional good views.  I reached Wayah Crest Picnic Ground at about 11:50am and decided to lunch at a lovely sunny table.  While doing my diary, I put a big dent in a bag of potato chips and two litres of Coke I had been carrying.  I left at about 1pm and, as I crossed the road through Wayah Gap, met a guy I’d first met at Blood Mt Shelter.  He was organising a walkathon along the Trail and said he had a feeling he might see me today.  Coincidence.  I pressed on through forest and then up a tough climb to Wayah Bald and a developed look-out.  Near the top, military jets began flying around.  There were good views from the look-out and it seemed that jet pilots saw me because they made a close fly past of the tower – one on either side – then later did a roll right above me.  I continued along the Trail and stopped at Cold Spring Shelter to fill my water bottles in case water was scarce at the campsite two miles further on.  I read the Shelter register and saw that the New Zealander, Andy Clark, seemed to be heading for the same campsite.  I walked on another 45 minutes and arrived to find him set up and just finishing dinner.  He was a pleasant guy, 23, and this was the first part of a two year stay overseas.  He was a very experienced hiker.  After dinner, I set up my sleeping bag on the Trail, the only relatively flat spot, and went to bed about 9:40pm.

Appalachian Trail - Day 006

Day:  006
Date:  Thursday, 8 May 1986
Daily AT Miles:  25.7
Daily Other Miles:  1.4 (0.2 to spring, 1.2 to camp).
Total AT Miles:  106.4
Total All Miles:  112.7
Weather:  Hot, humid and mostly sunny.
Nutrition:
  Breakfast:  Grapenuts
  Lunch:  Biscuits and peanut butter, fruit bar.
  Dinner:  BBQ chicken, potato salad, apple pie, cream puff.
Aches:  Feet very tired and right heel sore.
Animals Seen:  Squirrel, marmot, two turkeys.
People Seen:  Three AT Thru-Hikers, twelve others.

Journal:
Got up at 6:25am and left at 7:55am.  It was a lovely morning and I made good progress through leafy glades, groves of beech and rhododendron, and along ridges.  The Trail grades were good.  I passed Standing Indian Shelter and climbed almost to the top of Standing Indian Mt (5498ft).  The views were good and the Trail followed narrow ridges.  Just before reaching Carter Gap Shelter, I caught Will, who was hiking to Pennsylvania.  He’d done a lot of hiking but moved slow.  He was with a loose group of six all headed for Big Spring Shelter.  We had lunch and chatted at the Shelter.  I had made good progress in the morning and was determined to try for Rock Gap Shelter, approx. 12 miles further, for the night.  The Trail had been passing through a Wilderness Area and Bear Sanctuary and, in the afternoon, climbed around the rock cliffs overlooking the Coweeta Hydrologic Laboratory.  The views were excellent.  I passed two more of Will’s group, Brett and ?.  The trail climbed incredibly steeply up to the summit of Albert Mt (5250ft) with a fire-tower and more superb views.  I took a well-deserved rest and then set off to go to Big Spring Shelter and say hello to the other members of Will’s group, but didn’t realise it was off trail so passed it by without realising.  My feet were getting very tired, but still fit.  I pressed on, mainly downhill through leafy forest towards Rock Gap Shelter.  Two miles short, I met Caroline, an AT Thru-Hiker going in the opposite direction, who recommended going on to Wallace Gap then off the Trail to Rainbow Springs Campground where there was ice-cream, showers, laundry and cabins.  Initially, the thought of another two miles was too much but I eventually decided in favour.  I passed the trail to Rock Gap Shelter, but didn’t go down to say hello to the two hikers Caroline had told me were there.  At Wallace Gap I turned left down the bitumen road and walked to the Campground, arriving at 7pm.  All the residents – three newly-graduated medical students/hikers from Syracuse, NY, Debbie, the female half of honeymooners, Dexter, some kind of salesman, Jensine and Bud, the owners, and their first two caravanners of the season – were having an outdoor BBQ by the river. There were no vacant cabins, but they could find me a bed in one being renovated.  I showered (very nice) and joined the party.  All were semi-drunk.  They were impressed with my 27 miles.  I’m the biggest mileage man they’ve seen, but the New Zealander in front of me is flying along too.  As I arrived to eat, Dexter and Debbie set off to find the new groom, Roland, who had disappeared. All was not well with the honeymooners.  I had seen him when walking down to the Campground, so they took off and returned an hour later.  There was still friction.  I ate well and chatted.  As dark set in, singing and racist jokes emerged.  Roland joined in, obviously unstable, with a maniacal laugh.  I was required to sing Waltzing Matilda.  Singing finished with God Bless America andAmerica the Beautiful.  Very surreal.  I asked if I could do laundry and began at 10:30pm.  Rang Barb collect, at her friend, Jane’s, inConnecticut.  I finished washing, writing cards and eating ice-cream, chips and drinking Coke about midnight.  I fell over a rock walking down to my cabin – the only person not drunk in the Campground.  Went to sleep on a comfortable bed at 12:30am.  An interesting but exhausting day.  27 miles is too far at this stage.

Appalachian Trail - Day 005

Day:  005
Date:  Wednesday, 7 May 1986
Daily AT Miles:  17.3
Daily Other Miles:  0.5 (0.3 from Shelter, 0.2 to spring)
Total AT Miles:  80.7
Total All Miles:  85.6
Weather:  Hot, humid and partly cloudy with storms and rain in the afternoon.
Nutrition:
  Breakfast:  Muesli
  Lunch:  Biscuits and peanut butter, date bar.
  Dinner:  Tuna and rice, instant pudding.
Aches:  Right little toe sore.
Animals Seen:  A marmot, chipmunks and grasshoppers.
People Seen:  Six AT Thru-Hikers, six motorists.

Journal:
Got up at 6:15am and away at 8:05am.  I had trouble with a snagged rope, used to hoist my food supplies out of bear reach, which delayed me.  I made good time to Dicks Creek Gap where I stopped for a morning break.  As an experiment I decided to write up the previous day’s diary then to give me a longer break.  Just before the Gap, I met two old dears hiking south with packs.  It was a lovely descent through bright orange azaleas.  While writing my diary at the Gap a pick-up truck stopped and a female hiker, Lisa, and her Labrador, Teddy, got out.  She’s had to make an extra trip into a nearby town because she had forgotten something.  She was from Boston and we chatted for a while and arranged to meet further up the Trail for lunch.  This we did at Plum Orchard Gap. She explained that there was also a “weirdo” hiking nearby (I was obviously protection).  While she talked, he emerged from the trees behind us.  It was 90°F and humid and he was wearing two jumpers and jeans.  He said he was camping for the night and Lisa said, quietly to me, that she was going on as far as she could.  While I fetched some spring water, two more AT Thru-Hikers, Eric and ?, turned up.  They had spent the previous night in the nearby town.  Their pace was slow.  We moved off, aiming for Muskrat Shelter, 7.5 miles away and not quite as far as I had intended, but Lisa was obviously keen for the company.  We reached the Shelter around 6pm after a steep and strenuous climb up from Bly Gap, the Georgia/South Carolina border.  During the afternoon there had been thunderstorms and rain.  I had difficulty lighting a fire, but finally managed.  Lisa insisted I cook on her gas stove.  Tuna and rice, quite nice.  It was a big Shelter and the register showed lots of people had been through during the day.  I will probably catch some tomorrow.  I went to bed at 9:30pm.  The valve on my air mattress is broken and I spent an uncomfortable night.  Something was also scratching in the roof.  Nevertheless, a good day.  Over 17 miles without effort and some of the aches are abating.  Good company.

Appalachian Trail - Day 004

Day:  004
Date:  Tuesday, 6 May 1986
Daily AT Miles:  17.6
Daily Other Miles:  0.9 (0.3 to spring, 0.3 to spring, 0.3 to Shelter).
Total AT Miles:  63.4
Total All Miles:  67.8
Weather:  Hot, humid and partly cloudy.
Nutrition:
  Breakfast:  Muesli
  Lunch:  Biscuits and peanut butter, health bar, scroggin (gorp).
  Dinner:  Macaroni cheese with added salami, instant pudding.
Aches:  Right little toe very sore and two blisters on right foot.
Animals Seen:  Two deer, a marmot, chipmunks, grasshoppers.
People Seen:  Two day hikers, five motorists.

Journal:
Got up at 6:15am when it was light enough to see.  Woke up a lot during night again, particularly with aching feet and also when a large plane flew over very low.  After breakfast set out at 7:55am feeling refreshed.  I made good time to Rocky Knob Shelter where I replenished my water after a long downhill scramble to a spring.  The steep and long descent from Blue Mt (4025ft) to Unicoi Gap (2949ft) really punished my toes which were sore for the rest of the day.  It was very hazy but still good views and pleasant walking. The day really began to warm up around midday and I was sweating profusely and drinking lots.  So much for boiling all drinking water (as recommended), though I decided to limit myself to one or two untreated springs per day.  I stopped for lunch on top of Tray Mt (4430ft) where it was quite hot.  My soaking wet shirt dried in 30 minutes after I took it off.  It grew even hotter in the early afternoon and I became very tired.  My pace seemed a little better but 20+ miles seemed unlikely.  The Trail, though good, was always up or down and, with campsites with water further between, I was unsure where I’d get to.  I stopped around 4pm to replenish my depleted water supply at another (long way down) spring.  I pushed on and reached Addis Gap at 5pm.  The Shelter and spring were down the road 0.3 miles, and the next camp and water were uncertain.  I decided to go for an early night.  I reached the Shelter, which even had a table, at 5:25pm, washed in the stream, collected firewood and had an early dinner followed by a letter to Syntec (my former employer).  The day was very tiring and the feet are a worry, But I’m still sure I can get through.  I’ve been spending 15 minutes treating my feet morning and night and I think it is helping.  It’s hard to imagine that I will be doing this for another four months.  The days are ticking by slowly but things will improve as muscles develop and my pack lightens.  Still carrying too much food.

Appalachian Trail - Day 003

Day:  003
Date:  Monday, 5 May 1986
Daily AT Miles:  17.4
Daily Other Miles:  0.2 (to find spring)
Total AT Miles:   45.8
Total All Miles:  49.3
Weather:  Hot and sunny.
Nutrition:
  Breakfast:  Two muffins, orange juice and Coke.
  Lunch:  Two eggs, biscuits and peanut butter, date bar, scroggin (gorp).
  Dinner:  Soup, dehydrated beef teriyaki, instant pudding.
Aches:  Top and little toe on right foot sore.  Lower back chafed.
Animals Seen:  Rabbit, grasshoppers
People Seen:  Shopkeeper, six hikers, hunter, two motorists.

Journal:
Got up at 6:15am, packed and left at 7:35am, saying goodbye to Dave and Jean.  Climbed Blood Mt and met two hikers in the Shelter, one of whom was doing a walkathon to raise money for charity.  Terrific views on a lovely morning.  I then descended to Neels Gap and went into the Walasiyi Inn where I bought muffins and orange juice for breakfast, as well as some groceries.  The manager kindly supplied a box and packed my stove, bottle, etc., for mailing back to Marj in Boston.  I repacked the groceries, had a Coke, and left at 10:45am, having been there for 90 minutes.  I headed north on what had become a hot day and shortly after met a hunter on the Trail.  It always makes me a bit nervous to know they are about.  The Trail followed a ridge, ascending and descending peaks en route.  I was feeling tired, sweating a lot, and the little toe on my right foot was sore.  I descended into Tesnatee Gap on a rock in a shaded glen at 1:10pm.  I moved on at 2:00pm and immediately encountered a tough climb.  My pack seemed heavier than before sending the stuff back to Boston and dumping the flour.  My toe was hurting badly on the descents, but the views were good and I was enjoying the day.  By mid-afternoon, the toe wasn’t hurting so badly, but the bridge of the same foot was.  I was very tired and drinking lots.  The Trail was relatively easy going, but I was not moving fast.  I had been heading for Rocky Knob Shelter, but realised I was going to be late.  At 5:20pm on the descent from Horsetrough Mt, I found a small waterfall from a pipe under the fire-trail and decided to stop for the night.  I had a freezing but refreshing shower under the waterfall and washed socks and jocks.  While preparing dinner and washing, I even managed to listen to National Public Radio news on my Sony Walkman.  It was a lovely sport with views across the mountains.  I slept on the road and didn’t use a tent.

Appalachian Trail - Day 002

Day:  002
Date:  Sunday, 4 May 1986
Daily AT Miles:  20.7
Daily Other Miles:  0
Total AT Miles:   28.4
Total All Miles:  31.7
Weather:  Warm and sunny with a cool breeze.
Nutrition:
  Breakfast:  Eggs and muesli.
  Lunch:  Biscuits and peanut butter.  Date roll.  Scroggin (gorp).
  Dinner:  Macaroni cheese and instant pudding.
Aches:  Little and big toes on right foot.  Chafing on lower back.
Animals Seen:  Chipmunks and grasshoppers.
People Seen:  Approx. 100

Journal:
Didn’t sleep that well. Woken by soldiers on manoeuvres several times.  Up at 6am.  Several platoons passed through while we were having breakfast and packing up.  I left at 8am on a nice day.  My old aches returned immediately, despite careful doctoring of feet. Pressed on walking an hour and stopping for 10 minutes.  Saw more soldiers and lots of helicopters, but not many other people. Pleasant hiking apart from fatigue and sore spots.  Mainly travelling on a ridge with occasional good views.  The country was mainly light forest with some undergrowth, new green leaves and occasional beautiful blossoms, particularly some orange ones.  There were also blue wildflowers.  Thought I might aim for Neels Gap but by lunchtime at Woody Gap National Forest picnic ground I had decided it would be too far and decided to stop soon after 5:30pm when I found a good spot.  The picnic area was crowded with people having picnic Sunday lunches on a lovely day.  I pressed on through leafy glades and along ridges with good views.  Saw a number of day hikers, including one couple passionately embracing on the Trail.  I decided to aim for Slaughter Gap for the night but the creek just before the Gap was dry.  When I arrived at the Gap it was already occupied by a couple.  Dave was about 35 years old and slightly intellectually handicapped, and his wife, Jean, was about 10 years older.  Both were very religious and obviously poor – orange pickers from Haines City, Florida.  Dave was very helpful getting me water and building me a fire.  His pack, adapted from a fruit-picker’s basket, weighed 75 pounds.  Nevertheless, I was a little nervous camping with this odd couple.  I slept in the tent for the first time and found it very small.  Inside it was very difficult to manoeuvre – what will it be like in the rain?  Went to bed at 9:45pm, though it was too dark to do anything after 9pm.

Appalachian Trail - Day 001

Day:  001
Date:  Saturday, 3 May 1986
Daily AT Miles:  7.7
Daily Other Miles:  1 (Station to Post Office), 2.3 (Nimblewill Gap to Springer Mt)
Total AT Miles:   7.7
Total All Miles:  11
Weather:  Warm, sunny.
Nutrition:
  Breakfast:  Eggs, chips and sausages (on train).
  Lunch:  Biscuits, peanut butter, date roll.
  Dinner:  Mexican rice, instant pudding.
Aches:  Both little toes chafing.  Lower back and hips sore at start.
Animals Seen:  Squirrels.
People Seen:  Approx. 25.

Journal:
The train arrived late in Gainesville at 8:50am.  I walked from the Station to the Post Office after asking directions.  I decided on the train to send back to Boston my wool trousers, gloves, hat, groundsheet, air pillow and some tent pegs.  At the Post Office I bought a padded mail bag and some postcards.  Wrote one card to Barb and mailed off the gear.  I then rang for a taxi to take me to Nimblewill Gap, the closest you can get by road to Springer Mt, the start of the Trail.  The taxi driver didn’t know the way, but we got instructions over the radio, which neither of us understood very well.  We then met another taxi driver returning from taking another hiker up to Nimblewill Gap.  I swapped to his taxi.  We arrived at Nimblewill Gap at 11:30am and I changed into shorts and boots. Set off at 11:40am and reached Springer Peak (3782ft), the start of the Trail, at 12:45pm after a solid climb.  It was mostly sparse woodland with new spring growth and undergrowth.  Poison Ivy?  I don’t know what it looks like, but know I would be wise to avoid it.  I stopped at the top for lunch.  Opened my bag to find the tubes of peanut butter had their bottoms broken and the margarine container was open.  Great!  There was peanut butter and margarine over everything.  I cleaned up slowly and took an hour over lunch in a pleasant spot.  Lots of hikers about and  Army helicopters zooming around.  I descended from Springer Mt on the Trail which crossed several streams and passed through some leafy glades.  At one point I encountered two soldiers in camouflage on exercise.  Ascended the slopes of Hawk Mt and caught Mike from Long Island, New York, who the taxi driver had dropped off before me.  I pressed on to Hawk Mt Shelter, arriving at about 5:30pm.  Washed my self and socks in the stream and lit a cooking fire as Mike and Don and another Mike, a pair I had seen a couple of times on the Trail during the day, arrived.  I cooked dinner as the sun set.  It got cold.  Went to bed last at 9:30am.  Fairly despondent during the first seven miles.  Too much weight, steep hills, etc. Decided stove must go.  Will send back soon, but did empty fuel along way.  Felt better thereafter.

Appalachian Trail - Day 000

Day:  000
Date:  Friday, 2 May 1986
Daily Miles:  0
Total Miles:  0
Weather:  Warm, sunny.
Nutrition:
  Breakfast:  Cereal, toast.
  Lunch:  Burger, fries, milkshake.
Aches:  None
Animals Seen:  None
People Seen:  None

Journal:
My aunt, Marj, took me to South Station, Boston, from where I caught the New York train.  It passed several familiar sights but I was so tired I slept for an hour and must have missed some.  I’m worried about the weight of my pack.  78 pounds on first weighing last night, reduced to 70 before departure.  I may try to get rid of some more weight later.  In Penn Street Station, NYC, I had lunch in a burger joint.  Unimpressive!  I boarded my train south at 2:15pm but mechanical problems left us sitting in the dark until 3:50pm. The train then lost another 30 minutes en route to Philadelphia.  The seat next to me was taken at Baltimore by a pleasant astrophysicist.  Later, entertainment was provided by two semi-drunk middle-aged black women in the carriage.  I slept from 11:30pm to 6:30am.  There was lots of room and the seats were not too bad.  I had breakfast in the dining car and then sorted out gear to be mailed back to Boston to reduce my pack weight.  The train arrived at Gainesville in Georgia at 8:50am.