In 1986, a few days after running the Boston Marathon, and following a year of touring the US and Canada in a campervan, I set off by train to realise a dream to walk the Appalachian Trail. I first heard about the Trail from the American wife of a work colleague in Melbourne a few years earlier and had since read widely about the trail. The Trail follows the crest of the Appalachian Mountains for more than 2,200 miles along the eastern side of the US. Starting in mid-spring, I followed the trail northwards from Springer Mountain in Georgia to its northern terminus at Mount Katahdin in Maine, finishing in the late summer. It remains one of the most meaningful experiences of my life, fostering an ambition for more such experiences and inspiring me to retire from work early enough follow through on that ambition. In 1986, only about 80 people each year completed the whole trail, but during that year National Geographic did a feature article on the Trail and its popularity increased dramatically.

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.
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