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 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.
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