Quick update. I'm in Boone, NC today after hitching here from Hampton, TN where we stayed last night. I've been hiking with Bryce ('Shark Bite') and Caroline ('Two Sticks') every day since leaving Hot Springs, NC.
Since my last quick update I've hiked from Erwin, TN to the Kincora hiker hostel near Hampton, TN; about a 70 mile stretch. Our good weather streak ended and the rain has returned. Stayed in a treehouse at the Kincora hostel on the 27th. It was so cool, seriously. It was an 8 foot by 8 foot room/club house in the trees just big enough for a bed inside and huge windows on three sides. It was about 8 feet off the ground in the back in 25 feet off the ground in the front. Waking up and looking out into the trees was fantastic. A highlight of my trip so far for sure. Sweet!
Two days ago (28 May) we all hiked from the Kincora hostel to the Watauga Lake Shelter. It was supposed to be an easy section but it was freaking hot and Pond Flats mountain was very misleading name! That night at the shelter Caroline got sick and the next morning we decided to hike 2 miles back to the road and go into Hampton, TN instead of hiking 40 miles over two days to Damascus, VA. A tough choice but as it turns out the right one. As it turns out, nearly everyone who stayed at the Kincora hostel got sick. A delivered pizza seems to be the culprit. Bryce and I didn't have any of it and didn't get sick. Everyone else did. So Bryce hiked on from Lake Watauga and Caroline and I back tracked to Hampton. I also had a bad feeling about the 'bug bites' on my arms and legs so I wanted to get in for a shower ASAP as I was afraid I might have gotten poison ivy - its been all over the trail recently and Caroline is very good about pointing it out. So I convinced Caroline it was a good idea. Once in Hampton - where we stayed at another cool hostel - I discovered I had a little poison ivy. I was devastated! I did what I could however (including washing my sleeping bag and everything I own) and it seems to be better today fortunately. Guess I got to it soon enough. So it was quite fortunate that we made an unexpected town stop.
Today we decided not to hike as tomorrow a bunch of folks are getting together for a little fun in the sun on a boat on Lake Watauga. Caroline and another friend who are both from the area have been planning this little shindig for a while now so its some of their friends and a bunch of mutual hiking friends. Didn't make since to hike just for one day as the hitching to get back here would be difficult. Hitching to Boone was cake however! So after another 'zero' day tomorrow, we'll continue hiking from Lake Watauga north on Monday, arriving in Damascus, VA on Tuesday evening. That will be a big milestone, but I won't be taking any time there.
Hoping to do a more detailed shelter-by-shelter/day-by-day and mileage update in Damascus, VA in a few days.
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Friday, May 22, 2009
Erwin, TN
Might not have time for a proper update on this town stop so this is just a quick update.
I arrived into Erwin, TN this afternoon (Friday, May 22) after 4 nights, 5 days, and 68 miles from Hot Springs. Staying here at a pretty cool hiker hostel called Uncle Johnnys here in Erwin. Its right on the Nolichucky Rive. Heading into town (Erwin) this evening for a resupply and dinner. Then heading back out on the trail tomorrow morning. Heading for Dennis Cove Road and the Kincora Hostel there which is about 70 miles from here.
Foot is feeling better but still not 100%. Other than that my body is doing fine. The people I'm hiking with, Shark Bite (Bryce) and Two Sticks (Caroline) say I look nothing like my drivers licence picture and they were shocked when I showed it to them. Guess I'm looking a bit unkept.
Sounds like I finally have a trail name.... Either 'Ice Man' or 'Ice Guy' or 'Mr. Ice Guy'. Not sure which one will stick but its something like that.
Ice Guy out.
I arrived into Erwin, TN this afternoon (Friday, May 22) after 4 nights, 5 days, and 68 miles from Hot Springs. Staying here at a pretty cool hiker hostel called Uncle Johnnys here in Erwin. Its right on the Nolichucky Rive. Heading into town (Erwin) this evening for a resupply and dinner. Then heading back out on the trail tomorrow morning. Heading for Dennis Cove Road and the Kincora Hostel there which is about 70 miles from here.
Foot is feeling better but still not 100%. Other than that my body is doing fine. The people I'm hiking with, Shark Bite (Bryce) and Two Sticks (Caroline) say I look nothing like my drivers licence picture and they were shocked when I showed it to them. Guess I'm looking a bit unkept.
Sounds like I finally have a trail name.... Either 'Ice Man' or 'Ice Guy' or 'Mr. Ice Guy'. Not sure which one will stick but its something like that.
Ice Guy out.
Monday, May 18, 2009
Fontana Dam, NC to Hot Springs, NC
Well here I am in Hot Springs, NC again after 4 days and 3 nights in Damacus, VA for Trail Days - an annual hiker bash - and I'm really anxious to get back out on the trail but also really need to update my blog. So here is the rest of whats been going on (there is another new post before this one).
"Enter the Smokies (aka, Great Smoky Mountains National Park)"
Day 14, 6 May: Fontana Dam Village resupply - Fontana Dam - GSMNP southern border - Mollies Ridge Shelter, 11.3 mi (still raining every day)
Day 15, 7 May: Mollies Ridge - Derrick Knob Shelter, 11.7 mi (saw two bears, a huge wild turkey, and heard a wild hog)
Day 16, 8 May: Derrick Knob - Clingmans Dome (views) - Mt. Collins Shelter, 13.5 mi (had great views between thunderstorms from the highest peak - Clingmans Dome - on the AT)
Day 17, 9 May: Mt. Collins - Charlie's Bunion (views) - Pecks Corner Shelter, 14.9 mi
Day 18, 10 May: Pecks Corner - Cosby Knob Shelter, 12.9 mi (1st nice day in a long time, no rain during the day)
Day 19, 11 May: Cosby Knob - GSMNP northern border - Standing Bear Farm hostel, 10.4 mi (fantastic and unquie hostel with outside shower)
Day 20, 12 May: Standing Bear Farm - Max Patch mountain (fantastic views) - Walnut Mountain Shelter, 20.3 miles and 6300 ft of elevation gain (perfect weather day, really windy night in the shelter)
Day 21, 13 May: Walnut Mountain - Hot Springs, NC, 13.1 miles
272 miles in 21 days with no days off. Nearly 1/8 of the way to Katahdin!
Day 22, 14 May: Zero Day 1 - hitched to Damacus, VA for Trail Days
Day 23, 15 May: Zero Day 2 - Trail Days, Damacus, VA
Day 24, 16 May: Zero Day 3 - Trail Days, Damacus, VA
Day 25, 17 May: Zero Day 4 - got ride back to Hot Springs from First Baptist
Day 26, 18 May: Hot Springs, NC to ???
Soaked in Hot Springs tubs this morning. Now leaving Hot Springs in a few minutes. Next stop Uncle Johnny's in Erwin, TN in about 5 days
"Vitamin I"
I had been taking my daily doseage of Vitamin I (Ibuprofen) and my knees were feeling much better so I had been trying to ween myself off of it a few days ago. I guess the combination of no Vitamin I and the large(ish) day on the 12 of May caused my right foot to start bothering me. So much so that I was limping around Hot Springs the afternoon I arrived. Its a good thing I was planning to take 4 zero days (a 'zero day' is a day where one hikes zero miles) and attend Trail Days in Damacus. This gave my foot some time to heal. Its feeling much better today but I'm going to take it easy for the next few days and only do 10-12 mile days. Other than my right foot and some residual knee soreness, the ole body is doing pretty well.
Speaking of the ole body.... At Trail Days they had a first aid tent set up where they were offering free blood screenings (cholesterol and a bunch of other useful stuff). Since I'd never gotten any blood work of that type done, I jumped at the chance. My cholesterol was fairly low (~73) despite my egg-rich diet. All other values were within the healthy ranges too. That was reassuring especially with my horrible diet since I've been on the trail. They had a scale/body fat machine there too and I really haven't lost any weight since I started; maybe a couple of pounds at most. I'm assuming that will change as I'm only 3 weeks in.
"The Evil Weed"
I've still managed to avoid any contact with the evil weed - who's name I dare not speak - probably in no small part to me wearing pants every day for the past 3 weeks. I did have a scare for a couple of days in the Smokies when I thought I had it though. Still clean though so I might hike in shorts today. Suppose to get close to freezing tonight.
"Lesson 2 revisted"
Had a chance to re-seal my tent seams my first afternoon in Hot Springs and then followed by rain my first night at Trail Days in Damacus. All dry!! Looking forward to being able to camp in the rain again and not have to stay in the shelters.
"Short Trail Days summary"
The annual hiker bash in Damascus, VA known as Trail Days was a blast. Got all my gear issues resolved at the vendor's tents which was my big motivation for going. Got heaps of free food, nearly none of it was healthy. A lot so the hiker services were provided by the first baptist church and I can honestly say I've never been in and out of a church so many times in my entire life as I had those 4 days in Damascus. They are very generous bunch and I got away with only one pray before the shuttle ride back down to Hot Springs. Rained the first and third nights but lucked out otherwise. Hiked in the Hiker Parade on Saturday (16 May) which was a blast. All in all a good time and some much needed time off the trail. But I'm itching to get going so off I go. Not sure when I'll be able to email again so don't hold your breath.
"Enter the Smokies (aka, Great Smoky Mountains National Park)"
Day 14, 6 May: Fontana Dam Village resupply - Fontana Dam - GSMNP southern border - Mollies Ridge Shelter, 11.3 mi (still raining every day)
Day 15, 7 May: Mollies Ridge - Derrick Knob Shelter, 11.7 mi (saw two bears, a huge wild turkey, and heard a wild hog)
Day 16, 8 May: Derrick Knob - Clingmans Dome (views) - Mt. Collins Shelter, 13.5 mi (had great views between thunderstorms from the highest peak - Clingmans Dome - on the AT)
Day 17, 9 May: Mt. Collins - Charlie's Bunion (views) - Pecks Corner Shelter, 14.9 mi
Day 18, 10 May: Pecks Corner - Cosby Knob Shelter, 12.9 mi (1st nice day in a long time, no rain during the day)
Day 19, 11 May: Cosby Knob - GSMNP northern border - Standing Bear Farm hostel, 10.4 mi (fantastic and unquie hostel with outside shower)
Day 20, 12 May: Standing Bear Farm - Max Patch mountain (fantastic views) - Walnut Mountain Shelter, 20.3 miles and 6300 ft of elevation gain (perfect weather day, really windy night in the shelter)
Day 21, 13 May: Walnut Mountain - Hot Springs, NC, 13.1 miles
272 miles in 21 days with no days off. Nearly 1/8 of the way to Katahdin!
Day 22, 14 May: Zero Day 1 - hitched to Damacus, VA for Trail Days
Day 23, 15 May: Zero Day 2 - Trail Days, Damacus, VA
Day 24, 16 May: Zero Day 3 - Trail Days, Damacus, VA
Day 25, 17 May: Zero Day 4 - got ride back to Hot Springs from First Baptist
Day 26, 18 May: Hot Springs, NC to ???
Soaked in Hot Springs tubs this morning. Now leaving Hot Springs in a few minutes. Next stop Uncle Johnny's in Erwin, TN in about 5 days
"Vitamin I"
I had been taking my daily doseage of Vitamin I (Ibuprofen) and my knees were feeling much better so I had been trying to ween myself off of it a few days ago. I guess the combination of no Vitamin I and the large(ish) day on the 12 of May caused my right foot to start bothering me. So much so that I was limping around Hot Springs the afternoon I arrived. Its a good thing I was planning to take 4 zero days (a 'zero day' is a day where one hikes zero miles) and attend Trail Days in Damacus. This gave my foot some time to heal. Its feeling much better today but I'm going to take it easy for the next few days and only do 10-12 mile days. Other than my right foot and some residual knee soreness, the ole body is doing pretty well.
Speaking of the ole body.... At Trail Days they had a first aid tent set up where they were offering free blood screenings (cholesterol and a bunch of other useful stuff). Since I'd never gotten any blood work of that type done, I jumped at the chance. My cholesterol was fairly low (~73) despite my egg-rich diet. All other values were within the healthy ranges too. That was reassuring especially with my horrible diet since I've been on the trail. They had a scale/body fat machine there too and I really haven't lost any weight since I started; maybe a couple of pounds at most. I'm assuming that will change as I'm only 3 weeks in.
"The Evil Weed"
I've still managed to avoid any contact with the evil weed - who's name I dare not speak - probably in no small part to me wearing pants every day for the past 3 weeks. I did have a scare for a couple of days in the Smokies when I thought I had it though. Still clean though so I might hike in shorts today. Suppose to get close to freezing tonight.
"Lesson 2 revisted"
Had a chance to re-seal my tent seams my first afternoon in Hot Springs and then followed by rain my first night at Trail Days in Damacus. All dry!! Looking forward to being able to camp in the rain again and not have to stay in the shelters.
"Short Trail Days summary"
The annual hiker bash in Damascus, VA known as Trail Days was a blast. Got all my gear issues resolved at the vendor's tents which was my big motivation for going. Got heaps of free food, nearly none of it was healthy. A lot so the hiker services were provided by the first baptist church and I can honestly say I've never been in and out of a church so many times in my entire life as I had those 4 days in Damascus. They are very generous bunch and I got away with only one pray before the shuttle ride back down to Hot Springs. Rained the first and third nights but lucked out otherwise. Hiked in the Hiker Parade on Saturday (16 May) which was a blast. All in all a good time and some much needed time off the trail. But I'm itching to get going so off I go. Not sure when I'll be able to email again so don't hold your breath.
Hiwassee, GA to Fontana Dam, NC - Gettin' caught up'
Where did I leave off? Ah yes.....
Day 7, 29 April: Hiawassee, GA - GA/NC line - Bly Gap camp, 9.0 mi (great campsite just past GA/NC border; first night in NC!)
Day 8, 30 April: Bly Gap - Carter Gap Shelter, 15.3 mi (foggy all day, no views)
Day 9, 1 May: Carter Gap - Rock Gap Shelter, 12.1 mi (first day of rain!)
Day 10, 2 May: Rock Gap - Franklin, NC resupply - Wayah Shelter, 14.8 mi (rain & Trail Angel Gywn* - see below)
Day 11, 3 May: Wayah Shelter - Nantahala Outdoor Center, NOC (Wesser, NC), 16.3 mi (rain)
Day 12, 4 May: NOC - Sassafras Gap Shelter, 6.9 mi (fewest mile day yet, a little rain)
Day 13, 5 May: Sassafras Gap - Fontana Dam Shelter, 21.8 mi
"Spoiled"
Guess we got spoiled the first week out with nice - albeit hot - weather as it rained every day or night from 1 May to 11 May !! I think this is a nice segue to life lesson #2: Make sure you re-seal the seams on your 3-year-old tarp tent before your 2,200 mile hike... The second night it rained (2 May) I was camped at the Wayah Shelter the evening before my hike into the Nantahala Outdoor Center. It had rained a bit the night before and I got a couple drops on my face and bag and the thought occured to me that I should re-seal the seams at the next possible town stop. Well this night it stormed and I got soaked, the wettest I've ever slept. Luckily it wasn't too cold, but it was frustrating none the less. As the forecast was for rain for the forseeable future, I would be forced to sleep in the dreaded mouse-infested AT shelters! The horror. Fortunately my bag was able to dry out the next night at the NOC hiker bunkhouse (in case you were wondering, no, its not fun to sleep in a wet down bag two consecutive nights).
"Trail Angel Gywn"
When Bryce (aka Tarzan, aka Shark Bite) and I arrived at Winding Stair Gap on the 2nd of May to hitch a ride into Franklin, NC for a resupply we were greeted by a pleasant surprise. Two older couples were there and one of the women was the 'shuttle driver' for the other 3 hikers. Gywn offered us a ride into Franklin. Sweet! We didn't even have to stick out our thumbs. She dropped us at the grocery store and said she would wait for us. We said she didn't have to and thanked her. Well an hour and 15 minutes later when we emerged from the store she was there waiting for us to take us to our next destination, the post office where we organized our packages (aka, food drops). Then she insisted on taking us to our next errand, the drug store. We thanked her kindly for all the rides to which she responded, "well I'm in this for the long haul. You do what you need to do and I'll take you back up to the trail." We where shocked and very thankful. That's 'Trail Magic'. No, actually its a 'Trail Angel'.
Day 7, 29 April: Hiawassee, GA - GA/NC line - Bly Gap camp, 9.0 mi (great campsite just past GA/NC border; first night in NC!)
Day 8, 30 April: Bly Gap - Carter Gap Shelter, 15.3 mi (foggy all day, no views)
Day 9, 1 May: Carter Gap - Rock Gap Shelter, 12.1 mi (first day of rain!)
Day 10, 2 May: Rock Gap - Franklin, NC resupply - Wayah Shelter, 14.8 mi (rain & Trail Angel Gywn* - see below)
Day 11, 3 May: Wayah Shelter - Nantahala Outdoor Center, NOC (Wesser, NC), 16.3 mi (rain)
Day 12, 4 May: NOC - Sassafras Gap Shelter, 6.9 mi (fewest mile day yet, a little rain)
Day 13, 5 May: Sassafras Gap - Fontana Dam Shelter, 21.8 mi
"Spoiled"
Guess we got spoiled the first week out with nice - albeit hot - weather as it rained every day or night from 1 May to 11 May !! I think this is a nice segue to life lesson #2: Make sure you re-seal the seams on your 3-year-old tarp tent before your 2,200 mile hike... The second night it rained (2 May) I was camped at the Wayah Shelter the evening before my hike into the Nantahala Outdoor Center. It had rained a bit the night before and I got a couple drops on my face and bag and the thought occured to me that I should re-seal the seams at the next possible town stop. Well this night it stormed and I got soaked, the wettest I've ever slept. Luckily it wasn't too cold, but it was frustrating none the less. As the forecast was for rain for the forseeable future, I would be forced to sleep in the dreaded mouse-infested AT shelters! The horror. Fortunately my bag was able to dry out the next night at the NOC hiker bunkhouse (in case you were wondering, no, its not fun to sleep in a wet down bag two consecutive nights).
"Trail Angel Gywn"
When Bryce (aka Tarzan, aka Shark Bite) and I arrived at Winding Stair Gap on the 2nd of May to hitch a ride into Franklin, NC for a resupply we were greeted by a pleasant surprise. Two older couples were there and one of the women was the 'shuttle driver' for the other 3 hikers. Gywn offered us a ride into Franklin. Sweet! We didn't even have to stick out our thumbs. She dropped us at the grocery store and said she would wait for us. We said she didn't have to and thanked her. Well an hour and 15 minutes later when we emerged from the store she was there waiting for us to take us to our next destination, the post office where we organized our packages (aka, food drops). Then she insisted on taking us to our next errand, the drug store. We thanked her kindly for all the rides to which she responded, "well I'm in this for the long haul. You do what you need to do and I'll take you back up to the trail." We where shocked and very thankful. That's 'Trail Magic'. No, actually its a 'Trail Angel'.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
