Morehead Shelter to Hampton TN

I left the shelter around 8:30 am and stayed with the others till about 11 then shot ahead and cruised past beautiful Laurel Falls and the easy hike into Hampton . Rain was expected but never fell, and I slipped into town around 3pm. I went to McDonalds to get lunch with "Utah" and chatted with Tom Tom and Egret on the street, who were staying at Kincora Hostel with Bob Peoples, who I later talked to about our common roots, as Bob is from Medford,  MA. I ended up getting a private room for $25 at Braemar Castle Hostel in Hampton. I saw Hawksbill, an old friend in town, and settled in at the hostel with Smurphin, Yeti, Space Cadet, and Lost and Found. 

I was tired and went to bed early, but didn't fall asleep till after midnight . I did have Frosted Flakes for Dinner tho ! my favorite. 

mountain harbor Hostel to Morehead shelter

all the hikers had a gourmet feast for breakfast, in the main house. I left at 8:30 and got back on the trail . I took off pretty quick and made. 9 miles before noon and enjoyed lunch by a waterfall with other thru hikers. the trail was fairly easy although it was super humid today and sweat was pouring off me. at about 4pm thunder, lightning and heavy downpour began , so I decided to set up my tent . everything got soaked. I laid shivering in my tent till 5:15, then decided to move on to the shelter, I trudged along to the shelter and camped there with yeti and smurphin. I slept poorly and shivered cold a lot . still hiked 18 miles though . 

Hughes Gap to Mountain Harbor Hostel

I woke at 6 and quickly had my pop tart. it was 7:15 before I headed out just before the ladies. I encountered deer at the trailhead before ascending 6,200 foot climb of Roan Mtn. I had no trouble and was up in about 2 hours. on the descent I took a wrong turn and ended having to climb back up a mile to get back on the trail. work bothered my phone all day. I got to learn to let go, and know that God will provide. I said a prayer, and tried to move past it. once In CarverGap, the trail ascended to a series of beautiful Bald peaks. this was pretty, but the route was dry. water was scarce , aside from the two waters I yogi'd from day hikers. I saw one thru hiker all day. the climb of Little Hump was brutal. it was pretty much like being stabbed in the face for a hour. Big Hump mtn was not much easier . I was sad not to see the girls today, I have grown fond of them. I hustled into Mountain Harbor Hostel by 6:40 pm and low and behold the colonel came out to great me! it was so nice to see them! they had skipped this section, and saw I was exhausted. they were so nice Lena bought me a Mountain Dew. I ate a awesome chicken dinner, this place is crazy nice. vagabond helped me get settled and I hung with the hikers till 11 or so. some of the hikers here: Iron Chef (awesome guy!) Rocky , sparky, Bobcat, Moses, slayer, aloha, Lena, Colonel, 

Deep Gap to Hughes Gap

tough hike. I followed Lena and the Colonel out of the camp and we hiked together all day. they are a sweet mother and daughter, and I believe they are Christians. it was all PUDS today. it was exhausting and although I wanted to do 20 plus miles today, it simply never happened. Unaka Mtn.was pretty much like New England, with conifers along its ridge . I came across a trail race called Extreme Hike, that raises money for CF. I yogi'd three bananas and a powerade out of them. I later yogi'd bread , cheese, apple, a power bar , and water out of a couple hiking around Roan mtn, in Hughes Gap. I had some good laughs with Lena and the Colonel, as we three camped near the road . 

Erwin to Deep Gap

I slept reasonably in the hostel bunk room at Johnny's In Erwin. I slept across from "Slow Poke" who is a non stop talker, a bit crazy, and whistles through his teeth when he talks like the gopher in Winnie the Pooh films. the rain was constant all morning, and I hung around all morning waiting for the clearing that never came. I took off at noon and hiked up 12 miles to Deep Gap. the rain stopped and started a half dozen times. I camped at deep gap In cold 50 mph winds at the base of Unaka mountain . the wind was so bad I couldn't light my stove. I ate pop tarts for 4 straight meals around this time. 

Sams Gap to Erwin

25 mile day! I hiked good, my knee hurt the whole time. big views on big bald mountain, Lotus passed me at lunch, I hadn't seen her in a long time. I burned my hand and leg with my stove badly at that time. I figured it was best to hike into town in case it got ugly. Lost Boy and I hiked all the way to Town. happy I did . 

zero day Erwin Tn

I hung out all day . rested, watched movies and ate. iced my knee. 

Jerry's Cabin Shelter to Sam Gap

I woke up in my tent to the sound of Neckbone and Mud heading out. it was around 6. the rain started out by 9 and was on and off all day. I was bleeding from the side of my leg badly all morning and got a ride out to town to get it looked at and cleaned up from Ron who is jersey girls husband, super nice guy, retired from Wonder Bread in south Jersey. I got back on the trail but it just didn't feel good and returned to town. 

Rich Mtn Fire Tower to Jerrys Cabin Shelter

Tough hike but with beautiful ridge walking on cliffs. no phone today which made it somewhat frustrating. rain came and went periodically and I did see my 5th and 6th bears today. I got to camp early and had good conversation with Mud, Neckbone, Swedish Maybe, and Slow Poke, who is an old guy who talks non stop and always is finding creative ways to move on up the trail. we had a nice fire. 

Hot Springs to Rich Mtn Fire Tower

I hung out in Hot Springs all day, hanging out with BearBag, curious George and his Wife, Cape, Isn't Black, Hawksbill and several others. Jesse James rolled into town late and injured . we all went to a hiker feed at Hiker Ministries. the pulled pork sandwiches were great. at 3:30pm I pulled out of town an hour after Hawksbill, while all others stayed behind. 

the climb out of town was brutal and hot. I arrived at the fire tower at 7:30pm. made some calls and set up a quick camp. 

Roaring Fork to Hot Springs

Another big day, I got out by 8:15 and plugged away all day. definitely got trail legs now, as I scooted down the trail solo all day. it was cold and rainy once again,(real shocker!) and I was pretty soaked with rain/sweat. I didn't eat at all, except for a granola bar and root beer barrels . 

I got to Hot Springs at 3pm. no rooms anywhere, I set up tent and re supplied . too much partying going on around here, and I am very uncomfortable. hoping to get a shower somewhere, 

Davenport Gap to Roaring Fork Shelter

got out of camp by 8 and battled cold cloudy conditions all day. bumped into a hiker from UK named Mighty Blue who was a delightful chap, reminds me very much of my brother. he kept me interested all day, and I guess I pushed him to hike longer. I did a big day and had fun all the way . we had a delightful lunch at a shelter and pushed onto Max Patch. Max Patch is a pretty amazing peak, with panoramic views of the surrounding mountains.

Roaring Fork by 5pm, had a delightful time at dinner. it started raining and sleeting in the evening and that lasted for a couple days. I slept ok despite the rain coming down all night. 

Cosby Knob to Davenport Gap

Jesse got up and out of camp, an hour before I did. the hiking wasn't too bad and I took short breaks during the day. I did manage to lose my fuel so I have no idea how I'm gonna cook dinner,  but I'll deal I guess. I hiked alone all day, and cruised Into tri corner knob for a quick lunch, and then pushed onto the last shelter in the smokies at Davenport Gap but there is a rule u have to stay in the shelters because of Bears, which I didn't like. JJ, Cape, Bearbag and I hiked on out of the park, and camped just beyond the park limits. I burned wood for fuel and made ramen with hot dogs. pretty nice day. 

gatlinburg to Cosby knob shelter.

Jesse James, Cape, Mosey, Forrest and Lt Dan and I had to wait till 2pm to get a ride out of town, and awaiting us was a trail filled with ice and snow . I had diarrhea immediately and seriously considered turning around but JJ gave me some kaopectate and it subsided, although I was tired all day. I cut it short and set up camp by the privy at the shelter. I cooked up some hot dogs and went to bed. it got real cold real quick. tough day. 

Gatlinburg Zero Day

Hung out in town. ate a ton, bumped into Ryan, Kelly, and Matt. iced up. watched tv. it snowed, sleet and rained. 

Double Spring Gap to Gatlinburg

We got up early and hiked up Clingmans Dome, the highest point of the whole trail. the climb was easier than expected, and I crossed paths with Isn't Black and Curious George all day. we mistakenly took the wrong trail near the top and ended up climbing up twice, oh well. the day started out drizzling rain and evolved into a downpour . The hike was pretty, but it was sad to see all the dying conifers in the forest, from disease and pests. we arrived in Newfound Gap in early afternoon and it was a long time before we got a hitch into town. I got a room with Jesse James and we spent the evening drying out and walking the tacky town of gatlinburg Tn. 

Russell Field Shelter to Double Spring Shelter

the hike today was horrible, no sleep made me miserable and the trail had very sharp and pointless ups and downs (puds), and the sun dissapeared behind the heavy clouds. Absolute drudgery. There were some highlights like the peaks at Rocky Top and Thunderhead. at 6pm I arrived at the campsite and set up my tent between Cape and Jesse James before enjoying some small talk with Abby, two step, Curious George, Professor, Good and Plenty, and then went straight to bed . I hope to sleep a few hours at least, but the wind is blowing like 70mph so it sounds like 747 is parked outside my tent. 

Fontana Dam to Russell Field Shelter

The Hikers got up early to beautiful views over Fontana Lake. We got going early and crossed the Dam by 8:30 and began a 7.7 mile climb to Sassafras Gap, which I did surprisingly well, passing a lot of hikers and arriving at Mollies Ridge about 11 miles into the park, at around 2pm. the trail was nice filled with spring blossoms and more nicely graded than the trail in North Carolina had been. I was startled (nearly crapped my pants) when a group of four bears crossed the trail 20 feet from where I was walking. I think it was a sow, with three adolescent cubs. I decided to hike on to the next shelter,  Russell Field. I could have hiked longer, but settled in to this place. The ridge runner was there and eventually was forced by regulations to stay in the shelter which I never do, and had no sleep all night. snoring and all that. I really don't like the shelters. 

Brown Fork Gap to Fontana Dam

I got up in pain, my knee is hurting but I have no choice but to keep going until Gatlinburg 4 days from here. I labored over easy terrain till cable gap where I ate lunch. the climb out there was tougher than it should have been but my right knee was giving out all day. I made it to Fontana Crossing at 3pm and got a shuttle to the general store to ressupply. I got a burger and salad at the grill there , and sat and talked with Jesse James before hiking on to the camping area. I set up my tent, walked the grounds looking for cell phone reception which has been fleeting, and took some pics . the group from last night is very loud and I'm looking forward to leaving them behind. hope the knee gets better!

Nantahala Outdoor Center to Brown Fork Gap Shelter

The climb out of the NOC is infamously brutal. I planned to hike to Sassafras Gap  Shelter, which is 7.7 straight up or Cheoah Bald which is 8.6 miles up. The climb went well after I awoke from the bunk room I shared at the NOC with Belou, Cap and Tomas. i arrived at the first campsite at 11:30am and Jesse James was there. he said we should move on to the next shelter which is 17 miles from the NOC. bad idea. it was a tortuous day, totally up and down and capped by something called Jacobs ladder, which was about 90 minutes of pure pain. I stumbled into camp at 7pm and was greeted by Mouth of the South, wrongway, honeybuns, jukebox, rain, rabbit and brew among others . I set up camp down by the creek and made dinner and laid In my bag wishing u could fall asleep. I'm in pain. 

Wayah Shelter to Nantahala Outdoor Center

Today was cold again. I woke up feeling terrible after very little sleep. I kept behind Pete for maybe 5 minutes before he was gone. I was cold and miserable all day and fought thoughts of going home all day. I ate very little and consumed too little water as the cold bore it's teeth into my will. I prayed for strength, peace of mind and better weather. I climbed the mountains with the strength of an 80 year old lady. pathetic . I was passed a few times on the trail but kept at it. the weather improved as did my mental state. I stumbled into The NOC mid afternoon and got my permit to enter the smokies and enjoyed hours of talking with other hikers. I got a shower and ate a burger. while other hikers revelled in the better weather and drank copious amounts of beer. I drank a couple of cokes and laughed at their stories. I think I'm hiking too fast and will try to slow down more in the coming days. 

Wallace Gap to Wayah Shelter

we got a free breakfast from the folks at the First Baptist Church in Franklin this morning before I was shuttled out to Wallace Gap. what great folks, God is looking out for me I am sure. Today was cold, and dark and very windy. I was miserable the whole day and scampered quite laboriously to wayah shelter after climbing some big mountains including Siler Bald and Wayah Bald. those are nice places to stay and take pictures and enjoy a lunch, if the wind wasnt blasting you in the face like you were playing dodgeball with Roger Clemens. we got a bit of hail up on the ridge today and I only stopped once for a break because of the cold. I camped with Pete, Jesse James, Green Giant and This Guy (who looks like a older version of the kid who is in Billly Madison's first grade class (Mrs Lippy's) who yells out O'doyle Rules on the playground.) This Guy has the most luxurious hair I have ever seen on a 40 something guy. Pete is tall and a marathon runner and a great hiker, Jesse James is my speed for sure. 

Long Branch Shelter to Wallace Gap

got up at 5:30 and it was pouring out. I hustled out of camp before sunrise in effort to make it to Wallace Gap before 9 am when Ron Haven was supposed to pick up hikers to go into Franklin. I arrived at 8:19am and waited till nearly 10 am to get scooped up. I sat in a downpour the entire time. I was shivering cold and super stressed. I scored a room at the Sapphire Motel (no precious jewels hidden in this place), and dried out all my gear and warmed up in the shower. Franklin was fun, but I mostly laid around all day , tired from the drenching I got in the morning. it was nice to meet Ron Haven, who has the most pleasant demeanor and really tried to help thru hikers . his southern twang is very endearing and filled with little cute phrases like "if you want to wet your whiskers, there is a bar about a block away." nice man. despite the motel , I still did not sleep well. 

Muskrat Creek Shelter to Long Branch Shelter

I got out of camp early and tackled Standing Indian Mountain before 10 am, I hustled all day because severe rains are expected and I want to get into Franklin NC as soon as possible. I got to Betty Creek at 3:30 ish and had a snack with the Ginger Ninja, Waldo, Goggles, Energizer, Nemo and Trish. Energizer and I decided to push on to Albert Mountain. it's a very tough climb late in the dark cloudy day, but we did it and we enjoyed some fruit left on top of the mountain. we shot down to Long Branch Shelter for our first 20 mile day. had a quick dinner and sat around a fire with Aqua Hero, Hoba, tiptoes, Pete, madcap, Pink Panther, and This Guy.

Hiawasee to Muskrat Creek Shelter

The Climb out of Georgia into NorthCarolina was very tough, I really struggled all day with sharp inclines. It was like somebody was stabbing my legs all day. I had lunch at plum orchard shelter and made to Muscrat creek Shelter in time for dinner with Pearl, Monkey Man, Trish, Waldo, Stormcrow, Energizer and Yoda. The campsites are crowded, and I know many of these folks will not be around for much longer. 20% of the thruhikers actually make it all the way to Maine, by a generous estimate and it could be much less than that. Most quit the hike within the first 400 miles, so I think the pack will thin out quite a bit. you can see some people are miserable, because the notion that this is some romantic adventure has begun to fade, and the fact that it's super hard work is starting to sink in. it's been so hard to battle these mountains and these elements, and to realize, despite all that, we are only 3% done! 

I tented creek side , and toured a plane crash site at raven rock side trail before bed. hard day but fun in camp. I finished the state of Georgia today! 

Deep Gap to Hiawassee

Short hike into Hiawasee and had a fun filled day that included breakfast at Huddle House, which is a poor mans Waffle House, a horrid lunch at a Mexican place that probably served me horse meat, and a room at the Holiday Inn that was littered with Bed Bugs! I did have a nice pizza with kelly, matt and Ryan, who caught up with me. I re supplied at a Ingles supermarket and bumped into a hiker named Monkeyman, a young and handsome fella from Arkansas, who is hiking with his wife Pearl. He Looks like Matthew McConaughey, and is a really sweet and interesting guy as well. My stay in Hiawasee ended as I was shuttled back to the trail by a beautiful Christian couple , David and Lois, from Atlanta,  who dropped me off at the trailhead and prayed over me before I left the pickup truck. What a blessing to meet such wonderful folks! 

blue mountain to Deep Gap

got a quick start and and was hoping to do two of the 3 big climbs today. I bagged Rocky Mountain first, after I got some trail magic at Unicoi Gap. I then climbed Tray mountain and sat at the top and had lunch with a section hiker and Stormcrow. Nemo and Dependable Pete followed and I headed out last. I pushed past Nemo at a water source and camped at Deep Gap with Giggling Bear, Solo Amigo, Ireland, Dependable Pete, and Bliss. good time in camp the hiking was hard but I accomplished all 3 of the large climbs today including Kelly Knob, so very pleased, rain coming tommorrow and only a few miles out of town. The trail has been hard so far, but I'm performing better than expected, hope that remains, but it may be just adrenalin. I have now left Kelly, Matt and Ryan behind, which is sad , but you have to Hike your own Hike as they say. I hung out on a picnic table at night chatting with Bliss and Dependable Pete mostly, and stretching while Bliss did her yoga poses. she is a nice young lady from Nova Scotia, who had some sort of administrative position in their government , but has given it up to hike the trail. she laughs a lot and her positive vibe is very nice to be around. Pete, is a long distance runner, I've been hiking with, he is tall, and can really bang out the miles, and it's a chore to hike along with him. 

Neels Gap to Blue Mountain Shelter

Neels Gap was super fun pigging out on food and listening to Baltimore Jacks stories till late. but the sleeping was horrid. older hikers with weight problems filled the bunk room and the snoring kept most people awake. I got up early and cranked out with a hiker from Austin named Ideas, and got to low gap shelter for lunch. I decided to push on to a 19 mile day. it was tough. Got super trail magic today from a family who provided donuts and fruit and root beer . it was there I met a family, who is hiking together including 3 young boys, the youngest Sam, who is only 8 years old, and a father who is a retired drill instructor in the Air Force. I met Animal who is a great guy who hikes on a super budget and buys his gear for real cheap and is thrifty with food and is a great forager. He carries a big bucket, which seems difficult, and I  hope to see him again. Also at camp was Dependable Pete, a very strong hiker from Chicago, Nemo, a diminutive talker with a hipster look and a wooden flute in his pack, and Gandolf, a funny, lovable, stoner type, but very handsome and with a bright smile. he seems to be having knee issues and may have to get off the trail. m tired and going to bed. 

Lance Creek to Neels Gap

woke up at crack of dawn, and busted out a half day hike to Neels Gap. super easy day, hiking over Blood Mountain was nice and not as hard as feared. Hung out with Ryan, Kelly, Matt, Baltimore Jack, hunter, Ethan, sheepdog, Butterfly, green Giant, Cape, Jesse James, Poppa, Turbo, and Poho, and others I can't remember all the names. We sat around the outfitter at Nells Gap, called Mountain Crossings, all day and joked and ate. the sun was warm, and the rest was therapeutic for our suddenly overworked bodies. my appetite was strong, I think I ate 3 lunches. At night, all the hikers gathered around "Baltimore Jack" Tarlin, as he told many stories from his time on the trail and doled out advice for eager beginners. Baltimore Jack hiked the AT 9 times from 1995-2003, and along with a hiker named Wingfoot, is the alltime Leader in total hikes on the the trail carrying their backpack. he is a very smart, opinionated man, with lots of colorful stories filled with comic flair, like the time he got a room at a Hostel in Duncannon PA called the Doyle Hotel, and opened the door to find a dead man in the bed. Although he doesn't hike as much anymore, he clearly loves the trail, and if he feels in someway the hike or the footpath is being compromised , he is quick to add his opinion. Sleeping at the hostel was a problem as the bunk room accommodates 20 hikers and some are simply not fit enough for the trail. One in particular is FedEx, who weighs 275 lbs, is older, and carries a 75lb pack. he snored and farted all night. nobody else slept.