Zero Stratton.

TV 

Poplar ridge to Stratton

22 miles in a downpour over the toughest terrain . Oops cried early in the day. It was an emotional day. She got it together and later coached me through the day. We sang songs all day. Just got real goofy; don't stop believing, my girl, two tickets to paradise . We made it into Stratton late, but we got in and I conquered the wolf burger. 

Rangeley to poplar ridge

Rainy in afternoon. Hiked with oops . Broke my hiking stick. Very tough, but short hike. We got into camp as the rains came down. Saw dependepble pete. He and I hiked together in ga/nc together. 

Lotus and bamboops came in. I love lotus. Her laugh is the best sound on the trail. Went to sleep to the sound of rain leaking into my tent

Ossoquoc to rangeley

Surprise! Rain! Actually easier hike. Got to town and got new shoes necessary . Hiked with oops. We talked all day. Kept busy in town, laundry resupply. Oops and I crashed early but chatted a lot. Had nice chat with pocket. She is sick. 

Zero day in Andover.

Downpours. The robin Williams news spurred a goodwill hunting dead poets marathon, followed by scent of a women.

Holly slept all day. Hung with oops a bunch. 

Andover to ossoquoc

Late start hiking with oops mostly and then saw old friend scout! She talked everyone's ear off. Love that girl. The line of hikers involved scout, Thor, serge, gargoyle, Tiedye, Hollywood , me and oops .  We met up at rt 17 with pocket and chance. We heard about a vegetarian menu ten miles up the road. It was important to Hollywood . We went chance didn't . Ordered two meals. Bus girl gave us a shuttle back to trail. We slept at roadside and we camped there to a awesome sunset/sunrise. It was mostly dry that day! 

East b hill rd to south arm rd.

Started at 10am and cruised easily through the day. Saw squirrel. Hollywood again was my hiking buddy. Got back to hostel at night and oops was still there. We began to talk. Told her I liked her and she seemed out of sorts, behind her crew, and down. I invited her to join our crew, she accepted. 

Grafton notch to Andover East B rd.

Great hike over baldpate with some sunshine! Great day up there. Coyote and Sasquatch were there with me. Scooted over the day ten miles or so and got into Andover at pine Ellis hostel as the rains came. Stayed there with Hollywood and bearbag and isn't black coyote and oops. 

Carlo col to Grafton notch

Whole day with Hollywood, through the notch, in little over an hour. Fell a ton and ripped my packed, stuff fell out. Broke a pole. Saw miss America . Mahoosuc arm was tough but we did it. Stopped at a shelter as it started to rain, but I pushed on. I climbed old speck mtn. Lightening striking all around me. It's exposed up there above tree line . I sprinted down a tenth of a mile and set up my tent and got in. It made little sense I'm sure. . The storm lasted a hour then I climbed out and proceeded to notch met Hollywood and we hitched to the mahoosuc lodge, wet and tired. Place was nice. Ate old food. 

Gorham to Carlo col in Maine

Got up early , and made 17 miles any 1:30pm. Everyone came in later and we had party. Streamers, swizzle sticks, hats, posters, also joining was Coltrane , isn't black, bearbag, rambling rose, lost boy, toto, and our whole crew. Campsite sucked

Gorham zero

Hung out with chance at trailhead waiting for crew . Toto, Sasquatch , dog, mike and wingnut also joined. We waited till 7 before we headed to campsite right off trailhead

Zero Gorham

Drove to mass to get meds. Hung out with crew 

IMp to Gorham.

Good easy hike into town . In by 1000 and 2.5 days off. Get meds. Car . Tm royalty inn. 

Pinkham notch to imp shelter

Brutal climb up wildcat to long break with usual crew. Down to carter hut. Big lunch there pancakes and soup. Hike out sucked in rain. Drenched. Hike good till lost cell phone . Hiked back 2 miles . Got imp shelter just in time for thunder storm. The trail was suicide. Slid down mountain grabbed tree wrecked arm. 

Lakes to Pinkham notch

Hiked with Abear, pockets, Gazaille and gorgamel . Awesome day . Mt Washington in the am. Storms all around. Hiked hard and fast. Madison hut was great as always . Great soup . Made to the notch by 6. Camped with the crew and with Gazaille went to dinner at the cafeteria. Watched beaver film . 

Crawford notch to lake of the clouds

Same crew. Abear and pockets as well. Good hard hike . Mitzpah we stopped and we all had leftover enchiladas . We all made it to lakes at 2:30-3:30 pm. It was myself, tie dye, Abear, pockets, gorgamel, Gazaille , oops, and vista and scampi. Work for stay sucked. Scrub walls . Abear arranged books. I almost lodged a Larry david like complaint. Good day. 

Stealth site to Crawford Notch

Hiked with vista all day. Had good time. We hiked to gale head and had a good break, then hiked to zeeland hut for lunch. Easy day. Hiked to Crawford with Gazaille and gogamel. Hitched into highland center and saw lost boy. Stayed in bunk with ups. Lots of laughs and tons of food. 

Franconia notch to stealth site

Hiked with vista and tie dye. Up on ridge had great weather . Hung out on each mt. Vista lagging behind. We got to bunker on Garfield by 4:40. Hung out with sobos till about sunrise. Vista and I hiked to stealth spot a mile or so past shelter. 

Kinsman notch to Franconia notch.

The hike was best of the trail and worst. Tough climb up kinsman was tougher than moosilauke . When we got to the top thunder and lightening was flashing all around . Hail coming down . Hard, treacherous descent . Lonesome lake nice but unwelcome. Good day. Stayed at Chet's 

Ore hill to kinsman notch

Great hike with bear bag and isn't black. Mooosealauke was a battle but did it. The finish was hard. Very steep descent. Got a room in Woodstock with the guys. 

Mink rd to ore hill

Long but good hike . Good climb up over smarts and cube . All alone all day. Felt cold at night . Wet feet all day. 

Hanover to mink rd

Soaked. Hardest rain of trail. Pocket chance thing made me feel weird.  Needed to separate.  Worst day on trail. 

Hanover zero

West hartford to hanover

New shoes awesome hike

Wintuiri to west Hartford

Hike among bee balm. Struggling. Chasing chance . Hear that? Bombs night before. Ugly dog night before . People in west hartford awesome. 

Killington to wintuiri

Couldn't get our ass out of days inn. Finally got on trail at 1. Hike sucked. Saw bearbag and isn't black . Get to lookout cabin. Too many new faces. Chance hiked on. So did I. 

Churchill Scott to killington

Hiked 6 miles. Hung out in killington . Rent car. Bought stuff. Watched movie. Ate lots. 

Minerva shelter to Churchill Scott

20 mike tough day went well. Over two steep climbs before the long ascent over killington.,not a problem. Had breakfast in Clarendon at whistle stop. Great a thru hiker picked up tab..we all congregated on killington. Good day. Feeling sad it's almost over

Lost pond shelter to Minerva shelter

Hiked up and down all day then got to a pond at big branch, went in canoe for a spell and all with the crew. Hw pocket chance and I went into sal pizza in Wallingford for the afternoon. Awesome place. We waited till 6 to hike final 4 miles to camp. It went fast at their pace! Late set up but good night. 

Manchester to lost pond shelter

Hiked solo all day. Got to camp early and the crew added squirrel and zima. Slept great finally! Climb over Bromley and styles were not bad and the rock climb over baker was fun

Wliam b Douglas to Manchester

Short hike into town. Got into econolodge. Disaster. Moved to red sled. Awesome. Ate at bagel works. And cilantro . Shopping Cart through town. Movie night. Met up with Mother Earth chance and bags

Kid Gore to William B Diuglass

We meant to go to Stratton pond to camp but we got to top of Stratton at noon with swashbuckler and the hw, pocket and shakes. Shaggy dance in fire tower . Got to pond at 1. Too early. Shakes was waiting at shelter. We played heads up. 

Bennington to kid gore

Left town late, we loved Bennington . We then hiked over ten miles up Glastonbury mountain . Had a long lunch at the shelter before moving on to the fire tower . The 4 of us together most of the day. Got to shelter . Feel it getting colder. 

Seth Warner to Bennington

Short day woke up and hw and pocket both seemed to be in the mood for town. Ok . The trail was ankle deep the whole day. It was misery. I never saw the others until the road . Guy Steve gave us a ride to catamount inn. Great time . We lived it up. Good fiod at The Nosh, friendlies for dessert. Movies and jokes in the room. Shakes joined us. 

Chesire to Seth Warner

Hiked quickly up greylock and was there by 10:20 am at the top. Loved to see pocket and Hollywood there. Hiked with hw rest of day to north Adams . Went into town got Chinese buffet and some groceries . Hiked up into Vermont over the cobbles. Was like being stabbed to death. Rained most of the day. Puddles and slickness the day through. Poured all night in camp.,

October mt to chesire

Hiked two miles in am before running into shakes again. I was wet from night before . It didn't rain in the day till we got to chesire. Got ice cream in town then settled into st Mary's for night. Great time with shakes moose spotter and toad spotter. Rained all night.

Salisbury to October mtn

Lost phone in rainstorm unable to keep up journal. Hurt knee . Got a Cort shot. 

Hiked with tinker into the night. 

west Cornwall road to lebonnes parking lot

we left at 930. easy hike to ridge. got to falls village at 1. had lunch with pocket. very nice. hiked into Salisbury . knee is bad. pocket and I set up tents in the dirt auxiliary parking of the grocery store. nice chat. big food intake. 

kent to west Cornwall road.

chance and I hung around kent till 10 charging phones and eating . we drank about ten sodas between us in kent. we hiked to Morgan Stewart shelter, after coming down St. John's ledges. pocket ran into us at lunch. we moved on to a really tough section on Cornwall that challenged us all. we got to a river crossing. pocket couldn't make, I tried to go around her as she took her shoes off and I fell in the stream. I said screww and just sat in the creek water going by and filled my water bottles . pocket tried to throw her shoes over the creek to chance on the other side, missed both times. chance just laughed at us. we all struggled to get to the road as a storm approached we got a room at the hitching post motel. it wasn't great. free beer at liquor store. sat in room and laughed all night. very inspiring talk . 

Pawling to kent

nice and cool. more up and down as u enter ct. raging water at ten mile river. hike into kent . see kickapoo and pogono. laugh. camped in town ate. 

rph to pawling

got out to trail. so nobody on trail . easy hike. stayed at duchess . big w. BBQ 

zero 2 Brooklyn

zero Brooklyn

dennytown to rph shelter

hot humid storm brewing July 2 met up with snailman and dragon lady at shelter hitched in . Times Square madam Tussaud cheap room

William Brien campsite to Dennytown rd

hiked with j5 all day came up over West and Bear mountains by noon and had lunch at bear Mtn inn cafe. jpeg joined us to the monastery . j5 gave me a lesson in Middle East politics and history. fascinating. hiked on alone to dennytown rd. others watched us Belgium soccer game. sweating from eyelids all day . 

wildcat shelter to William brien campsite

tough hike for first ten miles. scout was as truculent. trail magic at mile 9 made things ok. we ran into j5 and hiked together all day along with JPEG . saw a bear entering Harriman . took a 2 hour break at lake toriati with kickapoo , scout, j5, pogono, wings. ate a ice creeam sandwich and gm had a couple cokes 

vernon to wildcat shelter ny

Tammy and Rosie started out with me. Rosie bounded up the trail. ran into day hiker Elaine at top of wawayanda Mtn. had a great chat. ran into scout soon and we chatted and laughed all day. we got totally preoccupied with conversation and time flew till we were at belvale creamery. we took 2 1/2 hours there hammering ice cream before limping off to camp with Kickapoo, pogono, sautee , wings, patch, forester gump. 

zero day with family.

nj 23 to vernon.

stop and start felt like crap. easy flat hike, very hot. went to dr. Lyme disease. got a hotel room. called for my family. 

crater lake to nj 23

started early got to brink shelter all were gone except bacon dog. hiked to sunrise mountain and talked with day hikers while I ate lunch. cranked past the last two shelters . went to high point country inn with AZ, beatjuice, spruce, skittles, gofar. good time . didn't sleep well. 

DWG to Crater Lake NJ

got out at 530. hiked into Mohican AMC camp to get mail drop. loved the hike up. stayed had lunch. got to crater lake at 4 . set up tent to beat storm. very tired . knees ache

zero day DWG

palmerton to Leroy smith campsite

climb up rocks with Celtic and shakes. had fun! great hike a lot of fun. stopped for lunch at 1 and then had a nightmare water retrieval that took an hour. blisters toenails. tough afternoon. camped with Celtic and bucket list . tics everywhere .

Leroy smith camp to DWG

left camp early. took pain meds.  no water on the route. puked in the morning. didn't eat or drink all day. ran into Neckbone and mud. pushed on. ran into Draggin and we got rooms in town. ordered chinese. fell asleep without eating it. new shoes as the others fell apart. talked to smurphin on the phone! heard from iron chef too! 

palmerton to Leroy smith campsite

climb up rocks with Celtic and shakes. had fun! great hike a lot of fun. stopped for lunch at 1 and then had a nightmare water retrieval that took an hour. blisters toenails. tough afternoon. camped with Celtic and bucket list . tics everywhere .

eckville shelter to palmerton

left shelter at 630. hiked hard seeing nobody till PA 309. saw a restaurant from road crossing . went in Draggin was there from Cheshire. we are a great burger. owner mike was a great guy. the hike sucked 25 miles over tortuous rocks. my toes are killing. ran into Bacondog mom at the trail head. she was waiting for him visiting from buffalo. got into palmerton had a pizza and a ice cream sundae. checked into the jail. hung out with Shakes for a bit. took a shower under a power hose community shower. walked through an old gym an nailed a 3 pointer. 

ressupplied at a store

port Clinton to eckville shelter.

big breakfast in hotel. Walmart, laundry, mcdonalds, then hit the trail at noon. big climb. nice easy day . had a big fall, face first. alone in camp . big day tomorrow

Schubert gap to port Clinton

on trail at 7. passed by Ryan at 10 ish he isn't friendly. I passed him back at 1 . poured rain all day. I got lost with about 2 miles to town, he caught up and we struggled to find the trail. we got to town and went into hamburg. I are a good meal and got a hotel and dried out my stuff. had dinner with bear juice spruce Willis and go far. had some laughs and then retreated to my room for some rest. 

lick dale to Schubert gap

big climb to start day, lunch at William penn shelter pogono and Kickapoo again. Bacondog rolled in, as did patch. we all met up again at 501 shelter as

it was at a road crossing. I ate dinner, bacon dog and patch ordered a pizza and met the driver on the road. isn't black, bear juice ryan, bear bag, shortstop , pogono Kickapoo Az all filed in. bacon dog and I hiked up the trail about 5 miles after dinner. the trail was a tire drill, it took 3 hours to get there. tented on a slope and it poured on us, my tent got a 3 inch puddle in the bottom of the foot area. ugh. bacon dog rolled in about 9 pm. he looked spent. 

stony Mtn to lickdale .

hot 100. humid . hiked hard to union bridge. hung out and fell asleep. woke up sweaty. hitched into town drank fluids all night. tough day . 

Duncannon to stony mountain

great easy hike. head out of town at 8 and run into Kickapoo and pogono early for lunch. good weather but hot humid. passed Sasquatch at a road crossing he had Bells pAlsy. Lyme disease . camped at stony Mtn . porcupines destroyed my sleep early. massive lightening storm. didn't sleep good. 

Carlisle to Duncannon

banged up trail to Duncannon by 2. boredom heavy. Doyle was fun hung out with Bacondog worldly shakes Eastwood spruce . pat and Vicki were great. Duncannon 24 hat . mutzabaughs awesome. hiker play idea. strawberry shortcake. 

zero day Carlisle

boiling springs to Carlisle turnpike

I didn't get far. my back is hurting. it poured again. I couldn't hike anymore. I'm exhausted. I'm wet. 

tagg run campsite to boiling springs

wet . met weird guy from miami. poured all day. hole in tent . widow maker . pizza at aniles after dinner at caffe 101 with judy. mindy glen Caleb and grace. fell asleep at 7. 

high rocks to tagg run campsite

started out fast and stayed fast. all day impending rain. passed a guy mike early in the day then met for lunch at milesburn cabin. got to iron masters hostel at 5. grabbed a quick bite with snailman and a few other euros I met at the halfway point. they stayed I moved on. very alone on trail . passed two thru hikers camped along the trail on the way up after the campground. I hiked into the dark . the day was easy. I then set up my tent around 830 at. tagg run . a thunderstorm came a few minutes after setup. I noticed hole in roof of tent. crazy guy at shelter a few hundred yards from me. 

crampton gap to high rocks

wow. easy hike. 28 miles. flat as a board. shoes falling apart. ran into spruce and patch quite a bit. some guy ran by me going fast , trying to break a record. on pace for 51 days. one tough climb . 

harpers ferry to crampton gap

hung out in harpers ferry and then left town at 330pm. after a huge rain I walked kit was flat . stopped at camp 830. rained all night. 

front royal to harpers ferry

done as a shakedown hike in months preceding the thru hike beginning. done with my friend tinker and we stayed at 2 shelters dicks dome and Sam Moore shelter. the roller coaster not hard. where I began to use hard candies

zero day

pass Mtn to front royal va

up and out 730. left with bagger. met with az jj and chance for breakfast at wayside. we moved quick all day. diarrhea continued. chance had calf issues and chafing. jj needed to get package at terrapin station. never got it. me bagger chance got to Tom Floyd at 6.  bagger stayed we moved on. quality inn. bad dinner italian. push up guy. "dancing in the street" festival. dying town. hell town. 

big meadows to pass Mtn

well big meadows was terrible. I shared the room with Jesse James, I shivered the whole night. I woke up weak and tired. diarrhea subsided but not gone. hiked 11 miles to a lunch spot. after we ate (bagger az chance jj me) I laid on a rock in the sun and napped. the afternoon hike went well. ran Into a few bears on the trail. tented near shelter with the usual crew, lots of laughs, I feel better tonight. 

high top hut to big meadow

sick worst day on trail

black rock hut to high top hut

hiked with jj. he struggled. got to camp store and ressupplied. then proceeded to wayside burger fries and ice cream. hung out for a hour and a half. with jj and drew .  very humid again. not a bad hike into camp. AZ was there. rain as soon as we rolled in. stove less dinner. rain pounded into the night

mill creek to waynesboro

5 miles. quality inn. Chinese Buffett. bowling . pocket hollywood, crankster blacksmith, lotus lost boy tiptoe Kenny wrongway stargazer

harpers creek to mill creek

climbed three ridges last big climb in the trail till massachusetts. hiked with wrongway and stargazer. pretty rocky. ran into crankster and blacksmith. hiked fast into camp with lost boy , pocket, hollywood, tiptoe, Kenny, lotus, rafiki, .

3 springs to harpers creek

dropped off at hog camp with owl bear . hiked good some pain. easy hike 22 miles . had lunch with owl bear. went on to priest met up with wrongway and stargazer. hiked with them rest of day. . climb up priest was easy as was descent. harpers creek had 100 campers there . suck city. good day . 

buena vista to three pines

rode with jimmy to trail. hiked up6 miles. hog camp lunch with smiling bob cannon tiptoe aquahero and Bryan . hostel had kayaks. true story blueberry bear owl bear nice dinner BBQ. 

waynesboro to black rock hut

breakfast with Hollywood and pocket. hiked in at 11. met up with jj quickly, moved up quick. made it 21 miles . camped with Monty loo, alchemist, drew, Tom, jj. jj mattress popped. saw morning wood at lunch. lots of blooming mt laurel. 

zero buena vista

went to hospital hung out with jimmy al bear bagger I believe chance. saw Camelot play in town. relaxed in town

James River footbridge to buena vista va

slack packed . hiked up to top of bluff Mtn. saw Jesse James and simple . had lunch with bagger and chance. jumped off James River bridge with pocket tiptoe Bryan and aquahero. good times. beuna vista, bad. budget inn not great. saw bearbag in am

Wilson Creek to Cornelius Creek

hiked out alone and alone all day. the trail crossed the blue ridge pArkway a few times and that was nice. crossed Jennings creek at 3:30 pm and bagger and chance were there frolicking In the water and. all, tempting to stay but I have goals so I moved on to Bryant fuller? shelter. it made a 21 mile day. 42 was there , but I decided to hike another 5 miles on.  up A major 4 mile 3000 ft 

ascent . I did it in a hour and a half. I'm cooking now. good day I feel good watched lebowski in my tent. listened to a lot of dylan today . 

daleville to WilsonCreek

hung out in daleville till about 1:30pm had 2nd BBQ at little pigs with aqua hero and tiptoes , got my shoes. jimmy and I believe helped with rides again. hiked into forest , with true story and wiki . camped with those guys and snickers . shins improving. 

Cornelius green shelter to James River footbridge

slept terrible, cold sweaty and headaches along with an infected toe. hiked out and made it to next shelter by 9, hiked with snailman from Denmark . good kid . exchanged texts with jj. tried to hook up in buena vista. never happened but I got into town to get more bandages and bacitracin. stayed at budget inn. Memorial Day 

Lamberts meadow to daleville

quick hike to town . Waffle House , BBQ . ice up son. 

4 pines to Lambert meadow

awesome day. over the knob and cliffs . chance just paul tortoise. 42 and Indy . 

ankle hurts.  

Sarver Hollow to 4 pines

the climb out of Sarver Hollow sucked. the hike was very rough today. hiked with little spoon , longbow and Indy most of the day. had a nice break at the Audie Murphy Monument and proceeded late in the day to Dragons Tooth. this was interesting but my shin splints really ached with all the big drops and dips in the rock formations. it took me 6 hours to do the last 9 miles . the benefit was the last few miles featured a bloomed out rhodedendron forest. they were real and they were spectacular.  I arrived at four pines at 8:30pm and set up my tent in a cow pasture next to Indy, Just Paul, and Flinch. I hung out with Chance, Stargazer, and wrongway a bit before bed. 

Bailey GAP to Sarver Hollow Shelter

got up early and rolled out before wiki and opus. I slept ok. the terrain started to get more up and down than earlier in Virginia . overr farms and fields quite a bit and up a pretty hard climb to the ridge line. the campsite was a half mile back down the mountain with A poor water supply. canary and her dogs showed ups hour latter followed by i

opus, who looked bushed. 

Pearisburg va to Bailey Gap Shelter

I almost quit the trail this morning. the pain in my shins is searing. the swelling still significant, but I pushed on hoping to get 11 miles or so. about 8 miles in I reached the shelter for lunch.  the legs hurt but I was able to keep on. after lunch I thanked god for the day and allowing me to hike that far. after that prayer rhe pain dissipated and I got stronger . I caught up with pocket and twist at sleepy hollow shelter but moved on to Bailey Gap where I camped with Opus. wiki and dr forager . my lower leg on the left is still significantly swollen like my ankle swallowed a grapefruit . it's supposed to be cold tonight glad I grabbed those clothes from the goodwill in Pearisburg . 

zero day Pearisburg

the day consisted of me watching movies , most notably the mighty ducks, and icing my legs . for dinner I ate at the Mexican place again with aqua hero , tiptoe, pocket, and Bryan or milkman, his trailname changes . 

Wapiti Shelter to Pearisburg VA

left camp early and cold . my fingers stayed frozen till about 9;30 and I felt shin splints on my legs. I ran into Aquahero and Tiptoes, at lunch, I haven't seen them since Franklin. they are great and tiptoes hikes her ass off. I barely kept pace with them the rest of the day to pearisburg . I checked into the Holiday motor lodge and iced my shins which were horribly swollen. Had a great dinner at the Mexican joint in town with those two. aquahero ate two full meals for dinner plus some of tiptoes and then smashed a large blizzard at dq for dessert. amazing performance . I went Back to my room and watched Hand that rocks the cradle on lifetime. I cried again at a movie. I cried a few days ago at a Cameron Diaz film. wow. 

bland va to Wapiti Shelter

foot problems all day. 26 miles. hiked a bit with Opus. lighter pack meant more speed. really kicked ass but it got cold. camped with Cell phone but froze in my tent. no dleeping bag and no jacket and pants meant cold sleepless teeth chattering night. temps got to near freezing . bad night . 12 hours goes by real slow when you are cold and awake . 

va 623 to Bland VA

Ceres 42 to va 623

I look around for the friends that I used to turn to to pull me through

Looking into their eyes I see them running too

Honey you really tempt me

You know the way you look so kind

I'd love to stick around but I'm running behind

You know I don't even know what I'm hoping to find

Running into the sun but I'm running behind

VA 610 to Ceres 42

Super short day slack packing I did it in a few hours, and enjoyed nice talks on the trail with some dayhikers. I did have a bite to eat at a pavilion just off the trail. lots of cows, lots of phlox along the water source.  most of the day I hung out with 12%, and we just goofed off, and he helped me pick up the trail magic I left at Dickey Gap, and at the the Settlers House. i left several cases of Soda Pop, candy, oranges , strawberries, bananas and so on. it seemed thru hikers enjoyed it .  12% and I cleaned up the trail magic, and shuttled Noro V , Space Cadet, Flinch, Tortoise and just paul , amongst others  into Marion with the glorious car. we then crashed at the comfort inn. off the trail for 8 days! 

Marion VA to VA 610

got up early and banged out the 10 miles to Atkins over the farms and the honeysuckle and crackling power lines , all while trying to listen my iPod. I got to Atkins and ate lunch at The Barn, and got a rental car and gave hikers shuttles for a few hours. it was nice to help out hikers. I gave Iron Chef and Bobcat a ride into Marion. I later checked into the Relax Inn, and I then hiked out to Va 610 and back to Atkins. hiking without a pack felt strange . I had dinner at The Barn with MC. Early to Bed! one more day before I get time off to go see family and sign away my business. 

Old Orchard Shelter to Marion Va

I got going early and hiked the 10 miles to troutdale by 10:35am. I hitched into the Fox Creek General Store, and got a ride from a nice guy Bill and his dog Rufus in his pickup truck. I had a decent Turkey Reuben and ressupplied for a few days . I cooked onto the next camping area and moved on to Partnership Shelter, but I saw a party scene there. I decided to hitch into Marion Va . after grabbing a ice cream sundae at Sonic, I got a room at the econolodge and quickly fell asleep . 

Deep Gap to Old Orchard Shelter

I started out with Kat, and it was ok to Thomas Knob Shelter for a break. we then entered Grayson Highlands State Park and it's wide open vistas, rock laden outcroppings and feral ponies. the trail was filled with Boy Scouts and they scared away the herd of ponies which angered me, and saddened Kat. we grabbed lunch on a sunny spot with Just Paul, Tortoise and Flinch. Kat and I were late getting out, and as luck would have it, a herd passed through just as we were leaving and we got great pics and video of these freaky horses. The rest of the day saw Kat struggle into camp, with me ending up carrying her pack, her feet were bad, and she needs to get off the trail. I set up my tent and cooked dinner and went to bed. 

Saunders Shelter to Deep Gap

I got ready to go at 7:30am and Kat came out of her tent and asked if I could wait a few minutes for her. I did and we left camp at 8:15am. the early part of the day was pretty standard not too difficult , but Kat struggled on the climb up Whitetop Mtn. She was way behind with Tortoise while I quickly climbed up to Buzzard Rocks with Just Paul. They are a Father and daughter from Wilmington MA. At the top, Kat looked ready to give up, but we coached her along, and we arrived at Deep Gap at 6:00pm. 16 miles is a lot for her, just starting out and all. I was antsy all day as I felt my body could have gone faster and longer than this crew, but their company was fun. Kat used my stove for dinner and she is low on food. she didn't pack properly for this section. it's very cold and windy around here. somewhat unexpected. At camp tonight is Kat, Simple, Kate, Just Paul, Tortoise, and Flinch. 

Damascus to Saunders Shelter

I spent most of the day trying to patch up my air mattress, as it got a hole in it. sleeping on the ground is cold and miserable. I had breakfast with aloha nice shirt at the Dairy King, which wasn't great , then hung out at the outfitter most of the day. Neckbone and Mud came by and we chatted for a bit, and it was sure nice to see those boys. a little later 12% came by and we split a pizza at Blue Blaze Cafe, and he told me how it was going. the hole in my pad, was unpatchable apparently, so I just sighed and started to pack to head out of town. as I was getting my stuff together at the Hostel, a young lady named Katherine asked me if I was going into the trail and did I mind if she tagged along. I said sure , and we headed out at 2:30. we hiked the Creeper trail till it connected with the AT, and did 9 miles to the shelter. I set up my tent on a pine needle laden area, and cooked up Rice and beans for dinner. I helped Kat get settled as she is a very inexperienced backpacker, and chatted with hikers Weatherman, Simple and Kate. 

campsite to Damascus

today began with my alarm going off at 6am, and a reluctant departure from camp just before 7. the terrain was supposed to be easy, and I shot out pretty well for the first two hours. The trail was wet and foggy from the downpour the previous night, and my shoes carried the evidence of that, as they felt heavy with rain soaked socks. I tried to average 3mph the whole day to get my 30 plus mile day. I hiked around a pack that included Dad, Bobcat, Tortoise, Sparky, Iron Chef, and a German couple . I staggered into Damascus around 6 pm with sore feet and a huge appetite . I had a burger at BlueBlaze Cafe, and Aloha came in and offered for me to stay in his room at the hostel. I played cards and hung out with Wrongway, Formage, Wrecking Ball, Swashbuckler, Kate and Simple. 

Hampton TN to somewhere after Vandever Shelter

Today began at 6 am with a couple of jackasses from New York being loud in the common area of the Hostel. not surprising. The rainstorm that was supposed to happen hasn't appeared. i shot over to the laundromat after breakfast and noticed they didn't open till 11. bummer. I went back to the hostel and was undecided what to do. I went back and climbed Pond Flats in quick order (2&1/2 hrs) then returned to hostel and did my laundry, chatted with Space Cadet and Lost and Found for a bit and had lunch. 2:30 came and it still hadn't rained and I decided to head out and get to the first campsite by Watauga Dam. I bumped into Hawksbill at the trailhead and he was vomiting and writhing in pain. poor guy, I helped him get a ride to town, and I feared he has contracted the dreaded Norovirus, at Kincora Hostel last night. once on the trail the hike was super and I decided to hike until the rains fell. I pushed on and ran into Bobcat , Iron Chef and Sparky at a water source, Iron Chef was super ill as well. he looked white as a ghost and his trademark smile and cordiality was vacant. he stayed at Kincora last night. I was kind, but kept ten feet between us, and moved on. I pushed deep into the evening and ran into good pals Neckbone and Mud at 6pm. Neckbone was a bit ill but felt it was some spicy food he had eaten in Boone Nc the night before. I chatted for a bit , only because I love those boys, and moved on, as the shelters I never stay in anyway because they are filled with mice, rats and chronic snorers and farters. I hiked a little past there and the rain came hard and the fog rolled in. I stopped at a water source and set up my tent, and while retrieving water from a pathetic pool about three inches deep, ran into Seabiscuit, a young guy, who is suffering from this illness. he looked terrible. I scooted back to my tent and cooked up some noodles for dinner. 

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. 

Horse Gap to Lance Creek

The wind at horse gap was like being slapped in the face all night with the coldest palm in the world. no sleep all night. woke up to 28 degrees and a windchill of around 6 it seemed. i hated every second of waking up. today was supposed to be a hard day. we started with 2 big mountains to climb and then rolled into Gooch shelter for lunch, huge crowds at shelters. Ryan and I took a 2 hour lunch and then caught up with others before Woody Gap. at Woody we lounged for an hour  in the sun before climbing up to a awesome overlook before descending to lance creek. great day. exhausted but I probably lost 5 lbs today . I really like the others that I am hiking with, as Ryan is a nice, good looking bartender from LA, very smart and a strong hiker. Kelly is so small, but is a very fast pace setter, and in great condition. Matt lumbers a bit more, but is tall, and gets there even tho he has said he struggles on the climbs . 

Springer Mountain to Horse Gap GA

woke up at 7am after a sleepless night, and got a shuttle to Springer Mountain by 10:30am. hiked a mile to the summit of Springer, and then was off on my adventure. pretty good easy day, hiked with two young guys from Virginia, Ethan and Hunter. We had a great time all day, most people stopped at Hawk Mtn Shelter, but we moved on to Horse Gap. As campsite was Kelly, from asheville , matt from Pittsfield MA and Ryan from Los Angeles. Kelly is a pint sized sweet young lady who had a TarpTent, which required her trekking poles as support beams , but with the winds whipping at 60 mph, her shelter blew away 3 times. I felt so bad for her. it was very cold and the wind made cooking dinner problematic, but we all made do. Ethan and Hunter hung hammocks not far from where I set up tent . 

March 29 Hiker Hostel in Dahlonega

mile 0 on AT Got down to Georgia, was just getting to starting line of AT and ran into Paul and Bonnie Hakula from the Vineyard. small world. they were driving by the most remote area of Georgia? wow! serendipitous, but nice. love them to death. right now I'm sitting in the hostel so nervous or anxious for tommorrow. I'm here with a guy Ed, who just quit the trail after just 20 miles. he came from Switzerland and already off the trail. this trail is so tough, the steep grades just knock people out. I'm here also with a cat named "bear bag."

 anyway, I'm nervous as a theif in church. my arms are visibly shaking. I pray God gives me the strength bc I know I cannot do this on my own abilities .

hikers here: Bear Bag, Goose and Denise Austin, Frozen and a hiker to be named later, plus a father and son from New Mexico w/o names so far. plus Ed the Swiss, who is quitting after 20 miles. 

the pic is of the stairs in the log cabin hostel here, place is off the charts nice. 

 

AT thru hike 2014 attempt

FOR DANA DEGREGORIO 

I'll keep this part short because nobody really cares about it. I sold my business last month so I am doing something I always dreamed of doing. I'm not sure if I can, since thru hiking the Appalachian Trail is one of the hardest tests of ones mental and physical stamina. I have no doubts I was made to do this, excepting a very bad knee , which concerns me . I am not going through some existential crisis, as some assume, I just feel the need to measure my abilities and test my strength in an extreme way, and I love the outdoors and trees and plants. The AT as it's called is 2,189 mile footpath that runs over the appalachian mountain chain from Georgia to Maine. virtually every step is on a 20 inch wide strip of soil that covers countless peaks along the way. The AT is very steeply graded and is physically grueling . the vistas are not what you see out west, as the hiker is covered in a green tunnel of cold, wet, heat, humidity, bugs, mice, bears, deer, and hikers . the people are nice out there, living a Thoreau like life of natural splendor, and love and kindness to one another. it's a remarkable experience. 

I'll need luck and prayers, as somewhere between 10-25% of folks that set out to do this actually accomplish the task. I'm leaving April 1 from Springer Mountain in Georgia. I'm nervous but excited! 

I'm always going to remember to late brother Dana, I want to make him proud, he knew I always wanted to do this, thought I was crazy, but wanted this for me. it's been a year since he passed, and I miss my best friend tremendously.