I arrived in one slightly mangled piece at Fontana Dam, N.C., on Tuesday evening, almost three days ago, and have been resting ever since. Continue reading
The last week was a very slow one, with a foot injury, gear problems and just plain stupidity slowing me down. Continue reading
I shot this video in something of a Ridley style my first day out on the Trail. It covers some of the high points of my first day out on the A.T.
Here are some selected pictures from my first few days on the Appalachian Trail. Continue reading
As you probably know by now I decided to skip the approach trail and head directly from Springer Mountain. In the last three days I’ve made 20 miles, as far as Woody Gap, Ga., and gotten off the trail for a while to wait out some expected bad weather.
I don’t have a lot of time so this will be fairly brief.
The first day was fairly easy. I went up Springer to the terminus and took some nice pictures (which I’ll upload later) and some video (which I’ll also upload later). Then 2.5 miles back down the trail to Stover Creek shelter where I spent the first night.
The first day was fairly easy, all things considered.
The second day was much more difficult, with a couple of steep climbs, and I only made 5.2 miles or so to Hawk Mountain Shelter, where I spent Wednesday night. Then Thursday a good 7.6 mile haul to Gooch Mountain Shelter with yet more steep climbs. I was exhausted after that one.
I’m getting used to all the ups and downs but it’s still quite tiring. I’m not making as much progress as I planned for, but I’m holding up okay. Though I’m told after about two weeks you get used to it and start making more mileage. The Trail is easier than I expected, but harder than I thought. Especially when it rains, as it did today.
I still made 5 miles today despite the rain to Woody Gap where I caught a shuttle to the Hiker Hostel and plan to wait out the storm here. It’s just rain today, but tomorrow is supposed to bring severe thunderstorms. Hiking in the rain, by itself, isn’t a serious problem, but the next few miles will bring Blood Mountain, with steep, rocky descents and even worse weather on top which you don’t want to get caught in.
The hostel is quite full, though, (they stuck me on a couch!) and I don’t know if I’ll be able to stay two nights. If not, I’ll take the Freeman Trail around the Blood Mountain summit (it’s the official bad weather detour) and take my chances.
I’ve already met three people who attempted a thru-hike and have decided to quit. They all quit not because they couldn’t physically handle it; almost anyone can hike the Trail given enough time and patience. It was because they weren’t mentally prepared for the demands of the Trail. I’m as prepared as I can be and have no plans to drop out.
Next update maybe tomorrow, or in a week. I probably won’t make it to Cloud 9 for several more days.
Later this morning I’ll be off up the approach trail, eight rather strenuous miles until I get to the top of Springer Mountain, the official start of the Appalachian Trail.
Joy says she is going to take some pictures of me leaving and post them online, though I have no idea where online she’s going to post them. I’ll find out in a week or so when I next have Internet access. Or, if you’re lucky, I’ll find out where they’re hiding the Wi-Fi that the park says it has, and post an update and photos later today right from within the park.
I am starting out with the trail name “Red Porcupine.” Maybe I’ll get another one along the way. If so, I’ll post it.
The pack is a lot heavier with all this food in it. I think the food weighs more than the big four. I guess I’m just going to have to eat it. I haven’t weighed the pack, for all you gram weenies, but I’ll do that around Neels Gap or so.
Next update around March 17 or 18, when I expect to be at Cloud9 / Upper Hightower Trout Farm.
I’m really leaving tomorrow, for real this time.
I walked 3.2 miles to Kroger and the post office and back this morning, and then another 3 miles or so, first to the train station and then around Perimeter Mall. Going there was a total waste. Most everything there is pointless consumer crap that nobody really needs. Maybe the Apple Store is useful; they have Macs. And the restaurants. Gotta eat, you know. But the rest of it can just go to hell.
But I finally did get to ride MARTA and now I have this Breeze Card that still has value on it but I’ll probably never use again. It has an RFID chip in it, so maybe I’ll mess with it when I’m finished with this little adventure. Or I’ll take it to a nice group of hackers I know and let them play with it.
I got lost trying to find REI and the sun was going down so I finally gave up. Hopefully Joy won’t mind stopping there on the way out of town tomorrow. I still need fuel for the Jetboil. Fortunately it’s right on the way. I think. I got lost, remember?
Otherwise the day was pretty uneventful. I should be in bed, but I’m not sure I can sleep, as excited as I am to finally be doing this. I’m pretty sure I’ll sleep like a rock tomorrow night, though.
I forgot something at REI and I have to go to the post office, so I’m sticking around for another day.
Matthew and Joy met me for lunch, or brunch, or whatever it is when you eat an omelet with the local hefeweizen at a brew pub in Midtown Atlanta. While there we saw a car drive by with a Ron Paul sign firmly attached to the car door. That was heartening to see and I hope to see more of that in the future. Then, much to my surprise, they took time out of their day to run me to Wal-Mart and REI so I could pick up some last minute things I didn’t have a chance to pick up before I left.
And of course I managed to forget the one thing that I needed and didn’t write on my shopping list because it was so obvious. Fuel for my stove. Doh! Fortunately there’s another REI store 3.8 miles from here. I also have to go to the post office and mail something out, and to Kroger for, uh, groceries. They’re next to each other, 1.6 miles away. I’ll walk there and back tomorrow, but probably catch the bus to REI. Fortunately the bus that goes there passes right by this hotel. I hear that MARTA is anything but rapid.
And this means I’ll be hitting the Trail on Tuesday instead of tomorrow.
I walked up and down the hills of this northeast Atlanta suburb for about 4.1 miles this afternoon and I feel pretty good.
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