Week 6

5/16 Saunders shelter 481, packed after trail days

5/17 camped at mile 500 in the grayson highlands with wild ponies

5/18 Trimpi Shelter 524 (longest day yet, finished hiking in at night)

5/19 Partnership shelter 534 after spending the day in Marion 

5/20 crawfish tr camp 552 Just past the ¼ trail mark! Stopped by to see alpacas, crossed I-81

5/21 Walker gap camp 571

5/22 Helvey's mill shelter 594 and crossed I-77

First few spots were a bit crowded after trail days, but things have been stretching back out. The Grayson highlands threatened to be foggy, but the fog lifted and I was able to see the amazing terain. I got woken up on tuesday to a pony licking my tent, and the sounds of someone trying to keep them away from their breakfast. They were playful, but you could tell that some of them had been fed by day hikers and were conditioned to it. 

Since the highlands, temperatures have been high. I sent home more of my winter clothes in Marion and spent most of my day on a park bench waiting for my phone/battery to charge in a walgreens. They were nice to hikers there, and had a powerstrip out and let me shave in the bathroom. Then a man saw us walking down the road and offered us a lift back to the partnership shelter. Its one of the few famed shelters that gets pizza delivery. 

Now theres longer stretches between water as we ride the ridges of virginia. Easier miles, with fewer places to stop. I'm still loving the trail a quarter through, and it still feels like I'm just getting started. As I remarked to someone, for the first time in a long time I feel like time is going exactly on pace. Each day feels full, and I don't feel like weeks slip past in a blur, or drag on for eons. Maybe from watching the sun rise and fall each day?

No cicadas yet, but I know they'll be here soon enough. 

Bridge was out

more pics in part 2

Week 5, Trail Days

5/8 mountaineer shelter 404

5/9 Braemer castle hostel, Hampton TN 422

5/10 castle day 2

5/11 camped 441

5/12 abingdon gap shelter 460

5/13 arrived damascus 470

5/14 trail days!

5/15 trail days!

This week I finally got to Virginia, the longest state on the AT. I took a zero in Hampton to catch up on sleep, and it came in useful for trail days. In Damascus every spring, the whole trail community gathers together for a festival. Hikers shuttle in from wherever they are on the trail, and join the fun. Trail Days takes over the small town for the weekend. It was great to be able to see hikers I hadn't seen since starting and catch up with them.

Mountaineer Falls

my attempt to patch a hole with duct tape. Got me through to Virginia.

Watuga Lake dam

farm pass-thru

Week the 4th

5/2 mile 316 stealth site

5/3 no business knob shelter 338, after

Big bald

5/4 Erwin near-o 344 uncle johnny's hostel

5/5 cherry gap shelter 361, unaka mtn

5/6 Roan high knob shelter 379, highest shelter on the AT! 6270 ft

5/7 Roan Mountain community park 395

Stayed in Erwin for a rainy day. I sent home some of my gear, including my gloves. That decision would be put to the test. 

Roan Mountain in the sun. 

Roan Mountain Shelter with snow

Roan Mountain the next day, hail, wind, and snow all morning. My hardest day so far while I was up on the peaks with no trees and didn't want to take off my sock-mittens to take pictures. 

Karaoke was a lot of fun

Wood Man cooking potatoes he carried for 3 days in a bindle as part of a trail challenge. I slept inside the little community park kitchen, and had some great conversations about local and trail history with Erik and Pam who went above and beyond in setting up a whole weekend for hikers. 

week 3 (pt 2, more pictures)

Week 3 Fontana Dam to past Hot Springs (pt 1)

4/24 Fontana Dam shelter "fontana hilton" 166

4/25 Spence Field Shelter 183

4/26 Mt Collins Shelter 203 (past Clingman's dome)

4/27 Tricorner Knob Shelter 223

4/28 Standing Bear Farm (hostel) 241

4/29 Roaring Fork Shelter (past Max Patch) 257

4/30 Hot Springs (Laughing Heart Hoste, right on the traill) 275

5/1 Little Laurel Shelter 295

Delayed posting from yesterday due to servive

This week I got to go through and past the smokies. I hadn't heard much about the smokies before going into this, but I baught my permit and entered the best maintained section so far. The forest shifted to pines and the whole forest floor was a moss blanket or wildflower meadow. It was so nice to finally be hiking through a green forest.

I once again brought too much food with me, as I continued to bring up my pace. I hiked my first 20 mile days, and blew through the smokies in 4 days. They were a step up in elevation, including the highest point on the AT - Clingman's dome. I had a little culture shock seeing the tourists that had simply driven to the top. 

I got to see my first bear for the trip. It was playing with the bear cables provided at the spence field shelter. It was easily scared away, and didn't come back. Some people go through the whole trail and never see a wild bear, and I'm happy I was able to see one at a distance.

Every time I get off the trail, I'm shocked by the number of hikers I see in town. While hiking I'll often just see a few other thru-hikers on a given day. In town I've seen dozens of people together. Some of them are spending multiple nights, but the impression is still strange. They say this year was more popular, and I guess it shows.

tower to clingman's dome views.