5-8-15 "the Captains place"

I saw a place on the map called "The Captain's" and it said use zipline to cross river? I had to see this for myself. You clip your pack on a rope then you sit on the seat and pull yourself across. There is a sign that says go to the back porch for free sodas. I had a drink and relaxed in a nice chair while I charged my phone in a nearby plug. Later I met the Captain and other hikers arrived. One guy had gotten stabbed in the eye with a branch and his eye was all red, he got a ride to a town to get it looked and we all pitched in so he could pick up hotdogs and snacks. There was about 12 of us, we had a nice cookout and hung out around the fire pit. 

5-7-15 Rice Field shelter

I left Pearisburg late in the day, around noon. It was very hot and humid so I didn't go far I stopped at 4 pm and spent the night at the Rice field shelter. I built a good size fire with another hiker and watched the sun set over the bald mountain top. I was surprised I had cell service , then I noticed there was a tower on a nearby hill. I got to make some calls and catch up with family before bed a nice change. Usually I do not get service at shelters because they are remote.

5-6-15 pearisburg

I left Woods Hole after breakfast and made it to Pearisburg by 2 pm. At the road I tried to hitch in to town for about 30 minutes with no luck. Finally I gave up and started to hike the 5 miles to town and a lady stopped and offered me a ride. She told me she hosts a hiker feed on mothers day and I had to promise to attend. I went to Wal-Mart and did resupply and got a motel room for the night. Later I went to a mexican restaurant for $1 tacos and margaritas. Got a meal and a good buzz for under $15, good deal.

5-5-15 Woods Hole Hostel

I showed up at Woods hole around 2 pm and asked the owners Neville and Michael if I could do work for stay. Michael had brush that needed to be cleared for a fence project and agreed. I worked for 4 hours cutting and hauling mostly rhododendron. The cabin that the bunks were in was built out of chestnut logs in the 1880's, most American chestnut trees were killed by blight in the early 1900's and very few exist today. I joined the owners for dinner and breakfast the 2 nights I stayed. Neville keeps a garden and supplements her home cooked meals with fresh greens. She cooks her own bread which is amazing and sources all other ingredients locally mostly at an amish grocery. I love this place the farm is around 800 acres with cows, goats and pigs. They use a wood fired boiler for heat and hot water (amazing showers). In the morning you are encouraged to volunteer with daily chores like sweeping out the bunk house, bring the used towels to the main house, wipe surfaces etc. The cabin has been in Neville's family for 80 or so years so it has a lot of tradition, they really make you feel like family. 

5-4-15 Dismal falls

I made it to the dismal river around 1 pm, on the other side there is a highway crossing. The map says there is a country store with showers and laundry a mile west. Trents grocery is the only store for several miles so it has a little of everything, fast food, fishing gear, ice cream, small hardware selection, some camping gear etc. I ordered some food and paid for a shower and laundry. Around back there is a horse paddock and down a dirt road there is a concrete building that houses the shower and laundry. I cleaned up, went back to the store and bought some resupply. I went back to the trail and hiked a couple miles to Dismal falls which is on a short side trail. At the falls there were a bunch of other hikers most of which I had met before. I soaked my feet in the river and did a little fishing, later I took a nap on the rocks until the sun went down. After dark I hiked another 6 miles or so and camped in a small clearing, the night air was cool and smelled of pine I enjoyed the peaceful solitude of the forest at night.

5-3-15 full moon hike

I left Bland around 2 pm and hitched 4 miles back to the trail, I got to the first shelter and made dinner. The shelter was packed with hikers and several had tents set up nearby. There was a bright full moon after dark and I decided to move on . I hiked with just moonlight for hours. At one point I came upon 3 hikers sitting around a fire. I said hello and scared the crap out of them, they had not seen or heard me approach. They asked me where my light was and I pointed at the moon. I finally pitched my tent around midnight.

5-2-15 Bland Virginia

I left the shelter at 6 am planning to get to Bland Virginia. I made the road crossing by 4 pm and hitched in to Bland. The name makes sense as the only businesses in town are Dollar General, a grocery store and a subway. I bought some hotdogs and built a fire in the park at a pavillion to roast them over. I slept in a empty building with a missing window to avoid the rain. In the morning I was walking around main street and an older lady asked me if I planned to visit the historic society. she said it was tradition to lock hikers in the old jail and take a picture. So I went ro check it out, there was some neat civil war relics including an old rifle found on a nearby mountain pass.

5-1-15 Chestnut knob shelter

The chestnut knob shelter is one of the few shelters with a door, the privy has a view for miles. The building is an old ranger cabin built in the 50's. There were even plexiglass windows and a picnic table inside. The views from the bald (treeless mountainn top) at 4400' elevation were spectacular. I watched the sun set and cooked dinner and went to sleep early.

4-30-15 The bus to marion

In the morning I caught the bus from the Mt. Rogers visitor center which is a faw hundred yards from the shelter. I went to Marion to do laundry and to charge my phone at McDonald's while I used their Wifi. I took the bus back around noon and started to hike. the trail crossed a few cow fields and several streams. I got a late start so I hiked a couple hours after dark and camped on a ridge in the moonlight. Hiking at night is so peaceful and the temperature was perfect. I fell asleep listening to the coyotes calling to each other.

4-29-15 Back on the trail !

So I took 8 days off and made a speedy recovery, first day back I hiked 15 miles. When I made it to Partnership Shelter my ankle had a little swelling but the pain wasn't bad. This is one of the few shelters you can actually order a pizza to. I threw in with some other hikers and got a Hawaiian. Kind of a celebration of my return to the trail. There is also a shower and a bus goes in to Marion Virginia (12 miles away) 3 times a day for 50 cents. Marion has a walmart and any fast food you can think of. I showered and set up my sleeping bag and spent the night in the shelter. A bunch of hikers built a fire , a hiker played a guitar as we relaxed for the night. This is the good life.

4-20-15 thru 4-28-15 Sprained Ankle / recovery

The rain was torrential most of the night, so loud on the metal roof of the shelter you could barely sleep. I woke up around 6 am to shooting pain in my ankle, it had swollen badly and turned an ugly red. I forced my shoes on and got geared up to go. I was determined to see the ponies in the Grayson Highlands and try to enjoy my day. I was limping badly and hiking at half pace every step was painful. I spotted a small herd a couple hundred yards down a hillside. I took my pack off and sat on a rock and after a few minutes their curiosity got the best of them and they came over to investigate. The ponies are born wild but they see a lot of people so they can be friendly. After a half hour they moved on , what peaceful creatures. I had to hike around 20 miles to a road crossing and then hitch hike another 20 miles to Marion Virginia to get to a hospital. The doctor looked at it and immediately ordered xrays. Later he came back and told me surprisingly there is no bone or tendon damage. He prescribed anti-inflammatory pills and told me to stay off it for 10 days. I went to the Troutdale church hostel and the pastor agreed to let me stay to recover. During my stay I helped with a broken water line at the church. The weather was clear the whole time I was off trail which drove me nuts because I couldn't hike!

4-19-15 Mt. Rogers

I hiked out of Damascus at around 10 am in clear weather and by noon it was overcast and by 2 pm down pour. I stayed at the first shelter I came to which was about 9 miles out of town. There was about 9 other hikers and we all collected wood for a bonfire when the rain stopped. I managed to take down a dead pine tree by throwing a piece of cord over a limb and making it sway back and forth until it snapped. The next morning the temperature dropped to 40 as I climbed white top and the winds became gale force, it was hard to keep on my feet. Then on my way up Mt. Rogers I slipped on a rock and my toe caught under a root and I fell forward twisting my ankle badly. By the time I made it to the shelter on top of the mountain I was near hypothermia and my ankle had doubled in size. The rain was violent all night and cleared by morning, I was never so tired in my life.

4-18-15 Damascus Virginia

I got a ride back to the trail from Sutton early in the morning and hiked over night from Watuga Dam to Damascus. I arrived around 4 am and camped on the edge of town. I slept a couple hours and went to breakfast and walked around town a while. I got a spot at Woodchuck's hostel for the night, showers and breakfast included for $10. I bought new shoes at the outfitter and got rid of my not so waterproof boots. The new shoes are mesh vented so when they get wet they will dry fast. The weather was good , I stocked up on food and went to sleep early I was running on a few hours of sleep.

4-16&17-15 The Braemar Castle

Sutton Brown the owner of the Braemar Castle is a cool guy, he told me about the history of Hampton and the property. The castle had been a post office and a base of operations for a logging company in the early 1900s. And it had been in Sutton's family since the 1940's. I asked him where the nearest laundromat was and he said the next town maybe 15 miles. I told him about my long walk in the rain and he said he usually doesent let hikers use his washer but he'd let me. He said his dryer was broken so I would have to hang them to dry and told me how to get in the basement where the machine was. While I was down there I fixed the dryer by rewiring the heating coils and dried my clothes. Sutton appreciated it a lot and let me use his tools to make a new stand for my stove in his shop. I got a bad head cold from all the hiking in the rain so I stayed 2 nights.

4-15-15 The Barn Shelter

I woke up to cold rain and my "water proof" boots were still wet enough they squished when I walked, it was going to be a long day..... I decided to hike to hampton Tennessee so I could stay at the braemar hostel and dry my boots. I left at sunrise and could not stop it was so cold, there was no cover it was open field and high winds until noon. In the afternoon it it was downhill with tree cover so the wind was not so bad. I got to the highway crossing around 5 pm and the rain had slowed to a drizzle. I hitched to town and found the hostel, it was a nice old stone building. I couldn't find the owner so I called the number on the wall. Someone answered and said the owner was unavailable make yourself at home. Later on I went to the local grocery store and realized the owner also owned the hostel. I paid him for my bunk and got some food for dinner.

4-14-15 Cherry Branch

I woke up at 6 am and it was overcast and wet. It began to rain about 9 am and it got cold around 55 degrees. Everything was covered in a thick fog, visibility was down to 200' or so I was told there was a hostel on a side trail about 7 miles from the shelter but I missed it in the fog. I climbed Roan mountain around 2 pm this is the last time the AT goes over 6000' elevation until mt. Washington in NH . As I reached the summit a heavy rain fall moved in and soon the trail became a river. I decided to hike to a shelter that was converted from an old barn because the book said it  sleeps 24 people. It would not be fun to set up camp in the rain. By the time I arrived it was an hour before dark and I was thoroughly soaked to the bone and tired. I found some room on the upper level and set up my bed and hung my gear to dry. I made some hot chocolate and potatoes for dinner and called it a night.

4-13-15 Good ol' Erwin

Today I went to town with the hostel's morning shuttle and had breakfast and got back on the trail around 11 am. I was feeling good, I had fully recovered from my brush with sickness and I had no trouble making some good miles. There were several uphill climbs and it rained around 2 pm. but my spirits were high . I even took a break and started to practice on the harmonica a bit .... I wish I had some musical ability. I made it to a shelter and there were lots of people there in tents but there was a spot available in the shelter itself. I claimed the spot simply because I knew it was going to rain and I didn't want to pack my tent wet in the morning and carry the extra weight. One of my water bags broke and now I'm down to 1 liter capacity which is not good especially when water sources are far apart. I checked the map and there does not seem to be a place to get a new container for 30 miles so I will just have to be careful not to pass any water sources until I can replace it. I sat with some other hikers at the fire and caught up on trail news before going to bed for the night. It rained hard enough to wake me up in the middle of the night as it slowed the tap tap tap on the tin roof lulled me back to sleep.

Erwin earned some notoriety in 1916 when the only known public execution of an elephant in Tennessee occurred in the community. Mary, the elephant, had killed her handler, Walter Eldridge, in nearby Kingsport. As home to the region's largest railway yard, Erwin was the only community with the means to carry out the death sentence. An estimated 2,500 people turned out at the local railway yard to see Mary hoisted by a crane and hanged by a chain around her neck. The first chain snapped, but a larger one was found and the peculiar task completed - she was hanged for half an hour before being declared dead.

Only in the south .......

4-12-15 Uncle Johnny's Hostel

When I woke up this morning I felt much better, I was able to eat some oatmeal and rehydrate. I was stiff from the hard sleeping surface but my stomach was not so queasy. I made a fire and did some stretching to relieve the pain and stiffness in my back and knees. I soaked my feet and applied some blister patches to my heels where my boots are starting to rub and got ready for the 18 mile push to Erwin Tenn. The maps told me there was a couple more miles of uphill and then it was mostly downhill to Erwin. The winds were around 30-40 mph and it was about 55 deg. until noon . as I went down in elevation and the wind died down it turned out to be a nice day, about 70 deg. and sunny. I passed over a few brooks and rivers and then as I started seeing Erwin in the distance there were several switchbacks heading down the last mile or so. When I got to the hostel I rented a private cabin and bought a folding sleeping mat (I wasn't taking any chances on an air mattress). The owner offers a shuttle for guests in to town and a few of us went out to dinner at a Mexican restaurant, we all sat at the same table and told trail stories and had a great time. After dinner I went to Wal-mart and bought a plastic tub and some epsom salts to soak my feet and some food. Back at the hostel I watched a movie from the archaic VHS collection and slept in a real bed for the first time in weeks, what a luxury!

4-11-15 NORO virus

I got up this morning and I was sick to my stomach so I broke down camp and started my day hoping it would pass. I made it to the highway crossing at Sam's Gap and saw a small sign that read "go up hill for breakfast". I thought maybe some food would help my stomach and went to check it out . At the top of the hill there was an elderly man of about 70 who had set up a propane skillet on a table and a few chairs , when he saw me he said " have a seat ,would you like eggs and hash browns?" I said " yes sir please" and he cooked them for me, he also offered me oranges, soda and homemade pistachio muffins which I gladly accepted. I sat and watched the sunrise with him and he told me he was a trail maintainer for the 40 mile section I just hiked through. After some interesting conversation and thanking him for breakfast as well as his service on the trail I continued on my journey. After the highway the trail went up in elevation for several miles and my stomach got worse as the morning wore on. Several time I was forced to stop and sit for a while and let the pain pass and I wasn't making much headway. It seemed the food I ate would not go down and I couldn't drink much water, at that point I realized I had gotten the NORO virus and I started looking for a spot to sleep it off. The virus causes inflammation of the intestines, vomiting, diarrhea and stomach pain. I was able to keep from vomiting but I could not hike very far. Fortunately I found a flat spot on a side trail with a small spring and a fire ring with stacked dry fire wood nearby. My air mattress had gotten a pin hole in it and I slept on the hard ground for 12 hours tossing and turning ... I lost enough weight during the trip that my hips and lower back are uncomfortable on a hard surface. Maybe Tomorrow will be a better day....... 

4-10-15 laurel hostel

Today I started hiking at about 8 am and it rained until noon when I stopped for a snack at a shelter. I was joined by 2 other hikers and I asked if they knew of any resupply up ahead. They told me there was a road crossing 2 miles up and a hostel 1.8 east. So I hiked off trail and found the laurel hostel. The owner was a big guy with a holstered gun on his hip and an easy smile. I ordered a Philly cheese steak, took a needed shower and washed my laundry. The bunks were in a small out building with satellite TV , the shower was in the store's bathroom and they had a small selection  of goods for sale. Business was very slow only 2 locals came in during the 2 hours I was there. I sat down at a table in the store and ate lunch  talked guns and made friends with the owner. I decided it was too early to stop for the day and he offered to give me a ride back to the trail (saved me a 1.8 mile uphill walk). I made it to a shelter an hour before dark and made dinner and found 2 people were sick so I decided to move on in the dark. within an hour I felt sick to my stomach and I made camp at sams gap which is a highway crossing.

4-9-15 mountain top camp

Today was a long haul, when I was in hot springs a fellow hiker told me some friends planning to do some trail magic at a road crossing and I met him here today. I was given a ham sandwich , 2 cokes and a bag of cookies ! Score. I camped on top of a hill near a shelter because I had phone service and a water source. There was plenty of dry wood and a fire ring. And the sunset was amazing it gave everything a red glow.

4-8-15 back to the wilderness

It's aboud 80° today which I'm told is a record here, the lizards are out and the birds are singing... what a beautiful day to be alive. I only hiked about 10 miles today because I found an awesome spot on top of a hill I just couldn't pass up. I was able to make calls but not able to update the blog. When the sun went down I could see the lights in a town nearby. I went to sleep listening to the owls calling to each other.

4-7-15 long trek

So I made it to hot springs North Carolina, I put in a 27 mile day in a rain storm to get here. I rented a room at a hostel and stopped at a local pub that is rumored to have the legendary AT burger. I was told to ask for it although its not on the menu. When I asked the server smiled and said do you think your up to it? And I asked why suspiciously, she told me it is 18 oz. of burger, bacon, lettuce, tomato and onion rings on  it with a special garlic mayonnaise.  After my long day it sounded like just what I needed. After a good nights sleep I went to the equally legendary spa where they get natural mineral water from the hot springs the town is named for and soaked in a hot tub for an hour. This place is heavenly I would recommend it as a vacation , the people are warm and friendly and its inexpensive. Oh and if you can't tell from the picture I've lost around 25 lbs. so far.

4-6-15 Standing bear

Today I stopped at standing bear hostel for resupply and laundry, this place is great! Very rustic and old fashioned, the proprietor goes by the name of Lumpy. The water wasn't working when I got there so I hauled some water from the brook so I could wash my clothes. I also bought some food and ate a good meal before moving on. You hand wash your clothes and he has a modern dryer. The commissary has just about any backpacking food imaginable. Lumpy gives you an envelope and has you write down what you take and you pay when your ready to leave, very laid back.

4-5-15 last day in the smoky mountain national park

Today I made my way out of the smoky mountains, I enjoyed the views but the trails were basically river beds. I was walking down the trail and I kept seeing deer tracks and all of a sudden there was a huge buck on the trail ahead of me, he looked back at me dipped his head and jumped off the trail disappearing in to the woods. This gave me the energy to make it over the next hill. I look forward to the lower elevation for a bit, the freezing temps in the 5000'+ smokeys is punishing as I like to move at sunrise and its typically still below freezing that early.

4-4-15 Clingmans dome

So I am having trouble uploading to the blog so for the time being I will only be posting one photo for each post. When I left Gatlinburg I hitch hiked back to Clingmans Dome and it was 30 deg. at noon ! the trees were covered in frost and the trails glazed with ice 6643' elevation is rough. I hiked back down to about 4300' which took until about an hour after dark. I was lucky and there was a spot available in a shelter so I didn't need to set up my tent.

4-2-15 and 4-3-15 Gatlinburg Tennessee

This place is a tourist trap, neon lights , moonshine and Ripleys Believe it or Not seems to be the theme here. I have an  ankle injury so I took a day off here,  cant wait to get back on the mountain. To get here I walked around 5 miles down an access road and several cars went by but nobody would pick me up. I didn't have cell service to call a shuttle and the sun was setting. The fog was so thick that I knew I wouldn't find a ride after dark. The temperature was around 40 deg. and I was soaked through from the rain and gale winds. Finally a german family on vacation offered to get me to the Gatlinburg visitors center which was only a mile or so from town.

4-1-15 The Great Smoky Mountains

The hike in to the Smokey Mountain back country was difficult, 85 degrees , uphill for 11 miles and high humidity. We started hiking at noon after we went to the resort to print out back country permits. You can only camp in shelters in the smokies unless they are full. Only thru-hikers are allowed to tent in the event the shelters are completely full. The smokies have fewer water sources as well so you need to "camel up"  by drinking more at sources and filling your storage to max (I carry 3 litres now). There is no place to resupply unless you go way off trail, So I have a good 8 days of food. The problem is that it is a lot of weight and its hard on your body especially in high elevation. I got to a shelter at about 13 miles (3000' elev. gain), and it was full. I set up my tent at dark and the temperature dropped rapidly and a strong wind came in. I saw lots of signs of bear , and 2 deer on the hike in.

3-31-15 The Fontana Hilton

The Fontana Dam is closed this time of the year to tourism but thru-hikers are always welcome. The shelter is called the Fontana Hilton because it actually has a shower and electric. The bunks sleep 24 and there is a huge fire pit and a little park to put tents in. The village of Fontana has a postal code but in fact just an overgrown resort. I was told there are only 13 year round residents. After the trail crosses the dam you are officially in the smoky mountains, home to about 1500 black bears which is roughly 2 per square mile. All the hikers had a fun night we swapped stories and news around the fire pit.  I met new people because I am starting to make good miles and all the people I started with are days behind me.

3-30-15 late start

I did laundry in the morning and got some energy bars at the outfitter, I have been having battery problems with my phone so I couldn't post to the blog. There is very little internet connection in the southern back country, the towns are small and sparse. I had a late breakfast and hit the trail around noon. The NOC is at 1723' elev. the first mountain of the day was at 5026' elev. In about 8 mi. What a climb! I got to a shelter just after dark, it was full so I went back down the trail and set up my tent, it was a beautiful clear night the stars and the moon were amazing.

3-29-15 Nantahala outdoor center

I hiked 22 miles to the NOC (Nantahala outdoor center) where I rented a bunk for the night to avoid a nasty storm system rolling thru the area. It rained hard all night with lots of lightning. The NOC is geared towards tourists and rafting but it has a good outfitter, showers, laundry etc. The food is overpriced but it is in the middle of nowhere. I needed a good rest and took full advantage. The people coming through were asking thru-hikers so many questions (its obvious we are thru-hiking). A hiker told me the difference between thru-hikers and homeless people is goretex.

great view from the lookout.