may 13 - trents grocery

Today, may 13th, was a great day. It was supposed to be a good da anyways because it was supposecd to be a short day. What made it even better was thhat it was a resuupply day. Resupply days are good for at least 2 reason. 1 being that i get to eat alot of food at the resupply place. In this case the resupply place was trents grocery. The other reason is because my pack is lighter than usual while on the way to the resupply place. The bad thing about resupply is that mmy packk is hhheavier after i resupply my food. Which after a full resupply can be 12-14lbs. But this resupply is special, because i only needed 2 days of total food. Which is less than 5 lbs. I dont need much for tomorrow, because we are getting to a hostel around midday, and there will hopefully be food there. Then the day after that we are going to pearisburg, where there will be more food. Then back to damascus thye next day. Where food will once again be abundant. so in short, im in a good mood because i ate alot today and will have a lighter pack the next 2days. In addition to food and weight, today was a real good chill. A lot of hikers were at trents, and i caught up to monk and coach and solo there. I stuffed my face with food. And resupplied for the upcoming few days. We hung out there for a while, then hiked the 2 miles to dismal falls. A campsite next to a river with a waterfall. I got there around 2pm, then we just chilled for the rest of the day. Guru, coach, monk, solo, aquaman. I ate way too much for dinner that night, and got sick from it.

may 11 and 12- hiker feast

May 11 i woke up to a foggy day. it was a 10 mile hike to the shelter where i was gonna meet up with monk and coach. it was a long 10 miles with alot of elevation change. it was also difficult to follow the trail because the fog made it difficult to see the blazes while hiking over balds. when i got to the shelter, monk and coach were already there and there were signs left in the shelter that told us to continue another mile and a half to the bottom of the mountain where there is a hiker feast. It started raining just as i reached the bottom. at the bottom of the mountain was an awning set up with a table covered with all types of food, fruits, vegetables, baked goods, chili, snacks, soda beer. it was provided by hemlock and freak. they have been making this hiker feast the day before mothers day for the past 4 years. Freak was giving out postcards for us to send home for Mother's Day. All we had to do was write a message and the address and he mailed me out for us. i ate until i was a bit past full then began the next 9 miles to the shelter we stayed at. There were a lot of people there, it was a good chill at the end of the day too May 12 my blisters had gotten pretty bad. I had bad ones on my heels that hurt a lot to walk on. I still kept my schedule with monk and coach.

may 10 - knot maul

May 10 was a relatively short day, i dont remember how many miles, but we had finished at around 230. We ended at the knot maul shelter. Ending so early gave me a chance to drink that bottle of evan williams we found on the trail. I drank it, coach had a sip and lowgear had some too. But i drank most of it. i ate then passed out for 2 hours. At the time i thought it was 15 minutes but a few dayys later i foud out it was that long. It thunderstormed in the latee afternoon, and we packed 8 into a 6 person shelter, along with many tents. Earlier in the day, there was a cooler with snacks and soda in it. Trail magic is always awesome.

may 9 - the barn

May 9 i woke up in a motell in marion, va. Was a decent nights sleep. I woke up alot during the night but at least it was indoors and in a real bed. First thing i did was go get the free breakkfast the motell offers. It was nothing special, waffles, english muffins, cereal, coffe, nut still way better than poptarts. After that i went across the street to the farm supplies store to see if they had denatured alcohool so i can restock that. There was a minibike sitting outside along wiith their lawn tractors. I asked the cashier if i can take it ffor a test ride. She saiid shed have to ask the manager but its usuallyy alright. I thought that if i involved the manager idd just piss him off if i took it for a ride and then he found out im a hiker with no intention of actually buying it. So i gave up that opportunity then went back to the motel. I packed up my stuff and soon after the shuttle showed up to take us back to the trail. It was a sunnny day, ad it was about time. Especially after the few days of rain we had. It wasnt long into the hike when we stopped for lunch. There was a small whiskey bottle that looked like it was filled with pee on the floor. I walked right past it and sat down with the others. We ate and relaxed for a few minutes. But before we left we convinced coach to open and smell the contents of the bottle. It turned out to be exactly what the label said it was. A bottle of evan williams honey bourbon. Nobody else wanted it so i took it, i was willing to carry it, especiallly because there hasnnt been much hard alcohol on the hike. Our hike took us through meadows and farmland. Walking through the meadowsi was hit by the smell of the flowers on the bushes in the meadow. It smelled so good, exactly like what one would expect spring to smell like. Eventuallly we reached a road where the settlers museum was located. There was an 1800's schoolhouse and a house filled with settler artifacts and information. From there was a 2 mille hike to the barn. A restaurant in the town of atkins that the trail passes. They advertiise having a 1lb burger. So many hikers go there just for that. Being right next to the traill helps too. After that was just a few miles to the campsite. There used to be a shelter there, so theres alot of garbage around the floor under where the shelter used to stand. On the plus side, theres a privy. A privy is always a plus. The ground wasnt too flat so it was work to find a flat spot.

may 8 - 20 miles to marion

May 8th was a real long day. I woke up in the overstuffed hhurricane mtn shelter after most of the other hikers had alread left. Monk and coach left just a few minutes before me, but i was hikinng fast so i caught up quickly. We had made plans to stop for lunch at trimmpi shelter, about 10 miles awa from where we started. It wasnt raiing et but rain was forecasted so i wore my raingear, which means that i was sooaking wet regardless. I got to trimpi shelter at about 1130am. So 10 miles were already done by that time, and the total for the da was planned to be 20 miles. Shortly after our lunch break at trimpi we walked through a field with some shrubs and flowers, it smelled like spring,, the sweet smell of flowers filled the air. At the end of the field was a big wooodenn box that was filled with all different types of food. A loccal church had put a trail magic box on the trail for hikers. We stopped and ate again just because of the convenience of the box. I filled up on sardines and crackers and some snack mix then conntinued hiking. While hiking i found a morel mushroom. I have been looking for one since first learning about em at the fontana lodge. They are famous in southern appalachia for being rare and tasty. I picked it and put in in my hipbelt pocket for later. We hiked really fast that day, even though it rained most of the day, and finished the 20 miles by 4pm. It was the fastest day so far, and second to longest. At the partnership shhelter theres a shower, and a visitors center, so we went to the visitors center to find out about getting a ride to marion. I also asked the woman workking there if she can identify the morel but she had no idea. The shuttles werent running for the rest of the day, the last one was at 230, so we went to the road and tried to hitchhike. after an unsuccesful half hour of trying to hitchike we were about ready to call a cab, but a bus drove by and pulled over for us. It was the marion shuttle that had just drove some people to nearby roanoke, and picked us up anyways while on its way back to marion. It dropped us off by the marion econolodge. There were 3 different hotells alll right there, so we checked the prices of all of them then decided on the americas best value inn. After we got settled in our room we went for dinner, then ingles to resupplly, then back to the motel. It was a long exhausting day.

may 7 - hurricane mountain

It rained on annd off all night before i woke up o may 7. Ad it looked like rain for the rest of the day as well. It was a slow mornig for me. Wwalked down to te water source to pump sme water packed up my tent slowly, i was i no hurry. First coac left, then monk, then me. I caught up to monk at the first shelter i came to. It was 5 miles in, and i stopped there for a snack break. Inside the shelter was a small pile of food. Someone had fouund a fod bag ii the forest and brought it to the shelter. It was quickly torn apart b the ravenous hikers, and people took what they wanted. I grabbed a big bag o jerky and trail mix. It greatly added to my already overstocked food bag. We had planned to meet for lunch 5 miles from there at the next shelter. The hurricane mtn shelter. When i got there i first filled up my water and saw the other group, garbear, bearsnack alpha dog, peanut and northstar. They were all planning on going 6 more miles then staying at a hostel. There was a thunderstorm coming and they had been soaking wet for 3 days already. I walked up the hill to the shelter to meet up with monk and coach. They were debating staying at thhe shelter for the night. Coach had just checked the weather and the thunderstorm was close. The next shelter was about 10 miles away, annd we could already see the storm clouds over the mountains across a wide valley. So we stayed in the shelter. I walked back down to get some more water for the night, and as i was puttiing away my pump i began to hear thunder, and shortly after the rainn started falling, and hard. I hhad put m tarp over part of the front of the shelter to keep out soome wind and rain. But the rain was coming from the side, and some was still getting in, but not too badly. I cooked for a while, makinng about 2 dinners,, because i had so much extra food. And another group came in to the shelter. We had already had enoouugh enough people to fill the shelter, but we managed too squeze in 6 more. Was tight but not too bad. Was a chillly nigth though.

may 6- no ponies

The grayson highlands are way overrated. Or at least they seem that way when the rain has been so bad in the area for the past 3 days that the appalachian trail has become the appalacchian creek. Or at least most of it is. And it definietely seemed that way today. The grayson highlands is a park in southeastern virginia that is famous for having wild ponies roam the area. I didnt see any ponies, just a load a horse shit. On the trail and next to the trail were piles of horse shit of differing sizes. Some were so big you think all the horses on the mountain decide to shit in the same spot at the same time. No horses were shitting on the trail today, may 6, though.... the wind was strong and the rain was coming down, and it was impossible for your shoes to not be really really wet. One of the other hikers, evenbeard, saw a horse, and one walked right up to his father. They started the same time as us and from the same place as us. So they werent far behind us when they encountered the ponies. Were still in horse area though, so its possible that tomorrow ill get to ride the ponies. Tomorrow is going to be a real long day too. We have 20 miles planned. I hiked with monk ,han solo and coach today. Han solo went ahead after we took a break at the first shelter 4 miles in. He's getting off the trail soon for a wedding and a cd release. Hes not the one getting married, but his band is releasing their first cd. Its pretty cool, and the music is pretty good. Its a bluesy rock type o sound. Anyways, he went ahead because monk wasnt doing too well and was debating stopping for the day after just 4 miles. It was cold today and monk doesnt have rain pants and he wears fivefingers while hiking. So he was cold and his foot was hurting. Me coach and monk continued together. It was a coool trail, mostl grassy balds, the grass kept short by the grazing horses, though i didnt get to see any. There were also some cool rock fields where i had to hop from rock to rock. And of course, lots of water, constantly walking through water. At onne point tere was a bridge over a fast moving stream, though i opted to wade through the stream just for fun. I couldnnt get any wwetter anyways. We got to a shelter hoping for a spot, but the shelter was already overfull. There were 10 people in an 8 person shelter. The night before there was 18 in that shelter, and the hikers couldnt continuue hiking for half of the day because the stream that is just past the shelter was too high to safely cross, the bridge was covered by fast moving white water. I saw the streeam at the end of the day and it was still very high. We camped at that shelter, getting water that ran off the roof of the shelter. I was reluctant to use ground water because of all the horse shit that was scattered everwhere. Even finding a tent spot was a chore to avoid the feces scattereed everwhhere

cinco de mayo

Cinco de mayo was an awesome day. Well, zero days are usually awesome days. I took one of moonlights bicycles to the grocery store to get supplies for breakfast. Then me and solo cookked when i got back. It was an awesome breakfast, one of the best ive had on the trail. Salsa washed the dishes and we all just ended up watchin tv. We hung out in the backyard for a bit while solo cleaned the pool for work for stay. Then monk and salsa made a grocery list to figure ot what to do for dinner. Mexican was the choice because today is cinco de mayo. Salsa, coach, and solo took bikes to the store to get the supplies, while the rest of us stayed in and watched tv. Most of the day was spent watching tv. Monks foot is really swollen so he wasnt up for moving around. And i have a few blisters from hiking in the rain. So being active wasnt anything i was interested. When they got back from the grocery store the cooking began. Coach made queso, salsa made enchiladas, and bluegrass made guacamole. Moonlight came back with his truck full of things he got from his friend for a damascus wide yard sale that is happening next week. So we helped unload his truck then ate dinner. We were all so tired after dinner, just watched more tv. But we still hadnt had dessert. So someone , i dont remember who, went out to the grocery store again and picked up ice cream and cookie dough. Then we had fresh baked cookies with ice cream on top. After watching another movie, moonlight, solo, and monk went downstairs for a jam session in moonlights music room. Coach went downstairs and i did too a few minutes afterward. Me and coach ended up taking turns singing along with the music. It was a good chill and an awesome jam. Its pretty late now, almost 1am. And we have to catch an 8am shuttle to the train. So im going to sleep now.

may 4- scared back to damascus

Today, may 4, was one of those hiking days that are as mentally challenging as they are physically challening. I woke up early after a cold sleep, around 730am. It was a cold sleep because of the lighter sleeping bag that im now using. I sent my winter bag home, an old 10 degree sleeping bag that i thought was probably closer to a 40 degree bag. Thhough now that ive been using the 50 the past two nights i think my winter bag was about a 30 degree. When i started hiking today it wasnt too bad, it was about 40 degrees, and not too windy, and the rain hadnt started yet. the biggest problem was that i woke up feeling sicker than i was the day before. Just a cold, but it really makes hiking difficult. Congested, nose running, coughing, it made breathing uncomfortable, and it made every step a bigger effort. I took things kinda slow, but the slower i hike the longer it takes to get to the end, and i had a big day planned. 18 miles to the next shelter, and i was racing the rain. Things started going downhill about 6 miles in. I was starting to get wet from the mist and humidity, and the temp hadnt gotten any higher,. Stopping became something i tried not to do, as id get cold very within minutes of stopping. From there began the climb upwards. From about 3500 feet towards the goal of 5200 at the end of the day. The hike took me over a bald mountain with wind that was so strong i almost fell over from it a few times. And hiking through the cloud at the top soaked me thoroughly. Being wet and cold wouldnt have been so bad, ive been there before, but with my new lighter, less warm sleeping bag i didnt think id be able to survive the night even if i got to the shelter. Besides, a southbound hiker told me i was the 55th northbounder hed seen that day. On bad weather days everyone tries to get to the shelters, as nobody wants to set up ia tent n the rain. The shelter i was aiming for, at the end of my 18 mile day, only holds 14 people. With maybe enough space for two more. The shelter after that was 5 more miles, and only a 6 person. So the chance of getting a shelter spot was slim. I was cold, wet, sick, tired, and very very scared of not survivng the night. Looking back on it i probably wasnt in as much danger as i thought i was. But i was very scared at the time. About 13 miles in i began looking for a possible campsite. I was at about 4500 feet, which would be 3-5 degrees warmer than the shelter at the top, with less wind too. I got to a road at 15 miles in, and the terrain after it was a bald grazing land for cattle, and the elevation turned sharply upwards too. It was only 3 miles to the shelter, and still needed to climb another 1000 feet. I was about to go a little bit backwards into the forested area i had walked out of, to a campsite i saw just a few hundred feet back. But a hiker had just walked into the bathroom at the parking lot, and i wnated to see what they were planning to do, considering the bad weather. when i got closer i saw multiple backpacks outside the bathroom, and inside there were 7 hikers all taking shelter from the cold wet wind outside. Monk, coach, han solo, bluegrass, and a few others whos names ive forgotten were in there. They had called a shuttle to take them back to damascus, so of course i asked if i could get in on that. Theres nothing better than a warm place to sleep. The shuttle came and we got in the back of the pickup truck. There was 9 of us, and only 4 fit in the cab. It was a cold ride but was better than being out in the cold on the mountain. The ride took a little longer because we got stoppeed while a van was being pulled out of a river alongside the road. We gt back to damascus and after dropping our stuff off at the place were staying, we headed to the bar. I was surprised to see alpha dog, bear snack, garbear, blacksquatch, peanut, north star, and bean and vice there. I thought they were far ahead of me, but theyy had come back off the mountain too. Just an hour before i got to the road with the bathroom. After that we all got some food, then headed back to the house and watched a movie, step brothers. Its kind of late now, and i want to sleep, but everyone is still hanging out and im supposed to be sleeping on the couch. Its 1am, and we expect to do 17 miles tomorrow, through the rain...

may 2-3 - partying in damascus

May 2 in damascus was a pretty fun day. I pickeed up my new lighter sleeping bag from the outfitter i had it sent to, adventure damascus. I also sent home my winter sleeping bag. The new one is two lbs lighter, but much less warm. After that i Spent most of the rest of the day at the bar, since happy hour was from 3-6pm. hanging with monk, coach, han solo, and sticks. then was karaoke night in the evening. I rocked it of course, i think. Well at least everyone told me i did. I was pretty drunk by the end of the night. Drunk enough to dance along to the chacha slide and that other dance song, and i never dance. Then we went back to the bartenders house and played poker til about 230am. I won, and it was my first time winning a poker game. ...... May 3 i woke up feeling pretty hungover, and with a cold coming on. The day started really slow. I got breakfast, then went to the dollar general to resupply. I went back to the campspot at the bartenders house and packed up my stuff. Then i went to the outfitters to see if i can get a lighter backpack. When i got there the guy there told me that my load was too heavy for the lightweight packs, and that id need to cut weight before i got a lightweight pack. He said a lightweight wouldnt be comfortable with that kind of load. With 6 days of food and a liter of water my pack weighed 44.4 lbs. I managed to take a few things out and get it to 43.5. Still too heavy, as most light packs are made to handle about 30lbs. I gave up on the pack and decided to get to the trail. It was already 230pm and the first shelter was 8 miles in, so id need about 4 hours. Monk, coach, and han solo had already gotten to the trail, and sticks was staying in town because he was too hungover to hike. Being a little sick made the hiking much harder for me. Tiring me out faster and making my hiking pace really slow. But i eventually got to saunders shelter and met coach and sinner there. We were the only ones in the shelter, though another thru hiker, an older guy named steady, camped right next to the shelter.

april 30 - may 1 - kincora to damascus

April 30th i finally got back on trail. Bob gave us a ride to the trailhead early in the morning. It was a pretty nice hike, but was all uphill for the first 8 milles of the day. The views were great though, as the trail took us up and around a lake. At 8 miles in i got to the first shelter. A few other hikers were there taking a lunch break. I met monk, han solo, sticks, and coach. Theyre hiking together and call themsellves the goat herd. I joined up with them and hiked with them for the rest of the day. By the end of the day i had done about 16 miles. I had planned to shelter hop and take it slow to damascus, so i had 6 days of food and my pack was heavy. But i was pleasantly surprised by the high mile day. We stopped at the vandeventer shelter about 26 miles away from damascus. When i got there i learned of the damascuthon. A 26 miles hike from the shelter to damascus, and one of those trail challenges that many hikers try to complete. I wanted to try but i didnt think id make it, my ankle was still hurting from the slackpack i did two days before. ....... I woke up pretty early on the morning of may 1, About 730am. I got readyy to go pretty quickly, and left the shelter a few minutes after the goatherd. The thought of a damascuthon still sounded cool, but difficult. I caught up to the goatherd a few times over the course of the day, i was hiking pretty quickly but my ankle was hurting bad, i was expecting to find a campsite about 12 miles in and take it slow. After my lunch break i took 2 ibuprofen and continued hiking, just barely keeping up with them. Since i had started so early in the day, it was still early afternoon and i had completed more than half of the damascuthon, at the pace i was going id be able to make it there just before sundown. The ibuprofen helped alot, the pain in my ankle subsided and as long as i didnt stop for too long my blisters wouldnt hurt too much. I continued, keeping up with the goatherd, and 11 hours after i had started the days hiking i found myself in damascus. I had completed the damascuthon. The words "achievement unlocked: damascuthon" floated past my field of vision. And the pain in my feet was insignificant compared to the feeling of triumph that i had. We walked into town, and found a bunch more hikers hanging out near the bar. I was surprised to see austin, now six7. I hadnt heard from him since i met him in knoxville. He had been hiking really fast and had gotten ahead of me. Me and the goatherd got some food and then went to go find someplace to stay. Sticks has his dog with him, and many hostels dont allow dogs. So we wandered around town looking for a place that would let us stay. The best option we could find was to go to the virginia creeper trail and pitch tents. Seeing as there was no time constraints on tenting, we headed back to the bar and hung out there for a while. I had eaten alot since arriving in town, and i had drank a pither of beer too. I began to feel kind of sick, dizzy, nauseous, i wasnt drunk yet but i knew i was probably going to throw up anyways. I spent a half hour in the bathroom at the bar throwing up. While another hiker, shady, would come by every few minutes to see if i was ok. I had hung out with shady a little earlier in the night, we had wandered around town with some other hikers looking for a place to chill that was out of sight. It felt like being in high school again, and it was pretty funny. When i finally was able to stand up and leave the bathroom i found out that the bartender was going to let us camp in his yard. It was great news, free campsites, and right on the river. We headed there, i set up my tent and fell asleep pretty quickly.

april 29- kincora zero

Monday,april 29th was a fun onee. I woke up a little later than the rest of the hikers, because i was planning a zero day annd had no reason to wake up early. It was still early regardless, around 730am. I couldnt sleep with all the hikers making breakfast in the kitchen in the room adjoining the one i was sleeping in. So i got up and made breakfast while the other hikers alll rushed to pack up, eat, annd get ready to get on the 8am shuttle to the trail. Almost everyone was leaving, about 19 people i think, and a few more were going to johnson city on a different shuttle. So i watched as 19 people all packked into the flatbed of a not so big, covered pickup truck. All but 2 fit in to the overpacked pickup, the driver, bob, said he will come back for the other 2. Seeing that i had more time i decided to pack up and try to start hiking, even though my ankle was still hurting. When bob got back i was ready to go but he still didnt have space, though he said he may be going to the trail later in the day. I stayed at the hostel and cleaned up there for a while. Some hikers came back from a shuttle to johnson city and helped me clean. After a while me and sinner walked to the other hostel to get some beer. Kincora doesnt allow alcohol. We each bought one beer theen we saw snowman there and even dixie grits. I thought dixie had gotten off the trail in franklin, because that was the last place i saw him. Turns out he had only taken two weeks off. We hung out at the hostel and snowman kept buying beers for me and sinner. We had each bought our own, and snowman bought each of us three more. He and his wife are retired, and are on their third attempt at a thru hike together. She hasnt been doiing too well though, her foot keeps getting injured so theyve been taking alot of zeros. Me and sinner headed back to kincora, we chilled the rest of the day. A few new hikers showed up, including bean and vice. They started march 3 too, and have been taking it slow. We hung out in their room for a bit with another hiker named blacksquatch.

april 28- kincora slackpack

I woke up on the morning of april 28 to the sound of all the hikers coming to make breakfast. I wanted to sleep in but there was no point even trying. It was raining outside, and it had rained most of the night. I was feeling pretty good in the morning so i decided to join everyone in slackpacking. I packed a daypack with snack and water and got on the shuttle to the trailhead. Without my pack i can hike pretty fast for a long time without stopping. I wasnt the fastest but i stayed at the front for almost the entire day. The faster ones stayed behiind me to pace themselves. We started the hike with a few tenacious d songs, then i talked to the hiker behind me, sinner, for much of the rest of the 9 mile hike. We passed by laurel falls, the biggest waterfall so far, and began a climb up a rocky hill. It was almost the end of the hike. The whole thing took less than 3 hours. When we got to the end, sinner, who had walked ahead, was drinking a beer. There was a case of yuengling left at the trailhead, so we all had one, then walked individually back to the hostel which is only .3 miles from the trailhead. After i took a shower i made some rice with salmon and shared it with quaker. He's been sharing so much food with me i feel guilty when i dont share with him. Though i dont mind sharing at all. Hes the type of person one would want to share with, Because hes so nice. In fact, later in the day when we got a ride to the store he asked me if i wanted to split a bag of bagels with him. When i agreed and asked how much it was, so i can pay for my half, he said that he means that he will buy the bag, but doesnt need all of them. So he meant to ask if wanted the other half of the bagels that he doesnt need. Very few people on the trail are as nice as him. I spent the rest of the day pretty much just cooking and eating. I tried to make bread from flour, oil water, salt, and spices. i fried the patties of dough, which came out with a similar flavor and texture as flat potato knishes. If it wasnt so messy to make id make em on the trail. I also made popcorn for everyone at the hostel, which was quickly finished. Everyone finally got back from hiking, and the second store shuttle left with the latecomers. When they all got back the hostelgot loud and crowded. I went to my bed and listened to music for a awhile, preferring that over a crowded noisyy room. I came back out after a while, and we played an appalachian trail trivia game that one of the hiker had found at the hostel. We stayed up pretty late, just talking and reading. Its past 11pm right now, and everyone else has gone to sleep. I plan to hike only a few miles tomorrow, but the only shuttles to the trail head are at 8am and 5pm. So i may need to wake up early I realized today how behind schedule i am. I was planning to be in ny in mid june. Ny is about 1400 miles in. Im only 425 miles in. Even if i average 100 miles perweek, which is alot, ill only be about 1000 miles in in west virginia by mid june. I dont want to miss my friend's wedding in june. Hopefully ill be able to get home, or start making really really big mile days. Though the way my ankle is feeling today, im not sure when thatll happen....

april 25-27 - big bald, mtn harbour, kincora

The morning of april 25 was a cold one. Coldest its been iin a while. According to one persons thermometer it was 28 degrees. And a water bottle that someone had left outside the shelter was frozen. I took my time getting out of the shelter, wanting to stay in my sleeping bag while the sun raised the temp a little bit. I ate a cold breakfast of poptarts then started my hike. The trail down from roan mountain was some of the best terrain ive seen so far. It was a very dense spruce forest. So dense that little sunlight reached the forest floor. There were streams running down the mountain, and a light mist in the air from the rain that fell during the night. The ground was carpeted with small spruce needles, and anything that wasnt a tree or the trail had a layer of fuzzy green moss on it. It reminded me of videos ive seen of northern rain forests. And its probably my favorite type of terrain to hike through. The rest of the day took me over high grassy balds, with views to the mountains far off on the horizon. It was very windy so i didnt stop much, except on the top of the highest bald with guru, twigs, and starface. I stopped earlier for lunch near one of the shelters, and starface told me she planned to play frisbee on top of the highest bald. It was too windy to play so we just chilled for a few minutes before continuing. I was in the lead for the rest of the day until about 2 miles before the shelter. My knee began to hurt very badly so i let the others pass me while i hiked along slowly. I took an ibuprofen which helped alot, but i still needed to slow down. I eventually caught up to the others at the last campsite before the road to roan and elk park. I got a fire going and cooked my dinner. We hung out by the fire for a while, then went to sleep. .............. April 26 i woke up to the sound of the others packing up. They planned to go to roan to get breakfast. I wasnt in much of a hurry so i took my time. I wanted to get to the mountain harbor hostel and try to work for stay. I called ahead and was told the hostel was full but that there were tent spots available. It was less than half a mile to the road so it didnt take long to get there. When i got there, mary, the owner, greeted me. I asked if i can work for a load of laundry and a shower instead. She had me paint the door to the garage, and some of the bridge on the property. After that i gave my laundry to her husband, terry, to wash. Then i took a shower, then hitchhiked to town to get food for lunch. I cooked when i got back to the hostel and met grizzly, an older hiker who was staying at the hostel. I hung around the hostel until 3pm then started the 9 mile hike to the next shelter. It took about 5 hours to get to the shelter. I took a long break on the way. I wasnt in much of a hurry anyways so i took my time. The shelter was full but the hikers moved over and made some space for me. Rain was forecasted for overnight and the next day so i was reluctant to tent that night. I was also planning to take a zero day in the morning instead of hiking in the rain. There was a big fire going, and i was hoping for a fire in the morning as well so i put a few bigger logs on before going to bed. ................. I woke up at about 5am on april 27. Quaker was already awake and getting ready to hit the trail. He hikes slowly so he wakes up early. I was feeling a bit nauseous and i had to pee. I didnt want to go back to sleep while feeling nauseous. Just in case i was getting the virus, i didnt want to throw up in the shelter in my sleeping bag. so to pass the time i rekindled the fire from the few coals that were left. I got a big fire going, put some big logs on top, then, feeling a little better, went back to sleep. The rest of the hikers all woke up around 730am. I stayed in my sleeping bag until the last hiker left. Everyone is always in such a hurry, yet we end up at the same place at the end of the day. I got out of my sleeping bag at about 830. Artemis gordon, another hiker, was still there. He was camped nearby, and was taking a zero day for his knee. We hung out by the fire, i made a hot breakfast of oatmeal with chocolate protein powder. I finally started hiking around 1030am. I was moving pretty quick. It hadnt rained during the night so i was hoping to finish the day bgefore the rain started. I wasnt that lucky though, and the rain started about halfway through the day. It was a longer day, about 16 miles, but the end point was the kincora hostel, one of the most well known hostels on the trail. I caught up to quaker about 10 miles in at the next shelter. I stopped and ate a snack, he gave me a snickers and a protein bar so i ate some more. I had planned to take a 15 minute break but stayed there for 40 minutes. Then i continued the last 6 miles to the hostel. The hostel was full when i got there, but there was still a couch open. I had also missed the shuttle to town so i got food out of the hiker box to make for dinner. I hung out with the other hikers and finally got to sleep once everyone else did. The couch was in the living room which was the same room as the kitchen. Some hikers were planning on slackpacking the next day, but i wanted to take a zero.

april 24 - roan high shelter

Today was the longest 10 mile day ive done in a while. The weather was nice enough, unlike in the smokies where 10 mile days were also difficult. But the terrain just kicked my ass non stop, all day. There were some good steep climbs, and they seemed to go on forever. Also, this hot weather is dehydrating me faster than before. I just sweat buckets, and drinking the way im used to drinking isnt quite sufficient. But that will figure itself out within a few days. Its just a matter of adjustment. It was a real late morning today, April, 24. I finally got outta my sleeping bag at 930am. I had a terribble nights sleep. For one, i went to bed late, around 11pm, also i just couldnt stay asleep for very long. It was hard to even get to sleep after waking to begin with. I ate poptarts because it was too late to sit around cooking breakfast. Though i was hoping for a hot breakfast the night before. Shortly after beginning my hike i met starface. We hiked together for a little, and evidently she really likes jews. Having grown up in miami with many jewish friends. I hiked ahead of her though when we stoppedfor a break. I didnt want to sit for any longer than necessary. I had heard news of a storm that was supposed to begin around 3pm. The long uphhill started. The uphill to the highest shelter on the AT. Roan high knob shelter, at least i think thats its name. Its higher than 6000 feet. At that height, a thunderstorm in the nearby town is likely to be an ice storm up here. I wanted to get there as early as possible, as im not in the mood for an ice storm. Ever. She quickly passed me as my pace slowed to a crawl. I figured that while walking slow i might as well peruse the growing greenery for any interesting plants. I ate a few ramps, which are a type of wild onion, and a wild ginger. The roots are good but the plant is bitter. A few miles from the top i stopped to get water. Clouds were forming and the wind was picking up. But no rain or storm yet. From there it a final push for almost 2 miles up a steep rocky hill. I was already beat, my ankles and knees were not happy. I ate a granola bar and continued. About 20 minutes in i was filled with a renewed, energetic feeling. The granola bar had finally kicked in. I think i just hadnt been snacking enough through the day. I was still tired but not sluggish like i had been earlier. I finally made it to the shelter. This shelter has four walls and a door. Sitting here in my sleeping bag ive never appreciated a door so much. Especially with a rainy wind outside that would surely be blowing in if there were only 3 walls. Doors are amazing. Im sharing this shelter with twigs, guru, and quaker. Me and quaker had a long conversation about religion, he grew up a quaker, but isnt big on theology so much anymore, but still maintains a personal relationship with god. Though he has kept the quaker beard. Guru is another jew on the trail. I think that brings my count up to 3 other jews so far on the trail. Its not late, about 9pm, but today really beat me. My whole body is sore. Especially my legs. I stretched before, i think it helped a bit. The rain just really picked up. Its loud on the roof of the shelter.

april 23 - greasy creek hostel

There is a very satisfying feeling that comes from building a good fire. When admiring a magnificent fire that was created by oneself, one cant help but think "Ah what a magnificent fire. Something so beautifull surely has been born only of my G-dly loins". (So as not to offend those who worship other beings, "B-shly" is substituted for G-dly by some. one.) Either way, fire is nice, it makes heat, and light. Which is useful for lighting things and heating things. Usually one or the other. I made two fires tonight. One when i set up camp and cooked my dinner, and the other when i came back from checking out the hostel down the somewhat abandoned jeep road im camped out on. I almost set up camp earlier, and by set up camp earlier i mean go back to miss janets house for a day. I took breaks today, and walked walked slowly-ish so as not to upset my ankle who is already on bad terms with me as is. Yet after my half hour long lunch/take-care-o-blister break it hurt very much to walk. So i called miss janet, who told me she'll be there in an hour at the road i had stopped at. To pass the time while waitinhg for miss janet i decided to workout. I hung my rope over a tree and did some bodyweight rows, and stuck a branch through the straps of my backpack and curled it. It was kind of entertaining watching all the passing cars rubbernecking to look at whatever the hell some crazy hiker was doing on the side of the road. After that i was kind of tired, so i laid down for 20 minutes or so. My ankle had stopped hurting while i was exercising, and i didnt want to leave the trail unless i had to. So i called miss janet back to tell her ill just continue down the trail. She told me of a good campsite not too far in. When i got there i was still feeling good, so i decided to continue until the road the hostel was on, and camp there. I realized quickly that i had less water than i thought i had. It was While walking up a hill and getting dizzy, then trying to drink from my camelback and bringing up as many air bubbles as water. Not good, dehydrating, and hot, and slooooowwww. My paced slowed, i didnt want to sweat too much, so i did my best to keep it easy. The uphills were bad, id get a little nauseous as my heart got faster. I finally got to the campsite about a half hour later than i thought i would. It wasnt late though, only about 530pm. I began hiking at 915am this morning, so it was a decntly long day. But slow, and i liked it more for that. I went down a side trail at the campsite for water and filled everything up with my slow as hell filterpump. Hikers came by and began walking down an unmarked dirt path. Turns out that the road i thought id get to shortly after the campsite was by the campsite itself. And it was a defunct looking jeep path. I walked down it to find a campsite closer to the hostel. I wanted to go there in the morning to see if they have work for stay and/or a ski cap or other winter cap. I lost mine sometime in the past 2 days, and ive hear that theres a storm coming. A storm wouldnt be so bad, except that a storm in the town is going to be between 50-65 degrees. That means that where i am now at 4000 feet, its going to be closer to 45. And tomorrow when i go up to 6000 feet, it'll be around 40. Soaking wet and 40 degrees is a very uncomfortable combination. Especially when the rain itself will probably be having an identity crisis and coming down as ice instead, or freezing rain. Freezing rain is loads of fun! So a warm head covering will be necessary, i didnt have it last night and it was only slightly uncomfortable. It wasnt very cold last night. High 40s i think. Low 50s in my tent. But i was dry too. I ended up getting one at the hostel. The greasy creek friendly. The owner, connie, gave it to me. I became friendly with her very quickly after arriving at the hostel. Affter walking down a rocky, muddy, wet dirt road. I helped her with her very drunk friend, paul, who i have renamed Havoc. Paul is a very funny, very drunk, sixty something year old man. He greeted me as i approached the hostel by saying, "you have a very beautiful face" and trying to convince the hikers there of how beautiful i am. It was very obvious that paul was drunk, im not sure if it was the mumbling, the stumbling, or the general inabilty to do anything in a straight line. But either way, he was entertaining, and i almost got to drive his atv back to his house, but we couldnt get it started. It took us a while to coax the key from him, he didnt want to go home. Finally when we got the key the machine wasnt working. It was pretty late already, after 9. So it was dark, except for the full moon, but i had to walk a half mile down aforementioned road.. so i said goodbye, and asked connie if she had an extra winter hat i ccould have or buy. First place to look was a box of things hikers had left behind or she doesnt really need. No luck, so she checked her things and came out with a black ski cap woth the fender guitar company logo on it. Worked for me. I thanked her and walked back to the campsite. While walking i realized how low my headlamp batteries are. Ill pick up new ones in 3 days in roan or elk park. I finally got back to the campsite and i saw that there were still a few red coals in the firepit i made. So i piled some more wood on top and got the fire restarted. Its unlikely, but id like to have a fire in the morning for breakfast. I dont plan to go too far tomorrow, maybe 10-12 miles, but i want to have a hot brekafast. I have cinnamon oatmeal and dried fruits that have been asking me to eat them. The temperature has dropped pretty quickly. It got very windy after i got back to camp, which dragged the temp down. Hopefully itll just be windy and i wont need to worry about storms. I dont like being wet and cold. On the plus side, there are frequent shelters between here and the next town. On the down side, the plague is still out there, and crowded shelters are virus playgrounds. Ill be alright, i have been thus far.

april 22 - finally back on trail

Had a really good sleep last night. Used earplugs so when people starting moving around in the morning i slept right through it. When miss janet came back from some shuttling i asked her if she can take me to uncle johnnys so i can continue hiking from there. Of course the answer was yes, so i began packing up to get ready to go. She had some errands first so i wasnt in a hurry and i had time to make lunch before leavinng. This is my first hiking day with backpack since last week friday. I slackpacked twice since then. And i believe my zero days almost equal my hiking days. Either way, i havent hiked with my pack in more than a week. It was really nice hiking alone. I didnt have to match anyones pace. So i took the uphills as slow as i wanted, and i never needed to sit down and rest from overexertion. My ankle held up to. A little pain every now and then, and a constant fear of rolling it again, but nothing too bad. Hiked from late in the day, almost 3pm, until almost 730pm. It was a short day, but i still got 10 miles done. I was only expecting 5, but there was no need to set up camp until almost dark. Tomorrow ill be able to make big miles without too much trouble. Ill be in no hurry at all. This was my first day not seeing any north bound thru hikers. I saw a few heading the opposite direction, but other than that it was a completely solitary day. Im in a camping spot and nobody is around. And it looks like nobody has camped here in a while. Its a cool windy night, and i cant find my ski cap. Gonna be a chilly morning too but ill survive.

april 21- post party fatigue

I woke up on the morning of april 21 much less hungover than i expected to be. Drinking a liter of gatorade before bed was a good idea after all. I laid in my tent and wrote my log of the day before for about an hour. Texted miss janet to ask for a ride back to erwin. And chilled in my tent until pilgrim showed up and asked me if wanted a ride with him and miss janet. I quickly packed up. Then hung around and said good bye to the other hikers and the band. We had a few stops before heading back to erwin. Other hikers had different places to go. Then finally, after almost an hour of driving around, we began to head towards erwin. It was only a few minutes in when miss janets oil light came on. So we turned around and headed back to hot springs to get some more oil. Shes been doing about 1000 miles a week in her van shuttling hikers around. We stopped at the dollar general for the oil. I got some snacks and food for the house. Then we got back in the van and headed to erwin. I slept for some of the ride back. I woke up in the food lion parking lot. Miss janet wanted to run inside to get things for dinner . We finally got back to the house and i just sat on the couch watching tv until dinner. There was another hiker who was over for dinner. He had thru hiked last year. But was in town for the trial of a guy who had held up a group of hikers at gunpoint one night last year. And attempted to rob them. He didnt succeed in robbing them, because he had put his gun back in his belt, and two ex coastguard hikers attacked him and tied him up until police arrived. Watched some more tv then went to sleep. I was exhausted from the weekend.

4/20 - hot springs trail fest awesomeness

Its april 20. Supposed to be a fun weekend. Im waiting for miss janet to come back from shuttling. Then me, pilgrim, dah wah he, and miss janet are heading to hot springs for the hot springs trail fest. Gonna be tenting in a big group at hot springs while partying with a bunch of strangers. I heard theres going to be a big agnes sales rep there, so theres a possibility of free gear. Gonna be fun. Watching three stooges all morning waiting. ................... Today, april 20, 2013 was an awesome day. Woke up in miss janets living room when alll the other hikers woke up. It was about 8am. For breakfast, I ate some leftover pizza from last night. The other hikers were packing up to get back to the trail, i was packing up to get back to hot springs. Today in hot springs, nc, was trail fest. A family friendly town party celebrating the great outdoors and hot springs' location right in the middle of it. When miss janet left with the load of hikers, me and dah wah he, who has been staying in miss janets house, headed to hot springs in dah wah he's car. Only one hiker eazy E, stayed at miss janets. He hurt his back yesterday while hiking, and couldnt wear his pack without pain. He gave me his big agnes sleeping pad to try and exchange in case there was a big agnes sales rep at the fest. We got there after about 45 minutes of driving. 7 days of hiking were suddenly gone in 45 minutes as i rolled into hot springs. But hot springs is different now. When i was here 2 weeks ago passing through, the trees were mostly empty, some small buds on some of them. Now in hot springs, flowers are in bloom, trees are covered in green. Its like a whole new place where spring is in full swing. I noticed it too during the drive.the barren mountains i had hiked over were tinted green with the buds growing into leaves on the trees. The downside, was that every face was a new one. Going so far backwards meant that all the hikers are a week behind me. So i didnt know anyone. My first hour here was wandering around town, wondering what to do. Dah wah he had found some old friends, and was talking to them. so he was occupied, but i was alone. I finally built up the courage to go to a random group of hikers and introduce myself. Its difficult to do that at this point, everyone knows everyone around them. So when i walk up, i am a strangeer to everyone there, while they already know each other. Its an odd feeling, and some hikers have just been unfriendly. It went well though, i spoke to them for a few minutes, told them im a hiker. Then went back to being by myself. I still had to find the big agnes rep. So when dah wah he said he wanted to go find food, i asked if he can show me where the rep is. Earlier When we were driiving into town he pointed him out, and mentioned being his friend. Turns out the rep is fixit guy. I met fixit guy a few days earlier outside of uncle johnnys. He drives around to popular points on the trail and fixes gear in a trailer/workshop that he tows around. When i asked him about eazy e's pad, he told me that the best course of action would be to send it back to the company. He also asked me if i need any other gear fixed. I brought my backpack and he sewed up a hole chewed by a mouse. It was about this time that miss janet and pilgrim showed up. Miss janet told me about a duck race that happens down the river that runs through town. Hundreds of plastic ducks, each with a number on it, is dumped into the river and allowed to float downstream. The first 3 ducks that get to the finish line win, and split half the money earned by selling ducks. I got six ducks, whhich cost $10. Some people get more, some get less. We had an hour until the race started, so we all went to a bar right on the river. We had a few beers, and pilgrim got me a beer too. Then miss janet asked me if could help wrangle ducks on the river when the race starts. Sounded like fun so i took off my boots and got in the river with a few other guys, all lined up by a big net stretched across the river, meant to catch the ducks. The race began and the ducks floated down the river. I caught the ducks that floated to far to the side to be caught by the net and flung em to the net as they passed. My ducks didnt win, but it was still a fun experience. I got some free food being given out by a local church, then joined miss janet, dah wah he, and pilgrim back at the bar. We ate and drank some more, and pilgrims friend bright eyes joined us. while waiting for the bathroom i met julian. And i invited her and the rest of her band to come to the camgrounds later in the night after they performed. She plays the washboard, thats right, the washboard, in a band calleed tar and rosin. They play appalachian string music, guitar, banjo, violin, and washboard. Its like bluegrass, but a less commercialized style. They were providing the live music at the bar that night. I wnet to the campgrounds with miss janet, it was almost 7pm already, and i needed to set up my tent. After i got it set up, i went back to the bar to watch the band. I got a pitcher o beer, and gave some to other hikers who were there. I also gave some to julian after the bands first set. Shes cute, and seemed to liked me, so i figured i might as well try. The trail has been very dry and its getting frustrating. Also spoke to the rest of the band and told them about the campfire chill later at the campground. Towards the end, miss janet showed up, she had been by the campfire chill and drum circle up by the laughing heart hostel on the other side of town. I had stayed at the laughing heart two weeks ago when i was first in hot springs. Miss janet gave me a ride back to the campgrounds, i picked up some beer and snack for the night and headed to the fire. There were alot of hikers there, alot of beer, alot of smoking, everything youd expect in a crowd of hikers havin a party. I introduced myself to a few people. They got a kick out of my trail name, and i was asked tto repeat it multiple times. As of now its The Almighty Boss Scorch Pipes Wilson Chef Pack Sherpa Mule Boyar Darko D. I might be adding phaedrus into it.but that idea is still up in the air. Around the campfire, one hiker put the perceived unfriendliness in perspective for me. He told me i should announce to everyone that im from up ahead. He said that everyone assumes that im there with my friends, or that i have friends there, but im just not talkative. He said iif i tell them im from ahead, they will know that the reason im not talking is because i dont know anyone, and they will open up to me to make me feel more welcome. I never saw it that way, i just assumed that people further back were just assholes. The band eventually showwed up. And they played until 130am, when the security guard of the campgrounds came and told us to be quiet. So we chilled for a few more hours but many people went to sleep, and the band stopped playing. I spoke to kyle, the violinist for the band, turns out we have the same birthday. He was telling me about HP Lovecraft, a horror writer from the early 1900's and that they share a birthday, which happens to be the same as mine. Also chilled with julian a bit. Though sadly, nothing ended up happening. I had been too shy all night to appraoch her again. And another hiker had already took the opportunity when he saw it. I realized, after the fact, how easy it would have been for me had i not been such a wuss. Around 430am i finally went to bed. It was a good night. And had been a good day. Definitely one of the most fun days ive had so far. Trail days in damascus is gonna be even better. I have heard that its a few thousand people. With the camping area nicknamed tent city. Its only in a month too. May 18-19. In miss janets car theres a bumper sticker that says "the AT is the most fun youll ever have, interrupted by long walks in the woods."

april 15-19 staying at miss janets

Ive been spending thepast few days recovering at miss janets house. After twisting my ankle on sunday i havent been able to hike. Welll i did try to hike on thursday, april 18. But more about that soon. Monday, april 15, the group i had been hiking with for the past week up til then decided to continue down the trail. Hot dog was in the hospital because of her poison ivy, but supposed to get out soon after. Otto had given dumptruck the use of his car in order to slackpack otto and the rest of the group. So dumptruck and hot dog planned to drive from campsite to campsite, carrying the backpacks of the rest of the group, until they recover enough to hike. I said goodbye to the group, i was sad that id be hiking alone. Hiking with a group makes things alot more fun. That night miss janet cam back to the house with a huge group of hikers. There was about 17 people at the house that night. We had a bbq and miss janet made us all wear ties to stay classy. The next day, tuesday, april 16, that big group got back to the traill too. My ankle was still hurting, so i took another day off. Pretty much just eating and watching tv all day. Its good for a day or two, but id get bored of that very quickly. The day after that, wednesday, april 17, i spent most of the day again just chillin on the couch. Towards the end of the day, garbear, bearsnack, sarah (oatmeal), alpha dog, and peanut showed up with miss janet. I wasnt expecting to see anyone i know anymre. I had been in erwin since friday, and i figured my 5 days off wouldve let everyone pass me. So i was happy to see them. To make things better, they were planning to slackpack from spivey gap to uncle johnnys. That was perfect for me, so i decided to hike with them on thursday. But id take it slow so i dont hurt myself again. Miss janet picked up another big group a little while after, then all of us went out to dinner. Afterward, We were supposed to go to a bar that has karaoke, but they didnt let alpha dog in, because hes 19. So we went to a small bar calleed the acoustic coffeehouse. And chilled there for a bit. On thursday, april 18 miss janet drove us all out to spivey gap to continue our hike. We started around 230pm, which was pretty late. We were expecting to start in the morning, but miss janet has been getting nonstop calls from sick hikers. She shuttles the hikers, houses hikers, even deals with the CDC (Center for Disease Control). After miss janet collected stool samples from a few hikers and giving it to the cdc, its been confirmed that it is norovirus that has been going around. Norovirus is resistant to hand sanitizers, too small for filters, and can survive very high temperatures. The average norovirus induced puke contains several million viruses, and it only takes 4 viruses to infect someone. So the virus has been spreading. Ive heard that it has been as far back as fontana dam, and as far forward as damascus. When i first heard of the virus around hot springs, it was between hot springs and erwin. Its gained almost 200 miles more range, and almost everyone has had it. I still havent though, and im hoping it stays that way. We hiked pretty quickly from spivey, taking few breaks and making good time. It was a good day hiking. We took a longer break about halfway through, then continued hiking, this time the group was a little bit slower. I hiked far ahead of the rest of the group, and eventually caught up to peanut who hiked ahead. We hiked together for a few miles, and we were almost by johnnys, maybe a quarter mile away, when i retwisted my ankle. Hurt alot more than the first time. Though it was better that i had a short distance left to the end. Miss janet picked us up from johnnys and took us to walmart before going back to the house. We picked up meats to have a bbq for dinner. Itd be awesome to bbq on the trail, but meats heavy. Some of the group from the night before was still at the house, so it was a good chill. I finally took down my tent and moved into the house. Ive been in the backyard since sunday, and figured i might as well grab a bed in the house. Friday april 19 was another lazy day, just sitting on the couch. We went out for lunch and restocked on beer. Then i Watched tv all day, and played cards and drank with the other hikers in the house. The other group of hikers went out and picked up pizza for everyone, and we watched the hobbit. It was a good chill, and a good night.

april 14 - slackpack

April 14 me and apollo slackpacked. We woke up eearly again, about 7am, because we were expecting miss janet at 730. The day was planned to be a 24 mile slackpack. Froom sams gap to uncle johnnys hostel. Day started off well, we hiked very fast and made excellent timee. The hike took us over big bald, the highest mountain in the area, and its bald, which means theres no tress, only short grasses and the occasional shrub. So the views were amazing, with mountains as far as you can see out on the horizon. We got to spivey gap and took a longer break. We were 13 miles into the day, and figured wed break before continuing on the next 11 miles. We had taken a 5 minute break every hour and a half until then, so the longer break was welcome. The whole day both of us had been having stomach pains, and feared we were getting sick, so i used the time at spivey gap to take a dump. From there i also carried my bag across a shoulder instead of around my waist. The top of my backpack comes off and can be used as a daypack. I had been wearing it buckled around my waist like a fanny pack. Moving it to my shoulder took alot of pressure off my stomack, and the stomach pain lessened. After that gap there was a big climb then a relatively flat hike the rest of the way. We hiked the uphill very quickly, then when the flat began i decided to start running, which is way much more fun, especially over trails, whiich make your mind have to work super fast to watch out for obstacles and spot oncoming ones. It was maybe 30 seconds after i started running that i stepped on a tree root and rolled my ankle badly. I fell down and and waited a few minutes for the pain to begin subsiding, annd i made sure my toes could still move. From there i decided that ill continue to the end, even though we were only 2 miles out of the 11. after about a mile of hiking, i stopped and decided to turn around. The pain in my ankle was getting worse, especially on the descents. It was 3 miles back to spivey, or 8 miles to johnnys. I didnt wannt to hike in the dark with my ankle the way it was. I was compensating with my other foot and had almost rolled it twice since continuing. The best choice was to go back. Apollo called miss janet when he was able to get cell service. We hiked back to spivey and she came less than a half hour after. We drove back to her house and met back up with the rest of the group.

april 13 - zero in erwin

Somehow we managed to wake up at 630 for breakfast. I didnt get to sleep until 230 last night so i think that was the shortest sleep ive gotten yet. I did attack the breakfast though, 3 bowls o cereal, a waffle, toast n cream cheese, coffee. I tried to get my moneys worth, and i think i did. A few hikers caught a shuttle back to the trail early in the morning , so we werent alone. I ended up just hanging out there for 3 hours instead of going back to sleep and coming back to breakfast again. We ended up all getting together and heading out to do our laundry around 11am. Me, apollo, and whistlle first went to the post office. Otto and miss janet were there and otto gave us a ride to the laundromat. We hung out there until we all finished then we went for lunch. After that we went back to the hotel, and hung out behind it after setting up our tents to dry from the thunderstorms the other day. I took a walk and resupplied a little bit, then hung out at the hotel until much later, when we all went to go see jurassic park in 3d. It was alright, the 3d kinnd of added to it, but wasnt really something that would make or break jurassic park. Its a pretty good movie by itself. Weve been planning to slack pack tomorrow, which is when you hike without a backpack, because its someplace safe and someone will pick you up at the end of the day. I do have a daypack packed though. With some food, water, and basic first aid. Miss janet will probably drive us in the morning. Hanging with this group has definitely been alot more fun than the hiking i was doing beforehand. Miles dont matter as much, though they still have to be done. Theres just no pressure to hike big long days. Though if were slackpacking tomorrow id like to do a 24 mile day. The option is 13 miles or 24. That is where we cross a road and can be picked up from. So this group is more fun, but i keep getting the feeling that im still an outsider to some of them. Theres only 5 others in the group. And i only feeel accepted by 3 of them. I want to find a group i feel completely comfortable in. Dont know if that exists out here, would be nice if it does though, feeling lonely even in a group isnt a very good feeling.... Waking up at 630 again, hopefully we can get an early shuttle to the trail. Its almost midnight so i need some sleep.

april 12 - ibuprofen

Wokke up to the sound of rain on my tent. But the sound grew softer quickly and the rain stopped shortly after. I was the first one out of my tent this morning on april 12. I wanted to get an early start so i can refill my food. I was on my last day of food. One breakfast. 2 snacks. One dinner. i needed to refill by the next morning the latest. Theres a small shop and gas station 3.3 miles off the trail and 317 miles into the AT. I wanted to get there by the early afternoon and refill. The others were a bit slower, and i figured i had plenty of time. So i waited for them and hiked and their pace for most of the day. Stopping frequently to rest. It was a slow day, so while waiting for the other to catch up i decided to walk slowly and enjoy the surroundings. We were walking up a steep slope at one point for about two miles. Crossing back and faoth over a stream that cascaded all the way down the mountain. There were alot of plants growing, now that spring is here. And more green and other colors than there have been until now. At one point i came to an area that had ramps growing allnover the side of it. Ramps are a type of wild onion with a milder flavor and a bit of a garlicky flavor mixed in. I picked some and apollo caught up so i showed him and he picked some too. We picked until hot dog and whistle caught up, which was only a few minutes, then continued. We were supposed to get to a certain point then stop for lunch. I was hking ahead and had my headphones in so i didnt hear the others yelling my name when they stopped a bit earlier than planned. I kept hiking for a little bit then turned around to see apollo catching up. The others had stopped so we had lunch where we were, on the top of that mountain. And figured we can wait until the girls catch up. I only wanted to eat lunch so i can take some more ibuprofen. Today was my first day hikiing with ibuprofen. I only took them because my knee has been hurting so bad recently. It actually helped alot. When the girls caught up, hot dog wanted to get off the trail at thye gap where the store was near and get to a doctor to check the rash she developed all over her body. So to erwin it was, where we can meet dumptruck and clever girl, and she can get to a doctor. We got to the gap and called a shuttle to drive us to erwin. The drivers name was Tom, his trail name was 10-k. He drove us to erwin and drove us past the stores we might need before dropping us off at the super 8 motel. The girls showed up a little while afterward. They had first been dropped off at a walk in clinic. From there we walked to get food. tom had told us about a mexican shop that happened to have really good food. So we checked that out and got mexican food. Then while walking back to the hotel, we stopped in a supermarket and bumped into otto and miss janetboth thru hikers. Miss janet had her car there so she offered us a ride back to the motel. We picked up 2 more hikers on the way and then ended up going to walmart, then to the trailhead to pick up a hker who had slackpacked 33 miles today. From there it was back to the motel. Dumptruck and clever ggirl were back there so we all chilled in our room for a while. Big yankee and foxtrot showed up to chill also. We all decided to get the free breakfast the motel provides in the morning. We are going to wake up at 6. Eat. Go back to sleep then eat again at 930. Breakfast is available from 6 to 10. Were giving this place a run for there money. At 20 per person, 80 per room, we have to get our moneys worth somehow.

april 11 - dislocation

Today was a tough day. Not a very long day but it was tough. We woke up earlyish, around 7am. We packed up our stuff and hit the trail around 8. The beginning was really cool, it was a narrow steep path with big rocks and some small climbs. It went over the top of the mountain, and the views were really cool. We could still see smoke rising from where the fires were. And we could see a huge valley, with farms, and mountains far on the other side. Me, apollo, and hot dog waled ahead of the others. We hiked past some burn zones, which werent nearly as impressive as i hoped theyd be. Just burned leaves and some charred old logs. The trees were unchanged, and alot of undergrowth still remained. We had gotten about 2 miles and stopped at the shelter. We snacked and waited, expecting the others to catch up. After a while either hot dog or apollo asked another hiker passing through if theyve seen dumptruck or clever girl. The hiker said that dumptruck had gotten hurt and they were still on that first mountain 2 miles back. We left our backpacks and hiked quicklly back to them. Apollo said that dumptruck has dislocated his shoulder before and has been worried about it happening again. We got back to where they sure and sure enough, dumptruck was slumped over a tree branch with clever girl trying to pop his arm back in. It was difficult to watch and difficult to listen to dumptruck in such pain. Apollo had taken dumtrucks back pack back to the shelter and was going to bring some painkillers back from his firstaid kit. Me hot dog and whistle waited out of sight of clever girl and dumptruck to give them space. Whistle called a ranger and was put on hold. I walked with dumptruck further down the mountain with clevrr girl close behind, we were better off on the bottom of the mountain than the top when we figure out what to do. After a ffew minutes, a firefighter came by to check on the ashes and make sure everything went right. He said he can give dumptruck a ride down the mountain. So i ran back up to where whistle was waiting for the ranger to call back. She only had cell reception on top of the mountain. We walked back down, they were already gone when we got down, so we decided to wallk to the next shelter and just continue the hike. We met apollo coming back from the shelter with dumptrucks bag. He said that they had gone down with the firefighter, and that the firefightr will come back for the backpack. In the meanwhile, we should continue and the other two, clever girl and dumptruck, will meet us in erwin. We continued hiking, had lunch at the first shelter. Then continued on to the shelter after that which was another 6 miles. At one point we walkked through an open field, the trail running through the middle. On one side of the trail the ground was black, the other side unchanged, green and gold from hay. I think apollo and whistle took pictures of it. We got to the next shelter and clouds were starting to gather. We had been hearing reports of a thunderstom coming. I set up my tent and then ate dinner. Drizzle started just as i finished eating. So i hung my food bag, and gathered my stuff into my tent. A few minutes after i got into my tent the rain started and continued until morning. Some thunder and lightning. I fell asleep to the rainon my roof.

april 10 - vomit and feces everywhere

"Vomit and feces everywhere" was part of the warning we found by the first shelter we came to. The epidemic is seemingly getting worse. The hostel got a call in the morning from the appalachian trail conservancy that between hot springs and erwin, there have been many sick hikers, or so ive been told. I havent seen any sick hikers yet. Seems theyre always a day ahead or behind. Though im happy not seeing them myself. Getting sick out here would suck. It was a late start out of the hostel. We hung out by the shop for a while before we left. Ma started to warm up to me when i went to pay and she saw that im a lefty. She gave me some cayenne peppers grown in the garden there, and told us about when she used to hike on the trail. We thanked her and left. There wasnt enough space in the car so Marc drove the girls back to the trail while me and dumptruck started walking . Apollo had left before, and was almost by the trail by the time marc came and picked me and dumptruck up and drove us to the trail too. We said goodbye, marc thanked us for helping him. It was alot of fun though, and we didnt mind doing it for the free stay. We began hiking, planning on about 12 miles. I saw a snake while we hiked. Whistle said it was a ribbon snake. She has a degree in biology and knows alot about reptiles, amphibians, and especially bugs. We had only gone 4 or 5 miles when another hiker ran back the trail to tell everyone that the trail is closed up ahead. There was a controlled burn planned. Thats when the rangers purposely start forest fires to help the forest grow better. They say it helps. So we went as far as where the ranger was, then took a side trail to a campsite on a hill that was cvered in hay. From there we had a view of the burn, and were able to seee fires on a mountainside across the vally. There was alot of garbage on the hill though. It seems to be a popular place for locals to come, and many cars came through during the night. The rangers also sent a car full of waterbottle to give them out to hikers. After we ate dinner, we sat on the side of the hill and watched the sunset. It began to get very windy after the sun went down, so we went to our tents and had an early night. The plan was to wake up early and do a long day of hiking.

april 9 - hemlock hollow work for stay

We were supposed to catch up to jetpack/detour on april 9. We were supposed to meet him by a certain shelter at the end of the day. But we got sidetracked. 5 miles in to our day there was a road that led .7 miles to a hostle and shop. We left out packs and walked to the hostel. We got some snacks and were going to head back to the trail but dumptruck found out they have work for stay there. Four hours of work and we can stay for free. We were all very relaxed there so we all stayed and figured itd be fun to stay for free. We started off just moving firewood. I got to drive the work atv around the property. So it was alot of fun. Then marc, the manager of the hostel and son of the owner, told us he was heading to town, and we can ride along to pick up beer or whatever. So i went with him, my first hour and a half of work i was out on a beer run. His pickup truck broke down just as we got to a metal scrap collector, the first errand. He called his mother to come pick us uup. She showed up 10 minutes later, and drove us back to hostel. We stopped for beer on the way. And i found blue moon in cans. Its good to know that exists. Its easier to bring cans on the trail than bottles. When we got back to the hostel the wood was almost done. So we pulled hay off the garden and spread lime around. Then we hung out by our cabin for another hour or so and had some beer before marc asked us to help him build a stone wall by the river running through the property. He wants to fill that area with sand, and make a small beach for people to chill on. That took us 20 minutes and then he told us we were done. I had been asking him earilier about fishing in the river, so he gave me a rod and some bait. I fished for about an hour, and the fish just kept eating the bait off the hook. I was hoping to catch fish for dinner for everyone, but instead we went to the cafe in the shop and got burgers and sanwiches. After that, dumtruck made a huge bonfire next to the cabin in the firepit. Marc had us bring the bark and firewood scraps there, so there was plenty to burn. Marc and a few of his friends joined us, and a few other hikers did too. A little earlier, during dinner, a hiker told us he had seen many hikers sick in shelters, throwing up with diarhea. Seems there a virus going around between hot springs and erwin. Were going to have to avoid shelters for a bit. We all hung out until around 11. Then wennt inside to sleep.

april 8 - hiking with new crew

April 8 we finally got back to the trail. We hiked at a relaxed pace, which helped keep the strain off my knee, which started hurting again. It was a 10 mile day but passed pretty quickly. We stopped a few times, usually for a while. These guys stop very often and just chill. Theres very little pressure to push long days with high mileage. At first the pace was kind of annoying, id keep stopping to wait for the group. Bbut after a while i decided ill just go ahead and well regroup at the end of the day. We stopped for lunch at a pond and stayed there for almost an hour. I really wasnt used to that long of a break. But i can get used to the relaxedness of it all. I got ahead of them after lunch and ended up hiking with a guy named big yankee. Hes hiking with a bigger group of guys, who kind of view themselves and barbarians. And view the trail as something they are doing as an adventure in which they go from town to town, drinking and pillaging. They dont actually pillage, but its a fun thought. He told me that him and his group may be aquabblazinng part of virginia. Aquablazing is doing the trail by river. Theres a river in virginia that runs parallel to the trail. So they may rent canoes, and paddle 50 or 60 miles north. And hang out in canoes for 5 days and pull over for meals and camping. He said i can join if were in the same place at that time. It sounds like alot of fun, ive been trying to talk dumptruck into getting the group to do it. Our total mileage was only about 10 miles and we camped out near a shelter. There was a campfire going on by the shelter so i hung out there for a while. Back at the tents, clever girl read a jesus pamphlet she found on the fire tower we stopped at earlier in the day. She put her owns spin on it, it was very funny. April 8 is my fathers birthday. Happy birthhday to him.

april 7 - hot tub

April 7 wasnt as eventful in the beginning of the day. I hung out a while at the hostel, then went down to town and hung out at the outfitters for a while. I had to check out all the things i could buy to lighten my pack, which is what i do at every outfitter, but i usually dont buy anything. Motorcycles were filling up the town now. A worker at the outfitter saidthat alot of bikes come through because they like driving the windy roads around hotsprings. There were at least 30 across the street from the outfitter. I went back to the hostel after a while. Detour was heading out to get a few miles hiked. The rest of us planned to split the cost of a hot tub later in the day, then camp nearby. We hung out a while longer at the hostel. Then i made some food while the rest of them headed down to the diner to get food before we go to the hot springs. I packed up all my stujff and met them at the diner as they were finishing up. We walked from there, across town to the hot springs spa. Which is a building that has many hot tubs in wooden stalls behind it. When we got there we were taken out back and led to our hot tub. We chilled in there for an hour, then walked along the river until we found a campsite big enough for all of us. The guy collected wwood for a fire. And as soon as the sun went down we had a good sized fire going. We stayed up till about 11. Then fell asleep on the warmest night weve had so far.

april 6 - hot springs and dump trucks bday

The morning of april 6 was very nice. The sun came out right away, it was chilly but not too bad, and best of all, we were going less than 4 miles to hot springs,nc. I ate a quick breakfast and packed up my stuff, eager to get to town. I was disappointed to find out very quickly that my knee hadnt gotten any better than the day before. The 3.2 miles to hot springs was much more difficult than it was supposed to be because of it. Still less than 2 hours later we got off the trail and checked into the laughing heart hostel where we were supposed to meet dump truck, clever girl, apollo, hot dog, and whistle. We were splitting a room there and celebrating dump trucks birthday that night. I took a much needed shower, then me and mcjetpack walked down to town to the laundromat. We hung out in town while we waited for it to finish. Got some food and checked out the out fitter. Even sat on the side of the road an watched as more and more motorcycles slowly filled the main street of town. I resupplied food before walking back up the hill to the hostel. My knee was still hurting. At the hostel we all sat outside and enjoyed the beautiful, warm sunny weather. It finally felt like spring. Its crazy that two days before that i was in an ice storm, and less than a week before in a snowstorm. But i wasnt complaining, it was about time we had some warm weather. Later that day, whistle and clever girl made a bday cake for dump truck shaped like a dumptruck. We were alll chilling in the den, which was a room with a fireplace and couches. They needed a candle for the cake, so i gave them some sparklers that were in the hiker box. They turned out to be more like fountains than sparklers, and shot fireworks out a few inches. So a terrified clever carried the cake in before dump truck took it outside and tried to blow em out. Clever girl gave him a sympathhy card that read "im sorry for your loss" that everyone had signed. It was cool, it was fun, a good night to end a good day.

april 5 - the sun comes out

April 5 i woke up after a very cold damp sleep. The sky was cloudy, and i wasnt sure if it was raining, or if water was dripping off the trees. I ate a quick breakfast of pop tarts and quickly got on the trail. My clothes were still wet from the day before and i was very cold not moving. We stopped at a shelter for lunch about 3 hours into hiking. Chunks of ice were now falling off the trees as it started to melt. It was still cloudy and very foggy. We had a long lunch and rested before continuing hiking. We came across a few people doing trail maintenance. Like cutting plants and chopping up the soil on the trail to keep a recognizable path there. They told us that it was supposed to clear up later in the day. We were very happy to find out they were right. First the sun would peek through the clouds for s few seconds before disappearing again. But after a half hour of in and out, the sun gradually came out and stayed out for the rest of the day. The temperature went up as the day went on and the elevation decreased. I was able to hike in tshirt and shorts by the end of the day. The day started bad but turned out to be beautiful. It was warm, sunny, and a gradual downhill all the way to the shelter. We were debating going all the way to hot springs, but ended up staying at a shelter less than 4 miles away from town. My knee began hurting very badlly towards the end of the day. I was hoping that sleep would help.

april 4 - ice storm

We got back to the trail on april 4. It was raining in the morning so i wasnt in the mood to hike. After a big breakfast and a feww cups of coffee i was feeling great. When we got to the trail i had a ccrazy amount of energy. The first 7 miles flew by. It was a 15 mile day total though, and the weather on the mountain was worse than just rain. It was sleet, and freezing rain. All the trees and plants had a layer of ice on them. The higher elevations had thicker layers of ice. And the trees branches were all bent over from the heavy ice on them. The wind was blowing through the trees too. And many branches were breaking and falling when they became unable to support the weigtht along with the wind. One very large branch broke above me, and embedded itself into the ground while standing straight up. It fell into the ground about 6 feet away from me. After that, whenever i heard a branch cracking id stop and look up. Afraid to be under one when it fell. There ws one particularly scary stretch of the day, and it didnt involve trees at all. It was while going over a mountain called max patch. Known for its beautiful views and starry night, we saw nothing but grey. The fog and sleet so thick we couldnhardly see the next trail markers, signposts placed every so often, with a white blaze on it. The wind on max patch was so strong and so cold, and we were soaking wet. there was a thick layer of ice on the ground and grasses that cover the top of max patch. I though i was going to get frostbite on my face or fingertips. My hands were mostly numb. It was scaryy, and amazing, at the same time. When we got to the shelter it was full. So we looked for a safe spots to pitch our tents. I put mine under a pine tree, in the hopes that it woujld catch or sloow down a branch that fell from one of the taller trees. Shortly after my tent was set up, a branch fell down and nearly hit another hikers tent. I cooked dinner and quickly got into my sleeping bag.

april 3 - standing bear hostel

April 3 was a good day, it was the day we crossed the border line of the smokies and we arrived at standing bear farm, a hostel. We woke up early because we wanted to get to standing bear very early, then enjoy the entire rest of the day off. It was only 4 miles to standing bear, so we left at about 8am. It was a pretty easy and nice hike to standing bear. Started downhill, we crossed over davenport gap then walkecd along a stream, then steep downhill past the stream and water falls. then we crossed a brisge over a river, then under a highway overpass. A few more hills and we made it to standing bear. Right before standing bear we found dump truck and clever girl and a few others packing up their campsite before heading to standing bear. Dump truck invited us to stay at the cabin hes renting in hot springs on saturday night. Saturday is also his bday. When we got to standing bear the first thing i did was find the resupply shop. The shop at standing bear is more of a hiker pantry than a shop. You keep tabs of everything you take, then leave the envelope full of cash in a wooden box in the shop. Its all based on an honor system, which hikers generally obey. In the first 1.5 hours of me being at standing bear, i ate about 3000 calories. I just kept going back to the shop to get more food. Another box of mac n cheese, a frozen pizza, sardines even. Despite that, it was still a productive day. I led mcjetpack through a 1 hour stretching session, and i cleaned some excess weight from my pack, some stuff i threw out, some i put in the hiker box, and some i sent home.

april 2 - out of the smokies

April 2 was the day i left the smokies. So of course it was a good day. We woke up pretty early because of the cold, Everyone did. Anything that was wet was frozen solid, which means that everyones boots were frozen. I wanted to start hiking as soon as possible to start generating heat. So as soon as i was packed up i ate a handful of trailmix and started hiking. We hike most of the day with chad and silas. Talking to chad i learned how easy it is to get a degree in education. Evidently there are online colleges that'll give you a recognized degree in about a year. As the elevation got lower and lower, it got warmer. First the snow began getting softer, then thinner, then just mud, then dry ground. The sun was also out all day, and the terrain was mostly downhill. So even though the day was longer, it was still much more enjoyable. We ended at davenport gap shelter. Its an old style smoky mountain shelter, that the front wall is a chain link fence to keep bears out. I hung my tarp on it to keep any wind out. A few more hikers arrived, one of them made a campfire, and some of us sat by it until late. It was a pretty nice, but chilly night.

april 1 - smokies solo

April 1st started off bad, and ended not too bad. It had rained over night, and the temps got to the 20s. So in the morning there was a sheet of ice covering everything, especcially the trail, which at this point was frozen slush covered with ice. The only redeeming quality of that morning was that since we were on a mountaintop, the view from the shelter was amazing. The sun was beginning to come up and heat the mountains, so the lower mountaintops were poking through what looked like a sea of clouds. It looked as though we were above the clouds. I cooked breakfast, so it was a slow morning for me. I was in no hurry because i wanted to let the trail warm up a bit first. Dj had left a half hour before i did, and my pace was a little bit slower, so i hiked by myself the whole day. The sun stayed out most of the day, so the fog on the lower peaks was visible alll day as well. There was one part where the fog was beinng blown over a lower point of the trail. So ahead of me it looked liked a river fog was flowing over the trail. It was pretty amazing. Being able to go my own pace and stop whenever i wanted made the day much better. I listened to music while hiking until my mp3 player died. The solo days are nice, but they get boring quickly. I wouldnt want to hike alone everyday. The destination shelter was also high altitude, and was cold when i got there, around 330pm. I cooked my dinner soon after getting there, and i was glad i got there so early when other hikers started arriving around 6. The shelter filled up and some hikers slept on the floor. Its good the shelter was crowded though. It was a very cold night.

march 31- clingmans dome

March 31 was a very wet day. All the snow that had fallen was beginning to melt. so the day was trudging through watery slush and sliding down the slippery descents. The day wasnt as bad as it sounds though. When i swtarted hiking in the morning i felt light and energetic. The slush was fun, and as long as i was hiking i felt warm. I slid down every slippery spot and loved. I dont know if it was the vitamins i took the night before or the dump i took in the morning, but i felt great all day. The beginning of the day was the climb up to clingmans dome, the highest mountain on the appalachian trail. At 6655 feet its not as high as the rockies or many other high mountain ranges, but you can feel the altitude in the cold weather, and you can see over all the mountains in every direction. There was no view when i was up there though. The entire day was cloudy, and even rained later in the day. The bad weather did have a good break to it, in the form of trail magic. Trail magic can make a bad day feel good, no matter how bad the day is. And dj was having a pretty bad day. I think the cold and the wet and the not having had dry socks since last thursday is getting to him. Its getting to me too. Its getting to everyone. Also, he left the shelter almost a half hour before i did, and told me he'll wait at clingmans for me. I took my time getting up clingmans. Its was only about 2.5 miles from the shelter, so it didnt take very long. But shortly after i began i caught up to silver fox, an older hiker. He hikes pretty fast despite his age. He attributes his energy to herbalife. A nutrition company that runs on multi level marketing, and evidently is the best quaity nutririon company there is. I spoke to him while hiking about what it takes to make money of multi level marketing schemes, particularly herbalife, which he has made millions off of over the years. We spoke and hiked, not too fast, not too slow. By the time i got to where dj was waiting, he had been waiting 45 minutes, and he was cold, and pissed. He continued hiking with silver fox, and i continued up to the top of the mountain. It was only a quarter mile so it didnt take long, and i picked up a few small rocks as keepsakes. I was able to catch up to them quickly afterward anyways. It was alot of fun sliding down the descents and jumping off the small ledges and continuing the slide, using my trekking poles like ski poles. Ive decided that i have to try skiing when i finish the hike. We eventually got ahead of silver fox, and another hiker, northstar, hiked with us for a few miles. He eventually stopped when we passed a road to wait for a friend of his who was hiking slower. From there it wasnt long to newfound gap, the parking lot and road that goes to gatlinberg. Thats where the trail magic was. Free food always makes people feel better. We hung out there with godspeed and mountain momma, the two trail angels providing the trail magic, for about a half hour. It was raining at this point, but was only 3 miles to our destination shelter. So it was only another hour and a half to the end of the day. There was space in the shleter but it was crowded, so it stayed in the low 30s dring the night inside the shelter. While it was in the low 20s outside.

march 28-30 into the smokies

Hiking in snow is not fun. It makes for some decent views when the clouds go away, but is more tiring and slower than hiking on solid dry ground. Its been a really busy and tiring few days. We managed to get a ride back to trail on thursday morning, the 28th. After miriam made us breakfast, david, one of the guests from the seder, came by to pick us up and drive us back to the trail. Davids fulls name is david perkins. He has been the subject of numerous newspaper articles in both america nad israel. He said that some israeli newspapers have written that he may be the messiah. And one there has called him the king of klezmer, because of his clarinet skills. Though he plays multiple instruments. He gave us a ride back to fontana dam. He told us his story of moving to knoxville. It was an interesting story, some of which was covered in knoxville newspapers. When we got to the dam. He wanted to play some music on the dam. So he played flute, and clarinet, and trumpet, and made us balloon animals to bring with us on the trail. The beginning of the way into the smokies wasnt so bad, just alot of uphill, and the weather was nice. Sunny, in the 50's. I was able to hike in my tshirt until we started getting to higher altitudes. I started to see patches of snow every now and then. We continued climbing higher, until we were walking through slush and snow. We started hiking late in the day. Around 3pm. But the first shelter was almost 11 miles in. We were hiking fast, and my ankle went right back to hurting, after a week of rest. We got to the shelter after dark, i was too cold and tired to cook so i just ate the rest of my trailmix and got in my sleeping bag. ... We woke up in the morning on the 29th of march to the sun shining bright as ever. It looked like it was going to be a good day. Then, after only a few minutes of hiking the clouds covered the sun, and a light snow began. The light snow continued for most of the day, but towards thye end, the last few hours, it was a heavy wet snow, with the snow being almost a foot in some areas. The trail was very slippery and the going was slow. When we got to the shelter, around 6pm, it was already full. The only spots left were the floor. So we spread our tarps down and put our sleeping bags on the floor. Our clothes were very wet from the snow, so getting everything dry was a priority. The smoky mountain shelters have fireplaces and wind tarps up, so as long as a fire is burning, it can keep the shelter a few degrees warmer. Me and another hiker, rocky, kept the fire going, he was rotating the drying shoes and socks by the fire, and i collected wood. It was very hard to fin wood because of the snow. So i broke down a small tree and brought it back to the shelter, i broke the tree up and we kept the fire going til about 10pm. Sleeping on the floor meant that i was between everyone else and the door. I was repeatedly stepped on by other hikers dring the night who woke up to pee. On the plus side, it was surprisingly warm in the shelter because there were about 29 people in a shelter thats meant for 12 people. ... The next morning, march 30, was another sunny one. We got up slowly, made a hot breakfast, and were almost the last ones to leave the shelter. Half a mile in i realized i left my watch at the last shelter. I ran back while dj and sarah continued hiking. i got my watch and caught up to them after an hour or so. The sun eventually came out and stayed out. The ground still had alot of snow from the night before. About a foot deep still, but the warm sun kept things somewhat pleasant. We didnt hike very far today, only about 7 miles. Its very difficult to hke in snow, every 3 steps only takes you forward for 2. Your foot slides in a different direction every time you take a step, and having a backpack only adds to the instability. Ending our day early also helped ensure that we got spots in the shelter. About 4 hikers here didnt try for spots in the shelter, setting up tents and hammocks instead. Theres enough space in here for a few more people, and more people might still come. Were gonna go over clingmans dome tomorrow. Its the highest mountain on the appalachian trail, 6655 feet above sea level. Theres talk of rain tomorrow, which in the temperatures wont be fun. Not sure if we'll stop in gatlinburg, we have just enough food to get us to the end of the smokies, but im running low on fuel for my stove. Yesterday, someone mistook it for my water when he asked me for some for his stove. I realizd after the fact that he had took half my fuel and poured it into his pot along with the last of his water. That was wasted, and i went from having more than enough fuel to having only enough that i might have to go a day without hot food. Dj gave me some of his, because he got his pocket rocket in knoxville, which runs on canned fuel. I still might not have enough. We'll see.

march 26-27 second seder and second day of passover

We woke up at 11am. Later than we wanted to wake up, because we wanted to get to shul. We went to shul anyways, and got there just as it was ending. We went back to the house, and miriam had to go to thne hospital for her patient. When she got back around 3pm me and dj helped in the kitchen. She was hosting the second seder for 15 people, and hadnt started any cooking yet. So the 3 of us began preparing the food, an hour later two of her friends came over to help too. The seder started around 630pm. And it was more similar to the seders i am used to. Except that many of the parts were in english. It was an entertaining crowd, there was david, a clarinet player and balloon sculptor, he busks in market square in knoxville, so he has lots of practice entertaining. His fiance, robin, reads palms and tells fortunes, she read djs palm, and yes, palm reading is a scam. and once again i drank a whole lot of wine so i was pretty loud most of the time. The next day, the second day of passover, we woke up early enough to catch the last 15 minutes of shul. We took a walk with miriam, she showed us the knoxville greenway, a 10 mile walking trail through knoxville that runs in a loop. We went back to the house shortly after, and miriam took a cab back to the hospital. We sat reading until she got back. The rabbi came by a little while later and me and dj walked with him and his wife back to the greenway. When we got back, about an hour later, the rabbi went home, and me and dj walked some more. This time the opposite direction, towards the shopping area, and came back about a half hour later. When we got back this time, miriam took out soem food for us to eat, and we talked about politics and history until the holiday ended. We all then went shopping for groceries for breakfast. That didnt last very long, we were back within an hour. And finally i was able to take a shower and put alll of my clothes in the washing machine. Clean clothes on the trail feels so great, and i grab every opportunity to wash my clothes. Tomorrow, david will probably give us a ride back to the trail. I need to run to the post office in the morning to send home my suit. The post office is a little over a mile from here, so ill probably walk it. Weather is still cold here, and definitely still cold in the smokies. Also, our packs are heavy right now from all the passover food we have. About 8 days worth of food. So thats about 14 pounds each. Its gonna be rough in the smokies, but we gotta do em sometime.