Hiking the Appalachian Trail, 1987

Our purpose was to hike from Springer Mountain in Georgia to Mount

Katahdin in Maine. It had always been a dream of mine and, if not for
Wendy, I dont think I never would have had the guts to go for it. As with any
undertaking in life, it wasnt quite what I had expected. Nevertheless, it will
always be fixed in my mind. Friends were met and lost. Goals were
accomplished and broken. Life became more precious and moments were
taken to absorb it.
Long before steps were ever taken on the trail, lots of planning and
preparation were underway. We made the decision to make the hike in
January of 1987. We rented our trailer home to Dawn Moore and Dan Gill.
They moved into it the first of March. We lived with my parents while trying
to sell our cars. Wendy and I bought the food for the hike and prepared
meals which were packed away in to food drops. These drops would be
mailed to us by Wendys mom, Barbara, along the trail. It seemed like
forever but all the food was finally purchased and packed. I bought a new
Sierra Designs 15 degree down bag. Wendy already had a North Face 20
degree Blue Kazoo down bag. Most all the equipment we used was bought
long before hand since Wendy and I both enjoyed hiking. I had planned for
$600 of spending money to be enough for the whole trip but it was far too
little.
It was tough to earn extra money to cover our bills while we were gone, buy
our food, and have enough money to last on the trail. It was very exciting
when the day came for us to leave our jobs and go on this trip. It was finally
here. March 22, 1987.

March 22, 1987 (Sunday)

Wendy had worked through Saturday night at Hemmingways Bar. Dan and
Dawn Gill drove us up to Nimblewill Gap (USFS 28) and dropped us off around
noon. It was strange seeing them drive away and leave us there, alone. It
was sunny and 70 degrees as we hiked the 2.8 miles to Springer Mountain.
We met Mickey who was a school teacher before we reached the top of
Springer Mountain. He had set up his umbrella tent for the night. We
reached the summit and read the trail register in the mail box on Springer.
We went to the shelter but had decided to camp in our tent in the grassy
field on top of Springer Mountain. Wendy had packed us some wine and
cheese to celebrate our first night on the trail. Some others arrived at dusk.
Kevin Veara, Teresa, Scott, and Jane had hiked in from Amicalola Falls State
Park. They were thru hikers like us. Scott just came to see Jane off for the
first few days. Nice sunset on our first night out. Kevin and Teresa took the

shelter while Scott and Jane also tented beside us for our first night on the
trail.

Wendy changing clothes after being dropped off, before Springer Mountain

The mailbox on Springer

Wendy reading the register by the plaque beginning the Appalachian Trail

Our first sunset from our tent site on Springer

March 23rd (Monday)

We woke early to a windy and cool morning. We ate and quickly returned to
the trail and to try and descend off the mountain top to escape some of the
wind. The trail took us by nice trout streams and moderate terrain. We
stopped for a while with the four thru hikers we met last night by a scenic
waterfall called Long Creek Falls which was just north of the trout
stream/camping area in Three Forks. I was starting to get a head ache
during the day. Neither Wendy nor I had smoked any cigarettes since we
started yesterday. We arrived at the Hawk Mountain Shelter by early
afternoon. We took our Thermarest air mattresses out and relaxed by the
shelter on them. We visited during this time with Kevin, Teresa, Scott, Jane,
and Bill. Bill was an older guy with a young spirit. He amazed me by toting a
2 gallon water jug in his hand all during the day today. Kevin and crew
headed on north another mile or so to tent for the night. Wendy and I
camped in our new North Face Tadpole tent for the night outside the shelter.
Before turning in we bathed at the small stream by the shelter with some Dr.
Bronners Peppermint Soap. Before sleep I thought back a few years to a
prior visit with Bob and Roselle Goss. They were thru hikers I had met and
we had also shared this shelter back in 1985. It was a neat feeling to know
that this was our time. Would we make it all the way as Bob and Roselle
did?

Long Creek Falls

Relaxing beside Hawk Mountain Shelter

March 24th (Tuesday)

Dawn this morning found us a little sore and with cloudy skies. We hiked
about 1 miles where some others of our ban had camped for the night. An
army guy and girl said Kevin and crew opted to take the dirt road (USFS 42)
instead of the Appalachian Trail (AT) because it would cross the trail later
where they would rejoin the AT. Teresa was tired and pretty low in spirit.
This was a new experience to her. Today the trail was very steep in places
and gradual along creeks in places. By noon a drizzle had started. We
rested after about 9 miles at Gooch Gap Shelter which sat high above the
trail on a hillside. It was cool and we saw Kevin and crew there also.
Because others were on the way we decided to push on in the rain to Woody
Gap (SR 60) with Scott and Jane. We tented near the bath room facilities in
the gap and cooked supper while it rained under the over-hang of the bath
room. Since there was nothing to do in the rain we turned in early. Our
Tadpole tent kept us dry as we drifted off to sleep. Still have the headache.
May be because Im adjusting to trail life. It is a harsh adjustment for anyone
to make!

March 25th (Wednesday)

We woke to damp and cloudy skies in Woody Gap this morning. We were
anxious to get underway because tonight we would make it to Neels Gap
(SR 129) and our first Hostel. The woods were nice as we walked along. We
would pass Scott and Jane and they would pass us. We lunched in Jarrard
Gap by a logging road. The skies were now partly cloudy and the weather
was on the upswing. We passed a burned area of woods just before
Slaughter Gap and then climbed Blood Mountain. We took a break in the two
room stone shelter on top. A normally panoramic view was obscured by
clouds but our minds were on Neels Gap only 2 miles farther north! By the
time we arrived at the Walysi-Yi Center in Neels Gap the sun was shining
through. We got some snacks at the hiker store there and made our
reservations for their hostel and dinner and to have our clothes washed and
dried Heaven! Supper was a great home-made spaghetti dinner with rolls
and salad. Kevin, Teresa, Scott, Jane, and Paul were with Wendy and I that
night at the hostel in Neels Gap. It was a 2 room hostel with 2 beds. The
rest of the folks picked out spots for their sleeping bags on the carpeted
floor. We visited with everyone while I dried our tent out in the evening air.
This was the first time we met Paul. He was also a thru hiker. We picked up

our first mail drop we had left here last Sunday and re-supplied our packs.
We took on 11 days of food supplies. It didnt take long for sleep to set in
tonight, lying here on the mattress of a bed. If our planning was right our
new supplies would take us all the way to the Nantahala Outdoor Center in
Wesser, NC. While here at Neels Gap Wendy bought some shorts and I
bought a pile jacket in the hiker store. We shared a couple of cigarettes for
the first time in a few days. I mailed back my heavy army fatigue camo
pants and some other small items we decided we didnt need and did not
want to tote!

All of us piled in for a shot at the Neels Gap Hostel L-R: Paul, Jane, Scott,
Wendy, Teresa, and Kevin

March 26th (Thursday)

The morning was sunny and mild as we swung in to our burdensome packs
with 11 days of supplies. Wendy had developed a blister on the back of her
heel and it was really getting bad but she was a real trooper about it. The
scenery was beautiful and overlooks were plenty between Neels Gap and
Tesnatee Gap. At Tesnatee Gap we took the paved road (SR 348) up of a
mile and rejoined the AT in Hogpen Gap. Paul was sitting there taking a
lunch break as we arrived. We rested and doctored on Wendys blister again.
We were ahead of Kevin and crew and we hadnt seen Bill now in a few days.
There were lots of gnats out as the sun made the temperature climb. I didnt
think we would ever get to Low Gap Shelter! After a long and brutal descent
we finally got there. Kevin came in next and dropped his pack. He took back
off up the AT to help Teresa and tote her pack down to the shelter. They
joined us for the night in Low Gap Shelter while Scott and Jane tented just
above us. Paul and 2 guys (father and son) from Germany also spent the

night here. Wendy and I bathed just below the shelter in a cold and swift
stream. The cold water at the end of a hot and sweaty day always made me
feel 100% better. Teresa talked of quitting at Neels Gap and now she wished
she had after this 12 mile day.

Doctoring on blisters

German friend

Appalachian Trail Shelter in Low Gap

Kevin all smiles while Teresa writes in the shelter register

March 27th (Friday)

Today started out great, waking at Low Gap Shelter this morning. The trail
left Low Gap and followed abandoned logging roads for several miles so the
grade was very gentle. We passed by Chattahoochee Gap and saw 2 deer
just south of Rocky Knob Shelter. It was at this shelter that we took a lunch
break and met 2 lady school teachers from Texas Their trail names were
The Texas Turtles and they were thru hiking. It started to sprinkle rain
again as we left after lunch. We saw Paul again down in Unicoi Gap (SR 75)
and climbed Rocky Mountain. Rain pushed us on for a total of about 15.5
miles to Montray Shelter on the north side of Tray Mountain about miles
past the summit. By the time we reached the shelter we were exhausted.
This had been our longest mileage day so far. It was here we met Karen and
Dave from Massachusetts who were also thru hiking for the summer. They
had internal frame packs as did Kevin and Teresa. We had Jansport external
frame packs so these new internal frame packs were interesting to check
out. Kevin, Teresa, Scott, and Jane stopped today and hitched in to Helen on
SR 75. Scott was only hiking with Jane for a few days and it was here that he
left Jane as Teresa left Kevin and they headed back home.

Wendy fixes breakfast as we get ready to leave Low Gap Shelter

Nice and graded trails after we left Low Gap Shelter

Last steps climbing Tray Mountain near the end of a long day

March 28th (Saturday)

We woke and took a couple of quick pictures with Karen and Dave and Paul
out in front of Montray Shelter. We descended from Montray Shelter in to the
Swag of the Blue Ridge which is a stretch of trail that doesnt change
elevation much for a couple of miles. We also enjoyed nice weather this
morning. We took it easy today after yesterdays long hike and called it quits
at Addis Gap. We took the mile side trail to the right down to Addis Gap
Shelter which is near the road coming up from Wild Cat Creek near Lake
Burton. We hoped Kevin and Jane would catch up to us here. Wendy put on
a bikini bathing suit and got some sun on the picnic table outside the shelter
as we relaxed this afternoon. Just before dark Kevin, Jane, and Paul arrived.
We met Anna as she also stopped for the night. She had been in to Clayton
for fresh milk and fruit and was headed south on the AT to Springer
Mountain. She was on the last few days of her round trip hike from Springer
Mountain Georgia to Fontana Dam North Carolina and back. She warned us
of the brutal Stekoa Mountains just north of the Nantahala River which was a
week or so ahead of us. We all went to bed early for a good nights sleep.

Outside Montray Shelter. L-R: Paul, Wendy, Dave and Karen

March 29th (Sunday)

We woke to a tough climb out of Addis Gap. Up from the shelter to the AT
and then up again as we climbed Kelly Knob.
Jane and Kevin soon
established their lead in front of us. Wendy and I took it slow because of sore
legs and bad blisters on Wendys feet. The clouds rolled and by the time we
arrived in Dicks Creek Gap (SR 76) we decided to take a break from the trail
for a few days to let some blisters heal and to see if we couldnt find a better
pair of boots for Wendy. We started walking west on SR 76 and stopped at
a house for Wendy to call our friends, Bob and Diane, and they said they
could come pick us up. We hitch hiked further west towards Hiwassee and
got dropped off at a country store where we would wait for Bob and Diane.
We would take the next 2 days off and visit Georgia Outdoors and buy Wendy
a pair of High Tech Brand hiking boots which were lighter than her midweight leather hiking boots she had been wearing. It was nice to rest a
couple nights at home and re-group! We were able to talk my cousin,
Louie Stanley, in to dropping us back off at Dicks Creek Gap when we were
ready to head back to the trail. It didnt take but a day or two for us to start
missing the trails and our new friends who were still out there ahead of us
somewhere.

April 1st (Wednesday)

We loaded up in my cousins car and a few hours later we were being
dropped off at Dick Creeks Gap where we had left the AT just 3 days before.
We were glad to be back and hopeful Wendys feet would feel a little better.
As we got back on the trail I wondered how Jane and Kevin were and whether
we would ever catch up to them. The weather had been turning bad last
Sunday when we left the trail. Today the weather was mild and sunny as we
hiked from lunch time to Plum Orchard Gap Shelter where we would spend
the night. Wendys new boots helped her some but she still had lots of pain.
I guess a couple of days off werent long enough for her blister to heal. As
we arrived at Plum Orchard Gap Shelter we found we werent alone. We met
other thru hikers such as Dave (Lone Wolf) Blair, another Kevin (Buckeye),
Dave and Paul (The Muffin Men) from England, Ed, and Joe. They had started
a few days behind us but now we were together since we took a few days off.
Dave, Wendy and I, Joe, and Ed all tented and the rest took the shelter. After
supper I strolled by myself back to the ridge crest and the AT while enjoying
the peace of the evening. Dave had hiked to the Maine line last year (1986)
and he told Wendy to hang in there! and her blisters would toughen up.
That kind of helped her attitude out some.

Outside Plum Orchard Gap Shelter L-R: Dave (sitting), Kevin (Buckeye) in
sleeping bag, and Wendy with her back to the camera.

April 2nd (Thursday)

Morning found us all eager to make the North Carolina state line. We were
off but The Britts and Dave soon over took us. We could hear them singing
and coming up the trail long before we saw them. They were singing an old
British tune. Something about The Muffin Men. The day was mild and
breezy as we hiked along. We made Bly Gap, the state line, and enjoyed the
gnarled tree and sweeping vista as described in the AT trail guide book. The
trail rose sharply out of Bly Gap but it seemed like a short climb. We passed
on the edge of some overlooks and through tunnels of rhododendron. At
lunch we were at an A-frame type shelter called Muskrat Creek Shelter. It
was neat because we had not seen one this style before. Most shelters on
the AT are 3 sided with wooden sleeping platforms with the front of the
shelter totally open and most also have a sloped roof. The A-frame was
different. The air seemed to be really cooling down now. The scenery was
nice with the stream and laurel all around us. In the afternoon we passed by
a logging operation a couple miles before Standing Indian Shelter. The men
were cutting away and busy. As we arrived at Standing Indian Shelter we
were hailed by Mickey whom we had met on the first day of our hike. He
said the Texas Turtles went on further to the top of Standing Indian Mountain
to camp for the night. We were catching back up to everyone. Kevin and
Jane had even left a note for us at the previous shelter saying we would
catch them soon. The others from the night before rolled in to the shelter for
the night. Dave, Ed, and Joe put up their tents outside and the rest of us
took the shelter floor. Some others arrived via a forest service road in the
gap and camped just above the shelter on top of a small ridge. A full house
tonight!

Bly Gap, GA/NC state line

The AT coming into Bly Gap and the famous gnarled tree

April 3rd (Friday)

What a surprise this morning as we woke in Standing Indian Shelter. It
started to snow about day break! Within just a few minutes the tents outside
the shelter were covered in fresh snow and beginning to sag a little as those
guys started to make it outside their tents. Shortly after that the snow
caused some of the tents to start collapsing. Wendy, Mickey, and I decided
to take off and push northward towards the top of Standing Indian Mountain.
We didnt think it would snow a lot. This was the first of April! The snow was
falling hard, fast, and straight down. The woods were totally silent as the
snow muffled any noise there might have been. The others at the shelter
decided to stay put and, looking back, I wish we had made the same
decision. As we left the shelter the ground was already covered in several
inches of snow. As we reached the side trail to the summit of Standing
Indian Mountain we could see the tracks of The Texas Turtles. They had
already broken their campsite on top of the mountain and had headed out.
The walking was getting tough and we began to get cold. We had Gore-Tex
for a shell but did not have a lot of insulation on beneath. It was spring,
right? Wendy and I stopped for lunch and set up our tent to get out of the
snow which had not slowed down at all. This was something that we never
did during the day, setting up the tent for lunch. Mickey continued as Wendy
and I buried into our down bags and fixed something warm for lunch. Trees
were beginning to snap and limbs were cracking all around us. We soon
broke camp and packed up again because we were fearful of getting crushed
by falling trees and limbs. Up ahead we crossed streams and crawled on our
hands and knees with our 40 pound backpacks under lots of rhododendron
which had now bent down to the ground due to the weight of all the snow.
What a sight! We finally made it about 7 miles to Carter Gap Shelter. By the
time we reached the shelter the snow was several feet deep with drifts up to
our waist. Mickey and The Texas Turtles were already settled in but made
room for Wendy and I. I went to the spring behind the shelter and it was
very difficult to find in all the fresh snow. Wendy prepared our sleeping bags
and pads on the shelter floor. We zipped our bags together and settled in
with some warm food and drink. We had our damp clothes and packs
hanging in the entrance to the shelter and my tent had already frozen into a
block of ice from earlier this afternoon. Good thing we made it to the shelter
because there was no way we could have set the tent up frozen like it was. It
was a scary feeling being hit by such a freak snow storm. We did not have
the proper clothes to handle the snow and these temperatures. We were
tired and drifted off to sleep.

Waking up at Standing Indian Shelter, snow just beginning to collect on tents

Wendy and I climbing Standing Indian, early in the storm

Wendy with Mickey climbing in the snow

April 4th (Saturday)

When we woke this morning the snow had pretty much stopped. The
thermometer on Wendys pack showed the temperature was now 17
degrees. The wind had increased and was blowing approximately 30 mph.
These shelters dont seem like a lot but we were glad to be there! We were
not about to leave the shelter and get out in these temperatures with the
wind and very deep snow. All we did was lay there and discuss our game
plan and tried to stay warm in our sleeping bags. None of the others in the
shelter left either. Our friends Dan and Dawn were planning to meet us this
weekend but we were not going to be able to make it because we were
snowed in. In an age before cell phones, no one knew exactly where we
were. We were on our own. My thermal underwear were frozen like a
wooden plank. I got them in to my sleeping bag and let them warm up
some. I finally put them on and periodically would open my sleeping bag to
release a vapor cloud of steam. This is how I dried them. It worked but it
was cold! We all decided to head for Rainbow Stream Campground tomorrow
which was a commercial campground not far off the AT. It would be a 2 day
trip in this weather. Our food and fuel for Svea stove was running low.
Tonight I put water in our cook pot so it would not freeze in our water bottles.
All I would have to do would be to put the frozen pot of water on the stove
and start thawing it out in the morning for our coffee and breakfast. Off to
sleep again at the end of a long day killing time in the shelter.

View from my sleeping bag inside Carter Gap Shelter. All the gear hanging
up was not drying out. It was frozen like a block of ice

April 5th (Sunday)

We woke for the second cold morning at Carter Gap Shelter. The sun was
shining but it was cold and all the snow was still on the ground. Trees were
still collapsed with the snow load across the trail. Our leather boots had
frozen solid. It was very hard and uncomfortable to put them on. I
remember getting my foot started in the boot and then having to jump to
drive that foot into the frozen boot. But once the boot was on it slowly
started to become pliable although cold. Our wool gloves had ice sickles
hanging on them and they too had to be thawed. I put on my thermal
underwear, flannel shirt, a pair of light pants, my pile jacket, and my GoreTex Jacket for a shell. I was still cold. Wendy and left first, followed by
Mickey, and then the Texas Turtles. It was a feeling like it was everyone for
themselves. The trail was still very tough to follow and it was easy to lose.
Luck and a slight indentation was all that helped us stay on track and in the
trail. We still had to crawl on our hands and knees in places. Around lunch
we crossed a dirt road in Mooney Gap with tire tracks in the snow. Wendy
wanted to wait for a vehicle but we didnt know when anyone would come by
or even if anyone else would come by. Dan and Dawn were to meet us today
but the snow had delayed us. Was it their tire tracks we saw? Were they out
in his Jeep looking for us? After mixed emotions we continued on the AT and
left the road. The hiking was now extremely dangerous because we were
cold and the trail fell off quickly in places. At one time Wendy cried. I felt
like doing the same but tried to encourage her strongly for us to continue.
We did not need to stop at this point. I guess it was the instinct for survival
that drove me on now. After another long 1 mile the AT came back
alongside another forest service road just south of Albert Mountain. The road
was an alternative trail, marked by blue blazes, for bypassing Albert
Mountain which is normally a very steep climb and tough even in good
weather. We took this blue blazed alternative and walked up the dirt road. I
was in the lead and Wendy was behind me a pretty good ways but I could
still see her. As I rounded a curve in the road I couldnt believe what I saw.
There were people out skiing down the road! I turned and called back to
Wendy that I saw some people skiing down the road. She thought I had
finally succumbed to hypothermia. A 4 wheel drive soon came down the
road and stopped and we told the driver of our situation. He agreed to drive
us into Franklin, NC where we could get a hotel. We had been saved. The
others out skiing would keep an eye out for the Texas Turtles. Our feet had
been numb for several hours but at last we were leaving the ice box for a
motel and a hot shower. What a feeling! As we arrived at the motel
recommended in the Philosophers Guide we saw Dave, Joe, Ed and Buckeye.
They had arrived by going back to the gap near Standing Indian Shelter
where there was a road and getting a ride in. I told them I wished we had

done the same. It seems Buckeye had issues with epileptic seizures and had
problems the morning it first started snowing. The Britts and other hikers
had walked out for a rescue team. All were safe now. As we got to our room
at the hotel I began drying equipment. We had hiking gear everywhere in
the room. As I tried to unroll our tent, ice began to fall from it and thats
when I realized how close of a call we had endured. After some overdue
phone calls and a steak dinner we went to sleep in the luxury of our hotel
room in Franklin, NC.

Preparing to leave Carter Gap Shelter after being snowed in for 2 nights

April 6th (Monday)

We had contacted Wendys grandparents in North Carolina and made
arrangements for her Grandpa to pick us up and take us to their home.
Before Grandpa arrived Dan and Dawn dropped in. They had found us. They
found our location from friends we had called on the phone last night. They
had drove around some and told us that Fontana Dam just north of us had
reports of 6 feet of snow and hikers were still stranded in the Great Smoky
Mountain National Park. The park service had helicopters dropping supplies

to the hikers in the Smokies because the snow was so deep that no one
could hike out. Dan and Dawn waited until Wendys Grandpa arrived and
they followed us back to her grandparents home where we all enjoyed a
home cooked lunch by her Grandmother. After lunch, Dan and Dawn drove
us in the Jeep back to the Nantahala River Outdoor Center (NOC) in Wesser,
NC where we checked in to one of the many hostel rooms they had. This
decision caused us to skip about 30 miles of the AT. We also saw Kevin
(Tweety) and lots of other thru hikers there just waiting for the snow to melt.
I knew this would not be a one day wait! We heard that Jane had gone home
for a break. Tweety had arrived in Wesser just as the snow storm had hit.
We also met Grandma Soul who was thru hiking with the support of her
friends, Gordon and Sue and a support van. Grandma had taken off through
the Stekoas which is the name of the mountain range between Wesser and
the Smokies. She was trying to make it to Cheoa Bald but the snow had
slowed her and she returned to the NOC in the darkness with the aid of a dim
flashlight. What a tough lady in her 60s!
For the next several days and nights we stayed with lots of other thru hikers
in the hostels at the NOC. We were going nuts wanting to leave and get on
the trail but there was a lot of deep snow on the trail along with blown down
trees and bad trail conditions. Karen and Dave were also here with us. The
storm had hit them just south of Wayah Bald. They had found a remote
home and actually broke in to it to get out of the storm. They left cash on
the table to pay for the repair of a broken window but they said they felt they
had no choice to save their lives. I called Blue Ridge Mountain sports in
Atlanta at Lenox Square and had some gaiters and overmits shipped to us
while we were waiting at the NOC. We shared our room with Mark the Trail
Troll and an older guy who he had hooked up with. They had shuttled in
from Tray Mountain Georgia.

Hanging out at the NOC hostel

Dan and Dawn spending some time with us at the hostel

Wendy leading a hike while at the NOC to check out trail conditions before
we left the hostels. With Dan and Dawn

Exploratory day hike out of the NOC towards Cheoa Bald to check trail
conditions

April 9th (Thursday)

We left the NOC this morning just after Grandma Soul, Dave, and Karen. Our
new gaiters and overmits still had come to the NOC after being ordered.
Tweety was waiting one more day until he was going to leave so he told us
not to worry about them and he would wait until they arrived and he would
bring them to us. Such a nice offer and a nice guy. There was still snow on
the ridges but we had checked out the trail the previous days for several
miles and other reports coming in said the trail was passable now. We
stopped for lunch in the shelter just before Cheoa Bald. While we lunched
with Karen and Dave we discussed of pushing on a little farther to a place on
the map that promised good tent sites and water in Locust Cove Gap, just a
few miles up the trail. We arrived and tented in the gap. Just before dusk
Grandma Soul made it to the gap and tented too. The weather was still cool
but pleasant. We went in with Karen and Dave and had a nice supper from
combining our supplies we had packed up in Wesser. The was the end of our
first day back on the trail after the blizzard and our first day in the Stekoas
which had the reputation of being some of the toughest mountains in the

southeast because there were not a lot of switchbacks or graded trails. The
AT through the Stekoas went straight up the mountain!

Wendy near Cheoa Bald after leaving the NOC

Wendy and I on Cheoa Bald

Our camp in Locust Cove Gap

L-R: Karen, Wendy, and Dave . Locust Cove Gap

Grandma soul getting ready to camp with us

April 10th (Friday)

We packed up early and left Locust Cove Gap with the sun this morning.
When we arrived at the road crossing, Gordon and Sue were there with the
support van waiting on Grandma Soul. We talked for a few minutes and told
them we had camped with her last night and she should be along soon.
Since they were helping Grandma with the van, taking her gear around to
the next paved road, they asked us if we wanted them to take our 40 pound
packs too. Didnt take much thinking on our parts and we gratefully
accepted their offer. They had a little dog named Muggsy who was traveling
with them and they asked if we would mind walking him over the AT today
and they would meet us with our gear at the next road crossing. We didnt
mind. It felt awesome to be free from the weight of our packs for most of
todays walk. They had some day packs in the van and we took a day pack
and placed our lunch and emergency items in them and continued north on
the AT. They also were helping Dave and Karen shuttle their packs too. This
section of trail had very steep grades with few switchbacks. From the ridges
we could see the Great Smoky Mountains ahead of us in the distance. They
appeared to still be covered in snow and we were still encountering small
patches of snow ourselves but it was melting quickly with temperatures in
the 60s. A couple of miles before the road we met Gordon hiking south. He
had hiked back to meet us and get some exercise. Once reaching the road
and van we once again took on our packs and hiked the last mile to our first
log cabin type of trail shelter at Cable Gap. This shelter was full of mice
according to the trail register. Had a great evening here. Wendy and I found
some time to take a walk and to get off to ourselves for a while. A nice
stream was in front of the shelter. Karen and Dave also made it to the
shelter and settled in. We met Jake and Gretchen who had hiked in from the
shelter near Cheoa Bald and they set up their tent near the shelter. As we all
finished up our dinner I was amazed as I looked up and saw Tweety coming in
to camp. He had our gear and was anxious to catch us. He had covered in
one day what had taken us 2 days to cover! He said he didnt stop all day
and snacked while hiking. Obviously, he was a very strong hiker and had
covered 21 miles today. We let him have our sleeping space in the shelter
and Wendy and I tented nearby. It sprinkled just a little rain tonight but no
big storm.

Muggsy!

The support van that Gordon and Sue drove Wendy getting lunch from
pack

Dave and Karen slack packing with us through the Stekoas

Wendy outside of Cable Gap Shelter

Me hanging with our packs by Gordon and Sues van

Great views with the Smoky Mountains in the distance still covered in snow

April 11th (Saturday)

I woke this morning to find my old Jansport D3 pack had been raided by the
mice in Cable Gap Shelter. I had left it in the shelter while we tented nearby.
The bottom, right zipper had a big hole chewed through it. I was so
disappointed. We left the shelter and hiked up the side of a ridge. Upon the
trail gaining the top of the ridge we kept a look out for another trail which
should branch off the AT, which was mentioned in the Philosophers Guide
that would lead us into the tourist village town of Fontana. There was a post
office in Fontana Village and we were planning to get there before the Post
Office closed at noon to resupply. If we didnt make it we would have to wait
until the Post Office opened up on Monday. We had trouble finding the side
trail and did not see any splits off the AT. We finally figured out that the trail
we were on was it! Somehow we had left the AT and were on the side trail
headed steeply down in to Fontana Village. We never noticed the AT splitting
off in another direction. We made the Post Office in time to get our mail drop
that Wendys mother, Barbara, had sent us and we also spent some time at a
coin laundry washing our nasty clothes with Karen and Dave. When we
finished in Fontana we got out on the road and hitch hiked a few miles back
to the AT and to Fontana Dam where there was a very large shelter near the
dam that was famously called the Fontana Hilton. After getting out of the
truck that had stopped to pick us up and walking a ways I realized I had
forgot and left my hiking stick that I had had for several years in the back of
the truck. Disappointed again! At the shelter it was like a reunion. We were
there with Dave and Karen, Grandma Soul, Tweety, Buckeye, Joe, Ed, Mark,
Paul, Jake, Gretchen and a few others. It was a large shelter on the banks of
Lake Fontana. At the nearby office for the dam there were free hot showers
available. It was a beautiful and sunny day to relax and admire the Smokies
which were visible from the shelter across the lake. In Fontana Village I had
bought some loaf bread and a couple of cans of Spam. I ate a couple of
sandwiches but I guess I was not used to eating like this after a few weeks on
the trail. I wound up getting sick.. but, that was the only bad part to the
evening.

Wendy resupplying our food bag in the foreground while Karen and Dave
catch up on some mail. Washing clothes at the coin laundry in Fontana
Village

Outside the Fontana Hilton. Tweety looks towards the Smokies as me and
him check out the views from the shelter

Grandma Soul outside the Fontana Hilton Shelter

April 12th (Sunday)

After breakfast and packing up this morning Wendy and I walked across
Fontana Dam and entered the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. We had
obtained our thru hiker permits at Fontana Dam which are required for the
Smokies. Thru hikers are defined as those whose hike start at least 50 miles
outside of the park and ends at least 50 miles past the other side of the
Smokies. These permits allow thru hikers some extra freedom in the park.
Normal permits require hikers to get reservations for shelters and they are
not allowed to tent. Thru hiker permits allow thru hikers to stay at whatever
shelter they want. If the shelter happens to be full, thru hikers can set up
their tents outside the shelter and camp. Normal hikers are not allowed this
privilege. We climbed up from the dam and over Shuckstack Mountain and
fire tower which we had seen the year before on our honey moon hike after
we married. Buckeye hiked with us some as did Tweety, Dave Blair Lone
Wolf, and Grandma Soul. We lunched with Grandma down at Birch Spring
Gap Shelter which is in a low and muddy area. We had seen no snow after a
one week melt down. Going was tough but enjoyable as Wendy and I and
Buckeye climbed and lunched at Mollies Ridge Shelter. It wasnt as tough in
the afternoon because we had already gained so much elevation, up from
Fontana Dam. We passed a grumbling group of teenagers headed south. We
decided to camp at Russell Field Shelter for the night. Ed decided to end his
hike and his friend Joe walked down the 5 mile side trail from Russell Field
Shelter to Cades Cove where they would part company. Lone Wolf and
Tweety decided to walk another 2 miles or so to Spence Field Shelter for
the night. After eating supper with us, Buckeye also decided to head on to
Spence Field Shelter. We were alone! This was the first night we had a
shelter all to ourselves, and in the Smokies at that! Very unusual but we
were happy for the alone time. We watched deer this evening outside our
shelter, through the chain link fencing which runs across the front of the
shelters in the Smokies. The fencing is there to try and keep bears out of the
shelters. We had a small fire in the shelters fireplace and enjoyed our
evening alone together.

Spring wild flowers starting to emerge

April 13th (Monday)

It was a beautiful morning on the AT as we headed towards Spence Field.
Spence Field is a magical area. It is a large, grassy meadow which rolls along
the high ridge of elevations over 5000 for quite a distance. When we
reached Spence Field we took off our packs for a break in the meadow. We
heard voices in the distance calling out. We started trying to figure out
where these distant voices were coming from and spotted some of our
friends on Rocky Top. They had left Spence Field Shelter this morning and
were ahead of us but were taking a break on Rocky Top and had spotted us in
the meadow below them. We waved back. We hoisted our packs and
continued in their direction, north bound through Spence Field on the AT.
Once we reached Rocky Top we found a note left for us with our friends
intentions to head for Silers Bald Shelter. After a tough, last climb near the
end of the day we Reached Silers Bald Shelter. There were many there
tonight. It was clouding up and drizzling some as we bathed below the
spring at the shelter. That evening we saw two guys coming in to the shelter
and one of them had a shotgun! They informed us they were park rangers
and were out on a standard route checking hog traps. If they found hogs in
the traps they would shoot them and drag them off the trail. Wild hogs have
become a problem in the park and are not one of the natural residents of the
Smokies. They destroy a lot of ground and natural plants. The rangers told
us they drop corn by helicopter near the traps and it is stored in 55 gallon
drums and they hike and remove any hogs and reset the traps. I thought
that must be a very cool job. We also saw 2 wild boars on the east side of
the ridge tonight near the shelter.

Climbing towards Rocky Top in the Smokies

The break in Spence Field when we heard our friends calling from Rocky Top

Spence Field area

April 14th (Tuesday)

Morning at Silers Bald found us fogged in. It was very windy and pretty cool.
Lone Wolf had pitched his Eureka Crescent tent out in the grassy area in front
of Silers Bald Shelter. He came to the shelter to say good morning. As we
turned to look out, his tent appeared to swell up with air from all the wind
and became airborne, tumbling across the grassy area. Lone Wolf took off
after it. The tent survived and Lone Wolf got the situation under control. We
decided to stay at the shelter today and take a day off from hiking. The
weather was nasty and we thought it would do us good to rest. Nothing to
do today but to snuggle up in our down sleeping bags and enjoy
conversation with our friends. There are so many people from so many
different backgrounds on the AT so the conversation is rarely dull. Two other
thru hikers, Randall and Slim Jim, passed by headed northward on this nasty
weather day. I used a sausage can and some stove fuel to help urge a fire to
grow out of soaking wet wood in the fireplace of the shelter. The fire was
nice but I almost smoked everyone out of the shelter!

Day off at Silers Bald Shelter. L-R: Karen, Dave, and Lone Wolf, just before
the tent outside the shelter blew away

Posing for a picture with Tweety on our day off at Silers Bald Shelter

April 15th (Wednesday)

Morning at Silers Bald found the skies clearing and the temperatures turning
colder as we put on our pile fleece and headed out. The views were
breathtaking from the grassy spots on the ridges between Silers Bald and
Clingmans Dome. Fog set in as we climbed in to the clouds at Clingmans
Dome which is the highest elevation on the AT at over 6000 feet in elevation.
Tweety had forgotten a water bottle at the shelter when he left and we had
found it so we tried to find him to return it. Some tourists advised us at the
top of the mountain that they had seen some hikers down near the restroom
building at the parking area of Clingmans Dome. We headed that way and
found Tweety and Dave there and we ate lunch and returned Tweetys water
bottle to him. It was a good place to get out of the wind. We decided to hike
down the road 7 miles which leads between Clingmans Dome and US 441 at
Newfound Gap. The road and AT parallel each other and the trail was damp
and slick. After a break in Newfound Gap, Tweety headed north on the AT
while Wendy and I hitched a ride with Lone Wolf down into Gatlinburg for
washing our clothes and a hot shower and a break from sleeping on the trail.
We decided to split a room to save money.

Beautiful views and cold weather as we left Silers Bald and headed towards
Clingmans Dome

April 16th (Thursday)

We shared a room with Lone Wolf and had also found Buckeye who spent the
night with us as well. We got out and enjoyed the tourist town of Gatlinburg
and kicked back today. Wendy and I ate pizza and toured all the little shops
in town. I bought me a ball cap which the shop customized for me that said
AT Georgia to Maine. Gatlinburg was a pretty little town but crowded. I
guess all towns seem crowded them longer you stay out on the trail. We
plan to get a ride back up to the AT at Newfound Gap tomorrow. Maybe this
rain and drizzle will end by then.

April 17th (Friday)

Wendy and I were able to get a shuttle up to the AT with the motel owners
son. Wendy and I, Dave and Karen, and Buckeye headed out as Lone Wolf
stayed in Gatlinburg for another day of rest. As we neared Newfound Gap we
noticed that there had been a dusting of snow up here at the gap last night.
Snow was not a good subject after our close call in the Nantahalas. As we

climbed out of Newfound Gap the snow became deeper. By the time we
were within a mile or so of Ice Water Springs Shelter the snow was already
more than a foot deep. We met 2 girls and their family headed south for
their car. They were day hiking and were very cold. Our feet were starting
to become numb from the wet snow and the cold temperatures. After a
short conversation, Wendy and I decided to turn around and go back and
hitch back in to Gatlinburg again. Dave and Karen and Buckeye were ahead
of us on the trail a ways so could not get word to them of our decision. All
we could do was to wish them luck! After quite a while in Newfound Gap we
finally got a ride into Gatlinburg. When we got back to the hotel where we
had stayed we saw Lone Wolf and he gave us an I told you so. Since
Wendy and I had previously hiked the northern section of the Smokies from
Newfound Gap to Davenport Gap last year we decided we would try to hitch
around the northern Smokies tomorrow and restart our hike in Davenport
Gap, the northern end of the Smokies.

April 18th (Saturday)

Wendy and I and Lone Wolf caught the Gatlinburg Trolley for 25 cents each
about 4 miles out of town towards Cosby, Tn. It let us out at a gas station
where the 3 of us began to hitch hike towards Davenport Gap. It took about
30 minutes for a guy to pick us up. The guy went out of his way and took us
all the way to a hotel in Cosby Tn. where one of his friends carried us out the
twisting dirt road to Davenport Gap. We met so many nice people that would
go out of their way to help hikers. As we arrived at the gap we saw Gordon
and Sue waiting on Grandma Soul to come out of the Smokies. We headed
north through beautiful forests. As Wendy, Lone Wolf, and I crossed a small
creek I warned them about the slick rocks. They crossed safely but I had
slipped and dropped our 35mm camera on a rock while trying to get a
picture from the middle of the stream and the battery cover broke. I used a
Band-Aid to hold the battery cover back in place and I continued on with only
my pride bruised. We crossed Interstate 40 and started the long and gradual
climb of Snowbird Mountain. We ate lunch at a creek on the way up the
mountain. Upon reaching the top of Snowbird Mountain we took a break.
The view was great and it was sunny and nice. There is a large FAA facility
on top of Snowbird Mountain that helps guide planes and it was unusual to
see it. Later during our hike we could occasionally see this FAA tower for
many miles. After leaving the top of the mountain it was all downhill to Deep
Gap and Groundhog Creek Shelter. We ate on a picnic table with some Boy
Scouts who were also there for the night. It was a great day. We believe that
Dave and Karen and Buckeye are still behind us after our shuttle around the
northern Smokies.

April 19th (Easter Sunday)

Wendy, Lone Wolf, and I left Groundhog Creek Shelter on a beautiful Easter
Sunday morning. Wendy and Lone Wolf were really getting into wild flower
identification and had also identified many during yesterdays hike. Wendy
wanted to slow her pace enough to continue her wild flower gazing so Lone
Wolf and I took off and hiked for a while today. Wendy and I never minded
hiking apart. It is hard for two people to walk together all the time because
everyones pace is different. We would never get too far apart before
stopping to wait for the other to catch up. Lone Wolf was a strong hiker so I
had to push it to keep up with him. We found it so cool that on Easter
Sunday we came into a large meadow area called Max Patch. There is some
private property nearby and the owner of some of this property had 3 large
wooden crosses made out of telephone poles for all to see. Easter. 3
wooden crosses on a hill. I still do not think this was coincidental that God
had arranged our schedule to be here on this day. Wendy soon arrived at
Max Patch. The 3 of us spent a good portion of the afternoon just lying out
on the side of the grassy meadow soaking up the sunshine and beautiful
weather. After our long break, lunch, and sun I suggested, to Wendys
dismay, that we continue on. The trail this afternoon was easy as it just
wound around and through low-land areas. We reached a forest service road
and began climbing steeply up Walnut Mountain. We reached the run-down
log cabin style shelter on top of Walnut Mountain and decided this would be
far enough for the day. Dave tented on one side and Wendy and I tented on
the other side of the shelter. The spring was literally straight down behind
the shelter about 100 yards. It was just really a little pool with chicken wire
around it to keep out debris and animals that might threaten its purity. The
evening was hot and gnats were everywhere. Its incredible to think its
been such nice and sunny weather now for days but there were still areas of
snow in the shady areas on the side of Max Patch. We settled in for the night
thinking about getting in to Hot Springs, NC tomorrow.

Wendy and Lone Wolf on the side of Max Patch

Drifts of snow from April 3rd still on the side of Max Patch

Sunny afternoon lunch break on Max Patch

April 20th (Monday)

After we finished breakfast at Walnut Mountain we broke our camp. Lone
Wolf took on off ahead of us at his own pace while Wendy and I took a slower
pace. We went over Bluff Mountain and later in the afternoon we took a
break at Deer Park Mountain Shelter. It was a hot day again, today. It didnt
take long to decide to hike the 3 more miles in to Hot Springs, NC. As we left
the shelter we passed a small and remote cemetery. As we continued the
long and steep descent we could get some good views of the small town of
Hot Springs. We could smell the fresh cut grass coming up from the town
below and even found an Easter Egg on the trail left over from an Easter Egg
hunt yesterday. We passed the Jesuit Hostel coming into town and when we
hit the paved road we went to the right and soon learned we went the wrong
way. We should have taken a left. Oh well. Soon we had corrected our error
and were in town. The AT was marked on the sidewalk and went through the
heart of Hot Springs. We stayed at Elmers Sunnyside Inn which Lone Wolf
had recommended. It was an awesome, older home in the middle of town.
We had gotten in to town early after a 12 mile hike today. It was here that
we met again with Lone Wolf and Tweety who was visiting Elmers hostel but
was staying at the Jesuit hostel. We had a large vegetarian dinner at Elmers
served with wine and tub baths in this old houses antique tubs. Elmers was
an eclectic heaven. There was even a music room and a library in this two
story home. They even had a guitar and a violin. We went to the Post Office
and picked up another food drop from Wendys mom. This was too good to
be true. We relaxed on the upstairs balcony. While looking out over Hot
Springs we saw some of the other hikers working, paying for their stay by
mowing grass. We washed clothes at the towns coin laundry on the far end
of town while we ate hamburgers. It was early afternoon. I called my
mother and she was upset because she had heard that we had frost bite
from the blizzard. I calmed her down and told her this was not the case and
we were well.

Hot Springs, NC

April 21st (Tuesday)

This morning Wendy and I and Lone Wolf woke in our shared hostel room.
Wendy and I got our stuff ready to leave. Dave decided to hang out in Hot
Springs for a while. Tweety left town with us. We walked through town and
crossed the French Broad River Bridge and stopped at the NOC Outpost for a
last candy bar and snack. The climb up the ridge was steep. There were
several over looks where the three of us used Tweetys binoculars to look out
over Hot Springs. About 5 miles north of town we hiked past a small pond
and came out on a hill top with big meadows and a dirt road. There was also
an apple orchard near. Wendy and I tented in some trees just off the road
which had no traffic on it. Tweety camped with us. He did not carry a tent
and had been relying on shelters but the weather was nice and clear and did
not look threatening. He put his pad and sleeping bag down on a tarp beside
our tent.

Tweety look over the French Broad River and into Hot Springs, NC

Wendy and Tweety sharing the view of Hot Springs

Tweety and me with Hot Springs to our south

Our camp for the night with Tweety next to our tent

April 22nd (Wednesday)

After waking we packed up and had breakfast and started downhill a short
way to US 25. Once we crossed US 25 we climbed steadily until we reached
the fire tower on top of Rich Mountain. We took our lunch break here and
enjoyed the views. There was even an outhouse here. During the
afternoon we walked past Spring Mountain Shelter and helped volunteers
move the outhouse. We were doing some volunteer work and it felt good to
give back to the trail just a little bit. We soon crossed NC 208 and there was
a small country store very close the trail crossing. We took a break at this
little store and got ice cream. Later during the day we finally made it to
Little Laurel Shelter after a 14 mile day. The spring on the other side of
the trail from the shelter had a metal wash basin where we washed clothes
and bathed. The weather was still great and this was a nice shelter.

Im taking in the view from the Rich Mountain fire tower

Hill sides covered with wild flowers

Tweety taking a break on the trail. He is an artist and painted his hiking
sticks with birds and flowers observed along the trail

April 23rd (Thursday)

After leaving the shelter we had great views and we could spot what
appeared to be some type of resort on a mountain in the distance. We never
did figure out what we were seeing. We also had great scenery at Blackstack
Cliffs. The AT went by them but there were so many rhododendrons that we
just couldnt get any views. A storm began approaching just as we got to
Jerry Cabin Shelter. When we arrived there was a hiker who had been
enjoying the afternoon napping there and had a nice fire going in the
fireplace in the shelter. He soon left and said it was his routine to nap in the
afternoons and hike late into the evening. We kept his fire going as the
storm came in. The storm was vicious and it turned much colder. Many
hikers started coming in to the shelter and they were drenched from the
storm. All of them were sure glad to see a nice fire with a bed of coals in the
fireplace. Tonight we saw Slim Jim and met some hikers we had not met
before. Bill and Laurie Foot The Happy Feet, another couple they were
hiking with, Grandma Soul, and Tweety were all there with us tonight. There
was clothing and gear hanging everywhere in this small shelter trying to dry

out. It was close quarters but good company. When everyone got to cooking
dinner it required some agility to get around everyone and duck under all the
hanging gear. After only 6.7 miles today we enjoyed drifting off to sleep as
the rain continued most of the night.

Arriving at Jerry Cabin Shelter with Tweety

Nice fire going at Jerry Cabin when we arrived. Tweety writing in the shelter
register

L-R: Slim Jim, Grandma Soul, The Happy Feet, and the couple hiking with
them in the foreground

L-R: Me, Slim Jim, and Tweety at Jerry Cabin Shelter

April 24th (Friday)

The fog and drizzle was so thick this morning that you could have cut it with
a knife. All hikers departed except for Me, Wendy, and Tweety. It was so
nasty that we wanted to try and hold out for better weather. Today was
spent gathering wood to keep the fire going and hanging out and hoping for
better weather tomorrow. The fog and rain did stay with us throughout the
day. Tonights sleep was spent dodging leaks in the old metal roof of Jerry
Cabin.

April 25th (Saturday)

The weather was not much better today but we left Jerry Cabin Shelter in a
heavy fog. Near the top of Ballground it was so foggy that we tried to not
get lost and lose the trail in this mess. Tweety had taken the lead so Wendy
and I spent today following those round tread marks left by his Vasque boots.
We descended steeply to NC 212 at Devils Fork Gap and the fog lifted a
little. We had lunch at a small family cemetery on the other side of the gap
across the highway. We were now climbing steeply. There were 2 sections of
trail that were the steepest Wendy and I have encountered so far. To the

point of us having to use our hands to help us climb up. Near the top of the
climb we met some Sierra Club members near the top of Frozen Knob
clearing the trail. Throughout the afternoon we continued to look for a side
trail to the right that would take us to Hogback Ridge Shelter. It was still
foggy and we did not want to miss it. After 13.9 miles we found it. It is a log
cabin style shelter with the spring a very long distance away, behind the
shelter. Tonight had the most campers I had ever seen at a trail shelter.
Once the shelter filled up, the tents started going up. Lots of thru hikers
catching up to us now. Tonight we met Forest and a hiker from Europe he
was hiking with.

April 26th (Sunday)

By this morning the weather was once again sunny. Hiked over rolling
pastures and along fence lines on the other side of US 23 at Sams Gap. A
young reporter that was hiking interviewed Wendy and I as we hiked. He
intended to do a short story in his local newspaper. There were good views
of Big Bald as we closed in on it. The view and scenery on this mountain
were spectacular. About 10 of us including The Muffin Men ate lunch on the
top of Big Bald and took in the scenery and the sunshine today. After lunch
we walked past a new trail Shelter just past the summit of Big Bald. It had
been nicknamed the Carolina Condo. Tweety and Randal stayed here for
the night. The Happy Feet whom we had met at Jerry Cabin Shelter had left
Wendy and I a note of thanks for the fire that night, when they had come in
soaking wet and had left us a piece of fruit with the note. Wendy and I
continued north on the trail and passed a pretty knob called High Rocks.
There was a cable stretched to help descent here. We camped in our North
Face Tadpole tent just before US 19 in Spivey Gap. There was a good creek
here for a water source and the area had been used before as a camp site.
Some others had gone farther north but, after this 13.8 mile day, this spot
was far too good looking to pass it up for the night.

Wendy in the open pastures as we get closer to Big Bald

Views of Big Bald as we closed in

On the slopes of Big Bald

Wendy getting to our lunch spot on Big Bald, looking northward

Thru hikers on Big Bald

Buckeye

L-R: Forest, Paul, European, Randal, Tweety,

Near High Rocks

April 27th (Monday)

After a good breakfast in Spivey Gap we packed up camp and crossed US 19
and headed towards No Business Knob Shelter. There were a lot of blow
downs that blocked the trail which had not been cleared after the blizzard
earlier this month. We gained altitude and got out of the blow downs for a
while but soon we found even worse areas of the trail. There were times we
had to bushwhack up and around 75 yards of blowdowns. We were tired and
ready for lunch as we reached No Business Knob Shelter. We were sure glad
we didnt continue to this shelter yesterday with the condition of the trail this
morning. Hiking was better after lunch. When we got on the ridge above
Erwin, TN we could get nice views of this sprawling town. The climb down
was steep and Wendy slipped and scraped her hand just as we got to the dirt
road at the bottom. One way let to town and the other to the Nolichucky
River Expeditions rafting camp. We opted for the river. We had gone a short
way down the road when a truck came by with a lot of hiking friends. They
had caught a ride and we hopped in to the back of the truck too. They had
been in to Erwin for Kentucky Fried Chicken which they were finishing off on
the ride back to Nolichucky Expeditions. Once at the Nolichucky we got a
bunk for the night at a log cabin that was being used as a hostel for hikers
and paddlers. Tweety and some others headed on out on the trail but we
decided to take a break. Tonight Wendy and I learned that one of our friends
who had agreed to drive my truck while we were gone on this trip was not
making payments on it. We ate dinner at the restaurant there and talked
about it. We saw no other options other than to end our hike and go back
home to get the truck and catch the payments on it back up to date. We did
not want our credit ruined and we did not want to leave the AT either a
very sad time and decision.

Wendy navigating blow downs on the trail to Erwin, TN

Wendy reading the register at No Business Knob Shelter during a lunch

break

Wendy catching up to date at No Business Know Shelter

Inside the hostel log cabin at Nolichucky River Expeditions

The hostel log cabin at Nolichucky River Expeditions

April 28th (Tuesday)

We ate breakfast at the restaurant at Nolichucky River Expeditions. While
there we saw The Happy Feet and they joined us for breakfast. They were
the only one of our thru hiker friends we had the opportunity to tell what was
happening with us and that we were going to have to end our hike. We
hoped they would pass the word along to our friends.
We made
arrangements for a ride in to Johnson City, TN where we would catch a bus
back to Atlanta. It was a great experience to have hiked this far and who
knows? Maybe we will complete it another year.