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 mid-weight 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 snowApril 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 iceApril 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 Gore-Tex 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 usApril 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 emergeApril 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 PatchApril 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, NCApril 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 L-R: Forest, Paul, European, Randal, Tweety, Buckeye

Near High RocksApril 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 ExpeditionsApril 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.