April 17, 2016 - Day 30

The day started off with church services at the 1st Presbyterian Church, conveniently located across the road from the hotel.  Churches along the A.T. are used to seeing people in hiker gear sitting in their pews.   Hopefully, AFTER they have found showers!

Dennis caught up with them!  Bad news/good news....he has "plantar fasciitis," meaning the ligament connecting the front of the foot to the heel is over used and over stretched (huh, wonder what caused that?) and develops minute tears.  Repeated use of the damaged ligament results in inflammation and fasciitis...a sharp, stabbing pain on the bottom of the foot near the heal.  Commonly known as 'runner's heel.'  That's the bad news.  The good news is it is treatable and the doctor prescribed a special shoe insert with a a hole where the ligament  attaches and additional cushion support surrounding that area.  He thinks he will be able to finish the hike.

They set off with the the plan to meet up with one of Jill's hiker friends. Jill met 'Harvest' back in 2008 when Harvest hiked the trail and stayed at Jill's place.  She was happy to see Jill again and excited to reciprocate the hospitality Jill had shown her.  Harvest met them in Hot Springs and took their gear to her farm. This allowed our group to 'slack pack' with just water and snacks.  Jill said it was a long 'up' and they were glad they weren't carrying full packs.  I borrowed some of the pictures that Jill posted to her trail journey.

They hiked past Lover's Leap (no one jumped) and enjoyed the view above Hot Springs.

Southpaw, Ken, Chicken Feet, IWOX, Zack

They have been joined by Chicken Feet, a friend of Limey's (I believe).  Chicken Feet is in his late 60's and a very nice man.

Harvest and her husband own an organic farm called 'Root Bottom Farm'.  What used to be a junkyard has been transformed into a working organic farm.  They have a website and I enjoyed learning about their wonderful 'down to earth' farm.  They even participate in the area's 'Farm to Table' dinner series.  Check out www.rootbottomfarm.com.

Ken's back has been really bothering him and he is not sure if he will continue or come back home with me when I meet up with him next week.  I pray that whatever decision he makes, it will be one without regret.  Chicken Feet helped bring him relief with a shade-drenched message.

Jill's nephew had to head for home and caught his ride at Tanyard Gap back to his car.                          
The remaining hikers were picked up by Harvest and were taken to her farm.  Dinner was held on their party deck and Ken said it was delicious!

Ken, spoiled pet, Chicken Feet, Morgan (Harvest/Sarah's husband), Dennis

Our hikers shared the tiny guest house on the farm and turned in for the night.

Harvest Bottom Farm Guest House (on the right).

Mile 279.6

Elevation 2,278

Miles Hiked Today 5.9

April 16, 2016 - Day 29

Hot Springs, NC sure knows how to throw a celebration!  They are extremely proud to be known as an A.T. 'trail town'.  In fact, they are the ONLY town where the trail goes right through town and the A.T. blaze is painted on the road, buildings, and signs along the way.   This town doesn't have bike paths, but it DOES have hiker paths!

Of course, with the Trailfest going on, today was a 'zero' day....and a welcome one after two days of grueling hiking.

Here is a sample of today's activities:



Jill and Zack took off early in the morning around 7:45 (early for Jill) and got to Hot Springs in an hour!  That is fast hiking for 3 miles!!  With as many hikers and people in town for Trailfest, they were amazed that as soon as they hit town, fellow hikers told them that Ken was there and told them where to find them.  Ken must have made an impression on those young hikers!

They spent the day talking with other hikers, getting free stuff (merchandise AND food), and enjoying the live music that played all day and into the evening.  They participated in the "Hiker Feed" and ate themselves silly.

Jill had a great time and ran into many hikers she remembered from years past.  Some of whom came through her place in Virginia.  She even met up with 'Waffles's' parents.  Waffle was an ice-cream loving hiker that missed out on the treat in 2007.  He never let her forget it and made sure to get some when he went through in 2008, 2010 and 2012.  He sure was an unforgettable hiker-friend!

This is a family-friendly event and the kids got into the spirit and joined the parade.  We have a similar event at home with our Labor Day Ox Roast Weekend.  If you have four legs, two legs, bike, car, truck, tractor or semi tires, you, too, can be in the parade.  We love it and I'm sure Ken enjoyed the Hot Springs version.

They had to wait until after 3:00 to see if the Alpine Hotel would have a room for them.  Luckily, when they checked back in later, they did.  Ken said it was a 'room' but not a hotel room.  To him, any hotel room without a TV doesn't count.  But it did have a bathroom and mattress, so it beat the trail bed he usually sleeps on.  He was able to call me from Jill's phone and bring me up to date.

No word from Dennis :(

Mile 273.7

Elevation still 1,326

Miles hiked today 0

April 15, 2016 - Day 28

Our trio, now a duo, set off for the long hike to Hot Springs and Trailfest.

Jill's nephew, Zack, was due to meet them at Lemon Gap at 10:00 so they hiked quickly to get there.  Ken got there at 9:30 and Jill arrived at 10:30.  When they got to the Gap, they didn't find Zack, but they did find trail magic and breakfast.  Looks good to me!

 

Also at Lemon Gap was a little girl with her pet.  He/she was quite the curiosity.  Some wondered if he would become 'trail food' if they ran out down the trail!

 



Zack arrived at 11:00 and Jill was glad to see him.

 

With the long distance to go to reach Hot Springs, Ken took off.  Zack hiked with his Aunt IWOX and the plan was to meet up at Deer Park Mountain Shelter.  However, Ken was worried about getting to their destination and waited for them until he felt he needed to move on.  He kept going and reached Hot Springs around 6pm.  Unfortunately, he was once again in 'Verizon World' with no AT&T signal and no way to let Jill (or me) know he had 'reached.'

 

Not only was Ken not there, NO ONE was there...they had ALL gone on to Hot Springs to join the Trailfest celebration.

 

Here is an example of what our hikers see along the way...sometimes the blaze is on a post, sometimes it is painted on a rock (when posts can not be placed).

 

 

 

Jill called me from the Deer Park Mountain Shelter and could go no further.  She was not able to let Ken know and wondered if I had heard from him.  I hadn't and we both agreed to let the other know.  Jill was worried he took a wrong turn (easy to do in that area) and might be lost.  I know how 'woods smart' he is and was only a little (yea, right) worried.

 

Ken, meanwhile, was having a great time in Hot Springs and enjoyed all the evening festivities.  When Jill and Zack didn't show up, he assumed (correctly) that they were spending the night at the Deer Park shelter.

 

Mile 273.7

Elevation 1,326

Miles Hiked Today 19.7

 

April 14, 2016 - Day 27

Correction to the Standing Bear Hostel's host:  Curtis passed away last fall due to pancreatic cancer.  One of his relatives 'Lumpy' now runs things with Curtis' widow.  Ken said Lumpy is cut from the same cloth as Curtis and quite the character.  While there, Lumpy offered Ken some hootch (a/k/a white lightning).  Ken said Lumpy reminded him of Phil Robertson of Duck Dynasty.

 

The one-and-only  'deluxe' cabin that Lumpy gave our group was a unique domicile and came complete with kitchen...

 

 

...and cat...

 

 

 



 

...but it sure beat sleeping in the bunk house with 20 young hikers.  Jill said they stopped in to talk with the other hikers and had to leave quickly due to the 'smoke' in the air!  It was that kind of laid back place.

 

Our group is missing Dennis.  One of his friends picked him up earlier today due to some pain he has been having with his heel.  He has a doctor appointment in the morning and is afraid he will have to drop out of the hike.  Jill and Ken are both praying he makes it back to the trail and is able to meet up with them at Hot Springs.

 

Ken and Jill hiked 14 miles and set up camp just past the Max Patch Summit.  They will have a long hike tomorrow to make it to Hot Springs by tomorrow night!

 

Mile 254

Elevation 4.629

Miles Hiked Today 14



April 13, 2016 - Day 26

Ken called while I was at our church's Wednesday night free community dinner.  I put him on speaker so he could hear all of the well-wishers who ask about him each week and have been praying for him.  A few youngsters were VERY happy to hear from him and felt much better and finally believed me when I said he was doing fine.  He filled me in on the past few days and sent a number of pictures and videos.  With cell service so spotty along the trail, I only get periodic updates.  So thank you for your 'blog' patience! 

There are a group of 12-14 hikers who walk at different paces, but meet up at night at the campsites or shelters.  Today, 3 hikers dropped out.  Two of them stopped due to sickness.  Limey's travel partner dropped out due to weakness and loss of strength.  Ken described him as 'lean' with no body reserves to draw from.  When you are burning 6,000 calories per day, a little body fat is a good thing.   Ken is quickly using his 'reserves' and has dropped at least 20 lbs. so far.

He met up with a critter who was posing waiting for someone to take his picture, so Ken complied.

 

As he crested a mountain, he captured this breath-taking view.  When asked where he was, he was (once again) "on top of some mountain at some point along the trail."

 

He said what struck him was that as far as the eye could see, he would walk past that!

As you can image, after all the rain the day before, there were waterfalls along the trail.  He thought this was one of the prettiest.

 

Dennis (Southpaw) has been having issues with his heel.  He has no blisters but has a great deal of pain coming from inside (he thinks one of the bones).  He has a friend in the area and called him to pick him up at the I-40 crossing near Mile 239.  He has a doctor's appointment scheduled for the morning and will keep our hikers updated.  All are praying that he won't have to drop out of the hike.  Ken has truly enjoyed his company and experience.



Ken got to the Standing Bear Farm and Hostel near Hartford, TN.  This is a quaint gathering of buildings about 3 miles outside the northern limit of the Great Smoky Mountain National Park.  Visitors describe the owner, Curtis, in a variety of ways...grouchy, gruff, funny, humorous, helpful, not helpful.  So basically, if you are a jerk and treat him like a jerk, you won't get much cooperation from him.  Ken and his hiking companions are all great people people, so Curtis gave them his biggest cabin.  The rest of the jerk hikers got stuffed into the bunkhouse (at $15 per person), which houses 20 with a shared bath house.  Ken & Co.'s cabin has all the comforts of home, including kitchen, bathroom and free WiFi!  Curtis charged them $25 per person.  There are two queen beds and two single beds.  They had met up with a woman and her young daughter at their lunch break and offered one of the queen beds to them, after they arrived later in the day.  Ken and Limey are sharing the other queen and Jill get's a single to herself.

The goal for the next two days is to put in at least 15 mile days so they can arrive in Hot Springs, NC(Mile 273.7) in time for their weekend Trailfest celebration.

YOU CAN DO IT!

Mile 240
Elevation 1,800

April 12, 2016 - Day 25

The best way to describe the day's hike is with one word...miserable!  Our hikers hiked all day in the rain.  The trail was 3 inches deep with water and they were SOAKED. 

After 12 miles of rain-drenched fun, they stopped at the Cosby Knob Shelter.  Jill captured the only commemorative photo of the day. 

Mile 229.9
Elevation 4,700

April 11, 2016 - Day 24

Jill had made a good recovery from her sickness and was able to join the boys when they left Gatlinburg.  They caught a shuttle back to the Newfound Gap to regain the trail.  Ken took a picture of Gatlinburg as they left.

Gatlinburg, TN

This day found them hiking a treacherous section of trail.  The A.T. followed the crest of the mountains on a 'path' only 4-5 feet wide.  1,000 foot drop offs on either side.  Ken was glad they had no rain this day as a fall would lead not to a rescue, but to a recovery!  He captured this moment in the video below:

 

As they came over the Charles Bunion mountain, they could see Siler's Bald in the distance.  This is the mountain they crossed over 2 days ago.

 

 

They stopped at Peck's Corner Shelter for the night and a well earned rest.

 

Mile 217.3

Elevation 5,280

April 10, 2016 - Day 23

Jill called yesterday the "worst day".  The worst day continued today and she woke up in the middle of the night and was...SICK.  She was very worried when she continued to shiver and had to keep returning to the woods to...you know.  She phoned me about 1pm and said she had left the guys very early and had hiked as fast as she could to Clingman's Dome (the highest point of the A.T.) with the hope of getting a shuttle into Gatlinburg at the visitor's center.  She was told there weren't any services to help her there and she would need to wait 2 hours for a shuttle.  She went down to the parking lot and found...a shuttle!  She got into Gatlinburg and tried to find a room at the Grand Prix.  The office was closed on Sunday so the owner could go to church and spend the day with family.  She went to the Motel 6 next door, but they wouldn't have a room until late afternoon.  The gal there told her she knew the maid at the Grand Prix who would give her a room and she could pay at the office on Monday.  She grabbed the opportunity and got a room at the Grand Prix.  She wasn't able to get ahold of Southpaw or Ken or Limey, so she called me and asked me to relay the info if I heard from Ken first.  She said she was feeling much better and thinks it was just a 24 hour bug.

The Norovirus lasts about 24-72 hours and she had many of the symptoms, so she is not sure what it was.  Let's just hope that the guys don't get it!

The guys hiked and made it to Clingman's Dome in time to catch the later shuttle  the Newfound Gap.  There they caught a shuttle into Gatlinburg.  They had hiked past the spot where Jill caught her shuttle back at Clingman's Dome to the next road crossing.   They caught up with Jill at the Grand Prix.  They got a separate room...just in case she was still contagious.  They were taking no chances!  Ken found it ironic that, for the first time, they couldn't catch up with Jill on the trail.  I told him a woman with intestinal problems and no bathroom has super human resolve and it didn't surprise me at all!

View from Clingman's Dome

They are now entering the part of the A.T. where the hikers like to say they hike with their left foot in Tennessee and their right root in North Carolina, since the trail follows the state line and they go back and forth.

 

Mile 199.4  207.1

Elevation 5,045

April 9, 2016 - Day 22

The hikers hiked about 5 miles to the Derek Knob Shelter and ate lunch.  During the afternoon hike, Jill started walking slower and slower and started feeling sicker and sicker.  She was worried she was getting the Norovirus so she sent Southpaw and Ken on ahead to get a place in the shelter.  She was worried she would have to leave the hike and by the time she reached the shelter, she had hit an emotional and physical wall and broke down.  The guys were worried about her and Ken made her supper while she rested.  When I talked to her, she said that helped...a little.

They spent the night at the Siler's Bald Shelter and all hoped that IWOX would be up for walking the next day.

Mile 195
Elevation 5,460

April 8, 2016 - Day 21

I received a couple of text pictures early this morning.  No words necessary, though the second picture came with the caption below.



Morning Snow

"Help, I'm freezing!  Bring me a hot cup of coffee?"

A bad storm was coming, so Ken left early and hiked fast for 6 miles to the Spence Field Shelter to ensure they could have 4 bunks in the shelter.  Limey had now joined them as a traveling companion and they were now a quad of hikers.  Ken got there around noon and the rest met up with him at 2 pm.  Even though the shelter is only 3-sided, it had multiple bunks and a fireplace.  Ken had already started to scavenge for wood (none available close to the shelter) and the others joined him.  With temperatures estimated to hit 20 or below, they wanted to make sure they had enough wood to keep the fire going throughout the evening and night to come.

 

The shelter filled up quickly and many hikers continued on to try to make it to the next shelter at Derrick Knob, 6 miles further down trail.  The Spence Field Shelter is meant to hold 12, but with the storm they stacked like cord wood and fit more in to sleep on the floor.

 

Ken had a hot meal of broccoli and noodles.  The afternoon was spent telling tall tales, I am sure.

 

Limey, Southpaw, unknown, unknown, IWOX



Ken worried after the hikers who went on ahead and hoped that they found shelter before the storm hit.

 

Mile 183.2

Elevation 4,915

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 





April 7, 2016 - Day 20

The hikers got up early to catch the 8:30am shuttle back to the trail, but it was full.  A visitor to the village offered them a ride back to the trail head in her jeep.  They squeezed in and were thankful they didn't have to wait for the next shuttle.

A few miles down trail they came to a shelter with an overlook of Fontana Lake, known affectionately as the Fontana Hilton.  They took a rest (and pictures/video) and got back on trail.

Fontana Lake

 

 

A short distance down the trail was the Fontana Dam.  For those of you who saw the movie "A Walk in the Woods", this is the same dam.  At 480 feet, the Fontana Dam is the highest dam in the eastern United States!  The dam is a 1 1/2 mile hike across with an awesome view down to the base.  Ken took a video but he says it doesn't come close to the actual view.

 



Once across the dam, they began a long uphill climb.  They were now in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park!  At the crest of one of the hills, Ken got a breathtaking shot of the village below.

"I took this on top of some mountain"

A little about the park:  Established in 1934, the Smokies is the most visited of the traditional national parks.  The highest elevation of the A.T. is at Clingman's Dome at 6,643 feet.  The Smokies also has the most rainfall and snowfall on the A.T. in the South, and many hikers are caught off-guard by the snow and cold temperatures that the high elevation means.  And our hikers are heading right for it...

Up, UP, UP they climbed until they reached Mollie's Ridge Shelter.  When they arrived, it was "Very Cold!"  Ken put every piece of clothing he had, wrapped himself in a space blanket and climbed in his sleeping bag.  He called me from inside his tent and I tried to help him visualize somewhere warm.  He picked one of our favorite spots...my Uncle Jim and Aunt Gayle's house on Abaco Island in the Bahamas.  We talked about the palm trees, warm sand and gentle breezes.  He finally said it was more torture than help (he also said he was warmer!), so we laughed and I bid him a good night.

Mile 177.3
Elevation 4,570

April 6, 2016 - Day 19

After an early breakfast, the group headed down trail with the Fontana Dam as their destination and their entry to the Great Smoky Mountain National Park.

The trail was a steady downhill drop with only a few 'ups'.  They arrived at the road crossing around noon and waited for the shuttle to take them to Fontana Village so they could pay their $20 hiking fee and print their hiking passes...required to hike in the national park.  They thought this would be a fairly quick process, however, this was not to be. 

The process of obtaining the pass was to enter info online after which the pass is sent to your email address.  Jill and Ken had no problems.  Unfortunately (or was it good fortune?), Dennis had forgotten his email password and had to wait 3 hours for his wife to get home to assist him. So onto Plan B...get the passes and a room in the village.

While they waited, they resupplied and ate a big lunch at the grill.

They checked into getting a room at the Fontana Lodge, but all the rooms were full. So Plan C was to catch a ride back to the trail, which they were able to do at approximately 6pm.  While waiting for the shuttle to take them back to the trail, they saw "Limey" (aka Michael Salter), a fellow hiker originally from Great Britain.  Limey asked what they were doing heading back to the trail so late and they explained there were no rooms so they were going to camp on the trail.  He told them HE had a room at the Fontana Lodge and they were all welcome to join him.  Plan B was back on!  They did so and were VERY thankful for his generosity when a bad thunderstorm moved through that night. 


Fontana Lodge

Keep in mind that their original plan was to quick get their hiking passes, grab lunch and get back to the trail.  So now I ask you...was Southpaw's email password issue a problem or a blessing?

Mile 164.7
Elevation 1,700

April 5, 2016 - Day 18

Jill and Denise have been labeled the "Breakfast Club" by the younger hikers.  Ken most times just has coffee and then hits the trail with a protein bar. 

Our hikers hit Jacob's Ladder after 4 miles...a tough 700 foot climb in .6 miles with 10' switchbacks!

Ken said you could hit yourself in the butt coming around the trail; it was so steep and curvy. 

They arrived at the Cable Gap Shelter, which was a tiny cabin that should hold 6-8 but really only fits 4.  The shelter was full, so they camped a little further away along a stream.

Mile 159.2
Elevation 2,880

April 4, 2016 - Day 17

Bob, a man from the Frist Baptist Church choir, took the group back to the trail at the NOC (Nantahala Outdoor Center).  He gave them a card and inside was $100!  Everyone in Bryson City was super nice and wished them well on their journey.  Here are IWOX and Southpaw at the NOC.

There was a loonnnngggg uphill climb of 7 miles.  They were passed by many hikers.  When they got to the Sassafras Gap shelter, there was a white flag flying...a warning sign of a Norovirus outbreak.  They gave the shelter a wide berth and continued to Cheoah Bald.

Jill's Picture of Cheoah Bald

They could see Fontana Lake below them and the mountains all around.  Ken shot a nice video of the view.



They continued on to and arrived at Locust Cove Gap just in time, as they were out of water.  The shelter and campsites were full, so they set up camp at a nice flat spot a little further down the trail.

Mile 146.3
Elevation 3,690

April 3, 2016 - Day 16

The three hikers walked from the A Rufus Morgan Shelter to the road crossing that led to Bryson City, NC.  There, they hitched a ride into town and got a hotel for the night at the Scenic View Motel.

I had received a late call last night from Ken who said they were looking for a church to attend the Sunday service.  I didn't find just one church in Bryson City, but rather 17 churches in the area!  Yes, definitely the Bible Belt.  Considering the population of Bryson City is only 1,424, I think it safe to say that most of the folks living in the area attend church.

They took welcome showers and got cleaned up and hitched to church.

They picked the First Baptist Church and met many nice people.  One of the folks took them back to the motel after church service and another volunteered to take them back to the trail in the morning.

They had a late lunch/early dinner at Pizza Hut and found a place to replenish their supplies for 4 days.

While in Franklin, NC, an outdoor group makes 'hiker licenses' for the hikers.  While these are not formal licenses, all the hikers like the 'unofficial' badges of honor and gives them something to show that they once were at Mile 110 on the AT.

Also in Bryson City is the headquarters for the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.  They stopped in and looked around and found information about the AT in the park. The AT is the largest
trail in the Smoky's and many come to just hike that section of the trail.

They knew they had some big days ahead of them and were looking forward to crossing the Fontana Dam into the park tomorrow, one of the best scenes in the movie "A Walk in the Woods".

The three called it an early night and got rested up for the next section of the trail.

Good night, sweet hikers.

Mile 137.1
Elevation 1,723

April 2, 2016 - Day 15

The day began dry...too dry as they had run out of water the night before and had no water for coffee or breakfast.  They were planning on hitting the next trail town and weren't looking forward to the long dry hike.

A few miles down trail was the Burningtown Gap (mile 124.4) and at the Gap was the Burningtown Baptist Church with biscuits and gravy, hot coffee, OJ, homemade cookies and brownies.  They fueled up (physically and spiritually), replenished their water and off they went.  They all talked about how just when they need it, there are trail angels there to help them.  The folks from the church reminded them "Well you know, you ARE in the Bible Belt!"

The food made a world of difference and they were feeling good when they reached the top of the next mountain.  And even better when they reached the Wesser Bald Observation Tower at mile 130.6.  The observation tower used to be a fire tower and now is mostly enjoyed by AT hikers.  They can see the Great Smoky Mountains and Fontana Lake to the north.

Ken stood up there like he was king of the world!  Based on how his hair is sticking straight up, it looks like the tower also gets a bit of a breeze.



Ken at Wesser Bald Observation Tower
 

While at the tower, they met a Sargent and Lieutenant of the Macon County Sherriff department who were doing a weekend hike.  What was remarkable was that one of them had their 8 year old son with them!  This young man would go on to complete 15 miles that day!  He sure was having fun, as Ken's video shows:

 

This day also resulted in some concerns for our travelers.  Jill had her first fall.  Nothing serious, a slightly scraped knee.  But she did lay like a turtle on its back when she decided to take a rest, since she was already on the ground.  Some day hikers helped her up and she caught up with the guys, who were hiking ahead of her.  Dennis' knees were also bothering him.  Ken is starting to get his legs under him and is walking ahead of the other two for an hour and then will wait for them to catch up.  People that have tried to keep up with him around home all say he can walk the legs off a deer.  One young (20 something) hiker is now calling him "John Deer".  He may have found his trail name, though he denies it.  He always says it hurts his motor to go so slow, but I worry he may be out-pacing his companions or may be setting himself up for injury.

They hiked down the mountain 6 miles and made it to the A. Rufus Morgan Shelter at Mile 136.3.  The shelter is named after the Nantahala AT Club's founder.  They set up camp and were very tired after their 15-mile day.

Mile 136.3
Elevation 2,300


April 1, 2016 - Day 14

The day started off in Franklin, NC with a huge breakfast provided by the First Baptist Church.  This amazing group of people start serving breakfast every morning for AT hikers beginning on the first day of Spring in March and continue until mid-April.  This is the time when most Thru-Hikers begin and they provide a welcome meal to help them on their journey.


They have been doing this for many years and have each year's signature poster on display.  Ken, Jill (IWOX) and Dennis (Southpaw) all signed for the 2016 season.  The room was packed with hikers and everyone was in great spirits.

Ken and IWOX at Franklin Breakfast

IWOX and SPICY, with Patsy Parker, getting some Trail Magic
(breakfast) from the great volunteers at First Baptist Church
 

With their tummies full, Russell took them back to the trail and sent them on their way.  





 

 

They hiked about 9 miles to Wayah Bald (elevation 5,342) where there was a stone observation tower.  Ken took a video to share with us:

 

They hiked another 3 miles and made it to Licklog Gap. It rained during the day and his text that night said he was cold, wet and hungry.  I didn't want to tell him neighbors/friends were here from Chicago and we were having chicken breast, mashed red skin potatoes, corn/peas, broccoli salad and warm apple and cherry pies!  That would have been too much torture for someone who had a supper of a protein bar and whatever else he could find.

 

Mile 122.1

Elevation 4,440

 



March 31, 2016 - Day 13

The day started out at 5am with a roar and then 50-60 mile an hour winds!  Tent stakes were pulled out, tents and contents (including people) were in jeopardy as Mother Nature tried to blow them off the mountain.  Southpaw (Dennis) was sleeping in a hammock under a tarp vs. using a tent and the high winds blew his tarp away, collapsed his hammock and created all kinds of havoc.  Dennis gathered up his belongings, packed them away and headed down the mountain in the dark.  Ken and Jill toughed it out until 7am and then, they too, packed up and headed down trail.

The original plan was for all of them to hike to the next road crossing in the morning at mile 110 where Jill's friend from high school, Russell, would pick them up and take them all to his home for the day and night.  Dennis was waiting for them at the road and all three were together again.

They were back on plan and Russell picked them up and took them to his home in the town of Franklin, NC.



Ken said he looked in the mirror and scared himself, then took the best shower in his life.  He said he was still scared after, but at least he looked more human.

 

Jill started laundry for all of them and they looked forward to being clean in clean clothes.

 

There was an outfitter store in town and Ken got a new alcohol stove, gators (or spats...as my dad calls them), another pair of socks and trail food.

 

It was a rainy kind of day and all the hotels and motels were full of hikers.  In addition to the 2,000+ Thru-Hikers that had registered (of which 60% have already quit), there are thousands more of section hikers.  These are hikers who can only take a week or so off work each year and hike sections of the AT with the hope of someday completing the entire AT.  Others are hiking with no goal in mind other than to enjoy nature, exercise and to enjoy friends or family time together.

 

I think Ken, IWOX and Southpaw had the best beds in town!  They sure had the best accommodations, if their evening meal was an example.  

 

 

Another night at Russell's and back on the trail tomorrow.

 

Mile 109.8

Elevation 2,036