March 30, 2016 - Day 12

The day's hiking brought with it some of the most spectacular scenery to date.  They went through Mooney Gap, identified as among the wettest places in the eastern U.S. with an estimated annual precipitation of 93.5 inches per year.  They made it through dry...something to be thankful for.

Shortly after starting out for the morning, 'The Wayward Traveler' (a/k/a David Wolf) provided a welcome treat along the trail...he had hot dogs, apple fritters, chips, fruit, candy bars, etc.  David is from the little town of Otto, NC and is one of the good trail angels for that section of the trail.  He has a website:  www.waywardguide.com.  In Ken's words, "he had the best tasting hot dogs he has ever had!"  Now keep in mind that Ken has been living off of protein bars and dry trail food for days...I suspect even pig snouts and beef knees on a bun taste good.  Ken enjoyed talking with the Wayward Traveler and the kindness shown to all the hikers.

Right after the brief rest, it was miles of hard trail...the Wayward Traveler had allowed them to rest and build their strength for what was to come.

Near the 100 mile mark is Albert Mountain (elevation 5,250).  On top of Albert is a firetower with more amazing views.  It was a hard hike up the trail and they were on hands and knees pulling themselves up.  As you can imagine, this was exhausting.  I think Jill captured the moment best:



Jill (IWOX) enjoying a rock-hard rest at the firetower

The views were worth it and Ken climbed the firetower for these shots:

 

The Rock Gap shelter and campsites were all full (Mile 106) when they arrived so they hiked to the first flat spot (Mile 108) and set up camp on the top of a mountain.  Too bad they didn't have a crystal ball...

 

Mile 108

Elevation 4,300

 

 



March 29, 2016 - Day 11

The mountain of the day is Standing Indian Mountain.  This mountain, at 5,499, is the highest point of the AT south of the Smoking Mountains.  Luckily, the AT doesn't go to the top.  However you can take a blue-blazed side trail to reach the summit.  Guess what our fearless folks did...yep, they hiked to the top. 

Ken took a video with his phone and sent it to me.  The resolution was bad and it was upside down.  I'll work on trying to flip it and clean up the resolution.  If I can, I'll add it to the post.  If not, you will have to image the majestic scenery of a 360 degree view.  The cliff-top views have the nickname "Grandstand of the Southern Appalachians."

Ken had a little better cell signal today and was able to talk for a few minutes before it cut out.  He sounded very tired and said they all are doing well but it was a very exhausting day.  They were hiking along and saw a huge mountain to their right.  They were SO glad they didn't have to climb it when the trail took a turn and they had an "Oh NO!" moment when they started heading right for it!

This is actually still Standing Indian Mountain.  What they didn't realize was that once they came to the summit from the west, the trail looped down and around and they are heading back to it.  From looking at aerial trail maps, it appears they will round the summit on the east at a slightly lower elevation.

I'm sure they will be glad when this beast of a mountain is truly behind them.

They stopped for the night at Carter's Gap and hope to break into the 100 Mile club tomorrow.

Mile 93.9
Elevation 4,540

March 28, 2016 - Day 10

North Carolina!!!  Our intrepid hikers passed their first state line and ended up for the night 4 miles into North Carolina.  There isn't much to announce the special place, only a rough board tacked to a tree.  For a North Bound (NOBO) AT hiker, this humble sign is better than the neon lights of any city...or Broadway!


The North Carolina/Georgia State Line on the AT

Ken didn't have a good cell signal, so could only text.  Speaking of cell service, just like there are dog people and cat people, on the trail there are Verizon people and AT&T people.  What is nice about our beloved hikers is that they have a mixture of Verizon and AT&T.  So when one doesn't have a good signal, the other usually does.  Unfortunately, today was a Verizon kind of day and Ken has AT&T.

He was able to communicate that it was a very hard day.  There were 'huge' mountains one after another.

Not far into North Carolina is a narly oak tree.  This is the most photographed tree on the AT.  I have seen many other blogs, VLogs, and online articles.  Most include a picture similar to this:


The Narly Oak of NC

They stopped along the trail and made camp for the night.  I'll bet their sleeping bags felt good after a long day.

Mile 82
Elevation 4,500'

March 27, 2016 - Day 9

Today was a 'zero' day.  In trail-speak, that means that no advancement was made on the trail.  However, today was Easter and that made it much more than a zero kind of day.

The day started with an interdenominational Easter sunrise service. 

Later that morning, they attended the Easter service at the local McConnell Baptist Church.  The church had a beautiful service with a huge choir and orchestra.  The church seats 700 and it was full!  They post their sermons online and I look forward to listening to their Easter sermon once it is posted.

The weather report was for possible rain that evening, so they stayed one more night and spent the afternoon relaxing and watching movies about the Appalachian Trail that were on YouTube.  Now I have to admit I found this ironic...and I'm not sure if knowing what is ahead of you is good or bad.  Dennis definitely knows what is coming, so I guess it is only fair that Ken and IWOX do, too.

The plan is to make the North Carolina border tomorrow.

March 26, 2016 - Day 8

Saturday dawned and they headed on their way.  Afternoon found them at Dick Creek's Gap.  The weather report was calling for bad rain again that night.  (Question:  when you are on the trail, isn't all rain 'bad'?) The following day was Easter and all wanted to go back to Hiawassee to stay in the same motel as before and attend Easter church service the next morning.

So when they arrived at the road crossing, they caught a ride back into town and the motel gladly put them up again.  They walked to a local brewery and sampled 8 beers for $3.  A good deal, by any standards!

They went back to the Scarlet O'Hara for supper and enjoyed a nice relaxing evening.

Dick's Creek Gap
Mile 69.6
Elevation 2,675'

March 25, 2016 - Day 7

Our trekking trio left the hotel after breakfast around 9am.  They started back to the trail and another friendly trail angel picked them up and gave them a ride back to where they had left off yesterday. 

This day brought many "ups and downs" and they started right off with a big 'up' to Rocky Mountain. 



Rocky Mountain (Mile 54.3, Elevation 4,017')

While the total elevation was only from 2,949 to 4,017 feet, it was a steep climb up the 1,050' or 1 1/2 miles of trail.  The view was worth it and after a brief rest, they hiked down to start the next big up to Tray Mountain (elevation 4,439').  A few more ups and downs and they arrived at their stopping point for the day at Sassafras Gap.  There were a few other hikers there and since they were still in bear country, all had to hang their food bags.

Sassafras Gap (Mile 63.3, Elevation 3,500')
 

They set up camp after a long tiring day and enjoyed the sunset over the mountains.



A beautiful ending to Day 7 on the A.T.

Mile 63.3
Elevation 3,500'

March 24, 2016 - Day 6

This morning started the same...teamwork coffee (Jill's camp stove, Ken's fuel, one of the three to provide the water and instant coffee)...

Reading of Our Daily Bread daily devotional scripture and the daily devotional story.  They use Ken's small camo New Testament Bible that had been blessed and provided by our local church, The Lawrence United Methodist Church.  They take turns reading and are amazed at how the day's scripture fits in with their recent experiences.  We all know this is part of God's plan and they feel His presence... 

Breakfast of whatever sounds good from their packs.

More 'trail magic' at lunch time...at the Chattahoochee Gap, a Christian group from Alabama had a set up and made all the hikers the biggest hamburgers they had seen...with all the fixin's!  Plus many other goodies.  This group has their own Facebook site (https://www.facebook.com/mindthegapsvbc/) and took pictures of the hikers...Ken, Jill and Dennis were one of them! 



The day got exciting when they were approached by a ranger early afternoon who told everyone to get off the trail and into town as quickly as possible...a storm was coming and it was a bad one.


They made it to Unicoi Gap (Mile 53 - see picture left) and at the GA-75 crossing started hiking the 11 miles west into Hiawassee, GA. 

















They hadn't gone very far when a truck stopped and asked if they needed a ride into town.  Trail towns along the A.T. are very friendly to Thru-Hikers and will always stop and ask if they need a ride.  They enjoy the hikers and look out for them.  There have been times when shelters, hotels or hostels are full and they will take hikers home with them!  Ken, Jill and Dennis were able to get rooms at the motel.   Ken was able to get a signal outside the motel and while sitting there, it started to sprinkle and then it was a gully-washer!  It started raining and blowing hard and they were (once again) warm and dry for the night.

Unicoi Trail Angels

By now, over 60% of the Thru-Hikers have washed out and would not complete the hike.  Many had to leave the trail due to knee injuries caused by the steep terrain.  Ken's knees started to ache and so (as a precaution) he purchased knee bracing.  They have made a big difference and will (hopefully) save his knees for the many miles to come.

Good weather is anticipated for tomorrow and they will resume their hike.

March 23, 2016 - Day 5

The day's hike was slightly easier...not as many steep ups and downs.  They hiked and made it to Blue Mountain Shelter, mile 50.5 (elevation 3,900')

They had hiked over 50 miles!

Everything went well for them.  While at the shelter, some guy had a heart attack and had to be evacuated.  They were all thankful it wasn't one of them!

Ken's text for the day:  "Hit the 50 mile mark today.  Yeah Grampa!"

I made it home about 4:30pm, took a shower and took a nap.  It is hard work being a Trail Angel!

I got caught up on my blogging.  Boy, it sure is quiet here!

March 22, 2016 - Day 4

The previous day I had stocked up and that morning I made them a warm breakfast of bacon, omelet (with onions, peppers, mushrooms, chicken breast, cheese), toast and coffee.  One last big meal before they were on their own.  Their trail angel was headed home that day.

All three repacked their bags and weeded out what they now deemed were non-essential.  I brought all the extra stuff home with me and will take it back to them at the end of the trail.

The AT Trail Store had suggested that they all get a pack 'shake down' before they hit the trail.  The shake down is intended to identify stuff they don't need and give advice on how best to pack.  Dennis had given them some suggestions based on his experience, so the store only identified a few changes for Ken and Dennis to make.  The store is employed by experienced long-distance hikers.  They said most hikers who have a shake down usually start with a pack weight 35-40 lbs.  Ken's was 29.2 lbs, Dennis' was 31 lbs and Jill's was only 26 lbs.!  Jill didn't figure they could improve her weight and didn't want to add the time to shake down her pack.  They were able to reduce Ken's down to 28.6 and Dennis' to about 29 lbs.  The packing/organization advice was even more valuable.


The trail store is also an A.T. hostel/shelter and the trail goes right through the buildings (note the white blaze between Dennis and Jill).  One last hug and kiss to them all and they were on their way...swimming without floaties.

That night, they trail camped at Low Gap after approximately 10 miles of hiking.  They had reached Mile 42.

Ken's text that night:  "ouch, ouch, double ouch"

March 21, 2016 - Day 3

Since the hikers knew I had the cabin for one more night, they decided to 'slack pack' the day and took out everything from their packs except water and food for lunch. 



They had a long hike from Gooch Gap to Neel Gap (where the cabin was) and were glad they had light packs for the 14 mile hike.  This was also one of the hardest days and one that flushes out many hikers.  The day included a steep uphill climb to the top of Blood Mountain, the highest peak on the A.T. in Georgia at 4,461'.  The view was breathtaking and they were all in awe of the 360 degree vista.  They met with more trail magic/volunteers who had a lunch of beans/franks and coffee waiting to feed them.

They hiked down the mountain and made it by 4:30pm.

Ken was sure glad he had purchased the hiking poles!  They saved his knees on the steep climb down.  He even told me I was right when I tried to get him to purchase a pair before we left!  I was stunned and wondered who this person was in my husband's body!

The weather forecast for that evening was for no snow but temperatures a few degrees COLDER.

Once again they were so glad to be snug, dry and warm!

Knowing there were more mouths to feed, I had driven to Blairsville, about 15 miles away, and got the fixings for spaghetti, Italian sausage, parmesan cheese, and beer.  They carbo-loaded and spent a relaxed evening.

Mile 31.7, Elevation 3,125'

March 20, 2016 - Day 2

The plan was to hike and prepare their lunch at mid day.  On the A.T. (and probably other trails), hikers are sometimes blessed with 'Trail Magic'.  These are unexpected welcome surprises.  I think they are also God's way of walking with them.  They reached the mid-way point and found that some 'trail angels' had hot coffee, hot dogs and snacks already prepared for any hikers who came by.  They stopped, ate lunch, and enjoyed the fact that they now had one more meal to eat on the trail still in their packs.  During lunch, they talked with other hikers who were talking about the cold snap that was about to hit them with 24 degrees and 1-2 inches of snow projected.  Ken told them about me and the cabin (which 'coincidently' had 3 beds) at Blood Mountain.  He called me and told me to meet them at the Gooch Gap/Forest Road 42 crossing at 4:00pm.  Not knowing how to get there, I attempted to get directions.  I finally went to Vogel State Park, 3 miles away, and got a forest map that showed all the forest service roads.  What would take them 13 miles to hike took me 30 miles and about 45 minutes.  I suspected they would appreciate something for dinner other than trail food, so I picked up a loaded pizza on the way.

When I arrived at the Gooch Gap (Mile 17.3, Elevation 2,821), there was another tent with A.T. volunteers.  I walked over to the group with the pizza box and one young guy yelled "PIZZA!!!" and I was approached by many hungry hikers.  Ken saw me and said "That's ma'woman!"  The 3 tired hikers piled in my car and they told me I was now a 'Trail Angel.'

Ken told me that he now 'needed' a high-tech light-weight pack (like the one I tried to get him a month ago) and hiking poles.  We stopped at the AT trail store 1/4 mile from the cabin and Ken got a new pack, hiking poles, shoe carbon insoles, and reduced his pack weight by 5 lbs.  He paid full retail price and didn't whimper a bit...honest!!!

We spent the evening talking and I learned that Jill and Dennis were old friends we just hadn't met, yet.  We were snug and toasty in our warm cabin and we all slept well.  We woke up to 24 degrees and 2 inches of snow.  Boy, were they glad they didn't have to sleep out in the snow and cold!  While they all had 3-season tents, Snow and Cold was the one season that was not included in the fine detail of the tent descriptions!  We had breakfast of granola, warmed with almond milk and flavored with some of Ken's homemade maple syrup I had brought as a surprise.  Yum!

March 19, 2016 - Day 1

The following morning, (my birthday) we went to the trail head for Springer Mountain.  It is a 1 mile hike up the mountain to the top and the official start of the trail...Mile 0.  There is a rock with a hidden nook where hikers register in their first log book.  Ken signed in and was officially a Thru-Hiker!


 We met many hikers in the 2 miles up and back and many Boy Scouts.  There were two troops (Troop 75 and Troop 1173) that were hiking the 8.8 miles between the AT Visitors Center and the top of Springer Mountain (known as the Approach Trail).  Oh, the energy they had running up that mountain!

We made it back to the trail head and in a gently falling rainy mist, Ken began his A.T. adventure.  As he walked off into the mist, I wiped my tears and prayed he would make it all the way to Maine.




Now, those that know me know that I am a planner.  The opposite of Ken.  We balance each other nicely.  I couldn't just drop him off with a "See Ya".  I wanted to make sure he got started off right and so I had made arrangements to stay in a cabin just off trail 3 days hike ahead.  I drove off to spend (what I thought would be) 3 days of reading, crocheting and blog creation.  After 3 days, Ken should have a good idea of what he needed and didn't have or had but didn't need.  I would provide support for both.

Ken, meanwhile, met a fellow hiker named Jill (I WOX...like I walks the trail) at the first shelter (Stoney Creek).  Jill greeted him with a cup of coffee.  They hit it off right away.  They walked together to the next shelter (Hawk Shelter) and there met another hiker, Dennis (SouthPaw).  They realized they had much in common and many differences.  Jill is from Vermont Virginia (correction)and the A.T. goes by her home.  She is a member of the trail club there and takes care of the trail and hikers.  Dennis is from New York  Indiana (correction) and completed the Thru-Hike in 2008.  They all traveled at the same pace and decided to travel together.  They had completed the first 8.1 miles.  They camped at Hawk Shelter in their tents. (Mile 8.1, Elevation 3,200')

Ken's text from the first night:  "Ouch, ouch and ouch"

March 18, 2015 - Travel Day

We left Lawrence Michigan at 4am on Friday, March 18, 2016.  Our goal was to reach the Amicalola Falls Lodge near the trail head of the A.T. by late afternoon/early evening.

We had a smooth trip down and arrived at the lodge at 4:30pm.  When I called weeks earlier to make a reservation, I was told we got the last room available.  What they didn't explain was that there was a crazy event called the "Death Run" that weekend.  Hundreds of runners/hikers gathered for the annual run of 72 miles in 24 hours!  We met many of these crazy people and they were all excited to begin the race and planned on starting at 2am due to projected rain.  We kicked back and enjoyed our last night before the big day.  I think we both realized our lives would never be the same.


We got checked into the Lodge and then went to the A.T. Visitors Center to get Ken registered for the Thru-Hike.  He was number 785.  The A.T. gal who checked him in said they were expecting about 1,200-1,500 thru-hikers this season.  More than usual due to interest in the A.T. generated by the Robert Redford/Nick Nolte movie, A Walk in the Woods (based on the book of the same name).


We tried to sleep, but both of us were anxious for the new day/new adventure.

March 19, 2016 - Preparations

Preparations
As you can imagine, Ken had a lot of questions regarding what a "Thru Hike" really means.  Luckily, there were books and the internet to help.

We first learned that of all who attempt to hike the entire A.T., only 1 in 10 makes it to the end.  Many are completely unprepared and 60% quit within the first 3 days/30 miles.  The next 30% quit within 300 miles.

The A.T. is easier than the Continental Divide or Pacific Crest Trails in that the elevations are lower and you are only days from resupply points.  Experts recommend keeping pack weight down by only carrying a maximum of 3-5 days of food.  Water sources are usually available each day.  Additional resupply points are through general deliver "care packages" at one of the 123 post offices along the trail.  Additional general deliveries can be sent to motels, hotels, or AT stores.  Many hikers simply buy what they need at the trail towns (within easy distance on or off the trail).  Ken will use a combination.  He will also have me, his "Trail Angel" (as his new hiker friends call me) to meet up with him once per month.

Of all the research, the most valuable so far was to NOT wear hike boots, but rather light weight trail runners.  These are tennis shoes that breath, weigh 13 oz per pair and have a better tread made for hiking off-road.  Every 1 lb. of shoe/boot equals 5 lbs. on your back.  By eliminating the cool KEEN hikers (at 2 1/2 lbs) he first thought to use, he saved 7 lbs of 'back weight'.  When you are hiking over 2,100 miles, every ounce is important.

The second big decision was what tent and sleep system to use.  After much reading of books, blogs and YouTube videos provided by A.T. experts, he settled on the Big Agnes Fly Creek UL2.  The UL2 is a 3-season tent that weighs only 1 lb 15 oz.  It is considered a 2-person or 1-person with pack.  His back still gives him fits at times, so he purchased a high-tech Klymit Static V Luxe pad that blows up to 3".  It has a "sophisticated" baffle system to increase insulation value, yet provide extra back support in a very light-weight pad.

Clothes are kept to a minimum.  They include:

• 2 pair hiker pants with zip off legs.  Will also be his shorts in the warm weather.
• 1 pair polar skins (top and bottom)for cold weather (and have already come in handy!)
• 2 pair double layer hiking socks (friction is between sock layers and not sock/skin)
• 1 pair camp socks with crocs (let feet relax while in camp)
• Super Feet carbon insoles to help stabilize the foot.  Outlasts the standard insole by hundreds of miles and provides additional arch support
• 1 t-shirt
• 1 flannel shirt
• 1 Frogg Togg rain coat
• 2 pair underwear

Other pack items:

• The official A.T. Northbound Trail Guide
• Sawyer squeeze water filtration system
• 1st aid kit, including mole skin and liquid bandage
• 2 heavy duty large trash bags.  1 used as pack liner and other for emergency poncho.
• Little Friskies camp stove and HEET for fuel
• New Testament Bible and Our Daily Bread for devotional
• Prayer Patch (I knitted for him and the church blessed it and him before his hike)
• 2 extra large space blankets
• 2 cup titanium camp pot

His original pack was a 70 liter heavy duty pack borrowed from a family member.  After 2 days of hiking, he understood why the experienced hikers said:  "Spend the money and get a high tech light weight pack"  This change saved him about 6 lbs.

Food
A.T. Thru Hikers burn on average 6,000 calories per day.  Therefore, much attention is paid to HIGH calorie foods that are easy to prepare.  Things like:

• Tuna in oil in single serving pouches
• Pasta sides in pouches
• High protein bars (like Premier Protein or Cliff)
• Beef Jerky
• Loaded baked potatoes in pouches
• Snickers Bars
• Trail Mix
• Smart Water with electrolytes - bottles also fit the Sawyer water filter system so bottles can be refilled at water sources

References:
Appalachian Trail Thru-Hikers Companion
Ultimate Hiker's Gear Guide
You-Tube
Appalachiantrail.org

March 18, 2016 - You Want to do What!?

You Want to do What!?

This past winter, my husband of 32 years told me he wanted to do the Thru Hike of the Appalachian Trail.  After my first  thought of "Are you nuts?," I realized it made sense.  A very dear friend, Ray, had tried to get him to do it years ago.  Job, kids, mortgage, wife all got in the  way.  Ken felt now was the time to honor that request.

Raymond Conrad Miller

We met Ray in 1991 when we moved back to my home town of Lawrence, Michigan.  We had two young children at home and purchased a house on a gravel road down the street from Ray.  Ken was a walker, even then, and met Ray the first day.  Ray came out of his farm house and the two struck up a wonderful relationship.  Ray became part of our family and years later, Ray would ask Ken to give up his job and take care of him so that he  could remain in his home while he lost the battle with dementia and old age.

Ken does not  have the reputation for patience or cleaning up messes.  In fact, baby drool (or worse) would result in TWO messes for me to clean up.  Ken had the patience of a saint with Ray and was always loving and kind, even when cleaning up after "the dog did it" (Ray had no dog).  Ken and I (and our daughter Amanda) were with Ray when he died in his home and Ray knew he was loved when he went.

Ray was an avid hiker and a charter member of both the Continental Divide Trail and the Pacific Crest Trail.  He also loved and supported the Appalachian Trail.  He loved to hike around the world and walked every continent, except Asia.  He would have gone there, as well, but was called back when in his 60's to care for his father (who had Alzheimer's) and would subsequently need to place in a nursing home.  We loved to hear Ray tell stories of his adventures and would listen for hours.

Ray was 59 when he did the Thru Hike of the A.T.  Ken is 59...so see?  It makes complete sense...and explains why we were on our way to Springer Mountain in Georgia.