This goes out to one of my closest friends, Tom Morrison. Thank you for always helping me work through my problems on the trail and for encouraging me to pursue my passion! I'm so proud of your accomplishments and cannot wait to listen to the beautiful music you will create at Juilliard this upcoming semester.
Let's face it: I'm terrible at leaving towns. My friends make fun of how much I love zero days (I'm also a terrible influence by always trying to convince them to stay another day...). I know I came out here to escape to the wilderness, but I can't help falling in love with all the stops along the way. My group (though pretty hungover from karaoke the previous evening) left Hot Springs around 9:30am while I decided to have family-style breakfast at Elmer's Sunnybank Inn.
I would recommend this Inn to anyone going to Hot Springs!
(Definitely sign up for breakfast - it was fantastic!)
Breakfast included: apple juice, grits, biscuits, gravy, granola, the most delicious scrambled eggs I've ever eaten. Seriously, those eggs were great.
Though I packed up and checked out with the intention of getting on the trail immediately, I ended up hanging out with Sherlock at The Hiker's Ridge Ministry. Honestly, I needed to catch up on blogging (it took me about 3 hours). Around 11:30, Shay, Tom, Cam and Lou arrived! They tend to hike about a day behind me. We caught up for a few, and I finally head out for the trail.
Hot Springs was setting up for a bluegrass music festival, and I was tempted to hang back for a while - but my group had left hours before, so I crossed the bridge over the French Broad and continued along.
The French Broad.
I walked alone the whole day - the solitude was quite enjoyable. I got lost once or twice (sometimes the blazes aren't very abundant), talked with southbound day-hikers and met two new friends (Savage, Homegrown and their pup Bailey).
Unexpected pond in the middle of the woods
I love open fields!
Yay for wildlife protection!
Around sundown, I found Bun, Quail, Punch, Maria (punch's cousin) and Lenore (punch's mom) at the shelter. Maria wanted a campfire - and I wanted a warm rock, so we scavenged the area for sticks. We met Goldstar and Foo, as well as a man who is using the trail as a form of rehab (at one point he was in a wheelchair/unable to walk).
Rich Mountain Lookout Tower
(Climbable towers are always a nice break during the day)
If only pictures could capture the depth of these views
Punch & Family around the fire
Spring Mountain Shelter apparently had a very active mouse (according to Quail and Bun)
Shelter: Spring Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 11.0
Miles from Springer: 284.9
Miles to Katahdin: 1900.4
Day 34: May 2nd: Mountains and Meltdowns.
Normally I'm up and out early, but May 2nd was the first time I woke up and thought "Wow, the last thing I want to do today is hike". I snoozed all of my alarms and tried to sleep it off - but eventually enough time passed and I knew it was time to hit the trail.
I like to hide in here....
Throughout the morning, I kept stopping to sit on the side of the trail and eat and procrastinate. Hiking felt like a chore - it was not fun whatsoever. I was mostly by myself, but I stopped and waited for Bunny to see if she wanted to make a detour to the Hemlock Hollow Hostel. The trip added 1.4 miles to our hike, but it was much needed.
Of course I was a bit tempted to stay the night...
(But we had only gone about 5 miles so far that day)
I kept saying all morning how I was gonna have a hot lunch....
Free sodas! I adore Ginger Ale - Bunny is a little obsessed with Root Beer
The dogs at the hostel adorably harassed Bunny for some scraps.
I thought that stopping for lunch would help lift my mood for the rest of the day, but before long I was pouting and crying at the bottom of a mountain. For some reason, I just couldn't muster the desire to hike anymore. We pressed on regardless, with the rumor of potential trail magic as our #1 motivator.
Honestly, the trail magic came at a much needed time. It's people like these that make the struggle all worth it. It's here that I decided to start eating fish while I'm on the trail. My body has continued to crave meat, so I've decided that this would be an appropriate compromise for the time-being.
Shelter: Camping near Blackstack Cliffs
Miles today: 11.9
Miles from Springer: 296.8
Miles to Katahdin: 1888.5
Day 35: May 3rd: The 300 Mile Mark!
The terrain this morning was rocky and fun - and led us to awesome views.
The view near mile 297
On top of the world!
Yay for milestones!
We continued on to Jerry Cabin Shelter to eat a snack - it was here that Quail began to impersonate "Maybelline" in the log-books. She's starting rumors about me...
A Maybelline imposter!
Caught in the act!
When we got to the next shelter, I stopped for the night while the rest of the group headed into Asheville (Punchlines Mom, Lenore (AKA Knoors Pasta Side), had a flight home the next day). It was early - around 3pm, so I had a ton of time to kill. I collected wood, cleaned my gear, read an e-book and eventually started a fire. Then I hid in my tent once other campers began to arrive. I heard them all approach, but I just didn't have the desire to socialize. Eventually I emerged from my little home in order to warm up some rocks - it turns out that Raindrop was one of the hikers staying for the night. Her hiking partner had just bailed out in Hot Springs - and Raindrop was loving hiking solo. I also met a couple (Galactic Ape and LunarWorm) and their dog Phazer when they joined me around my fire.
Flat ground! What a perfect little campsite.
Shelter: Flint Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 9.4
Miles from Springer: 306.2
Miles to Katahdin:
Day 36: May 4th: May The Forest Be With You.
Because the rest of the group wouldn't be getting on the trail until the evening, we agreed to meet at the next shelter - meaning I had less than 10 miles that day and a ton of time to kill. I knew I wanted to take a nap halfway through, so I set out early but took my time. 3 miles in, I came upon a road (Devil Fork Gap) where my phone picked up excellent signal - so naturally, I called my mom and browsed Instagram for about 45 minutes.
If only I had time to nap and lay in the sun...
Where does your water come from?
I ran into some old acquaintances (and a new friend - Hardware) at the top of the mountain, so we all stopped and talked for a while. Galactic Ape, LunarWorm and Pizza Brain passed through, so I decided to tag along with them for a bit - but after 10 minutes I was ready for my lunch break. I set up my stove, inflated my sleeping pad, and snuggled into my sleeping bag (it was kinda chilly). While eating my super bland Rice Pilaf, I met Squirrel-tooth who was walking southbound for the day. Afterwards, I closed my eyes and slept for about 2 hours. I awoke and packed up my stuff shortly before it started drizzling. The rest of the hike was shorter than expected and I stumbled upon the shelter in no time.
Normally I hate shelter sleeping, but I woke up groggy from my nap and decided to lay in the empty shelter for a while and see what happened. I had taken a book of ghost stories from the previous shelter, so I spent the evening reading (Yay for actual books!). Here, I met Grouse-whisperer and Stretch, as well as Finn. It began to rain - I decided against setting my tent up since the shelter was still pretty empty. Soon after, Glacier-Swiss arrived! I had met her previously on the trail (she also stayed at Elmer's and went to karaoke) - I always enjoy her company. We went on a trek for water, I let her borrow my stove (she was accidentally sold something other than denatured alcohol and her entire stove exploded/her fuel ignited).
I knew my friends would be night-hiking, but I had expected them to arrive before I fell asleep. Unfortunately this wasn't the case. We needed to get up early so that our plans of slack packing with Miss Janet would work out - so I went to sleep hoping my friends would arrive in the night.
Shelter: Hogback Ridge Shelter
Miles today: 8.8
Miles from Springer: 315.0
Miles to Katahdin: 1870.3
Day 37: May 5th: The Legend: Miss Janet.
Anyone who knows anything about AT trail angels has heard of the legendary Miss Janet. I had been hoping to have the chance to meet her, and rumor had it that she lived in Erwin, TN. Bunny had a friend who had previously stayed with her, so we inquired about slack packing the last 25 miles into town.
We briskly hiked to Sams Gap, where she agreed to take our packs. While waiting, a car-load of hikers arrived - My Best Friend, Hollywood, and Zissou had been staying with Sarah Jones (a previous thru-hiker who creates kick-ass AT postcards with her photography).
Anyway - Miss Janet was a bit late (you can't rally blame her - she's constantly picking up/dropping off hikers at various locations along the trail). I didn't really mind the wait - we ate, packed our day packs, Bobby Hill arrived - the only thing that worried me was the fact that it was getting late and we still had 24+ miles to do that day.
This giant van has shuttled thousands of hikers.
Meeting Miss Janet was such a pleasure - I instantly liked her. She convinced Bobby Hill to slack-pack with us for the day, took our packs, gave us some words of wisdom and sent us on our way.
Hiking without a pack is so luxurious! Seriously, you feel like you're on a day hike. The terrain was relatively easy - we quickly found ourselves atop "Big Bald" - the scenes were breathtaking (but the wind was chilly).
Zissou checking out his guidebook
Excited to have conquered the steepest incline of the day
Lunch included avocados!
(The thought of eating an avocado makes Quail/Hoops hike faster)
Surrounded by beauty - every day.
Bunny modeling her tiny pack for the day!
Punchline modeling the sunglasses he found on Big Bald.
Around mile 8, Bunny started to develop blisters - her socks had gotten wet and each step was agony for her, so she decided to end the day at the next road-crossing. Because it was a small road, a hitch would've been difficult - so she called Maria (who has a car!) to come get her. The rest of us (Bobby Hill, Hoops, Punch, and myself) started to jog the downhills to save on time. We knew we would be night-hiking, but wanted to arrive in Erwin no later than 10pm. We passed by a shelter (saw Glacier and Raindrop) right before the sun began to set. At some point, my chest began to hurt and again, I felt absolutely no desire to continue. But I really had no choice. Bobby Hill and I stopped at the Erwin overlook, (it's awesome to see the city lights from the woods), talked for a bit and called Miss Janet.
The rest of the hike was in the dark, but it wasn't so bad. We waited by Uncle Johnnys Hostel, and soon enough Miss Janet came and got us. The van was full of hungry hikers, so she dropped us off by a ton of fast food restaurants. Even though I was only in McDonald's, I felt like hiker trash. I was irritated, dirty, and totally done for the night.
When we got to Miss Janets, we were greeted by Bunny and Maria! Even though I was pretty gross, I was too tired to shower - I just set up my sleeping bag on the floor and passed out.
Miss Janet's pup, Balloo
I wonder how many hikers have slept here over the years...
Shelter: Miss Janets House!
Miles today: 26.5
Miles from Springer: 341.5
Miles to Katahdin: 1843.8
Day 38: May 6th: A Day on the Farm.
As much as I love Miss Janet, I don't always love being surrounded by loud hikers all day. I knew I wanted to take a zero (even though by doing so, I knew I wouldn't be walking into Damascus for Trail Days - but Peacock, who is driving down from CT, said she'd come pick me up!). Maria woke up with a swollen face (she's allergic to Miss Janets dog), so we decided to go stay at the Super 8 - but when we stopped by The Cantarroso Farm to pick up my mail-drop, I didn't want to leave. And thus began the best zero day ever. Maria and Bunny left to slack-pack the section Bunny missed the previous day, so I had the whole farm to myself.
The cabin that Maria and I rented!
(Only $25 per person - it was a sweet deal)
Art on the deck!
The owners were so great - and their house was astounding. I found out later that they had bought 9 acres of land next to the river and later drew up the blueprints to build their dream house. They have 25 honeybee hives, a handful of chickens, and a cute little garden.
I spent the morning lounging beside the river, laying in a hammock, reading Lord Of The Rings, watching American Psycho and generally, just being a bum.
The Cantarroso Rapids!
The best discovery so far. I could've spent hours in this hammock.
Only one adult chicken left :(
The previous week, the other two chickens were killed by a hawk.
Around 3pm, I got a ride into town so I could resupply. I got dropped off at the library where I charged my phone, leafed through some books and pet the library cat.
So happy to spend time in a library.
The library is an old railroad station!
Afterwards, I walked through town towards the supermarket. On the way, I browsed through an antique shop, and bought myself a milkshake at an old-fashioned diner (of sorts).
I got a thick Cookies and Cream shake!
After resupplying, Maria and Bunny picked me up, we swung by Miss Janets to get Punch and Hoops and then went to Los Jalapeños for dinner (where we encountered one of the drunkest hikers I've ever seen). The food was decent, the service sucked. Seriously - the place wasn't even busy! We stopped by Walmart (where we spotted Rollo!) and then found the first liquor store in 350 miles (my group had been looking for vodka for the past month).
That night, Maria and I made popcorn, watched The Dark Knight, sorted our food, chat with the owners, and cherished the final hours of our zero day. (I couldn't recommend this farm enough - I absolutely LOVED it. I want to live here.)
A $2000 composting toilet!
I'm still a mess...
(even though I barely have any items)
Shelter: The Cantarroso Farm!
Miles today: 0.0
Miles from Springer: 341.5
Miles to Katahdin: 1843.8
Day 39: May 7th: Slack-packing Southbound.
Now, I'm not a purist by any means. I still consider it a thru-hike if you slackpack, aqua blaze, etc. But I do think that this days hike was a bittttt pushing it. Everyone in my group wanted to slack-pack again - so instead of hiking north out of the valley, Miss Janet drove us 20 miles up the mountain and we had a leisurely down-hill day. I don't actually think it's cheating, but I didn't really earn that mountain.
One of the stickers says "The AT ruined my life"
We squished 16 people in the van.
Bobby Hill!
Punch and Hoops on a romantic breakfast date at Hardee's
(Before a 20 mile hike....)
Today, Honey Badger, Sandpiper and Hemp joined our group. We hiked the first 3 miles in an hour, took a quick break and then, out of nowhere, it started to torrentially downpour and hail (with thunder and lightning). I was lucky enough to get my electronics in Ziplocs before they got too wet (Pizza Brains wasn't as fortunate). I enjoyed walking southbound because I ran into a ton of friends!
We stopped on a mini-bald, Beauty Spot for lunch - but the group was being harassed by the black flies (bugs don't like me as much I suppose).
The rest of the hike went smoothly, but I did start getting dark with about 3 miles left.
Sunset through the clouds!
I got over my fear of night-hiking - I walked by myself in the dark, listening to The Avett Brothers. I wasn't afraid because I knew I would be out of the woods within the hour. And how can anyone be scared while listening to The Avett Brothers? Actually - there was a point where I started thinking about the book of ghost stories I had read a few days back...
When I finally crossed the Nolichucky River, I found Maria (now Dreamer) and Honey Badger discussing staying at the Super 8. I jumped at the chance to join them. It was decently expensive, but I was happy to sprawl out on a queen sized bed and for some peace and quiet after a long day.
Shelter: The Super 8 in Erwin, TN
Miles today: 20.6
Miles from Springer: 362.1
Miles to Katahdin: 1823.2
Day 40: May 8th: "City-day"
I've definitely been having a rough time mentally. I'm still 100% committed to the thru-hike, but I haven't been enjoying myself as much as I previously did. In order to combat that, I decided to take another zero for what Honey Badger calls "a city-day". Fortunately my entire group decided to stay in Erwin for another day (yes! I'm not being left behind!). Dreamer, Honey Badger and I decided to stay at the Super 8 because we're lazy and didn't want to pack up our stuff...
By the way: the breakfast at the Super 8 is crap! (I ate 3 doughnuts).
On the Vending Machine in the Super 8.
So cheesy!
After visiting Urgent Care of Erwin, Dreamer picked me up and we drove to nearby Johnson City to go to Dicks Sporting Goods (and Taco Bell!).
Crunchwrap Supreme and Cheesy Fiesta Potatoes!
Afterwards, we sunbathed, I took a nap, had a phone-session with my therapist, and decided to go to the movies with Honey Badger to see The Avengers: Age of Ultron. It was his first 3D movie ever! I enjoyed feeling like a real person for a few hours and forgetting about the trail.
"Let's all go to the lobby to get ourselves a treat!"
Shelter: The Super 8 in Erwin, TN
Miles today: 0.0
Miles from Springer: 362.1
Miles to Katahdin: 1823.2
P.S. - Random facts.
1. There are cockroaches in the woods sometimes. (It's always odd and unexpected)
2. My big toenail is hanging on for dear life. (I estimate another week before I lose it). (EW).
3. All milage in this blog is based off the 2014 AWOL guidebook. There are some changes between last year and this year.
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