Daily Miles: 20.0, Total Miles: 164.3 Around 9:30pm last night I heard a lot of hooting and hollering in the direction of Sassafrass Gap Shelter downhill from me. Sure sounded like a bear visitation. While having lunch yesterday at NOC, I was doing some planning. I decided to set my sites on Fontana Dam and the hotel/resort tomorrow, a 20-mile day with good elevation gain. So I was up and at’em early. A tough day with seemingly endless and sometimes…
Daily Miles: 17.3, Total Miles: 144.3 The wind was blowing but not as noisy as I thought it might be. It was chilly on the mountaintop – warm in the quilt but not excited to put the hiking clothes on. Wore my balaclava and gloves for a few hours this morning. Hot Lips and Caveman came by while I was packing up and I passed them later in the morning. The trail first took me to Weser Bald which probably…
Daily Miles: 17.6, Total Miles: 127.0 Thunder, lightning and rain started very early in the morning. Still going strong when I woke up at 6am. Rain was expected to continue until 9:30am so I delayed my shuttle pickup until then. By the time my shuttle arrived at Winding Stairs Gap, it was clearing fast. I enjoyed some coffee and donuts with trail angels before setting off. The first task was a steady four-mile climb to Siler Bald. By the time…
Daily Miles: 0, Total Miles: 109.4 I must have been more tired than I thought sleeping in to 8:30am, a big sleep for me. Big breakfast, my favorite town meal, at the nearby Country Kitchen, and I met a few hikers there. Wandered to downtown Franklin to Outdoor 76 for a gas canister then for another coffee. I took advantage of faster wireless, unlike the motel’s snail mail. Franklin is a nice little town. I had good chats and catchup…
Daily Miles: 5.3, Total Miles: 109.4 Two cups of coffee this morning on a “going to town” day. Probably close to freezing again last night but Is stayed toasty in my quilt and puffy. Pretty hike this morning mostly on ridgelines before dropping down to Winding Stairs Gap. Just as I arrived, a van pulled in and three hikers jumped out. The trail angel, who was on a van-life adventure, took me straight into Franklin, first to the post office…
Daily Miles: 17.7, Total Miles: 104.1 Cold and clear last night, in fact freezing. I had to heat up slushy water for my coffee. I enjoyed the sunrise from my tent and finally got on the trail by 8:30am. A very pleasant hike for the most part with some flat or at least gently grading stretches. Most expansive views on the AT so far. The best being next to the fire tower on Albert Mountain reached by a very steep,…
Daily Miles: 17.2, Total Miles: 86.4 I don’t think there were more than a few feet of flat trail today with another 5k ft vertical. Hiking at a higher elevation today and cooler temperatures, overall ideal conditions. The big milestone was finishing Georgia and passing into North Carolina. A few other hikers showed up and we took the obligatory pics. Another memorable event was stopping for a drink at Plum Orchard Gap and hearing a loud crack on the nearby…
Daily Miles: 16.7, Total Miles: 69.2 Slept in a bit when I realized it was still raining but I still got back on the trail by 9am. Wow, a good workout today! Three big uphill pushes and a few smaller ones between Unicoi Gap and Dicks Gap, around 5k ft elevation gain. Considering the rain last night, the trail was in pretty good shape. Turned out to be a great hiking day, partly sunny, cool with some breeze. Beginning to…
Daily Miles: 0, Total Miles: 52.5 A restful, peaceful zero day in a prone position. Overall, I feel pretty good except for some expected tightness in my calf muscles. Got my hiker chores done and gear cleaned up. Even took a shower with my tent to spray off the accumulated mud and bits of leaves. I’m still looking for a ride back to Unicoi Gap tomorrow but may have to work on a “Back to Trail” hitch sign. The city…
Daily Miles: 10.6, Total Miles: 52.5 A mix of a stroll through the woods and good climbs, especially Blue Mountain. I met a few hikers along the way before dropping down to Unicoi Gap. I missed the free shuttle to town, courtesy of the city of Hiawassee. This morning’s rain held me up. But I quickly got a $10 ride straight to the motel from a guy calling himself Smoky Bear. I dumped my pack off and headed straight to…
