Slackpackers Unite!

Mamma and the Trusty Trail Dog join us for 2 miles of AT slackpacking!

We slackpacked another 16 miles (14 miles yesterday and 2 this morning) to Fontana Dam, a beautful little hidden gem in the North Carolina Mountains. The terrain was easier than the 13 miles from Nantahala, and we did the 14 miles yesterday in less time than the 13 miles Saturday. I could really get used to the tiny pack gig. I can move so much more efficiently when I don’t have 20 extra pounds to sling around (although as I am constantly reminded by other AT enthusiasts, 20 pounds is featherweight compared to the 40+ most thru-hikers carry...thank God for Mamma the Trail Angel to save our backs from the burdens of huge packs...), and I seem to be much more motivated to reach my final destination quickly when I don’t have overnight gear in my pack to fall back on.

We met some AT volunteers working on the trail yesterday. The entire trail is constructed and maintained by these hardworking volunteers, and they were very cheerful and happy to talk. I have no idea how they hiked into the middle of the NC wilderness with all that heavy construction equipment...

Beware of women in the woods with axes…unless they are fixing the trail for you...

Lots of ridge hiking this time, complete with more lush forests and babbling mountain streams. Daddy and I don’t stay in the AT shelters (wooden or stone lean-tos built by AT volunteers) when we overnight in the woods, since I’m not to fond of sleeping next to a smelly stranger or any of the mice that famously frequent the tiny buildings, but I thought I’d show one all the same. They are pretty cool things, even though every time I pass one I can’t help but feel like I’m walking past the set for “Deliverance"...

AT Shelter at Cable Gap.

Signing the hiker log at the shelter...

...wish I could’ve thought of something more profound...like the guy who signed right above us and told the story of the mouse who climbed into his sleeping bag and was now controlling him with small levers from inside his skull...

We actually got to hike directly on top of Fontana Dam this morning. It’s over half a mile long, and very impressive. We met Paul, a retired IBM computer engineer who had started the AT at Harper’s Ferry, WV last year, but had to stop because he developed a hernia 600 miles into his trip, and was then further delayed when his wife broke her neck in a car accident. They have both since recovered, and he was very enthusiastic about finishing his trip. He was hiking south and assured us that he had only seen two bears over the 50 miles of trail Daddy and I will hike over the next few days...oh boy...

Mamma and the Trail Dog hiked with us for a couple of miles to the dam! It was great to have more company. We got another “real meal” in a restaurant this afternoon since we were finished with our hiking goal early in the day, always a treat. Since I made the brilliant decision to partake in this adventure exactly when medical school applications are due, I took advantage of the free wifi at Fontana Dam to do a little work on my future life. Hopefully all of the logistics will work themselves out while I’m out here exploring the wilderness…

On top of Fontana Dam. I promise I don’t feel quite as rough as I look.

Quote of the Day: “Well, we come in, we flag the new trail. The biologists come in, they tell us to move it. We redo everything we did the week before, and then we start digging!” ~One of the AT volunteers when I asked him how exactly one goes about relocating a trail. And more proof why biologists just get in the way of good progress…(come on, have a sense of humor, my bio friends...)

Miles from Springer: 164, Miles from Katahdin: 2015