Day #4 - The End of the Beginning

Me and Daddy before the hike today - because I'm worried no one will believe he's actually with me unless there is photographic evidence.

Top of Blood Mountain in the snow

After two days of holing ourselves up in the cabin watching the hail pelt the front porch and the weather warnings and watches accumulate one by one, we decided we would journey out for one last day in the mountains before we have to wrap up this spring break adventure. The forecast looked relatively promising for today, and we decided we would go hike come hell or high water.

And come it did. It rained steadily during most of the drive over to Woody Gap (where we last left our noble adventurers), but by the time we got unloaded and geared up, the shower had broken up and things were looking up. It was partly cloudy and about 5o degrees for the first two hours of the hike, which was absolutely wonderful. We started out at about 11:30am and our goal was to reach Neel's Gap, the next place where the AT crosses a major highway, by dark, for a total trip of about 10.5 miles. Because things were looking so nice and the trail in the section was a relatively forgiving traverse rather than intense climbs and descents, we were able to hike almost 6 miles in the first three hours. We were feeling confident and enjoying ourselves when the fog rolled in and the sleet began. The temperature dropped about 12 degrees, but we were wearing our raingear preemptively and it was really only a slight drizzle (of sleet?). We encountered some other hikers, a group of boy scouts out for a backpacking trip and a group of friends hiking with two disgustingly adorable little dogs (named Grits and Banjo).

We were a little bit cold and damp but relatively happy when we got to the bottom of Blood Mountain - the highest peak in Georgia. Climbing from the base to the summit is an increase in elevation of over 1,000 feet. The ascend started innocently enough, then the sleet picked up. As we climbed higher and higher the temperature dropped more and more, and the fog became increasingly dense. The trail up the south side of Blood Mountain is a beautiful trail lined by trees and shrubs on both sides and containing many "stairways" of slate stones and boulders. When the sleet turned to a legitimate snow towards the summit, the landscape almost seemed otherworldly. We wandered around the summit for a bit, checking out the shelter that was built there in the early 20th century by forest servicemen. Dad fell right on his backside trying to take a picture of me in front of it (at least we weren't close to the cliff edge at the summit) My only regret is that the fog and snow were so thick that we couldn't see the view from the top. It's supposed to be spectacular on clear days.

Eventually, the snow picked up enough that we started to get seriously chilled, and decided to get off of the bare rock faces of Blood Mountain and begin our descent to Neel's Gap. Easier said than done. The descent down the north side of Blood Mountain was the hardest, most time consuming hike yet. It took us two and a half hours to climb the 2.5 miles down from the summit - a pace that can be politely described as a crawl. The rapidly melting snow made the boulders, rocks and stone slabs making up the steep descent incredibly slippery, and the ground in between them nothing more than gooey mud stew. It was excruciatingly slow going and getting colder by the second. Despite all this, I couldn't ignore how eerily beautiful everything was. I really wish we had been more comfortable and had better weather so I could've experience Blood Mountain in all of it's true glory.

Around 6:00pm we were soaked and freezing from our fight with the mud-painted north face of Blood mountain, and the sun was setting. We finally reached some relatively flat trail through the woods and high-tailed it the last half mile to Neel's Gap. Neel's Gap is the home of the only store to be directly on the AT. I mean this in the most literal sense possible. The AT passes straight through the center of the store/hiker hostel, and it's unique location has made it famous. Neel's Gap was crowded with chilled hikers, and a hot meal was being cooked for the masses under a large tent. The owner of the store has written a book called "Just Passing Through," and I highly recommend it for those interested. Mom met us in the parking lot, and we couldn't have been happier to jump into the clean sweatshirts and shoes she brought us and head back to the cabin. I do want to go back to Neel's Gap and explore the area under more accommodating circumstances though. It's a fascinating little place.

All in all, our plan to wait out the weather failed miserably. It was a pretty miserable day to be out. For all of you who probably thought I was a complete wimp for trying to wait for better skies, touche. You told me so. I definitely got a healthy dose of foul-weather trekking today. However, I can't complain. It was painful and frustrating, invigorating and encouraging. Over the course of my spring break, I have completed a little over 30 miles of the AT. Shy of my original goal of 76 miles, but I am satisfied. I tried out my legs and my gear, explored the southern Appalachians, and got a good taste of the wonders I am in for for the next six months. Now I just have to go back and graduate. I'm not sure which is harder...

Quote of the Day: "If the Jedi can levitate the X-wing out of the swamp, why can't they levitate themselves? I guess what I'm really asking is...why can't Jedi fly?" - Me (Dad thought it was funny...we have some pretty random conversations during our treks...)
Miles Traveled: 10.6
Miles from Springer: 30.7
Miles from Katahdin: 2,146
Feeling: Wonderfully Tired

Day #3 - Rain, Rain....

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Woke up this morning to the sound of rain on the tent. Great. Stayed in the tent longer than usual to see if it would stop. It didn't. So we carried on. Luckily, this was a rendezvous day, and we had only 3.5 miles to go to reach the pick-up point. Dad and I managed to figure out a way to take the tent down under the rain fly so that the inside didn't get wet. Clever us. We have pack covers so out bags didn't get too wet. But the rain was really only a steady drip, not a blustering downpour. In that situation, I'm pretty sure you just get wet.

We trudged on through the rain, up yet another mountain. Heavy fog rolled in, to the point where visibility was about two feet in front of your face. In my opinion, it really just got more fun as the day wore on. I dropped my Werther's caramel that I kept in my pocket for "summit treats." That upset me. Luckily, I had a spare.

We made it to the first point where the AT crosses the highway at around noon, where Mamma was waiting like a knight in shiny, grey, four-wheeled, American-made, Ford-brand armor. She brought us a wonderful lunch of deli sandwiches, raw veggies, chips, homemade dip and oatmeal cookies, along with grocery bags full of things to restock our camp-food bag with. Without her and the ability to rendezvous with a support vehicle, we'd have to carry about 20 lbs. more food and gear. We had the opportunity to create a little "trail magic" as we sat and debated about whether or not to suit up and carry on or wait for the weather to clear. A dripping, heavily laden thru-hiker, a young man who looked about my age, wearing shorts even in the cold rain, appeared out of the mist and plopped down under the only shelter other than our car - a small set of wooden benches under a roof. He looked cold and tired, so we fixed up a plate of sandwich and offered it to him. After that, we helped him contact the shuttle to the nearby town, and he acted like no one had ever been so nice to him in his life. So, "Denver," I hope you dried out, and I hope we see you in Maine. Blessings to you and your journey.

Ultimately, we decided that it wasn't worth ruining our gear and our sprits over spring break. So we packed it in back to the cabin in TN, where I promptly found solace in the hot tub. I am unapologetic for this decision. There's a time and a place for carrying on through the stormy brine. Today was not it. The next hours will be spend watching the Weather Channel and planning our next move.

Miles Travelled: 3.5

Distance from Springer: 20.1

Distance from Katahdin: 2,158

Feeling: Hopeful

Day #2 - Some Perspective Already

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Woke up freezing this morning. I guess I shouldn't be surprised, seeing as I'm at 2,000+ above sea level in early March. Things warmed up quickly after I got moving though. Actually had a hot breakfast of instant oatmeal (see picture above for how excited I was about that). Took us an hour and a half to pack everything up and get going. We definitely need some practice with this whole backpacking-efficiency thing. But that's the whole reason I'm here during my spring break.

The hike today was astronomically harder than yesterday. I think I was lulled into a false sense of security by the meandering rhododendron forests. We climbed four mountains over the course of the day, and I think I had to sit this underused, out of shape body down on a log about every 200 yards. I was sucking eggs up Sassafras Mountain when we really met our first fellow thru-hiker. His (trail) name was Blind Bob, and yes, he is completely blind. He and his companion are filming a documentary as Blind Bob completes his thru-hike, the first completely blind person to do so using only a GPS and his metal walking sticks. He takes his journey one step at a time, carefully planting his feet. He moves slowly, but with purpose, and a goal. All of a sudden, my throbbing feet seem so inconsequential. Blind Bob, you blessed me today. May God bless you and your journey.

We made it through all those mountains to a beautiful creek where we refilled our water canteens. You couldn'tve asked for a more beautiful spot if you'd picked it out of a catalog. We're using a "double purification" technique - a ceramic filter and a UV pen light - the idea being that filter #1 gets all the big stuff, and filter #2 gets the microbes. We may succumb to fatigue, starvation or bear mauling, but we will NOT succumb to water-borne parasites. Mountain stream water - REAL mountain stream water - tastes better than anything you can buy in a bottle.

After refilling, we walked about two more miles before we camped. It was much milder tonight, not nearly as cold. A full three course meal was the perfect end to the day. Black bean chowder, rice pilaf and freeze dried fruit for desert. Perfect.

Quote of the Day: "That's a man-killing or a woman-killing climb, either one, ai'nt it?" - Blind Bob

Miles Travelled Today: 12.2

Miles from Springer: 16.5

Miles from Katahdin: 2,162

Feeling: Thankful

Day #1 - A Grand Beginning

***Preface/General Disclaimer - Pay no attention to the "dates posted." I have no idea when I will have access to a computer and internet capability. I will update as often as possible, and will put the date each post was written on the post itself.***

Monday, March 8, 2010

I decided to start my Appalachian Trail adventure during my spring break from college, since graduation isn't until May, leaving me limited time to get to Maine from Georgia. Me, Mamma and Daddy are staying in TN, a couple hours' drive from the trail. The plan was to get here as soon as possible and spend at least 8 days hiking. Averaging 10 miles/day, that would mean that I could hike the entire trail in GA over break, which would be a fantastic test run/head start. However, we decided to stay in Nashville for the weekend to watch the Murray State Racers WIN the OVC title in basketball (Go Big Blue!). Absolutely worth the delay, but it meant we didn't get to the trail until today.

Mamma dropped us off on the road up Springer Mountain at about 3:00 pm. The parking area is actually about a mile from the summit, but it's the closest you can get without hiking the 8.8 mile access trail from the bottom. Hugs and pictures and off we went. The mile up to the actual summit was a pretty tough climb, especially over the snow/ice/mud still lingering from February, but I was determined to go sign my name in the official AT hiker's log at the summit (which, as it turns out, is a spiral bound notebook shoved into a metal box wedged into a big rock...slightly anticlimactic...), and I did.

We actually doubled over the mile we had just hiked and made our way down Springer, past the parking lot we'd been dropped off at and on into some beautiful, meandering trails through the biggest (think "Land of the Lost" big) rhododendron thickets I've ever seen. I only wish they were in bloom. We made it a little over 4 miles from Springer's summit before we made camp just before dark. We picked a spot right next to the trail in a little clearing of trees right next to a river. I'm in charge of food, but I was so hungry that I didn't let our macaroni and cheese cook long enough before dishing it out, so it was..."al dente"...but still good.

At this point, my first night on the trail, I am completely bedazzled by the beauty of the adventure I've started. I don't really care that my feet hurt, or that it's 35 degrees outside. What an amazing, miraculous world we live in. And I get to explore 2,000 miles of it with my own two feet. It's real now. This adventure, this commitment. And I absolutely couldn't be more excited.

Quote of the Day: (picks up Springer Mtn. Hiker log) "You know I was really expecting something more official. Like a dusty, leather-bound tome tended by a monk. How disappointing." - Daddy

Miles Traveled Today: 5.2

Miles From Springer Mountain, Georgia: 4.3

Miles from Mount Katahdin, Maine: 2,174

Feeling: Awestruck