Katahdin, GAME11

The first day out of Caratunk was fairly smooth. I was excited about the fact that I could start doing bigger miles again and even more excited about getting closer and closer to the big K (and I'm not talking about Kmart).  Moxie Bald offered some spectacular views. I think I may have seen Katahdin because the day was so clear but I couldn't be sure. That night, I arrived just before dark at Moxie Bald Lean To and was greeted by none other than Jukebox. We hadn't seen each other since Harper's Ferry. I love these trail reunions. It feels great to see a fellow thru-hiker that you knew from earlier in the GAME closer to the end.

The next 18 miles to Monson were pretty cruisey. In general, the terrain chills out around here. The greatest challenge is dealing with constant wet feet because of all the fording. Maine has a ton of streams, brooks, rivers, ponds, and lakes. There is so much water in Maine. So very much. The reunions continued in town. Prana (GAME'06) described Monson as bittersweet, and I have to agree with her. The promise of finishing is exhilarating, but you are also aware that many of these friendships will be missed. That day, I was reunited with Tigger, Wobegon, Team Mofo, and Darvey. A few of us chatted late into the night.

I always planned to zero in Monson and zero I did. After the big Shaw breakfast, I spent most of the day on a giant raft in the lake behind Lakeshore Hostel and Pub with Jukebox. He impressed everyone with his ability to swim out to the raft with two drinks in hand. You could tell he had practice.

Leaving Monson, I had planned to do the 100- mile Wilderness in about 6 days, but I started to max out miles right away. The terminus was pulling me. I hiked 19 miles to Cloud Pond Lean To. These miles took all day because the beginning of the Wilderness is not flat. Also, more fording. It rained that evening but luckily I was in my bag by then.

It took all day to do the 17 miles on the next day. I fell 3 times, but I had the company of Wisp who is the only other woman my age that I have met this year. We both expressed our excitement about communicating with someone other than a 23 year old or 55 year old white man. Don't get me wrong, "Some of my best friends...." But, it was a nice break.

Day 3 of the Wilderness had a very treacherous ford. The night before, it poured continuously so that contributed to it. In addition, the rain made the trail a creek in many places. Even on the top of Whitecap, it was WET. Knowing that I was completing the last mountain range before Katahdin, I started thinking about doing the Wilderness in 5 days, and I wondered if I could do 29.6 miles the next day which would be my longest.

I woke up at 5am the next day, and I was in motion by 6:15. The trail is flat but Maine doesn't let up on the roots, rocks, and mud. I motored along pretty quickly until I ran into Hettie, who is the aunt of my friend Holler (GAME'08). She gave me some great trail magic a few years ago, and I stopped and chatted with her and her husband. Its pretty funny running into people in the Wilderness. Although, the 100 mile stretch is not really so remote. There are roads and even a hostel within the stretch. In fact, i got trail magic at 3 different roads during the 5 days.

This almost 30 mile day will remain significant in my head forever because it was during this day that I saw Katahdin clearly for the first time. There was a little sign near a lake that said "Katahdin view" with an arrow pointing right. I walked over and didn't notice a thing until I looked left and there it  was.....Huge and majestic. I just sobbed and sobbed. I was so grateful that I was by myself because I worked up a good ugly cry. After that, I was almost running to the shelter. I ended up passing some friends that I would have like to see once more but they were at Whitehouse Landing and I had a one track mind. I made it to the shelter by 7:30pm and had plans to rise at 5 again.

That night, 2 hikers came in at midnight. Thats like arriving at 4am. Midnight is so late, so I wasn't so fresh in the morning when I woke up at 0'dark thirty. I carried on though. I can't really describe how surreal things get at this point. Being so close is a trip. The reality setting in is powerful. Plus, 15 miles into the day, there is a camp store with sandwiches, so I was really ready to get there.

After the food and some beer and meeting CJ the Ridgerunner, I walked the final 9 miles to the base of Katahdin. Trashcan, one of the hikers that came in at midnight the night before, was with me. We both kept muttering to ourselves that we couldn't believe we were finally there. This was kinda funny because it took me 5 and a half months and it took him 3 and a half. He's a whippersnapper.

When we arrived at the Katahdin Stream Campground, Jetpack invited us over for some trail magic with her family. We happily joined them before we settled in for the night at The Birches. The Birches is a shelter area strictly for thru-hikers. They like to keep us out of the way of the campers. Seriously, there is no telling what kind of antics we'll get into. That night, many different numbers were thrown around for wake up calls the next day. Besides myself, Jetpack, Eats, Kenyan, Sweet Pea, Sage, Trashcan, Wisp, Vinka, and Poncho Verde planned to summit as well. We knew that rain was coming late morning. We knew that the next day was a better day to summit, but none of us were waiting. I waited too long already. I planned to get up by 4:30am and be hiking by 5:30am. Trashcan and Wisp were the only ones that were down with that time and that was fine by me. I was going up that MOUNTAIN as soon as  possible.

The morning brought clouds. It was cloudy at the campground. We had no idea what it was like above 5,000 feet, but I was ready to find out. The first couple of miles are fairly mild on the ascent of Katahdin.  Nothing I hadn't seen before. Things changed drastically once I got about 2.5 miles in. Big boulders that were wet appeared, and I couldn't see more than a few feet ahead of me. It was dramatic. After a few miles, I was convinced I was at the top. I think the lack of visibility was throwing me off. At this point a 2 miles marker appeared on a rock, and I swear I heard the mountain say, "You didn't think I was gonna give it to you that easy, little girl?" Thats exactly what I felt like. I felt like a kid holding on to slippery rock, pulling my body up and to something I couldn't see. I would cry off and on at this point. Some sobbing and some quiet tears. Wisp was well behind me and Trashcan was well in front, so it was very quiet and private. Except the wind was howling off and on. I thought I was close again when I saw a 1 miles marker. At this point, I realized I hadn't really eaten enough, so I popped some snacks in my mouth and wondered if there was really an end.

I had to get within about 5 feet of the sign to see it. It seemed like the clouds parted and Trashcan was sorta bending over it in one of those traditional summit poses. I weeped a little more, and then I said, "Hey, I thought it was supposed to be red!" Trashcan agreed with me. We were both surprised about the brown color.  Moments after we did our photo shoots, people started arriving. First,  Capone (a section hiker), then another section hiker who's name I didn't catch, and then the rest of us riff raff. The rest of us nuts that walked all the way from Georgia to see this sign. It was a moment.

Just as soon as it started, it was done. Well not really. I still had to walk the 5.2 miles back down the now even slippier trail. These were bonus miles to boot. I mean, I was already a thru-hiker at this point. I had finally captured the title, the experience, and the glory. Still had to walk down the treacherous path, though. To the real world.

The real world didn't come right away though. Capone, the section hiker that we met at the summit, later became the most generous trail angel I have ever met. Not only did he provide me and Trashcan with a ride to Portland. He treated us to a lobster dinner, a night at the Clarion in our own rooms, and breakfast the next morning before we got on our buses to Logan Airport. Unbelieveable really. Needless to say, nothing really sunk in at that point.

Maybe it hasn't yet. I chased this dream for a long time. All I know is, I walked all the white blazes from Georgia to Maine in 2011. For most of them, it was the second time, and for some of them it was the third. This year, I started from the beginning and I didn't skip a blaze. I am officially a thru-hiker, and that is the end of this chapter.

Caratunk, Maine

Leaving Andover, I expected to slackpack with Team Mofo, but it was pouring, so I thought I might zero. Later, I realized that that town is no place to zero and hightailed it out in the afternoon. I only did 7.4 to the Sawyer Brook Campsite where I ran into a trail crew run by "The New Guy" (GAME '08). Apparently, while I was looking for a site, one of the guys told him I was some black girl named Cayenne with tattoos, and he was like I gotta go see if there are two of these chicks out here. He soon found out I was the one he met in '08 and we had a little reunion before I did my chores and went to bed.

The next day, the trail was crowded with French Canadians. I keep forgetting I'm so close to Canada. First, I met a large group of girls while I was going down Moody Mountain. Later in the day, I pushed on from the shelter 'cause it was crawling with a large group of French speaking boys. Someone pooped in the water source at that shelter too. Could not believe it. I had to walk way upstream to get water and it was difficult. Pooped in the stream! Unbelieveable! The upside of this day was that on all the pretty exposed parts there were blueberries or huckleberries. Yummy. Wow, I just said yummy and pooped in the same paragraph. No time for editing out here, ya'll.  I camped a little past Bemis this day.

I hit Rangeley on the next day and was super happy. I decided to get my own room because I realized that I hadn't been alone in a room and away from dirty hiker boys since Virginia. VIRGINIA! The upside of this day was that the trail decided to mellow out a bit. Now Maine has alot of bog bridges. Me and the bog bridge are not friends, but on this day we did a little meadering around ponds and I like that.

After a zero in Rangeley, I took off pretty late and only made it to Poplar Ridge Lean To. I developed a pretty bad head cold the night before and was walking while blowing a snot rocket every 5 minutes (my mother will love this comment). The day was filled with spectacular views  from Saddleback. 360 degree gorgeous views. There is a ton of work but a ton of pay off on clear days.

I took Nyquil that night and had trouble getting up. Didn't get moving until close to 9, but made it to Crocker Cirque Campsite. The day was cloudy and overcast and there was some treacherous downhill but other than that not so bad. I camped with a lovely couple who were flip flopping, Freethinker and Firehawk. They were kind enough to share their fire with me.

Hiking into Stratton was made a bit difficult by my persistant cold, but it wasn't the worst terrain. The descent was long though. I was happy to run into some familiar faces in the town, and it was difficult not to zero the next day when I heard the weather was going to get bad. The problem was that the weather was going to be even worse the next day...

...and it was! I hiked out late after resupplying at a general store for the first time on the trail because my maildrop was not there. The weather was fine for the majority of my hike, but when I tried to leave Horn's Pond Lean To, the crazy loud thunder started. The bigelows are not small mountains, so I decided to turn around after a half mile and head back to the shelter because I was afraid of going farther up in a storm. That night, I found great company in section hiker Alder and caretaker John who gave me mint Oreos.

I finished the Bigelows in rain. Lots of it. I hiked in pouring rain for 17.5 miles. It was my soggiest day yet. I do not remember what I saw. I just walked. It was cold and wet, and I'm glad my cold hasn't gotten worse. In fact, I think its going away. That night, I made it to West Carry Pond Lean To where I ran into Grasshopper who I was happy to see. There was another thru-hiker there that decided to pee into a Gatorade bottle right in front of me in the middle of the night but I will not mention that person's name. Grossy.

Today, I hiked to Caratunk. The miles were fairly easy and flat, and I finally got to take the ferry across the Kennebec which is a big thru-hiker deal. It was all that I hoped for. Grasshopper and I went across together after signing the waiver and dawning the life jackets. We were guided by Hillbilly and when we got across the guy that retired after doing it for twenty years was there and handed me an AT pin and said, "Today you are queen of the AT." I was like, "Honey, are you kidding me? That's every day!"

Andover, MAINE!

Leaving Hanover was like leaving Vegas. A Dartmouth student invited us to a party on campus the night before, and even though I'm way to old for college parties, I went with 4 fellow hikers. Lets just say Ivy League kids don't mess around. We got back a little past 2:30am and fell in to our tents. At 5:30am, the campus police woke us up and made us leave. Apparently, we were supposed to be in the woods just 5 feet back and not on the field. Needless to say, I was not ready to start hiking. Because I had a maildrop to get to by Saturday afternoon, I hiked out. It was a rough one that was made even harder because the heat wave started on this day. 16 miles in a heat wave with 3 hours of sleep is super dooper fun. I was only one of three to make it out of town that morning.

Someone told me that the part of New Hampshire before the White Mountains is easy and flat. They are a liar and are lucky I can not recall who they are. The ups start right away. Luckily, I spent the next day slacking with Book Smarts courtesy of Blink, a former thru-hiker who runs a little seasonal hiker camp. The following day, I hiked the 10 miles to Glencliff, got my package in time, and was treated to some great trail magic. Prana (GAME06) and her family took a bunch of hikers in, let us swim in their pool, do laundry, and eat up a storm. Such luck. I actually met this woman on a section hike in 2006 and she happened to be driving by when Miss Janet was giving us a ride to the store, so we lucked out on the invite.

The morning meant Moosilauke. This is the first real New Hampshire mountain. The ascent is nice and gradual and the views are above treeline and beautiful. The day was gorgeous. The descent was our first taste of what the Whites have to offer. Steep and rocky. I was hiking with Book Smarts and Trauma and she took a spill going down the mountain that really shook her. That night we stayed at Chet's Place in Lincoln, a hostel run with donations and the settlement Chet received from a lawsuit with a camp stove manufacturer. Chet is a really neat guy and puts up with some serious busy nights as his place is where Northbounders and Southbounders colllide. The place stays packed for awhile.

The next day was a short one to Eliza Brook Shelter but definitely had me noticing how long miles take up here even when there are no climbs. Same goes for the next day. I ended up taking an unintentional zero when Book Smarts started having irregular heartbeats coming out of Franconia Notch. Both Trauma and I walked back down with him and escorted him to the Medical Clinic for tests. He was hoping his electrolytes were just low. Pretty scary business considering he's only 28.

The next morning, we lost a soldier for the cause when the doctor informed Book Smarts that his electrolytes were fine. Later we would learn he had Lyme Disease, but at the time there was a sad parting. He'll be getting back on the trail after some rest and a round of antibiotics.

I said hello to the nitty gritty of the Whites that day. The climbs take forever. I can not get over how low my mileage per hour has plummeted. Its all a bit dramatic because while you are sweating and groaning, you are surrounded by the most breathtaking scenery. I have never seen anything like these views, and I have never felt this sore before either. Had to pay 8 bucks for my mousetrap shelter that night. They're Gansters at the AMC.

I did work-for-stay at my first hut the next day. For those that are not in the know: The AMC has several huts that they charge people over 100 bucks to stay in a bunk and sleep with multiple people in the same room. Thru-hikers can neither afford nor plan to stay in these bunks that are booked well in advance. The AMC solution is to let the first few of us that arrive at their door begging- to sleep on the dining room floor and do some chores. Chores can range from cleaning the freezer to washing dishes. I washed dishes at Zealand Hut and was rewarded with leftovers and floor space. That night some scout leaders kept us thru-hikers up 'til 10:30pm while they played cards. 10:30 is like 1:30am in hiker time.

I did a huge White Mountain Day, 18.9 miles, on the next day. I'm not sure what possessed me but I can only say that the first 7 miles were uncharacteristically easy followed by 5 hard slippy rock up and down crazy miles and the last ones were gorgeous and gradual all of the way to Lake of the Clouds Hut. They tried to make us sleep in the dungeon that night for the bargain price of 10 bucks. At first, I was excited because it meant I got a bunk but then I went down and saw the place. It really is a dungeon. Drippy wet, cold, windy loud, and drain on the floor where Lord only knows what crawls out of there at night. No thank you. I slept upstairs on the dining room floor with the rest of 'em.

Mount Washington was like Disneyland the next morning. People were everywhere just meandering around. I almost had an anxiety attack walking behind the slowpokes going uphill. Luckily, as Badger later noted, they drop like flies while getting air and taking pictures. Washington was pretty anticlimactic but everything after was pretty spectacular. Exposed with 360 degree views on another clear day. But then things got harder and harder. Going down Madison means descending a giant rock pile only to descend another giant rock pile. Beautiful and treacherous. At what seems like the end of the descent, you go back in the treecover and descend some more. I was in some serious pain at the end of this 15 mile day and headed to White Mountain Lodging and Hostel. This is a new place run by the Somerville family and they are fantastic. Just what the doctor ordered.

After the last few rough days, I decided to go slower. I hiked just 13 miles to Imp Campsite. Just 13. They felt pretty hard and took me all day. The next day was a short one back to the hostel and follwed by a zero. I spent the day playing monopoly with Whoop, Badger, Spark, and Orange Blaze and enjoyed the break. Also, I was celebrating the end of the White Mountains.

Maine. 17 miles the next day brought me to Maine. I wasn't sure I could make it in a day but the first 10 were fairly easy then it got all treacherous Mainey on me but I was determined to get there at that point. Maine goes all kinds of hardcore the next day with the Mahoosic Notch. Its a little over a mile of boulder scrambling. It took me two hours to get through it and then followed that up with the Mahoosic Arm which is just rock face straight up a mountain. Thats all. That's all it is. This place makes me feel like a novice. I am humbled and tired and sore. I ended up paying a final 8 bucks to the gangsters at AMC that night to camp at Speck Pond.

So here I am in Andover. I'm staying at Pine Ellis Hostel and I was fortunate to jump in on a slackpack with Team Mofo, a group of older men, who know how to hike the trail in style. They took pity on me or were bamboozled by me. Depends how you want to look at it. Point is, I slack packed today and will slackpack tomorrow and am so grateful because after New Hampshire kicked my ass, Maine has come looking for a piece. So close yet so far away.

Hanover, NH

Yes, Betsy, I stayed at the Green Mountain Hostel, and it was great. Jeff still gives you a pint of Ben and Jerry's with each stay. It really is a treat in that neck of the woods considering that everything else is so spendy and he only charges 20 bucks for all the amenities.

Leaving Manchester Center, VT, I hiked with some buddies and met up with other buddies at the top of Bromley Mountain where there is a ski patrol shelter room which is rather swank for hiker digs. Darvey had slept there the night before and upon arriving we were greeted with his homeade sign that read, "Darvey's Hostile Inn." So many of us are overlapping on each other. Many of us met as far back as the Smokies. I finally saw Hazard again. He's one of my favorite kids on this trail. This end of the trip feels like a partial reunion most of the time. This turned out to be a perfect place for us all to hang out after a nero. The digs improved even more when Darvey discovered an alpine slide that led to a bar about a half mile down the hill. We had a blast at the Bromley Resort and then took a lift back up.

Here's the thing about the alpine slide. You shouldn't attempt to stop your slide by leaning into the fiberglass walls. If you do this you will take off quite a big chunk of skin. I know this because I have a skinless right knee. It looks like a bad skating accident, so I've been telling people I did it on the halfpipe.

The next day, brought crappy weather, but it doesn't change the fact that Vermont is BEAUTIFUL. I love it. There is some mud, but the pine forests and the lush green foliage make up for it all. We all ended up at Little Rock Pond Shelter that night, and I was so happy to be reunited with another member of Cayenne's Trail of Wayward boys: Maniac. These days the hiking crew has swollen and earned a new name: Terra Squad, coined by Drum Solo, a kid with swagger beyond his years.

I hiked into Rutland the next day, and bunked at the Back Home Again Hostel run by the 12 tribes. Now anyone that knows me, knows I'm fascinated by culty fringe religions and I love communes, so I ended up staying for 3 days. We did a slack pack between VT103 and Route 4 on one of the days and saw gorgeous views from Killington Mountain. We watched Harry Potter on the 3rd night and took up a whole row: Stanley Thermos, Hazard, Cayenne, Maniac, Trauma, Book Smarts, Darvey, and Drum Solo. Hiker Trash rolling deep. Drum bought a large popcorn and soda which we proceeded to pass down the row over and over again and then refill. Hee hee hee.

We finally walked out of Rutland and headed to the Lookout where there is a cabin that has a beautiful panoramic view from the top. It would have been perfect if it didn't storm that night and force everyone to huddle in a one area where there were actually shingles on the roof.

I've been waiting to tell ya'll this. Here comes my favorite update of the blog: I jumped off a bridge. Yeah! We hiked into West Hartford, VT and after a 19 mile day,  I jumped. The boys were so proud of me when I just went for it after Hazard. In the end, Hazard, Darvey, and I were the only ones with the guts to do it. It was invigorating. That night we tented in town at a very nice man's house.

Which brings me to Hanover, NEW HAMPSHIRE! Yes. This is the last real town for awhile so we're soaking it up. We arrived here yesterday and walked around like it was Halloween collecting all the free stuff they give thru-hikers. Free slice of pizza, free coffee, free beer, free snickers. I even finagled a free pair of shoes. Hanover is better than reported. Bring on the Whites!

Manchester Center, VT

After leaving Salisbury, we wanted to make sure we camped on the Massachusetts side that night. Connecticut forbids campfires, so we were looking forward to having a fire again. Grandpa, the older gent of our crew, was really excited as he likes a fire every night. Unfortunately, our campsite was not fire friendly, but at least we had another state down.

The next day was filled with beautiful views. Parts of the AT in Mass are really quite pretty. Race Mountain offers a half mile walk on an open and scenic rock ledge. That night we camped at a little place called Dolls and Dwellings where they sell interesting tchotchkes. Bum Knee, Darvey, Mean Gene, and I walked down the street from there to a BBQ joint where we tore up some grass fed burgers and I had fried kale chips. Oh yes, fried kale chips...but more on the hike.

It poured like crazy on the next day. We hiked for about 8 miles before we all decided to bounce on down to a hostel for the evening. Ray Jardine says that he can easily hike all day in the rain, and I want to be like him. I really do. But hiking in the rain sucks, no matter how ya look at it.

There was no sleeping in at this hostel. At 7:53am, the caretaker came in and asked for the pillow case I was sleeping on. Time to go. What we thought would be a leisurely exit turned kind of rapid. As we were walking the mile back to the trail, a man appeared next to his trampoline in front of his house. He said, "Enjoy your hike!" I said, "Can I jump on your trampoline?" Then he replied, "Yeah, and come in quick and I'll make you breakfast." No joke. The life of a thru-hiker. Let's just say that our mileage was reduced on this particular afternoon. We made it to Shaker Campsite that night.

We hiked to October Mountain Shelter the next day. Unfortunately, our spacing didn't set us up for Upper Goose Pond which is a nice cabin with bunks and a lake to canoe on. We did stop there. Grandpa was pulled in by the promise of coffee and pancakes in the morning, but the rest of us pushed on. That night, we met Newt, our first Southbounder, and she's a woman :)

We hiked into Dalton the next day where we asked about the Birdcage at the Shell Station and a man named Rob Bird drove over and piled us into his minivan. At his house/hostel, we took showers while Rob did our laundry and then drove us to the buffet and store. Hooray for stealth hostels.

Rob slackpacked us from Route 2 the next day, and we were all very happy to do those 23 miles over Greylock without our heavy packs. It had been so long since I slacked that I felt light as a feather and made great time even though we went up the harder way. Also, on this day, I passed the point of Cheshire where I got off last time.

We weren't able to get back on trail until late afternoon on the next day, but we were determined to make it past the state line and get to Vermont AND we did. Once we reached the border, the mud immediately appeared. This state is gorgeous but muddy, and they've had alot of rain, so my calves are a mess. But I'm in Vermont, ya'll. Yes.

Day 2 in VT, brought a little pain. Even though, I ran into Bennington to get a maildrop, I still did 23.3 miles. The terrain was fairly easy if you can deal with the mud, and I did ok with this part. I did, however, get my shoe stuck on a log which brought me straight down on the trail. I have never fallen like this. It was super scary, and I was very lucky that nothing was in the way of my face or other important places.

I spent much of the next day, waiting for the guys I've been hiking with. I had pulled ahead of them yesterday and wanted to reunite, but they were too far behind. I camped at Spruce Peak Shelter right before Manchester Center, VT, with some other friends last night.

Here I am in Vermont. I have never seen any of this part of the trail before. Bring it.

Salisbury, CT

I forgot to take my journal to the library, so I'm gonna try and wing this one. The boys are watching my pack at the grocery store.

I've been hanging with Bum Knee, Mean Gene, Darvey, and Grandpa for quite awhile now, and I've been really enjoying their company. It does get hard being the only woman sometimes, but I manage.

In Greenwood Lake, I had my first mad dash to the post office. I ran down the mountain and through the town and arrived 5 minutes before closing. I felt like I was on the Amazing Race. Bum Knee ran ahead to hold the door open in case I couldn't make it. Though I'm not sure the woman would have waited for me. Later, we went to Murphy's where we were treated like royalty. Free rounds and a man even gave each of us a 2 dollar bill for luck.

I was not a huge fan of New York the first time that I hiked it, and I can't say that much has changed. I'm just as confused about the routing of the trail in this area as I was last time. They take you over every silly rock outcrop, but for no recognizeable reason. All fun and games without a pack. We, however, are packing. At least the 100 mile deli made up for it. I've eaten so very many sandwiches in the last couple of weeks.

I am gross and disgusting. I have stains all over my shirt. There is a hole in the ass of my skirt. I have strange bumps on my thighs, and I live with a thick layer of dirt on my calves pretty much at all times. Luckily, I am still having a blast.

I wish I had more time and could continue to give the daily play by play, but that luxury seems to have gone the way of the Dodo. I'm getting closer and closer to the point I got off last time, and I have serious butterflies. I can't wait to see new trail.

Vernon, NJ

I was somewhat apprehensive about leaving Duncannon. I've been so lucky with falling in to great groups that I feared my luck might run out. It turns out that there was no need to worry. As I rounded the corner to the Quik Mart ,which is right on the trail, I ran into Bum Knee, Mean Gene, and Grandpa. I'm a lucky girl.

I hiked out of town with these guys and I've been hanging with them ever since. The first night we hit Peter's Mt. Shelter and the second I spent at Rausch Gap Shelter. On the third evening, I did my first Marathon Day, 26.4 miles, and a little night hiking to a campsite where Bum Knee and Mean Gene had already started a fire. Some of you may remember that the rocks begin to show up around here, so this was not without its challenges.

Headed into Port Clinton the next day. That descent is still as treacherous as it always was. My new crew and I were reunited with some old friends while in PC. I was very happy to see Darvey again, so we all celebrated with a double zero and spent the second day lounging around the pavillion.

We managed to leave town eventually and did 22.3 miles to Allentown Hiking Club Shelter, after ordering food at the Eckville Shelter that took a millenium to come. The caretaker was about a 6pack in when I asked him if everyone was allowed to drink there. He replied, "I can drink you under the table." I took that as a yes, but we hiked out before we could confirm.

The next day brought us to Palmerton. This was my first visit to this town as I stayed in Slatington 3 years ago. I wish I had visited Palmerton earlier. The people were so friendly. We stayed in the jailhouse hostel which is really just a government building that they let hikers bunk downstairs in. My bud, Bum Knee, had to watch the door while I showered as it was something straight out of the HBO series, OZ. Really a once in a lifetime experience. They give you a free apple at the grocery store. For real. Any apple you choose as long as you're a thru-hiker. That's what I call hospitality. Palmerton wins best PA town for sure and is in the running for top five of the trail.

After doing laundry in the morning, I hiked out with Darvey. We got a ride back to the trail from a guy in a convertable. Climbing out of the gap was really fun. It was a beautiful day and I really enjoyed climbing the rocks. I know that sounds crazy but I really like this spot. The views are fantastic. Sometime after summiting the climb, I ran into Mean Gene and Bum Knee who were picking huckleberries. The first berries of the year. We spent a good 45 minutes picking and eating. That night we stayed at Leroy A. Smith Shelter.

We hiked into Delaware Water Gap the next day and stayed at the Church of the Mountain Hostel. The following day we were all convinced to zero because the weekly church hiker feed was not to be missed, and we're not ones to turn down free food.. I had a great zero in the DWG. I spent most of the day walking around with Mean Gene and Giggle. I found a straw cowboy hat in the clearance bin at the outfitter and I've been sporting it ever since.

We eventually left DWG, but not before I purchased new trail runners. They are bright red and Bum Knee calls them my ruby slippers.  That day we got stormed on and ended up at the Mohican Outdoor Center. Bunks for 31 bucks which is not exactly a deal but its run by the AMC (Appalachian Money Club), and I've never been under the impression that they are too keen on thru-hikers. The don't even have a sign at the gravel road that leads there from the trail. At least we had a dry place to sleep.

20.9 miles to Gren Anderson Shelter the next day but not before stopping at Gyps. Quick shout out to the Bulls, and Thinker (all GAME '08) who Tailgate and I have fond memories of sharing some food and beer there with a few years ago. Gyps hasn't changed much. I sorta had to convince the boys not to start a bar fight though. They get worked up sometimes.

Yesterday we hiked into Unionville where the mayor no longer runs a hostel. We stealth camped behind the clerks office and were all woken up at 2 am when the drunken youth of the town decided to come and play basketball right next to us. Bartless said it was a scene straight outta American History X.

I'm writing this from St. Thomas' Episcopal Church Hostel. Thank goodness for the kindess from the churches of all denominations along the trail. We really are lucky that so many of them reach out and give shelter and so much more to us grubby travelers. Today was hot and not so tree covered. Glad to be here.

Duncannon, PA

Leaving Harpers Ferry took a bit longer than expected as I was having so much fun hanging out with Buffalo, Moosehead, and German Shepherd, and then I finally met Porter and Pace who insisted we all go back to the bar so that they could buy a round. Porter is 47 and Pace is 40. Pace gets his trailname from the pacemaker that regulates his heart and also requires him to run past the power lines we cross so frequently. These guys like to hike very long days. They think nothing of knocking out 35+ miles in a day. This is more extraordinary when considering that they drink wine and beer like its their primary form of hydration.

After it was clear that we had all doddled so long in town, we decided to call it an official zero and share a room at the Comfort Suites. Porter and Pace convinced Buffalo to do the 4 state challenge with them in the morning. This involved them getting up at three in the morning the next day and hiking 43 miles starting in VA and crossing through WV, MD, and finally PA.. The rest of us said, "No, thank you." We'll do it in 2 days.

The first day out we hiked 22 miles to the Dogpatch Tavern. I visited this biker bar in '08 and knew I had to return. Turns out the place is just as fun as it ever was. The bikers love the hikers. I don't care what anyone says. They even bought us a round, and we had the most fantastic pit ham sandwich and fried pickles. I'm still thinking about that sandwich. The owner let us tent behind the bar, and we called it a day.

The following day, I was determined to get to PA. The terrain in the southern section of PA is fairly easy, so larger days are not very difficult. Unfortunately, the views are less impressive. Moosehead, German Shepherd, and I met up with Buffalo just on the other side of the Mason Dixon Line. Buffalo had pizza delivered at the road and had a few slices left for the rest of us. This was the best pizza on the trail to date.

I got up early because Marie's parents, Mike and Pat, planned to meet me at Caledonia State Park and treat me to dinner. I made it there by 3:15 pm, and they drove me to the Lincoln Diner in Gettysburg. Apparently, the restaurant has changed quite a bit since the last time Mike ate there, but we had a good time. Before they dropped me off back at the trail, we bought a case of beer and I carried the entire thing in my pack uphill to the Quarry Gap Shelter. Now this is totally illegal, and I'm not advocating anyone do this, but there were about 10 people that were really happy I hauled it up there to celebrate our half way victory. Everyone responsibly packed out their cans.

We hiked into Pine Grove Furnace the following day where several people did the Half Gallon Challenge. This is when you eat a a whole half gallon of ice cream in one sitting. It is a very popular milestone for people. I celebrated by eating 2 breakfast sandwiches and some fries. A half gallon is too much dairy for me.

Beacause I planned to meet my friend, Pele (GAME '04), in Duncannon on Saturday, I knew I could take it easy. The next day, I hung out with Portrait, Buffalo, German Shepherd, and Lemur by the lake. While the boys were swimming they met, Tammy, a woman that invited us to her house/cabin. Perfect timing. We jumped at the chance and were able to hang out and BBQ thanks to our new friend.

At some point, Portrait and Buffalo decided that they wanted to change up their theme for the second half of the trail. Buffalo started the trail on 3/28 and Portrait on 4/1. Up to this point, they had moved pretty quickly and taken little to no zeroes. They are now on the Buffa-slo train which not only involves them doing less miles but they are also going to aquire or make camp chairs and purchase a boom box. They plan on enjoying the second half in style. I have been having a lot of fun with those two.

After Tammy's we hiked to a campsite near Alec Kennedy Shelter. That day, we met the PA ridgerunner, Ghetto Sheep. She was really fun and agreed to hike out to Pole Steeple with us and share some brownies that Portrait made at Tammy's. Pole Steeple is a decent view and sort of looks like PA's answer to McAfee Knob.

The next day will go down as one of the most fun days I have ever had hiking the AT, but I will say only that it involved The Cumberland Valley Challenge. Details of the events of this day will only be revealed in person and to those who will not be sorely disppointed in my lack of judgement.

After surviving the CVC, I hiked into Duncannon early to get to the post office before it closed. I then hung out at the Doyle for an hour or so, and I'm writing this from Pele's house in the town of Loysville where I'm enjoying the hospitality of an old friend who introduced me to this crazy thing we call thru-hiking.

Harpers Ferry, WV

I took forever getting out of town. A walk to the post office, some time at an internet cafe, and then a stop at the Chinese Buffet. Girl's gotta eat.

It's getting hot out here ya'll. The hike out was very easy and pretty. So nice that things are pretty green now. I camped at Manassas Gap Shelter and met some fasties: Portrait and River Rat. Nice guys. We all tented and left the shelter to the mice.

Next day brought another hot one. I was Sweaty Betty all the way to Bear's Den. The roller coaster, "a series of tightly packed ups and downs for 13.5 miles, " starts about 10 miles before this hostel. I was super glad to break it up. This was the second time I've done this section and both times were in high heat and humidity.

Got up early the next day to do the 20 into Harpers Ferry. This section looks easier on paper, but has quite a few rocks. I took only a small break and made it to the Appalachian Trail Conservancy Headquarters at 3:15pm where I received the number 207. I am the 207th thru-hiker to check in. Almost made the 100's.

Front Royal, VA

After taking 5 zeroes (4 for the wedding and 1 for the hiker bug), I traveled back to Reeds Gap and walked to Waynesboro. The 19 miles was fairly easy because Marie had my pack at a hotel in town, so I got to slack pack for one more day. It rained on and off throughout the late afternoon, and when I got to town, I learned it was going to do a lot more than that on the following day. Geez, call me soft, but I took another zero. I was glad I did because it stormed all the next day. In fact, the weather had been terrible during the entire time I was off. Great timing for me!

With improved weather, I started into the Shenendoah National Park the next day. Spaceman and Rocket, a couple I met earlier in my hike, arranged a ride with a trail angel and let me tag along. I hiked with them for a good part of the day. This time of year, there are a ton of section and day hikers in the park, so we ran into our fair share. It can be strange because they often want to stop and chat, and I often feel obligated to let them know the big 3 answers: California/Pittsburgh, March 10th on the Approach, and Maine. Yes, all the way to Maine, baby!

The first day in the park, I decided to push on past the shelter at 20 miles because Spaceman and Rocket were camping ahead as well. Also, the bugs at that particular hut, as they call them in the SNP, were very bad. My friend, Pele (GAME '04) who introduced me to long distance hiking 5 years ago, thinks that bugs are my biggest enemy on the trail. She thinks they are the real reason I've gotten off in the past. She'll be glad to know that I'm still hiking even though they are in full blood-sucking effect. Turns out, pushing on was a great idea. Red Rider who is slack packing Indiana Jones through the park, offered us a ride back to the Grace Lutheran Hostel where they were having free spaghetti dinner. He said he would drive us back in the morning, so I hopped in the car. Yeah! The dinner was great and the cheescake made by one of the older parishoners was FANTASTIC!

On the way back to the trail in the morning, a bobcat ran across Skyland Drive in front of us. When it got to the other side it stopped turned back and looked at us. It was a good start to the day. The weather remained nice with only a little sprinkling. I hiked most of the day with Indian Jones. The AT has turned into Cayenne's Trail of Wayward Boys because not a few days go by that I don't spend at least half a day listening to the life story of a twenty-something boy. Its really very sweet. I feel like big sister.

At Hightop Hut that night, I found a decent tent site even though it was pretty packed. As I was making dinner, I discovered that I was sharing the space with the Fatpackers. I just read an article in Backpacker Magazine about this guy that takes people on hikes to help them lose weight, and here he was sitting next to me at the picnic table. Apparently, he charges each of them $1700 to go hiking through the SNP. This does not include airfare. Could not believe it. I gotta get into that racket.

I spent the next day hiking by myself. It was a nice change. I wish I could say that the sights were amazing but I find the park to be just so-so. It is not my favorite part of Virginia. It is, however, a favorite tourist spot for many. I know this because the waysides are full non-hiking visitors. The park has many waysides and restaurants that serve food, so one can imagine that this is why some thru-hikers have fond memories of the place. On this day, I had dinner at the tavern at Big Meadows. I'm used to people staring at me, but they were really looking at me like an alien that day. I was the only sweaty hiker in there at the moment. Didn't stop me from eating a giant plate of nachos and an order of fries. Not it did not. That night, I hiked on to the campground and found some fellow thru-hikers to share a tent site with.

I woke up a little later the next morning. I had a breakfast of probars with Hansel and Gretel, the brother/sister team that let me share a site with them. While we were eating our trail food, the neighbors at the campground were making bacon. Torture. Is this becoming a food blog? Also, campgrounds are so noisy. People were up so late. Like 11pm. I had to listen to a couple who were about my age ask each other over and over again about the status of their son's bowels. "Did he poop yet, honey?" "Do you know, did he poop?" Jeesh.

The Skyland Resort was calling me that day, and I arrived just in time for lunch. When I got there, I ran into so many guys that I had met before: Disco, 6 string, Bean Pole, Dayman, and Mean Gene. It was really nice to see them all again. I was afraid that I'd be meeting only new people. After lunch, I hiked on to Pass Mountain Hut where Evergreen and Bum Knee were already set up for the evening. Even more friends I already knew. I assumed they all went to trail days, but none of them had. They just had a more relaxed schedule.

The next night, I camped with some of these boys at Compton Spring. Disco and 6 string played a little music and we enjoyed the evening until late night when it stormed and stormed. The rain was pretty heavy, it actually bounced into my tent a bit, but I stayed dry enough, and the next day I found myself in Front Royal where I did the hiker ghetto dry-athon where you string all your wet stuff all over the place to let it air out. So classy.

All right ya'll. Next time you hear from me, I'll be past 1,000 miles.

Reeds Gap (near Waynesboro, VA)

I left town late with Shoofly and Nero, but only scheduled 11.3 miles to Wilson Creek Shelter. The leaves are finally here, so the scenery is changing a bit. We've been hiking without them for two months, so I'm actually looking forward to the long green tunnel.

This part of the AT in Virginia has some longer climbs. It is true that there is a great deal of ridge walking in VA, but there are also days where you go uphill for miles.We slowed down a bit here because of a planned meeting with Vachon (AT '08) and his wife Mary Lynn who have invited me to slack pack when we get near their house. Like a typical thru-hiker, I had to bring along a couple of extras, so I invited Shoofly and Nero to come along.

We hiked to Middle Creek Campground and stayed the night with Maniac. Its unfortunate that this campground is more than a mile off the trail because its a fun little stop and they make burgers and fries. We were able to get a ride from Steve in his pick-up. He came around the corner at the perfect time and left us each with a beer.

The following day, I saw my first rattlesnake of this hike and ran into some folks I hadn't seen for a bit. We cross the Blue Ridge Parkway pretty regularly since leaving Daleville. At the shelter that night, we met John Hastey who drove up the BRP and brought in dinner! He made us all eggs, sausage, and pancakes. His trail name is "Angle" because of a misspelling on a thank you card he received.

We headed out later on the next day because we were only going to the James River to meet Mary Lynn.  This day was beautiful, and this little section before the river is really nice and fairly easy walking. We met section hikers Gerda and Papa Doc. They get to the shelter at 2pm and set up for the night. We were pretty amazed by this because we usually eat lunch around that time. We got to the shelter early and decided to cook dinners for lunch because we had extra food. We hung out for a bit and tried to stay dry once the showers started but we got a little wet when we finally left for the bridge.

Mary Lynn greeted us with hugs and ice cream at the James River and so began 5 days of incredible Southern Hospitality. We went back to Casa Lipscomb and had venison roast for dinner. Yum. We decided to zero the next day and we helped our hosts plant potatoes and corn, saw a movie, and went to lunch. Oh the luxury.

We had to get back to work after the day off, and we slackpacked 22.5 miles on the first day of the great slack-pack-athon, and 25.1 the next day. On the third day, I got very sick, but hiked anyway and it will now be known as my worst day on the trail ever. I was nauseous the whole time but luckily made it. I had to take the next day off.

I am writing this from Marie's parents house where I have been for the last few days attending the wedding events for her brother, Pete and his new wife Leah. Last night was super fun, margarita filled, and lots of dancing. Its gonna be hard to get back on the trail, but I've got miles to go...

 

Daleville, VA

I wish I had the time to give you every little detail since I last posted but unfortunately I do not. Actually, I also don't have the inclination. The truth is, sometimes I'm just walking and thinking and nothing of great import happens. Hard to believe but true. Here are my stats since leaving Damascus:

Damascus to Lost Shelter (16.0)
Lost Shelter to Wise Shelter (17.3)
Wise Shelter to Trimpi Shelter (20.0)
Trimpi Shelter to Chatfield Shelter (17.7)
Chatfield Shelter to Atkins, VA (4.3)
Atkins to Knot Maul (14.1)
Knot Maul Shelter to Jenkins Shelter (19.0)
Jenkins Shelter to Jenny Knob Shelter (23.8)
Jenny Knob Shelter to Woodshole Hostel (20.0)
Woodshole Hostel to Pearisburg, VA (10.0)
Pearisburg, VA to "The Captains" (20.4)
"The Captains" to Laurel Creek Shelter (17.3)
Laurel Creek Shelter to Pickle Branch Shelter (22.5)
Pickle Branch Shelter to Catawba, VA (12.5)
Catawba, VA to Daleville, VA (19.8)

Some of the highlights:

The first day of the Grayson Highlands was gorgeous. Though, the ponies seemed intent on staying on the horse trail rather than the AT. There were a lot of dayhikers down there.

I met Valkore, a country boy, famous for killing, skinning, seasoning, and cooking a rabbit at one of the shelters. Apparently, he shares. I wish he would have caught one on the two times I stayed with him. Yes, he is named after the puppy dragon in the Never Ending Story. Yes, he knows that his name is spelled wrong.

I had a week of trail magic fantastico. This included a guy named Freak, hiking 2 hot pizzas and a cooler full of drinks to Jenkins Shelter, ATOM (Appalachian Trail Outreach Ministry) feeding us in one of their church basements, a Budlight Lime after a slack pack, and homeade PB&J sandwiches. People are so nice to us sometimes that you'd swear we weren't just a bunch of dirty folks walking around in the woods.

Almost saw a tornado in Pearisburg, VA. Sirens, warnings, everything.

Caught up with my buddies, Nero & Shoofly, and have been having a ball with them and the giant crowd they usually roll with.

Took a zipline across a roaring stream to "The Captains" where we camped and I got to watch Swamp People on his couch.

All in all:

I have had better weather than you might imagine. Here and there, we have had some touchy situations on balds or exposed ridgelines, but I can not complain.

I'm feeling pretty good, and I'm handling problems (like snapping one of my trekking poles in half) alot better than I have in the past..

I feel very fortunate to be out here again :)

Damascus, VA

Leaving Erwin was fairly easy because I knew Tailgate was visiting in a couple of days. The weather was supposed to get stormy but that first day I stayed at Cherry Gap Shelter and the thunder didn't start until 2:30am. It did kick in toward the end of my hike, on the following day, while on a semi-exposed, rocky ridgeline. We must deal with these moments.

Tailgate was waiting at Hughes Gap with homeade brownies, soda, and beer. When I arrived with my buddies Nero and Shoefly, she sweetly offered to have them join us at the cabin. We dined on fish tacos, avocado salad (with Cilantro!) and wine. Nice.

The following day, I had the genius idea for a slackpack over Roan Mountain. Tailgate drove to the other side and we didn't have to carry our packs over a mountain that I was not looking forward to summiting a third time. It proved much more enjoyable without the pack and the first mile of the ascent has been rerouted, so it is much easier now. After more trail magic with more thru-hiker buddies, including Easy Does It (GAME '08), Tailgate and I headed back to the cabin.

We spent my next zero day watching not one but two movies at the local cinema in Johnson City! It was a beautiful day spent in doors. Though, I was happy to be spoiled by the comforts of home, I was not looking forward to the following day's forecast.

Which brings me to my ascent of the many balds after Roan Mountain. This section is gorgeous and one that many former thru-hikers often come back to and hike again. On this day, they were a chore. Any long-distance hiker knows the feeling of total trepidation when hiking exposed land on a stormy day. It was a very Eastern European looking day. However, there was no thunder and lightning. I spent the day frightened that there would be but it held off, thankfully. The highlight of the day was running into my friend Raspberry that I met on day one. I was afraid I wouldn't see too many familiar faces.

That evening, I made it to Mountain Harbour Hostel. I planned to hike to 19E and was not going to camp by that road, so I trekked to the hostel. It really lived up to its reputation. Mary does indeed make the best breakfast I have ever had on the AT. I can't believe I never stopped there before. The hostel sits above a barn that houses goats and horses. Love it there!

I thought about hostel hopping and hiking the full 24 miles to Kincora but I had a pleasant day hiking with Raspberry and we both sheltered at Moreland Gap just 6 miles from Dennis Cove Rd. That night, I heard serious animal sounds and tried to wake Raspberry but he just snored through them while I clutched my pepper spray and stared straight ahead. Eventually, I passed out and woke up in the morning with the spray still in my hand.

Hiking into Kinora is always a pleasure and when I saw Bob Peoples he remembered exactly the last time he saw me. He still calls me Diane rather than Cayenne but I don't care 'casue I loves me some Bob Peoples. For everyone that knows and loves Bob: He is doing great! He looks great and seems as happy as ever. Apparently, after Pat passed, he decided that you have to go out and do it all NOW while you can. He's thru-hiked the Camino Trail in Spain and plans to work on the IAT this year.

I was the last to leave the next day, but caught up with Raspberry by the time we got to the lake. By the way, I don't like Pond Flats. Never did really. Where is the top of that thing? Razz and I made it to Vandeventer Shelter before the wind got too bad and spent a very chilly night stuffed in a shelter with a ton of people who reeked of cigarette smoke. So happy that I kicked that habit.

The next day, we hiked 22.4 miles to Abingdon Gap Shelter and the day after it took 10 lightly dusted in snow covered miles to get into Damascus. Ah...I love the descent into this town. You float.

That's all for now except I'm sorry to report that I will not be doing the creeper trail this year as I am shooting for my 2,000 milers status and this means that I have to do the less fun section right out of town as I have never done it before.  Oh well. Techinically, I have hiked well over 2,000 miles on the AT, but you get 2,000 miler status when you hike the entire white-blazed sections of the trail. This does not include the gloriously flat Virginia Creeper Trail which is beautiful. No it does not.

Erwin, TN

My zero day at Elmer's Sunnybank Inn was just what I needed. Staying at this hostel is always such a treat for me. The old house has an extensive library, a nice garden, and an old guy that tells it like it is. It sort of reminds me of Twin Oaks in the good old days (meaning my good old days at TO). Elmer and other former thru-hikers provide organic, veggie meals two times a day. I ate there three times, and I didn't even miss the meat. Although, I did have an appetizer of turkey jerky before my last dinner there.

I had high hopes of taking off early the next day. I woke up at 7am, got breakfast at the diner, and then found myself back on the trail at 10:47 am. Not sure where all the time went. Its hard to leave Hot Springs. I wanted to do a 20 mile day, but ended up at 16.7 miles which led me down a back road to Hemlock Hollow Hostel. All my loved ones are gonna be so mad when they read that I was trotting down a Tennessee back road by myself and at the end of the day. I wasn't too thrilled about it either.

At Hemlock, I ran into Lightning who had an allergic reaction to MSG and found herself dry heaving on the trail, earlier that day. She had been sleeping it off in the bunkhouse and hadn't noticed the intense wasp infestation until I woke her up when I arrived. As I prepared my dinner, more and more wasps joined the party. Eventually, we had to alert the owners and were moved to a small cabin where we shared a double bed. Close quarters when you don't know someone, but we sleep closer together in shelters, so it was not such a big deal for hikers.

Next day, Lightning asked me to join her on a 18.8 mile slackpack that she set up. As it was her treat, I couldn't say no. A slackpack is when you carry only the supplies needed for the day (water and snacks or lunch) and are usually shuttled ahead on the trail and walk back to the place you are staying. This particular slackpack took longer than expected because we ran into 25 thru-hikers while hiking South and stopped to chat with all of them. On a typical North bound day, I would have seen maybe 5 of those folks. It was kind of neat to have that perspective for a day, and the weather was fantastic until the thunderstorms started during the last few miles.

That night, there was a pretty big storm, and we woke up to more rain which turned to snow. It was a slow going morning and it seemed like Lightning was wavering about getting back on the trail. She thru-hiked last year and is only sectioning this year, so she can do what she likes. I do not have that luxury. Eventually, she decided to get a ride into Erwin after they dropped me back at Devils Fork Gap.

I headed uphill that day with a late start and it got colder and more snow covered as I climbed. I put on more clothes which is rare when you are mostly going uphill. I was happy to run into Hazard early in the day and we hiked together until we got to Sam's Gap where Quiet Paul (GAME '07) was making breakfast for thru-hikers under an overpass. He made us huge sausage links, hashbrowns made from real potatoes, and scrambled eggs from actual chickens. Paul didn't talk much and may have ignored 3 to 5 of my questions but I didn't care because afternoon breakfast was fantastic.

Good thing we were warmed by the food because the rest of the day brought intense winds on top of Big Bald. The views were tremendous but there was no time to dally as I was nearly knocked over twice. Everyone I ran into that day decided to stay at Bald Mountain Shelter, but I wanted to push on and have less miles into Erwin. I also wanted to go a few more miles and drop the 1200 ft to get warmer. In the shelter register, Caboose and Upstate said that they were camping a few miles North, so I hoped to run into them. Unfortunately, when I got to the campsite no one was there. I thought about pushing on but I knew the next site was near a larger road (19w), so I decided to camp alone. This was my first time tenting by myself...ever. It was a big step for me. Luckily I got cell service so Marie/Tailgate talked to me for a couple of hours before I fell asleep that night. I was very proud of myself.

I got up at 6am the next morning, was hiking by 7:25am, and made it to Erwin around 1:30pm. I don't know if any of you remember, but you see Erwin a long time before you make it to the town. Long time. There's that Nolichucky again. I had a little knee trouble on the way down but it seems fine now. I have to wait for a package, so I'll be taking an unplanned zero. I wanted to hike out because I plan to take two zeros when Tailgate visits this weekend, but at least another day off will be good for my knee.

Until the next Southern Library.

Hot Springs, NC

It turns out that the climb out of NOC is just as difficult as it ever was. I remember when I told Sweet Potato (GAME08) that the descent in was bad and she couldn't believe I never warned her about the climb out. It does, indeed, take forever. I hiked it in solitude and after finally summiting Cheoh Bald, I worried that I might turn down the wrong trail. The Bartram Trail, according to the guide, connects but doesn't overlap with the AT. If you've been following along, you'll remember that I had an unfortunate detour on Wesser, so I was a little paranoid. Luckily, Man Cub came along. He is a fellow thru-hiker who named himself based on the Jungle Book character and his quest to spend time in nature while having a Call of the Wild/ Kerouac experience. We decided the correct route together (which did involve an overlapping of trails), and I spent a pleasant and interesting rest of the day chatting and hiking with him. I stayed at a Stecoah Gap that night at a place called Cabin in the Woods run by Phil and his wife that I did not meet. Their hostel wasn't ready yet, so they let me stay in a beautiful cabin for a a very reduced thru-hiker rate. I felt like I won the lottery when it stormed something fierce that evening.

The next day was spent hiking into Fontana Dam. Some of you may remember how you can see the water/dam forever before you get there. As this is the earliest I've hiked on the AT, this experience was exaggerated by lack of leaf cover. That evening I had dinner with Walking Man and Jim, two men I met previously at different times. Walking Man is a 68 year old former thru-hiker headed to PA, and Jim is a mid-forties stay-at-home Dad. I felt like a whippersnapper.

After breakfast at the lodge the next day, I pushed on into the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. In '08, they wouldn't let us cross the Fontana Dam, so I was pleased that it was open this year. Two rangers greeted me at the entrance where I was trying to take a photo of myself by the sign. The larger one offered to take the shot and then asked for my permit. As I reached into my pack, he asked, "Do you have any firearms?" Of course, I replied, "Only these big guns, officers," as I kissed my biceps. Just kidding, but we did get far more attention from the rangers at the entrance this year. I made it to Russel Field Shelter that night and it was a clear day.

It stormed all night, and I walked in a moist cloud the entire next day. The 16.4 miles to Double Spring Gap Shelter were filled with what I think are the most ups and downs of the smokies. I found myself in a perfect shelter-riding pocket. There was a large group ahead but my shelters were not packed at all. For those of you that are not experieced AT folk, I should note that in the Smokies, you are required to stay at a shelter every night. Thru-hikers are allowed to tent at the shelter sites only when the shelter is full.

The next day was a race to Newfound Gap and Gatlinburg! More hiking in a cloud. No views from Clingman's Dome, the highest point on the AT. I went up there anyway to get photos of me and my lack of views. I had been hiking the same pace through the first half of the Smokies with Sky and Jim. We all leapfrogged each other. On this day, Sky and I hiked the second half of the day together in order to get a good hitch into Gatlinburg. Little did we know that as soon as we shot out into civilzation, Godspeed (GAME '05) would walk right up to us and ask, "Are you going to Gatlinburg?" We would say, "YES!" Then he would say, "I'll be your ride." TRAIL MAGIC at its finest. Gatlinburg is 15 miles from the gap, so we were super excited and Godspeed and his wife, Mountain Mama had soda and snacks. I celebrated by zeroing in town the next day.

I left "Southern Vegas," finally, but only after an all-you-can-eat breakfast at Shoney's. Yes, the bacon is all you can eat too. I'm sure you were wondering. The news reported rain but I got nothing but clear skies and fantastic views from Charlies Bunion. I ran into a man named Tabasco for the second time. I note this only because I find it interesting that the man carries what appears to be two large duffel bags across his front in addition to his very large pack on his back, and this isn't even his first day at the races. That night, I camped at Tri-Corner Knob Shelter with Yak & Stich, a very charming, Southern husband & wife team, Zippers and Stretch, lovely couple who work in Yellowstone, Hazard, a young, vibrant college student, and Steadfast.

I did the 18.2 to Standing Bear Farm the following day. It had rained all night, but the day was fairly clear. I spent part of the day in conversation with Hazard which was very pleasant. We made great timing into the hostel and I enjoyed a giant mixing bowl full of black beans, fritos, cheese, and hot sauce. Curtis, owner of Standing Bear, looked at the bowl and asked me if I was baking a pie. Listen folks, I'M HUNGRY.

When I asked Curtis what the weather people were predicting, he said 30 percent chance of rain. He neglected to say 100 percent chance of biblical. Later that night, Stretch would say he must have meant 90 percent chance of sleet and snow. That is what we got. When I summited Max Patch, I experienced diagonal sleet pelting me in my face. I had to hold my hand up to protect it.  You know those blazed posts that they put on balds that seem gratuitous on a nice day? I only allowed myself to look up to find the next one. On this day, there weren't enough of them. That night, I slept in Roaring Fork Shelter with Hummingbird, White Owl, Hazard, Sherpa, Zippers, and Stretch. We were practically spooning like Civil War reenactors.

This brings me to Hot Springs. Almost 18 miles in two inches of snow to get here yesterday. Just in case, you don't think two inches of snow is very much, hold off on the thought until next time you disbelievingly wake up to it in the middle of the woods, and then have to climb a couple of mountains before you descend into town. Then get back to me on that one.

Truth be told, I'm having a blast :) Thanks for reading, ya'll.

The NOC (Nantahala Outdoor Center)

My first day out of Unicoi, the weather was a bit nippy but perfect for climbing. This was a good thing because I did Kelly Knob on this day, and that mountain is queen of the fakey tops. It goes on and on. I ended the day tenting at Deep Gap Shelter with two groups of section hikers who were all very pleasant.

Second day out had me starting a little later. I hiked out of the shelter at 8:30. This was due mostly to how cold I was the night before. Luckily, someone left a bag full of individually wrapped brownies and cookies at Dick's Creek Gap. I took a brownie. Then I fretted over whether I should eat baked goods with no name attached that were left at a gap. I'm not used to unsigned trail magic. Then I sat down, broke the brownie in half, and I smelled it. These actions led to me compulsively shoving it in my mouth, gobbling it down, and continuing to fret only about the fact that I didn't have another.

I moved along pretty well on the second day until near Bly Gap and the state line. Goodbye Georgia. I was having various pains at this point but it appeared that no hikers were camping there, so I pushed on and up the next two hills which are completely lacking switchbacks. Actually, they give ya one at the very top. So sweet of North Cackalacka! I ended the day tenting at Muskrat Creek Shelter with Ron and Currahee who are senior thru-hikers and Holly and her dog Dori who are section hikers. I was glad to camp with thru-hikers but I knew that this may be the last time I camp with these guys as they had a more relaxed hiking agenda.

Next day out, the weather continued to be pleasant. Perfect almost. The terrain was great, and I had less pain. I leap-frogged with some hikers from North Carolina, and I camped at Carter Gap Shelter again with mostly section hikers. I tented right near Walking Man, a former thru-hiker in his 60's who's trekking to Pennsylvania this time. I love the retired people out here. So many of them are kicking the butts of not only people like me but even the youngins out here. At this point, I started getting lonely for more thru-hikers. I was wondering where the heck they all were.

Fourth day out of Unicoi, the weather was beautiful...AGAIN. Couldn't believe it. The terrain was very pleasant on this day with many rhododendron tunnels that, of course, aren't blooming yet but are very nice to hike through. This day did include a serious climb up Albert Mountain. The last part of this climb looks more like the rocky ones you find up North. I am happy to report that I enjoyed it. The views from the top tower were spectacular. I had planned to stay at Rock Gap Shelter but I arrived early and it was deserted, near a road, and lacked tenting. I pushed on, but I wasn't sure I could make it to the next shelter which would put me at 19 miles. I was hoping to find people to camp with before then, and luckily I ran into 3 guys from Ohio State who let me tent near them at Panther Gap which was just a couple miles from the next shelter.  I was glad to meet new people, yet again, but I was still yearning to hike with people going thru.

Next day, you won't believe it, great weather. This has to be a record for me. I just kept waiting for it to rain and it didn't. I woke up early and started hiking at 7:30 am but second guessed myself because I started heading downhill when I was expecting to go immediately up. I walked about a quarter mile back and tried to ask the Ohio State boys but they weren't awake yet. I finally just decided on the direction that I originally chose but this was foreshadowing for what became one of the craziest mistake filled days I have ever had on the AT.

As the day went on, I came across 3 thru-hikers at different times: Crankdaddy, Rambler, and Charlie Brown. They all seemed cool and they were all pushing on to Wesser Bald Shelter. I decided that even though it would be near 20 miles for me that I had to camp with these guys, so I got to stepping. I was making great time, and when I got to Wesser Tower, it looked like I was on track to complete the 19.6 miles by 5:40 pm. This would give me plenty of daylight to make camp. It sure would have. I felt great and accomplished once I got to the top of the tower and I took some beautiful panoramic shots from the top, and I climbed down the stairs and I headed right in the direction of an old forest service road. Not the trail. Somehow, I forgot that I had to walk off the trail to get to the tower. As I descended the mountain down the wrong path, I backtracked a bit because I didn't see any white blazes, but then I told myself that surely I was going in the right direction as it was the opposite of the way I came up to the tower. Big mistake. I ended up walking back down to Tellico Gap. The gap before Wesser. Wrong direction. Once I realized this, it was past the time I was supposed to get to the shelter. I was running out of daylight and energy, but I had to power back up the mountain. When I got to the top, I ended up pulling out maps and guidebook. It was the guidebook that set me straight "40 yards to observation tower" Right. Not on the trail.

This should have been the point where all was righted, but I then did something I shouldn't even admit. Once I realized that I had to go back out to the AT, I chose the path...that led....back to Tellico Gap. As I happily bounced down the trail knowing that I finally was on the way to the shelter, I ran into people who were wearing jeans and had no poles and smelled really really clean. With a face struck with horror, I demanded to know where they just came from, and they told me..."the parking lot." The woman said, "Are you going to Maine or Georgia? Maine is that way," and she pointed in the opposite direction. I almost cried. Ok, I was kinda crying but covering it up, but at least now I knew there was only one possible path left. I went back up Wesser and finally descended again down the correct path and made it to the shelter at around 7:20pm. This is what I get for making fun of people who get lost on the AT.

There is a happy ending, though. Once I got to the shelter it was packed with thru-hikers: Shoefly, Nero, Battlecat, OTT, Charlie Brown, Shephard, and  Crankdaddy. They even had a fire going and a place for me in the shelter. Even though I'm a tenting kinda gal, I decided to take them up on it. It was late, after all, and the 19.6 mile day had turned into around 23 plus miles. Jeesh. So much for taking it easy.

The following day's miles were low but rough. All downhill. I have never done well with the descent into the NOC. My knees were screaming, but I'll recover with a zero day.

Unicoi Gap

My journey to the start of the trail, included a stop in Virginia where Tailgate and I had the chance to visit old friends. We stopped at Twin Oaks for a brief visit and then spent a couple of days with Alec ("Vachon" AT '08) and his wife Mary Lynn. They've become good friends over the last few years since my last trek. Mary Lynn fed us a paella full of jumbo shrimp, mussels, clams, sausage, and a leg of fried chicken. I'm certain that I'll be thinking about that dish until Maine.

On Tuesday, it was off to the train station for me. I endured the 9 hour ride and was picked up by Willie who is also known as Nature Boy. He and Stacy work at Hiker Hostel which is owned by Josh and Leigh who thru-hiked in 2000. I've stayed at this hostel before and it continues to be one of the best on the trail. So comfy and so CLEAN. Too bad most people aren't yet dirty enough to appreciate it when they arrive.

Since I've skipped the Approach Trail in the past, I decided to tack it on this time. This was despite the copious amount of advice that I received from several men at the hostel who assumed this was my first Rodeo.

Off I went up the first 8.8 miles that don't even count, and even though there are 600 steps up to the falls, I just don't know what all the fuss is about. The terrain is no where near as demanding as everyone would have had me believe  over the years. I went an additional 2.8 and tented at Stover Creek Shelter that night. That snowy night. It was pretty cold, but it might not have been so bad if I didn't have to pee three times that night. I tried to hold it in but by the third time, I ended up stumbling out in my socks. Icy socks...so nice.

Next day, I had planned to hike to Gooch Mt. Shelter but it didn't seem far enough. I decided to go for Woody Gap and because I didn't want to camp alone at a road, I called Hiker Hostel to book a bunk. This meant I had to get to the gap by 5pm. Unfortunately, I forgot how tough this section can be and I really had to hustle. Luckily, it was a reasonably nice day and I cruised along smoothly for most of it. I met quite a few hikers throughout the day. The most memorable being a Georgian dressed in head-to-toe camouflage with at least a few racist tattoos. Now don't ya'll worry, he assured me I didn't have to worry about that while he slowly grinned at me with what I can only describe as pre World War 2, British teeth. This encounter encouraged me quickly down that trail. I made it to the shuttle with 9 whole minutes to spare and I was beat!

Next day, I camped at Swaim Gap (not far past Neels Gap). It was there I met Larry and Kurt who are hammock-hanging section hikers. They really brightened my evening and reminded me of one of the greatest gifts of a long hike which is meeting people who renew your faith in humanity.

On the fourth day, I experienced the dramatic ups and downs that I've grown so used to on the AT. The start of the day brought some great trail magic from Skidmark (GAME10) and Weasel (AT'10) who set up a sweet little hiker feed at Hogpen Gap. There were burgers and everything else a a hungry hiker might want. When I left the gap, I started to feel pain in my hip flexor. I took a break at Low Gap Shelter. I probably should have stayed there but it was only 2:30pm. I kept on but I was really feeling it. When Rocket Rick and Firefly passed me, I decided to camp with them. These two are marathon runners in their mid fifties.They didn't know each other before the hike but they move at the same quick pace and have a lot in common. I was grateful to run into them. Firefly showed me some stretches to help with the strain. We camped at Red Clay Gap and they were just the folks I needed to run into that night.

In the morning, I felt refreshed for about 15 minutes and then the pain kicked in again. I decided to take a day off at Unicoi Gap and head to Hiawassee. I think I may be pushing it a little too hard and I plan to cut back the miles a little bit.

That's all I got for now. I'll try to update at the NOC but I'm not sure about the computer situation there. You'll be hearing from me ;)

Good Business.

I love dealing with cottage industries for all my backpacking needs. I recently discovered that my new pack cover for my ULA Camino was missing a clip, so I sent a message to the owner and asked him if he could send me a new one on the trail. I also asked about what I should do if repairs are needed while I'm on the trail. The following was his response:

Hey Aubby/CayenneWe discovered that problem on several pack covers, it was the one thing we had someone else sew for us, and we have since taken it in house/ I didn't realize you guys were headed out on such a grand adventure/that's fantastic!/As to your pack ,we have the strongest, waterproof zipper we can find and haven't had any fail yet, but they have only been out about a year, If ANYTHING happens to your pack all you have to do is call me, I'll have a loaner sent to the next Post Office and we'll fix yours/ We can send out a pack cover to you by Monday,do you want me to send to to Mtn Crossings, or are you still in the Burgh?

 

Chris McMaster//Owner///Ultralight Adventure Equipment// Logan Utah

 I wish I could buy everything from small, well-run businesses like ULA.

Goin' at it Again..

I know what you are thinking. You're thinking that I keep breaking up with AT, only to get back together with her in two or three years. If that is what's on your mind. If you really are so jaded and critical...you are right. I am stubborn and stuck in this relationship and I know that I will stay this way until I finish a thru-hike.

Soooo...even though I've hiked over 2,000 miles on the trail and even though I only have a little more than two states left, I am starting all over again. At the Southern terminus in Georgia. Yes Georgia. No, not Maine. This year. So stay tuned.