AT Thru-Hike 2008

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Either Adam or George should be writting a post on their trip down to trail days some time soon so that will be the next decent comment update. We haven’t had very good web access of recent so thats why we haven’t really posted much. We will definitely have pictures and more to post in the future though.

By the way Trail Days = Awesome. We are leaving Damascus today after getting our medical care yesterday. We are going to head out on the Virginia Creeper trail which intersects with the AT about 15 miles up the trail and it used to be the AT.

Here are a few pictures for your viewing pleasure.

 <- On top of Roan Mt… Still Friends… Awesome Mountain

 <- Also on top of Roan Mt. — Do some research on the Roan Highlands if you are feeling frisky. It is the most amazing stretch (9miles) of the trail that we have been through thus far. Here is one site http://www.tjhsst.edu/~dhyatt/azaleas/other/roan2.html

 <- Hump Mountain in the Roan Highlands

 <- 400 miles down during our longest day of hiking thus far while coming out of the Roan Highlands (27 miles one day Woot Woot!)

 <- Overmountain Shelter… Old barn from Revolutionary War that has been converted and can sleep in upwards of 30 people

  <- View from Overmountain Shelter. Said to be one of the top 20 views in the nation. And here-say says the view has been used in a few motion pictures.

 <- View of Watauga Lake from a shelter which name I cannot recall.

 <-baffroom on Roan. Seriously though if you pack in food, drinks, whatever… pack the trash out. Nothing disturbs me more than finding a hole in a tree that someone has decided would make a perfect garbage can. Grrrr!

If our loyal readers would like a slightly different perspective of our hike you might want to read Pemmy’s Trail Journal. I’m not sure what she writes about so I hope it isn’t embarrassing for us but oh well. So if you want to check it out the URL is http://www.trailjournals.com/pemmy. We have been hiking with Pemmy since April 6 after leaving the NOC on my birthday.

Quote of the post - Geek - “You guys rock”
Geek is an awesome mofo and we can’t wait to see him again in PA.

Well again it has been quite a while since our last post but we will do our best to fill you in on what has been going on. Since our last post we have covered 72 miles in a whopping 12 days. Despite the fact we haven’t made it far we have had tons of fun and are still moving here and there. Don’t worry about our health its not ankles or knees its just us getting distracted. Also, don’t worry about us moving it slow because all the old time thru-hikers are telling us we are the ones doing it right. The people we all should worry about are the ones that treat the trail like a job, have no fun, and burn themselves out before the end of Virginia.

Trail Family
First, lets talk about the trail family. What started off as two boys from Ohio, has grown into a family of five. So you hopefully already know Machete and Slap Happy so let us introduce to you Pop Tart, Pemmy, and Two Beers. Pop Tart, a native Virginian now calls his home Missoula, Montana. He just turned 22 on April 24 and enjoys such activities as hiking, ice climbing, kayaking, and long walks on the beach. He is a very funny guy and we know him as the captain of the raft. BLUE BERRIES! Next, we have Pemmy who has been traveling with us the longest although we met both her and Pop Tart at Low Gap, GA. She hales from Long Island, NY and went to school at University of Rhode Island on a pole vaulting scholarship. She is horribly addicted to coffee, chocolate, and ice cream and talks on the phone way to much. She is known as the prettiest girl on the raft (also the only one). She is our family medic and bird expert and advised Machete on his shin splints way back when. Last but not least, Two Beers from Johnstown, Pennsylvania. She is the most proper member of our group and for this reason our official spokesperson. She gets apologies from owners of motels when we are breaking the rules. She, although I hate to admit this, is also the best cook in the family. Look aren’t we a good looking crew. Don’t act like your not impressed.

Dilly Dally Alley
The above picture was taken from Dilly Dally Alley, the newest and coolest place on the trail. Yes that’s right we created our own campsite about 200 yards off the trail with our own water source, fire pit, and signs. Here we celebrated Pop Tarts 22nd birthday with 2 & 1/2 cases of beer that we packed into the woods a mile away from the road. To obtain these tasty ice cold adult beverages Pemmy and Machete walked 4 miles to a gas station that ended up being in a dry county. From there, Pemmy smooth talked the attendant at the gas station who proceeded to offer his vehicle for their use. This entailed a 15mile drive to Mars Hill, NC where they purchased our beverages as well as an extra 12 for the attendant. The rest of the crew were quite shocked to find Machete driving a mysterious vehicle, but that’s the trail for you.

Hot Springs Trail Festival
After our night at Dilly Dally Alley, we decided to Dilly Dally some more. We remembered hearing about the festival that was going on April 25-27 in Hot Springs, NC and decided since we were so close we might as well shuttle back for some hiker festivities. We arranged a shuttle from the Bluff Mountain Outfitters with a lady named Ruth who almost killed us 3 times. She was sweet as a bee and let us stop for milk shakes though. We camped at the Hot Springs Resort campground for three straight nights which is where we had stayed our first time through Hot Springs. Our second day there was a free rafting deal on the French Broad River (3rd oldest river in the world) through the Huck Finn Rafting Adventures. Heath the owner of the company arranged a trip where hikers volunteer to do river clean up for the day and get a free rafting trip, breakfast, and lunch out of the deal. Needless to say this was an amazing experience. We rafted 9 miles self guided by Captain Pop Tart. There were 14 hikers total that went and all of our family did except for Two Beers. We collected around a 2000lbs of garbage including some of the nastiest river trash you can imagine. We even went down a class 4 rapid which was awesome and we didn’t tip. After rafting we went back to the camp ground and met some really cool former thru-hikers who were down for the festival. Geek and Ziggy were EMT drivers from Pennsylvania very close to where Two Beers lives. Needless to say they had plenty to relate to. They really enjoyed meeting us and very much wanted to join our crew on the hike. Geek thru-hiked in 1990 and 2002 and Ziggy hiked in 2002. Sunday at noon, we left with them for a ride back to Sam’s Gap where we got off the trail. Geek piled all 5 of us in the back of his gutted minivan and we strapped our packs down on the roof.

Hemlock Hollow Hostel
After 16 miles of hiking leaving Hot Springs and getting rained and hailed on we discovered there was a hostel just .7 miles off the trail. We really wanted to dry ourselves and Two Beers was feeling ill so we walked down log cabin drive and stumbled upon the nicest bunkhouse/hostel we could have ever imagined. Hemlock Hollow, operated by Hattie and Fred, is a perfect retreat for anyone rather they be hiker, hunter, fisherman, or family. Hattie wanted us to talk up the services on the blog a little bit so here it goes. They have specialty imported coffee and teas from around the world. You can purchase smoothies, root beer floats, all kinds of food, some gear and fuels. As stated this place was great and Hattie and Fred were basically the nicest people ever. It was kind of like being at your Grandparents except they were hustling you and you had to buy everything. Nonetheless we had a great time talking with them and playing board games while Two Beers recovered.
 <- Hattie and Fred and their little shoppe

Yes, we have hiked
We’ve hiked through rain for 3 days one of which included hail. We have seen more amazing views which I am lacking pictures of at the moment (Pemmy has been declared official trip photographer although I bust my camera out when she is not around). Our favorite day of hiking was coming out of Hemlock Hollow. It was beautiful and we busted out 16+ miles. I even forgot my trail companion at a shelter and had to double back 2 miles to pick it up. We crossed the 300 mile mark at Big Butt Mt. and will have a rather amusing picture to share with you all once I get it from Pemmy. Any guesses? We didn’t start hiking this day until noon and made it into the shelter about 10min after the darkness set. It was a late dinner but well worth the day of dilly dallying. Also this day Machete and I came across some sweet cliffs that we decided to free climb on for a little while. This was a great mid day break after lunch. We saw large clouds of smoke on the days rocky ridgeline which we later learned came from a cigarette that someone didn’t put out and 200+ acres of woods burned
We also met two guys who went to school in Athens (one of which took 7.5 years, EEK). He was a pretty nice guy and apparently was bartending at the Junction before he hit the trail (not a bar we go to).
 <- Me wiped out in the mud and rain on top of big bald.
 <-Machete walking the “nice” part of the trail through Hot Springs.

Today, Tomorrow, the Future
We left Erwin, TN today to hitch hike to Asheville, NC where we are going to see Skeleton Witch tomorrow. We brought the whole family and we had all heard that Asheville is a happening town and all wanted to check it out. We got a ride with a very nice Japanese lady who took us all the way, gave us water, and offered to let us sleep in her yard. We are also starting to try and use a website called Couch Surfing where people offer travelers people to stay. We got an offer in Erwin but it was after we had already found a motel to stay at. There was only one person in the Erwin area but over 100 in Asheville so we will see if we get lucky the next two nights. After Asheville we are back on the trail with our next stop at Kincora Hostel and then Damascus. The biggest trail festival, Trail Days, is going on the weekend of May 16-18 and we should be right in the area and are very excited for it. Apparently over 3000 people descend on the city for this event and if you are a hiker it is a party not to be missed. Hopefully Patchfoot is going to make it down and give us a lift but if not we will work it out. Thanks for all the support friends, family, and everyone else who might be reading our blog.

Quote of the post
“While we are on the topic of decomposition.”

We’ll it has been quite a while since we have been able to update. That is because we have been hiking many miles. We are starting to get our trail legs and still loving every moment out here. We haven’t been able to receive any cell phone service for a while so please don’t be alarmed. Also, the screen on my phone (Ryan) has busted so I can’t really use it too well. From today we will be moving on to Hot Springs, NC where we will roll through on Thursday. Hot Springs is a epic trail town where the trail goes right down main street with all the hiker amenities on both sides of you. So I am going to give a brief day by day recap of the events since our last post.

Also, since we have been going on about other peoples trail names I guess it is time to unveil ours… drum roll please. MACHETE (JJ) and SLAP HAPPY (RYAN) the dynamic duo known as BEAR WATCH and the FIRE STARTERS!!!!!!!!!

April 6 - 10.5 miles to Locust Cove Gap
This day started out with a wicked 8.1 miles climb out of the NOC. It was all uphill until we reached the beautiful Cheoah Bald (5,600ft elevation plus). On top of Cheoah we had great views. We could even see part of The Smokies and Fontana Lake. We hung out on the bald which was the end of the 8 mile climb then proceeded onward to our campground which was a very nice spot surrounded by rhododendrons. We had a great fire, played some Euchre, and camped with Pemmy, 2 Mile, Guns, and Cool Breeze.

April 7 - 14.6 miles to Walker Gap Campground
Great weather started this day and an even better surprise awaited us 2.5 miles down the trail. Coming down out of the hills into a gap we ran into some serious trail magic. Bare Bear who hiked in 2006 along with his buddy Shuffle Foot were at the road side with quite a smorgasborg.  Hot dogs, chips, cookies, bananas, Ibuprofen (Vitamin I), and much more were sitting there available to hikers. Needless to say we stuffed our faces. As we sat there chatting we started to notice a funny odor. Upon investigation we found that next to where we were eating was a large, dead goat. Shuffle Foot, who is an ex-marine, dragged the goat by the hind legs down the hill (pretty bad ass). After getting fed we marched on with our day (a little slow at first). Upon walking some ridges we could see better views of Fontana lake and even the dam this time which was starting to get us pumped for The Smokies. There we camped with Freebird and Sherlock who we had just met and have seen many times since. Pemmy was also there at our unmarked campground that we are referring to as Walker Gap. This was a great campsite and even included 2 snakes in the stream, one of which we believe was a copperhead. This night ended with a great and entertaining two hour task of trying to throw the bear bag. JJ and I set our sights on a certain tree and didn’t give up until we got it. Great weather for camping again that night.
<-Bare Bear flashing the Metal Horns with trail magic and Pemmy the hungry one

April 8 - 2.5 miles near-o day into Fontana Village (Start of Smokies)
This was our pre-Smokies relaxation day. We have decided not to do any zero days for a while, but near-o’s are okay! We had lunch a great restaurant at the resort and ended up running into Bigglesworth who had a room down the hall and put us up for the night. We picked up our mail drop (food and whiskey) at the post office then spent some time in the pool and sauna. There was a computer here and we tried to update but it was old, crappy, and immensely frustrating. Had a great night of rest, a shower, and did our laundry in the bathtub/ pool. Our buddy Freebird scored about 10 free hot dogs and buns from the gas station and he brought them to the pool so we could eat them. Sherlock brought the 12 pack. Pemmy had a great bottle of wine in her mail drop and some homemade pecan bars which were extremely delicious.

April 9 - 11.5 miles to Mollies Ridge Shelter (Smokies)
Back to business with great weather to start The Smokies after watching our morning Tom and Jerry cartoon. The day began with a killer 4 mile uphill climb of 2000+ feet which brought us to a Shuckstack Mountain fire tower with amazing views. We also passed our 5th Sassafras Gap on this day. We made it to the shelter around 6 and there were plenty of other thru-hikers there. The Smokies have strict rules for backpacking and camping. If shelter spaces are available you must use them. If the shelter is full only thru-hikers are allowed to tent near by the shelter. Section hikers must make reservations and stay in the shelters. There were still spots open when we got there so we stayed in the shelter. There was a dwindling fire upon arriving there but after dinner the FIRE STARTERS got it raging for our BEAR WATCH. Of the people we knew that were there include Sherlock, Freebird, 2 Mile, Pemmy, Bigglesworth, and Ravon.
<- Start of the Smokies
<-Shuckstack Mountain Fire Tower

April 10 - 17.2 miles (biggest day yet) to Siller’s Bald Shelter (Smokies)
This was a serious business day. We divided the day into three 5-6mile sections. The middle section after lunch proved the most difficult. The views and weather were all great this day. When I was trying to capture one of the views, I learned my phone was broken. When we arrived at our shelter it was full but people started to make room for us. Then right at dusk a group of 4 touron (Tourist Moron) section hikers showed up after walking 7 miles and we got booted out of the shelter. At this point all we wanted to do was cook dinner but we had to set up our tents. Upon setting up in the gale force winds JJ broke a tent pole. We rigged it for the night but it was still in need of repair. JJ, Pemmy, and I hung out in JJ’s tent and played rummy.

April 11 - 15.5 miles to Ice Water Shelter (Smokies)
We woke up to fog, drizzle, and deer. Clingman’s Dome (the highest point on the AT) was 4 miles after our shelter. It was a big bummer to get there and not be able to see any views because of the fog but oh well. To add insult to injury, the fog broke 45min after we left the top of Clingman’s. The weather was beautiful for the rest of the day and we reached Ice Water Shelter which was packed and had to tent in some nasty rain and wind. JJ’s tent held up barely and I learned that mine is not water tight. We ran into more Tourons this day that took our picture after we walked by like we were some zoo exhibit. We met Brown Bag and Clothes Line who have both proven to be cool dudes. We also passed the 200 mile mark this day.
<-200 miles WOOWOO

April 12 -  12.6 miles to Tri-Corner Knob Shelter (Smokies)
This was our easy day of the smokies.  We woke up to great weather and had great views all day. We knocked out over 8 miles before lunch and breezed the other 4 into camp afterwards. This was our best shelter experience yet. We stayed with one of the volunteer Ridge Runners named Jim. They basically hike the trail and maintain it kind of like a park ranger. This shelter had a fireplace which they only have in The Smokies and team FIRE STARTER made a bad ass fire of course. The shelter was covered in tarps and it stayed toasty.

April 13 - 14.8 miles to Davenport Gap Shelter (End of Smokies)
We woke up to light snow and cold temperatures. It was a cold but beautiful hike because all the trees were dusted in snowy wonderness. It was an easy 15miles almost entirely downhill and we moved to stay warm. At the shelter we stayed with Double D, Upwardly Mobile, Tie-Dye, T-Bone, Pemmy, and Two-Beers. Good shelter. Good people. Good times and we beat ass in Euchre.

April 14 - 3.3 miles to Standing Bear Farm Hostel
This place is basically the most awesome place in the world. It is very primitive but many people are still waiting to use the computer. Cool Breeze hooked us up with a ride into town and we bought him dinner. We stayed in a cottage and made an awesome breakfast this morning. JJ got a new pack and has new tent poles in the mail which we are picking up at Hot Springs. Oh and by the way everyone thinks Spartacus (the guy who yelled at us on Tray Mountain) is a jerk.
<- Cottage at Standing Bear Farm

We are currently over 10% done with the trail.

Silly Mice.

• Well we have been taking zero days (no hiking miles are accomplished) since Thursday so JJ can heal up his leg and we can get back out there. We started to feel bad about not hiking like it is going to impede our progress but the advice we have received by many experienced hikers is to take the rest just don’t get off the trail and that “Maine isn’t going anywhere.” The first day we zeroed out at the Haiwassee Inn again. We made it to the grocery store and to the library but other than that just hung around the Motel. Chuck, whom we had met at Low Gap, was celebrating his birthday there so we hung out with him.

• After checking out of the motel at 11am we made our way to the other side of town to start hitching towards Franklin, NC (39 miles away). This weekend there is a hiker festival being thrown by Ronnie Haven, a good friend to all hikers. It is called Fool’s Bash and signifies the start of the AT season. It took 3 hitches to make it here, one of 3 miles, one of about 10 miles, and the last one we met a fellow hiker (Chair) who was even headed to the same motel as us. Upon arriving at Haven’s Budget Inn, Chair found out that his reservation was made for the wrong night and didn’t have a place to stay so we roomed with him since we had two double beds. I think it is very neat how the stars align sometimes. He ended up having a reservation tonight so he is putting us up tonight.

• The big bash is going on in the parking lot of another of Ronnie Haven’s motels called the Saphire. It is about a mile down the street. Last night was a big hoot, there is TONS of amazing food, a live country music band, moon shine and beer to boot, and even a hiker who did a comedic act for about 15 minutes. It was a good night and tonight is set to be even better as more hikers are expected to show up today. We had originally inteded on hiking here and making it in time but we are glad we got the oppurtunity to make it by other means. Tomorrow, we are either getting a ride back with Baltimore Jack to Dick’s Creek Gap which is where we last got of the trail near Haiwassee or are just going to try to hitch back if there isn’t enough room in the car. We plan on taking some easy days and getting everything going at a steady pace so we can plow through the Smokies.

• So all is well, despite the fact that we are not hiking, we are still enjoying the trail life and trail community. Everyone is so awesome that we have met. One of the guys who was working at Three Eagles Outfitters who we met at the party last night even drove us around today to run errands. We are having fun doing this but are really looking forward to getting back in those mountains. Within a few days we will hit our first 5000+ feet eleveation on Standing Indian Mountain. Peace, Love, and take care everyone.

 Zero Day at the Haiwassee Inn (Icing the ankle)

 Day One at Fool’s Bash

 <- Chair picked us up hiking and roomed with us in Franklin

Here is our first batch of pictures from the trail. Our frequency of taking them is decreasing as we are more involved with hiking instead of capturing memories but we will still get the big shots. These are only pictures from my camera as we don’t have a cord for JJ’s at the momment but will pick one up sometime.

Approach Trail Marker outside of vistor center

Walking through this arch marks the beginning of the trail

In the stone on top of Springer

Panoramic Shot from atop Mt. Springer (Sorry for cutting JJ’s head off, but rest asured its actually still there)

Our Camp the second night by the Gooch Shelter

Panorama from Blood Mt. (Highest we’ve climbed so far)

On top of Blood Mt. (A girl from Athens, GA took this for us)

Sign in the Hiker’s Hostel at Neels Gap

The last picture I’ve taken. We don’t even keep track of what mountains they are any more