4/7/02 Springer Mountain, Georgia Hiked 8.8 miles on the approach trail this afternoon to the top of Springer Mountain. I got a late start  3:30pm. Nice weather, but windy. Chance of rain by Tuesday. Joe Tallent met me at the North Spring MARTA station in Atlanta as promised. Getting to Atlanta was a problem. I flew from San Jose to Denver Saturday AM because SJ-CHI-ATL was overbooked. Spring break! Kids were all leaving Denver after ski week. After getting bumped from 3 ATL and 2 CHI flights, I decided to go anywhere I could get to on the east coast, figuring I could get to ATL from there. Turned out to be Boston. Got 3 ½ hrs sleep at airport Hilton and got a 6:40AM flight to DC-ATL arriving 11AM. United customer service people were MOST helpful! The wind in this still leafless hardwood forest sounds different from wind in evergreens. No sighing tenor in the treetops. This is an old bass wind howling first here, then across the way, then back again. Sounds like a train or freeway just over the ridge. Several campers watched the sun set from the AT monument. Jupiter, Saturn, Mars and Venus lit the western sky in early evening. The wind is blowing. The Feathered Friends sleeping bag would have been welcome tonight. I'm excited about starting to follow white blazes tomorrow! I didn't get to Stover Creek shelter as planned  another 2.5 miles  because of the late start. Can I make it up and get to Gooch Gap tomorrow? That's 16 miles.

4/8 1PM at Hawk Mountain shelter Cold wind blew all night and we were in the clouds by morning. Stopped here for lunch  10 hikers here at the moment. Wind blowing and it looks like rain.Gooch Gap in another 9 miles. I'm going to try to get there. 7:30PM Gooch Gap Shelter Got in here at 5:30. That's 16 miles in 8 hours. I'm planning to stay in the shelter  there'll be 9 or 10 of us. While it doesn't look too threatening right now, it's supposed to rain. At least this spot isn't on top of a mountain so we should be out of the cold wind. 4/9 Woods Hole Shelter It started raining about 4AM, and kept at it 'till we reached here about 3:15, wet to (through!) the skin. I hiked part of the way with Charlie, a young guy from S. Carolina. 10.5 miles today. I intended to get to the Blood Mountain shelter, another 1.7 miles, but it's uphill, has no water, and is old and small. Not a night to camp out! Right now, 6:30PM, there are 7 people here. One will have to sleep on the front porch  a graveled area in front of the sleeping platform, with a roof but no walls. 3 or 4 tents have appeared in flat spots. There are 2 women here tonight. One, Julie, is French Canadian. Also, two British guys. I put some dry clothes on and had dinner. It's getting dark  time to get in. 4/10 Neels Gap  11AM A little rain this morning (during the night) but sunny this AM. We heard both hoot owls and screech owls last night. Fantastic! Beautiful views from the top of Blood Mountain. I'm in line here for shower, laundromat. 3 of us are sharing the one washer and dryer. I'll pick up a couple breakfasts here, mail this, get some lunch and head north. I may pick up a pack cover here. It would keep the pack dry when I don't want to mess with the poncho. (Posted 4/24) 4/11 Low Gap Shelter Got here last night about 7:15. First "unfriendly" crowd I've run into. Looked like there was room for 1 more, but they had gear & packs spread out. They said it was full. It was clear so I camped nearby. Turned out they were partiers. Stars were out in the evening but it started raining in the night. It's a foggy, drippy morning and it's time to pack up. Tray Mountain Shelter is 14.9 miles ahead and there are some pretty good climbs near the end. 4/11 Tray Mountain Shelter Good hiking day! By that I mean it didn't rain. I got in here before 5PM and had plenty of time to cook dinner and socialize. Scott from Texas and Barry from Wellington, NZ are hiking together. I met them today on the trail and we've been swapping stories tonight. Scott hiked the PCT in '99 but I don't recall meeting him. Keith (Huff'n Puff) has laid claim to the Cat Stove that I think is in my Blueberry Patch box. I'm pretty sure I've left Charlie and Julie behind. They didn't get to Low Gap last night. Hope they have a good hike. I've also seen the last of a young couple  names not reported  who seem to hike well, but whose highest priority is to keep their pot dry! It's a 10 mile day tomorrow. If I can't get into the hostel maybe I can get to a motel and have a meat based meal. 4/12 Mull's Motel, Hiawassee, GA Well, our two "smokers" got to the shelter about 10:30PM, hiking the last few miles with headlamps. Fortunately there was room for two more It's been raining all day. I hiked a bit over 10 miles, and then hitched into the Blueberry Patch. Nice folks, but no room at the hostel. My box was there. I unpacked it and left the stove with a note for Keith. Then, with heavy pack I started down the road for Hiawassee. First pickup truck going my direction picked me up. In spite of the weather I'm really enjoying the hike so far. I see the chart says 16.5 miles tomorrow. I may not make it that far. There's some serious uphill and possibly a late start getting up to the trailhead. However, because of the light pack I'm able to pass most people on the trail. I've seen very few people carrying less than 35-40 pounds, and some with a lot more than that. I think I've made some lightweight converts! Scott and Barry came in a bit ago. We will try an all-you-can-eat steakhouse (can you believe it?) that's nearby. I suppose that's all the potato you want. Actually, the nice old lady (77!) in the office here said the people who run the steakhouse do it for the hikers. She also recommended a good breakfast place. I sure hope I can get a hitch back up the hill in the morning. There are a lot of hikers in town tonight. Time to check the weather channel. 4/14 Carter Gap Shelter, 3PM Short day today. I had intended to go to Big Spring but it's been pouring rain all morning and the trail is treacherous. I cooked a hot dinner for lunch and grabbed a spot in the shelter while one was available. Yesterday I hitched back to the trail by 10AM. Oh  the office manager at Mull's Motel is named Cordey Wood! Maybe that's short for Cordilia? Or her parents had a funny sense of humor. Anyway, it was a good hiking day  no real rain 'till about 5PM  and I got to Standing Indian Shelter, 16.5 miles, a little after 6PM. No room! Besides the usual hikers, there were about 30 Boy Scouts camped there. So, on for another 1.5 miles to a campsite on the top of the Standing Indian Mountain. Three of us were there overnight, Keith and True, plus two nice dogs. (This was not the same Keith who took the stove.) I am in North Carolina! Left Georgia behind yesterday afternoon. GA proved genteel in the end. The trail actually went around the last hill in GA! NC had to make its point though. The trail went straight up the first two hills in its path. It was the steepest trail we've seen so far, but I understand there's worse ahead tomorrow  going up Albert Mountain. If I can make 16 miles to Winding Stair Gap tomorrow, I think I'll hitch into Franklin, NC to dry out. 4/15 Franklin Motel  Franklin, NC. The sun was shining when we got up this morning and, though the trail was still a bit muddy, we got in 16 great miles to Winding Stair Gap. From there we hitched into Franklin. The trail today went over Albert Mountain  a rock climb. Not too bad in good weather, but I certainly made the right choice not doing it yesterday. One hiker did that. He's here at the motel tonight. Bypassed the shelter, then found when he tried to set up camp that everything in his pack was soaked. When he couldn't keep warm enough to sleep, he decided to keep going. He reached the Gap at about 5AM after  essentially  hiking for 28 hours straight. And that included the Albert Mountain section  not a place you want to be without company. He could have been OK, if not comfortable overnight, if he had been carrying an emergency Space bivy. For me, the town stops seem to be the main hazard. No blisters, no sore muscles  well, one bruised toe from kicking a rock, and a scraped ankle. Nothing that will create a problem hiking. However, hitching into town this afternoon, I managed to burn my shin pretty badly on the exhaust pipe of the pickup truck while putting my pack in the back. It's not a deep burn  just lost some skin. I hiked today with JR from North Carolina, and Boo & Sasha, two girls from Portland and Los Angeles. All are strong hikers, heading for Maine. They and two other hikers, Harpo from New Jersey and his friend Slog had pizza for dinner. Two large pizzas plus salad bar for the six of us.

We've arranged for a shuttle back to the trail at 9 tomorrow morning. I think Harpo (that's for his haircut) and his friend are going to take a zero day tomorrow. I hope to get this into the mail tomorrow with some maps, film and receipts. We will ask the shuttle driver to swing by the post office on the way out. 4/16 Franklin Motel  8:30AM Time to add a few lines while waiting for our shuttle back to the trail. Looks like it will be a warm day! Had breakfast at the Normandie Restaurant across the street. The pancakes weren't as tough as the ham. Coffee tasted wonderful! Little things that tell you you're not in California  Coffee comes in a real mug, with a spoon in it. Three big bill-cap guys in a booth across from me, obviously in for breakfast before work, bowing their heads and saying grace when their food arrives. Everybody in the café speaking in English, yet I can understand very little of what they're saying. Yesterday, the gentleman who gave us a ride down here asked, "Have you had any bear trouble?" He had to repeat "bear" three times before I understood, and my hearing isn't that bad. The running shoes are showing a lot of wear, not helped by their being wet most of the time. I'm getting a new pair sent to me in Hot Springs, NC. These will have to hold together 'till then  another 12 days or so. (Posted 5/1) 4/16 Cold Spring Shelter 8:30PM We're camped on a ridge near the shelter. Warm evening  crescent moon off to the west and a spectacular view east, with lights from various towns below. Started from Winding Stair Gap at 10AM and proved today that we could hike 16 miles at a leisurely pace, stopping to view the scenery from the lookout on Wayah Bald, stopping for lunch, and also doing some fast paced hiking. It was an almost perfect day for hiking  a little hot, but no complaints about that after the weather we've been having. I hiked with Boo, Sasha and JR most of the day. The last six miles I sped up to be sure of getting a good campsite. The girls showed up and are set up nearby but JR missed us somehow. He's camped around here somewhere. The people in the shelter saw him and told him where we were. I'm sure we'll find him in the morning. There is some thunderstorm activity this evening. Just started flashing and booming off to the west, so we may have an interesting night. More likely it will blow over and miss us. While we are on a ridge, it's not exposed, so should be no danger. Should make the Nantahala Outdoor Center tomorrow afternoon and pick up my resupply box. 4/17 Nantahala Outdoor Center  8PM This is mainly a kayaking and rafting operation, but they have bunkhouses, cabins & everything hikers might need. I needed some new socks, Band-Aids and film. The bunkhouse we're in holds four  just JR and I are occupying the two lower bunks tonight. $15 for the night. Dinner in the restaurant was excellent. The water sports crowd moves in on weekends. It was another nice hiking day, and a very pleasant evening. The humidity seems lower. 4/19 Brown Fork Gap Shelter  9AM Stopped for water. We camped just this side of Stecogh Gap last night. Will be in Fontana tonight. We had a brief rain  thundershower  after we set up camp. 9PM  Fontana Dam Hostel  This is not a hiker town. The registration is 2 miles from the Inn, Hostel, Post Office, Store, etc. Bunks in the hostel are assigned, but it's really, "Take what's left." The hot water isn't. If this sounds a little grumpy it's probably because this has been a hard hiking day. Very hot, with very steep trail. We were all pretty beat by the time we got to the dam. Tomorrow we enter the Great Smoky Mountains National Park! Looking forward to some National Park scenery. We've been seeing a lot of wildflowers  Trilliums have been in full bloom. "Jack-in-the-Pulpit" is an interesting flower that we don't see on the west coast  at least I haven't seen it before. I felt much better after an all-you-can-eat buffet, including several large lemonades. After a couple days trying to let the burn on my leg heal open, it was starting to bother me a little. So I asked at one of the shelters if anyone was carrying any large gauze pads. "Joe" produced some 4 inch and 3 inch pads and since then I've kept it clean and covered. It looks better. It'll probably take us 6 days thru the GSMNP. We'll see how it looks then. For now, it feels good.

4/20 Still at Fontana Dam Hostel, 7:30AM. There's a real PO here so I can mail some maps and film home. Wonderful what a good night's sleep does for your outlook. There always seems to be a few late-night talkers in the hostels but my bunk was in a remote corner. I opened the window near my head and went right to sleep listening to the stream outside. JR's girl friend is supposed to show up about 9AM, and our group is going with her for breakfast. We hope to make Mollie's Ridge Shelter tonight, 11 miles and 2,900 feet up. 4/20 8PM  Mollie's Ridge Shelter Nice hiking day! About 2,900 feet up from Fontana Dam in 11 miles. It was cool, mostly sunny, and with a nice breeze along the ridge tops. I made it here in just under 5 hours. JR, Sasha & Boo had agreed where we would stay tonight, or I might have made the next shelter. Here in the N.P. they pretty much dictate that hikers stay in designated campsites. Boo cut her heel quite badly while swinging into an upper bunk at the Fontana Dam hostel last night. She taped it up but was having a lot of trouble on the uphill today. By changing from her hiking boot to a heelless sandal plus a gaiter on that foot, she was able to navigate pretty well. This shelter is one that has a chain link fence across the front to keep the bears out. It does nothing for the mice. 4/21 Siler's Bald Shelter  8:15PM I wouldn't have bet we'd stay dry today. It was threatening when we got up and stayed cool most of the day with clouds blowing through. The sun came out in the afternoon. We actually hiked further than planned  had dinner at the previous shelter, then decided to walk another 5.5 miles, for a total of 17 today. The forest floor is covered with wildflowers! Mostly little white ones with 5 petals and a lime-green center. But there are also yellow and orange shooting stars, wild iris and some deep blue flowers that look like small violets. Some tall shoots are coming up that may be tiger lilies. We'll know in a few days. We should cross Clingman's Dome tomorrow  highest point on the AT.  and also pass the 200 mile mark. 4/22 Icewater Spring Shelter  8PM Last night at Siler Bald was exciting  torrential rain, high wind  but we were in the best shelter I've seen so far. Everyone stayed dry, and we started out for Clingman's Dome with just some "tree-cipitation." There was a very cold wind again but the sun appeared in the afternoon same as yesterday. A ranger we met said there should be no rain for the next couple days. We've been lucky with the weather. There are fewer wildflowers now, with the higher altitude  5-6,000 feet. Instead we're seeing more evergreens. On some of the higher sections, it's very much like our western rain forests. Not at all Appalachian! We have 14 or 15 hikers in the shelter tonight including an Englishman, "English Bob" who is busily trying to get a fire going in the stone fireplace. Yes, this shelter has a real fireplace even though it has only three walls. He's actually got a pretty good fire going. Everyone's pleased with it. It's a cold night. At the New Found Gap parking lot this afternoon a couple guys had a cooler with beer, Cokes and apples, free for any hiker who wanted them. In return, they wanted to know about our hiking experiences, how we were doing, etc. I had an apple. It's getting dark and cold. Time to get deeper into this sleeping bag. 4/23 Cosby Know Shelter, 8PM I'm back on schedule! Our spark plug "Wild Flower" (Sasha) pushed us to hike on to the next shelter  this one  for a 20.3-mile day. JR is getting the lightweight bug. At Neels Gaps he bought hiking poles, and he sent his hiking boots home from Franklin. He keeps talking about how great it is to hike in trail running shoes. The Smokies have really been impressive! With this clear, cold weather and wind, we've probably had close to 100-mile visibility in the mornings. Very unusual. But it was really uncomfortably cold last night. I would guess low 40s, and windy. It's supposed to be cold again tonight, but we're 1200 feet lower and protected from the wind. Should be more comfortable. 4/24 Mountain Mama's  5PM Huge cheeseburger, eaten while sitting in a real chair! At Mountain Mama's a bunk, laundry & hot shower with towel costs $15. No credit cards. It looks like rain tonight after beautifully clear but cold weather all through the Great Smoky Mountains NP We really hit it good for enjoying the scenery. (Yes, it is starting to rain.) Did just 7.5 miles today to get here from Cosby Knob Shelter. After a good breakfast here tomorrow morning, I'm hoping we can get to Hot Springs, North Carolina on Friday night. If not, the PO is open until noon Saturday. I was going to buy a trail breakfast and some gauze pads, but found both in the hiker box. All I need now is a roll of film. Will get that at the store. Hope this rain blows through tonight. 8PM  Just read Brian's trail register entry while having an ice cream at the store. It was dated 1/12/01, and told of his difficult hike through GSMNP in the deep snow. Several hikers read it with great interest. I bought the last roll of film in the store, and it's stopped raining. Things are looking good! 4/25 8:40PM Camped atop Max Patch with full moon rising on the left and sunset just wrapping up on the right. One tarp  mine  being tested by the cold wind, and 5 tents in our group. Jupiter, Saturn, Venus and Mars are lined up in the west. No sign of Mercury yet. Give it another week. One fellow says, "If that tarp is still intact tomorrow morning, I'll be convinced it works." Last night at Mountain Mama's, we had a heavy rain with thunder & lightning from about 1 to 4AM. Good night to have a roof over our heads. It's supposed to be nice for the next couple days. 16 miles today with a lot of uphill. 251 miles from Springer Mountain. 4/27 6:45AM  Hot Springs, North Carolina We arrived here about 5PM last night and found all motel rooms booked. There is, in addition to the hikers, a large group on some kind of retreat or meditation thing in town this weekend, and this is not a large town. One of our group of hikers got in earlier in the day and rented a cabin. Seven of us are sharing it, and are thankful for Keith's quick thinking. It's really very nice. Most of the floor space is occupied. Our small group  JR, Sasha and Boo  will break up here. They will stay here for a couple days. Chris, another hiker here who has been matching our pace, and I will do our post office and grocery store business this morning and get back on the trail about noon. I'll miss our "group of four." Maybe we'll meet again up the trail. (Posted 5/7/02) 4/27 Spring Mountain Shelter  8:20PM A hard climb up here from Hot Springs, NC this afternoon. Chris and I started out a little after 1PM and got in at 6:30. A 2,300 foot climb in 11 miles. Really steep trail for the first 1,000 feet. Said goodbye to the hikers I've been with for the past week or more. We got a group photo at the cabin with several cameras. Let's see. There were JR, Boo, Sasha, Chris, Keith, Tru and TrailDad.

This is a small, old shelter, and full  6 people. Two others are camped nearby. We're right in the middle of a forest full of Trilliums! The wind is picking up and it looks like we'll get some rain tonight. 4/28 Jerry Cabin Shelter  6PM Got an early start this morning and arrived here about 4PM. 15.3 miles. It's been a hard day. It did not rain last night or today on the trail, but we've had some showers in the last hours. It doesn't look too threatening. I've been bothered for the past 3 or 4 days by a bad shin splint in my left leg. Uphill, I'm fine, but it really hurts on the downhill stretches. If it isn't better tomorrow I'm seriously considering getting off the trail. I'll see how it feels Tuesday morning when I reach Sam's Gap. That's the next major road the trail crosses. This is all complicated by the fact that it's wonderful being out here. Every day I see new patches of greenery and wonder what kind of flower it's going to show in the next week or two. A nice dinner and a pain pill have me feeling more positive right now. Let's see how it goes tomorrow. 4/29 Hog Back Ridge Shelter, 6:30PM Another 14.6 miles and in here before 4PM. It's been a nice day, cold this morning (44 degrees) but clear and breezy. The shin is no worse and maybe a little better. I really don't know what to do except continue to hike and hope it gets better. A couple days rest would probably do it a lot of good, but I'm on schedule and want to stay caught up. I should get to Uncle Johnny's Nolichucky Hostel Wednesday night. That will be a good time to look at the options. This is a nice shelter. There are 3 of us here  more may show up later. The shelter mates tonight are Sly the Biker  a 50ish ex-District Attorney from Fossil, Oregon, who got the bicycle bug a few years ago and has toured 47,000 miles around North America, and Bubbles  a 30? year old girl from Maine who is hiking by herself since her friend had to leave the trail due to ankle problems. She hopes her friend can meet her further up the trail. Chris, the guy I started with from Hot Springs, is ahead somewhere. I may catch up with him again once I can move faster on the downhill sections. The AT in this area wanders around a lot following ridges, more or less tracking the NC-TN border. We're actually 2 or 3 miles south of where we started this morning. It's also a drier area - fewer flowers, and the water sources are smaller and further apart. 4/30 Spivey Gap  7:30PM There's a camp spot here  no shelter, so I've set up my tarp. I've actually hiked a couple miles further than I planned, 15.8 miles total. That way I'll get into the Nolichucky River Hostel a bit earlier and maybe rest this leg. It's a little over 10 miles to the river from here. Today was an interesting day food-wise. First, at Sam's Gap I found a cooler along the trail with a note, "For AT Thruhikers." Inside were various sodas and oranges! I had an orange soda and put an orange in my pack for lunch. Left a Thank You note with my name and web page. Later, on top of Big Bald  the highest point on the trail today  two guys were just finishing their lunch. They had driven up there probably to work on a radio transmitter. When they learned I was a thruhiker, one of them offered me a homemade cookie, which I gladly accepted. Good food day!