HARD FALLS TO DATE: 11
Great day, started out chilly but warmed up to 60 degrees. Did 16 miles today, started late, stopped early... the trail has changed... did not expect the change so far South. Two times today I hiked over 4,000 feet elevation... No steep peaks, trails were a nice gradual grade.... should this continue then I will start hitting some 20 mile days...
Tent is up, need to hike over the hill for some water. It is 10 miles to Damascus Virginia, will hike there tomorrow, have a package at the post office, pick it up Monday.
This shelter is busy, 7 tents up and it is only 5:00 pm... hikers are starting to avoid the shelters, so nice out that a tent is so much more comfortable.
Tent is up, need to hike over the hill for some water. It is 10 miles to Damascus Virginia, will hike there tomorrow, have a package at the post office, pick it up Monday.
This shelter is busy, 7 tents up and it is only 5:00 pm... hikers are starting to avoid the shelters, so nice out that a tent is so much more comfortable.
An old shelter, no longer used or maintained
Large tree fell across the trail, rather than cut a section of the tree to allow hikers to continue they made steps, creative..
The trail today covered some ground on a farmers property
Covered a lot of wetlands today, walks were built to keep us above the area
The trail has changed, elevation is lower, hills are easier to climb... not sure how long that will last
04/06/2017
Cold!!! Not temperture wise so much but a cold rain... suppose to snow later, around 2 am... not much more than a dusting at this elevation but some accumulation on the peaks surrounding here. At this time I am not sure if I will get any miles in tomorrow or not... set my alarm, stick my head out of the tent and see... if all is white then zip the flap and off to la la land!!!
Several hikers, 12-15 stopped here to wait the westher out... hopefully this is the last of the winter storms. Not complaining, my knee feels good after hiking three days, sure that this rest will only help it but it does not help my mileage which is ok... plenty of time
Cold!!! Not temperture wise so much but a cold rain... suppose to snow later, around 2 am... not much more than a dusting at this elevation but some accumulation on the peaks surrounding here. At this time I am not sure if I will get any miles in tomorrow or not... set my alarm, stick my head out of the tent and see... if all is white then zip the flap and off to la la land!!!
Several hikers, 12-15 stopped here to wait the westher out... hopefully this is the last of the winter storms. Not complaining, my knee feels good after hiking three days, sure that this rest will only help it but it does not help my mileage which is ok... plenty of time
04/05/2017
Slept great... relaxing here on the bank of this mountain stream, water running swiftly over and around the boulders... watched a local boy who lives on the property here pull out some nice trout yesterday, releasing them as quickly as he pulled them in... said he had already caught his limit of 7 for the day... I do believe he found a real version of some of these video games...
Set my alarm for 7:00, turned my phone on at 7:10... it is 7:25 so I guess I should crawl out of this sleeping bag... speaking of sleeping bag, no need to fully zip it, leaving the rain cover unzipped and open on the tent... soon I will be sleeping with the bug net... great time of year to be on the trail...
04/04/2017
Got a shuttle out to the same spot as yesterday, just hiked North this time. Again, did 13 miles. The trail has changed, stayed under 4,000 feet today, seen very few cedar trees... hardwoods for most of the day. Hardwoods make a difference, leaves on the trail makes for a quiet walk. Looking out from a view point is still enjoyable but the mountains appear much smaller, well they are smaller. Water was not much of an issue, several small streams. Shelters did not line up right so paid for a tent site at a hostel, got a good shower and a pizza.
Tomorrow shelters will be an issue also, the one that we would normally pick is closed because of too much bear activity, learning food and shelters go together. Another thing that is not going to line up is Damascus, have a package there but it appears I will not get there before the post office closes Saturday which means I will need to hang around the town until Monday.
Slept great... relaxing here on the bank of this mountain stream, water running swiftly over and around the boulders... watched a local boy who lives on the property here pull out some nice trout yesterday, releasing them as quickly as he pulled them in... said he had already caught his limit of 7 for the day... I do believe he found a real version of some of these video games...
Set my alarm for 7:00, turned my phone on at 7:10... it is 7:25 so I guess I should crawl out of this sleeping bag... speaking of sleeping bag, no need to fully zip it, leaving the rain cover unzipped and open on the tent... soon I will be sleeping with the bug net... great time of year to be on the trail...
04/04/2017
Got a shuttle out to the same spot as yesterday, just hiked North this time. Again, did 13 miles. The trail has changed, stayed under 4,000 feet today, seen very few cedar trees... hardwoods for most of the day. Hardwoods make a difference, leaves on the trail makes for a quiet walk. Looking out from a view point is still enjoyable but the mountains appear much smaller, well they are smaller. Water was not much of an issue, several small streams. Shelters did not line up right so paid for a tent site at a hostel, got a good shower and a pizza.
Tomorrow shelters will be an issue also, the one that we would normally pick is closed because of too much bear activity, learning food and shelters go together. Another thing that is not going to line up is Damascus, have a package there but it appears I will not get there before the post office closes Saturday which means I will need to hang around the town until Monday.
Storms stayed South of us for the most part, suppose to move further North around 10:30 pm
Trail in the side of the hill... switchback after switchback
Several foot bridges in this area to cross the river
Nice flowing river
Foot bridge
Beautiful river, cliffs on each side of it
Trail was not very wide along some parts, especially close to the river
Waterfall was great, several parts to it above and below the above...
Relaxing falls
Footbridge, you can see the rock wall behind me...
Clean water
Going to try one of the cheaper version of the hammocks... wondering if I can sleep on my side in one?
Tent site at the hostel, along the river
River along the hostel
Wagon full of drunks
Tired horses
Log barn
04/03/2017
Slack Pack... 13 miles today, rained for 12 and 3/4 of those I do believe. Nothing hard about it with the exception of having to wash and dry everything because of the mud and rain.
04/04/2017
Ready to hit the trail, 53 miles to Damascus Viginia... lol unless one goes by the app I have then it is 31 miles... big difference in food for 30 miles and food for 50 when you walk at my pace... think I have the app figured out???
Went over 400 miles yesterday... the pace may pick up soon, need to research it some more but it appears the 5-6,000 foot peaks will be behind me until the White Mountains...
Yesterday I could see leaves on the prim rose bushes, fresh blackberry sprouts.. green shoots of grass popping up everywhere... several types of birds I had not seen when I took a break... all signs of spring that are very refreshing
04/02/2017
Preparing to get back on the trail. Took about 10 days off, gave this old body some rest, I feel better, swelling in my knee has finally subsided, pains in other parts of my body are gone... The belt for my pack arrived and has replaced the large one...
Tomorrow, the 3rd going to slack pack 13.4 miles. While I have mentioned I did not enjoy the last slack pack, this one is half the distance... 13.4 miles... weather for tomorrow is wind gust up to 50 mph and rain in the afternoon... Slack packing sounds pretty good..
Preparing to get back on the trail. Took about 10 days off, gave this old body some rest, I feel better, swelling in my knee has finally subsided, pains in other parts of my body are gone... The belt for my pack arrived and has replaced the large one...
Tomorrow, the 3rd going to slack pack 13.4 miles. While I have mentioned I did not enjoy the last slack pack, this one is half the distance... 13.4 miles... weather for tomorrow is wind gust up to 50 mph and rain in the afternoon... Slack packing sounds pretty good..
03/22/2017
Such a rough start to my day, breakfast at the hostel, cost extra but it sure was worth it.
DOGS!!!
I mentioned dogs on the trail, some parks, actually I think two with one being the Smokies do not allow dogs on the trails. A business opportunity was created, people pick your pet up as you enter the park, when you are exiting you call them and they deliver your pet to you. Not sure of fees, one hiker told me he paid $250. they kept his pet for a week.
Numerous businesses are established just for the hikers, shuttle service, hostels just to name two basic ones. Hikers carry a couple days worth of food, enough to get them from point A to point B and then call for a shuttle to take them into town or a dollar store for resupply... I have not been able to perfect this system yet but understand how valuable it is... seeing how I love to eat the thought of running out of food in the middle of a forest just terrifies me...
Towns make money from the hikers, it is their peak tourist season... laundry, food supplies, restaurants along with equipment... the prices have so far been very compatible... Numerous sites are availiable to rate or critique establishments which helps to keep themin line. April is the start of the bubble, a term referring to the increase in hikers on trails, leading to as many as 60-70 hikers trying to camp in a confined area... not really looking forward to that but pictures will follow.
I mentioned dogs on the trail, some parks, actually I think two with one being the Smokies do not allow dogs on the trails. A business opportunity was created, people pick your pet up as you enter the park, when you are exiting you call them and they deliver your pet to you. Not sure of fees, one hiker told me he paid $250. they kept his pet for a week.
Numerous businesses are established just for the hikers, shuttle service, hostels just to name two basic ones. Hikers carry a couple days worth of food, enough to get them from point A to point B and then call for a shuttle to take them into town or a dollar store for resupply... I have not been able to perfect this system yet but understand how valuable it is... seeing how I love to eat the thought of running out of food in the middle of a forest just terrifies me...
Towns make money from the hikers, it is their peak tourist season... laundry, food supplies, restaurants along with equipment... the prices have so far been very compatible... Numerous sites are availiable to rate or critique establishments which helps to keep themin line. April is the start of the bubble, a term referring to the increase in hikers on trails, leading to as many as 60-70 hikers trying to camp in a confined area... not really looking forward to that but pictures will follow.
03/21/2017
Had a good day, the scenery made it, few bald mountains just over a mile high. Porcelin for the back side which is always nice. Walked a 1/2 mile out of my way to use that. Lol
Had a good day, the scenery made it, few bald mountains just over a mile high. Porcelin for the back side which is always nice. Walked a 1/2 mile out of my way to use that. Lol
Popular Shelter, below is the reason.
I am in Tennessee now, at a hostel. Got a tent site and may spend a few days here seeing if a body part that hurts gets better, if not then go to emergency care. Several things it could be... I have dropped roughly 30lbs so the waist belt on my pack will not go any tighter... the pack slides down and hinders my walking, it could also be causing the pain I have... take the pack off and the pain subsides... do not want to get to far from a treatment facility until I figure this out.
Oh the things we take for granted...
view from the privy, rather homey...
Seen several butterflies today, seeing more birds every day... even caught the fragrance of a plant as I rounded a corner on the trail... spring maybe?
As I hike the trails I see a lot of plaques, monuments... regarding the people who have donated land, worked on the trail... all the pieces that have come together to make the trail possible... these post remind me of what was and the trail reminds me of what is
I was told today I am done with North Carolina...
clouds
Somebody has to make it happen or it does not...
Stroll to the clouds, the temperture would drop several degrees the closer you got to the clouds
In the Appalachian Mountains of the eastern United States, balds are mountain summits or crests covered primarily by thick vegetation of native grasses or shrubs occurring in areas where heavy forest growth would be expected.Balds are found primarily in the Southern Appalachians, where, even at the highest elevations, the climate is too warm to support an alpine zone, areas where trees fail to grow due to short or non-existent growing seasons.[1] The difference between an alpine summit, such as Mount Washington in New Hampshire, and a bald, such as Gregory Bald in the Great Smoky Mountains, is that a lack of trees is normal for the colder climate of the former but abnormal for the warmer climate of the latter. One example of southern balds' abnormality can be found at Roan Mountain, where Roan High Knob (el. 6,285 ft/1,915 m) is coated with a dense stand of spruce-fir forest, whereas an adjacent summit, Round Bald (el. 5,826 ft/1,776 m), is almost entirely devoid of trees. Why some summits are bald and some are not is a mystery, though there are several hypotheses.
In the Appalachian Mountains of the eastern United States, balds are mountain summits or crests covered primarily by thick vegetation of native grasses or shrubs occurring in areas where heavy forest growth would be expected.Balds are found primarily in the Southern Appalachians, where, even at the highest elevations, the climate is too warm to support an alpine zone, areas where trees fail to grow due to short or non-existent growing seasons.[1] The difference between an alpine summit, such as Mount Washington in New Hampshire, and a bald, such as Gregory Bald in the Great Smoky Mountains, is that a lack of trees is normal for the colder climate of the former but abnormal for the warmer climate of the latter. One example of southern balds' abnormality can be found at Roan Mountain, where Roan High Knob (el. 6,285 ft/1,915 m) is coated with a dense stand of spruce-fir forest, whereas an adjacent summit, Round Bald (el. 5,826 ft/1,776 m), is almost entirely devoid of trees. Why some summits are bald and some are not is a mystery, though there are several hypotheses.
Trail to the top, you can barely make out the trail in the center of the photo
Mountain top
Shelter in Tennessee
At the higher elevations the trail was solid ice from the snow melting and then freezing. Was several miles of this, I took one hard fall.
Trying to find a flat spot for my tent.
Elephant???
Cloud level, mile high.
After the snow melt several miles of the trail was nothing but mud at the lower elevations.
Been thinking of getting a comb so my shadow can look a little better...
Falls
Approaching cloud level.
Tad cold
Forest remind me so much of Germany.
Making do!
Trees were covered in a heavy frost.
Always a different view to look at.
Little frost
As you can see the pottery left years ago, the town has little else.
03/20/2017
Good day, that is not saying I have bad days but today was a change... did 15 miles which I am happy with, would have done less if I could have. I walked on top of a mountain, over 6,000 feet where 4 miles of the trail was covered with ice, fell and busted my ass... then I walked on a peak that was much lower so all the snow was melting, walked on about 4 miles of trail covered in that yucky mud, the kind when you step in it you do not know what is going to happen... slip sliding away...
Tonight they are calling for thunderstorms which means tomorrow will be fun too!!! Got to love it.
Good day, that is not saying I have bad days but today was a change... did 15 miles which I am happy with, would have done less if I could have. I walked on top of a mountain, over 6,000 feet where 4 miles of the trail was covered with ice, fell and busted my ass... then I walked on a peak that was much lower so all the snow was melting, walked on about 4 miles of trail covered in that yucky mud, the kind when you step in it you do not know what is going to happen... slip sliding away...
Tonight they are calling for thunderstorms which means tomorrow will be fun too!!! Got to love it.
SLACK PACKING... covering a distance with a lighter than usual pack... or having someone shuttle your pack to a predetermined destination and then you hike to your pack... today I took a shuttle to the point i left the trail yesterday then hiked 24 miles to a hostel... two days distance covered in one day... my pack had wet weather clothes, sleeping bag and a days worth of food...
Slack packing, high mileage days... they serve a purpose, we did the hike today to make up for some lost time as a result of the snow, high mileage days can be done for reasons similar to that. Personally I felt I lost out... the pace is faster requiring more attention on the trail... I missed seeing things around me, it is enjoyable finding the differences in trees or other plants, even if it is how the snow lays on a leaf, or finding where the sound of water flowing over a waterfall... trying to find the bird making all the noise... I personally am not ready to give those little things up to make better time... seeing the deep green moss, a reminder of how much fun it was to lay on it as a kid... My plan is to make this trip one time and only one time.... the desire to enjoy and remember it is much more important than how fast I do the hike in should I complete it...
Slack packing, high mileage days... they serve a purpose, we did the hike today to make up for some lost time as a result of the snow, high mileage days can be done for reasons similar to that. Personally I felt I lost out... the pace is faster requiring more attention on the trail... I missed seeing things around me, it is enjoyable finding the differences in trees or other plants, even if it is how the snow lays on a leaf, or finding where the sound of water flowing over a waterfall... trying to find the bird making all the noise... I personally am not ready to give those little things up to make better time... seeing the deep green moss, a reminder of how much fun it was to lay on it as a kid... My plan is to make this trip one time and only one time.... the desire to enjoy and remember it is much more important than how fast I do the hike in should I complete it...
Sunrise on 03/17/2017 I had just reached the peak after starting out at 6:30 am
Bald Mountain... intimidation... to view this mountain peak standing above those around it the mind starts preparing for a hard climb... turned out it was a gradual climb, easier than others tackled that day
Tennessee Shelter, made out of cinder blocks... Started putting mesh wire under the sleeping platform to keep the critters out :-)
Nolichucky River in Erwin Tennessee, recreational, fishing, rafting etc
Bald Mountain
Decided to tackle the 24 miles from Sam's gap to Erwin tomorrow with a light pack... taking some food, sleeping bag, wet weather gear and flashlights... the plan is to hit the trail at sunrise and hike straight to here, covering two days in one to stay on track... would hate to have a small section in Tennessee that I would need to complete before I could say I hiked the AT. Getting credit for hiking the trail is really based on the honor system, anyone can claim to have done it, no means of checking which is kind of nice...
03/16/2017
Ended uphiking 8 miles I believe, stopped and got a hotel lol On the peaks the snow drifts were 2 feet deep in places, had to put to much energy into the distance I was getting. Was going to stay at a hostel and start out tomorrow until a couple other hikers agreed, call it a day, start again when the weather improves... Suppose to warm up tomorrow and rain...
Broke my phone today, 16th the screen... dropped it, landed on the only rock in sight. Hiked 10 miles today to a hostel, about 30 miles from Erwin Tennessee which is where the next hostel is I plan on staying at. This hostel has 6 bunks in it, we have 10 people and 2 dogs in it... had no heat when I arrived, asked why no one had not asked the owner to fill up one of the propane tanks, he did and now it is too hot.
Had a good hike, trail was snow covered, just a few inches, only fell one time, just enough to let me know I am no longer flexible. Phone was almost dead, saved what battery I had for emergency use, do not know why a signal is so hard to get I doubt I could call anyone if I had to. No pictures except for a few I took before breaking camp. Temperature got well below zero with the wind chill on the mountain top where I was, thus 10 people and 2 dogs in here.
Dogs are nice to see along the trail, to see I say... have decided being in the same camp with them is not, invade your space when you are eating, those eyes looking at you, their head turning a little to the left and then a little to the right... look like they are about to snatch whatever it is you are eating out of your hand... then when you get more than one dog in the group they want to play which is fine until they run over your tent or act as if they are about to mark their territory on that tent... another good one is when they jump onto your bed while you are eating, we have 2 dogs in here with us but are up to 3 in this group that seems to be hanging together. I actually thought be taking a zero day yesterday I would break away from the group but when I arrived at this hostel they were all here, taking a day off because they got so cold and wet hiking in the snow and fog/clouds at the higher elevations... thought that would be what would happen to me were I to hike yesterday and I really liked the fact that my clothes were dry and still are.
Hiking was fun, the snow along with the elevation caused the tree branches to be completely covered in snow/ice creating a very scenic view. It also created a quiet hike, at times I would listen to the tree branches rubbing on the tree next to it and it almost sounded like people talking at times... no I am not hearing voices lol Did not see any critter tracks on the trail. It was cold enough that my water bottles froze, the movement from hiking was not enough to keep them from freezing. Put in 10 miles today and finished really early, around 2:00... could have easily done 15 miles which is the plan for tomorrow if weather breaks.
Yesterday I put trust in my equipment knowing it was suppose to get cold, sleeping bag and tent kept me warm enough, no complaints there... I did have ice crystals on the tent when I packed it away so it will be wet when I unpack it. The group that did hike yesterday did get cold and wet which was my concern, I changed my wool socks at lunch today, which is why my phone hit the rock. Cold feet and or cold hands are just something I did not want. All of us are wearing a cross fit type of tennis shoe, just have fancy names now day, easy for snow to get into the shoe... the rain gear which serves it purpose in the rain causes us to sweat, creating a lot of moisture inside it which causes the body temperature to drop really fast when stopping. Overall I am very happy with my progress, hopefully I will start picking the miles per day up soon... I think 15-17 is a reasonable goal if the trails remain as they have been.
Hit some of the roughest trails two days ago, a mountain of rocks piled on top of each other... lot of climbing, jumping, scooting, cursing, praying... some places I just barely squeezed between boulders with my pack on, others I fell from one bolder to another and at times I wanted to crawl from boulder to boulder... this section of the trail has an alternate route for bad weather or those who do not want to tackle the tougher trail... to bad I missed the sign.
Prior to that we had all taken a day off in Hot Springs NC expecting the front that hit yesterday and the day before to hit, never came in on time. The climb out of Hot Springs was a steep one on very narrow trails along the cliffs but was still a scenic climb.
Plan is to try and do 30 in the next two days and then stop at a hostel with showers and laundry facilities... I may pick up a few things to eat. After that it is on toward Damascus Virginia.
Good way to stop someone's snoring is to get up and pee, almost stepping on them as you drag your foot across them getting out the door... forgot to mention we are using an outhouse because the water to the bathroom is all frozen up...
Ended uphiking 8 miles I believe, stopped and got a hotel lol On the peaks the snow drifts were 2 feet deep in places, had to put to much energy into the distance I was getting. Was going to stay at a hostel and start out tomorrow until a couple other hikers agreed, call it a day, start again when the weather improves... Suppose to warm up tomorrow and rain...
Broke my phone today, 16th the screen... dropped it, landed on the only rock in sight. Hiked 10 miles today to a hostel, about 30 miles from Erwin Tennessee which is where the next hostel is I plan on staying at. This hostel has 6 bunks in it, we have 10 people and 2 dogs in it... had no heat when I arrived, asked why no one had not asked the owner to fill up one of the propane tanks, he did and now it is too hot.
Had a good hike, trail was snow covered, just a few inches, only fell one time, just enough to let me know I am no longer flexible. Phone was almost dead, saved what battery I had for emergency use, do not know why a signal is so hard to get I doubt I could call anyone if I had to. No pictures except for a few I took before breaking camp. Temperature got well below zero with the wind chill on the mountain top where I was, thus 10 people and 2 dogs in here.
Dogs are nice to see along the trail, to see I say... have decided being in the same camp with them is not, invade your space when you are eating, those eyes looking at you, their head turning a little to the left and then a little to the right... look like they are about to snatch whatever it is you are eating out of your hand... then when you get more than one dog in the group they want to play which is fine until they run over your tent or act as if they are about to mark their territory on that tent... another good one is when they jump onto your bed while you are eating, we have 2 dogs in here with us but are up to 3 in this group that seems to be hanging together. I actually thought be taking a zero day yesterday I would break away from the group but when I arrived at this hostel they were all here, taking a day off because they got so cold and wet hiking in the snow and fog/clouds at the higher elevations... thought that would be what would happen to me were I to hike yesterday and I really liked the fact that my clothes were dry and still are.
Hiking was fun, the snow along with the elevation caused the tree branches to be completely covered in snow/ice creating a very scenic view. It also created a quiet hike, at times I would listen to the tree branches rubbing on the tree next to it and it almost sounded like people talking at times... no I am not hearing voices lol Did not see any critter tracks on the trail. It was cold enough that my water bottles froze, the movement from hiking was not enough to keep them from freezing. Put in 10 miles today and finished really early, around 2:00... could have easily done 15 miles which is the plan for tomorrow if weather breaks.
Yesterday I put trust in my equipment knowing it was suppose to get cold, sleeping bag and tent kept me warm enough, no complaints there... I did have ice crystals on the tent when I packed it away so it will be wet when I unpack it. The group that did hike yesterday did get cold and wet which was my concern, I changed my wool socks at lunch today, which is why my phone hit the rock. Cold feet and or cold hands are just something I did not want. All of us are wearing a cross fit type of tennis shoe, just have fancy names now day, easy for snow to get into the shoe... the rain gear which serves it purpose in the rain causes us to sweat, creating a lot of moisture inside it which causes the body temperature to drop really fast when stopping. Overall I am very happy with my progress, hopefully I will start picking the miles per day up soon... I think 15-17 is a reasonable goal if the trails remain as they have been.
Hit some of the roughest trails two days ago, a mountain of rocks piled on top of each other... lot of climbing, jumping, scooting, cursing, praying... some places I just barely squeezed between boulders with my pack on, others I fell from one bolder to another and at times I wanted to crawl from boulder to boulder... this section of the trail has an alternate route for bad weather or those who do not want to tackle the tougher trail... to bad I missed the sign.
Prior to that we had all taken a day off in Hot Springs NC expecting the front that hit yesterday and the day before to hit, never came in on time. The climb out of Hot Springs was a steep one on very narrow trails along the cliffs but was still a scenic climb.
Plan is to try and do 30 in the next two days and then stop at a hostel with showers and laundry facilities... I may pick up a few things to eat. After that it is on toward Damascus Virginia.
Good way to stop someone's snoring is to get up and pee, almost stepping on them as you drag your foot across them getting out the door... forgot to mention we are using an outhouse because the water to the bathroom is all frozen up...
03/14/2017
Taking a snow day, the others have moved on to the next shelter or beyound...Made the decision i am dry, my extra clothes are dry so I would sit this one out... received 3-5 inches of snow, the trail is covered... packed because the others already broke trail... I continue to have difficulty with the tree roots and slipping, other hazards are also covered... the other part of the story is some cold air is moving in, wind chill below zero, rain/freezing rain, the winds gusting no higher than in the past... small accumulation of rain... decided to trust my gear, stay out of the rain and my tent offers good shelter from all... I am also 20 yards from an open front shelter.
Taking a snow day, the others have moved on to the next shelter or beyound...Made the decision i am dry, my extra clothes are dry so I would sit this one out... received 3-5 inches of snow, the trail is covered... packed because the others already broke trail... I continue to have difficulty with the tree roots and slipping, other hazards are also covered... the other part of the story is some cold air is moving in, wind chill below zero, rain/freezing rain, the winds gusting no higher than in the past... small accumulation of rain... decided to trust my gear, stay out of the rain and my tent offers good shelter from all... I am also 20 yards from an open front shelter.
The Smoky Mountains are in both Tennessee and North Carolina. The Appalachian Trail crosses state lines several times as it moves North East. Photos of the Smokies posted in North Carolina could be from either state. While traveling along the trail we would usually know what state we were in by the shelters. Shelters in Tennessee had bear hanging cables for food at night, North Carolina normally would not. North Carolina shelters had wooden privys, Tennessee had privy areas. Privy areas were like the game land mines if you have ever played it. Each player could obtain a shovel compliments of the Park System and head to the privy area. Once you reached the assigned area, and you would have a sign directing you to it you would attempt to dig a six inch hole. Previously I covered how to do so meeting the government specs. Successfully digging without hitting white paper and you can successfully proceed about your business, white paper and you move to another square, attempting once again to dig with better success.
Why the Tennessee side do not have a wood privy? One reason given was a law passed that all new bathrooms would have running water... of course this does not seem like a logical answer because these shelters were built way before the law passed and in addition to that, the hostel I am currently staying at has a modern privy, it uses bagged cedar wood shavings rather than leaves or debris.
Two additional notes on privy's do not wee wee in them, any soldier who has served on crap detail knows it henders decomposition or burning. Also wee wee on the opposite side of the hill from your drinking water source remembering shit rolls down hill.
Why the Tennessee side do not have a wood privy? One reason given was a law passed that all new bathrooms would have running water... of course this does not seem like a logical answer because these shelters were built way before the law passed and in addition to that, the hostel I am currently staying at has a modern privy, it uses bagged cedar wood shavings rather than leaves or debris.
Two additional notes on privy's do not wee wee in them, any soldier who has served on crap detail knows it henders decomposition or burning. Also wee wee on the opposite side of the hill from your drinking water source remembering shit rolls down hill.
Kitchen at Standing Bear Farm
Dong laundry at Standing Bear... does not help... I recall on my Southern Tier trip mentioning going into a store and wondering if it was me that smelled or someone around me... no doubt in my mind now, it is me... lol could smell myself the next day after doing my laundry... just one of those smells you can not outrun