Hiking the Good Hike

Drum roll please. I guess you all have waited long enough. Chris and I have officially accepted trail names. We've turned down several couples names i.e. Mickey and Minnie, Bonnie and Clyde (sorry Rooster) trying to hold out for names that had a fun story and/or meaning. So, without further ado, I will reveal our new trail names.

Chris has officially become known as Moose. The name was first suggested by Laser Death Kill (Jack) while Long Spoon (Tom) was reading us a children's book, Little Loon and Papa,at a diner in Hot Springs, NC. In this book, a moose is pictured that the whole group decided depicted the essence of Chris. He debated taking this name for a while but friends and other fellow thru-hikers all started referring to him as Moose and the name stuck. Thus, Chris became Moose.

As for myself, my trail name was given to me by my dear friend Nomad. For those following Nomad's blog, you may have already read that my new name is none other than...Wide Load. Go ahead and laugh, get it out, and then allow me to explain. When Nomad first met us, we were hiking in the Smokies. Chris being the faster hiker, I typically hike in the front to keep the pace and keep us together. Hence the name Wide Load because Nomad says I'm like a wide load truck going up the trail, not allowing Chris to pass. I also have a short, fat pack that adds to the image and makes cutting corners around trees difficult; I sometimes knock myself off balance, forgetting that my pack is wider than, well, me. Plus, I tend to slow down on big climbs while gaining speed on the downhills. So, it is for all of these reasons that I decided to finally accept the name given to me. I must say, though, it is still difficult to introduce myself as Wide Load. I usually receive some funny looks and timid questions upon introduction which makes for a good icebreaker. Nomad also thinks I should tell people that they should have seen me before I started the trail and that I've already lost a couple hundred pounds. Sorry ER, you tried to give me a nice, pretty name and I end up with a name like Wide Load but it definitely makes for a good story and a good laugh so I've decided to embrace the name given me by the trail.

Cassandra

"A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches" Proverbs 22:1

Eight days are covered in this post. It's a lengthy post but a lot happened in those eight days. I hope you'll find patience enough to read about the good times were having. If you haven't checked it out yet, I would suggest clicking on our "Trail Friends" link to read some of the blogs and journals of people we have met along the way.

3/26 Day 23 Zero in Hot Springs, NC

The first thing to do on a zero is of course breakfast. We gathered our group and made our way back to the Smoky Mountain Diner for breakfast. They had so many delicious sounding options but when our waitress told us the special was five chocolate chip pancakes we couldn't resist. While eating, those of us planning to zero discussed looking into different lodging options for the night. Nomad, Camaro, Chevy (Camaro's dog), Tail Lights, Man Child, Cassandra, and I all had chosen to zero while the others were either undecided or moving on. After looking into our options, we ended up with a suite above the Spring Creek Tavern which was a really nice place. We moved our stuff from the shed (cabin) and headed to the Wash Tub to do our laundry. The whole crew was there. The snow continued through the morning and there were rumors of more severe weather on the trail so the rest (Jack, Tom, AYCE, and Jarryd) finally decided to stay and zero. They ended up in the room next door.

The rest of the day was mostly resupplying, eating, and hanging out. We attempted to go to the Hot Spring Spa for a soak but they had closed due to the weather. We went back to the Iron Horse for dinner and open mic night. It wasn't the most eventful day but we spent it with friends and got some rest. Our first zero was great but I'm looking forward to getting back on the trail. The snow has continued most of the day but should taper this evening.

3/27 Day 24 Hot Springs to Allen Gap - 14.8 miles

Today was a difficult day, not as much physically but mentally. It seemed everyone was kind of down this morning. Maybe it was that the weather still wasn't great or maybe the thought of leaving town but I was ready to get going. I get kind of antsy if I spend too long in town. We all (except Nomad and Camaro) went back to the diner for breakfast which was amazing again. We were handed a binder full of letters written by local fourth graders asking questions about the trail. It was pretty entertaining.

When we got back Camaro had already left. The rest of us slowly packed our stuff and started to make our way to the trail. Nomad, Cassandra, and I were the last to leave at around 11:00 which was fine as we only planned on hiking about ten miles to the first shelter. As we climbed out of civilization the amount of snow on the ground increased. It didn't really slow the hiking much, it just made our shoes wet. After some boring miles we finally arrived at the shelter. The shelter had only one open spot and there were really no tenting options. Nomad was worn out and took the spot and Cassandra and I chose to move on hoping to find a spot to camp and maybe some of the others. We were sad as we left Nomad but we hoped he would catch us in a day or two. We discussed the possibility of trying to make it to Erwin for Easter which would involve some bigger mile days. We hiked more boring miles without finding a suitable camping spot or any friends. As it was getting dark we began to climb again and heard the banter of Jack and Tom. AYCE, Man Child, Tail Lights, Camaro, Witch Doctor, Jack, and Tom had set up their tents in a small clearing basically on trail and there was one spot left for us. We were happy to have found them but still upset that we had left Nomad.


3/28 Day 25 Allen Gap to Flint Mountain Shelter - 17.5 miles

We planned 17.5 miles that we mistakingly thought would be fairly easy based on our guide book. As we climbed up and past the first shelter the snow increase in depth and our pace slowed. We took a side trail to see an observation tower which was kind of a bust. We took a lunch break before climbing up to Firescald Knob where we had a strenuous rocky hike that offered great views.

We arrived at Jerry's Cabin Shelter at 3:45 where we first encountered the rumor that there were waist high snow drifts on Big Bald and it was impassable. Several hikers were told not to attempt to pass and to either wait it out or skip it. This was a section we would be hiking the next day but it didn't concern us much as trail rumors are many and often huge exaggerations. It seems some hikers want to make there experience seem more extreme than all others even though we're all doing the same thing. We hiked on and arrived at the shelter just before 6:00. The shelter was full and we had less than ideal options for tenting but we made it work. As we finished setting up our tent we spotted Nomad coming down the trail. We cheered as he made his way to the shelter where he told us he had hiked over 21 miles to catch us. The whole group was happy to see him. We were happy to have the group back together. We have 35 miles to get to Erwin so we worked on dividing our mileage over the next couple days. Some were planning a big day tomorrow but we decided to do a shorter day because we were pretty beat from the snow.


3/29 Flint Mountain Shelter to Bald Mountain Shelter - 18.9 miles

Another cold day. Another day forcing wet soaked feet into frozen boots. We became optimistic as the trail was not snow covered for the first three miles. Our optimism was short lived as we continued and hiked into ankle deep snow again. At least the sun was shining. We caught up with Nomad and he told us how he was thinking of getting off the trail at Sam's Gap and taking another day or two off. Our plan remained hiking to a place called "low gap" that supposedly had tenting sites and water.

We hiked on arriving at Sam's Gap as it began snowing again. The forecast was 50 degrees and sunny and it was snowing. Nomad had called a hostel to get off the trail. Witchdoctor, Jack, and , Tom took a ride to a cafe for lunch and Cassandra and I hiked on. Nomad unloaded many of his snacks on us and we planned to meet in Erwin for Easter in two days. We hiked to Low Gap and found there was no water and the camping was sub par. We chose to move on leaving a note in the snow for the others. They soon caught up to us and hiked the next few miles with us which made the weather seem to suck less. We continued over the "impassable bald" that had pretty much the least snow we had seen in days. We ended up hiking all the way to Bald Mountain Shelter arriving at dark. The shelter was full so we dug out a spot in the snow for our tent. We were closer to Erwin than we had planned so we discussed maybe hiking all the way in and staying at the hostel on Easter eve.


3/30 Day 27 Bald Mountain Shelter to Erwin, TN (Uncle Johny's Nolichucky Hostel) - 16 miles

We woke up with wet gear. I examined out tent trying to figure out where the malfunction was. As I learned when I exited the tent, it wasn't a tent malfunction we were just living in a cloud. We got moving quickly hoping to make it into Erwin at a decent hour to do our resupply and laundry. We began hiking in about eight inches of snow and within a couple hours we were hiking on dry ground for the first time in over a week. We remembered we could hike much quicker when we could see the trail.

We were the last of our group to arrive in town but when we did Nomad was there waiting on us with a Mountain Dew for Cassandra. He had decided to stay at the hostel instead of a hotel and had made arrangements for us also. Our entire group got settled in at the hostel before leaving in the shuttle to go eat, resupply, and do laundry. The shuttle dropped us off at the Celebrity Coin Laundry and we started our laundry and walked to Rocky's Pizza to place an order and then to Dollar General to resupply. We ate our dinner at the laundromat while finishing the laundry and then loaded way too many people back into the van to return to the hostel. Nomad had arranged for a local church to come pick us up the next morning and many from our group had decided they would join us. We are thinking of taking an unplanned zero here for Easter due to Cassandra's knee bothering her a bit. We'll see how we feel in the morning.


3/31 Day 28 Zero at Uncle Johny's

The church van arrived at 10:15 to pick us up. We filled the van with most of our group and some of the other hikers staying at the hostel. The pastor of First Christian Church drove us to the church. We all piled in and grabbed some seats in the back. The church was extremely welcoming and friendly. Many people approached us asking where we were from and questions about our time on the trail.

After church the pastor drove us back to the hostel and we ate some Hardee's (everything else was closed). Most of our friends prepared to leave in the light drizzle planning on hiking just five miles. We chose to stay behind with Nomad and Camaro (and Chevy of course) and planned to get on the trail Monday morning. Cassandra's knee was a bit sore and we were thinking of maybe slowing our pace a bit anyway. It was sad seeing many of our friends go but we hoped to see them and hang out in Damascus in a few days. The rest of the day we just relaxed. Later in the evening Grym (the caretaker of the hostel) gave Nomad the keys to Gina, his old conversion van, to take us into town for dinner. Only Huddle House and McDonalds were open so we had a nice MVP breakfast at the Huddle House.

It was a different way to spend Easter but I'm certain it was an Easter I'll never forget. Though we couldn't spend the day with our families we were able to spend the day with what was becoming our trail family.


4/1 Day 29 Erwin, TN to Cherry Gap Shelter - 17.5 miles

We took our time packing up and leaving Uncle Johny's. we were planning to hike out with Nomad and Camaro and just hike until we felt tired and/or found a suitable camping spot. Camaro had to go to the post office to take care of some things and we didn't want to be too far ahead of her. We finally got on trail at about 11:00. As we were leaving Camaro returned from the post office with her package and it seemed she would maybe not make it back on trail until late or the next day. It was a nice sunny day and the hiking was fairly easy. We arrived at the first shelter and sat down for a snack break. Nomad told us not to wait for him that he had some thinking and praying to do. Nomad told us he felt as if he was being called not to hike but to serve hikers. Either way, he assured us with a smile, we would see him in a day or two. We left Nomad there knowing we would not be hiking with him again. We hiked on feeling like we now had no friends as they were all ahead of us or behind us.

Because we were alone, we chose to just hike on to the next shelter making a 17.5 mile day. The clouds appeared and it rained on and off for much of the afternoon. We arrived at the overfilled shelter where we found Man Child who told us the others had planned to hike 22 miles that day. We also saw Trailmovin who had gone to Erwin to see a doctor and and was unable to get back to Hot Springs and chose to do that section later. After catching up with Trailmovin we set up camp and began cooking our dinner. As we sat by ourselves I heard a bell in the distance. I looked up the trail and saw Chevy barreling down the trail. Camaro had made it. Camaro told us he passed Nomad on his way out and he told her of his plan. As we suspected, he was done hiking. Looking at the guide book we saw the Overmountain Shelter which was a converted barn. Knowing our friends, we knew that's where they would be headed the next day. If we could do 23.9 miles we could catch them.


4/2 Day 30 Cherry Gap Shelter to Overmountain Shelter - 23.9 miles

Today was our longest day yet. So much for slowing down. When we woke up we decided if we got to Roan High Knob Shelter by 4:00 and felt good we would continue on and surprise our friends. I felt great, the sun was shining and it was warm and dry. Early in our hike we passed many people slackpacking (a service offered by Grym at Uncle Johny's) and one told Cassandra Nomad was meeting us at Iron Mountain Gap for lunch. We were excited but Iron Mountain Gap was not far from where we were; we would be there by 9:00. We got there and I had enough service to talk to Nomad. He decided to meet us at another point down the trail.

We continued hiking, I by myself and Cassandra and Camaro together behind. I arrived at Greasy Creek Gap to find Nomad and Shutterbug. They had brought stuff for sandwiches, drinks, snacks, fruits, and veggies. Cassandra and Camaro soon arrived. Nomad told us of his plans and how he was going to buy Grym's van. Shutterbug, another thru hiker taking time off due to tendinitis, had decide to join Nomad for a while to help with his trail magic. We were happy to see Nomad and he seemed so happy and excited for what he was doing.

We left Nomad and he told us he'd see us in a few days. We were feeling great and decided we were going to do the 23 miles. We were doing great. As we got closer to Roan Mountain I could see there was still some snow at the higher elevations; I hoped it wouldn't slow us much. We started the climb of what we're told is the highest peak we'll see until the Whites. It wasn't bad but the snow and ice increased as we climbed. Eventually the trail was just a solid ice chute making the climb extremely slow and difficult. We made it to the top without incident just before 4:00 so we decided with Camaro to continue. We had seven miles to go but we hoped we would arrive just before dark. Luckily, as we descended Roan Mountain we escaped the ice and were back on dry ground. We arrived just at dark and our friends cheered and hugged us as we arrived. They were surprised and impressed we had covered so many miles (especially since we told them we had planned on slowing). It was a difficult day but it was great to be back with our trail family.


Thanks for reading,

Chris

Still behind but here's the story of another three days on the trail. Hope you enjoy.

3/23 Day 20 Tricorner Knob Shelter to Standing Bear Farm hostel - 18.4 miles

Today started with cold and more snow. I don't know how cold it was; our water wasn't frozen but our boots were so I suppose it was somewhere between 32 degrees and whatever the freezing point of boots is. The first few miles seemed to fly by even with cold and ice. We hoped to hike to Davenport Gap Shelter which is the final shelter in the Smokies but we considered hiking further just to be able to say we were out of the Smokies. We got to the shelter shortly after 3:00. We didn't see anyone and there were rumors of Fresh Ground trail magic a few miles ahead so we decided to continue.

As we crossed the boarder officially leaving the Smokies we met up with Nomad and Camaro who informed us the rumor was true. We moved quickly knowing we would be well fed. He had everything like before (hotdogs, soup, salad, hot chocolate, and of course coffee) but had also added soft drinks and Little Debbies. We definitely ate our share. Fresh Ground told us his funding for trail magic had run out but he was continuing his mobile trail magic on hiker donations. He said he hopes to set up one more stop before getting on the trail himself to hike a section. It was great seeing him again. We spent some time there hanging out and eating while trying to figure out our plan for the night. Some of our group was moving on to Standing Bear Farm hostel where Camaro would be reunited with her dog Chevy (pets aren't permitted in the Smokies) while some chose to camp with Fresh Ground. We finally chose to move on to the hostel with Nomad, Camaro, AYCE, Man Child, and Tail Lights. We stayed in a small cabin built over a stream. The hostel was a nice rustic place with a snack shack full of food for resupply and of course snacks. We were able to take a nice hot shower and do our laundry (manually) and we even cooked a couple frozen pizzas to snack on. It felt good to be out of the Smokies and we hoped the weather would soon improve.


3/24 Day 21 Standing Bear Hostel to Roaring Fork Shelter - 15.1 miles

We woke to the sound of pouring rain and I was bummed about it. Chevy (Camaro's dog) jumped up in our bed to greet us and I just waited for everyone else to wake. I peaked out the window to see how bad it was raining and was happy to see it actually wasn't raining any longer. What I was hearing was the water running swiftly under our cabin. We got up and went to the snack shack to get breakfast and I found a friendly squirrel hanging out on the nut shelf.

As we left the hostel and got back in the trail we were reunited with Tom, Jack, and Jarryd who had camped with Fresh Ground. We hiked together as it began to rain and get colder. We were pretty bummed thinking we would hike Max Patch on such a nasty day. Max Patch is a large bald offering really nice views on a clear day. Just as we stopped for lunch the clouds disappeared and the sun came out. Perhaps we would have a nice day for Max Patch. When we got there it was beautiful. We hung out on the bald while Tom and Jack channeled bald energy. The next couple miles were uneventful but nice. We arrived at the shelter and there was still some room so we decided to stay in the shelter as snow was predicted again.

3/25 Day 22 Roaring Fork Shelter to Hot Springs, NC - 18 miles

More snow and cold today. We woke up and immediately changed our plan deciding to go ahead and hike all the way into Hot Springs. Maybe it was the layer of snow on our sleeping bags. It seemed our whole group had decided to hit Hot Springs this afternoon. We were on the move pretty quickly. We were making good time, likely the thought of real, hot food that pushed us. The snow was deep at times but the hiking wasn't bad. It was mostly down hill after Bluff Mountain.

We rolled into town just before 3:00. I was amazed we had made 18 miles so quickly. We went straight to the Smoky Mountain Diner for first dinner. Everyone in our group rolled in over the next hour or so and the ten of us decided to rent a couple cabins for the night. The cabins were basically sheds. We showered and hung out for a while before finally heading to the Iron Horse for second dinner. It was a fun evening for us and we're looking forward to a nice relaxing zero in Hot Springs.

Thanks for reading,
Chris

Hiking the Appalachian Trail is a foreign concept to many. Explaining to our friends and family that we were basically quitting our jobs and leaving our normal daily lives was no easy task; I'm pretty sure no one believed us. But then again, those that know us best probably knew that we were the couple crazy enough to go through with some childhood dream/far-fetched idea. As this idea became reality and the planning began, we received several strange yet warranted questions. Hopefully by now most of those initial questions have been answered leading to our current topic of trail lingo.

I hope this post will help explain some of the abbreviations and terms commonly used along the trail and within the trail community. We've received several questions asking for explanations to particular words or references used in our blog so I've compiled a brief list of those words that you will probably see us use, if we haven't already, with their accompanying definitions/explanations. Please remember that these are my rough-cut, made up, edited definitions but I hope this helps.

AT - Appalachian Trail
NOBO - North Bounder, hiking from Georgia to Maine
SOBO - South Bounder, hiking from Maine to Georgia
Thru-hike - hiking the entire trail in one season
Section-hike - a series of section hikes over time; may combine to hike the entire AT over many years
Flip Flop - hiking one direction then driving to a different location to hike back in the opposite direction i.e. say a person hikes from Georgia to Virginia but an injury/job takes them off the trail for a couple months so to ensure they get to hike the trail in its entirety they skip ahead to Maine and hike back to where they got off the trail
Yoyoing - a back-to-back thru-hike, once in each direction
Slack packing - hiking with only a day pack while the rest of your gear is held or shuttled
White Blaze - standard trail markers, painted white, along the AT
White Blazer aka Purist - a hiker who completes the entire AT; who wants to pass every white blaze on the trail
Blue Blazer - a hiker who takes alternate routes; substitutes a blue blaze trail in place of a section of the white blazed AT
Yellow Blazer - a hiker who "cheats" by hitch hiking, following the yellow center line on roads
Aqua Blazing - opting to float down a waterway that runs along the trail instead of hiking the actual white blazed trail i.e. kayak
LNT - "Leave No Trace"
Triple Crowner - someone who has thru-hiked the AT, Pacific Crest, and Continental Divide
Hiker Trash - an affectionate term used to describe thru-hikers
Yogiing - attempting to look sad enough to get free food and drinks without actually asking for it
AYCE - All You Can Eat i.e. restaurants, buffets
GORP - Good Old Raisons and Peanuts
HYOH - Hike Your Own Hike; make your own decisions
Taking a Zero - a zero mile day where you do no hiking, pretty self explanatory
Nero - a nearly zero mile day; a low mileage day
Resupply - a trip into town to get more food, drink, fuel, pick up mail drops, etc.
Mail Drop - boxes prepackaged/sent to post offices, hostels, or outfitters along the way; another method of resupply
Hiker Box - a box where hikers may give extra/unwanted food and equipment to other hikers; everything is free game and I mean everything; box is found at hostels and outfitters
Register - a log book kept in shelters and trail heads to account for hikers and a way of communication between hikers
Shelter - a 3 sided wooden/stone structure, usually by a water source and hopefully a privy
Privy - glorified outhouse for solid waste
PUDS - Pointless Ups and Downs
Switchback - 180 degree turn in the opposite direction; a zig zag of trails up a mountain, easier, and longer, than hiking straight up the mountain; prevents erosion
Vitamin I - ibuprofen
Trail Name - the name you go by on the trail; an adopted nickname
Trail Magic - hospitality/help freely given; unexpected joys/gifts found along the trail, frequently near road crossings i.e. candy, food, soda, beer, etc.; thru-hikers LOVE trail magic of any kind, seriously not picky
Trail Angels - the givers of trail magic; truly, angels sent by God to give gifts and blessings when needed most/when you least expect it

Cassandra

"Go confidently in the direction of your dreams! Live the life you've imagined."
Thoreau

I'm still behind on my updates. I'm trying to get it caught up but we've been busy walking, eating, sleeping, and just having fun in general. The winter seems to be stubbornly sticking around in the mountains. At the time of this posting we have hiked through snow 8 of our last 9 days. The weather has not been ideal but we are healthy and doing well. As before, we are extremely blessed to have this opportunity regardless of the weather.

Day 17 Russel Field Shelter to Double Spring Gap Shelter - 16.4 miles

We actually slept decently in the shelter last night. The combination of tarp covering, fire, and several warm bodies made for a cozy night. It was chilly, but the sun was shining. The hiking seemed more difficult today but we were doing alright. When we got to Derick Knob Shelter we decided with our friends Kensey and Biscuits & Gravy we would hike all the way to Double Spring Shelter and shoot for Gatlinburg for a quick resupply one day earlier than planned. The hiking seemed slow from here but we made it to Siler's Bald Shelter, the second shelter we would skip today. Trailmovin was there and Blue Moon arrived soon after. They were both worn out and I was unable to talk them into continuing with us. It was kind of sad as they each took photos of us and said goodbye as if we may not hike with them again knowing we would be increasing our daily mileage. We hope we see them again; they are two guys we have really enjoyed the company of the last several days.

The rest of the walk to Double Spring Gap was pretty easy. There were already several people there but they made room for us. It was many of the people we had camped with last night and also some others we had met before but didn't know well. There were some section hikers that left because they said a blizzard was coming. Though it was getting cloudy and the temperature was dropping quickly we got a kick out of that.


Day 18 Double Spring Gap Shelter to Newfound Gap (Gatlinburg) - 10.8 miles

Wow. This morning was cold. We knew it would be our coldest day yet but we were still surprised by the cold. The shelter was considerably warmer than the outside so I was surprised to see my thermometer reading less than ten when I stepped outside into snow. The snow was beautiful but we feared it may effect our chances of making it to town. We planned to hike to Clingman's Dome where we would try to call NOC to attempt to get a shuttle into town. There were now fourteen of us planning to go to town. The hike to Clingman's Dome and the views from it were amazing. We were hiking above the clouds (Clingman's Dome is the highest point on the trail). Someone was able to get a call out to the NOC and they were told the road to Gatlinburg was closed. We had eaten pretty much all of our food planning to resupply in Gatlinburg and now worried we wouldn't be able to make it to town. We had no choice but to hike to the gap and hope the road would reopen by the time we arrive (at least our packs were light). The hiking was treacherous on the snow and ice. Only one person out of our group of fourteen made it without falling.

By the time we got to Newfound Gap there were tourists there so we assumed the road was open but the NOC said it was still closed. We decided to try to hitch into town but fourteen dirty thru hikers is probably overwhelming to innocent tourists; most just looked at us like we were zoo animals. Some gave us a thumbs up in return as if we weren't hitching but just loving the Smokies. Some eventually had success and by the time the shuttle arrived we were down to about 8. We decided due to our late arrival and the weather we would stay the night in Gatlinburg. The shuttle took us straight to the Grand Prix Motel which was a very reasonably priced and hiker friendly place. Once there we saw Jack and Tom who had decided to zero. I thought we wouldn't see them again because of their higher mileage and quicker pace.

After eating first dinner at KFC we rode the trolley (trolley shaped bus) to the grocery store for resupply. After repackaging and sorting our food for the next five days we went to the brewery for second dinner with Nomad, Camaro, Tail Lights, and Man Child. We made it back and went to bed as we planned for a 9:00 shuttle back to the trail.

Day 19 Newfound Gap to Tricorner Knob Shelter - 15.6 miles

We woke up with the sun as is our new normal. We ate our donuts, bananas, and muffins and prepared to get back on the trail. Robbie, Kensey, B&G, and Ben had chosen to zero and tried to talk us into staying but the forecast indicated a couple of decent days followed by some severe weather so we chose to stick to our plan. We were on our way back to the trail with Tom, Jack, Nomad, Camaro, Witchdoctor, Man Child, and Tail Lights shuttled by local trail angels with a neat story to tell. They were very nice.

The first ten miles of the day's hike were beautiful. We walked on steep ridge lines and over rocks and were rewarded with some great views. The trail was still coated in a thick layer of ice so travel was slow. Our last five miles had no views and seemed to last several hours, as we turned each corner we thought for sure we would see the shelter. I wasn't feeling well, likely from not drinking enough. The snow began again as we arrived at the shelter. The whole gang was here, AYCE made it in just before dark filling the shelter. More snow coming tonight but we hope to be out of the Smokies (or very close) by tomorrow.

Thanks for reading,

Chris

Day 12 - Wayah Bald Shelter to A. Rufus Morgan Shelter - 15.5 miles

Last night was a cold one. I think I stayed out too long and for that I went to bed cold. We got up and moving by 9:30, we were in no particular hurry. We planned to hike to Wesser Bald Shelter 10.6 miles away and then decide from there whether or not to hike on. We arrived at Cold Spring Shelter fairly quickly but slowed as we approached Tellico Gap, it seemed like a lot of ups and downs today. We were treated to some nice views on the Wesser Bald tower. We moved on to Wesser Bald Shelter. It was empty, we felt good, and it was still early in the afternoon so we chose to move on to the next shelter.

The last few miles seemed to take forever (as is the norm). We rolled into the A. Rufus Morgan shelter where some thru hikers we knew were setting up camp and a few more hikers rolled in after us. It seemed no one wanted to sleep in the shelter due to a warning about spiders. It was unusually warm so we hung out pretty comfortably until dark and then we all headed to our tents (or hammocks). Tomorrow we're planning for a short hike to the Nantahala Outdoor Center where we'll hang out and eat lunch before moving on.


Day 13 - A. Rufus Morgan Shelter to Sassafras Gap Shelter - 7.7 miles

Last night was the warmest night we've had so far, I imagine it was in the high 40s. We woke up and got moving fairly quickly; we didn't eat much breakfast because we knew we would be at the NOC (Nantahala Outdoor Center) in less than an hour. When we got to the NOC we saw Tom and Jack from Colorado who we hadn't seen in a few days. It was nice to see them again. We went into the general store to get just a couple items we needed and ended up with pints of ice cream. I finished mine without a problem but Cassandra needed some help.

After our ice cream breakfast we went across the street to the outfitter to get our permits for the Smokies. New this year, thru hikers have to register online to hike the Smokies. The permit is $20 per person and you're allowed 8 nights in the park. The NOC had a computer set up for hikers to register and print their permits. We picked up what items we needed at the outfitter and went outside to hang out in the sun for a while before having lunch. Blue Moon, a hiker we had spent several nights camping with, was surprised by a visit by his son and daughter in law; it was nice to meet them.

We finally made our way into The Rivers End restaurant for lunch with some other hikers. We had a good meal and relaxed for a couple hours and then it was time to move on. After lunch we had a big climb, we knew it would take pretty much the rest of the day. It turned out we ate too much and then waited to do our 3000 foot climb at the hottest time of the day and it was hot(ish) for a change. By the time we reached Sassafras Gap Shelter it was full and all tenting areas had been claimed. We decided we would climb back to the trail and camp on the ridge above. The wind and rocky ground was making pitching our tent difficult and I worried we would have a sleepless night. Apparently rain was also in the forecast. We ate oatmeal for dinner and were in bed at dark. We plan to wake up early to try and get to Cheoah Bald for sunrise.


Day 14 - Sassafras Gap Shelter to Cable Gap Shelter - 15.2 miles

No rain last night and luckily the wind calmed to only a slight roar waking us up only occasionally. We were up at 6:30 to try and get to Cheoah Bald for sunrise. When we got out of the tent we saw several lights already moving up the trail; it seemed we weren't the only ones with this brilliant idea. "Breakfast at the bald"
they were calling it. We didn't quite make it but we enjoyed the views along the way. We arrived at the bald and there were already 15-20 hikers there eating breakfast and enjoying the sunrise. It was a really cool thing to spend our morning in that way.

We moved on and stopped for lunch at Stecoah Gap before climbing Jacob's Ladder which was essentially just a steep hill; nothing really worthy of being named in my opinion. The rest of the hike was fairly uneventful. We arrived at the shelter around 4. We had a quiet but enjoyable night at camp. Tomorrow we will hike to the Fontana Dam where we plan to get a good nights sleep at the lodge before entering the Smokies.


Day 15 Cable Gap Shelter to Hwy 28 (Fontana Lodge) - 5.5 miles

We woke to sunlight though it had rained part of the night. About half the hikers had already left camp by the time we got up. We took our time knowing we had a short hike and also to allow our tent to dry. Because we would be entering the Smokies, there was a good chance our tent would stay packed for several days. In the Smokies, you must sleep in the shelters unless they're full in which case you can tent "in the vicinity of the shelter."

As we climbed the first climb I was feeling pretty weak. We stopped for a break where I ate a snickers bar dipped in peanut butter. I call this "AYCE style" named after the hiker named AYCE from whom I stole the idea. We arrived at the road crossing where we were then shuttled to Fontana Village where we had planned to share a room with Rooster and Chickadee at the lodge. At the lodge we saw some other hikers we knew who were waiting out the planned power outage to do some laundry. We got to our room, showered and headed to the laundromat. We started our laundry and then walked to the Pit Stop where we would get lunch and resupply. It was basically a carry out with a bar that had a very small selection of hiker food. We had been told we couldn't resupply at Fontana but we were able to get enough food to get us half way through the Smokies without difficulty.

After finishing our laundry and resupply we went back to the lodge to watch Taken 2; it was nice to sit down and watch a movie. We then ate a nice dinner at the lodge and went back to our room for the post resupply repackaging and packing. We plan to enter the Smokies tomorrow, hopefully with good weather. There's a lot of talk about the Smokies among thru hikers; most seem to fear this section. We're looking forward to seeing what the Smokies have in store for us.


Day 16 Hwy 28 (Fontana Lodge) to Russell Field Shelter - 15 miles

We woke up early to get breakfast and hopefully get on the trail at a decent hour. Cassandra and I went to breakfast while Rooster and Chickadee slept. We went back to the room to pack our things and the others went to breakfast. We decided instead of waiting on the others to get a head start. We went to tell the others we were leaving and they had decided to stay and take a zero. We caught the shuttle back to the trail and we were on the trail by ourselves; it was strange knowing they would not be coming along as we had been with Rooster for over a week and he was one of our first trail friends.

We were on the trail by 10. We crossed the Fontana Dam and entered the Smokies. We met a ranger at the entrance checking permits. It was an uneventful but nice hike. We arrived at the first shelter in the Smokies at about 3:00 so we decided to move on to the next shelter. We got to the next shelter quickly and it was nearly full of mostly people we knew. The shelters in the Smokies are large and have fireplaces. Just as it was nearing bedtime a few section hikers strolled in. We now had over 20 people in a shelter that sleeps 12. I guess that will make for a cozy night with the fire.


Thanks for reading,

Chris

For those that know me, you know how much I love to eat. Like my father-n-law, when I'm eating lunch, I'm thinking about what's for dinner. When I'm working out, I'm thinking about all the extra calories that I get to eat for the day. I just love food.

Out here on the trail, my love for food is 10x worse than it ever was at home. Now, I don't just love food, I'm obsessed with food; it's all I think about (well, not all the time but a good chunk of the time). Amongst thru-hikers, this thought process is considered completely normal; everyone is obsessed with food. I'd venture to say that food is one of the most talked about topics on the whole AT.

Now, food is essential for several reasons, first and foremost being survival via nutrition and sustenance. On average, an AT thru-hiker will consume about 3,000-5,000 calories per day--a rough estimate, please don't quote me; each thru-hiker's diet varies per preference, caloric need, finances, and food availability. Whatever the caloric intake, I think every thru-hiker can agree on the fact that whatever we eat, it is never enough. All you can eat (AYCE) buffets are always a big hit when we roll into town--sometimes freshly showered and bathed, and sometimes not so fresh right off the trail; I apologize in advance to any unsuspecting patrons. Clean or not, a trip into town is always a much needed and wanted break from the trail. Sometimes you just need/crave "real" food. Plus, the extra calories are needed for the trail.

The average thru-hiker will lose 10-20 pounds, sometimes within the first few weeks i.e. Chris; others may lose more depending on how much expendable weight a hiker has from the beginning. No matter what a thru-hikers starting weight, food, and lots of it, is always a necessity for the trail. To give you a better idea of what Chris and I eat when on the trail, here's an example of a typical day.

Breakfast:
- oatmeal, 160 calories per packet, x 2
- carnation breakfast essentials, 130 calories per packet; we also like to add some instant coffee and protein powder to complete our breakfast smoothie concoction.

Snack:
- pop tart, 200 calories per serving

Lunch:
- tortilla, 110 calories each
Option A:
- pepperoni, 7ish calories per slice
- cheese, 110 calories per 1 oz
Option B:
- peanut butter, 190 calories per 2 Tbsp
- strawberry fruit spread, 50 calories

Snack:
- Snickers, 250 calories per bar
or
- Milky Way, 240 calories per bar
or
- another Pop Tart, 200 calories per serving

Dinner:
- mashed potatoes, 220 calories (per person, we share)
- macaroni and cheese, 375 calories per person/serving
or
- pasta sides, 320 calories per person/serving

Dessert:
- Nutella, 200 calories per 2 Tbsp

Extra/essential:
- Powerade, 130 calories per bottle, 20 fl oz; if coming from a resupply in town and happen to need a new bottle, the Powerade, or Gatorade, makes for an added bonus.
or
- electrolyte replacement drink mixes

The list above is just an example of a typical food day for the 2 of us. However, eating the same thing everyday gets kind of boring and old so you get creative and try to combine things that sometimes work and sometimes don't. For example, I've learned that ramen noodles, peanut butter, and hot sauce actually combine fairly well to make a rustic Pad Thai. So that was a good combination, we won't get into some of the not so good combinations I've observed being eaten on the trail.

Well, I could go on and on about food; if you couldn't tell, food is one of my favorite subjects. And now, thanks to the trail, I am happy to say that my stomach is rarely ever full. I eat and eat and after an hour I'm hungry all over again but never gain weight. It's pretty awesome; I still read labels and count calories but in reverse-the more calories the better. Hope I made you hungry, please eat something good for me :-)

Cassandra

For additional information on thru-hikers and food, check out this article, or not, but here it is anyway:
http://www.appalachiantrail.com/advice/food-and-water/planning-meals-for-a-thru-hike.html

"If most of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold it would be a merrier world."
J.R.R. Tolkien