Appalachian Trail Hike

My flip-flop thru hike on the AT in summer of 2015

[athike2015]

12 Dec 2015

Welcome to my reliving of my 2015 AT hike.  I have decided to share my trip as a day by day memory.  Each day I will share my personal journal (what I captured while hiking the trail), my comments (thoughts about the journal/trail from present day), and pictures from the day of the hike.

Miles hiked (day / trip) - 1.0 / 2190.3 (FYI - mileage doesn’t match AWOL guide. AWOL shows 2189.2)

Staying - Springer Mountain

Journal

No trail journal.

Comments

What a journey.  I’m so glad I had the opportunity to hike the AT.  I’m glad I relived the journey day by day.  It brought back great memories.

I thought I would show what trail view looks like.  The final pictures are the trail pictures from the last mile... every 5 minutes.

Pictures

Summit

[athike2015]

11 Dec 2015

Welcome to my reliving of my 2015 AT hike.  I have decided to share my trip as a day by day memory.  Each day I will share my personal journal (what I captured while hiking the trail), my comments (thoughts about the journal/trail from present day), and pictures from the day of the hike.

Miles hiked (day / trip) - 19.8 / 2189.3

Staying - Big Stamp Gap

Journal

Saw 13 section hikers & 4 day hikers.

Loud military vehicle on road shortly after I crossed.

Ford Mustang in the Springer parking lot - I feel like I’ve been lied to about condition of the Forest Service Roads.

Today was all about me.  I didn’t write in any shelter logs.  I didn’t take any pictures of good views - I wanted them only for myself.

The hike was almost everything I liked about the trail - Views from mountain peaks, walking next to a river, well graded and maintained trail, great weather (not to hot/cold, sun out, some white puffy clouds)  It really reminded me of what I love / loved about the trail.

Comments

I saw today as the end of my hike.  I know I had 1 more mile, but...

I waited in the parking lot for Abby and friends to pick me up.  I thought about completing the trail.  I thought it might be nice to complete by myself.  I’m glad I didn’t.

Pictures

Today was for me.  Sorry no pictures.

[athike2015]

10 Dec 2015

Welcome to my reliving of my 2015 AT hike.  I have decided to share my trip as a day by day memory.  Each day I will share my personal journal (what I captured while hiking the trail), my comments (thoughts about the journal/trail from present day), and pictures from the day of the hike.

Miles hiked (day / trip) - 2169.5

Staying - Woody’s Gap / Hiker Hostel

Journal

One day of long hiking left - I don’t think the 1 mile summit will be a problem.  Leg continues to feel weird - I’m going to elevate to see if I can reduce the weird feeling tomorrow.

Day 11 of 12 @ 20 miles per day.  Amazing.  I think the turning point was after Hot Springs, when I started visualizing myself summiting.  I would not have believed it, but I think the positive imagery changed how I hiked so that my injuries could heal.  In the past, I saw the goal and all of the things that could get in the way (most of the time I didn’t see the ones that were the issue) and the problems drove me to think / act differently.  Maybe positive thinking generates positive actions which minimizes issues (that now can be resolved).

Sad that it took until 200 miles from the end to get my epiphany, but glad it happened.

Comments

I think the biggest trail learning was positive thought lead to positive actions.  I’m shocked it took 2000 miles to learn that.

Pictures

Neels Gap - Walking thru outfitter.

Trail maintenance flags

Flags designate work to be done.  One more step due to the flag.

Blood Mountain

Blood Mountain

Woody Gap

[athike2015]

9 Dec 2015

Welcome to my reliving of my 2015 AT hike.  I have decided to share my trip as a day by day memory.  Each day I will share my personal journal (what I captured while hiking the trail), my comments (thoughts about the journal/trail from present day), and pictures from the day of the hike.

Miles hiked (day / trip) - 20.2 / 2151.9

Staying - Whitley Gap Shelter Trail

Journal

Got to see sunrise on Tray Mountain.

Saw Cake @ Blue Mountain shelter.  He is planning his summit for Saturday.  He was hiking w/Superfly.

Tent camping w/a chance of rain.  I didn’t want to hike 1.2 miles to get to a shelter... plus 0.3 miles for water.  3 miles - no way.

Last night sleeping outside.  It will be nice to have a warm room to wake up in and eat - w/o shivering.

Comments

I met Cake at Mark Noepel shelter (13 Aug 2015).  It was a surprise to see him again.  For weeks, I had been reading his log entries.  He had some dark log entries.

Pictures

Sunrise on Tray Mountain

[athike2015]

8 Dec 2018

Welcome to my reliving of my 2015 AT hike.  I have decided to share my trip as a day by day memory.  Each day I will share my personal journal (what I captured while hiking the trail), my comments (thoughts about the journal/trail from present day), and pictures from the day of the hike.

Miles hiked (day / trip) - 22.8 / 2131.7

Staying - Tray Mountain Shelter

Journal

Random SOBO sleeping by the side of the trail.  ~5pm yesterday, I heard the sound of water being filtered (crushing of plastic bottle - repeatedly).  Then I saw the bag this morning.

Met Bonnie & Clyde.  2 NOBO’s that are planning a thru hike.  did’t ask what happens when they need to snow shoe.

Hiked beside a group of wild boar - very near the shelter.  I thought it was some hikers on a different trail until I saw them and heard their soft oinking.

Very limited views from the hike today.  Hoping to see more tomorrow and Thurs.

Against my better judgement I’m shelter.  I’ll find out how bad the mouse problem is.

Addendum (on 9 Dec)

Don’t Panic and Freedom Fries showed up at the shelter.

The mice weren’t that bad.  I’ve had worse.

Comments

I was so excited to see Don’t Panic and Freedom Fries.  I expected they were ahead of me on the trail, but they had taken a down day.  Awesome to have a trail reunion.

Pictures

Trail view - 2000+ miles and I took a picture every 5 minutes.

[athike2015]

7 Dec 2015

Welcome to my reliving of my 2015 AT hike.  I have decided to share my trip as a day by day memory.  Each day I will share my personal journal (what I captured while hiking the trail), my comments (thoughts about the journal/trail from present day), and pictures from the day of the hike.

Miles hiked (day / trip) - 21.8 / 2108.9

Staying - Muskrat Creek Shelter

Journal

Some easy hiking today.

4 days left.

~80 miles.

Feels a lot colder than yesterday.  I think I’m going to shelter tent.

View from Standing Indian only OK.  Not sure if it was worth the side trip.

Saw 3 section hikers.  2 were on their honey moon trip.  That was 3 more than I expected to see.

Comments

I got lost hiking off Albert Mountain.  I somehow lost the trail and found myself in the middle of the woods.  I had to use my phone / Guthook (AT guide) to get back to the trail.  I think this was first first time I “lost” the trail since New York state.

I continued to see NOBO’s.  That surprised me.  I didn’t think I would see people hiking north at the start of winter.  Good luck to them.

Pictures

View from Albert Mountain Fire tower

Standing Indian Mountain

[athike2015]

6 Dec 2015

Welcome to my reliving of my 2015 AT hike.  I have decided to share my trip as a day by day memory.  Each day I will share my personal journal (what I captured while hiking the trail), my comments (thoughts about the journal/trail from present day), and pictures from the day of the hike.

Miles hiked (day / trip) - 23.1 / 2087.1

Staying - Long Branch Shelter

Journal

102 miles to go.  Less than 100 mile wilderness to Katahdin.

I feel good.  Nothing is really hurting.  Right ankle has weird pains, but its not impacting the hike.  Knee pain seems to be going away.  Shin hasn’t hurt in days.

Cool stone tower on Way bald.  Bypassed Siler Bald - thought it added 1 mile to my day (actually only 0.4).  I was hiking hangry (hungry that makes you angry) at the time.

Trail in this area doesn’t pointlessly take hikers across every peak.  It goes from gap to gap when there isn’t a view on the peak.  Trail was long but not really tough (a lot less up and down vs. yesterday).

5 days left.... till I see Abby.  Until I’m effectively done (yes, I will still have 1 mile to hike).

Comments

PUD’s, Pointless Up and Downs, were common in VA.  I think the trail went over every hill regardless of how big or small.  I am glad that NC didn’t feel the need to complete with VA on PUD’s.

Pictures

Shelter are frequently defaced with graffiti.  I don’t like it.  However, this shelter had the name Scuba Steve, which is a nickname for a friend.

Wayah Bald tower

View from Wayah Bald tower

[athike2015]

5 Dec 2015

Welcome to my reliving of my 2015 AT hike.  I have decided to share my trip as a day by day memory.  Each day I will share my personal journal (what I captured while hiking the trail), my comments (thoughts about the journal/trail from present day), and pictures from the day of the hike.

Miles hiked (day / trip) - 18.4 / 2064.0

Staying - Cold Spring Shelter

Journal

Great weather.  Great views.  Loved the view from the jump off.  Enjoyed a conversation w/a health care worker who loves to hike.

Got lucky w/resupply.  Tried to resupply @ NOC.  Limited junk food.  Got two hitches to a gas station and back.  I should have enough food to get to Neel’s gap & last resupply.

Shelter has a really cold draft in front.  Going to cook in the shelter to stay warm.

Comments

There was 3000 ft of elevation drop and gain going the Nantahala Outdoor Center.  Surprised I didn’t mention that.  The hike down included several aggressive drops.  I was surprised, because the trail south of PA typically included switch backs, but less used on this portion.

The nights were getting cold.... really cold.  I’m pretty sure I shelter camped again this night.

Pictures

Cold Spring Shelter

Nantahala Outdoor Center

Wesser Bald

[athike2015]

4 Dec 2015

Welcome to my reliving of my 2015 AT hike.  I have decided to share my trip as a day by day memory.  Each day I will share my personal journal (what I captured while hiking the trail), my comments (thoughts about the journal/trail from present day), and pictures from the day of the hike.

Miles hiked (day / trip) - 21.9 / 2045.6

Staying - Sassafras Gap Shelter

Journal

4 weekend warriors

1 Hawaiian guy that hiker in Fontana left b/c he was crazy - thought the hiker could heal people w/his hands.

Hike was tough.  2000ft of up late in the day.  Took a lot of effort.  The bald only had OK views.

Got mobile signal - was able to talk w/Abby and get weather.  Less chance of rain Mon/Tues, but Friday has a high chance.  Fun!

Shelter camping for the heat,  No flat spots around the shelter.

Comments

In hindsight, I’m pretty sure the Fontana hiker was the crazy one.  Fontana hiker was “running” from the Hawaiian guy.  Fontana hiker had a 12″ knife.  Hawaiian guy asked if I saw the Fontana hiker; he was concerned for him.

I asked all of the shelter if I could shelter camp.  In my past, I caused issues with shelter camping.  I didn’t want to repeat that issue.

Pictures

Fontana Hilton

Cheoah Bald

[athike2015]

3 Dec 2015

Welcome to my reliving of my 2015 AT hike.  I have decided to share my trip as a day by day memory.  Each day I will share my personal journal (what I captured while hiking the trail), my comments (thoughts about the journal/trail from present day), and pictures from the day of the hike.

Miles hiked (day / trip) - 15.0 / 2023.7

Staying - NC208 / Fontana Dam

Journal

Four days of 20 miles a day ad no pain in the shin - amazing.  I hiked slow.  Remember to control my pace tomorrow.

Good views from the fire tower along the way.

Trail was easily hike able.

Loved the conversation w/Elmer in the morning.

Enjoyed the ride w/Ron (or Ronnie).  Long shuttle from Allen Gap  - over 3 hours.

Comments

This is the day I KNEW I was finishing the trail.  I think the painless hike was part of it, but I think I was mentally sure.  I think the mental portion was more important than the physical portion.

Elmer was the owner of Elmers Sunnybank Inn.  It is a B&B/Hostel that provides a great breakfast for $6.  The breakfast was great, and Elmer was even better.  He is a self proclaimed luddite.  He didn’t have wifi.  His radio was out of the 80′s (maybe 70′s).  But had had books, magazines and newspapers everywhere.  Glad I chose to stay at Sunnybank.

Ronnie provide a LONG shuttle from NC208/Allen Gap to Fontana Dam.  This shuttle completed my weird flips.  I have completed everything north of Fontana Dam.

Fontana Shelter was interesting.  Fontana shelter is referred to as the Fontana Hilton because it has such nice provisions for a shelter.  I was the first person to arrive (in the dark).  Three more people arrived (weekend warriors).  A hiker arrived and decided to sleep in the bathroom (it had a heater and the night was expected to be cold).  I met / talked with him in the bathroom in the morning.  He was hiking away from a guy b/c he thought he was crazy.  He wanted to know if I had seen him (I will tomorrow).

Pictures

Hot Springs from AT

Fire Tower view

Fire Tower view

[athike2015]

2 Dec 2015

Welcome to my reliving of my 2015 AT hike.  I have decided to share my trip as a day by day memory.  Each day I will share my personal journal (what I captured while hiking the trail), my comments (thoughts about the journal/trail from present day), and pictures from the day of the hike.

Miles hiked (day / trip) - 18.0 / 2008.7

Staying - Hot Springs

Journal

I’m concerned my body will hold up.  My shin and knees seem to be getting worse... I’m taking more drugs to compensate for the pain @ night.  Not sure if 9 more days are available to me.

Outwardly, I’m positive.  Nothing has broken... yet.  The drugs are “fixing” the problem.

Today when I was hiking into town, the shin was hurting similar to the day after Big Bald - and it only got worse after that.  Maybe this time I’m smarter and allowing my body to heal.

Time for my nightly shin therapy of message and elevation.  Let’s hope that by tomorrow everything is back to normal.

Comments

I kept this instance of the shin pain from everybody.  I didn’t know if it was going to cause an issue and I didn’t want to cause concern.  So I said nothing.

I spent most of the night rubbing my shin and elevating my leg.  I was hoping that I could continue my hike.  I didn’t want to leave less than 200 miles undone.

Pictures

Walnut Mountain Shelter

[athike2015]

1 Dec 2015

Welcome to my reliving of my 2015 AT hike.  I have decided to share my trip as a day by day memory.  Each day I will share my personal journal (what I captured while hiking the trail), my comments (thoughts about the journal/trail from present day), and pictures from the day of the hike.

Miles hiked (day / trip) - 25.8 / 1990.7

Staying - Roaring Fork Shelter

Journal

Crushed 26 miles in the rain w/a lot (~5000ft) of up and down - and I feel good. I was worried about the shin, but it doesn’t seem to be a problem.

Beat a decent rain storm by about 15 minutes - go me.

10 days to complete 200 miles... I feel good about the given today’s hike.

Comments

26 miles after leaving with shin pain.  Go me.

I wish I could have stopped the rain.  I’m certain I missed lots of good views due to clouds / fog / rain.

I was mentally preparing to be done hiking.  I had spent over 4 month hiking, and I was nearing the end of the trail.  I was finally visualizing the end.  I could clearly “see” me finishing the trail.  I was starting to realize that positive thoughts lead to positive actions.

Pictures

I-40 underpass - I will stop and visit when I drive thru the Smokeys area.

[athike2015]

30 Nov 2015

Welcome to my reliving of my 2015 AT hike.  I have decided to share my trip as a day by day memory.  Each day I will share my personal journal (what I captured while hiking the trail), my comments (thoughts about the journal/trail from present day), and pictures from the day of the hike.

Miles hiked (day / trip) - 20.3 / 1964.9

Staying - Crosby Know Shelter

Journal

Met a lot of SOBO’s on the trail:  Power Slide, Jolly, Bo-Line, Rockfish.  They are staying at Tri-Corner knob.  I hope I see them @ Fontana shelter on Thursday.

Staying @ Crosby Knob w/ Blackbeard.  I met him @ Hiker’s Welcome.  He remembered me as the guy who said he was moving his house on the trail.

It rained last nigh and most of the day, limiting the views, and making trail rivers.  In general, not too bad, b/c there was limited wind.  I’ll take it over what it could have been.

Comments

Seeing hikers was a highlight of my hike.  I didn’t realize how excited I was until I saw so many hikers I knew.  It was weird seeing them face to face.  Normally, I walk up on (or see) a butt.

I used to refer to hiking as moving my house on the trail.  I joked I had either a small house (back pack) or the biggest (the whole woods).  My job was to move it down the trail.  In hindsight, I think I did pretty good.

Pictures

One on my favorite trail pics.  It’s how I sometimes thought of the trail - a long green tunnel.

Jolly and someone.

[athike2015]

29 Nov 2015

Welcome to my reliving of my 2015 AT hike.  I have decided to share my trip as a day by day memory.  Each day I will share my personal journal (what I captured while hiking the trail), my comments (thoughts about the journal/trail from present day), and pictures from the day of the hike.

Miles hiked (day / trip) - 16.5 / 1944.8

Staying - Ice Water Spring Shelter

Journal

My crazy flip flop beings.  I’ve hiked the souther portion of the Smokeys.  Now I’m hiking north to Allen gap (north of Hot Springs).  At Allen gap, I’ll get shuttled back to Fontana.  Crazy schedule.

I’m doing it this way b/c I decided to hike the southern portion of the AT w/my brother (who I almost broke).  I needed to hike trail I skipped and this seemed like the easiest way to complete the skipped portion of trail.

I feel pretty good.  My shin seems to feel better when hiking down vs up/flat.  So hiking north from Newfound should give my shin some time to heal.  When I got into the shelter my right shin had a weird sharp pain while I was standing in place.  Rubbed it out / stretched.  Seems to be ok, but that was concerning.

I have 12 days (Friday the 11th of Dec) and 240 miles of trail.  All I need to do to finish is hike 20 miles a day, or 18 miles per day and a couple of long days at the end.  Who knows?

Comments

I switch locations / directions a few times.  Let me recap in case you are trying to follow where I’m at and what part of the trail I’ve hiked.

I left the trail at NC208 / Allen Gap.  I hiked everything north of NC208.

I jumped south to Newfound Gap.  I hiked south from Newfound gap to Fontana Dam.

I jumped from Fontana Dam to Newfound Gap.  I started hiking NORTH from Newfound Gap.  I plan to hike to NC208 / Allen Gap; meaning I will have hiked everything to Fontana Dam.

I spent a lot of time in the rain, including the Smokeys.  I’ve hiked the Smokey’s before, and the views are typically very good.  I was sad to miss the views due to rain.

Pictures

Wet hiking day with my brother

Fontana Dam

Hiking north from Newfound Gap

[athike2015]

28 Nov 2015

Welcome to my reliving of my 2015 AT hike.  I have decided to share my trip as a day by day memory.  Each day I will share my personal journal (what I captured while hiking the trail), my comments (thoughts about the journal/trail from present day), and pictures from the day of the hike.

Miles hiked (day / trip) - 16.5 / 1928.1

Staying - Russel Field Shelter

Journal

Good hike.  Went over Rocky Top.  Had a long slow hiking day and feel good.  Hope the leg continues to feel good tomorrow.

A weekend warrior / section hiker kept offering trail magic.  He wanted to find me on the trail.  He said he needed to plan the 4 hour drive to get to the trail.  It was a lot creepy.  I hope he doesn’t find me.

Comments

I write a lot less when I have company.

I don’t think I apologized to my brother, and I should have apologized.  I was a hiking machine at this point.  Even with injuries, I could hike 3+ miles an hour uphill.  I didn’t slow down for my brother.  That was unfair / unkind.  I’m sorry.

Pictures

[athike2015]

27 Nov 2015

Welcome to my reliving of my 2015 AT hike.  I have decided to share my trip as a day by day memory.  Each day I will share my personal journal (what I captured while hiking the trail), my comments (thoughts about the journal/trail from present day), and pictures from the day of the hike.

Miles hiked (day / trip) - 10.8 / 1911.6

Staying - Double Spring Gap

Journal

Back on trail after resting my shin.  Skipped a little trail to hike w/Darin.  Unfortunately, the shin was still hurting.  I hope this is not a thing.

Walked up Clingman’s - highest point on the trail.

Haven’t broken Darin yet.

Night hiked - first time.

Addendum - The morning after.  The trail in the Smokey’s was harder than I remembered.  I recalled mostly dirt w/a few areas of rock/steep.  Not a lot of steep (yet), but a lot of rocky/rooty portions.

The views were good.  The look of the forest is unkempt.  There are down, rotting trees almost everywhere.  It takes away from the trail experience (not sure why).

The sunrise is amazing.  Deep purples, oranges, reds, blues, yellow... almost every color represented.  The sky is overcast and I swear I heard rain drops this morning.  I’m hoping its merely fog rain.

Leg felt better this morning - lets hope it stays that way.

Comments

I jumped around on the trail.  I’ll try to explain, in case you want to know where I am.

I left the trail at NC208 - north of Hot Springs.

I returned to the trail at Newfound Gap in the Smokeys.  I am hiking south to Fontana Dam with my brother.

I enjoyed having a hiking partner.  I spent a lot of time on the trail alone.  It was nice to know I would have someone to talk with.

Pictures

My brother and I at Clingmans.

Sunset - First time seeing it while hiking.

Fallen trees - that somehow took away from my experience.  Weird.

Clingman’s Dome

[athike2015]

22 Nov 2015

Welcome to my reliving of my 2015 AT hike.  I have decided to share my trip as a day by day memory.  Each day I will share my personal journal (what I captured while hiking the trail), my comments (thoughts about the journal/trail from present day), and pictures from the day of the hike.

Miles hiked (day / trip) - 0.0 / 1900.8

Staying - NC208 / Cincinnati

Journal

No journal entry

Comments

Taking time off to heal and celebrate Thanksgiving.

Pictures