Albert Mountain pictures

First view of Albert Mountain fire tower 

2010 Thruhikers "Shaken" (L) and "Nature's Own" (R)

Provided Trail Magic just below Albert Mountain

Albert Mountain - 100 miles on the AT from Springer Mountain

The view East from Albert Mountain

Muskrat Creek to Carters Gap shelter to Long Branch shelter

   3/27/15 - The rain started sometime around midnight. It continued off and on all night, and in the morning we were still having occasional drizzle.  And fog. And cold, somewhere in the low fifties.  And we were facing a 13 mile day, and having to climb Standing Indian Mountain.  That's a climb of 1166ft from Deep Gap to the summit in 2.5 miles.  Actually not too bad on a good day, but today it was awful.  I had to pull over at Standing Indian shelter, a mile or so short, and change into dry clothes.  Still, I made the top before 2pm, and shortly afterwards the sun broke through.  The air dried out nicely, but the temperature dropped, signaling the arrival of the cold front.  It's supposed to freeze tonight into the twenties, and that forecast was for Hiawassee, down the mountain.  At 5:30 here at Carter Gap shelter, it's already below 40 with a stiff breeze and sunshine.  Brrrr!  My water filter has been placed in a ziplock bag and stuffed inside my sleeping bag for protection.

The European contingent is here tonight.  Heisenberg from Kiel, Germany, Tenspeed and several others I haven't met yet.  Ben, Kyle and Alicia (ntns) from Univ of Maine are here.  

Freeze dried spaghetti and a Snickers bar for supper never tasted so good, lol.  I was hungry!

Tomorrow will be a shorter day, only 8.6 miles.  I'll have a 400ft wake up climb, then an easy drop to Betty Creek Gap.  Then a 1000ft climb in 2.5 miles over Albert Mountain.  This year, unlike 2007, I should have a good view.

View from my tent door - Brrrr!

   3/28/15 - it was forecast to freeze, and Brother, did it ever!  As I was dropping off to sleep last night, I heard a pitter patter on my tent.  I went to sleep and woke around 3am for a bathroom break.  When I opened the tent fly door, I got a face full of.... SNOW!  I looked like about a quarter of an inch or slightly more.  Brrrr!  I crawled out at 6:30, grabbed my food bag from where I'd hung it, dragged it into the tent and wiggled back into my sleeping bag.  Finally, it got light enough about seven to take a picture out the tent door. My water bags had almost frozen, so I decided to leave camp without extra water and hope it warmed up. I ate a cold breakfast and hit the trail about 8:30.  I had on my long sleeve shirt, a wind breaker, my down parka, a buff rag around my neck, a wool cap, and my rain jacket and kilt with my liner gloves and my rain mittens.  It as still a good half hour before my fingers warmed up.

I don't think it got above 45 all day.  There's certainly plenty of snow left in shady places and at 6pm, I'm already in my sleeping bag, even though the sun hasn't set.  It's just too cold out!

We hit Trail Magic just before Albert Mountain and the old fire tower.  Shaken and Nature's Own, 2010 thruhikers, were serving hot dogs, soda, tangerines and bananas.   Sooo good!  Blackout, Emily (ntn), Tucson and I enjoyed the bounty and pressed on up the last .2 miles (and up 420 feet!) to the fire tower.  It's almost hand over hand at times.  Emily was so fast I stated she must be half mountain goat and told her she now had a trail name.  She might actually keep it.  I ran into Colt 45 and his dad Crusoe Fire coming down from the tower. They slack packed in from Winding Stair Gap and are headed back today (19.6 miles round trip) to meet family at the Gap and then drive over to the Nantahala Outdoor Center to spend the night with family.  Then back again to Winding Stair Gap to continue forward.

Tomorrow I have a 7.3 walk to Winding Stair Gap.  No hurry, in fact I don't want to get there until after 1pm since my ride doesn't get out of church until then.

Dicks Creek Gap to Muskrat Creek shelter

Ethan left his shoes, he's now walking barefoot.

One state done, 13 to go!

The twisted oak at Bly Gap, NC

Fortunately, he was South-bound!

It's not all dirt and rocks

3/26/15 - I left out of Dick's Creek Gap at 8:30. Ten-speed, who is from Switzerland passed me an hour or so later.  Pops is still behind me.  While sitting for lunch, Full Throttle and Grasshopper passed me going south.  They are slack packing from Bly Gap back to Dick's Creek and ToG hostel tonight.

Top of Georgia hostel first opened in 2014, and the staff works hard to keep it looking nice.  Some people complain about the pricing, but really I think it more about the confusion over what is charged and what isn't.  Twenty dollars for a bunk bed isn't bad, and neither is five for a shower, it's when the customer can't see the menu that problems start.  The breakfast is eight dollars, and you get about what a restaurant would serve for that price. I'd stay again.

The trail out of Dick's Creek Gap starts at elevation 2675, jumps to 3176 in a mile, drops to 2900 at Cowarts Gap and then shoots straight up Buzzard Knob to 3750 in just over a mile.  After bouncing around for five or six miles, the trail climbs to the Georgia-North Carolina border at 3833ft and then charges up Courthouse Bald to 4666ft in a mile and a half.  It's as if the trail crews in NC are saying,"We can build tougher trail than those Georgia crews".  It was a tough day.  Coming off the final peak before Muskrat Creek shelter, we passed a view to the west.  I'll look up the town we saw when I get Internet service again.

It's fun to read the comments people send to me about the pictures I post.  It's really encouraging, knowing that y'all are enjoying this trek as much as I.

View of Dave Barrett Creek area, NC from just before Muskrat Creek shelter

Pictures from Hiawassee, GA

2013 Thruhiker "Foot"

Main room of Top of Georgia Hostel - A really nice place to stay!

The Top of Georgia Hostel - Only 0.6 miles from the Trail

A peaceful stream in a rhododendron thicket just before Dicks Creek Gap, GA

Sassafras Gap camp to Dicks Creek Gap/Hiawassee

3/24/15 - It's a good thing it didn't rain last night, I tore the pole pocket on my tent and it collapsed.  Ultralight tents are cool but fragile, and I roll at night.  On the way down from Kelly's Knob this morning, I passed 2000 Thruhiker Tater and his six month old yellow Lab.  Tater told me the outfitter in Franklin has a satellite shop in Hiawassee.  I called them and they can get a tent up by tomorrow morning.  It'll weigh more, but is free standing and easier to put up, important in the rain.

Coming off Powell Mountain after Kelly's Knob, I got Trail Magic from a group of dayhikers.  Five couples in their sixties or seventies had fanny packs with tangerines and packets of mixed nuts.  The tangerine sure was good at the Gap!

At the Gap, Thruhiker Foot had more Trail Magic, Snickers bars and butterscotch drops. 

I met SirPacksaLot, the owner of Top of Georgia hostel, as well as Rennaisance, Buttercup, both staffers at ToG.  SPL agrees with my decision to change tents; he feels that ultralight tents are a bad idea on the southern AT due to the temperate rainforest climate.

Meadow will be leaving the trail tomorrow.  She's been a fun hiker, and will be missed.  Colt 45 and Crusoe will start out late with Wolfpack.  So I'll be transitioning to a new group of as yet unmet hikers.  

Unicoi Gap to a trail camp

3/23/15 -  Joyce picked us up from the Holiday Inn Hiawassee at 9:45 and had us at Unicoi Gap about 10:15.  It was a good start to the day.  Sunny, about 60ish with a light breeze, perfect.

At Indian Grave Gap, former Thruhiker Grits was giving Trail Magic hotdogs, soda (and beer for some reason), while waiting on a southbound section hiker named Doc.  A hiker named Ethan (ntn) was there.  Ethan is wearing leather dress slip on shoes; says he'll go barefoot later.

We got to Tray Mountain shelter about 2:30, way too early to stop.  It's 17 miles from Unicoi Gap to Dicks Creek Gap, too far for a single day yet, but we made it 10.4 miles to Sassafras Gap.  Resolute, Full Throttle and Grasshopper, Voodoo and Gummybear, Crusoe Fire and Colt 45, Meadow and I are here. There's a decent spring about 100yds downhill.  Full Throttle says he saw some wild boar when he was getting water for supper.

Tomorrow it's 6.3 miles to Dicks Creek Gap and a shuttle Hiawassee.  I'm a little concerned about going to the hostel as I've heard there is norovirus in at least one hiker friendly restaurant. It may be at the hostel too. So I guess I'll go back to the Holiday Inn for another night. Or maybe the hostel.

Trail Angel "Grits"

Trail across the top of Tray Mountain

Hiawassee, GA from Tray Mountain summit

Low Gap to Unicoi Gap/Hiawassee, Ga

3/21/15 - The mist didn't lift until after midnight at Low Gap.  And since it was crowded and I arrived fairly late compared to others, the tent site I found wasn't level.  So I spent a good part of the night sliding off my air mattress and up against the tent wall.  Between the tent floor, the air mattress and my sleeping bag, it was like trying to maintain a stack of wet watermelon seeds.  Morning was not fun.

The day started cold and damp, but the sun came out about 11am.  I was wearing sunscreen, but with no leaves on the trees, I might as well have been at the beach.   The trail over able Mountain has sections of rocks, which today were still slick with mud.  Add in the elevation gains and losses during the day and it made for a tough day.  And with the forecast calling for a day and a half of rain starting around midnight tonight, I pulled off at Unicoi Gap and got a hotel room in Hiawassee, GA.  Looks like I'll be here two nights.  Then back to Unicoi, spent two days walking over Rocky Mountain, Tray Mountain and Kelly's Knob, and I'll be at Dick's Creek Gap.  Which is on the other side of Hiawassee.  So yes, walk 17 miles over three mountains to get to the starting point.  It's ok, a few weeks from now, the AT actually runs South East in order to go North.  For about 40 miles! Onward!

 Fog/Mist on the way to Low Gap

A spring somewhere on Blue Mountain (wasn't able to brace the shot).  Water was cold and so good.

And yes, this is what bad trail looks like.  Guaranteed to cause sore feet and legs.

Cloud walk to Low Gap

3/20/15 - Slept decently last night in a nice, dry, real bed.  It's still drippy outside, but looks like a doable day.  There's a chance for showers as it heats up so I'll keep the rain gear handy.

Started at 9am, made it to Tesnatee Gap at 12:25.  The mist would not lift and the wind in the gap was strong and cold.  We hiked out before 1pm.  Made to Low Gap in the rain about 4:30pm.  Eleven and a half miles in 7.5 hours, works for me.

Tomorrow is supposed to dry out,  I'd like to do 13 miles to the old cheese factory campsite, but I'm not sure what Meadow or Sam I Am have planned.  

I'm considering getting a shuttle into Hiawassee to a motel instead of the hostel as it looks like rain on Monday and I expect the hostel to be full.

I notice the SPOT coordinates are all over the map today. I guess the clouds are interfering with the signal.

Rained out at Neels Gap

I zeroed today due to the cold rain.  It hasn't gotten above 46 degrees, and when it hasn't been raining its been a heavy mist fog.  Today's journal entry:

I spent the night at The hostel here at Neels Gap.  It was not a good night.  The place was full, and is poorly ventilated so it has two dehumidifiers running al night.  It was still hot and muggy.  Several people walked on last night.  Suki and her friend spent the night at Bull Run camp and hiked back down today.  Wall-e from Norway fixed his pack and hiked out today.  It's a cold, rainy day.  The hostel has a one night rule and I haven't found a cabin anywhere so it looks like I'll be setting up tonight somewhere on trail in the mud.  Bleh.

I got in a cabin with Lea, whose partner Monarch has gotten a sore knees and very demoralized and is going home.  It's really sad, because this trip is her idea, a ten year dream.  She's got braces on both legs and looks so sad. Lea has already spent money for a 1 month vacation and needs trail support and a hiking group, so Dusty, Bean Counter, How Far, Full Throttle and his wife Grasshopper, and I will form a group for awhile.  We've got a shuttle into town tonight for restaurant food.  Tomorrow will be warmer and less rainy.  Rain is forecast for Sunday, but we'll be dropping into Hiawassee that night.

There's a veteran's group, the Warriors, in tonight.  They're a group but are scheduled to meet every so often, as well as getting VFW support.

Blood Mountain summit for lunch

Windy night at Jarrard Gap

3/17/15 - More Trail Magic at Woody Gap. Some ladies from Indiana had set up and were offering grilled hotdogs.  Great lunch!

Made Lance Creek restoration area at the base of Blood Mountain at 3:30.  Most everyone stopped there although there's only four decent tent spots.  They're jammed in tonight.  I planned to eat an early supper then push up to Slaughter Creek camp, but got to Jarrard Gap at 5:30 and decided to stop.  There're two guys I've been hiking with since Springer, so it's cool.  I'm beat anyway, I made nearly 11 miles today, starting at 2800 ft elevation, climbing to 3700ft, dropping to 2900 then back to 3250.  Tomorrow is a 6 mile day over Blood Mountain at 4450ft.  I'll sleep at Neels Gap tomorrow.  There's rain forecast for Thursday, I may have to zero.

Sunflower Weeahwakeh and her husband Bossman dropped into camp about 6:30pm.  They plan a night hike to Blood Mountain summit tonight.  Two miles up trail and 1200ft up.  No, just no.

Sassafras Tea

3/16/15 - I made it to Sassafras summit by 12:30 and stopped for lunch.  Started the day with 2 liters of water and now it's gone.  One more peak in the next 2 miles then I'll drop to Justis Creek and water.  I've met Bossman and his wife Sweetflower (Weeawake?).  Beautiful sunny day, about 75 degrees with a light breeze.  Al"Deacon" Jones, 77, is the trail maintainer.  Carrying a pack, full shovel, rake, loppers and a saw, he out hikes people ⅓ his age.

Today I met Spirit (Thruhiker 2012).  She was ahead of me in 07, but threw her back out and dropped at Waynesboro, VA.  She was north of there in 09, in Shenandoah National Park at Loft Mountain campground, and felt and cracked her pelvis.  She threw her back out again in 12, spent a week in Hanover, but finished, although in pain.

I also met Bearbait and Bugspray, two first year med students at Univ of Wisconsin out on Spring break, and Stacie (ntn).  Stacie is worried about making miles, so we talked a bit and I passed on the wisdom given me by Buffalo Bobby.  

Made it to Gooch Mountain shelter, the whole camp is full, so I'm in a hillside wishing I had a hammock.  Oddly enough, I found out at sunset the shelter is nearly empty, 3 guys in s shelter for 14.  The college crew Stacie is with got in early and lounged around making it look full.  Boo!

Breakfast was freeze dried (FD from now on) biscuits in gravy with Starbucks latte.  Lunch was a good bar and a Snickers.  Dinner was FD chicken fajitas on flour tortillas, a liter of strawberry drink and another Snickers.  Snacks were gorp and beef snack sausages.  I drank a liter of water after breakfast, left out with two, had another liter at Cooper Gap thanks to Deacon, who brought 6 gallons for the hikers, another liter and a half at Justus creek and wished I could've had a bath, two more before supper and another half before bed.  I have another for overnight and three more waiting to filter.  Counting the liter before breakfast,  is I think 10 liters so far today.  With a possible 11 by tomorrow morning.  And it's only mid-March!

Tomorrow I shoot for Slaughter Creek camp, a dry camp a half mile after Woods Hole shelter.  That will be a 12.7 mile day, but there's not as much elevation as today.  Woods Hole and Slaughter Creek are in the bear area, so I'll get to make use of my canister.  Then mail it home the next day!

Springer to Hawk Mtn

Springer Mountain Summit

First night on the trail

3/15/15 - We got to Springer Mountain summit about 11:30am and met the ridge runner Tom, trail name Warrior. There were a lot of people up there, day hikers as well as thruhikers.  We headed down at noon.  I realized I had not turned on my SPOT, so I did so at the car.  I loaded up, Diane took some pictures, and off I went.

I headed for Hawk Mountain shelter at mile 8.1.  On the way I met One Step and her husband Decaf, two older guys How Far and Beep, and an old guy named Pops.  Also Speakeasy and Seadog, both guys older than me.  I passed Long Creek Falls at 3pm and Hawk Mountain Shelter about 6pm.  Two miles before the shelter - Trail Magic!  Jacqueline and Ariane were handing out candy bars and water.  Didn't need it but it is appreciated.

The weather turned sunny and it warmed to near 70.  Tomorrow is supposed to hit near 80.

Pictures

 Halfway up

 Diane and Bryan

 Top of the falls

 

Bearskin rugs are sooo soft!

Touring the park

   The day started cool and foggy, and stayed that way until supper time.  But it was a good day anyway.  We grabbed breakfast, then headed to Amicalola Falls State Park, the closest point to Springer Mountain.  The ranger station maintains a checklist for hikers, one for section hikers, another for thruhikers.  I signed in as Thruhiker number 427 for this year. Then we walked out back to the first shelter, Mac Epperson shelter, then up the park road to the base of the falls.  We hiked up to the top of falls, meeting other tourists along the way.

   Amicalola Falls are 729ft, the highest east of the Mississippi, and the path up involves a 175 step stairway, a crossing over the front of the falls then another stairway of 425 metal steps.  It is marked as 'strenuous'.  If the weather is good, the view from the top is very nice.  We met Jay, no trail name yet, saw 6 or 7 other hikers besides him and met a younger couple from Alpharetta, GA wearing Virginia and North Carolina sweatshirts.  Their story was, she had gone to Virginia, he to NC, and a bet had been made over Friday's ACC semifinal game.  She lost, and so had to wear the North Carolina colors, but he was a good sport and was wearing Virginia.

   Lunch at Amicalola Falls Lodge was club sandwiches and fresh fruit.  The strawberries and pineapple were perfect.

 

Testing adding Photos

This is a picture of frost on the door of my SUV this morning.  I edited for contrast and cropped the shot.

My plane flies on the 12th.  I am ready to get hiking!