So here I am in Bland, VA which is about 2 miles from mile 590 of the A.T. I’ve met up here with Woodstock and Giggles. You might recall I’ve hiked with these two before, back in the early days. I last saw them at Standing Bear Farm back in April. My plan to travel […]
The Tough Decision
At the start of Day 81’s (June 1st) short hike, there was a section of trail that was in high sun, had rocks and tall grasses. Areas like these are hot spots for snake activity. This put my on instant “alert status” which means watching the ground ahead intently. Seemingly idle sticks are often mistaken […]
Day 81: Sam’s Gap to Sam’s Gap
Oh, how quickly one’s mindset can change out here. Just hours ago I was genuinely excited to be back on the trail and hiking again. Somewhere along the 1.5 miles of progress, something snapped in my mind. I am done with my thru hike attempt. It’s a difficult decision and a difficult admission, but I […]
Day 67 – 80
Where have I been and where am I going? Day 67 would’ve been the next daily post, so I’ll start there. On this day, May 18th, I hiked the 2 miles from Hogback Ridge Shelter to Sam’s Gap, where the A.T. crosses Interstate 26. A few minutes after hiking, I briefly considered contacting Wendy to […]
Intermission
This is just a super quick long overdue update post. I am still alive and have been in Suffolk the past two weeks. I return to the trail tomorrow, June 1st, and will start where I left the trail at Sam’s Gap. I’ll follow up here later today with a short recap of my last […]
Day 66: Flint Mountain Shelter to Hogback Ridge Shelter
Well, as the saying sometimes goes, “the best plans lay wasted.” My plan for arriving in Erwin tomorrow is now shot to hell. Arriving a day later is not an option either. My knee has gotten worse and it’s turned this happy-to-be-back-on-the-trail hiker into a pissed off frustrated hiker. It’s just a little too ironic […]
Day 65: Little Laurel Shelter to Flint Mountain Shelter
Well, I did it… I managed my first 13 mile day since returning to the trail – woohoo! I’m presently in my tent listening to the wind rustling the trees and an occasional period of sprinkling. The wind is highly variable and it feels like the bottom could drop at any moment. I just hope […]
Day 64: Hemlock Hollow Hostel to Little Laurel Shelter
Today’s planned 10 mile day didn’t happen. It wasn’t a bad day’s hike or anything like that. My knees are still in quite a bit of pain, so I decided to do an easier 3 mile day to this shelter. It’s probably a good idea; a couple miles from here there is a 1.5 mile […]
Day 63: Tanyard Gap to Hemlock Hollow Hostel
This place is at mile 290ish and is 0.7 miles off trail. That made this an 11 mile day. Yay! The hostel isn’t quite as cool as Standing Bear Farm was, but it’s still a nice place. Every hostel on the A.T. has its own unique character and this one doesn’t disappoint. I am tenting […]
Day 62: Return to Asheville
I am now back in Asheville, NC where I will be picked up in the morning. During my drive here I called Bluff Mountain Outfitters in Hot Springs, the same place I’ve twice used for transport the last two weeks. The shuttle driver will be the same guy as the other two times. I plan […]