Day 7 - Fire Tower

Miles Today - 16.2

Woke up this morning not only cocooned in my bag, but between Rose and Cruiser. It was lightly drizzling, so I quickly packed up, crammed my pockets with food, and set out. The first few miles were an ascent up Standing Indian Mountain, which was wreathed in clouds.

At around 11 the rain began to clear and the clouds drifted away. I stopped at a nice vista and had lunch with Bear Juice. The rest of the day was rolling hills until a steep ascent to a fire tower, which marks the 100 mile point. As I was summiting, the rain returned, but I still pulled myself up the stairs to the top of the tower, only to find it locked! Damn it!

I slouched down the last few miles, arriving at the shelter around 3. With hours to kill, Bear Juice, Rose, Yogi and I chatted in the rafters. This shelter was built last year and is all sorts of big.

I'm planning on staying in Franklin tomorrow to rest, relax, and resupply. The others might stop in to supply as well. I only have a 7 mile hike to the crossing, so I'll be taking a "nero" (not quite a zero).

Day 6 - Border Crossing!

Miles Today - 20.3

I managed to learn the names of the two hikers I've been with: Rambling Rose and Bear Juice. Awkwardness avoided!

I woke up this morning to find I had rolled three feet over with my nose inches from a seven foot drop to the shelter floor. Uh oh. I scrambled back and scrunched up in my bag, building up the willpower to face the chilly morning. I few minutes later I found the energy to get my coat on, grab my food for the day, pack up and get going by 7:40 or so.

Today's hike involved a lot of good ascents that teasingly skirted the peaks, providing absolutely no views. The sky was grey and foreboding all day, the rumor that rain was to start at around 4.

Close to noon I came across Rose, eating chips in a tortilla at the GA/NC border. Another hiker named Atlas joined us, and we all snapped some pictures. Past the border was a very twisted, gnarled tree in a clearing, perfect for a photo opp, but by that point my phone was off.

The rain did indeed start around 4, coming in pitter-patters. I slipped on my pack cover, but left off the poncho. The final ascent was tough, but the poor weather and my growling stomach spurred me on. I arrived at the shelter a little before 6, and squeezed my bag in.

There's 8 of us crammed in here, lined up like sardines. It's very cozy, and very warm. Tomorrow we're doing either 16 or 19 miles, and the day after stopping in Franklin. Hopefully the fact that it's Easter Sunday (something we had all forgotten) won't stop us from getting rides. For now, it's time to settle into my bag with a belly full of noodles, and get some good reading done.

Day 5 - Post Rest

Miles Today - 13.1

I woke up at 7 as always, which was a half hour before the alarm I had set. In that moment I did the math of how long I could stay in this bed before I ran out of money. But the temptation of a hot shower was too strong, and I soon hopped out of bed. I picked up breakfast at Subway and ate it while packing and watching Spongebob. At 9 I was on a shuttle headed back to the trail.

In the shuttle was a big family with a husky, and a few other long distance hikers. We chatted about where we were from and the weather, i.e. basic hiker chat.

The first part of the trail today was a pair of tall mountains. I pushed up both, feeling much better. As the terrain became more hilly my toes started aching again, maybe I wasn't all better after all. I spent the whole day passing back and forth between three other hikers (whose names I cannot remember, I am so bad at names). At the end of the day was about a 700 foot gain, which felt brutal on my weary muscles, and then a drop back down. I was very happy to arrive at the shelter.

After chatting, reading, and eating my noodles I set up my sleeping bag in the rafters. I love rafters! Score! And I got a whole wing to myself to spread out in. There was a mouse sighting, so tomorrow I may be very upset with a sleeping bag full of holes, but I have faith. Tomorrow two of the hikers I hung out with today are thinking of doing about 20 miles to a shelter, and I hope to feel well enough to join them. If not, I'll stop 5 or so miles short at another. Now off the massage my toes and fight off the mice!

Day 4 - Magic

Miles Today - 15.4

Last night was rough. I did not fully understand how cold it would be. My foot warmers ended up in my food bag, and stumbling around in the arctic temperatures to retrieve them did not seem like a fun prospect. So I curled up and gritted my teeth through the night.

The morning was a bit better. My second pair of socks and bandana had frozen solid. It took a lot of willpower to crawl out of my mummy bag. I packed up quickly and wished my companion good luck. I immediately realized that the last night had left me unprepared for the miles today. I was stiff, sore, and my long toes felt bruised from smashing down hills. I set a slower pace, resting up a lot. The icy temperatures made me stow my poles and shove my hands deep in my pockets.

The trail wasn't that bad, made up of rolling ups and downs. Trees blocked out any views, but by noon it had turned sunny and warm. I continued to start and stop my way along the trail, snacking and meeting a whole bunch of people. A group of Canadians down for 10 days from Alberta, Mad Max, hiking the trail in his year off from studying economics, Fancy Pants, who's section hiking her way through the South.

At Unicoi Gap Fancy Pants offered me and another hiker a ride to Hiawassee. I graciously accepted, excited to stay in a motel and rest up. But first we came across Peaches, who was doing some trail magic at the Gap. I gorged on sodas, chips, and Oreos, feeling beat after a hard day.

At Hiawassee I poked my head into the Budget Inn. The sign had the "no" in "no vacancies" lit up, but it was the cheapest place in town so I wanted to be sure. The manager took one look at me, and decided to give me one of his rooms that someone else had reserved earlier. "You get a feel for people, you know? And I feel this guy isn't gonna show." Charging me only 40 bucks for the 80 dollar room he handed me my key. And gosh what a room. TV, kitchen, fridge, shower and two beds. I feel like I'm in heaven.

After resting up on the couch here I plan to hit the town for supplies and a big ol' dinner at the Chinese restaurant around the corner. But not before a good shower. Tomorrow I plan to take it slow, as I think my feet with still be howling, and stop at a shelter either 8 or 14 miles down the road. The gain tomorrow looks challenging, so tonight's rest will be much appreciated.

Day 3 - Opposite of Day 1

Miles Today: 19.4

On Sunday I was peeling off my shirt at every break, and my hands were so slick with sweat holding my poles was problematic. Today I wore every article of clothing I have, and my fingers were completely frozen into talons around my poles.

But that was the afternoon. The morning wasn't too much better. I woke at 7 in the rain, and slept in till 8, hoping it would subside. It did not. Everything wet or damp, I packed up and headed out by 8:30. Not wanting to filter water in the rain, I decided to push only with only a quarter liter.

Around 10 the rain stopped. But the wind started. Still covered by a dense fog, the wind chilled me to the bones as I trudged up Blood Mountain (luckily not aptly named). The miles today were fairly easy, but the wind made it hell.

Around 2 I reached Neel's Gap and quickly ducked into the outfitter's. I bought and guzzled down a Sprite, and then browsed the web and bought some food as my phone charged. Here I picked up some water, and then fighting the urge to stay at the hostel, pushed on.

The next 5.5 miles were easy, but the wind was so fierce keeping my poles on the ground was becoming difficult. I struggled on to where I thought the shelter was, only to find it was a mile off the trail. Ugh!

The shelter is not the best, offering only a little protection against the wind. The other hiker here and I are in our respective tents/hammocks, in the shelter, to stay warm. Tonight is supposed to be frigid, but tomorrow should be warm. I might take a slow day and stop at an early shelter, or go further and try to hitch into town. I'm just excited for above 50 temperatures!

Day 2 - Too Much Fog

Miles Today - 17.2

Today I had to skip the shelter and push on to Woody Gap, so that tomorrow I could avoid an area of the trail where camping is restricted save for those with bear canisters. Of course that meant today is the day it started pouring.

I left the shelter at 7:45, full of energy. Singing some songs to myself I passed Skeeter, eating breakfast by a stream at Three Forks, a lovely waterfall. Skipping the view I pressed on. The fog was dense, and I knew at any second it would start raining.

The morning was uneventful, and I stopped to rest at a road crossing before I started doing my serious elevation of the day. As I began up the first mountain the rain started. I switched into my poncho and pushed on, bandana sopping wet. Up another mountain and then across a few miles of slight ups and downs I reached the Gooch shelter at around 1:00.

Unpacking to dry off a little, I chatted with the people who were staying there tonight. Munching on some jerky I watched many of the people I had passed earlier stumble in, dripping water. Glad I wasn't staying there that night, I shouldered my pack and continued on.

The last 5 and a bit miles felt rough as I grew more and more weary. Clearly I am not in tip top shape. I stumbled into Woody Gap and lay on a park bench. The local hiker hostel had a shuttle, but they were full up for the night so I decided to set up my hammock. A cook and bear bag later I was in bed before 7:00.

Tomorrow I crest Blood Mountain, and will hopefully be able to see something. The fog today obscured every view. I will then cross through Neel's Gap, where there is an outfitter, and hope to find a shelter by night. Should be an 18 mile or so day, with some decent gains, so I'm a little nervous.

What's On My Back

Gear is quite the subject among hikers. There's a culture built up around finding that perfect kit. Especially among thru-hikers, many of whom fall under the ultralight category, reducing your base pack weight can seem almost as strenuous as the hiking itself. And it doesn't help that for every piece of gear you find, there are most likely twenty off brand slightly different alternatives you could buy, each with their own zealous supporters. Screw having a guide for the trail, I've spent the last few months wishing I could just have a guide for my gear.

The worst part is that living in the woods is an incredibly expensive affair. The true scope of the money you have to spend is not immediately apparent. Your pack, shelter, and sleeping bag are all going to be multi-hundred dollar items, sure, but it stops there, right? Browsing through REI or its ilk you find your cook sets, bear bags, gadgets, ponchos, water filtration, and what have you reasonably priced. I quickly sat down with a piece of paper and a blue marker and started writing down everything I needed, then the brand I wanted to buy and how much it would cost me. At the end I tallied up the expense. Sure the "big 3" would knock me out a few hundred, but the rest were all below 30 dollars a piece! I hit enter, and my jaw hit the floor. I don't like calculating total expenses anymore (and that was before I started buying clothes).

As much as a set out to be an ultralight hiker, I don't really fall under that category anymore. My disgust for ultralight pricing (sleeping bags shouldn't be $500, come on), and my desire to bring entertainment with me has been steadily increasing my base weight. So what I've listed here is by no means an ideal, but just what I've cobbled together these past few months. Chances are high I discard and replace some in disgust within the first week.

Backpack

Here I think I hit the jackpot though. I'm rocking the GoLite Jam 50, an amazingly light, amazingly cheap pack that's garish blue color should stand out from miles away. Seriously, that picture in no way does it justice. This pack is blue. At just under 2 pounds and just over 100 dollars this is by far the best deal I've seen on an ultralight bag, and was immediately added to my list. Having worn it around town for the past few weeks I've found it comfy, and equipped with lots of easy to reach pockets for snacks, which is obviously the most important quality in a bag.

Weight: 1 lbs 14 oz

Shelter

This was actually the first piece of gear I selected, way back around November. My lab partner camped, and told me how much he loved the Hennessy Hammock. I cannot agree more. This thing is like sleeping on a...well...a hammock. Which I think is high praise. It's light, quick and easy to set up, and did I mention comfortable? Drawbacks include "cold butt syndrome," where due to the fact that it's off the ground it lacks the insulating warmth you get from a tent, and in lower temperatures your backside gets chilly. This I can attest to, having taken it out in sub freezing temperatures, something I hope not to have to do again (but I will be coming prepared with foot warmers). Once you get used to lashing this thing up it works like a dream.

Weight: 2 lbs 4 oz

Sleeping Bag

Picking a bag was a nightmare. There's too many, and they're all the gosh darn same. And the lightest ones are so expensive it's aggressive. Add to the list of problems the variable temperature on the trail and it can be hard to pin point a temperature rating you want. Some people switch out their bags as they go north, but I'll be aiming not to do that. I ended up with the Marmot Cloudbreak 30. It's cozy, pretty warm, and it packs up alarmingly small. The only issue is that the outside material and my jacket feel exactly the same, which is very confusing when trying to pull the hood up over your head while wearing the jacket. I spent a few awkward minutes tugging at my back and not understanding the problem.

Weight: 2 lbs

Water

Drinking, it turns out, is important. I'll be using a Sawyer Mini filter for the trip. It's essentially a large straw that filters water drawn through it, or squeezed through it via a supplied bag. Because I'm a worrywart, I also have a little bottle of pills in case the filter goes to hell. I then also have a bladder to store said water.

Weight: 9 oz



Cooking

I love to eat. I especially love to eat after a long day of hiking. See, I'm not the best cook. But after a day of strenuous hiking literally everything tastes good. So on the trail, I am my own master chef. I'm packing a Trangia Mini Stove Kit. It's a basic alcohol stove, windscreen, and pot, but a feature I like is that the pot lid doubles as a frying pan. Most light weight cooking kits forgo the ability to fry, and if I go four months without bacon I will without a doubt snap and do something dangerous. Stuffed in there I also have a lighter and a box of matches, and my fuel is carried in a blue Powerade bottle. Very high tech, I know.

Weight: 12 oz

Clothes

This is the real kicker. Just when you thought you had it all, you realize that your wardrobe is woefully prepared. Thru-hikers make do with a very small amount of clothes. I'll be bringing a t-shirt, long sleeved Under Armor shirt, some zip off pants, two pairs of Smartwool socks, and two pairs of underwear for my normal clothes. On top of that I have my favorite hoody (which I was tempted not to bring but I'm a sucker for nostalgia), a lightweight jacket, a hat, fingerless gloves, and a poncho. I'm really skimping when it comes to clothing. High tech light weight rain gear is very cool, very useful, and costs a fortune. I'll be making due with what I have, and my sunny disposition.

Weight: 2 lbs 10 oz (of course a good deal of that is worn per day)

Gadgets

Some people go hike the AT to get away from the modern world. To leave their phones behind. I am not one of those people. I intend to jam my way to Katahdin to the tunes coming out of my earbuds. To this end I am taking a pair of MP3 players that run off of a single AAA battery. One for music, the other for podcasts and audiobooks. To keep my phone charged I have a Bear Grylls Solar Wrap. People call the AT the "green tunnel," but at the very least it's a nice external battery. I also have a SPOT Locator. Every night I hit a button and it sends my location to friends and family so they know I'm alive. And if I'm in danger of not being alive for much longer, I can call for SOS. Finally I have my Kindle, which my friend Paul graciously let me borrow. I intend to have it loaded with 50 books by the time I leave, as I read voraciously when hiking.

Weight: 1 lbs 2 oz (including cables and extra batteries)

Everything Else

I've also got first aid, a pack cover, my AT guide book, a headlamp, rope, a bag for food, toiletries, and a small towel that dries very quickly. As well as a whole bunch of plastic bags that everything goes in. And of course, my knock off Aviators I bought for a dollar.

Weight: 13 oz (...ish)

So all told I'm carrying about 12 pounds, give what I've forgotten and take what I'm wearing or carrying. This is 3 or 4 pounds above what I wanted when I set out, but most of this extra weight is from me being stingy, and from the non essentials that I want to carry, like my electronics. Although sometimes stressful, it's been a fun exercise fitting the next few months of my life into a 50 liter pack.

My next post should be on Sunday night, my first from the trail. Thanks to everyone who has given me their support so far, it's meant a lot to me. Starting on Sunday I'll be doing my best to make daily posts, reception allowing. Until then, thanks for reading!