Spring has Sprung

Day 41-43

We had a few zero days in Damascus while we waited for Chameleon's tent to arrive. We were planning on one zero day but it was nice to give our bodies a bit more of a break.

I managed to rest a lot by buying a puzzle and a book at the thrift store. I also ate a decent amount of food while also trying to maintain my budget by eating out for some meals and cooking some camp style.

Day 44

Chameleon's tent arrived this morning! We were both so glad. We had already decided to move on whether or not it came but it all worked out!

Today was my first day wearing my new boots on the trail. I will have to experiment with lacing them up different ways tomorrow. At first my right toes were tingling but after a couple adjustments that went away. My foot still feels rather stiff though. It may just be part of the break in process.

We hiked into the evening and I enjoyed watching my shadow move across the landscape. It was long in the evening light and would flit between the ground, trees, and leaves, jumping between horizons. It was mesmerizing.

Day 45

I saw wild ponies today! I must admit I was a bit nervous to get close but when Chameleon called out, "I'm touching mine!" I was reassured. The ponies were clearly accustomed to hikers because one tried to get food out of my hip belt pocket.

Today was the first day I hiked after dark. The moon was out providing light, but I finally put on my head lamp for the last 20 minutes or so of the hike. It was our longest day timewise- we left at 8:30 in the morning and arrived at 9 pm. My feet will hurt tomorrow I'm sure.

Day 46 

This morning there were beautiful blue skies as I walked across some fields. I  saw a long-horned cow with her calf wander down the mountain side. It was good to know that the females have long horns too because I was a bit nervous yesterday when I saw two bulls walking near the AT. Perhaps they weren't bulls after all.

There was back to back trail magic today! One man made each of us an omelette! That was delicious and impressive. Gray Jay was set up for two weeks of trail magic. We enjoyed snacks and good conversation.

Tonight we arrived at the shelter with plenty of down time. It was so nice to play ukulele around a fire again. The sunset was beautiful even with the privy in view.

Day 47 

I really enjoyed myself on the trail this morning. Some days just feel great and this was one of them. It did cool down and rain in the evening but the morning was fantastic.

I miscalculated the miles so we walked past our planned campsite. We found another spot but there was no water. I was thankful for the rain because I was able to catch water off my rain fly to drink. How perfect!

Day 48 

I hiked in the fog the morning after waiting out the rain. It was a bit chilly but we didn't get the snow that some other hikers got last night.

We took a shuttle into Marion, got our food for the next few days, then thoroughly enjoyed a Chinese buffet. I ate so much food that my pants fit again!

The Partnership Shelter had a shower and a sink. It was a good afternoon for freshening up, repacking, and hanging out with other hikers.

Day 49 

I spent the day volunteering at a camp in Virginia with three other hikers. People from the camp came to the shelter last night to ask for volunteers and after discussing we decided it sounded like an adventure. I was very surprised this morning to discover the land was owned by the parents of a girl I knew from a singing camp. She was home and I got to reconnect with her. The world really is a small place!

Our major task was to weed a large bed in the garden to get it ready for planting. I helped make bread in the afternoon! We were driven into town to get ingredients for dinner and on the way we stopped at a Mennonite store. It was customer appreciation day so we all got free ice cream! I also bought some dried peas for the trail and a rhubarb pie for dinner. I really enjoyed the drive through southern Virginia. When hiking I can see the farms from the mountains but they were even more beautiful up close.

I ate so much food at dinner, everything was delicious. I think I might have been even more full than after the Chinese buffet.

 

Day 50

Flowers are blooming and bees are buzzing! The air smells like spring. I saw the tallest lilac bush with deep purple flowers today outside an old school house. People had left trail magic inside the school and it looked as though we arrived just after it had been restocked.

 

There was a beautiful golden moon tonight that rose over the mountains. I loved serenading the moon.

Day 51

Today was another beautiful day of hiking. I have now hiked 1/4 of the Appalachian Trail! As the temperature gets warmer I am beginning to wonder just how sweaty and unpleasant the summer may get. I had sweat dripping off my face today. The higher temperatures also mean I won't be able to bring cheese or cream cheese. So sad!

 

I saw a ground hog in a tree today. It was certainly scared of me and scrambled and tumbled its way out of the tree. Very strange!

Day 52

I saw my first bear today! I heard something move and was surprised to see a black mass. It stopped than ran further up the hill. I cautiously walked forward, we were watching each other. Eventually it ran up and over the ridge. The bear was amazing to see. It felt so special to make eye contact with a bear.

I spent much of the afternoon walking on a ridge. To my left there was lush green pastures with grazing cattle. Occasionally the sound of mooing would drift up the mountain to my ears. There were huge rocks creatin sudden drop offs. To my right was thick forest, with the many shade of green, yellow, and red buds and leaves.

This morning I met Smile. She was a returned Peace Corps Volunteer too! RPCVs do automatically have a special bond as I'm sure AT thru-hikers have too. Smile mentioned that RPCVs have perseverance and I have to agree.

What a wonderful day!

Day 53 

Today seemed like the easiest 15 miles of the trail so far. The day flew by. I paused on the trail, taking a moment to really absorb my surroundings and to be thankful. I am so grateful I am able to hike the trail. Sometimes the trail does take me out of the woods.  This was quite a day for highway crossings too.

I experienced more great trail magic today. These people were so well stocked but the highlights were fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, and meatball subs.

Day 54 

This morning I got on the trail a bit earlier than usual, packed up by 7:30. It felt good to finish 10 miles before lunch. The afternoon seemed to drag by. I knew we were going into town and my body was ready for a rest before we arrived.

We paid to camp for the first time, but $6 included a shower and laundry so it was a great deal. The shower was really hot and the washer and dryer did a great job. The setting itself is odd and not so clean. There are other hikers here as well as some more permanent looking arrangements. We resupply tomorrow and the be back on the trail.

Happy 600 miles today! 

We Found Virginia! Four States in 40 Days

Day 37

We hiked only 2 miles today into Hampton Tennessee! It was great to have almost a whole day of resting my feet. After finding the hostel we went to the grocery store where I bought chocolate milk and an ice cream sandwich. We then got directions to the diner for breakfast. In order to minimize our walking for the day we went straight to Subway to buy lunch the bought groceries for three days. Going to town is all about food!

A view of Hampton from the trail

It was strange to be inside all afternoon but it was great to be off my feet! I watched two movies and called my mom. Overall it was a good nero day.

Day 38

I woke up to clouds and cold air but it turned into a beautiful day. I Believe and her husband picked us up in the morning and dropped us off at the trail head so that we could slack pack for the day. It felt so different to hike without a pack on, I could tell I was using different muscles.

Watauga Lake from afar- we hiked from the bottom section of the lake, around the perimeter, to the dam across the way

 

 We hiked down to Watauga Lake. It was so pleasant to hike by water all day. We also got to hike over the dam. It is a very strange feeling to be walking across something that is literally holding back a lake and to see the vastly deep valley on the other side.

The location of the shelter tonight is fantastic. The opening faces west so I watched the sunset while playing the ukulele and staying warm in my sleeping bag. Just behind the shelter was a great view of the lake and a small town. I hope to wake up to watch the sunrise in the morning. 

Day 39

We managed to really luck out with weather today. Off and on there were dark rain clouds above us but they just kept blowing by. There was a box of trail magic in the woods. I had heard is was orange but I was surprised by the box itself!  We also hiked across a beautiful open field.  It was fun to watch the shadow of the clouds move by so quickly.  The one time there was a rain shower we had stopped at a shelter to get water and eat a snack.

This portion of the trail was also wheel chair accessible

I talked to a day hiker today from the area. After chatting with Chameleon and me for a bit he asked if he could take our picture. It was humorous to me- let's get a picture of real live thru-hikers!

We camped tonight and had another beautiful sunset over a lake and mountains. I feel so lucky to be spending so much time outdoors and to be so in tune with nature.

Perhaps I should mention that the trio I set out with is now down to two. Leap Frog is hiking faster due to a deadline of graduate school starting in the fall. Chameleon and I are still hiking together and all of us are still planning to hike to Katahdin.

Day 40

It was chilly this morning. The thermometer inside my tent this morning read 36° and that didn't account for the wind chill outside. It was quite refreshing and gave me extra motivation to get going on the trail.

 

Chameleon and I played the Alphabet game today.  Here were the results (that are true).

I went hiking on the Appalachian Trail and I brought:

Antibiotic ointment

Boots

Crocs

Dry bags (and dreams!)

Ear plugs

Fuel

Gators

Hat

Icyhot

Jacket

Knife

Leggings

Money

Notebook

Otter Case

Pan

Questions

Rain gear

Stove

Ukulele

Vitamins

Water  bottle

X-tra socks

Yellow rain fly

Ziploc bags

This is not a complete list of everything we brought but it was amusing (and perhaps a bit horrifying) to realize how much we did bring.

We hiked into Virginia today! We hit the fourth state on the 40th day. Sounds great to me. We will be in Virginia for a long time though, over 500 miles.

We hiked into Damascus and will be spending two nights. I'm excited to have a full zero tomorrow. There is a grocery store and a library in town so it sounds perfect!

Finishing North Carolina and Nearing the End of Tennessee

Day 31

I hiked into Erwin this morning. There was a hostel at the edge of the trail and I was able to use their computer to post my last update! We took the shuttle into town and were dropped off at a pizza and salad bar buffet. Buffets are a hikers dream and I certainly ate my fill. The grocery store was conveniently across the street too. It was a successful resupply!

The hike to the shelter out of town was all uphill and I was so sweaty by the time I arrived! A full pack and a full belly made for a heavy load. Another night of good company. The rain just started and I look forward to sleeping to the sound of rain on the tin roof. It reminds me of Peace Corps in Micronesia.

Day 32 

It was wet and rainy all day today. I probably should have stopped to put on another layer to increase my fun factor but I was warm enough as long as I kept moving. It was a short day today of 12 miles so I had a lot of free time at the shelter when I arrived. What did I do with free time? Ate some food and sat in a sleeping bag. It was a good day.

I saw a new flower today! It looked like a series of little butterflies hanging on the stem. Another hiker said the name was Dutchman's Britches. Hopefully I can get a picture tomorrow.

Day 33

I had a hard time getting into to the rhythm of hiking this morning. I felt like I was in a bit of a funk. I was happier when the sun came out and I could see into the distance a bit.

I also took my first real digger this morning. I nearly did a face plant after getting on foot caught on a root. The momentum of going downward with the added weight of a pack meant I went down quite fast. Somehow I managed not to really hurt myself, though I may have a couple bruises tomorrow.

All afternoon I had "Purple People Eater" in my head. I have no idea how it got there but I was singing it for at least four miles. This morning it was "Silhouettes on the Shade" and I never did remember the first verse.

We had a lovely campsite tonight just a couple miles shy of the last 6,000 footer. We all went to bed early but revived a bit when Walle arrived. There was a very pretty sunset that made the mountains in the distance look like they were floating. Then the fog came rolling back over the mountain.

My shoes and socks really stink from being soaked yesterday. They are in the vestibule of my tent and the stench keeps wafting in. Oh the joys of the trail!

Day 34 

We had some beautiful views today! For a good portion of the afternoon we were on balds offering panoramic views of mountains, small towns, and clouds. It was so nice not to be in a cloud on top.

The sunset tonight was a fiery orange. We didn't have a fire so I took my ukulele, sat on a rock, and played facing the sunset. It was very soothing just to play for myself and the sun as it sank below the mountains.

Day 35 

We were woken up at 5 the morning because some hikers were walking by. The were quite loud and using flashlights that shone thru tents quite easily. They hiked on and a few minutes later another group came tromping by. When the third group passed I started to get really annoyed and when one person asked what time it was I shouted, "it's 5:30!" from my tent. This went on for a hour. We were not impressed. I don't know who they were but they were ambitious and loud.

The morning improved when we had some trail magic! A man had been camping out for a few days and he made us pancakes, bacon, and eggs. It was a great surprise and very yummy.

I saw a beautiful waterfall today. The water seemed to be leaping over the top then cascaded down a series of rocks. I am so glad multiple people told us to take the side trail to check it out!

Day 36 

It was a drizzly, gray day today so I didn't get any pictures of the great things we saw. We walked across a river on a wooden footbridge with a railing on one side. Rising up from the other side was a huge stone cliff.

A little further along the trail we descended down many rock stairs to a waterfall. It is amazing how much water came rushing over the top. We looked for the trail and saw a blaze on a rock face right next to the river. We walked on rocks with the river rushing by around the bend in the river. We were happy to get to the shelter tonight! 

Hot Springs to Erwin

Day 26- Hot Springs

We hiked a Nero (nearly zero miles) today into Hot Springs. The trail came out right near Laughing Heart Hostel so we got showers right away. They had a large variety of clothes to wear around town allowing me to wash all my clothes which was much needed and appreciated.

After starting laundry and beginning errands I finally got my longed for breakfast at the diner in town. I enjoyed a great veggie omelette, potato wedges, and an English muffin with jelly.

We managed to get our resupply done and our food reorganized by 2 pm allowing Rainman and Preacher to take our packs ahead for a slack pack day tomorrow. Chameleon and I went to soak in the hot springs for an hour. That was really nice and relaxing. It was a funny experience to be walking around a new town all day but to constantly see people I knew.

Day 27 

We slack packed for the first time today! I thought for sure we would move a lot faster without packs on. We ended up hiking at our normal pace but it was a lot less effort without the weight on my back.

There were five of us who were able to slack pack today thanks to Rainman and Preacher's generosity. We had lots of conversation and high spirits on the trail without packs!

I twisted my ankle but I think it'll be okay. After picking up our packs we hiked a few more miles to the next shelter. All in all we walked 19.6 miles today!

Day 28 

By the end of hiking today my fun factor was quite low. My ankle was feeling much better, but my other foot and arch hurt from overcompensating. I was definitely ready to be off my feet by the end of the day.

We stayed in a small campsite with just the three of us. We built a fire and hung our bear bags. It was a very nice and relaxing night and I am in a much better mood.

Highlight of the day- having enough cell reception on a beautiful mountain ridge to call my brother!

Day 29

I just realized we have been hiking for four weeks! It doesn't feel like it has been that long at all.

Today was a great hiking day. We had warm, sunny weather with a cool breeze. In the morning the trail went along and crossed a mountain stream a number of times. Hiking next to rippling water is always enjoyable. Later we had some great views overlooking valleys. It is wonderful to watch spring arrive. I've been trying to get pictures of all the different wild flowers I see.

We also were lucky enough to encounter trail magic twice today. I certainly had enough to eat and came away with extra snacks too.

It is interesting to meet new people each day. It is also fun to run into some of the same hikers over and over. Wharton and Walle are two in the latter category. Wharton loves to sing around the campfire. Thanks to my mom, we know many of the same songs! One song that no one knows but everyone loves is "Waltzing with Bears." I'm so glad I learned so many songs around the campfire as a kid!

Day 30 

I walked most of the day with my head in the clouds. Rain was predicted but fortunately it didn't really hit us. It was a bit windy and damp but I never had to pull out my raincoat!

At 8:15 pm and I have been the only  one up and about for at least half an hour. I will likely be in bed by 9, but it just seems so funny to me that I am the night owl. I think it happens because I sing, journal, then write my blog update, and potentially add a bit to my next newspaper update. It's quite the evening routine but I enjoy it!