April 15-April 20, Miles 69.2 – 109.4 First, I want to thank everyone who has posted comments on my entries so far. I don’t always have time to respond to all of them, but I definitely read them and really appreciate the support you have shown. Thank you! This section started out slow as another weather system approached. I ended up taking two zeros in Hiawassee as buckets of water fell from the sky. I enjoyed the rest while looking…
My arrival at Neels Gap was important because the weather was forecast to get ugly and the Mountain Crossings resupply store there also represented a roof over my head, a shower, and a bed to sleep on in the form of a Hostel located next to the resupply store. The hot shower was great (I showered in my clothes as an approximation of doing laundry), the roof was adequate, but the bed was comparable to my pad on the ground….
I’m currently at mile marker 24 at the Lance Creek camping area. Neels Gap is next and is the first option for resupply on the trail. But between me and the delicious pizza they serve lies Blood Mountain. For the last few days I’ve been trying to keep the miles down to about 8 per day as I devop my hiking legs. So far the constant climbs and descents have been relentless and I always arrive at camp ready to…
The official southern terminus of the Appalachian Trail is on top of Springer Mountain. I’m now no longer in the negative mileage on the approach trail as the “Blue Blazes” change to the “White Blazes” I’ll follow all the way to Maine. A hooting owl kept me up much of the night last night, and a woodpecker on a nearby tree woke me up at the crack of dawn. This is awesome! I’ve got a long hike ahead of me…
Here we go! Day 1 on the trail… The approach to Springer Mountain.
Since I have some time off work, I thought it would be good to work in a visit to Mom’s, Boulder, and my family in Atlanta before hitting the trail. Mom lives in a small artist community in Arizona. Bisbee used to have an active copper mine, but after it closed down the town re-invented itself as a cute little artist town. Art cars, galleries, and quaintly painted houses are typical Bisbee, and the old timey downtown definitely draws a…