Month: April 2017

“Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” – Ferris Bueller

Miles hiked today 16. Total hiked 323.

Woke up and started hiking at 8 AM. It was another beautiful morning for hiking. Do you see the mountain in the background? We’re going over that today.

Today was a lot of up! Seemed like I was always climbing. But regardless, there is always beauty in the Appalachian Mountains. 

Not sure if you remember, but a few posts ago I told you if the trail gives you a chair you should take it… Today it literally gave me a chair! It was just out in the middle of nowhere, so funny.

Not sure if any of you have seen pictures of Juergen, here he is by a waterfall where we got water. He has been an excellent hiking partner. He has been married for 40 years, and has four children. He was the managing director at GE Germany for quite a while. A very interesting and nice gentleman. 

The trail is starting to really green up. Flowers are blooming and spring is definitely here.

Mom, here’s a giant bunny for you!

This is one of the many stops today just to take a break and get some sugar or food in us. 

Today was also the first time I came across barbed wire on the Appalachian Trail. 

Again, and may I say it never gets old, we had some amazing, amazing views.

Then down the mountain we came to a gap where we had to cross the road and head up the other side. Always hoping for trail magic, care roads have not had any lately.

As a matter fact it was a lonely day on the trail. Hardly saw any hikers. Remember Captain Caveman, the young man with the wooden leg, he started after my start date of March 22. He’s the only person I know that has started after March 22nd, that is ahead of me. We were not hiking fast today and I was sure that some hikers would pass us – yet not one did. 

In the late afternoon it became all about finding a campsite. I was tired! But you have to have flat ground so we kept on walking.

 The flowers were blooming all over the mountains, so beautiful.

Finally after 16 miles we walked up a ridge and found a flat space only to walk a little bit more and realize there’s a road quite close with houses on the other side. They look like vacation rental houses and no one is living in any of them right now. So we pitched our tents, had dinner and are in our respective tents by 7:15pm. 

Nite!

“Pain is temporary. It may last a minute, or an hour, or a day, or a year, but eventually it will subside and something else will take its place. If I quit, however, it lasts forever.” -Lance Armstrong

Miles hike today 16.3. Total miles 289.8. 

Had an appointment at the medical clinic at 8:30 this morning. I saw the doctor, he poked around on my foot, determined nothing was broken. Said I had been doing the correct thing with ice and ibuprofen. So it was time to walk again. I left Hot Springs, Tennessee around 10:30 AM. I love how they put white blazes on anything to show you the way.

For a little bit the trail followed the river. It was quite nice to be down low for a little while.

Then of course the trail went up! Here is a picture with Hot Springs in the background.

The young man below is Captain Caveman. He broke his leg the day before, and needed to get to the hardware store in Hot Springs for replacement parts. I had breakfast with him this morning at the diner and he had me in stitches, then met him again on the trail.

While walking along the trail I came upon this wall – very strange. 

Until you got to the top and realized it was a dam.

Again today there was no outstanding vistas, but there were sure some pretty meadows with great scenery behind them.

And for the first time we had a touch of some dirt road walking lasting about a quarter of a mile before once again winding up a mountain. 

Crossed over a highway, notice the white blaze on the bridge.

And then once again came across some fire damage. This time the trail actually stopped the fire. There wasn’t enough debris on the trail for it to burn and the demarcation line was quite evident. 

When I looked at my 80 Hiker app on my phone I realized a hostel was close by and gave the extra push to get there. Here is the bunkhouse where I’m staying tonight. I walked pretty steadily all day long. Because stopping gave time for my foot to stiffen up. Then it would take about 100 steps for it to really loosen up. So not much stopping today.

Ready to get off my foot and hit the hay. 

“One step at a time is good walking.” -Chinese proverb

Miles hiked today 18. Total miles 273.5. 

I woke up this morning at 7am and hit the trail by 7:30. Today was all about reaching Hot Springs. The Appalachian Trail runs right through the town.

Today was not the most scenic of days. There were not the awe inspiring vistas, but on the Appalachian Trail there is always beauty if you look. Below is a small waterfall.

With the weather getting hotter things are really starting to green up. The Trail was very narrow in places today, then…

opened up to cross a field.

I passed two shelters on my journey today. The pull of a hot shower and a laundromat kept me walking on. It was incredibly HOT today. Water was all important and I replenished it every chance I got. Once again let me say – I love my Steri Pen!

Another thing that I have been meaning to tell you is that I have not seen one piece of trash on the entire Appalachian Trail! This pleases me. Thousands of people walk this trail. I have met many day trippers, people out for a week’s vacation, and of course thru- hikers and everyone seems to be living by the “Leave no trace” mantra.

I’ve been hoping since I started this walk to see a bear. No such luck so far. But I did find a lovely cave.

Most of today was simply walking and keeping hydrated.

Because it was so hot I have a new saying – “When the trail gives you a chair, sit down.” That means if there is a log or a rock that is high enough – you sit down!

I finally reached a point where through the trees you could see Hot Springs, North Carolina.

I passed a lot of daytrippers that were walking up the mountain for some exercise. When I reached the bottom they had a stone for the Appalachian Trail.

As I said before the trail runs directly through the town – just follow the AT sign.

3 miles before we stopped I tweaked my foot. And the last 3 miles were not fun. Just so you can see how dirty it is out here here’s a picture of my feet before my shower.

Here is one after the shower. I scrubbed and scrubbed with a washcloth trying to get my toenails clean, but I need a brush! Alas can you tell that the left foot is swollen? Right now I have it on ice and have to take a zero day here in Hot Springs because I cannot walk on my foot left now.

We will see what tomorrow brings. For now…

Stuck in rinky-dink Hot Springs.

My Legs are hungover! -Janet

Miles hike today 18.4. Total height 240.3. 

Woke up this morning with a dire need to use the facilities. It was freezing outside-heck it was freezing in my tent too. Reached for my shoes they were frozen solid. Could not get my feet in so stuck my toes in so I could make a run to the privy. With much effort I finally got out of the tent, walk three steps only to sink into the snow to find myself standing in a stream. What a way to start the day.

When you’re cold and out on the Appalachian trail the only thing to do is to start hiking. We left camp around 7:15. The sun was up, but just barely.

All the slush had refrozen into an ankle twisting, conglomerate of footprints. For the first two hours of hike it was a dangerous, slow going, slippery mess. 

We had some beautiful views!

And as we dropped an elevation the trail got better and the walking became more enjoyable.

The sun was out and in the afternoon and actually got hot. Here is where we replenished our water.

Mid afternoon we came to a large folder that was climbable with a great view behind it. Needless to say I climbed the Boulder.

Then it was more down, down, down. I love the downs but this one was it awful long way down and it starts to get to your knees. We crossed over interstate 40 and headed toward Standing Bear Hostile. 

This place is a hoot! A ramshackled bunch of buildings. But they sell beer so it’s a favorite of the young crowd. 

They have a wash tub and a scouring board if you want to do laundry. They do have an electric dryer! I used both. The instructions were told to us don’t turn on the Cold water in the shower are everybody gets cold. I followed the instructions the person in the next cubicle evidently did not-I hate cold showers. I kept telling them to turn off the cold but they did not understand English.

The next picture is of the store. This place is on the honor system which I find fascinating. They give you an envelope to write down what you buy and in the morning you settle up. 

“Rest and be thankful.” ― William Wordsworth

Miles hiked today – zero. 

Today was a forced zero day of no hiking because the road was closed that took us back to the trail due to ice and snow.

It is nice to have time to reflect. Here are some random thoughts.

• I used to go to extreme measures to stay away from mud and water-now I walk right through it.
• I love my tent. Easy to set up and tear down.
• Linda’s trail name is Sunshine because she’s always so happy.
• Mark’s trail name is Eagle because he soars up the mountains.
• Juergen’s trail name is Camino because he has walked 3 Caminos in Spain.
• I like morning hiking best, but hike faster in the afternoon.
• I struggle everyday posting pictures of myself with no makeup or touch ups-I listen to this song – it helps.
• My earphones, that my wonderful brother-in-law gave me as an AT gift, ROCK! I can use them with my phone so can talk and walk with both hands free.
• The Appalachian Trail is much harder than I thought it would be – I am loving it.
• Grouse make the most interesting noise. It’s like a drum that reverberates the ground.
• My camp stove boils water FAST!
• I have only taken Advil twice so far.
• Oldest hiker I have met is 73 years old.

Linda has hurt her rib/back and wants to take another day to get better. So Juergen and I will hike out tomorrow without my trail sister and her hubby.  Hopefully they will catch up one day. But I can’t take another zero when I feel this good.

Hiking on tomorrow,