Posts

Walking The Line

Image
After Great Smoky Mountain National Park, the Appalachian Trail continues to follow the North Carolina/Tennessee state line.  In this section we're following a ridge known as the Bald Mountains. 3/23 Standing Bear Hostel to Roaring Fork Shelter - 15.4 miles Angelika dropped me off at the trailhead after leaving Standing Bear Hostel. It's chilly again this morning, but the sky is clear and it promises to warm up later in the day. The day starts with a long ascent up to the summit of Snowbird Mountain. The top is treeless but is covered with tall grass and briars. There is an excellent view from here and this strange object that looks like it was left by aliens. It has something to do with FAA operations. Just a curiosity. From Snowbird Mountain my goal is to reach Groundhog Creek Shelter in Deep Gap. I'm there by 12:30 and have lunch with a southbound section hiker heading for the hostel I started at this morning. It's way too early to stop for the day, so I decide to pr...
Post a Comment
Read more

Holy Smokies

Image
First, a few notes about the Appalachian Trail as it passes through the Great Smoky Mountain National Park: For the most part, the trail follows the North Carolina/Tennesse border on a ridge that divides those two states. This section goes over Clingman's Dome which is the highest point on the AT at 6366 feet. I spent a total of six days backpacking the AT through the Smokies. 3/15-3/16 Zero Days After reaching Fontana Dam, the weather report looks pretty grim for the next two days. We decided to take some rest days to wait out the storm. These are known as zero days  in trail lingo or just days where you don't rack up any miles or progress on the trail. We decided to hunker down at the Simple Life Campground in Robbinsville, NC which is close to Stecoah Gap and a short drive to Fontana Dam. There's a nice coffee shop in town with free wifi, quiet, and comfortable to hang out for the day. I used the time to get caught up on other life responsibilities like dealing with a f...
Post a Comment
Read more

Nothing Could Be Finer Than To Be In North Carolina

Image
3/8 Dick's Creek Gap to Standing Indian Shelter - 16.7 miles We got up fairly early having gotten my pack ready the night before for two nights sleeping on the trail. The goal for today is Whiteoak Stamp at 12.6 miles. Steve drives me to the trailhead and drops me off before heading for home. His first week hiking with me is done. It's been great having him along. The weather is a little warmer and the sky is clearer. The elevation chart for this section tells me I'm going to be doing a lot more climbing than we've done so far. About lunch time I cross the state line from Georgia to North Carolina. There's a modest sign on the trail to let me know when I've crossed the state line. I was expecting something a bit more impressive, but I'm glad to know I've made it further than 25% of the people who started this year. Shortly after this I reach Bly Gap and meet a group of Boy Scouts out for the weekend earning their backpacking merit badge. I stop and eat m...
Post a Comment
Read more