3-7-12

The night before last we spent at Deep Gap shelter. Another cold one but not nearly as windy. I knew we needed an early start for any chance of making it to Hiawassee to get more food. Got up at 6:30am and had a cold breakfast and started walking. Decided to wrap a bandana around my knee as a makeshift Ace bandage it worked out pretty well. Had great weather and pretty much all downhill trails into Dicks Creek Gap where while we were hitchiking Birdman's mom offerd us homemade brownies and a ride into town. Stopped at Blueberry Patch hotel while Ryan got his maildrop, Victor and I raided the hiker  box. FREE FOOD!! I got some instant rice dinners, ramen, and an unopened jar of Peanut butter! how awesome! on our way into town, rolled up to the Hiawassee budget Inn, and got a room for $50.00 split between the 3 of us was about $17.00 each, not bad, but if Haawassee wasn't 11 milles off trail I would'nt have stayed.While checking in I saw another hiker box and got breakfast for a week,, snack boxes and tortilla rolls. Only have to buy a few things when we walked to Igles to buy food.Found an outfitter that sold fuel for a donation and we all filled up our bottles there. After dropping our groceries back off at the room we hit our first buffet at Daniel's Steakhouse. Much to my dismay it was only fried chicken and pork chops with country style sides, never the less we still did work on that place, but for $8.00 I definitely enjoyed it. On the way back to the hotel we ran into ASLON! the guy who disappeared in the middle of the night a few nights ago.
Today we caught a 9:00am shuttle back to the trail and made it to the GA-NC border. The trail was almot entirely uphill and very scenic, a little foggy and threats of rain but none came through. Around 2:45pm we reached the first state line and had a little celebration. A mile or 2 before that we ran across a food box with 3-4 days of supplies in it, so I carried it into camp case anyone came looting.After getting the tarps set up and a fire going, here comes Aslon walking on the trail. We released the food bag to him as he was going to the next shelter and we are camped pretty much at the border. Ryan got a trail(?) today he will be going by Achilles due to his hurt tendon. I'm stil yet to(?) one. It's pretty breezy tonight but at least this campsite is flat....ish.

3-5-12

Took another relatively easy day today, a little over 8 miles. No one slept much last night., winds were HOWLING pretty much all night,  had to be around 70 mph., the walls of the shelter were shaking, and it was cold mid 20's. The wind was hirling dirt on our fires all night. Easy miles today, took them slow. 2 big hills today, over 1400' each way, each one. Stopped at the gap between them to make a call. Currently sitting at Tray mountain shelter. Its 28o and breezy, small fire outside but we are turning in early (7:30 pm) to get ready for a big push tomorrow. 11 miles to Hiawassee (?) hitch in, resupply, and hitch out all before sunset. Good luck to us. So we'll be up at 6am. Speaking of being up early, Aslon got up at 2am last night and left without telling anyone where he was headed or why he was leaving, still havn't heard from him. Good trail today, saw some volunteers rerouting part of it. Much appreciated. Knee is feeling better but still not 100%, we'll see what tomorrow brings.

3-4-12

Blue Mountain shelter tonight. Last night we stayed at Deep Gap and camped out. We ended up pushing for a 13 mile day yesterday and my left knee paid for it, it's manageable if I go slow. All of this meant rolling into a full shelter, which in turn meant setting up the tarp,...On a 20 degree night and it was windy very windy. Met a couple next door(?) named Foster and Skittles who had a fire going and we ate with them after setting up camp. Woke up to what I thought was Ryand flashlight outside of my tarp, but it was a really bright half moon. Woke up this morning to an icy covered ground cloth. Ate breakfast with  Foster and Skittle then headed out for our short day. What a day! temperature never got above 34 degrees and the only times we had in the 40mph winds was when we were on to low side of a hill. It was cold enough to freeze the water in the ground and force it up into ice formations. Tonight's shelter is full, Ryan, "birdman", Victor, Eric, 2 others and myself. (?)sitting at 30o after a tiny snow flury earlier, we have a fire going, and I'm all layered up. Warming up my stove fuel inside my jacket pocket so it will burn and I can cook. Had to break down an almost fallen tree for firewood. Should be a good night and into Hiawassee the day after tomorrow. In good spirits and injuries are minimal. Tonights elavation is 3900 feeet.

3-2-12

Last night was an unfortunately eventful. At some point of the night a mouse ate through my food bag. It was hanging  in between 2 tree at aroung 20-25 feet, I'll give that to the mouse, good job. I also apparently slept thru helicopters, artilary ad machine gun fire as the army rangers were conducting training exercises near Good Mountain shelter. After hearing reports of tournadoes tonight we decided to push thru a 15 mile day all the way to Neels Gap, over Blood Mountain and past Woods Hole shelter. Lots of ups and owns today. First rain while hiking today. Made it to Neel's Gap around 5pm, got my mail drop and started re-covering my food bag when Aaron K, Ryan and I decided to get a cabin at "Blood Mountain cabins" the same place as Kelly, (firefighter), he and his (cute) daughters offered us a ride to "town" which consisted of an Ingles and a Dairy Queen, where we decided the most necessary supply was a 12 pack of Pabst Blue Ribbon!! Got back to the cabin and did laundry and hung out with Kelly & Co. for now while watching the weather about the 74 tornadoes that touched down and the 9+ dead from them. I got a new food bag, and the cabin will only cost $20.00 each, pretty damn good for how nice it is. Shitty weaher all day and night.

3-1-12

Last night was crazy, rain, thunder,, lightning, all night, and wind. Don't forget the wind. Fell asleep around 5:00pm and awoke promptly at 8:20pm and could not fall asleep t'ill around 2:00am. Back up at 6:30 for sunrise to a surprislingly nice day. Made it to Gooch Gap shelter 13ish mile up the trail.Currently sitting here a little drunk thanks to some matus mark  provided by Aaron, we've decided on a 15 mile day tomorrow to push thru to bee's gap. which means more food. My knees are a little sore, but nothing terrible and  my feet are sore. I'm ciijubg nt 2nd dinner was ayiahi noodles(sp) now its rice and beans. Good group of 8 of us in the shelter tonight. Got here at 3:45 p.m. 

February 29, 2012

7am wake up at the hostelfor breakfast. Got to Amicalola and signed into the register as the 2012 seasons 101st prospective thru hiker. Started hiking at 9am and made it up the 620 stairs of Amicalola Falls by 9:30. Kept going until we decided it was snack time around 11am. Twisted my ankle going over a rock that my boot got caught on. It is now 4:30 pm and I am laying in my sleeping bag in the Stove Creek shelter. 11.8 from where we started this morning. 2 shelter mates tonight, Guy, from Maine, that I have been with all day and a firefighter that I cannot remember where he is from.

THANK YOU!!

Chappy, my first ever hitch hike, happened to be a sales rep for an outdoor company and not only did he give me a ride out of Gatlinburg, but he hooked me and my sunburnt ears up with this sweet hat! Trail magic at its finest. Thank you Chappy!!