AT conservancy

Wednesday we drove to the little town outside Harper’s Ferry to the RV camp. There was nothing but dirt so the next day we went to the Harper’s Ferry National Park, caught the trolley and went into Harper’s Ferry. It’s a really neat little town, lots of history about the Civil War. We walked all over and into the little shops, read all the history in the windows. We ate at a place that served wine and Reuben sandwiches with coleslaw instead of sauerkraut. It was really good. They also wanted to put a hash brown patty on it but I wouldn’t let them.

First I ‘hiked’ over the railway bridge over the Potomac toward Maine. Then I ‘hiked’ toward Georgia and the AT conservancy. We even saw some hikers in town. Heading south was more like the trail I miss so much. I didn’t have my hiking gear or boots so the rocks and uneven path were difficult to navigate. I passed Jefferson rock where Thomas Jefferson stood overlooking the Shenandoah River and said something significant.

My intentions were to hike to the conservancy which is a blue blaze trail and goes into a small town but Lyle was being a cry baby Sally, so we went back and caught the bus then drove to the Conservancy.  Everything you want to know about the Appalachian Trail you can find out there. I looked at the book to see if I could recognize any of the people I met in Georgia but I didn’t see anyone. I don’t think any of them wanted to take the time to stop and see it. I’ve grown to love the Appalachian Trail. It’s become a part of me and I want to become a part of it. I really like that it’s marked so ‘Tripper’ has a hard time getting lost. (I may get turned around but I’ve never been lost).  I like that it has been maintained by groups, societies and clubs for over 80 years. I want to see it all- all the shelters and wildflowers. I have a book now of the wildflowers on the AT. Not just the Smoky Mountains. I love the physical aspect of having a goal and exerting myself every day to achieve that goal, that shelter, that next town. I want to see and explore every little town along the way.

Everyone I speak to still asks if I was alone. For me, ‘alone’ is the only way to truly experience the trail. I believe in the words, “You have to hike your own hike”. If I would have had my gear and boots, I would have left my husband behind. No one can really understand unless they have hiked the trail with the attitude of seeing and experiencing all of it. It’s a part of me now. 

Tripper's pics from the AT

the Appalachian Trail goes along the ridge on right

Tripper on the bridge

The trail at Harper's Ferry

Off the trail

I’m off the trail now. I just enjoyed Richmond, VA. I mean, I knew at the most, I wouldn’t get to hike the whole Appalachian Trail, what with all the delays. First, my husband wanting me to wait until April, then my brother and his surgery in mid-April. I started way late in early May. I knew then that I wouldn’t get to do it all. But Lyle and I planned this trip until November and I always felt that if I didn’t do it this year that I wouldn’t have another opportunity to do it. I felt that way until I met Rangely. She convinced me that the AT really wasn’t meant to be hiked all the way through. To do that, you miss too much, the beauty of the forests along the way. Each and every shelter has its own uniqueness. The people are so fun and different with every walk of life and sense of humor. I would have already missed so much if I hadn’t been a ‘shelter hopper’. The woman who hiked it in 45 days and had people meeting her every night couldn’t possibly have enjoyed the sunrises or sunsets over the mountains, or the part about missing real food and flush toilets. I met a park ranger in the Smokies who said she did it in 5 ½ months. I wonder if she identified any wild flowers or enjoyed any of the little towns along the way.

I am not done with the Appalachian Trail. I haven’t seen enough or hiked enough. After Washington, DC, we’re going to Harpers Ferry, the midway point and the headquarters for the AT. I’d like to hike into and out of there, even if they are only day hikes, and then to Maine and Katahdin. No, I’m not through with the AT, not yet. What I don’t get to hike this year, I’ll be back, maybe with Rangely. At least I hope she’ll call and let me know her plans, I think she will.

Day forty

Tripper's feet

Rangely, Stonewall, JP and I all took pictures of each other and headed out of No Business shelter around 8 a.m. The boys took off and left us and I kept up with Rangely for a little while. It was only 5.7 miles to the Nobchucky River so we expected a short hike. I spotted the Temple Hill sign and took that trail until I realized it was a blue blazed trail so I followed it back up and promptly followed the AT back to the shelter. You could have heard my "NO!" reverberate through the treetops for miles. My being directionally challenged is usually funny until it's not funny anymore. Turning today into a 14 mile hike with sore feet was not funny. I was mad. Mad that I didn't read that Temple Hill sign and see that it was blue blazed. Mad that I didn't check my compass when I got back from the bottom of that trail. I allowed myself a few tears, but I was mad at myself for not being more aware. My mad got me to Uncle Johnny's hostel in 3 hours. I saw a few of the young boys that passed us yesterday and Sully, who must have laid over and took a zero day. I took my boots off and threw them away, and waited for Lyle. I'm glad I'm off the trail for a while. I need to let my feet heal, and I'm looking forward to my bed.

Day thirty-nine

The day started off cool. It had really rained the night before and I left my long sleeve shirt on. Oh, I think I lost more weight in my left breast than my right. I was laying there in the middle of the night, after getting up to pee for the third time, feeling my pelvic bones and enjoying the concavity of my tummy. I decided to check out my boobs, and it's hard to tell in this sports bra, but I think the left one is smaller. I tried to check it out again this morning but it is hard to do. I need to see a mirror.

Most of the 10 miles today was downhill, but it warmed up in a hurry and I had to stop and change my shirt. Rangely had stopped to take  picture but her phone was dead, so I let her use mine. I took lots of pictures today and I took my time. The eleven boys that have been with us stayed at the shelter, or some of them did and they passed me while I was resting. They said they needed to keep going probably all the way to Erwin because one of them is ill. I only saw one stranger on the trail, he was headed to Springer. His name is Rock Lobster and he's a teacher. He told me that he'd been heading up hill since he left the shelter, which sounded great to me. The trail went back and forth and meandered around. Crossed a couple of streams. It would have been a great hike today if my feet hadn't been screaming. I'm gonna take a nice little picture of those boots, then I'm gonna pitch them. I can't believe I could hike 200 miles with no blisters then pow! When I got to the shelter Rangely was already here but she'd waited for me to walk back down the stream. There we was JP and Stonewall and we warned them that this was the water source. I got some duct tape from them for my feet. They camped right down the hill from us and I was delighted that they started a fire. You know I love a fire. So I pulled a couple of good size logs from our fire ring and headed down the hill. It's a good thing too, because all they had was kindling. I went and got the rest of it and the two boys and I had a nice fire. The perfect end for the last night of a week of backpacking.

Day thirty-eight

Mud skiing is a sport you don’t hear about often. It’s a lot like snow skiing… kinda. Anyway, you have the poles. It doesn’t take a lot of mud and falling hurts more. You don’t go really far, but you do go fast. This day held a little bit of everything. Rangely and I left Hogback Ridge Shelter about 8 a.m. It got balmy and kind of warm. Lyle said there were going to be thunder storms but it didn’t start off that way. The trail went up and down and at one point it started to sprinkle. We had put our pack covers on in an effort to ward off thunderstorms. It worked yesterday. I went through Sam’s Gap which is on I-26 and met a man and woman and their two grandsons. The boys, Stonewall & JP, were hiking on to Erwin where their grandparents live. Things got exciting after that. It seemed like all I did was climb and then I found a big field with beautiful views. At one point it started storming and blowing so I put on my rain jacket. Then it got hot so I took it off. I was in the wide open area where I couldn’t see 50 feet around me because of the fog, and the wind was blowing and little birds with a white tail feather were hopping ahead of me on the trail.

I had to climb up this hill and I was cold and wet and I am STILL cold and damp. I got to Bald Mountain Shelter around 4:30 p.m. which means I’m doing better than a mile an hour. 
I feel like such a slug. A guy by the name of Sully came in last night. He is doing 20 miles a day. He and Rangley talked about running and marathons. He's planning on doing a half Iron Man in the Fall. Rangely talked about hiking in the Grand Tetons and starting when she was a little girl. I feel like such a slug. 
The birds this morning are Eastern Towhee.

Day thirty-seven

Day 37

On the trail. I couldn’t get a fire going for anything. I wasted 9 squares of toilet paper. About 9 young guys came and camped out back of the shelter, between the shelter and the privy. I had to stumble through their camp before they woke up and then later when they were stirring. A 30 something couple camped right below the shelter. I awoke to birds singing this morning. Rangely knew what they were, wood thrush.

She is an amazing woman. She knows birds and trees. She’s hiked Nepal in her 40’s. She’s hiked up and down the AT. She’s just made up her mind to hike Georgia to Maine in sections, 500 miles a year.

I left Flint Mountain Shelter about 8 a.m. It was an almost 9 mile hike and I didn’t want to get to the shelter late. It was such a nice day and I only had about a 1600 foot climb. But it wasn’t all at the same time. The first part of the day, there were streams all along the way. I actually passed Rangely because she was making phone calls.

The streams were really lovely and the day was breezy. The best way to catch a breeze is to stand facing it with your feet spread to balance your pack. Then spread your arms out and rest them on your trekking poles, tip your chin up and close your eyes. Sometimes you can get a deep breath of forest; I got a whiff of pine.  

Yesterday I smelled a skunk. I got out of there in a hurry. I came across a fence. You had to go through sideways; there was a graveyard with four stones. There were bridges made from logs and this huge mushroom. I know it was polyporous sulphurous before it lost its color.

I saw some great scenery and wild flowers and when I stopped to take a picture of the highway on the other mountain I saw that I had 2 bars on my phone, so I called Lyle. We talked for about 20 minutes. It was great! I can’t wait to see him and start day hiking with him. 

Day thirty-six

Man, did it storm last night! When I got to Terry Cabin Shelter Rangeley had already decided to stay there. Good decision, because it started raining before we had dinner and two guys came running up from the trail, soaking wet. Steve and Eclipso had done 14 miles, and after they ate and changed clothes they camped out.

Today was a really nice hike. I came upon an open field, dropped my pack and walked all the way around the field looking for the blaze. The trail followed this road most of the day. I saw a blaze and I took it and it brought me right back to the field! I must have missed the first one. Oops! The road was muddy but the air was cool.

There was a Bassett Memorial honoring a 1968 thru-hiker and a climb down and then up these big boulders, then back to the road. There was a beautiful park-like setting with the Shelton Graves head stones right there.  Then back to the road.

*Editor’s note: Historical moment- Just north of Big Butt are the gravestones of William and David Shelton. They were uncle and nephew who lived in Madison County, N.C., but enlisted in the Union army during the Civil War. When returning to a family gathering during the war, they were ambushed near here and killed by Confederate troops. This story of divided loyalties is a common one in the remote mountains.

It was just six miles today and I really enjoyed it. I got here early enough. I might just build a fire.

Day thirty-five

I woke several times in the night and I was awake when Ken & Rangely crawled out of their tents. Ken is a marine biologist from Florida. Rangely is retired but I don’t know from what. She’s also a runner and she runs a camp for abused children.

I opened my eyes and there was a huge cricket. That thing looked like it was 3 inches long. They must be what is making all the noise at night. Fortunately it was on the outside of the tent. I got out of camp about 8 a.m. and had a 1200 foot climb. Eventually it looked like it evened out, which it did, and I was thinking what a nice 8 mile hike this was going to be, with the breeze blowing. The forests in Tennessee are too quiet. This is the Cherokee National Forest and they don’t have any birds. It’s too quiet, and when the fog rolls in it is too spooky. At least it wasn’t too hot today. Then it started getting rocky and it started going up and I’m thinking, “This can’t be right”, but it was.  There were two trails, High Ridge Trail with the white blaze and the other trail with the blue blaze. Had I known what High Ridge Trail was, I would have taken the other one. I stumbled and fell. I stubbed my big right toes twice. When I got to the top and took pictures I had a bar on my phone so I called CJ to see if she got home okay. Then on the way down there was this huge drop. I didn’t cry, but I did whine, “This can’t be the trail.”

I tried to go another way but that was the trail. I had to put my poles on one wrist and then lower myself down. When I got to the bottom there was a white blaze. It seemed like a really long bunch of rocks and at one point I slipped and landed on my butt, but my pack was in a good position so I just sat there for a while. I think Rangely and I are going to stay in the shelter tonight and it feels like it’s cooling off. 

Day thirty-four

On the trail

I got up early but messed around and didn’t leave camp until 10:00. While I was getting water, Ken came down to get water and I visited with him. He’s a biologist. He’s also heading to Erwin, TN., then stopping. Now that I am no longer a thru-hiker I have become a section hiker and I’m hiking between Hot Springs, NC and Erwin, TN. I’m fortunate to have Rangely and Ken to camp with at night. It was another long hot day. I don’t like hiking in this heat. I saw two deer at different times, a snail and lots of Bolete mushrooms.

I had pulled something in my groin so I took it easy most of the day. I also managed to work up a blister. All this time on the trail and this is my first blister. I got to Little Laurel Shelter hot and exhausted after 8.4 miles and I don’t know how much climbing. I got water. At least it was running better here than at the last shelter.  I set up my tent. The ground really is more comfortable than those shelters.  Had a bite to eat, ramen noodles. They weren’t bad since I haven’t had any for a month or more. I visited with Ken and Rangely and called it an early night and went right to sleep in spite of those noisy crickets.

I think I got a nap today. I straddled a log and leaned back on my pack. I closed my eyes and sat real still to catch the breeze, and then I dreamed! Yep, it was definitely a nap.

I smoked my last cigarette Monday, July 23, 2012.

*Editor’s note: Dear Tripper, you misspelled cigarette in your notes to me, so if you can’t spell it, you don’t need to be smoking it. Love, Editor

Day thirty-three

On the trail

I got a late start out of Hot Springs, but Lyle hiked with me until noon. We met a nice couple, Lindsey & Chester, with their dog, Sheba, and visited for awhile. Really neat people. It was hot, but not too bad since the trail goes over the guardrail and along the French Broad River- right across where we camped in the RV. Lyle went with me about 3 ½ miles because right after we parted I got to Pump Gap. It had a sign that said a group had planted wildflowers and such along the trail and I had to fight my way through those wildflowers that were chest high and very thick. I did not enjoy it.

I met a young man named Matt who was mushroom hunting. He told me all about Bolete mushrooms and how they have a solid surface instead of gills underneath.  He dries them and puts them in his food. You have to be careful, of course, and when you cut them, they should show red or blue. He was young, with long hair and a baseball cap. He was excited about mushrooming and he liked to share his knowledge. He said “Free food.” I identified some Bolete mushrooms on the way but will need to do some research before I collect them. I stopped and rested 50 paces before I came to a pretty little pond with a bench, so I sat anyway.

I ran into a man who asked how I was and I said ‘Good”. He responded, “It’s always a good day when you are on the trail.”

I followed the gravel road to Mill Ridge where a man said the Appalachian Trail went the other way. He pronounced all the “A’s” short but held them for a long time. Then I passed the trail going into the woods and was walking back when he passed me in his truck and told me it all ended up at the same place at the end of this road. I looked but could not find a way down so I started back down the road when here comes Matt in his truck. He told me the same thing and I told him I couldn’t find it. So I asked him if he would give me a ride because it was getting dark quick.

I grabbed some food out of my food bag and hung it. Then I set my tent up in the dark. Man, it felt good to lie down. I had my snacks and water. I’d grabbed the shelter log and found Salesman and Bunny.  Salesman had also signed his name on a little sign I saw coming through. I didn’t see Bob or Zigfoot but I remember that they didn’t often sign the logs. I hope Bob’s caught up with Salesman by now, that’d be great! Hiked 11 miles, climbed 2500 feet!