I did not put up Hugh's pictures here. If you want to see, email me or comment below.
I am back in Birmingham, Not finished with the Hike but have other obligations for a couple of weeks.
Friday I go to Guanajuato, Mexico for 10 days to be part of the Faculty for MTW’s Advanced Medical Team Leader Training. This training is for those that want to lead Medical teams into third world countries and keep the teams healthy and safe. This is the 3 year I have been part of the lectures. First was in Quito, Ecuador, then last year in Trinidad and now Mexico. Guanajuato is in the middle of upper Mexico about half way between Mexico City and the US, in the central mountains.
I am then home for a week and then go for 7 days to Pittsburg to participate in MTW’s Disaster Response Training. This training is for those that want to be on the roster to respond to international disasters. I have been doing this teaching for a number of years, first annually, then biannually.
Then home for a couple of days and then back on the trail. It will be almost a month off the trail.
I last reported from Hot Springs, NC. Arrived there on Apr. 5th Palm Sunday and had planned to have a zero day on Monday. A zero day is when you do not hike the trail at all. But it rained on Monday, and was forecast to snow on Tues so had two zero days. True enough they had 6-8 inches in the mountains with some drifts several feet deep. Glad to stay in town. Spent Mon. and Tues. dinking around, reading, getting cups of coffee, chatting, resting.
Sunnybank Inn where we stayed is a new age sort of place. Owned by an ex Methodist minister, chaplain at Duke. He is now in to alternative everything. Food was all vegetarian. Excellent, but would have been better with a little meat on the side. Tues. night had pumpkin soup, large tossed salad with sprouts, veg. lasagna, and pumpkin pie for dessert. They only normally allow thru hikers to stay two nights at the 20$ rate but due to the snow, extended our discounted rate one more night.
We wash our clothes when in towns. Wash all our clothes. Since we don’t carry spare clothes you have to be inventive.
Up early on Wed. To the café across the street for a big breakfast, back to the Inn to settle our account and then off. Climbed up to the top of Rich Mountain, 2300 feet up in 5 miles. Spent the night at Spring Mountain Shelter. 11 miles total. Was a beautiful day for walking, clear, sunny and cool. Lots of snow and mud from previous days, but otherwise fine.
Thurs. on to Little Laurel shelter, only 8.6 miles, fairly nice day, long walk down to the highway and then back up to the top of the mountain ridge. One family offered trail magic to the hikers, big brunch in their home about a ¼ mile off the trail. Belgian waffles, soup, desserts. I passed the opportunity but most imbibed.
Friday walked to Jerry Shelter but a big storm was forecast so stopped early.
Walked part of the day in the rain. Started raining about 5 and rained through the night. Took the alternate trail around one part of the trail due to rain and wind. The alternative trail ran parallel to the trail but just down the side of the hill about 20 yards. The regular route was on a very narrow ridge and wind gusts made it risky. Had a group of section hikers cook in the shelter while we watched, and then they set up a couple of tents for 3 of them, two girls stayed in the shelter, one on the ground and the other on the picnic table that had been moved under the shelter of the roof. There was a tarp across the mouth of the shelter to cut the breeze.
Had one thru hiker, “rocket” the day before had decided he was bored so turned around and went back to Hot Springs planning to go home. His walking partner had recently quit. After sleeping on it, he came back out on the trail the next day and caught up with us. Saw him for several more days and he was doing fine
Sat. the 11, I walked the longest hike so far. To Hogback Ridge shelter, 14.8 miles. Took for 8 am to 6 pm. Most of the day in the fog, clouds. Not too windy, but poor visibility. When we dropped down in to a gap could see under the clouds for a while, then back up into the mists with limited visibility. It can be bright and sunny down low and completely socked in at elevations as the clouds tend to stick just to the mt. tops only, with clear skies around them.
Had the same trail angel as last Sat. at the road crossing. A trail angel is someone who does something nice for a hiker with no expectation of anything in return, frequently they are folks that have a hiking background. “Yonder” minus his wife and friend the bag lady was there. Cold and windy so didn’t tarry long, just long enough for a handmade pepperoni pizza. Great guy.
Was cold again that night, Water froze in my bucket.
Bears are a constant in the mountains. This is a picture of a camper with the remains of his bear bag. Only a rope and a 6 inch piece of bear bag. Normally the bag is full of food. His bears showed up around sundown. He got out of his tent and made threatening noises toward the bear and its smaller companion. The bear made threatening noises back so he retreated to the safety of his nylon tent. Shades of sticking your head in the sand. He had his bear bag hanging over a tree branch. The bear climbed the tree, broke off the branch, climbed back down and proceeded to sort through his food. Did not like freeze dried food, but ate the rest. Especially liked candy bars. One section of the trail had especially skilled bears. They like solo campers better than groups camping. At many of the shelters there are cables for us to hang our food bags from. Food bags contain anything that has an odor, food, toothpaste, garbage, etc.
Easter the 12 I was in the middle of nowhere so sang hymns I had brought and read the Easter story from Luke. Something to think about the rest of the day.
Walked down to and under the interstate, and then back up to the top of Big Bald, 5500 feet, climb of 1750 feet. Mountains as far as you can see except to the west where the Tenn. Valley and the Tenn. Cumberland Plateau extends. This is the first place we have been where development really abuts the trail. There is the Wolf Laurel Ski Resort on the east side of the ridge and the trail on the west, only about 100 feet apart. I was surprised to look up and see a realtor driving by my on the top of the ridge showing property, about 50 feet away. The AT attempts to have at least a 500 foot buffer between the trail and any development. Funny to see a ½ million $ cabin next to the trail.
Walked through old snow drifts from Tues. of that week and on to the Bald Mt. Shelter, one of the highest on the trail at 5200 feet. Cool and clear. When it is cold we go to bed early as there is no other way to get warm. The night on Walnut Mt. we were all in bed by 4 pm.
For those who think I am crazy was passed by a trail runner on the way up to Big Bald. They run up and down the mountains without a backpack for the fun of it. Like those that run on the roads, but more vigorous.
Big coon dog was barking at the hikers as we went by. Friendly, wagging her tail, but barking most of the morning as various hikers went by.
For people like me that are slow I see the backs of other hikers. I start early and then over the course of the day am passed by all the hikers that start later than me from the same shelter, then later in the day am passed by those that started 2 shelters back and do 20 miles per day. In different parts of the trail there will be a number of south bounders out for a few days. I have only seen a couple of south bounders that are thru hiking, (doing the whole trail).
Monday the 13th, Once again very cold, Wind was blowing directly into the mouth of the shelter. Foggy, again in the clouds. To cold to cook breakfast so ate cold foods and headed out. Had a group of 5 section hikers, (doing less than the whole trail, usually a few days to a week) come into the shelter. One of the two girls must have been a last minute recruit as she was not equipped, did not have rain gear, or a warm enough sleeping bag. Both of her knees were stiff and sore. If you are trying to recruit some one to a new sport you better make sure their first effort is successful. Doubt she will hike again. I encouraged her to take Ibuprophin more frequently, but she wasn’t in a listening mood.
I told them about an alternate trail around Big Bald they could take. There was one at Albert Mt. in NC where we go up 650 feet in 500 feet. You use the alternates if it is too windy, icy, or rainy to be safe.
I did the short hike 5.7 miles to the highway where I hoped to hitch a ride into Erwin, TN. It is a US highway, but little traffic since thet put in the interstate. No one was willing to give me a ride.
Forest Service employees stopped to see if they could call someone for me but no ride. They told me about an experiment they are doing near Roan Mt. where they have imported Watusi African Cattle with 10 foot horns. The balds are open areas on top of the mountains. Originally cleared by Indians or early settlers to provide grassy areas for herbivores. Now that the land is publically owned and no stock is grazing there the trees and brush are gradually encroaching back on to the cleared space.
The Forest service is looking for less labor intensive ways to keep the balds grassy. These cattle are brush eaters, and browse eaters instead of grass eaters. They use their long horns to pull down branches to eat the tips of the limbs. Will be interesting to see if that works. They don’t burn the balds because of fear of setting the forest on fire. This Picture show were they have chopped down the encroaching brush and trees.
I got to the road about 11:30, again 40’s with stiff wind. Had all my clothes on, but still was getting chilled. Communicated with Di via cell phone texting since the signal was too poor for calls to go through. She and Logan, my grandson picked me up about 4 pm. Glad to see them.
We got a room at the local hiker hostel, actually a cabin with 2 rooms. Think it was a trailer covered with pine boards in and out.
April 14, Tues, headed for Birmingham. Took the back roads for the first 100 miles or so Di and Logan could see where I had been walking. Logan plans to walk with me the month of June.
April 15, Spent the day going through camping gear I have to set Logan up with all he needs when he joins me in June, Between Jeremiah, Di and I we were able to get all the gear and clothing he needed except for a few things. Went to the local outfitter and got hiking boots and a rain jacket.
In thinking back over these first 7 weeks a couple of things come to mind.
1. You would be amazed at how little you need to actually live. Food, water, clothing, tent, cooking gear and stove, bedding, entertainment can all be carried on your back and can weigh as little as 30#. Running hot and cold water, refrigeration, tempered air, indoor plumbing, computers are all nice but not essential to life.
2. Ramen Noodles can be fixed many ways.
3. Physically if you can do the first 30 miles you can probably do the next 2145 miles barring an illness or accident.
4. The tallest mountain can be climbed by the slowest hiker; it just takes a little longer.
5. If you get soaked in the rain, you will not melt and will eventually dry out, though you dry faster in a hostel or motel.
6. Having fun while hiking is a mind issue. Once you understand 3 and 4, then you can think about something else. Looking for the first wildflowers on the trail when it is foggy, blowing and in the 20s can be a delight. All are shades of black and brown and then there is a bright yellow or purple flower popping up.
7. Mt. top views are great but you can hike without them and enjoy the fuzzy whiteout of the clouds and shifting mists.
8. A warm dry sleeping bag at night makes it all better.
9. There is no way you can carry enough food to replace the calories you burn, Move over for the new Oprah Diet. 40# backpack and a month on the trail will make anyone thinner.
10. Things you wouldn’t think of eating at home are essential on the trial. One pkg of Little Debbie Nutty bars with 440 calories, 2 Pop tarts with 408 calories, Handfuls of nuts, are all popular when attempting to bridge the calorie deficit. Hikers also ck the nutritional labels at the grocery stores but are looking for the item with the most calories.
11. The image of the creator us everywhere. The Trillium flower with three leaves, three sepals and three petals reminds of the trinity with the number 3, the old testament sepals, a pale image of the intensity of the petals, and the petals of different colors, some royal red and purple representing the majesty of God, some yellow or white representing the purity of Christ.
12. The forest reminds of the continuity of life. Some trees hundreds of years old, flowers only a few days. We are here for a season; we are part of a grand creation, here for a purpose, to bring glory to God.
These thoughts and emails will cease for while till mid May when I go back on the trail.
Thanks to all of you for your interest and your prayers. Pray for the success of the training I will be involved in these next several weeks.
“Grandpa Hugh”
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