June 29th, 2009 Another perspective

Well, hats off to anyone who can hike a mile on the Appalachian Trail. I tried today. I am inspired by these hikers. This is not for the faint-hearted. For the mile or so I hiked, (how embarrassing!) the best way to describe it, for me anyhow, is the feeling of going up a long set of rough-hewn stairs. I can't begin to imagine what it is like to carry a 20-30 pound backpack.

Jack and Chris explained that on a flat surface they would have about a 3.8 mile an hour pace. (That is practically a jog!) Consider doing that for between 20-30 miles a day and you have their journey. Layer that with bugs of all kinds, occasional snakes, bears, deer, turkeys and skunk, and the need to purify your own water, and you have the makings of a great adventure. They are well beyond 840 miles at this point, day 39. I couldn't even make it one mile with them. The wonder of God's creation that He gives the capacity of youth!

I last wrote about meeting them around Glasgow, Virginia. They hiked about 30 miles last Friday. On Saturday they hiked about 24 miles, ending up near Rusty's Hardtimes Hollow Hostel. I freely made the choice to experience a backwoods "hostel" and it was quite an experience! With no idea what to expect, and no advance notice, Rusty graciously offered us bunk space in his "Alumni Quarters!" He took our pictures including Jack and Chris with their thru-hiker trail names. He pointed out that the hostel caters particularly to thru-hikers, but would gladly make an exception for me. I probably am among just a few non-hikers out of the 12,000 who have stayed with him since 1982. He was very kind to us and we are very glad we stayed there. There were several telephone-sized white crosses and Scripture verses peppered about the property, along with other colorful, unusual postings. It was a true back-woods rustic experience, one which we will always remember.

On Sunday we wound up in Waynesboro, gateway to Shenandoah National Park. The boys got a late start on the trail because we had the opportunity to attend our regular church services, a rare gift on the trail so far. In addition, we were all exhausted from our night in the bunk. Creature companions and the sounds of goats, chickens and other feathered and furry friends kept us from getting a deep night's sleep. The boys called it a short Sunday after 15 miles and we all enjoyed off-trail wash and rest facilities.

This morning I said good-bye to our hikers and they were off on the trail again, heading north, disappearing into the horizon. This was a nice, tiny glimpse into the life of an Appalachian trail hiker. Here's to happy, healthy, and safe trailing to all...off or on the trail!

Final day of life on a bed

So, our mom is off tomorrow and its back into the green tunnel until Front Royal, where Chris' old friend from U Dallas is going to meet up with us. Should provide ample fun for all. The AT was designated a National Scenic Trail by National Trails ACt of 1964, I think. The feds, however, only staff the trail with a single ranger who runs the show from Harpers Ferry, Dub V. The real people who keep the trail going are the ATC (AT Conservancy). They delegate the trail to smaller trail clubs (around 30) who take care of small sections. Today we walked the Old Dominion Club section. We had the pleasure of meeting our second ATC ridge runner yesterday. He has been keeping track, and we are thruhikers #334 and #335. This is fairly close to our actual number, but his has taken a few days off his section that he runs back and forth on. We are about 14 miles from Rockfish Gap, VA and will enter the park tomorrow. Today we climbed our last 2000 foot climb until Mount Greylock in Mass! Let me put up some more pics.

Still moving the packs

So, Mom is here in Central VA and not a second too soon. The hills of Virginia are taking their last shots on our weary feet. 3 straight days of 2000+ feet climbs. Today we climbed to the spire of the Empire State Building, twice. Hotels and real food are an impetus to keep pushing, but what will happen when it ends and its back to shelters and Ramens? Today we crossed the James River, Bluff Mountain, and wandered the woods where Natives once prospered. In a few days we will reach Rockfish Gap, the point where we have hiked to in the past from our local trailhead. It will be 300 miles of much easier terrain accompanied by tourists who are eager to trade picnic food for stories. This will mark our mental halfway mark, although the actual one is in PA. I'll give some pictures to start to create a visual image of the hike.

June 26, 2009

Hello bloggers,

Time for an update from the hills of Buena Vista! This is the support team's opportunity to fill you in from a new perspective. The view of the mountains is absolutely breathtaking!

However, getting to one's pickup destination was literally a journey through, shall we say, Roller Coaster Mountain Reality. The directional map program I was given via the computer was excellent. I was able to meet our thru-hikers in the middle-of-nowhere, off the side of a Blue Ridge Mountain. The trip was a breeze until the last five-mile forest ranger service road. All in all, it was a serene, scenic ride. The last five miles were, for me, from another part of the world. The road had what the road sign calls "turn-outs"...meaning your car could turn over off the side of the mountain. Good luck when a dinosaur-sized maintenance tractor-trailer with gigantic propellers comes charging toward you on the road....or how about the hot-rod from you guessed it.... The tractor pulled over to make way for the second vehicle, but this driver came as close to the next life when our hot-rod came dusting through. The end was worth it as when the guys called me via cellphone, I picked up the phone and then realized I was in shouting distance of their presence. They had arrived three minutes before I did and were joyously awaiting a rest.

Found a place to stay nearby and enjoyed supper with the crew. They hiked 25 miles that day and were picked up at Petite's Gap off the Blue Ridge Parkway.

We returned the next morning and we decided to have their auxiliary crew join them for the first few blazes of the trail. At the first blaze to continue their journey....Jack pointed out something they had never seen before...someone had placed a nice-sized winged praying angel figurine at the foot of the first tree. Confirmation of the help we received meeting up with the needle in the haystack.

Earlier today, stopping by St. Patrick's Church in Lexington, the pastor, Fr. James D. asked me where I was from as I was passing him onto the parking lot. Quite providentially, it turned out he was in my pastor's seminary class and he wanted me to say hello to Fr. Art from St. John's, Westminster! What a nice Coincidence!

Well have obtained reasonable refuel for dinner. Enjoying the beautiful town of Lexington... also home of Washington and Lee University. Our hikers will reach Buena Vista tonight with hopes of reaching beyond Crabtree Falls.


Jack and Chris will update later!

From the Howard Johnson in Daleville, VA

So last night was town time. I downed 5 double stacks, 25 nuggs, and one frosty from Wendy's. Chris ate a comparable amount. We met our buddy, Lemonhead, just south of here and decided to split a hotel room with him. Also got a resupply from the local Kroger. this place is weird, kind of a interstate highway stop (I81). But the opportunity to share stories with a fellow hiker and clean up are valued extremely highly on the trail. Perhaps the most fun is remarking on how fast and gaudy our society has become. Whitewashed with huge corporate stamped parking lots and o so standard brand name images. We become accustomed to these things and forget that they are simply human creations imposed upon this natural landscape Earth. I think the corporate stuff has greatly dampened our creativity and freespritedness. At times people in their cotton tees and jeans seem like predictable like worker bees pushing their pedals from destination to destination riding out their lives at the speed limits imposed by local law enforcement. The trail operates at your pace: shelters, towns, water, its all just waiting for you without schedule. I feel so much more in touch with nature and feel I have a glimpse into the world God created before we started getting caught up in modern "conveniences". but I will get to the update.
Day1 out of Damascus: Met the dean of Financial affairs for South Carolina University.
Day2 went into the absolutely gorgeous Grayson highlands of So Virginia. Little ponies dot the land and the rhodedendrons were in full bloom. Came near Mt. Rogers: Va's highest point. But its a side trail, and they dont get you any closer to Baxter St Park in Maine. Also met Landrover and Frenchie. an odd match of guys from Birmingham,AL and Drummondville, QC (mom mentioned)
Day 3 first 30 miler into the Pizza Shelter, where they delivered us two large pizza that we finished. next morning got 2 quick hitches to/from Marion VA Food City. Sweet grocers. Ate sushi for breakfast.
Day 4 crossed the .25 mark with our friend Rufio and got some ice cream from gas station in rural retreat,VA. ended at knot maul branch shelter. i wont talk about the endless rain thruout this strecth because its finally sunny.
day 5 33 miler into this really buggy, marshy Dismal Creek,VA section. really was dismal at the time. those mountain laurel drip the biggest drops after rain storms.
day 5 then it was pearisburg, where we went into the town festival, ate a 5 buck chinese buffet, and stayed the night at the hostel the local catholic church runs. We also were so happy to celebrate the Mass on Saturday with Fr. Prinelli, who received us with open arms for which we are very grateful. hopefully will be back there. also met up with the Polish and French hikers and met a recovering White Supremeicist and two miami ohio gards out thru-ing.
day 6 camped out i think, kinda uneventful. met a couple from Israel. and Flash and Fletch.
day 7 went down into our first empty shelter night and were accosted by a curious deer in the midnight hour. .
day 8 ended the day the with chili dogs and ice cream at a close convenience store. then camped out by a stream. got 2 trail magics now, beer in a stream by a shelter and rednecks with beer at a road crossing.

yesterday and the day before have been ridge walking past epic sights of Dragon Tooth and Mcafee Knob (a perrenial picture spot for thruhikers and a great view). Met LemonHead and here we are. he tells us we are just behind the pack of thru-hikers. Example of how this trail works: last night we were tryin to get a second round of wendys, but drivethru was only way. well, a car with plates GA-ME 02 pulls up and takes us thru. turns out the man had thru'd in 02 with his kids and wife. This is the guy you read about online who brought an 8 year old thru. Apparently the lil guy did really well.

mom is coming down soon to do a full support so updates will be by me over day 12 or so days. For all of those who wish to come out, we are shooting to be in Shenandoah in a week or so, the great state of MD in about 10-14 days. Woohooo! halfway is at Pine Grove furnace state park in PA. We have been talking about doing a BBQ at Pen Mar Park on the Mason Dixon Line. Please send all comments and inquiries in voice mail form to 443-603-2585. pics are coming soon. Peace to all.

-Corporate (Jack)

June 21, 2009

Jack and Chris reported a 30+ day into Pearisburg on Friday. They stayed at Holy Family hostel, a well-known hostel built by a local Pearisburg church. They mentioned that while they have caught up to the main flow of thru-hikers they have met several other people. One was Landrover, while another was "Frenchie" from the Montreal metro area. It was enjoyable to discuss the local Montreal haunts both jack and "Frenchie" had frequented. Jack and Chris also caught up with two thru-hikers they had bumped into before their water purification mishap a few weeks ago. They have leap-frogged with Odysius a few times and spent more time on the trail shooting the breeze with Ruthio.

Jack and Chris also confirmed they passed the official 25% mark of the Trail a few days ago.

June 17, 2009

Hi blog readers!

Jack called to report that they left Wise Shelter in Grayson Highlands State Park a few days ago and hiked 30.6 miles (a marathon day!) to Partnership Shelter near Sugar Grove, Va, aka "Pizza Shelter" with a hefty chow-down of one large pizza a piece. The hills are smaller now, still up and down, but less arduous. Rolling countryside in view.

The following day they finished 25.6 miles, with a stop along the way into the town of Marion.

They are now at least 89 miles from Damascus, Virginia and a total of 550.3 miles from their starting point of Springer Mountain, Georgia, 25% of the total AT trail distance of 2176.2 miles. They have averaged about 20.38 miles per day. They are now on day 28 of the hike. They had planned to average about 24 miles per day. This is taking into account that the end and beginning of the trail will have lower daily averages due to slower mountain pacing. They now have 76 days left to August 31, 1625.9 miles left to hike.

This will require a daily average of 21.39 miles....just about their current average daily rate. With an increasing daily mileage rate through Virginia, Maryland, and Pennyslvania, and barring any difficulties, they are well on their way to accomplishing their goal, with perhaps a few days to spare at the end of the hike.

Signing off for now!

June 14, 2009

Hello blog readers!
Here is our latest update from the Trail!:

Jack and Chris made a full resupply in Damascus, hitting Subway and DQ along the way. They hiked 21.2 miles and wound up in Wise Shelter further along the Virginia portion of the AT. They are on the tail end of the summer thru-hikers and are looking forward to this next, relatively smoother, section of the trail. No physical problems at this point. After three weeks of hiking they are now definitely accustomed to the rhythm of eat, drink, sleep, hike and resupply of the AT.
Were again pleasantly surprised with the wild pones they saw at the Grayson Highland State Park. They are hiking a steady pace today. They met a dean of finance from one of the universities in South Carolina.

A variety of individuals share the joy of wildlife on the AT.

June 13th, 2009

Well Jack and Chris---We tried to post a comment with Grandma M. and could not do so. We had troubles as we had to have some type of account. If you know of a quick and easy way to post a comment, let us know. Thanks.....Mom, etc.

From the beautiful trailside town of Damascus, VA

Thats right, you read correctly. We made it to Virginia! We are currently stationed out of a small hiker hostel called "The Place" in the small town of Damascus. The trail runs through the town. I get like 45 minutes on the public library computer here so my musings must be limited. I think I may be pulling my first real valuable experience from the trail now : Patience, patience, patience. If its not a tough 3000 foot ascent, its a debilitating stomach bug, or almost as bad, RAIN. Its a curse word out here. When it rains, you get wet, really wet. Everything does. You wake up and nothing dries, because of the high humidity of the "mountain ecology" as Chris aptly calls it. So I'll give a brief recap since Hot Springs, NC.
Day 1: Hiked a 19.6 to a rainy shelter late the night of our town departure, I spent a long time trying to get my bear bag up in the tree and was quite flustered. The 3 other thru hikers in the shelter found this amusing. it is really quite neat how you develop an instant bond with the other thru hikers out here. Our experiences are all very similar though we range from college crazies going at warp speed to retirees just waiting to heal up from their long 10 milers in town. Some people go into town for 4-5 days at a time! day 2: big rainy day into a shelter with a couple of section hikers and a very informative former thru-hiker from Kentucky. He directed us to some great upcoming places on the trail. We also met "Dallas" here, a thru hiker from aforementioned place who had never heard of UD, Chris' former alma mater. Day3 : I think about 20 miles into the worst shelter of all. Inhabitants: an Ivory tower sounthern doctorate wannabe and a Tennessee whiskey blooded ole' fightin rebel who chose to pack heat (carry a handgun) to the shelter. That night I puked up twice and fell very ill. Day4: I pushed my aching self to my limits 6.3 miles to a hostel on the awesome nolichucky river called Uncle Johnny's. Here I was able to rest up and get better while Chris got us a food resupply and ate his butt off at the local KFC buffet (yes, they have buffets down here). We then found out that Dallas was leaving the trail for life as an USAF tech in Flo rida and Nick from GA caught back up to us. Day 5: Pushed out our first marathon! Pretty uneventful day. I really wish I could describe the views and such but you just have to come down here and see it. I even forgot to mention Max Patch, this amazing 360 bald. Day 6: Chris got the same thing I got. we first climbed the last 6000 footer until NH: Roan. And that was a tough climb, but rewarded with a parking lot and little views, yay! But the way down was gorgeous: dense pine forest with granite, probably like what Maine will be like. Then we went out to the best stretch of views I think yet, the round bald and jane bald. It was amazing, except that I was cleaning up a trail of Chris sickness. Day 7: after a short finish we hiked into mountaineer falls. we hitched this day into elk park, nc and got some gatorade for chris and met a lady who works as a nursing home admin in Roan Mtn, Tn. That night we met Jeremiah johnson (real name), who was awesome and also a professional vagrant. He had left his "crap" in Ohio to bike around Cali. He ended up on the PCT hiking 1400 miles. Now hes onto the AT. Day 8: Another marathon in Watauga Lake. there was a really beautiful section on the laurel forks river valley with a 100ft waterfall. at the end of the day we got Trail Magic from some locals at the local lake beach (Watauga) Hot Dogs, Burgers, watermelon, tatr salad,great. Then it was an attempt at a 40 miler into this town. We git some night rain and chickened out at 28 miles in some shelter which is not even in the books. Just enough space for Chris and I. Day 9, Today we have walked across the TN/VA border and into this town for showers, ample food, and resupply, and this. The hike feels a whole lot more real than it did 20 days ago. We now have much more invested and our bodies are well adapted for the trail. The dirt and grime really never gets comfortable, nor does the foot pain. The people keep us going and the trail always seems to pay you back for the hard miles. Everyone out here: from townfolk to section hikers, treat you like the kings of the trail. So much happens, like we just saw another bear up a tree and sprinted (it was a cub, so momma prolli wasnt far) Well, im out of time. Have a wonderful week, I will update when I can. Jack.

June 11, 2009 evening

Update...

This past Monday our hikers stayed at the Clyde Smith shelter. On Tuesday, after Chris caught the bug, they stayed at the Stan Murray shelter after a 11.2 mile day.
On Wednesday night, after they had hiked 19.7 miles, they stayed at Mountaineer Falls shelter. Thursday night should find them in Wautaga Lake Shelter. They spoke to me after having hiked 12 miles. They intended to marathon 26.3 miles today.

Some highlights: Jack and Chris chased a skunk for about 10 minutes. Thankfully, they did not get close enough for attack. Jack saw a baby copperhead snake...poisonous of course. They saw wild horses at the end of North Carolina portion of the trail. They saw views from the super-open Hump Mountains. Their hardest rainfall was this morning. They are now in Tennessee, with hopes of being in Damascus, Virginia by Saturday afternoon.

They report they no longer experience physical problems, pain, or soreness in their legs or feet at the end of the day. In fact, their feet remain pain-free until they have hiked in the upper-20 miles/day range. AS for their stomach reactions, our hikers have decided to lower the dosage of purifier tablets used in the purification of drinking water.

At the next town, Jack and Chris will view this blog and make corrections, additions, and/or deletions.

June 11, 2009

Still no word at this time from Jack and Chris.

I found an excellent interactive Appalachian trail map from the Appalachian Trail Conservancy. There are also resources to find awesome photos of the trail.

Here it is:

http://www.appalachiantrail.org/site/c.mqLTIYOwGlF/b.4850633/k.9733/Interactive_Map.htm

June 10, 2009

No word yet since yesterday how our hikers are doing. Hope they have fixed their filtration problem and any g-e issues. Jack reported yesterday that the next very high mountains (relatively speaking) they encounter will be New Hampshire. Their illness has put them further behind schedule. However they do have a pad of about a week before classes begin to finish their hike if need be.

June 9, 2009

Jack called recently to update: It took about 16 hours but Jack has now recovered from his stomach bug. Cause may be the water filtration system. Chris now has same bad bug as of Tuesday early afternoon.

They hiked 26.4 miles yesterday. They have hiked 10 miles today. Due to this current illness they will have to find the nearest shelter, possibly Overmountain shelter.

The views from Google Map are beautiful. They have moved on, but you can get an idea of some of the beauty of their surroundings and enjoy them by googling google maps and typing in coordinates N36 6.371 W32 6.634. It is wonderful to see the views.

June 8, 2009

Chris reports that Jack and Chris found shelter at Uncle Johnny's shelter. Sort of neat, as I had just recently reported on their deceased Uncle Johnny who had loved camping and did car-camping during his college years. In addition, prior to finding shelter at Uncle Johnny's, I had sought emergency health advice from my experienced camping sister and her husband, John, also their "Uncle Johnny"!

Chris reported he biked into town to get some crackers for Jack and was able to pet a horse, see some beautiful mountain views, swim in strong current river where he almost lost his glasses, and saw a man elatedly catch a large fish. They have been able to shower and rest, as well as send some pictures to confirm they are alright.
Chris was able to completely resupply, so this was a nice bonus for everyone.

Jack reports feeling a little better. Thank goodness!

June 7, 2009

Jack and Chris called to report they stayed at No Business Knob shelter. They intend to hike the short distance to Erwin, Tennessee today. Jack had bad g-e trouble during the last 12 hours. This will be a rest, resupply, recooperation day. Hopefully, they found appropriate medical attention and shelter today.

June 6, 2009

Jack and Chris stayed at Hogback Ridge NC on Friday night.

They walked 19.6 miles on Thursday.

They walked 21.5 miles on Friday.

They will stay in No business knob or Uncle Johnny's Tennesee next.

They will be in Erwin, Tennessee tomorrow. Hoping to see Sonic's.

A seasoned thru-hiker told them when they get to Dartmouth, NH they will have done 80% of the trail and 20% of the work. He said that PA has dens of rattlesnakes.

June 4, 2009

Jack and Chris are headed toward Little Laurel Springs.

From the Trail

So, we decided to wait until 10am for the Hot Springs, NC public library to open and have be graciously allowed internet access. Ever since we got out from that ridiculously steep taxi ride up Springer mountain this trip has been epic. We meet new interesting people every night and each piece of trail has its own interesting an unique vibe. We started with Matt and Dan from UVA and NoVa Community College, who bussed with us all the way from DC to Gainesville. The anticipation was insane. Night one we met a Southbounder (thruhiker) about 16 miles from his goal. I remarked that it was near his finish and our start and we reflected on that. He told us stories of hitching in Lexus', getting free beer from the governor of Vermont, barebacking a horse and breaking his arm in VA, aquablazing the Shenandoah River, and his true love of Maine. He was a scraggly mid-20's from Bristol, TN. There was also a guy going 2 mpd on his thru and a couple mid-lifers out for a week. Night 2 we camped out in peace. night 3 was boy scouts and a few more prospective thru's from Asheville,NC and Boston Mass. Boston goes to Georgetown, we have not seen him since that night at Tray Mountain shelter. From that night for the next 5 days, we got rain. The next night we chilled with Boys Scouts with a dense southern drawl from Georgia. Then there were the atlanta yuppies who complained of our dank odor (passive aggressively of course). the next night we spent with NC state students one of whom was shaking down for a thru (testing the waters). Then was NOC, the super touristy outdoors center which was, as chris says "move em in, move em out". Fortunately we got a hitch with some Noc workers to Bryson City, NC. We hit up Ingles grocery and stood outside with signs for a hitch back to our hostel at NOC. Kind hearted Katie gave a an epic meal at First Baptist and let us in to watch their hilarious children's choir. John C., a Gulf War vet and survivor of a 3 month coma told us of his impressive kill count over there and about his views of our wars. He also offered for us to come back and "slay walleye" in his houseboat. We moved on then to Brown Fork Gap, where we chilled with a Canadian and a guy from Lansdowne High in MD. he was walking to his gf's in Charleston, DubV. These guys were out to mosey on down the trail slowly. We put in a epic 24 miler into the Smokies, and passed the East Coast's largest dam, Fontana. the next day we got out on some awesome bald mountains and spent the night with some weekenders from Winn, Our-Kansas. Then came the night of bears, where Chris' poles were chewed up and some water bottles were taken. We then camped out with Camel and Fungae (also thru's) and went to the shelter with them. Now we've gotten to Hot Springs and our enjoying this quaint 600 person town. We are avg. 19.4 miles per day and our 32 miles behind pace to get up to Katahdin by Aug27. But the miles will come with time. Best wildlife experiences: The turkeys that are really territorial, the rattlesnake I almost stepped on, the deer with no fear, and all these damn gnats and skeeters which have painted my body with red dots, and of course the 4 bears ive seen (chris has only caught 2).Best views: Wayah Bald stone tower, Max Patch Bald. I must say this hiking thing is tough, but really rewarding. There is so must to see in one 20 mile day. To abandon technology, warm beds, cars; it is actually incredibly liberating. Life becomes focused on the here-and-now of the trail. From rock to rock, mountain to mountain. Moving weight and topping rocks: thats what this summer is all about.

Best wishes to everybody back home and up in Canada. I do not envy your beds or your cars but I do miss your company. Keep it real. moving north: Jack.

*Side note: If anyone, i mean anyone, wants to come meet, hike with, feed, bathe, house, or entertain us, we would be the most gracious people you have ever met. It would be an amazing time for everybody. Upcoming sections: NE Tennessee, Damascus Va, Daleville Va, Waynesboro, Va. Call and leave a message at 443-603-2585

June 3, 2009

Today marks the 16th anniversary of Jack's godfather's (Uncle John). My brother Johnny would have be soo proud of Jack and Chris on the AT. Johnny carhiked the entire country one summer between a job and graduate school. He looked like Wolfman Jack too when he got back. He brought back souvenir deer horns, shed along the side.
I believe, that summer was among the happiest memories of his life. He was single and with no worries and a family who loved him. I am very happy that Jack and Chris too are creating memories and appreciation for the joy of creation for the rest of their lives.

Chris reported this afternoon that indeed they stayed at Walnut Mountain shelter last night. Camel and Fungae (Trail names), both from Buffalo, shared the shelter with them. These guys are hiking the whole thing too. In the same time frame. Jack and Chris did have supper rations with them, so they were only out of granola bars, and trail food. They report they have lost weight. Jack saw another bear on the trail this morning. *It scampered away quickly upon sighting me.*

Chris reports that their legs are not as tired at the end of the day now. But they aren't yet "machines."

They were 1/2 hour outside of Hot Springs with 13 miles behind them. They intend for this to be a short hike day, ending with a mattress (hopefully) and good shower at probably Elmer's in Hot Springs, NC. I recommended the diner across the street as I had seen that highly rated on the Web.

Tomorrow the trek continues to northward to the Virginia border, approximately 180 miles away.
*Stayed the night at Elmer's SunnyBank Inn in Hot Springs. Amazing place! It is an old Victorian Mansion on the National Historic Register. Also ate in that Diner which served up a great double burger and pizza. We've been keepin' up with the two guys from Buffalo and another guy, Nick, from No Georgia who plans to finish by Aug23. You meet some pretty awesome people out here.*

June 2, 2009

Christopher called this afternoon with an update on their thru-hike. They confirmed they stayed at Pigeon River Shelter, NC last night, 237 miles from their starting point of Springer Mountain, Georgia. Unfortunately, they have run out of food, namely their supply of granola bars, etc. They won't be able to resupply until tomorrow in Hot Springs, NC. They are very hungry and tired. Jack reports that Max Patch Summit (4,629') is the last large mountain on the trail until New Hampshire. With this piece of news, despite the hunger, they are very happy. Looking at the charts, I may have misunderstood this, as it appears they will have to climb Bluff Mountain (4,686') tomorrow morning. Perusing the AT Data Book, Jack and Chris still have some very tall mountains left to climb along the Tennessee/North Carolina border. Roan High Knob shelter, for instance, stands at 6,285'. They can do it...one day at a time.

They intend to spend tonight at Walnut Mountain Shelter, about 21 miles from last night's destination.

Chris and Jack asked me to google phone information for Hillside Hostel in Hot Springs, NC. I have been unable to find any phone numbers for the hostel. I did find information about other hostels and passed on this information to them. Some of the hostels and motels offer discounts for thru-hikers.

Looking at the AT Data Book, Jack and Chris have about another 200 miles to go until they reach the Virginia border.

*Camped out by the Pigeon creek and swam in Pigeon River. No shelter at this sight.*

Update 6/1/09

Update to last email: Jack and Chris had bear company on 5/31 at Pecs Corner Shelter. The bear actually punctured Chris' water bottles and pulled his trekking poles. Jack and Chris stayed at Pigeon River shelter on 6/1/09. Later today Jack had a big scare when he nearly stepped on a hissing rattlesnake on the trail. Jack and Chris tried to get the snake to move away. It would not do so, so Jack and Chris had to walk into thick underbrush to get around the snake. They walked 23 miles on June 1st, today. They hiked about 21 miles yesterday. They are now out of the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. Hopefully, they will be in Hot Springs, NC by tomorrow afternoon.

June 1st, 2009

Jack and Chris report they are okay. They stayed at Doublespring Shelter, North Carolina on Saturday night. There was a father/son trekking team and a guy/girl going to a reunion. Last night they had a brush with a big black bear. The bear pulled out Chris' trekking poles and clawed a couple drinking bottles. The bear was there in the morning when they woke up and Jack took some pictures of the bear. They report they walked 21.2 miles today. Not sure, but think they were at Pecks Corner Shelter. They hope to be in Hot Springs, North Carolina in a couple of days.

* We had a nice talking to by Trevor, a Northern transplant in TN about his ramblings at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. Another character of the trail.*