This morning I saw another bear. He saw me first and did what was best for both he and I: he ran away as fast as his furry black legs could take him.Bears in this area have good reason to flee humans as quickly as possible. Yesterday, as I crossed the Park boundary, I met three good ole boys with a pickup load of kennelled ... Read More
Today I came down from the high ridges in the Smokies: last night I slept at 5,900 feet and tonight I am only at 2,700. This has the effect of taking me back in time with respect to the seasons. At the higher elevations fall was well advanced, with almost all the leaves off the deciduous trees. (Above 5,500 feet there are also extensive areas ... Read More
There is one road that crosses the AT in its 70 mile run through the Park. I found myself on the side of that road at 3:30 yesterday, with the possibility of walking 3 miles uphill to the next shelter, or hitching into town for pizza and a shower. I let my stomach make the decision.Gatlinburg, Tennessee is a tourist town in the foothills. It ... Read More
Two days ago I entered Great Smoky Mountains National Park. This is a large park that includes parts of both Tennessee and North Carolina. It is also the most popular national park in the US, with more than 11 million visitors last year.About 70 miles of the AT are in the Park, including the highest point on the AT, which is at Clingman's Dome (6,643 ... Read More
Last night I stayed at the Fontana Dam Shelter, well known on the AT as the Fontana Hilton. It is a beautiful and spacious shelter that sleeps 24. There is a washroom block nearby that has flush toilets and a hot shower, amenities not available at the backcountry shelters. A hot shower at the end of the day is much more pleasant than the usual ... Read More
I have found a good daily rhythm on the AT. Making and breaking camp has become second nature, and most of the remaining daylight hours are spent walking. I am enjoying the variety in the scenery as well as the changing seasons. If I didn't miss my beautiful wife so much I would happily walk until winter made it uncomfortable. So it was a bit ... Read More
I was grinding my way up Wayah Bald at a point where the AT crossed a small road, when a truck stopped and an older gentleman got out. We chatted for a few minutes and he revealed that he was looking for seeds on the wild rhododendrons and azaleas. He was familiar with the wild rhodos in B.C., as he had given a lecture on ... Read More
The idyllic, summer like weather that we had been enjoying has been replaced by the wind and rain of the former Hurricane Nate. It came ashore in Louisiana yesterday and its core should pass west of us this evening.After two nights at the Top of Georgia Hostel we were keen to get back on the AT this morning. Bruce's knee had improved somewhat, so we ... Read More
Hikers who attempt to hike the entire AT in a continuous outing are known as "through hikers". Walkers who are only doing a portion of the trail are called "section hikers". Hikers are further distinguished by whether they are northbound (NOBO) or southbound (SOBO). Hence, in the parlance of the AT, I am a NOBO section hiker.Most of the through hikers are NOBO. Large numbers ... Read More
After 7 days on the trail we were running low on food and needed to go into town to reprovision yesterday. Dick's Creek Gap is a convenient place to do this, as the Top of Georgia Hikers' Hostel is located only half a mile from where the AT crosses a highway. The Hostel offers bunk beds, hot showers, continental breakfast, and a free shuttle the ... Read More