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The following has been transcribed directly from the journal that I kept while hiking the Appalachian Trail (AT).

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Friday, May 19th, 2000
12:10 pm. 86 degrees.
Drove family to Asheville, NC for vacation and looked for the Appalachian Trail due north of Asheville towards Faust, NC. We found construction, heavy construction, being done to pass a four lane highway right over the top of the trail (which currently crosses a lonely stretch of 2 lane highway within view of the Tennessee border). The trail was slightly hidden due to the construction but not hard to find. It was 100 yards before, and in view of, the Tennessee border. We parked the van after a 5 hour drive and everyone got their boots on for the hike.

This will be their first steps on the Appalachian trail! It is much greener here, in NC than it was in GA. It has been 18 days since the “Army 5” got off the trail and it has called me every day since I left. Perhaps the 18 days of Spring weather was enough to foster al this growth or maybe it is a totally different ecological system—probably a bit of both. The trail here is pretty easy going. No elevation changes to note for quite a while. Many birds chirping and lot’s of grasshoppers jumping out of our way as we step.

We pass a nice stream with a trail that leads up to a secluded area to camp. We continue on the trail, up a steep, but short series of climbs up to the top of a great hill with the most awesome view of a grassy meadow.

During our walk up the hill I was passed by a woman thru hiker-I pause and turn around to see—Yes! It is and older man thru hiker behind me. It is the father and daughter that we saw on the 25th of April on Frosty Mountain—Sonny and Rascal! What luck to see them again on this very spot of all places on the trail. I am very excited and talk to the man and remind him of who I am. They both move on and disappear into the woods…

Minutes later we summit the Mountain and the trees open to a beautiful flowing meadow full of flowering strawberry plants. Awesome view of the Smokey mountains. Perfect place to live. Took many pictures of all of us and of Emily and Benjamin alone. Then back up the hill, down the hill, past the stream and to the sound of the construction on the highway. This hike was more difficult mentally than the 7 days in Georgia. Even though we had no specific goal today, we inevitable felt rushed. We did a good job of trying to relax and let the kids guide us at their pace-which is important for creating a good environment in which they will want to hike more-but they do tire out…and maybe that drags on your mind to try to keep them happy and walking…was fun though! Good trip and happy to get them on the trail!

Today’s total: 4 miles (round trip)

Trip Total: 4 miles

The following has been transcribed directly from the journal that I kept while hiking the Appalachian Trail (AT).

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AT PACKING LIST ( for trip on 25 April 2000)

IN / ON MY PACK
-Backpack cover (came with the pack
-Army sleeping bag-bivy cover and lightweight insert
-Backpack (REI Wonderland copy www.royalbag.com)
-Sierra Designs Flashlight CD tent-great for 1 man, worked for 2
-Thermarest Classic-drew a chessboard on it with marker
-Blue ground cloth from Wal-Mart cut to size of tent for ground cloth
-Baseball Hat-need something to catch sweat
-Campmor Pack light Jacket (rain coat)
-sewing kit-could have been smaller
-3 pair Thorlo Coolmax light hiker socks-worked great
-2x Duofold Hydrid Coolmax Lightweight Men’s Short Sleeve Tee
-Hydrid Coolmax® Lightweight Long Sleeve Training Shirt
-fleece shirt
-REI convertible Sahara pants/shorts-the BEST investment
-Canvas shorts-used once
-3 pr. Boxer briefs
-towel
-Gloves-small cotton ones were nice
-Outdoor Research Rocky Mountain Low Gaiters-AWESOME
-PT Cap
-army polypro top / bottoms-used once
-33 oz fuel bottle-could have been much smaller
-MSR Multi fuel expedition stove-love it
-Stainless steel drinking cup
-MSR pot 1,600ml capacity-perfect for Mac-n-cheese
-hard plastic utensils-non-melting
-MSR Waterworks II filter
-Dromolite 2.5 L water bag-water filter attaches to it
-Dromolite hands free hydration system-like camel bak-awesome
-32oz Nalgene wide mouth bottle-water filter attaches to this also
-2.5 gal Water Sack & Pillow-only used once
-Petzel headlamp w/ halogen lamp-lightweight, must have
-AA spare batteries
-Castile Soap-need tiny amount(brush teeth, wash clothes, dishes etc)
-toothbrush
-mini compass/thermometer for zipper on pack
-2 disposable cameras-take lots of pictures
-waterproof bag (for food)
-Book to read
-pen
-small journal (5″x8″ army green notebook)
-id/credit card, cash, emergency contacts
-1st aid: aspirin, Imodium, Band-Aids, moleskin, chap stick
-550 cord
-maps
-Gerber multi tool
-Toilette paper/baby wipes
-Garden trowel

FOOD (In waterproof bag, middle of pack)
-Pemmican Beef Jerky
-Power Bars for snacks
-Multi vitamins and garlic pills-took everyday
-Stovetop Stuffing One Step
-Minute Rice
-Mac-n-cheese-get powdered kind
-Trail mix-homemade: Salted nuts, coconut, m&m’s and rice chex-heavy but good stuff
-Lipton’s meals-easy to cook, good meals
-bullion-to add to Lipton’s and use in Stovetop and rice
-Dried Apricots-heavy but nice
-Ziploc labeled “trash”
-Extra Ziplocs
-All food in Ziplocs and in waterproof bag
-lighter / matches
-Salt and Sugar
-green scrub pad-to clean pot and water filter
-Oral Rehydration salts-just in case
-Sugar free Tang-don’t need much to get 100% vitamin C and tastes Good!
*Stored sugar, salt, bullion and tang in plastic film cases.

IDEAS
-MSR Waterworks II filter worked well. Pumps like a bee bee rifle and has a bit less throughput than the Pur model. Really like how it screws directly to the Dromolite and Nalgene bottles. Do need to get an extra piece of tubing to hook to the clean end of the filter if you are filling something that it will not screw onto.
-Pur brand water purifier worked nice. Pump up and down and have fast throughput. They are purifiers: clean water really well.
-Put coffee filter over the end of water filter to keep sand out.
-Would be nice to carry the other piece of the blue Wal-mart ground cloth that I cut up to use as an overhead shelter in case of much rain. Lightweight and easy to pack.
-I tied everything off to my pack so I wouldn’t lose it (knife, filter, water bottle)
-Stovetop, minute rice, bullion and dehydrated chicken makes fast, easy meal and very filling!
-Leave a camera along the way with instructions for finder to take it with them, take some shots then drop if for next person. Leave your address so you can get it back.
-Take a notebook to leave at shelter for the register. Again, put address in it so you get it back.

Forgot or didn’t take and wish I had
 -Tevas-camp shoes to get out of the boots
-Foot/groin powder
-100 mph tape
-Few stamps
-Polar pure tablets-iodine tablets as back up to filter
-Nature valley twists
-MRE heater
-Emergency drinking water
-Sunkist Vitamin C Tablets
-Skittles are great!

The following has been transcribed directly from the journal that I kept while hiking the Appalachian Trail (AT).

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EPILOGUE: Tuesday, May 2, 2000
Could not sleep for some reason and finally woke up at 6:00 am. Slowly crawled out of bed and washed clothes at the laundry mat with Mike. We went to Hardee’s for breakfast while our clothes washed.

7:00 pm. After a day of pizza (nasty junk) and watching videos on MTV, Mike’s Mom and her boyfriend arrived to take us all home.

During the day we all got our pictures developed and even had time to get reprints made of the pictures that we all wanted.

So, the truck arrived and we cleaned out the room and loaded our packs and our bodies into the back of the camper topped truck.

As we drive away, it all seems unreal, surreal. I can see Brasstown Bald-the highest point in Georgia (I remember barely being able to see that Mountain and walking so far that we came to it, around it and beyond it) and all the ridgelines that I am sure we labored over. I feel like I can’t even remember that foggy day when we all set off to do nothing else but walk. I can’t remember the pain from last weeks first steps towards Springer or yesterdays last steps to Dicks Creek Gap. I wonder if your mind shields you from remembering pain? I suppose it does. Why else would or how else could people of all ages endure such pain for 2,160 miles?
“Pain is but an instant in life, only the scars will last forever.” -Gordo

I try to think about what I learned and I asked everyone else what they have learned as well. The common thinking is that is takes a hell of a lot of mental strength to continue climbing when you look up at yet another switchback to summit yet another seemingly endless mountain only to have to descend back down and have to do it all over again (wasn’t someone condemned in Hell to roll a heavy boulder up a huge hill only for it to roll down the other side and have to do it again? This was nothing like Hell. It was truly enjoyable and I am so ready to go again); to wake up in the morning and know that all you have to do today is walk on and on.

Even though the weight is there, always clinging to your back and digging into your shoulders, the weight is not the hardest thing to overcome. Sure, if you pack too much you will have problems, but I noticed that even without the pack on it was just as difficult to climb hills (like when we had to drop down the hills to fetch water). So, I think that leaves mental strength as the most important quality to get you through such a walk whether it is for 7 days, 7 weeks or 7 months. I believe it is fair to say that the longer you walk, the more mental strength you will need.

If I learned anything, I hope that it is to take life slower and spend more time on the important things. Take time to enjoy life and there is no reason to rush through it. When things get rushed, relax and take it slow.

What you give is what you get. Treat people well and they will treat you well in return (you don’t have to treat the people in your group that well cause you have to see them every day! haha)

When you carry your life on you back, things inherently become so much easier. You don’t have the room or the strength to carry a bunch of excess stuff–so you just don’t. You inevitably leave behind all the trouble causing things and quickly relearn how to live each day as it comes; to adjust your life to deal with each day’s unique obstacles.

It’s all that simple. We just have a tendency to confuse things and get caught up in doing more, being better and going farther than the person before us did.

This was the first time I ever walked for more than a day-I learned a lot from reading what others did and packed on many of the Appalachian Trail sites. I would suggest a little research for anyone interested in hiking.

I had a truly great time and I am already planning the next trip. Next, I will take the family out for a few days on the trail to share the experience with them.

So, the walk continues. Only a few thousand miles to go. Thank you for sharing this with me.

The following has been transcribed directly from the journal that I kept while hiking the Appalachian Trail (AT).

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Monday, May 1, 2000
New month-2 days left on the trail. Broke camp a little late and moved out at 9:38 am. 66 degrees. Have long ascent of Kelly Knob. Like always, lots of ups and downs but we are pushing a good pace. Decide to pass up water and climb up and over Kelly Knob and down to the Deep Gap Shelter-that way we aren’t carrying the extra weight.

Descend down to Deep Gap for lunch. Lipton’s Soup (2 of them) with some extra bouillon and some tang. Had cream of wheat for breakfast.

Mike went to get water and I stayed up at the trail waiting for the others. Met two thru-hikers-”R&R” and “Dull Knife,” 68 and 50 years old respectively. Have it pretty slow going-only 6 or 7 miles a day, but they are here and doing it!

Seems like we haven’t seen any full trees. Just seems like the branches are mostly broken off and only a few leaves on the tops of the trees. I am lying on a fallen tree that once blocked the trail. It is pretty smooth and large enough for me to stretch out on and lay in the Sun.

Only 4.6 more miles to go today. 3.6 miles to the highway at Dicks Creek Gap and then 1 more mile to the camp for the night. Tomorrow we are looking at 16.5 miles up and down continuous 500 foot ascents and descents on up to Bly Gap, North Carolina. Looking at hiding our packs in the woods and only taking water and a filter. We will see.

3:00 pm. After an extremely long and painful descent, Mike and I arrive at Dicks Creek Gap and Highway 76, which leads into Hiawassee, Georgia.

Game over. Once the others join us, we decide to stop here and go in for a hotel and a good nights rest.

Long downhill to here, long, long downhill.

3:30 pm. We try to hitch a ride into town (11 miles away) and Mike is successful in getting one from a couple that just came down after camping in Bly Gap.

Todd gets the license plate number of the car that Mike goes off in-just in case…it had Florida plates.

45 minutes later a truck arrives from the Hiawassee Inn-our ride to freedom. We load the packs up and get the 11 mile ride to the beautiful town of Hiawassee. Mountainous, huge 7,000 acre lake-nice. Arrive at the hotel and pay for the room and we make plans to meet after a shower for dinner.

*We left another note for Donny so he would know were we had gone. Last time we saw him he thought we were going to the campsite 1 mile beyond the highway.

We get in the room and how quickly we return to being lazy couch potatoes-TV on, remote in hand, laying on the bed. Mike gets a shower then me. Clean clothes on and we are out the door to get Todd and Skye.

5:15 pm. 86 degrees. The restaurant is 1 mile away (didn’t add these miles in our totals)-no problem!

We past the Post Office and arrived at Daniels Steak House. We initially wanted pizza but the less expensive buffet sounded much better (turns out that it was! The pizza sucked). Our eyes bulge and our stomachs do too as we soak up fried chicken, baked ham, rolls, salad, cake and cups and cups of sweet tea! All for only $6.77! What a great meal!

Walked back to the hotel and stopped on the way to buy some beers to take back to the room. We all pile in one room and watched TV and drank beers. I can’t even finish one cause my stomach is so full from dinner.

7:30 pm. Donny shows up. He found our note and hitched a ride to the hotel. We saw him outside in the parking lot (Donny). He got some dinner and a shower and joined us for some beers also.

It rained lightly at 8:20 pm-even better reason to not be on the trail-we had some great weather for our walk.

We ventured from Amicalola Falls to Dicks Creek Gap in 7 days of walking.

Tomorrow-Post Office, buy a Georgia Lottery ticket-$150 million at stake and watch TV while waiting for our ride later that night.

1:09 am. Goodnight from a warm, soft bed with Monday Night Nitro (Wrestling) on TV! Can’t believe that Hulk Hogan is now a good guy again!

*No blisters of any sort-sore hips are gone-only problem is my left Achilles tendon. It hurts and noticed today that it is swollen pretty large-so much that I can’t see the tendon behind my ankle. Everyone has some sort of ailment: Mike has sore ankles; Donny has sore knees; Skye has sore knees also and Todd seems to have the beginnings of his big toe nail falling off-his boot rubs the top of his toe.

Goodnight

Miles today: 8.8 miles

Overall Total: 74.5 miles