I was up early again and hiked the 3 miles into Hot Springs. The first stop was to the diner for a huge breakfast. The country fried steak took up the entire plate and I ate it all. After breakfast we walked down to the Spring Creek Tavern and Inn. I booked two rooms for... Continue Reading →

I was up early today, far too early - around 4:30 am. The wind across the bald had picked up to around 10 mph. Apparently, this was too much for my tent and it was collapsing on me. Between this and the wind being able to get in under the rain-fly I'm really starting to... Continue Reading →

The hostel breakfast is starting to feel pretty routine, we had some burritos and we were on the trail by 8 am. Stumbled upon the SOT VORTAC on top of Snowbird Peak. Someday I'll get back to flying and navigating by those instead of finding them on the trail. For now, life is good and... Continue Reading →

I've made it from Newfound Gap to Spring Mountain Shelter. The blog posts record the days in detail but check out the video for additional commentary on the trek. https://youtu.be/krAJox6B9QM

Another nero today and I'm glad for it. It was a short walk from Davenport Gap Shelter, across interstate forty, and over to Standing Bear Farm. The place is nothing special but it does have a lot of charm. Kiwi, Pin Drop, and I agreed to split a cabin for the night and thew our stuff... Continue Reading →

Unfortunately, the weather forecast was correct and it rained. There was no space on the bunk in the shelter so I set up my pad on the dirt floor. Being on the floor was preferable to being out in the rain. When morning came I was a bit worried about being trampled by everyone else... Continue Reading →

The night in the hostel was really great. The Lodge of Legends proprietor is really generous, she drove us to a pancake place for breakfast and then to the grocery store for supplies. She had a full stock of food and supplies at the house that we were able to pull from so we only... Continue Reading →

Successfully summited Clingmans Dome, the highest point on the AT. The weather was just starting to clear up but it was still mostly foggy when I passed. Maybe I'll come back in the van after I finish the trail and see what it's all about. Throughout the day the Smokies transitioned from grass and oak... Continue Reading →

Not surprisingly, last night was a cluster. We had 16 people in a 12 person shelter with a roof that reportedly leaked. When it started raining overnight the 6 people in the middle got absolutely soaked. Some of them moved to the floor and other took over the benches to try and get out of... Continue Reading →

All of the climbs are starting to feel the same, which is good... I think. The legs are willing and able to do the work, though now that I'm above 5,000 ft all day the lungs aren't quite keeping up. It should get better though. Spent the day hiking with Festus and Bubbles. We made... Continue Reading →