2020 Spring Semester

       After taking a late start yesterday we figured that we better get going a little earlier today. We woke up at 7 am and were hiking in the rain by 8. The forecast predicted over an inch of rain between last night and today combined. Last night lived up to the prediction but today did not.         The morning was very wet but pretty soon, to our surprise, the rain let up. For most of the late morning and afternoon we were able to dry out.        Enjoying the good weather, we were hiking for Damascus VA, the start of our 4th state and the location of our next resupply. We made very good time for most of the day, as we were hiking through some of the easiest terrain of the whole trail.         By 3 pm we crossed into Virginia and only had 3.5 miles before getting into Damascus.  The Tennessee/Virginia border        The last 3.5 miles went very ...

       It was another late morning for us. After hiking 23 miles yesterday and getting to camp late we were pretty tired. So we slept in until 8:45 then made oatmeal which takes some extra time. Basically we didn’t get on trail until 9:45 am. Right before we started hiking Boots passed us, another through hiker who we met like a week ago.        Today we had a full day of hiking without rain. This hasn’t happened in like a week and it was so nice. We spent most of the day on a cool ridge with a steady wind and 50 degree temperatures. It was still overcast but we could at least see what was around us.        The trail has been pretty flat the last few days, but soon we will be in the Grayson Highlands. The Grayson Highlands are known for rolling fields, tall peaks, and free range ponies. For now the Blue Ridge mountains have been very pleasant as the mountains evolve into chains of ridges instead of tall mountains s...

       It was a late morning for us. I woke up around 6:30 am but realized that I had been sleeping amazing, it was raining, and didn’t want to move. So I didn’t.         We finally woke up and did our morning chores then were on trail by 8:45. It was still raining but we warmed up quickly. The trail was pretty flat today. We dropped down to Laurel Falls where we stopped for lunch. While we were eating a fellow through hiker named Nor’easta stopped to talk with us. We ran into this guy briefly just before Standing Bear but didn’t talk much at the time. Today we talked as we ate about the weather and the other hikers we had all met so far. Apparently Nor’easta hiked the whole trail in 2018 and had snow all the way to where we are now.         The falls themselves were impressive. For a relatively small stream the water was very powerful.        After lunch we hiked on. We had to make...

       We woke up at 7 am this morning to pack everything up and get back to hiking. There was a great sunrise and view from the house we were staying in.        Taking breaks is good for us but it brings the mental challenge of re-immersing ourselves in the outdoors. We ate a big breakfast of chicken, pancakes, and fruit then got back to the trail. As we were about to start hiking we ran into Chili Head and Bear Paw who had stayed at The Station, a popular hostel just down 19e.         Hiking was slow with our heavy resupply but eventually we found our stride again. We were greeted with rain and a nice view of the Blue Ridge Mountains.         Next we hiked past the Elk River. About a year ago Tyler, his dad, and I stayed at the same place where we just zeroed and fished the Elk River. We had hiked part of the AT as we fished the river. It was pretty cool to hike a section we ...

       Today was our first zero since the NOC. That was 16 days ago. It felt great to not hike for a day. I slept excellently and feel very well rested. I’m sure that my muscles and joints will appreciate the rest as well. Not to mention, we had a great view from the place where we are staying.        Tyler’s dad John made us pancakes and eggs for breakfast. We relaxed for most of the morning then ate fresh fruits and vegetables for lunch. After lunch we went to the Linville Gorge where we hiked about 2 miles around the gorge to keep ourselves from getting too tight.         After the gorge we went to dinner at a barbecue place. Southern barbecue is incredible. From dinner we did our resupply then came back to the house and lounged around for the rest of the day.        Tomorrow we will aim to be back on the the trail by 9 am and will probably hike a 20 mile day. We won’t stay ...

       After Fresh Grounds fed us last night we went to bed contentedly but damp from the rain and fog. I didn’t sleep well at first but around 11 pm I fell asleep and didn’t wake up again until 6:45 am. It feels great to sleep for almost 7 hours straight.        We packed up our wet tents and went over to Fresh Grounds who had already cooked us a breakfast of bacon, eggs, potatoes, sausages, and toast. We talked with another through hiker named Gung Ho, who served as a marine and attempted a through hike last year before an injury took him off trail.         Pretty soon we were back to hiking. It was a relatively easy day, but we have learned to never underestimate the Appalachian Trail. We climbed up Little Hump which had a grassy bald peak. However, we couldn’t see any of the views around us due to some very heavy wind and fog. The fog was so thick that there was condensation forming on my eye lashes and the ha...

       After our less than optimal performance yesterday we woke up early this morning to get a good start to the day. We ate a dry breakfast due to the heavy rain and were walking by 8:15. It felt like we were doing pretty well until we stopped in a shelter at noon for lunch.        In the shelter was a through hiker who gave us some very confusing stories. He had his guide book out so we asked him how far we had come so far. He told us we had come 7.5 miles. This was very surprising as we generally average 2.5 miles per hour and we had been hiking for 4 hours. After a quick lunch we continued hiking as fast as possible, thinking we were behind our desired pace. However, when I checked my guide book during a short rest I realized we had been given inaccurate information (I doubt it was malicious). Anyway, we were ahead of schedule and had hiked over 12 miles before 1 pm.         We then started a challenging asce...

       We slept in this morning. After getting to camp in the dark last night we didn’t fall asleep until after 10. We had a stream nearby which gave us some pleasant white noise and a pretty steady wind keeping our tents around 50 degrees.       Finally at 8:30 am we woke up. It was nice sleeping in and we were still on trail faster than if we had stayed in town. By 9:20 we were hiking and heading uphill toward Unaka Mt. This mountain was 5200 feet high but still managed to be nearly the toughest mountain we have climbed yet. Don’t get me wrong 5200 feet is a high mountain on the east coast but it isn’t even close to the highest mountain we have climbed so far. What made Unaka difficult was the gradual uphill climb combined with the extra weight from our resupply.       The climb took place over 12 miles. And those 12 miles took us like 7 hours. We took a lot of breaks for food and to rest our legs. The top of Unaka wa...

       We slept in this morning. There was a lot of rain last night and the some pretty strong gusts of wind. By the time the sun came up neither of us had moved, hoping for the rain to pass. Eventually we got up and packed up.         The morning had rain showers off and on. We couldn’t decide if it was better to wear the rain gear and sweat or take it off and just let the rain fall on us. By the late morning the rain had passed and we were just hiking in fog. Pretty soon the fog cleared too, but the clouds stuck around.        We only had to go 16 miles today to make it into Erwin. By 1 pm we had gone 9 miles so we stopped for lunch at the No Business Shelter, pleased with our progress. We haven’t been seeing many other people. There’s the occasional section hiker and some through hikers we have met before, but we might go a whole day without seeing anyone.        After lunch the...

       I feel asleep looking at the stars last night. And I woke up to a gorgeous sunrise.         Tyler and I packed up and we’re out of camp by 8 am. We thought we might get to Fresh Grounds for breakfast so we were motivated to make good time over the first three miles of the day. When we got to Devil Spring Gap, where Fresh Grounds was last set up, he was gone. We herd tell that he was at Sam’s Gap, about 10 miles ahead. Our motivation continued throughout the morning, but sadly we did not run into Fresh Grounds today.         The morning passed quickly. Thankfully the rain held out and we had decent views for most of the day. The trail was relatively flat, but we still crossed over a couple 4000 foot mountains before the afternoon.         We stopped for lunch at Sam’s Gap around 1 pm then started heading up our first challenging mountain of the day: Big Bald. After lunch, w...

        It was an early morning for us. Last night there was a pretty intense thunder storm and a lot of rain. I slept restlessly through the storm and heavy winds. We started moving around 6:45 and were on the trail at 8 am as the sun came up.        The morning was overcast and foggy. It rained off and on for our first couple hours on trail. Nevertheless, we made decent time. After hiking 7 miles before 11 am we stopped for lunch at Laurel Mt Shelter. While we ate a section hiker passed through and talked with us about his hiking experiences.        Lunch was a nice break, but we were back to hiking in a half hour. The trail became very steep very quickly as we ascended back up to 4000 feet. We crossed over a ridge where we would have had excellent views if not for the fog.        Then we hiked our first and only full-on mountain of the day, Big Butt. Yes, the name of the mountain is Big...

     Leaving the comfort of town has always been difficult for us to do. It’s almost like getting out of bed for work on a cold morning. We want to be hiking but the initial discomfort of beginning the hike slows us down a little. After waking up around 7 am, we went to breakfast at the same diner where we ate dinner last night. I got so much food that I could barely finish it, and I almost didn’t need to eat the rest of the day.      While at breakfast, a man who had through hiked in the past came over to talk to us. He shared his love of the south and asked us about trail magic then paid for our breakfast. It’s surprising and encouraging when a total stranger is that generous with us. The only way that I can think to react is with gratitude and a growing desire to give the same generosity to others in the future.      After breakfast we went to the grocery store to buy our resupply. We got about 4 days of food, enough to take us to Erwi...

      Last night there was some very heavy rain. But I had one of my best nights sleep in the trail yet. After getting to camp early yesterday we were able to get to sleep before the rain really hit. I only woke up once or twice last night, but when I did the rain was coming down hard.        We woke up early then immediately decided to sleep in. Around 8 we got up for real, ate breakfast, filtered water, and got on the trail. Pretty soon the weather turned warm and to patchy clouds. We climbed two mountains today before descending down to Hot Springs.        First thing in the morning we climbed Walnut Mountain. We got to the peak pretty early, around 10 am. There weren’t great views from the peak, but after dropping down to the next gap, we ran into some gorgeous woods.        Then we started ascending our final mountain of the day, Bluff Mountain. We had some cool views of Bluff Mountain during the...