Day 24 - Hot Springs, NC - Mile 272

Trevor called tonight from Hot Springs, NC.  He sounded in great spirits, is doing well, and had a lot of stories to tell meaning I have a lot to write!

He mailed his photo card home today and I will post pictures once it arrives.  Also, we just mailed him a new SPOT GPS and he plans to pick it up at his next stop in Erwin, TN on Monday.  Hopefully by Monday the progress button at the top of this blog will give you a Google map with his current location.

Trevor and Mountaineer decided to zero in Gatlinburg due to the bad weather in that region on Saturday.  With 2 inches of rain predicted, they thought laying low for an extra day was a good idea.  One of Trevor’s hiking companions Rocket Rick, a retired cross country coach who is a marathoner, was having terrible knee swelling and he decided to return home to Ohio to get it looked at.  Rocket Rick’s hiking companion, Firefly, stayed in Gatlinburg and decided to keep hiking.

On Sunday morning Trevor, Mountaineer, Finn, and Firefly all left Gatlinburg and hiked 16 miles to the Tri-Corner Knob Shelter.  About 3 miles into their hike they came upon a kiddie backpack and umbrella sitting on the trail.  They contemplated what to do but since the backpack was full (and they didn’t want to carry the extra weight, they left it there and continued up the trail.  Just a bit further they came upon a guy sitting in the middle of the trail.  When they asked if everything was okay, he just mumbled and never looked them in the eye.  He said something about having no water so Trevor handed him a liter bottle and the guy turned his back to them and drank it down.  Trevor said it was clear this guy didn’t have it all together mentally but they were still worried about him.  Trevor was glad he had Finn and Mountaineer with him because he was worried since guy looked like a serial killer and Trevor kept waiting for him to turn around with a big knife!  Finally the guy stood up and seemed a bit more “with it”.  They pointed him in the direction of his backpack and umbrella and suggested he walk back to the parking lot and return to Gatlinburg.  Trevor said later that night he talked with other hikers who also saw this hiker and he was in the parking lot; I guess he got back to town okay.

On Monday morning they traveled about 8 miles to the Cosby Knob Shelter where Mountaineer decided he needed to stop for the day.  Trevor said Mountaineers feet have been getting progressively worse and were now covered in blisters and his skin was deteriorating badly.  At first Trevor thought Mountaineer might have a skin eating bacteria, but Mountaineer said he was allergic to latex and apparently the latex from the soles and insoles of his hiking shoes were causing his reaction.  Mountaineer told Trevor, Finn, and Firefly to continue on without him and that he planned to hike very short distances each day until he reached Hot Springs where he would zero for a few days to let his feet heal.  He was also having his wife ship him some different shoes in hopes that would fix the problem.  Mountaineer said if his feet improve he will contract Trevor and Finn and get a ride to wherever they are on the trail at the time and rejoin them.  With that, Trevor, Finn, and Firefly left Mountaineer and continued another 10 miles that day to Davenport Gap.  There they overnighted at the Standing Bear Hostel http://www.standingbearfarm.com/ and were able to shower, wash clothes, and resupply.

Trevor said Tuesday was the most eventful and fun day he’s had on the trail so far.  They (Trevor, Finn, and Firefly) hiked another 18 miles on this day.  About 6 miles into the hike he summited Snowbird Mountain and he said the view was spectacular.  This mountain was the largest bald so far and it provided the best unobstructed view.  From there he hiked another 3 miles to Groundhog Creek Shelter where they ate lunch and relaxed a bit.  Just a few miles after Groundhog Creek he crossed Brown Gap where he experienced another bit of Trail Magic!  A Trail Angel named “Apple” had set up a large blue tarp and was giving snacks and drinks to hikers.  They talked to Apple for a while and he said he travels around to four different trails (App Trail, Pacific Trail, etc) during the year and spends several weeks at each handing out food to the hikers.  He sets up each day from 8 to 5 and just enjoys meeting and talking to hikers.  Trevor really enjoyed meeting him too and was very grateful for his care and hospitality.

Trevor said Finn and Firefly are a bit nervous about snakes, so they asked him to lead the trail for much of the day.  After leaving Browns Gap they hit a stretch of stairs and as they were climbing Trevor said something told him to take a step backwards.  As he did he looked down and a 2 and ½ foot long snake that was stretched across the step below him coiled up quickly and was ready to strike.  Trevor said it was an adrenaline rush knowing that he almost stepped on it and it actually struck his pole a couple of times!  YIKES!  Trevor was unsure exactly what type of snake it was because the markings were odd, but felt it was likely not poisonous due to the shape of its head.  He took a picture and I’m sure my snake expert at home (Mike) will be able to identify the type!  After coaxing the snake off the path, they continued on their hike and I’ll be darn, they came upon another snake about 1.5 miles later!  Trevor said again the snake was nearly 3 feet long, blended in well with the leaves covering the path, and was sunning itself across the path.  After also getting a picture of this snake he continued on his way.  News Alert to Hikers:  The snakes are out now!

After all the snake hoopla they summited Max Patch and enjoyed another bald.  Then suddenly, there were llamas!  Yes, a group of hikers were in the bald with 4 pack llamas that were carrying their gear!  Trevor said at first he was apprehensive about the llamas because he thought they’d just spit at him but he found them to be surprisingly affectionate.  I think if I ever hike the trail I’m going to buy a llama to carry all my stuff.  Heck, maybe I’ll get two; one for my stuff and one to carry me!

After enjoying the view and learning a bit about llamas, they continued on their hike to Roaring Fork Shelter.  They arrived there by 3pm and all decided they still felt good and wanted to cover more ground and shorten their next day’s hike into Hot Springs.  They loaded their packs back on and traveled another 3 miles to a tent site at Lemon Gap.  During the night it started to rain.

On Wednesday he, Finn and Firefly woke up early and “hauled ass”, as Trevor put it, for 15 miles to Hot Springs!  Due to the rain they were highly motivated and made it into town by 1:30.  After finding a hotel they did laundry, resupplied, ate real food and relaxed for the night.  Trevor said Firefly stayed at a hostel and will likely zero there for a day.  He and Finn plan to press on.

Tomorrow (Thursday) they (Trevor and Finn) plan to sleep in and then hike either 11 miles to Spring Mountain Shelter or 14 miles to Allen Gap Shelter.  If things go as planned, they hope to arrive in Erwin, Tennessee (Mile 340) on Sunday evening or Monday.

Day 19 - Gatlinburg, TN - Mile 205

Trevor is overnighting in Gatlinburg and plans to hit the trail again tomorrow.  He and Mountaineer found a room at the Grand Prix Inn for $30 (combined)!  I told him to check for bedbugs and he just laughed!

He said they crossed Fontana Dam early on Wednesday and traveled 16 miles to the Spence Field Shelter.  He said within minutes of arriving at the shelter it started to rain and it continued all night.  He said the rain sounded like a jet engine hitting the metal roof and it was terribly cold.  The shelter was designed for 12 but they stuffed 14 people inside and fortunately everyone stayed dry.  By Thursday morning the rain had stopped, but Trevor said it was very cold (never above 34 f).  He regretted sending back his gloves so early, but made dual duty of an extra pair of wool socks by wearing them on his hands!

They traveled 14 miles on Thursday to the Double Spring Shelter.  Trevor said the terrain on Thursday was all up and down and he rarely had a flat run where he could gain good speed.  He saw a few snowflakes that day and when they arrived at the shelter they all ate dinner quickly and went to bed early so they could warm up in their sleeping bags.  When Trevor awoke this morning he said there was ½ inch of snow on the ground and the water in the tube of his camel back had frozen!

Today they summited Clingman’s Dome, which is the highest point on the entire trail at 6643 ft.  He said Clingman’s Dome was awesome and there was about 1 inch of snow at the summit.  He climbed an observation tower there and said he got some great pictures.  Since the mountain is so tall he was above the cloud cover, which was hovering around 4000 ft. and he had blue skies and it seemed like he could see forever.  Only the mountain tops exceeding about 4000 ft. were poking above the cloud cover.  Although I don't have his pictures yet, I've found a few pictures from the internet that show the observation tower and the view when there is cloud cover.

I asked again about bears and he said in talking to locals the bears have come out of hibernation but generally stay at lower elevations this time of the year.  I guess it’s a good time to hike through the Smoky’s and avoid the bears!

After enjoying the views at Clingman’s Dome, he, Mountaineer, and Fin had to hustle to get to Newfound Gap by 1pm to meet Fin’s girlfriend and get a ride into Gatlinburg.  Trevor said it was a slippery decent down to the Gap at 5000 feet because the rainwater had frozen on the rocks.  Fortunately, they all made it down safely.

When they got to Newfound Gap they ran into a bunch of tourist that offered them fried chicken, doughnuts, and soda.  Trevor said the Trail Angels and their trail magic was great!

After resupplying in the morning, he, Fin, and Mountaineer plan to hit the trail by noon and hike 10 miles to Pecks Corner Shelter.  If things go as planned they hope to arrive in Davenport on Monday where they will overnight and resupply at the Standing Bear Hostel.

Day 16 - Fontana Dam, NC Mile 164

Trevor called tonight from Fontana Dam.  He said he, Mountaineer, and another hiker named Fin all arrived there a day sooner than scheduled because they were able to do a 16 mile hike yesterday out of NOC.  Although the hike out of NOC was tough, when they arrived at the 10 mile point he said they felt too good to stop.  At Fontana Dam they ate at the "Mountain View Bistro" where he devoured a French dip, French fries, and fried pickles!  They convinced a maid at a hotel to give them hand towels and they were able to get a quick shower.

After eating Trevor went to the post office to pick up the food he mailed ahead from Hiawassee.  Trevor said his food arrived fine but Mountaineer's didn't make it.  Apparently Mountaineer had mailed his food before ever leaving West Virginia for the trail and it never arrived.  Fortunately, they were able to find enough food in hiker boxes that other hikers had left behind, coupled with some of Trevor's extra food, to get Mountaineer by for a couple days before needing to resupply.  Originally they had planned to go straight through the Smokies, but given Mountaineer's food situation those plans have changed.  Trevor said Fin's girlfriend is meeting him near the trail in Gatlinburg on Friday and he has offered to give Trevor and Mountaineer a ride into town so Mountaineer can resupply and they will stay overnight there.

Trevor said he's taken a leap of faith that the nice weather will hold out and has mailed home a few items such as his gaiters, face mask and gloves.  He also mailed home his SPOT GPS so hopefully we can get it replaced and sent back to him quickly.

Tomorrow they will cross Fontana Dam and head into the Smoky Mountains.  They plan to hike 13 miles to Russell Fields Shelter, then 17 miles on Thursday to Double Spring Gap Shelter, and then arrive in Gatlinburg on Friday.  If things go as scheduled, they plan to get out of the Smokies and arrive at Davenport Gap Shelter on Monday where there is a hiker hostel and they can take a zero day, resupply, and do laundry.

Day 14 - Nantahala Outdoor Center Mile 135

Trevor called at lunchtime today from the NOC.  On Saturday he and Mountaineer hiked 18 miles to the Wesser Bald Shelter where they camped with about 30 other hikers last night. I guess he was anxious to get to the NOC because he started hiking at 7am this morning and arrived at the NOC by 9:45.  I think he wanted to maximize his time at the NOC today and recharge for his hike tomorrow. I've read that the hike out of NOC is challenging because he goes from a 1700 foot elevation back up to 5000 feet.

At NOC he enjoyed a breakfast of pancakes and eggs at their restaurant, took a shower, and started laundry.   He said the Hokie vs. Witchita State game was playing in the restaurant and as soon was he got off the phone he planned to go watch.

Trevor said the hike on Saturday was interesting and he took pictures but doesn't know if they'll do his experience justice.  He said there were times where he had to stop and think about each step, contemplating how best to execute them so he wouldn't fall off a ledge.  Apparently he had to step from jutting rock to jutting rock and if he messed up then he would have fallen a fairly good distance.  He said it didn't feel life threatening, but it would have hurt alot!

No bears, no ticks, no poison ivy yet!  He's got about 30 miles to Fontana Dam and the start of the Smoky Mountains.  He believes they'll hike 10 miles (mostly uphill) tomorrow, then tent on the trail.  On Tuesday they plan a 14 mile hike to a campsite just outside Fontana Dam where they can pick up the food they mailed ahead and zero for a day before beginning the 5 day hike through the Smokies to Davenport , TN.

Day 12 - Siler Bald Shelter, NC - Mile 112

Trevor called late this afternoon from Siler Bald Shelter in North Carolina.  He is still hiking with Mountaineer but hasn’t heard from or seen Cotton and Nattie since they left the trail to have Cotton’s knee checked out.  Hopefully they’ve made it back on the trail and are healthy.

Before leaving Hiawassee, GA, Trevor purchased enough food to get him through his current hike and also a 5 day hike while in the Smoky Mountains.  He shipped the Smoky food ahead to Fontana Dam which is at mile 164 and at the base of those mountains.  This way he can resupply easily just before undertaking that hike and avoid having to leave the trail to buy food.

He left Hiawassee on Wednesday morning and hiked 17 miles, crossing the GA/NC state line and staying at the Standing Indian Shelter.  Below is a picture he sent me from his cell phone of the actual GA/NC sign which is nailed to a tree on the tail.

On Thursday he hiked 14 miles to the Big Spring Shelter.  Trevor said that hike was very interesting because the last ½ mile to the shelter included a 400 foot climb up a rock face.  He said they had to literally use their hands and feet to climb up these rocks!  When he got to the top there was a tower that gave him a terrific view of the mountains and town of Franklin, NC.

I asked Trevor about the type of terrain he was encountering and he said there are times where the trail really isn’t much of a trail.  He has had to walk down the middle of a stream that was actually the trail and also traverse small ledges with drop offs.  I asked about animals and he said other than normal creatures like birds and squirrels, he hasn’t encountered much.  He did say there were two mice crawling on his tent last night and he had to knock them off.  YUCK!  He said he normally wakes up at 6:15 am, starts hiking by 8 am, and then goes to bed around 7:30 pm. 

Tomorrow he plans to hike 13 miles to the Cold Spring Shelter.  Here is a picture of that shelter from the AT Conservancy website.  Since I don't yet have photo's from Trevor I thought everyone might like to see what a typical AT shelter looks like.

He expects to arrive at the Nantahala Outdoor Center (NOC) on Sunday.  The NOC http://www.noc.com/ looks like a great place to relax and he plans to overnight there and eat some real food.  I expect to hear from him sometime Sunday and will post an update at that time.

Regarding his SPOT GPS tracker – he’s tried and tried to get it to track and it’s just not working.  He plans to ship it home from NOC and we will get a replacement sent to him.  Hopefully within a couple weeks we’ll have it up and running!

Day 8 - Hiawassee, GA

Trevor called tonight from the Blueberry Patch Hiker Hostel in Hiawassee, GA.  Again, he sounded strong, upbeat, and optimistic!  He said Mountaineer never showed up at the Neels Gap cabin on Thursday night, but Trevor found him there the next day doing laundry.  Apparently the hostel didn’t tell Mountaineer that the guys were expecting him and instead Mountaineer shared a cabin with Moonshine (Sydney from VT who started the trail with Trevor but got separated on the first day).

After doing his laundry and resupplying, Trevor hiked about 6 miles and stayed near the Whitley Gap Shelter.  Rather than hike the extra mile off the trail to the actual shelter, he and Mountaineer decided to pitch their tents and sleep just off the trail.

On Saturday, Trevor hiked 12 miles to the Blue Mountain Shelter.  There he met up with Cotton, Nattie, Mountaineer, Moonshine, and Sherpa.  Sherpa (real name Kate) also started the trail with him last Monday; but, if you remember from my earlier post, they got separated.  I asked Trevor how she got the name Sherpa and he said when she weighed her pack in Neels Gap, it topped the scales at 57 pounds (mind you Trevor’s weighed 32).  The people at Neels Gap helped her trim it down to 45 pounds and I guess they decided a good name for her was Sherpa because she liked to lug a bunch of stuff! 

Saturday was Trevor’s birthday and he said it didn’t even cross his mind until everyone got ready to settle into their tents for the night.  He said someone asked what he was thinking about and Trevor replied, “It’s my birthday”.  With that the entire camp started yelling, “Happy Birthday”.  I’m so glad he didn’t celebrate alone!

On Sunday, Trevor hiked 13 miles, briefly stopping at Tray Mountain to enjoy the view from its 4400 foot summit.   He continued on and stayed overnight at Sassafras Gap where he and Mountaineer tent camped since there was no shelter.  At this point Trevor said Cotton and Nattie decided to get off the trail and hitch to the hospital to get Cotton’s knee checked out.  Apparently it was causing him quite a bit of pain and he thought he might need a rest or some medicine.  Trevor hasn’t heard how that went. 

Today, Trevor, Mountaineer and a guy named Homer hiked 6 miles to Dick’s Creek Gap and from there they hitched a ride to the Blueberry Patch Hiker Hostel.  Trevor said the three of them took a shower while the hostel owner did their laundry.  This hostel is a donation operated Christian based ministry and the owner actually hiked the trail himself in 1991.  After showering the three of them got a ride into town where they ate at Daniel’s buffet for about an hour and a half!  They then shopped at Ingles grocery store to resupply their food and then hitched back to the hostel.  Trevor has NEVER hitched before so I feel much better that he’s doing it with a professional like Mountaineer.  Mountaineer is a recently retired West Virginia State Police Officer, so I think he's in good hands!

Trevor said he experienced his first Trail Angel this past weekend.  Apparently a former hiker left two huge bins of food on the trail.  They were filled with soda, chips, candy, and beef jerky!  What a nice surprise for tired and hungry hikers!

Trevor and Mountaineer plan to cross into North Carolina soon – 1 state down, 13 more to go!  Their next big town is Nantahala, NC at AT mile 133.9, about 67 miles from Hiawassee.  Nantahala has a huge outdoor center with rafting, restaurants, lodging, resupplies, and they hope to arrive sometime Sunday or Monday and I'll post an update when I get one.

As a side note, Trevor said he's been sending signals from his SPOT but I told him they're not coming through.  We went over how to synch it to the GPS satelites, so hopefully he will get it up and running.  If not, he plans to mail it back to us and we will have a replacement mailed out to him.

Day 4 - Neel's Gap, Georgia

Trevor called this afternoon from Neel’s Gap, GA with an update.  He sounded strong, happy, and pumped about his experience so far.  It’s the end of day 4 and so far he’s hiked a total of 40 miles – 9 miles of the AT approach trail and 31 miles of the actual AT.

Trevor started his hike on Monday morning from Amicolola Falls State Park with a guy named Jim Dog and three girls, Moonshine, Kate, and Lucy.  Trevor and Jim Dog hiked the 9 mile approach trail faster than the girls and when they arrived at the top of Springer Mountain, Jim Dog took a shuttle back to the Hiker Hostel for the night.  Trevor said the approach trail was the most hellish portion of his hike so far. The hike was steep and areas of the trail were littered with gear and supplies that hikers ditched in an effort to lighten their packs.

Trevor waited 2 hours at the top of Springer for the girls to arrive, but then decided it was getting late and began the AT alone.  He hiked 2.8 miles to the Stover Creek Shelter where he met a retired police officer named Mountaineer, who was also hiking alone.  After camping there on Monday night, Trevor and Mountaineer hiked together for 12 miles on Tuesday to Gooch Shelter where they met two guys named Cotton and Nattie. 

On Tuesday night the rain started with a vengeance and fortunately Trevor’s tent kept him and his gear dry.  By Wednesday morning Trevor said it was clear the rain wasn’t going to end so he packed up his tent and moved into the actual Gooch shelter.  Since getting to the next shelter required a 12 mile hike, Trevor, Mountaineer, Cotton, and Nattie decided to take a zero day and stay in the shelter rather than hike in the downpour.  The hiker term “zero day” refers to a no hiking day. Although the day was boring and long, Trevor said they made the most of it and played cards to pass the time.  The torrential rain finally stopped at 7pm.

Trevor left Gooch around 8am on Thursday and hiked 15 miles to Neel’s Gap.  Mountaineer left earlier that morning but Trevor eventually caught him.  They hiked together about 5 miles and then Mountaineer slowed down and Trevor decided to hike ahead.  Trevor said the first 12 miles on Thursday were pretty easy and he made great time.  The last three miles to Neel’s Gap took a bit longer because he had to cross a high elevation at Blood Mountain and it was snowing.  While the ascent wasn’t too bad, Trevor said the descent was crazy; going from 4450 feet to 3125 feet over wet and rocky terrain.  He was very happy he had trekking poles!

When he arrived at Neel’s Gap around 3pm Trevor found out the hostel was full but a cabin that sleeps 4 was available for only $60 a night.  He waited for Cotton and Nattie to arrive and they all agreed it was well worth $15 each to sleep in the cabin and have a shower.  When I talked to Trevor he was waiting for Mountaineer to arrive and was excited about the prospect of a hot shower, real food, the cabin fireplace and satellite TV! 

In the morning (Friday) he plans to do a load of laundry, resupply at the Neel’s Gap hostel, and continue his hike.  His next resupply point will be Hiawassee, GA which is 36 miles and 3 days from Neel’s Gap.  If everything goes as planned I expect to get another update on Monday evening.  After Hiawassee, Trevor will only have 9 miles to the GA-NC state line.

The Adventure Begins

We dropped Trevor off at the Hiker Hostel http://www.hikerhostel.com  in Dahlonega, Georgia on Sunday, March 6th.  The hostel is about 6 years old and is owned and operated by a young couple that hiked the trail and decided to open this hiker hostel.

During the drive to Georgia, Trevor contemplated his trail name.  Hikers refer to each other by their trail names and if you don't have one at the start then others will give you one.  For example, when Trevor checked into the hostel he met an older, bearded hiker known as "Backyard" - we didn't asked how he came up with that name! 

Trevor considered the name "T-Bone", which is his gamer name, and "Ridiculous", which is a word Trevor over uses.  He finally decided on "Hellion", to pay respect to his great grandad, Charles Helderman, who passed away at the age of 96 in June 2009.  Great Grandad was a retired Colonel who served in WWII, Korea, and Vietnam.  As Provost Marshal he led a group of military police known as "Helderman's Hellions".  I think Great Grandad is smiling!

On Monday Trevor plans to hike the 9 mile approach trail, register at the start of the Appalachian Trail, and continue about 3 miles to the first shelter.  We anticipate hearing from him around Thursday when he should arrive at Neels Gap, Georgia.  At this location the Trail actually passes through a building where hikers can resupply and purchase “real” food.   If Trevor chooses and they’re not already full, for a mere $15 he can stay in the hostel overnight and get a towel and shower.  They also have laundry facilities and can arrange shuttle rides into town for dinner.  My guess is that if the weather’s decent he’ll think it’s too soon for such luxury, but I know what I would choose to do! http://www.mountaincrossings.com/mountaincrossings-hikerhostel.aspx

Here are a few pictures we took on Sunday when we were leaving the hostel.

Hiking Equipment

Most of Trevor’s equipment is brand new so we thought it would be good to take a few pictures BEFORE it gets dirty and torn!

Here is Trevor’s Osprey Exos58 backpack.  When empty it only weighs about two and a half pounds, but fully stocked it weighs 32 pounds.  Not too bad considering this includes all his shelter, clothing, cooking equipment, and food for the first 3-4 days.  Ideally a full pack should weigh less than 40 pounds, so he’s feeling pretty good about where it’s at right now.

This is Trevor’s Big Agnes Fly Creek 2 tent.  Believe it or not, that is a two person tent (right)!  The tent is lightweight (at 2 pounds 2 ounces) and weighs less than many of the one man tents on the market.

This is Trevor’s Mountain Hardware Phantom sleeping bag.  It is rated to 15 degrees and is very lightweight (2 pounds 1 ounce) and compacts to about the size of a coffee can.  This minimizes space but also provides the warmth he will need during March and April.  He has a foam pad to provide some cushion and insulation.

This is how Trevor will be cooking most of his meals.  He fashioned this denatured alcohol burner from two Coke cans and it takes about 2 ounces of alcohol to cook a meal.  A simple wire ring allows him to place a pot over the flame, while an aluminum foil screen provides protection from the wind.  Most meals will require boiling water, so he will only take one titanium pot.  Yum Yum.

Trevor will need to hang his food from a tree each night to keep the bears from eating it.  This dry sack holds all his planned food for at least the first 4 days.

These compression bags store Trevor's sleeping bag, extra clothes including his fleece and winter coat, as well as his rain suit, gloves, hat, and gaiters.  It's amazing how much stuff these bags can hold.  I placed an 8X11 envelope next to them so you could see just how compact everything can get!

The Practice Hike

Trevor and Mike did an 18 mile practice hike in February to test his pack’s weight distribution.  They originally planned a 13 mile walk, but a poorly marked trail at Pocahontas State Park led to an extra five mile loop!  Needless to say they were pretty exhausted at the end of the day.  Here are a few pictures from that hike.