A tad bit depressing and spooky
13 mars 2025, Förenta staterna â
âïž 14 °C
I walked for almost a complete hour in a dead forest today. It was initially somewhat enchanting but ultimately the scale and circumstance (likely climate related) carried a heavy sense of loss andLĂ€s mer
Albert Mountain Fire Tower
13 mars 2025, Förenta staterna â
â
13 °C
This landmark was right on trail and what a doozy to approach it - essentially a 40+ story (irregular!) staircase carved into the mountain! The weather was iffy so I didn’t stay up there too longLĂ€s mer
Mile 100! (Also Iâm in NC now!)
13 mars 2025, Förenta staterna â
â
14 °C
Even less ceremonious than the border crossing from GA to NC was the 100 mile marker on the trail. I was lucky to even notice it, to be honest. Maybe they feel like accomplishments in the moment butLĂ€s mer
Appalachian Blue Tongue Fever?
13 mars 2025, Förenta staterna â
â
13 °C
No… I’m feeling fine. I just ate some candy that @KimD said I would appreciate- she was right of course đ
Old Manâs Beard⊠Tea?
13 mars 2025, Förenta staterna â
â
12 °C
At the camp shelter this evening someone offered me a tea they made from a moss they found in the forest. Colloquially it’s known as “old man’s beard” which is funny after the post I madeLĂ€s mer
đLong Branch Shelter
13 mars 2025, Förenta staterna â
âïž 9 °C
Today I traveled 15 miles from the top of Standing Indian Mountain to the Long Branch shelter. Highlights included the fire-watch tower on Albert Mountain with a huge steep climb to summit. Also aLĂ€s mer
Water abundance
14 mars 2025, Förenta staterna â
â
8 °C
Water sources are abundant on trail with many nearby creeks, streams, and springs that intertwine with the mountainous terrain. I do have a process of filtering to make it safe to drink. I’ll shareLĂ€s mer
Take me to your leader!
14 mars 2025, Förenta staterna â
â
15 °C
đœđŸđž
đTown Trip- Franklin NC
14â16 mars 2025, Förenta staterna â
â
18 °C
Hey hey! There is a big storm rolling in and the safe thing to do was plan a town stay to avoid the deluge (2 inches of rain? Tornado warnings? ) sooo, yeah. A right of passage in this region is toLĂ€s mer
Early Activity Indicators
15 mars 2025, Förenta staterna â
âïž 13 °C
Info from my phone đ€
Untitled Post
16 mars 2025, Förenta staterna â
âïž 11 °C
Wayah Bald
16 mars 2025, Förenta staterna â
âïž 12 °C
Panoramic views from an old/refurbished watchtower. This is the day I was distributing trail magic birthday cake Oreos all day!
Icy atart to the week
17 mars 2025, Förenta staterna â
âïž -4 °C
Overnight an ice storm made the trails shimmer- the perfect amount of… not enough to ba a nuisance
Hiking mountainsâ edges
17 mars 2025, Förenta staterna â
âïž 3 °C
Tiny ridge lines with sharp rocky edges- my climbing skills are helpful here. I’m heading mainly and NH are similarly technical
First Railroad Crossing
17 mars 2025, Förenta staterna â
âïž 11 °C
đCamping near AT 142.8
17 mars 2025, Förenta staterna â
đ 5 °C
Beautiful day for hiking today, although it did start out pretty cold (22°F) There was some snow and ice overnight which made for some lovely scenery ! I totaled 17.4 miles and had time at theLĂ€s mer
đź Taco Tuesday
18 mars 2025, Förenta staterna â
âïž 13 °C
This week’s trail recipe is Peanut butter and trail mix tacos!! Set up the hammock and make it a relaxIng lunch break!
Road Construction
18 mars 2025, Förenta staterna â
âïž 20 °C
They are widening the road here and turning this into essentially a 4 lane highway- I’m guessing they will ultimately have to build a pedestrian bridge for the trail access. The machinery in useLĂ€s mer
Cold Soaking!
18 mars 2025, Förenta staterna â
âïž 20 °C
Cold Soaking is a. “Cooking” technique used by backpackers to save time and resources (fuel). Essentially you put your dehydrated food in a sealable vessel and add water- close it off tightly toLĂ€s mer
ResenÀrI did not. I also learned that cold soaking in 30° weather takes longer than 70°
đHilltop Camping near AT mile 157
18 mars 2025, Förenta staterna â
âïž 16 °C
Beautiful day- temps got in the upper 60’s there for the afternoon . I covered a lot of ground ~15 miles. Lots of ups and downs (what else is new đ). The shelters and “easy to access”LĂ€s mer
Fontana Dam Shelter
19 mars 2025, Förenta staterna â
âïž 24 °C
Jokingly called the “hiker’s hilton” this shelter had hot showers! Yes please. I took a quick break to wash up and headed across the dam into the smoky mountains national forest. Feels so goodLĂ€s mer
Fontana Dam
19 mars 2025, Förenta staterna â
âïž 24 °C
A TVA hydro-electric project. Huge concrete construction. The visitor center was Closed but I explored the exterior- certainly very impressive and massive.
Now Iâm in the Smoky Mountains
19 mars 2025, Förenta staterna â
âïž 25 °C
Skuckstack Peak
19 mars 2025, Förenta staterna â
âïž 20 °C
At the end of a long climb the AT heads downhill, avoiding the peak but I was super curious, I’m glad I took the time even though I was super tired. The wind was impressive and the views were theLĂ€s mer
đBirch Spring Gap Campground
19 mars 2025, Förenta staterna â
âïž 21 °C
Big day today in terms of milestones and sites! I started the day with a monumental downhill (930 ft) then I discovered the Fontana marina, lake… and ultimately the dam which was fun to explore.LĂ€s mer
Thanks Kevin - very sad. [Eileen]