Hiking in the Smokys made dam near bearable...

3/15/08 - Another stormy day... Hiked 13 mi to Fontana Dam & stayed at the "Fontana Hilton" - the nicest shelter on the whole dam trail. (Brandi - don't get agitated about the missing 'n' - it's a play on words!)

• Hitchhiked into a nearby village with Ron. Stopped at the general store to resupply - he was shy 1 dinner and unwilling to live off of his oatmeal stockpile.
• BONUS: Laundromat open & they were able to dry their clothes! In true Hearts form, he housed a pint of ice cream while they waited.
• You know what's unbearable... no cell phone service when he's hiking along ridges through severe thunderstorms. The same low pressure system that spurred the EF2 tornado in downtown Atlanta the night before!

3/16/08 - Welcome to Great Smoky Mountains National Park! Started out around 60 degrees at the dam this morning but temps dropped drastically once he got into the mountains. Said most of the higher peaks in the Smokys look like they're capped with rime (a lesson in earth science - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rime_ice). Brrr.

• Grabbed a Mr. Pibb at the visitor center to wash down his cereal... bleah! Apparently, he's been craving sweets like nobody's business since he got on the trail.
• Hiked up Shuckstack Mtn. I only mention it because he LOVED saying "Shuckstack" and because on the way up he stopped to fill up his tank at a natural spring & looked 20 feet back down the mountain just as a HUGE BLACK BEAR crossed the trail!!! He tried to snap a picture & may have managed to get a slightly obscured shot as it was passing through some thick weeds!
• Unknowingly wandered into Tennessee & passed a sign that said he has less than 2000 mi to Katahdin!!
• Today's tally: 17 mi. Got the last spot at Spence Field shelter. It's filled to the brim w/ 20 people and an additional 10 more camping outside! TONS of people on the trail today! (Ron, Squire, Matthew, & Spruce are all there)

Got your goat...

3/14/08 - BIG day - hardest so far... 16 total mi, rainy. Climbed up 3000ft then down 3000 ft then up 3000 ft then down 3000 ft & then right before Brown Fork Gap Shelter... back up again!! Said there wasn't a flat mile all day!

• Started off right w/ a good breakfast: pancakes, eggs & coffee.
• Hiked with Matthew. Fun fact for the day - they came across a lot of garbage thrown over a hillside. Someone threw away their goat. Yeah. A dead goat. Which Amos decided to take a picture of while unknowingly standing in a heaping pile of dirty diapers... as Matthew poked it with a hiking pole... Something to look forward to on a future roll of film.
• Best dinner on the trail so far = instant buttery, salty, cheesy mashed potatoes!
• Shelter's holding Matthew, Squire, The General, Ron and a new guy who was pretty much asleep when they got there (Timber, Lumber, Forest... can't remember his name). Those boys are inseparable!

The paridoxical Chubby Hubby...

3/13/08 - Headed 5.5 mi straight downhill from Wesser Bald (which is hardest on the old man's knee) and in to the NOC.

• Breakfast at the Rivers End Restaurant - vegetarian gravy & biscuits! (who knew!? w/ a side of home fries)
• Spent $50 at a local outfitter on a pack-cover & water bag - OUCH!
• Enjoyed a pint of Ben & Jerry's - which I think maybe should have gone on his knee.
• 70 degrees & sunny!! He just got done soaking feet in the Nantahala! Says it's weird watching the kayakers & not in a boat himself...
• About to split a 6-pack with Matthew & Ron (who'll be camping with him tonight), The General & Squire (who are staying at a hostel in town), and Starbucks (don't know what he's up to).

Well hot dog...

3/12/08 - Amos, Ron, Riley, Squire, & the General stuck together pretty much all day. Riley left the group once they reached Wesser Bald Shelter to forge on toward the NOC. 18 total mi today.

• Caught 2 amazing views from 2 firetowers. Wayah Bald & Wesser Bald. Wesser Bald's view was "incredible" - could see all the way to Fontana Lake!
• More trail magic in a HUGE tent that took 2 days in and of itself to set up. Hearts helps himself to 1/2 a package of cookies, some hot chocolate, and his 1st HOT DOG IN 3 YEARS!!
• Knee is awful. Going to stop at the NOC to get knee bands & Glucosamine - apparently vitamin I is no longer cutting it...
• The General, Ron, Matthew, Squire & Starbucks at the shelter tonight.

Hungry hungry hiker...

3/10/08 - 14 miles worth of hiking today. Camping tonight at a shelter about 3/4 of a mile down the back-end of Albert Mtn. known as Big Spring Shelter. Today's highlights include...

• A lot of creek crossing - which of course he loved
• Ate 2 lunches just cause he had the time (what a great reason to eat twice!)
• Trekked above 5,000 ft 2x today & saw his 1st 360 degree panoramic view at the top of Albert Mtn. - which of course he also loved!
• Taking lots of vitamin I for his knee - says it does a fairly good job of numbing the pain while he hikes... no comment.
• Scarfed down 8 servings of stuffing (with a 1/2 brick of cheese) for dinner (Note: eight servings is NOT a typo!!)
• Same guys are at the shelter tonight as last night but they'll most likely split up tomorrow (unnamed hiker from camp yesterday is Squire)

Hiking from GA to NC is snow-joke...

3/9/08 - Woke up to his 2nd infamous organic breakfast & FINALLY left the Blueberry Patch! I bet Gary had to kick him out... (kidding, I know he was antsy to hike yesterday) He was dropped off at the trail around 10 am.

• Started hiking with Ron & finished with Riley, a rugby player from Brown University.
• Very snowy in the mtns - especially along the north-facing slopes that didn't see the sun today. Said he had to trudge through some fairly deep drifts.
• Knee hurts ALOT - under the knee cap. Says it feels horrible going up and down hills with his pack on but it feels fine when walking around camp. Probably not going to hike more than 14 mi tomorrow. Took some vitamin I to alleviate the pain (which I've learned is his pet name for Ibuprofen).
• Hiked 17 mi to the Standing Indian Shelter. Staying with Ron, Riley, The General, and some other guy whose name he can't quite remember...
• It's going to be REALLY cold tonight - in the low 20's. He said his nose is frozen & he won't write in his journal because he refuses to take his hands out of his gloves!
• Looking forward his 1st big climb above 5000 ft tomorrow! Please pray for that knee!