As the trail turns

I'm sitting in the library in Hot Springs, N.C., writing this post -- the AT runs right down the main road in this small, mountain community at the 273 mile mark on the trail.

It's day 23 of my hike, and I'm taking a zero day (no miles hiked). Basically, it's a day off to relax, refresh and handle any matters that need my attention -- like paying the final electrical bill from my place in Barnwell.

Hot Springs has a population of under 1,000. The town is peaceful with a few good restaurants and an outfitter store where hikers can re-supply and get whatever they need. Since the AT runs right through town, the area caters to hikers.

I'm staying at Elmer's Sunnybank Inn. It's a large, 19th century farmhouse that's been a hiker hostel for decades. The house is filled with antiques, and guests have their own private room ($20 per night for hikers). It has the exact feel you'd expect from an old home: the wood floor creaks with each step you take and the old furniture gives the place a relaxed, cozy atmosphere.

Last night, I ate and drank at the Spring Creek Tavern in town with a several other hikers -- with trail names like Pockets, Squirrel, Chef, Wing It, Paperboy, Cowboy and Sunshine.

All the thru hikers I've met so far seem to be enjoying themselves and each has a unique story to share.

Paperboy, for example, is a journalist from Minnesota. He rode is bicycle from Minnesota to Georgia before starting his hike.

Cowboy just graduated from Amherst College in Massachusetts. The kid normally hikes 20-plus miles a day, which is impressive to say the least. He hiked 33 miles the day he arrived in Hot Springs. He said he eats 12 Snickers bars a day on the trail.

Pockets and Sunshine are two girls who met early -- the first day I think -- in their hike. They hiked several days together before being separated but reunited in Hot Springs. In the hiker log books at shelters along the trail the phrase "Pockets full of Sunshine" is a common note one of them will write.

If you made it to Hot Springs that means you survived Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The trail travels through the park for about 75 miles. Hikers stay above 6,000 feet for much of the time and reach the highest point on the entire AT while inside the park. It's Clingmans Dome at 6,643 feet.

One morning while in the Smokies, it hailed and snowed off and on for a few hours. The wind on exposed cliffs bites at your skin. It may be the month of May, but temperatures are often in the 30s and below in the Smokies. It takes hikers around six days to get through the park.

As for the Lost Boys -- David, Tobias and Daniel -- The group broke up before the Smokies as Daniel pushed ahead. He must be about three days ahead of us now.

David moved real fast through the Smokies -- about five days total -- so he could be reunited with his dog, Stitch, as fast as possible. No dogs are allowed in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, so David had to pay $350 for someone to take care of Stitch and deliver her back to him at the northern end of the park.

Tobias was about a day ahead of me on the trail in the Smokies. I got through on Saturday and arrived in Hot Springs Monday afternoon. David, who hiked slowly after finishing the Smokies, and Tobias -- took a zero day Monday -- were here taking it easy when I arrived. David moved on last night and Tobias left this morning.

The most miles I've hiked in a day is 24, which was on Saturday. In. my opinion, it's best to break camp as early as you can in the morning and get on the trail. Hiking is easier in the morning hours with cooler temperatures. If I get on the trail before 7:30 a.m., I can do around 18 miles before 4 p.m. That allows for plenty of time to relax in the late afternoon.

The most talked about spot on the trail the last couple of days has been Max Patch, Tennessee. It's a bald, grassy summit at 4,600 feet. It offers a spectacular 360 degree view and hikers stop for a while to enjoy the moment.

I've been doing a poor job updating this blog so I'll try to do better in the coming weeks. As for the rest of my zero day, I'll be doing laundry, reading, eating and enjoying the beautiful weather here in Hot Springs.


- Hova

Main road through Hot Springs

Up and down: A way of life

Total miles thru May 7: 120

I stayed in a hiker hostel in Franklin, N.C., Tuesday night. Ate at a nice little deli in town and then had a few drinks at a lounge inside a hiker outfitter store. The lost boys - which is how I refer to David, Daniel and Tobias - were there too.

Hung out in the hostel eating Dominos and watching TV before calling it a night. We got a free ride back to the trail from Ron Haven Wednesday morning. He owns the hostel we stayed in and also a couple of motels in the area. He is a former thru hiker and a great guy who is always willing to help out hikers.

I hiked just 11 miles Wednesday. The hike consisted mostly of a tough, uphill climb. I'm staying at Wayah Bald Shelter tonight, but sleeping in my tent so I can see the stars. David is staying here too, but Daniel and Tobias moved on to the next shelter about five miles farther down the trail.

A girl from Australia is at the shelter too - talk about a long trip just to take a walk!

- Hova

Raven Rock

Into the hills

total miles through April 29: 21

I was the first one to break camp at hawk mountain shelter Tuesday morning around 8. I didn't feel like doing breakfast.

Went about a mile when it started to rain. Stopped to put on my rain gear and pack cover. While putting on my gear, Daniel, from Sweden, and Tobias, from Germany, caught up with me.

Tobias, 25, just finished his masters in electrical engineering, and Daniel, 20, was working at a hospital.

They didn't know each other before the hike, but flew on the same flight from Frankfurt To Atlanta and stayed at the same hostel before setting out.

I hiked alone most of the morning, with David and Tobias catching me when I'd stop for a rest.

Around lunchtime, another David and his dog, Stitch, caught me. They were also at the shelter the night before. I'd soon learn how quickly the pair move on the trail.

We stopped at Gooch Shelter for lunch. Some hikers who'd stayed there the previous night were still there. They said, "We're going as far as we can."

I took off, but David stayed behind, concerned about a possible limp Stitch had.

I made it to Woody Gap at about 5:30 p.m. It's a highway crossing with picnic tables and a bathroom. Sat down to check the weather since I had a cell signal. After a few minutes Daniel and Tobias showed up, and we walked a little ways before picking a campsite just off the trail.

In anticipation of bad weather, we started to set up our tents. After just a few minutes, David and Stitch came strolling up. Stitch seemed to be fine. We were later joined by a married couple from Michigan.

Tents up and dinner ready, David hiked a little ways up the trail to check a view from a popular lookout point, Preachers Rock. He came back and said it was awesome, so we all went up to see. It was a spectacular view.

Back at camp, we made a fire and sat around for a while before heading to bed. The rain eventually arrived, but it wasn't bad and I slept through it.

view from preachers rock

S

Stitch

First day

Distance: 8.2 miles

Hit the road from Barnwell to my starting point in northern Georgia at about 8 a.m., Monday. My friend, Nick, came through huge and gave me a ride on his day off. It's a five-hour trip and there was a 10-mile climb up a dirt, mountain road to Big Stamp Gap.

From the gap, I had to hike "south" to get to the starting point at the top of Springer Mountain and then turn around and retrace my steps to start my trip.

I started shortly after 3 p.m., after meeting Teacher and Snackpack at the top of Springer. The grandma, Teacher, and her grandson, Snackpack, are from Rhode Island and are traveling along the trail, meeting hikers and hearing their stories as part of a home-school project for Snackpack. 

Those are their trail names btw. Hikers usually start with a trail name they choose or get labeled with one by other hikers.

Mine is Hova for now. If you know me, you know why.

Headed down springer and the hiking was easy going at first. The trail was smooth, flat and wide. I rolled into Hawk Mountain Shelter a little after 7 p.m. About a dozen hikers, and one dog, were there.

We all had to cram into the shelter - which has two levels and the lower level has two tiers - because bad weather was on the way. Since I was the last one to arrive for the night and everyone else had their spots picked out, I had to sleep on the lower tier of the first level next to the shelter opening.

When the storm hit around 10:30, it was loud and windy. Every few minutes a gust of wind would blow up the tarp stretched across the shelter opening and a blast of cold air and some rain would sweep through the shelter. It wasn't too bad though, and i got some decent sleep.

Good first day, on to the next one.

By the fire at hawk mountain shelter

Final countdown

It's late on Saturday, April 26, 2014. It'll be Sunday by the time I post this. I'm sitting on the floor in a nearly empty living room in my townhouse in Barnwell, South Carolina. The room is mostly empty, like the rest of the house, because in less than 48 hours I won't be living here anymore -- I'll be somewhere in northern Georgia hiking north on the 2,100 mile Appalachian Trail.

Exactly why I'm setting out on this trek from Springer Mountain in Georgia to Katahdin Mt. in Maine is hard to explain. The simplest explanations are: 1. because I want to - 2. because I can. All other reasons are more excuses than anything else.

How I got the idea to attempt the hike -- one which 80 percent of people who start fail to finish -- is much easier to describe. I got into hiking a little over a year ago thanks to my buddy, Josh. He took me on my first multi-day hike, and I was hooked immediately. And after reading a book, "AWOL on the Appalachian Trail," about a man who completed a "thru-hike" in 2003, the idea to give it a shot was planted in my head. And it grew. It grew to the point where I found myself constantly thinking about it.

So I decided the only way to satisfy my thirst was to do it. And after about eight months of preparation I'm down to the last day before my trip begins. Excited, nervous, anxious -- they all work.

I'm leaving a good job -- and great people -- as a journalist for the The People-Sentinel newspaper in Barnwell. I've thoroughly enjoyed my time here, and I'm sad to leave. But I made the decision that if I've going to attempt a thru-hike it's better to try now then wait and potentially miss the opportunity altogether.

Now, the AT isn't some iron-man-survivalist challenge. It's an endurance test -- both mental and physical. The trail bends, climbs, drops and curves its way along the Appalachian Mountains, crossing highways and even running through towns. There are shelters for hikers to sleep in at night, and communities that cater to hikers are dotted along the trail.

I'll have an extremely detailed guidebook with me on my hike, and apparently cell reception is pretty good. I'll never be too far away from civilization -- hence the title of this blog.

All my gear, around 35 pounds total, will be in a hiking backpack.Water, food, cooking items, etc. ... you have to carry everything you need on your back.

I plan to update this blog as often as possible while on the trail and post to Facebook and Twitter (@purtelld) -- so follow along if you like!

If you want to learn about the trail, start here. There is plenty of information on the Web if you're interested.