Starting Point: Mountains Harbor Hostel (395.6)

Ending Point: Upper Laurel Fork (408.3)

Total miles: 12.7 trail miles.  .6 Double Bonus

Steps: 32,828

Injuries: Intercostal Strain

Achievements: *** 400 Miles ****, Jones Falls, Mountaineer Falls, Best Breakfast on the AT

Two JP’s celebrate 400 on the AT.

The Mountain Harbor Hostel has what it calls the best breakfast on the AT.  I have to agree with that.  Tomato Pie, French Toast, fresh biscuits and sausage gravy, herb breakfast potatoes, and more!

Taking in about 2000 calories before I even started hiking was wonderful!

The first phase of the day was an 800 foot steep climb.  Due to all the rain, the mud was like toothpaste.  I was full of energy and charged up the hill.  My last couple of big climbs have been very strong.  My hiker legs are coming!

I was unstoppable.  I charged up the hill.  My head was down.  My glasses were fogged.  I was going to get to the top, even if the trail unexpectedly turned right without me noticing.  I reached the top and I couldn’t figure out where the trail went.

Horrified, I pulled out my phone and opened FarOut.  I was off trail, by a lot.  I turned around and did the thru-hiker’s walk of shame back to the trail.

This created a new problem for me.  I was in the lead.  Was I still?  Everyone else was dragging with full bellies.

The goal was to group up at a road at mile 399.2.  That way we could take a group picture at mile 400.

When I got to that point, no one was there, so I assumed I was still in the lead.  I waited.  A hiker by the name of JP (Greybeard) came up next.  I asked if he passed my crew.  He said no.  So, I guess it took longer than I thought to backtrack.

So, JP and I walked to the 400 mile marker and we shared a selfie.

The next view was Jones Falls.  For this one, JP and Ketchup joined me.

Needless to say, my crew doesn’t follow simple instructions.  Talk to the hand Sweeper, Kea, and Captain Blogger.  I’ll make new friends on trail.

Just kidding.

I eventually reached up with them at the shelter.  I got a hug. I would have preferred a group selfie, but whatever.

Despite a late start, we reached our destination by 3 p.m.  It is a beautiful campsite next to a flowing river.

I needed to repair my pack.  A strut wore through.  I have some strong nylon thread.  It is the first repair I ever had to make.  She’s an old pack with just a few thousand miles on her.  After the AT, I’ll retire her.

Over dinner we discussed some interesting options.  We have a chance to Aqua Blaze.  We can kayak 10 miles which will be 21 trail miles.  I’m in favor of a change of pace.  We’ll see how it goes.

My back was not an issue today, but the trail was soft.  I believe it is healing and not getting worse.

Ending Point: Mountains Harbor Hostel (395.6)

Last night, as we planned for the day, we were hoping for a 15 mile day.  That would take us to a small but idealist campsite.  It would be a strong push for a resupply in Hampton.

The challenge was the weather.  An extreme storm was expected starting at 3 p.m. with high winds and hail from 1 to 1.5 inches.

We were up early.  As we hiked the rumble of thunder echoed through the hills.  Then the rain started.

Our first bailout point was was a hostel, just 3.3 miles.  I was leading and reached the first point first.  By then, the rain was coming down hard.

Kea was next.  By the expression on his face, we’d be spending $15 for a tent site to avoid all this.  We walked to the hostel drenched.

We checked in, took a shower, and did some laundry.  Half pound Big Boy hamburgers are $7.99 and pints of Gaelic Ale is $2.99.

I know what you are thinking, but that really happened.  Hawaii and Captain Blogger are here too.  So, yeah.  We laughed.  We drank good beer.  It didn’t rain a drop and no hail fell.  Can’t explain it.

Ending Point: Doll Flats (392.6)

Okay, I climbed five mountains today with a sore back.  I’m tired.

Ending Point: Erwin, TN (344.6)

Total miles: Zero

Steps: 3,280

Injuries: Back!

Achievements:

I woke up after a goodnight sleep.  I looked up the price for tickets home.  $355.  I rented the van on the property, so I had my own bed.  I had a decision to make.  Do I quit?  Do I go home?

I got up and took a shower and did my laundry.  I looked at my pack.  I looked at the weather. It is going to be nice the next couple of days.  What can I do to fix this situation?

I rewatched the video on how to configure my pack.  I really do not need my cold weather gear anymore.  I grabbed all my stuff and took it to the scale.  I started making adjustments.

If I take my air mattress out of the dry part of my backpack and with the smaller amount of clothes, the heaviest thing in my bag, my food, is now much lower.  Adjusting the straps, more of the weight is on my hips.  That food weight is below the injury.  You know, this doesn’t hurt.

I walk around with a loaded pack and do the stretching Sweeper had me do.

Okay.  I’m not done quite yet.  Tomorrow, a shuttle will pick me up and drop me off where I’ll meet up with my crew.  I want to have the Sweeper around for this.

Ending Point: Erwin, TN (344.6)

Total miles: 11.2 miles

Steps: 26,518

Injuries: Back?

Achievements:

Today was my second day of slackpacking.  Eleven miles into town, almost all downhill.  It was the first time I marched with others and told stories making the day go fast.

The views were great.

Uncle Jonny’s Hostel is right off the trail.  There was a good gathering of people.  While discussing shoes, I discovered I blew out my shoe.

That changes the plan for tomorrow.  Instead of resupplying today, I’ll need to go into the town proper and buy a new set of Lone Peaks as well.  That means I won’t get out of town until the afternoon.  Oh well.

Ending Point: Sam’s Gap (320.0)

Total miles: 13.4 miles Southbound

Steps: 33,004

Injuries: Back?

Achievements: High Rocks (Different Mountain), Little Bald, Big Bald

We took advantage of an opportunity to slack pack for $20.  Instead of carrying my full kit, I borrowed a small backpack.  As I’m struggling with a kink in my back, this would be a good way to test it out.  We would still hike a full thirteen miles.  Unfortunately, we would go Southbound.  That meant that instead of 3000′ up and 4000′ down, we would do 4000′ up and 3000′ down.

I took a water bottle, lunch and snacks, my water filter and dirty water bag, and my Duce of Spades and some baby wipes.  (The Duce of Spades is a lightweight shovel for digging cat holes).  I think my pack weight was four pounds.

The 4000′ climbs was much better.  I did notice that I’m still struggling once the grade becomes too steep.  For most of the hike, it was graded nicely and I could keep a good pace.

It stormed hard again last night and the trail was awful.  The mud was thick and it was hard to move.  My treking poles would get stuck.  I was happy that I was slackpacking, but I was tired of all this.  Why can’t the trail give me a week of sunny skies and smooth trails?

Backpacking is Type-2 fun.  It isn’t necessarily fun while you do it, but it is awesome when you look back on it.  Type-4 fun isn’t fun while you do it or when you look back on it.  Sometimes I wonder if this trip is turning into Type-4 fun.

I found myself turning the lyrics of Dropkick Murphy’s song Dirty Glass into a durge.

“Young Buck, Young Buck, my darling dear, I’ll torment you night and day.  Your pain is my pleasure, your sorrow’s my joy.  You’ll never have blue skies and a wonderful trail.”

As I came down Big Bald, I was finally in my medium, a smooth downhill grade.  The trail was pretty again.  As I picked up speed, I ran into a sign.  “Trail Magic: Burgers and Beer”  I should have taken a picture of it.

The problem was that I came with four other hikers and I was dead last.  I didn’t want to hold them up.  I walked up the path.  Captain Blogger, Hawaii, and Kia were sitting there.  Awesome!

It was the local subdivision.  Yes, there was a subdivision there.  They cook for hikers every Saturday and Sunday.  I was quickly given a chair, a beer, a hotdog and a burger.  Wonderful people.  Completely unexpected!  It changed my mood completely.

The nice people live there in their subdivision in the hills.

The last five miles was all downhill.  Trail magic can completely change a thru-hiker’s attitude.

I ran into Dunkeroo and he will rejoin us in Irwin.  We might lose Captain Blogger for a while.  We’ll see how that works out.

After a good evening telling stories, we’ll get up and slackpack the last 11 miles into Irwin.  I’ll resupply for the last hard section in the south portion of the AT.  After that, it smooths out!

My back gave me no trouble, also good news 

Starting Point: Little Laurel Shelter (294.8)

Ending Point: Flint Mountain Shelter (308.8)

Total miles: 14.0 miles

Steps: 35,608

Injuries: None

Achievements: *** 300 Miles ***, I Scaled Big Butt — I Cannot Lie, White Rock Cliff, Blackstaff Cliff, Big Firescald Knob, Big Butt Mountain

I was curious, but my wife has given me strict instructions not to put myself in a compromising position.  As she says, “do not allow you ego to exceed your ability”.  I gave it a wide birth and kept Big Butt in focus.

It was rocky and a hard climb, but it really didn’t have much of chance.  I scaled it.  At the top I celebrated.  As I did, Captain Blogger hiked past me.  She looked at me with a face that said “what are you?  A six year old?”

So, I sent a text to my family.  Especially my son.  He’ll appreciate my accomplishment.

For the final part of the hike, as we walked on the edge, the weather was completely different to the east and to the west.  These two pictures were taken from the exact same spot and time.  I just turned 180 degrees.

As you can see, one side was sunny and warm.  The other was cold and damp.  Eventually the trail turned, but to the cold and damp.

We finished 14 strong miles.  I reached the shelter just as thunder started to roar. Now there are a bunch of us enjoying the thunderstorm dry in a shelter.