Archives for April 2012

Sure, John’s having an easy time of it! We’d wondered about the camp chair ourselves. When we caught a shuttle a little while later into town, one of the gals said, “that chair’s been here for weeks, and we’ve seen it all over the hillside!”

As a former triathlete, John had the background to understand athletic training. I’m new to the game, having done little since high school. Seeing our hike as a study in athletic training is a new perspective for me, but it fits. Working our muscles for 8-10 hours a day means a lot of wearing down. […]

Our second day of rain, we stopped for a snack. I looked at John and said, “your Dad is right, maybe we aren’t wrapped too tight!” Just then a couple of German girls came along and took this photo for us. As they handed the camera back, the sky opened up. We slogged across Blood […]

Not a sight you’d expect to see in late April, but as we came to Max Patch, it was covered in snow. We did not climb it this day, opting for warm and dry and a return at a sunnier time.

The very name felt ominous – Blood Mountain, standing tall above Slaughter Creek. None of the simple trail materials with us provided a backstory, so I imagined it a dark place along the Trail of Tears. For a thru-hiker, it’s the first massive mountain on the profile chart, scary to imagine crossing. But beyond lay […]

“Your pack weight,” said Dan, “is directly proportional to your happiness on the trail.” Returning to Franklin after sore knees plagued us both, we sat with Dan “Sheltowee” and Nina “Waterfall” Rogers, friends and experienced long distance hikers who could coach us out of our weight conundrum. John and I are steadily losing weight so […]

Having never camped on mountaintops before, it was a delight to discover what spring in the North Georgia mountains means after the rains depart and the skies are bright. We pushed hard after our first zero day, feeling refreshed and fleet of foot climbing up from Neels Gap and over the mountains to our first […]

Less than a week in the woods, and we are soaked, bedraggled. The morning fog never lifted, so a walk in the clouds turned to a fine mist of rain and then a downpour as we edged along slick rock ledges on the way to Woody Gap. The rain pounded heavy and cold, drenching my […]

“I’ve never done a rock scramble!” said John, looking dazed and worn atop Albert Mountain. “Three times my pack pulled me backwards and I had to hang on for dear life.” It wasn’t an easy day by any means. A lot of up, a lot of down, more up, and then the cliffs – the […]

A week into our hike, it was obvious my old backpack and rain jacket had seen better days. The aches and pains and chills that I didn’t need to have came from a source that could be replaced. And so it was that we spent my birthday gear shopping. I knew a new pack was […]