Hot Springs, NC

I met Tyler, Nathan, and Chad in Hot Springs on Saturday. It was about 1.5 hours away from Knoxville, so it wasn't a bad drive at all. Nathan and Chad hiked out of Hot Springs after lunch hoping to knock out a few more miles while Tyler decided to stay overnight to experience the town and catch back up with Nathan and Chad in a few days. The AT runs along the sidewalk in this little town so almost all thru-hikers take this time to gear up and get to know their fellow hikers. We met a lot of cool people anywhere from Oregon, New York, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. Here are a few pictures I took along the way.

Slideshow

Peter Cottontail on the Appalachian Trail

This was so they wouldn't forget it was EASTER!! Who doesn't love Peeps and Cadbury Eggs?

Knoxville Visit Update and AT Visit at Stecoah Gap

I will be picking them up in the Smokies near Gatlinburg on Monday afternoon, and taking them back to the trail on Wednesday morning.

I met them at Stecoah Gap, near Fontana Dam on Thursday afternoon and hiked in to the next shelter, about 2.5 miles straight up hill with 20 lbs on my back, but I led the pack. I realized they carried on a conversation the entire uphill climb, while I was struggling for breath and red in the face. You can really tell they've built up an endurance for this sort of thing. I brought them a 20-piece friend chicken and biscuits from Bojangles, we rationed it out in our bags and carried it into camp with us. They ate it all by the time I hiked out the next morning. The shelter was crowded, about 15 people on site. I had to use the "ladies room" so Tyler showed me the "privy" which was basically an outhouse with no walls, whats the point in building a bathroom with absolutely no walls? I would have rather found a tree to hide behind of, and that I did.

They will be in the Smokies today!

Nantahala Outdoor Center and KNOXVILLE VISIT

The boys left Franklin, unaware they would have the longest day yet. They were enticed by a man giving away free hot dogs, and let about 4 hikers pass them and grab the rest of the space in the shelter they were planning on spending the night in. Then, they decided to hike to the next shelter... because they were hiking with headlamps in the dark, they passed the next shelter. They eventually ended up at the Nantahala Outdoor Center. Because all bunks at the center were already full for the night, the boys camped out on the floor of the dining hall. A nice man from the Smoky Mountain Hiking Club fixed them pancakes the next morning! They hiked 28 miles that day...

I am going to see them tomorrow, I am very excited!! (Hopefully I can keep up)

KNOXVILLE VISIT: They will be in the Smokies soon... and one day in about 1-2 weeks I will be going over to pick them up. They have plans to take a 0-day and come into K-town for some R&R. This would be a great time to send a care package if you want to. You can send it to my home address and I will get it to them: 457 Amanda Circle, Knoxville, TN 37922.

North Carolina

They made it to North Carolina! I spoke with Tyler this afternoon, and they are going to be in the town of Franklin, NC to resupply tomorrow afternoon. Tyler and Nathan were a little sick this week, and stayed a day in Helen to fuel up on Vitamin C. From Helen, they hiked into NC. Tyler said the weather was terrible on Saturday, they even hiked in hail at one point. They're very excited and in good spirits and feel they are accomplishing more miles and building their endurance!

Also, I haven't mentioned this yet, but all hikers make up a "Trail Name" or nickname for the hike. Tyler is Skuter, Nathan is Damus, and Chad is Professor... but I think either Chad or Nathan changed their name to Chatter Box at one point, but I can't remember. I'll update when I know more info on that.

Pictures taken from the first 3 days...

Pictures taken from the first 3 days!

Blister Relief

You are all probably wondering why I haven't updated anything in a week... well... this part of the trip is called "blister relief." The boys didn't want anyone knowing until they got BACK on the trail, but they spent a few days in Knoxville taking care of an infected, nasty blister on the back of Nathan's foot. (I apologize in advance for the graphic picture, but you have to see to believe the nastiness of this thing.) The medic/foot doctor at the hostel said he had approximately 4-5 days off the trail to let the blister scab over. They spent the time at my place shaving down their pack weight significantly and taking out the things they learned over the first 3 days they didn't need. I took them back on Monday morning, and the boot smith at the Walasi-Yi Center was in the process of helping Nathan with the fit of his boot. The blister looks significantly better and is scabbed over after Epsom salt soaks and antibiotics. They were itching to leave after being cooped up for a few days... I will update when I hear from them.

Neels Gap, Georgia

After the farewell on Sunday, the boys have hiked approx. 40 miles and are now at Neels Gap which is close to Blood Mountain and Blairsville, GA. Tyler said Blood Mountain was prettier than Mount LeConte in the Smokies, but I will have to see to believe. They planned to stay at the Walasi-Yi Center on Monday night because of the storm coming in on Tuesday. The Center charges $15/person for electricity, running water, and a roof over your head. Chances are, they will not be hiking much on Tuesday due to severe thunderstorms. Tyler said he was a little sore but happy his knee (that usually gives him pain) and back were still in good shape. They said the shelter was full and they were excited about getting the chance to meet other hikers on Monday night.

The Send-off

Tyler, Chad, & Nathan left Amicalola Falls State Park at noon on March 1st to begin their adventure of the Appalachian Trail. From there they are hiking the 8-mile approach trail to Springer Mountain, where the AT starts. The directions we got from Atlanta to Dawsonville put us into the Home Depot parking lot, so with a minor delay and directions from the convenience store, we made it there in about 2 hours. After a quick trip to McDonald's for an Egg McMuffin and hash browns, Tyler was in good spirits to start the 2,100+ mile hike to Maine with exactly 36 lbs on his back. (I will post pictures when I get back to Knoxville on Sunday.)