2022 - The Missing Miles

 In 2016, Hummingbird and I were forced around a section of the AT that spanned the NC/Georgia border due to a forest fire. This section was about 70 miles long beginning at the Nantahala Outdoor Center and crossing over the Border to the south ending at Dick’s Creek. My brother and his son will join me as we make our start on May 18. More to come!

Lance Creek Camp to Three Forks Camp (20 miles)

Ok. So the final plan wasn't so final. We did another 20 miles today.  I didn't think we had another in us, but the force was there.  The day started out super cold and not well on my part as I had to put a wet pair of socks on. Trust me, avoid that move. If I could still feel my feet, I would have known earlier in the day that they were stressed. When the socks came off finally it wasn't a pretty picture. Shouldn't be a problem tomorrow because it was dry and windy today so my backup pair had plenty of drying time without a pack cover.

Big moments of the second to the last day:
• Spotted Stone Mt
• Spotted the Atlanta skyline
• Went under 20 miles
• Under 10 miles
• Under 5 miles to go

The Three Forks is right on a great stream with really clear water. Quite simply a joy after literally months of dealing with drought. Also, the camping area is huge, but, as usual, we are the only ones here. We stare at theses gigantic spaces and just imagine all of the bight eyed and bushy tailed wanna-be thru hikers crowding in here during the spring rush northbound. We also can see how this trail is so much more traveled than the trails in Maine. Three quarters of those hikers don't make it and many don't even make it through the 60+ miles we walked in the past 3 days.

So, here we are. Declaring everything to be the last time we do this or that. Having a stream side lunch, counting down under 10 miles for that day (I did that everyday-being in single digits for the day is comforting), setting up the tent, digging a cat hole (I hope) are good examples.

Four point three miles to go. Unbelievable!  By the time I find cell enough to post this, we will probably already have summited Springer and started our way down the 8 mile approach trail to Amacalola Falls State Park. It is there where we'll get our final stamps for our AT Passports and also find out what our final SOBO hiker number will be for posterity sake.  We were supposed to get a number when we left Katahdin in June, but the rangers were busy with unplanned police stuff. Our numbers at Harper’s Ferry (the sentimental half way point) were 142 (Hummingbird) and I was 143. I'm guessing that more have dropped out and our numbers will go down. We also were really fast in the second half but did take 8 days off for a wedding.

Eating our food bags down to zippo is also fun. Makes for a super light pack and eating with abandon knowing we are NOTgoing out into the wilderness for another week or so.. is final.

In less than 48 hours we'll be home. In 72, I'll be watching a football game with a beer-wait-I did that last weekend too.

Low Gap Shelter to Lance Creek Camp (18.9)

Our plans for these last days have been holding. Not easy though-especially today. We knew it would rain, but this was a pretty major storm with super high winds. I believe it was the front end of this storm that whipped the winds that burned Gatlinburg.

We were able to run through 11.5 by noon so that we could be inside for the worst of it. The only building on the trail that the AT actually goes through we targeted and made for lunch. In fact, we had a lunch date set with the lost cell phone folks from Florida. They arrived just after noon with a few chicken dinners and some burritos. Awesome trail magic! All we had to do was bring the lost cell phone that I had been carrying for a couple days.

Laying here in the tent on our second to last night in the wilderness and only 24.3 miles remaining in the trip. We feel lucky to have made it through (as mentioned in an earlier post). Especially the Smokies. We found out today that they've now closed the Smokies for any Hikers. So, we did just make it through.

In the dark and rain tonight, we went over our last 4K mountain-Blood Mt. Not worried about missed views because of the rain and we needed to get a final 8 miles in after the storm went by.

Final plan:
• 23
• 19
• 16
• 8 plus the 8 for the approach trail

34°42′28″ N  83°59′4″ W
Elevation : 2,860
Low of 36° tonight.

Deep Gap to Low Gap Shelter (22.8 miles)

The all day rain we expected didn't happen. We had planned to do a big day in the pouring rain. While it started that way, the rain abated around 9:30 and gave us clear sailing for the rest of a really long day. Our current trail family (most very likely our last) whole heartedly agreed that this will be the last 20 mile day that we’ll do (only 3 days left).

I've been carrying an extra cell phone for the last few days (found on the trail). I had called a number in it and figured out who had dropped it pretty much right away. We made no immediate arrangement to get it back to him, but today we connected and someone is going to meet us at Neels Gap tomorrow around noon. They'll also be bringing trail magic in the form of pizza or tburgers. Going to surprise us. This will be the second time some magic came out of a cell phone discovery. The other was up on The Beauty Spot during the Super Moon. I'll be glad to be free of the 1 lb brick.

Tomorrow is also expected to rain all day. It is supposed to clear and become cool for our last two days. Only four of us in Low Gap Shelter as was the case last night. Hummingbird and Cinderella talk into the night while Water Boy and Cucumber nod off to sleep. Eight-thirty is so late it's hard to explain. I can say I've dropped my phone onto my forehead more times than I can say. A version of falling asleep at the wheel.

34°46′35″ N  83°49′28″ W
Elevation : 2,800’
Temp : 61°

Arrived in Georgia!

After 166 days, through 13 states, countless mountain tops, ridges, gaps, notches, bales, valleys and swamps, we have arrived in our last state. Although we had to shuttle in due to the fires, we made it. Funny though that we really didn't have to because we are now officially Appalachian Trail Thru Hikers!  The employees at the Nantahala Outdoor Center informed us that the Appalachian Trail Conservancy (which is the ruling authority) has declared the NOC to be the point that you had to make to be a Thru hiker. However, we had never thought about doing this to be declared a “Thru Hiker”. Rather, we (specifically Hummingbird) we're doing it to do it.

Apparently, we did it!

Now that we've jumped over the fire zone, the weather channel is declaring an end to the worst drought in history. A major storm arrived last night and is dumping rain in the scale of inches. Our first weather related event where we are actually out in it. We knew it was coming (watched weather channel over burgers and beer at NOC) so our accommodations for last night was the Deep Gap Shelter. A rarity for us but it was a mistake we didn't want to make again. Up in PA, we opted for the tent knowing full well rain was coming. Easy access to a shelter didn't change our minds. We were literally smoked by a thunderstorm that night. Oops, I guess we did have a weather related event. More now come to mind (it is a very long hike).

The rain is supposed to last for 2 days. The four of us in here all agree that we can handle that. We'll target another shelter 23 miles down the trail. Our mileage plan to finish:

• 23
• 19
• 16
• 8 plus the 8 for the approach trail

Looks like a workout plan with a built in cool down. We're excited to complete this and move on. Hummingbird to her new career as a textile designer at the Target HQ in Minneapolis and me? Who knows. I've said this whole trip that I have plenty of time to figure out what I'm going to do when I grow up. No longer have plenty of time. I do agree with Dylan: “I was so much older then, I'm younger than that now”.

164.2-147.6 Fontana Resort to Locus Grove Gap

Managed to leave the resort this morning. Still hurting from the two losses: Ohio State over UM in double overtime and Hummingbird’s victory over me in the ping pong championship. Both were come from behind victories. Still, a great “last” stay in a structure other than a tent or shelter until we are done. Activities: Football game, yoga, ping pong tournament, sleigh ride, movie, showers, laundry and resupply. Cost: not good!

Today went exactly as planned-16.6 miles and we're setup for a 10 miler to the Nantahala Outdoor Center where we'll need to figure out our shuttle around the fire zone.  Although we sit here with .about 147 miles to go, the number is really 79.9 after the fire is taken out. Crazy, but really just 4 more days of hiking.

Today started really cold as it dipped into the twenties last night. By the end, I was back in my usual of shorts and t-shirt. My hiking shirt now is starting to have a Swiss cheese appearance. It'll be retired on Friday if it doesn't disintegrate before then.

35°20′3″ N  83°42′12″ W
Elevation: 3,810
Days Out : 165
Nights left : 5

Fontana Lake - Go Blue!

Day 164 – It took us 3 nights in the Smokies to get through there. When I say “get through”, it meant it say “to really get through”! The smoke was really bad for most of it and the views were basically non-existent. That is, until the last day. Just as we began the brutal decent to Fontana Dam, we came upon one of those spectacular moments-just a short hike (straight up, of course) to the Shuckstack Fire Tower. Not to be missed, it provided what could be one of the very best 360° views on this entire expedition!

It was not planned to take a zero today, but we rarely planned too far ahead. Thing is,  we are now planning all the way to the finish. There is 164.2 miles to the to go and 67ish of those are still closed due to the fires. Being a day and a half from the Nantahala Outdoor Center (which marks the northern end of the closure), a hitch/shuttle around the fire will put us at 69.6 miles remaining. By the end of the day on Monday 11/28, we'll be around 60 miles to completion.

Our current location for this zero is the Fontana Lake Resort. Deluxe accommodations for our hiking team at a reasonable rate. Two reasons for this zero: 1) Michigan vs Ohio State and 2) Finish date = 12/2. The first reason is self explanatory as the championship of college football is on the line. The second? My mom’s birthday. Our trip started on 6/16, my dad’s 90th (we trail named him “TreeMan”). There is also a ping pong tournament this afternoon that we hope to join (if reason 1 above is fully executed). Hummingbird, lacking the Tai Chi class, will be twisting it up at the yoga class offered by the resort.

35°25′57″ N  83°49′16″ W
Elevation : 1930 (same year mom was born)