Journal Entries

Happy beside a memorable tree at Bly Gap as we departed camp the morning of 21 March.

Day 11 - 20 March/Wednesday - One state done, 13 states to go... Resupplied with camp food at the “Top of Georgia Hostel” and hiked 8.9 miles to Bly Gap campsite and spring at mile 78.2, just north of the Georgia/North Carolina border.

Nannette resting the afternoon of 19 March at mile 63.8 on the Appalachian Trail.

Day 10 - 19 March/Tuesday hiked 11.1 miles to Dicks Creek Gap at mile 69.3 on the AT. Total feet climbed up mountains today was 2,441; down was 3,817 feet. We are sleeping in a low area tonight. Spending the night in bunk beds at a hiker hostel with about 15 other exhausted hikers (thank goodness for earplugs).

On Day 9, 18 March, we climbed a total of 2,670 feet up and descended a total of 2,201 feet. Thus we are 560 feet higher tonight than last night. The temperature drops an average of 3 and 1/2 degrees F with 1,000 feet of height, and the winds tend to be much stronger at high altitudes. Mountain hiking while wearing a heavy backpack in cold weather means constantly putting on and taking off layers to remain comfortable as the wind and sun vary on different sides of the mountain ridges, and the heat you are generating varies with climbing up (hot) versus down (cooler).

We met our first Chinese thru-hiker on 17 March. He is 67 years old and is from Guangzou, China. Hopefully we will see him more in the future.

Day 9 Monday 18 March - Tray Mountain 4,400 feet - our tent is at Tray Mountain Shelter, just down from the peak... 26 degrees is the forecast low at this altitude tonight... brrr.

Our tent tonight - Day 8 - 17 March - Blue Mountain Shelter at mile 50.1

Hiked 7.3 miles to Blue Mountain Shelter at mile 50.1. Beautiful cool and sunny day. Below freezing to tonight at our campsight. Only about three other thru-hikers here besides us.

Day 7 - Headed to Whitley Gap at mile 38.0 to spend the night. Here we are standing on “Green Cliff Top” at mile 36.1, elevation 3,715 feet.