THE APPALACHIAN TRAIL IN NORTH CAROLINA

Wednesday, April 20, 1994 (Standing Indian Mountain) – The Red Rainman, Brown Falcon (Lance), and I packed up and were on the trail by 9am this morning and the time went quickly despite the steep ascents in the first few miles.  Lance picked up his truck at Deep Gap, NC around noon and headed home.  The Red Rainman and I continued northbound and climbed about one mile to Standing Indian Shelter for an hour break and a dip in the creek that ran in front of the shelter.  At 3pm we started the two mile ascent to Standing Indian Mountain where we pitched our tents on the summit at just over 5000 feet.  This is the first time the Appalachian Trail has risen to over 5000 feet since I started the hike at Springer Mountain.  Today was also the first full day on the A.T. in North Carolina.  There were tons of bugs at the summit when we arrived this afternoon and I tried to escape them by slipping into my tent.  Unfortunately, it was too hot inside so the Red Rainman and I started a fire to kick up some smoke and deter the insects.  By 7pm the temperature dropped into the 50's and the bugs were no longer a problem.  We cooked dinner and watched a spectacular sunset around 8:15pm tonight and there were numerous stars in the sky after dark.  There are fantastic views to the west from Standing Indian Mountain and it was a great evening sitting around the campfire and checking out the sky. 

Mostly Sunny AM/PM    Clear Night    Mid 80's   Low 40's

(The Standing Indian Shelter has moved to a new location since our hike in 1994.  It is now closer to the summit of Standing Indian).

Thursday, April 21, 1994 (Rainbow Springs Campground) – I was on the trail by 8am this morning and the miles came easy as they were mostly downhill with the exception of Albert Mountain which was a steep and challenging ascent.  There is a firetower at the summit and the views are outstanding to the north and east.  It was also nice to climb into the winds and get some relief from the gnats which have been annoying the last few days - to say the least.  I ran into two hunters in full camo this afternoon as I reached the Betty Creek Trail.  We didn't see each other until the last minute and both of us were startled - especially me when they spun around with their rifles.  But they were nice, and I pushed on to finish a twenty mile section and reach Rock Gap at about 5:30pm.  I mistook it for Wallace Gap and after reading the ATC companion headed in the wrong direction and downhill toward Standing Indian Campground (after some bad advice from a day hiker sitting in his truck).  Fortunately an older couple from Florida found me near the campground and gave me a ride to Rainbow Springs.  They are members of the Nantahala Hiking Club and knew exactly where the place was located.  I ran into Kung Fu Rob and about 7-9 other thru-hikers at the campground.  Most of them took the day off and hung around Rainbow Springs.  I met up with them in one of the rental cabins in the evening, but stayed in the bunkhouse for the night.  The campground had hot showers, oven-baked pizza, and a pay phone (where I made a quick call to Mom and Dad.)  All were a nice bonus after six days on the trail.        

(I eventually hiked the 0.6 miles between Rock Gap and Wallace Gap while in the area on November 11, 2001.)

Mostly Sunny    Clear Night    Mid 70's   Low 50's

Friday, April 22, 1994 (Rainbow Springs Campground) – Slept until about 9am this morning, did some laundry, then packed up and moved to a campsite at Rainbow Springs with Maineac.  I had a relaxing day around the campground and watched a number of thru-hikers roll in during the day.  The Red Rainman showed up late this morning and was followed by Bull with his son-in-law (who we dubbed Little Dick).  They pitched their tents with us in the late afternoon and we cooked up a pot of chili and hot dogs for dinner.  Maineac was craving a beer, but the campground is in a dry county and didn't sell any alcoholic beverages.  So he hired a cab to Franklin and returned with some cold beverages (which he graciously shared around the campfire).  Mr. Clean (who started at Springer as a thru-hiker but bailed for a job at the campground) also hung out with us this evening.    

Mostly Sunny       Afternoon Showers       Partly Cloudy Night    70's    50's

Saturday, April 23, 1994 (Wine Spring Campsite) – Woke up just around 8am this morning, took a shower, then packed up at the campsite.  I spoke briefly with Bull then had a lengthy conversation with Mo on the telephone.  The Motor City Ramblers and Slowly/Surely showed up at the campground right as Maineac and I were catching a ride via the Rainbow Springs station wagon to Wallace Gap.  I hiked to Siler Bald shelter by 2:30pm but it was empty (and still early) so I moved on to the Wine Spring campsite where I pitched my tent and spent my first solo night on the Appalachian Trail.  It was clear this evening with a bright moon after dark.  The Walkman was nice to have after hours. 

Mostly Sunny        Breezy      Clear Night    Low 70's   Low 30's

Sunday, April 24, 1994 (NOC Campground) – I was packed up and on the trail by 9:13am and slept well last night despite having my first solo night on the trail.  Most of the hiking was downhill today so I decided to crank out 20 miles to get to the Nantahala Outdoor Center in Wesser, N.C.  I hiked until 6pm this evening and arrived to find the bunkroom full.  The lady at the NOC drove me a mile up the road from the main office to a private campground.  Unfortunately, the camp host didn't take Visa and I only had $3 on me.  So I coughed it up and gave him another $2 worth of stamps to pay the tab.  Some travelers checks are waiting at Fontana Dam which is only three days away.  I got a shower at the campground and had a restful evening after a long day on the trail.  A thru-hiking couple from Quebec was also here but they didn't seem to understand English very well (although I thought both English/French were taught in most Canadian provinces.)  So I spent the rest of the night on the pay phone talking to Tammie and Grimes' brother (since he was out.)        

Mostly Sunny      Clear Night    Upper 70's   Low 40's

Monday, April 25, 1994 (Cheoah Bald) – I walked about a mile from the campground to the Nantahala Outdoor Center this morning and bought a few things at the outdoor store.  I saw a number of thru-hikers around the outdoor store and caught up with most of them later in the day on top of Cheoah Bald.  Dr. Doolittle (Terry) and I had breakfast at a nearby restaurant then I grabbed a soda and hit the trail around 12:15pm.  It was a long and difficult eight mile climb to Cheoah Bald.  I decided to push on to the summit instead of staying at the Sassafras Gap Shelter and this turned out to be a great call.  Laughing Bird, Walking Stick, Nols, Nikki, Herb and Buzz (Chris) all stayed on Cheoah Bald tonight.  The sunset was awesome this evening and I snapped some great pics from an overlook to the north.  Buzz was traveling without a tent and got caught in some showers after dark.  I let him crash in the Sierra Clip Flashlight so he didn't get soaked this evening, but the rain was not that intense.   

  Mostly Sunny      Evening Showers    Mid 70's   Low 40's

Tuesday, April 26, 1994 (Cable Gap Campsite) – The rain started around 3:45am this morning, but it stopped by the time Buzz took off at 8am.  He is on a four month schedule since he has to be back in school at Virginia Tech by the fall quarter.  I saw him take a swallow of vegetable oil to keep the fat calories in his system.  He is a skinny dude, and the constant exercise is making him even thinner.  I left Cheoah Bald about thirty minutes after Buzz and the hike was much tougher than I expected - especially around Stecoah Gap which the profile map seemed to underestimate.  After a series of difficult climbs, the A.T. crossed Yellow Creek Gap late in this afternoon and I remembered sitting here with Slawdog in 1992 while we waited on Tamalama to return with a tow truck.  (Her Toyota had been vandalized with two slashed tires and Matthews, Slawdog, Tamalama and I had to skip work on Monday to get them fixed in nearby Robbinsville.)  It was actually nice to see an area on the A.T. where I'd hiked in the past (although the memory was bittersweet.)  I hit the Cable Gap Shelter in the late afternoon, but it was full so I set up my tent with Walking Stick and Laughing Bird in a flat area near the shelter.  Nols and Nikki, Travelin' Jack, and Chilly Willy also pitched nearby.  We sacked out around 9pm after cooking some dinner.   

  Cloudy AM    Partly Sunny PM      Breezy     Clear Night    Mid 70's  

Wednesday, April 27, 1994 (Fontana Village Hostel) – I was up early at the Cable Gap Shelter and hit the trail by 8:30am.  It was a six mile hike to NC 28 and I caught a ride from the road to Fontana Village with another hiker.  I didn't feel particularly guilty missing the section from NC 28 to the Fontana Shelter (aka Fontana Hilton) since I just hiked this section in 1992 and I was ready for a shower and some food this afternoon.  The hostel is new this year and it is very nice.  I had a big lunch at a nearby cafeteria but couldn't hit the pizza place since I was out of cash and they didn't take Visa.  The post office was also closed today in memory of President Nixon who died in the last month.  Kung Fu Rob, Walking Stick, Laughing Bird and a few other hikers were hanging out in front of the small grocery store and I spent some time chatting with them and feeding my rapidly increasing appetite.  Nols and Nikki asked me to mail a package for them so they could hit the Smokies today, and the $5 in cash was enough to do laundry and play pool/video games in the recreation room.  I cooked a pizza in the hostel for dinner then caught up with C.R. and Falling Rock (Don) for most of the White Fang movie which was showing in the lodge.  It was a nice break and I enjoyed the movie.  I spoke with Mom and Dad, Barber, and Elizabeth after the show then played some pool with Falling Rock until they closed the rec room at 10pm.  The hostel also had a T.V. and I finished off some cookies and watched some more shows until around 11pm.  I had the hostel to myself tonight.  Everyone else was either staying in a cabin or booked a room in the lodge/motel. 

Sunny AM     Cloudy PM    Breezy PM  Heavy Rain PM   Clearing Mid 70's  

Thursday, April 28, 1994 (Birch Spring Shelter) – Slept until about 8am this morning, then had breakfast with Falling Rock (Don) after we stopped at the post office to pick up our mail drops.  I had a new tape for the Walkman and was looking forward to breaking it in on the climb to Birch Spring Shelter.  I packed up and lounged around the Village until 2pm this afternoon, then hit the museum and bought a sub sandwich with Falling Rock at the Pizza Shop.  Maineac showed up just before I left town today and headed for the hostel.  I really enjoyed the break at Fontana Village and was tempted to stay here again tonight.  There was a cool crowd headed into town today, but the need to make some miles took precedent and I ended up catching a ride out of town in a Lance potato-chip box truck.  The driver dropped me off at the crossroads, then another hiker took me the rest of the way to Fontana Dam.  I decided to check out the "Fontana Hilton" before I hit the trail, and judging by the large number of entries in the log book this place was pretty crowded last night.  I also stopped by the visitor's center at the top of the dam which had some great views, but it was under construction and was closed to the public.  The five mile hike to Birch Spring Shelter was mostly uphill but I made the trip faster than I expected and arrived at the campsite around 6pm.  The new tunes definitely helped pass the time this afternoon.  I ended up camping with four French Canadians (two of which are thru-hikers) and C.R. who was also in town last night.  Everyone crashed out early but before I sacked out, I wandered into the designated bathroom area behind the shelter.  It was a mine field of half-buried feces and toilet paper.  The national park service would do well to build a privy here.  It was a rather disgusting sight.

  Cloudy AM    Partly Sunny PM    Clear Night    Upper 70's/Low 80's  

Friday, April 29, 1994 (Derrick Knob Shelter) – Cranked out sixteen miles today and it was hot and buggy for most of the hike.  At 1pm, I ran into Monk and Ski at the Spence Field Shelter right as a major thunderstorm was rolling through the area.  The shelter is in a picturesque open ridge meadow and all the trees were blooming.  I relaxed for an hour and had lunch in the shelter as a number of weekend hikers rolled in during the break.  By 3pm, it was evident that the shelter was going to be packed tonight and Monk and Ski were pushing on to Derrick Knob.  After much debate, I decided to join them and eventually caught up with them as another thunderstorm rolled through the area.  All of us got soaked, but the rain was a major relief since the gnats were chasing me up the trail for most of the day.  Once the rain hit, the bugs vanished and it was actually a pleasure to get a break from the heat as well.  I beat both Monk and Ski to the shelter and was able to squeeze into the upper deck which was packed with thru-hikers (most whom I'd met earlier during the hike).  Monk and Ski decided it was too tight in the lean-to and both pitched their tents/tarps outside.  It was Laughing Bird's (Barb's) birthday this evening, so we gathered some wood and all of us sat around the fire for a while after dark.  Deer were grazing in the area at dusk (and licking the urine soaked grasses around the shelter) and it was a very pleasant evening. 

Mostly Sunny     Afternoon Thunderstorms    ClearingUpper 70's/Mid 80's  50's

Saturday, April 30, 1994 (Willow Motel - Gatlinburg, TN) – The weather was very pleasant for hiking today and the drop in temperature virtually eliminated the gnats that have been circling my head during the last few days.  There was a steady wind this morning and it was very gusty along the ridge tops and in the open areas along the A.T.  Some of the thru-hikers were cold enough to heat up some soup when we hit the Siler Bald Shelter for a noon lunch break.  The group included Monk, Nikki/Nols, Walking Stick/Laughing Bird, and Taco Bob and the main topic of discussion was hitching to Gatlinburg for the night.  By the time we hiked to Clingman's Dome in the mid-afternoon, the decision was all but final.  We caught up with Kung Fu Rob and Ski at the Dome (which is the highest point on the entire Appalachian Trail) and they both decided to join us.  A tourist gave us a ride in the back of his mini pick-up truck and dropped us off at the Happy Hiker (a local outfitter) where we had our Polaroid pictures taken and hung on the wall with the Class of 1994.  After loading up on a few supplies, we jumped the Gatlinburg trolley and rode across town to the Willow Motel which is a hiker friendly (and wallet friendly) motel that is reminiscent of those in the heart of Myrtle Beach.  I couldn't resist the temptation of their leaf cluttered swimming pool, and with temps pushing 70 degrees in the valley, jumped in without changing out of my hiking clothes.  Our entire group went to a Mexican place for dinner tonight, then we walked the main drag to partake in the various activities of the strip:  bars, old-time photos, souvenir shops, game arcades, etc.  I felt like I was in Myrtle Beach for the weekend (and loved every minute of it).  Taco Bob and I managed to get split up from the thru-hiker pack and we cruised the strip until 12:30am when some local guy drove us across town in the back of his pick-up.  We ran into the rest of the group near the motel and ended up having another beer with them until after 1am.  I had a great time in Gatlinburg this evening and ended up crashing in a room with Kung Fu Rob for the tonight. 

  Cloudy AM    Partly Cloudy PM      Breezy (mountains)     Partly Cloudy Night   

Mid 50's (mountains), Mid 70's (Gatlinburg)    50's (Gatlinburg)

Sunday, May 1, 1994 (Willow Motel - Gatlinburg, TN) – I had a huge breakfast this morning with the other thru-hikers then packed up and walked with them to the Happy Hiker for a 2:30pm rendezvous with a cab company that promised to take us to Clingman's Dome.  Unfortunately, the cabbie showed up at the wrong time and Taco Bob and I decided that it was a sign that we needed to stay in town for another night.  The other hikers booked another cab which hauled them off at 3pm to the Trail.  Falling Rock showed up at the Happy Hiker as Taco Bob and I were doing laundry and we decided to share a room with him for the night.  We took the trolley back to the Willow Motel then Taco Bob and I hit about every fast food joint in town:  KFC, Pizza Hut, McDonalds, etc.  (My appetite is out of hand these days.)  We also repeated last night's routine and hit some bars, shops and game arcades.  Falling Rock watched TV most of the night and we bought some beers and hung out with him late night until 1:30am. 

Partly Sunny AM/PM    Clear Night    Mid 70's     50's 

Monday, May 2, 1994 (Mount Collins Shelter) – Taco Bob, Falling Rock and I had another huge breakfast this morning then we took the Gatlinburg trolley to Pigeon Forge to check out the Elvis museum. The trolley passed by the campground where I stayed during Spring Break with Knights and LaCerdas in 1981 over Easter weekend.  I enjoyed seeing the place again.  In Pigeon Forge, the Elvis museum was pretty small but entertaining.  We had to hustle back to Gatlinburg to meet our cab driver who we booked for a ride back to Clingman's Dome this afternoon.  He saw us walking down the street to the designated pick-up point, and we rode with Front Seat Finn and Jaguar Bob back to the trail.  They jumped out at Newfound Gap, but we continued on to Clingman's and the cool, sunny weather was perfect for hiking this evening.  I took a box dinner from KFC with me to the trailhead and finished it at the Dome.  Taco Bob and I ended up hitting the trail around 6pm and hiked the 4.5 miles to the Mount Collins Shelter rather quickly since it was mostly downhill.  By 7:15pm, we were pitching camp and there was a good crowd of ten around here tonight (although we were the only thru-hikers).  All were new faces on the trail, and we kicked up a nice fire due to the cool temps.  I am writing in the journal tonight and sitting by the fire at 10:11pm.  All the others hikers have gone to sleep for the night.  It's good to be back on the trail after spending a few days in town.           

Partly Sunny AM/PM    Clear Night    Mid 70's     30's

Tuesday, May 3, 1994 (Ice Water Springs Shelter) – I slept in until 10am this morning and was the last to leave the shelter today.  Taco Bob and I hit the trail around 10:30am but we got separated when I took a wrong turn and walked 1 1/2 hours in the wrong direction on a side trail near Indian Gap.  It started raining after we left the shelter and didn't stop all day.  When I hit Newfound Gap at 1:15pm, I decided to dry out briefly in the bathroom and it was a welcome break.  From here, it was three miles to the Icewater Spring Shelter and it went by quickly despite the showers and steady climb to the ridge.  Eight other hikers were packed into the shelter tonight, and most of them had not moved at all during the day:  Ranger Smith, Jaguar Bob, Front Seat Finn, Taco Bob, etc.  It was a rowdy crowd this evening as most of the hikers had partied all day rather than hike in the rain.  I was able to swap two airline bottles of Jack Daniels for four dinners (which I desperately needed.)  In my haste to beat feet out of Gatlinburg, I forgot to buy food for the next few days.  I made it to the shelter at 4pm, cooked dinner, and did what I could to warm up in the sleeping bag.  There was a weekend hiker from Michigan here tonight and he and I played chess, then I wrote some letters later in the evening.  There was a fire burning most of the night in the shelter pit but it didn't do much to warm up the place.  I stayed in this shelter with Slawdog and Soul Glo in October 1992, but this time it was reserved for thru-hikers due to problems with the sanitation system.  This is a popular hike in the park. 

P.S.  Late night, things got interesting when Ranger Smith positioned a candy wrapper about a half inch from his hiking stick.  When he heard some "action" on the candy wrapper, he knew he had a mouse.  In the darkness of the shelter, Ranger Smith slowly lifted his wood hiking stick and slammed it to the floor of the upper deck.  By repeating this process 4-5 times during the night he managed to kill three mice.  It was terrifying to fall asleep and be jolted awake by the slam of the hiking stick on the mouse, but the vermin were running rampant.  A successful kill usually resulted in a "Whoo ... eeeey, look at him bleed."  Surprisingly, the mice kept coming back for more punishment until after midnight when the death campaign ceased and I drifted off to sleep once again. 

Showers AM/PM       Heavy Rain      Cloudy Night    Mid 40's     30's

Wednesday, May 4, 1994 (Tri-Corner Knob Shelter) – I left Ice Water Spring Shelter between 9:30-10am this morning and hiked thirteen miles to the Tri-Corner Knob shelter with Taco Bob and Falling Rock.  We had lunch along the A.T. at the turnoff to the Peck's Corner shelter (where I stayed with Slawdog and Soul Glo in October 1992) and the cool weather gave us a nice break from the gnats that have been irritating during the last week.  Views along the scenic ridges of the Smokies were limited due to the mist and fog, but we made it to Tri-Corner Knob by 4pm.  We also started a fire tonight in the shelter to dry out our boots and played some cards that we got from some section hikers.  The couple was very kind to us after being rescued yesterday by some other thru-hikers who ran across them in the middle of the Trail.  Both the young man and his wife were hypothermic in the heavy rains and the women had lost her will to hike.  The thru-hikers hauled their packs to Tri-Corner Knob and stayed with them for the last few miles.  The couple decided to take a rest day at the shelter today and offered us some of their left over food as a result.  After a hearty dinner, I sacked out around midnight but woke during the night when a mouse was perched on my head.  It scampered off my fleece cap when I woke up, and the mice have continued to run rampant in the shelters of the Smokies this year.   

  Cloudy AM/PM      Fog      Mist       Cloudy Night    Upper 40's/Low 50's     40's

Thursday, May 5, 1994 (Mountain Mama's Kuntry Kitchen) – I hiked the entire day in long underwear and long pants do to the cool temps in the Smokies today.  The fleece hat and gloves were also on/off during the hike since it was pretty chilly when I hit the trail at 9am with Falling Rock and Taco Bob.  For lunch, I cooked up some soup and green beans at the Cosby Knob Shelter, then the three of us were back on the trail by 1pm for a downhill hike to Davenport Gap on the NC/TN state line.  At the trailhead, the couple that stayed with us at Tri-Corner Knob drove up the gravel road looking for Taco Bob.  He left his watch in the shelter last night and they brought it back to him.  They also gave us a ride down to Mountain Mama's Kuntry Kitchen where we booked a night in the blue trailer/bunkhouse.  We knocked down a few hamburgers, fries and everything else we could afford, then spent the rest of the evening cleaning up and doing laundry (via a washing machine on skids in the backyard).  I called The Seeker tonight and he plans to pick us up at Mountain Mama's tomorrow.  Falling Rock and Taco Bob get a ride to Hot Springs, and I'm headed to Greensboro, N.C. for the weekend.  We were up until 12:30am reviewing trail maps via candle light.  The goal is to make it to Trail Days in Damascus by Thursday of next week. 

  Cloudy AM    Partly Cloudy PM    Partly Cloudy Night    Upper 60's  Upper 30's

Friday, May 6, 1994 (The Seeker's Apartment, Greensboro, N.C.) – I hung out at Mountain Mama's Kuntry Kitchen all day and the time went surprisingly fast.  A number of thru-hikers rolled in this afternoon and I devoured cheeseburgers at the grill and swapped trail stories with most of them.  The Seeker picked us up in a rental car around 6pm this evening, then drove Falling Rock and Taco Bob to Hot Springs.  It was 11:30pm by the time we made it to Winston-Salem and we stopped briefly to see Hawkeye before he went to work the nightshift at Baptist Hospital.  We finally made it to The Seeker's apartment around 1am and ordered some pizza and had some beers until around 2:30am.  It's nice to take a break from the trail for the weekend. 

Mostly Sunny AM/PM    Clear Night    Upper 70's  Upper 50's

Saturday, May 7, 1994 (The Seeker's Apartment, Greensboro, N.C.) – I slept until around 9am this morning and saw Clayton briefly who was on his way to study for an accounting final at UNCG on Monday.  The Seeker and I got breakfast, took the rental car back to the Greensboro airport, then spent the afternoon hanging out at the pool.  I haven't driven a car for nearly a month, and it was actually enjoyable to get behind the wheel.  Hawkeye bought a new 46" monster TV this week, and we picked up some brews, got some wings at Ronnie's in Clemmons, NC and spent the evening watching television at his place.  Hawkeye had the 12 midnight to 8am shift again, so we watched about eight hours of TV (including the Stallone movie Cliffhanger) with his brother Jared.  We took a brief break for brews at Corbin's, but for the most part it was an eight hour TV bonanza.  The Seeker and I made it back to Greensboro around 3:30am.    

Mostly Sunny AM/PM    Clear Night    80's  50's

May 8-May 13, I skipped ahead to Hampton, Tennessee to hike into Trail Days in Damascus, Virginia.  For a look at these journal entries, click to the journal for the Appalachian Trail In Tennessee.  On May 13th, I caught a ride from Damascus with the owner of Mountain Mama's Kuntry Kitchen and finished the Davenport Gap to Hampton, Tennessee section on May 27th.  The North Carolina section is shown here.

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