THE APPALACHIAN TRAIL IN TENNESSEE

Sunday, May 8, 1994 (Braemar Castle Hostel, Hampton, TN.) – I called Mom and Dad this morning and both were in Z-town, so The Seeker, Clayton and I headed out for a quick breakfast.  Hawkeye decided to join us for the ride to Hampton, TN, and we picked him up around 3:30pm after a brief tour of the WFU campus.  Wake was looking sharp for graduation and I enjoyed the quick trip to the quad.  We made it to the hostel at Braemar Castle by 5:30pm and both Falling Rock and Taco Bob were there when I arrived.  Taco Bob and I walked down to a nearby beverage store then talked Wheels (who is another thru-hiker) into a card game that lasted until 12:30am.   

Mostly Sunny AM/PM    Clear Night    Low 80's/Upper 70's  50's

May 8-May 13, I skipped ahead to Hampton, Tennessee to hike into Trail Days in Damascus, Virginia.  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.

Monday, May 9, 1994 (Vandeventer Shelter) - I got up at 10am this morning and took a shower and packed up for the trail.  Taco Bob and Falling Rock caught a shuttle to Trail Days and grabbed some campsites by the river. They took my tent with them, so this was the first day that I hiked without it in my backpack.  At noon, Wheels gave me a ride to the trailhead in a car he borrowed from another hiker.  He spent most of the morning shuttling people back and forth from the trailheads.  In this section, the A.T. leaves Hampton and crosses an earth dam built by the TVA then makes a gradual ascent to the Vandeventer shelter.  It was a nice hike and I enjoyed being back on the trail after a few days off.  When I arrived at the shelter, there were 8-10 other hikers in the area, but Flare, Campro and I had the lean-to to ourselves since everyone else pitched their tent this evening.  Getting water was a major hassle and there was a steep blue-blazed trail to the spring, but the view from the back of the shelter made up for it and I enjoyed the rest of the night.  I plan to take my time hiking to Damascus this week but look forward to the festivities at Trail Days. 

Mostly Sunny AM/PM    Clear Night      Light Breeze 70's  Low 50's/Upper 40's

Tuesday, May 10, 1994 (Double Springs Shelter) - I hiked from 8:30am to 3:30pm today and covered fifteen miles to reach the Double Springs shelter by mid-afternoon.  It was nice weather for walking, and I felt like hiking further but it was ten miles to the next shelter and my tent was with Falling Rock at Trail Days.  There were 6-7 other hikers at the Double Springs shelter tonight, and we had a big dinner this evening.  The bugs have not been bad lately and it has been enjoyable hiking throughout the day.  There was an 80% eclipse that hit at 1pm, and the skies got somewhat dark for a few hours. 

Sunny AM     Partly Cloudy PM  Clear Night    Low 70's/Upper 60's  Low 40's

Wednesday, May 11, 1994 (Damascus Hostel) - I hiked 18.2 miles today into Damascus to take the next four days off at Trail Days and met Thunder Chicken (who is Perri Helm's cousin) on the way into town.  He and I had worked up an appetite on the trail and grabbed some pizza and beer at Quincy's as soon as we walked into Damascus at 3:15pm.  I decided to stay in the church hostel tonight since it will be crowded the rest of the week and it was worth the experience (although much more noisy than I anticipated.)  After a quick shower, I spent the evening at tent city and carefully consumed some brews by the river (since a hiker got arrested earlier tonight for an open container).  Someone left some lawn chairs near the water and they made for a relaxing evening at the camp with Taco Bob and Falling Rock.  I crashed out around 12:30am at the hostel, but the bar crowd rolled in at 2am and woke up the entire house. 

Mostly Sunny AM    Partly Sunny PM   Clear Night    75  Low 40's

Thursday, May 12, 1994 (Tent City, Damascus Virginia) - I packed up at the hostel this morning and headed for Tent City near the river.  Falling Rock slept in my tent the last few days, but moved over to the hostel and I took up residence in the Sierra Clip Flashlight.  I spent the next 3-4 hours working on my stove which conked out recently.  The local outfitter offered some help, then I went to lunch with Falling Rock and Taco Bob at Quincy's.  With their encouragement, I accepted the local hardware store's offer to sponsor me in the "Missed Appalachian Trail Days Pageant."  The ladies at Al's hardware store dressed me up in full costume and delighted in the process.  From there I headed to the salon with the other contestants where we got make-up and all the final touches.  The show started at 7pm at the Gazebo, but I was eliminated in the first round.  This turned out to be a blessing since one of the intoxicated finalists showed the crowd a "fruit basket" and was immediately arrested by the town sheriff.  It was a fun event until this fiasco, and I left the show feeling that the thru-hiking community had let the town down this afternoon.  The rest of the evening was somewhat somber as a result, but I had a few beers with Kung Fu Rob and Ski who hitched into town tonight and it was cool to see them again. 

Mostly Sunny AM/PM    Clear Night    70's  Low 50's/Upper 40's

Friday, May 13, 1994 (Tent City, Damascus Virginia) - Falling Rock, Taco Bob and I went to the bean dinner at 11am today which was sponsored by the local senior citizen's group.  At the lunch Don entertained some older ladies who really enjoyed the time with us, and I felt redeemed for the events on Thursday night.  I did some laundry before the meal, then spent the afternoon checking out the numerous vendor booths at Trail Days with Falling Rock, Taco Bob, Kung Fu Rob, Ski, and Dr. Doolittle.  I also did some reading at The Place from a huge magazine library they have on-site.  Warren Doyle spoke at the church tonight, and after some late afternoon cheeseburgers at the Dairy Freeze, we watched his show until late in the evening.  Warren told a variety of stories from his numerous hikes on the A.T. and it was pretty entertaining for the most part.  After the show, I had some food and brews with Texas Turtle and Trail Snail who met up with our thru-hiker mob at Quincy's.  We took the party back to Kung Fu Rob's campsite after dinner and all of us hung out until 1-2am which made for a fun evening.           

Mostly Sunny AM/PM    Clear Night    70's  Low 50's/Upper 40's

May 8-May 13, I skipped ahead to Hampton, Tennessee to hike into Trail Days in Damascus, Virginia.  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.

Saturday, May 14, 1994 (Mountain Mama's Kuntry Store) - Texas Turtle talked to John (aka. Papa Mama from Mountain Moma's Kuntry Store) and scored a ride for me back to Davenport Gap where I got off the trail a week ago.  John was in town for Trail Days and to promote his store and bunkhouse.  He offered me a free ride this afternoon, and after a big $3 AYCE breakfast at the Dairy Freeze with Taco Bob, I left town at 2:30pm with Texas Turtle, Trail Snail, High 5-er, and Larry (a section-hiker).  John drove us to Erwin, TN where the ladies bailed out, then on to Franklin, NC where Larry left us after a quick meal at Western Sizzlin'.  There was a Wal-Mart nearby, and John took me to the store to find a part for my now defunct Coleman stove.  We also bought fuses for his truck and I changed them for him since he didn't have his reading glasses on the trip.  By 10:30pm, John and I made it back to Mountain Mama's Kuntry Store and I walked to the phone at the GSMNP parking area which is a short distance away.  I spoke with Tamalama but couldn't catch Mom and Dad at home this evening and ended up walking back to Mountain Mama's in the dark around 11:15pm.  After a brief shower, I retired to the same bunkhouse I shared with Falling Rock and Taco Bob last week and wrote up about four pages of journal entries.  I had some good memories hanging with them here (and of planning our road trip to Trail Days), but I don't expect to see them anytime soon.   

Showers AM  Partly Sunny PM    P. Cloudy Night       Rain Overnight 70's  50's

Sunday, May 15, 1994 (Groundhog Creek Shelter) - I was up at 7:15am this morning to change parts on my camp stove, but after three hours (and no success), I caught a ride with 10-12 other hikers to the trailhead at Davenport Gap.  It was a fun ride up the mountain since we all loaded into a flatbed truck.  Our group hiked under I-40 this morning then hiked on to Groundhog Creek Shelter.  The rain started shortly after our arrival and the shelter was crowded tonight.  I worked on the stove some more, but ended up cooking on the fire this evening until the rain picked up.  For entertainment tonight, Avalon did some handwriting analysis and I did some card tricks.   We also played board games (from a miniature set) until around 10:30pm when we all crashed out for the night. 

Mostly Sunny AM  Showers PM       Rain Overnight 70's  50's

Monday, May 16, 1994 (Walnut Mountain Shelter) - The hike today started with a 5-7 mile uphill but climbed to Max's Patch which was one of the best spots on the A.T. that I've seen thus far.  I took a long lunch break on the mountain from 11:15am to 2:30pm and hung out with a group of thru-hikers that was in the shelter last night.  The majority had dropped their packs just past the summit, and as I descended to their lunch spot I pulled out my camera to capture the moment.  The next thing I know, I'm under a pile of thru-hikers who decided to pounce on me in mass.  We all got a good laugh out of it, then hiked on to Roaring Fork Shelter to cook some dinner.  I had to borrow Puck and Pig Pen's (later known as Spooner) stove since mine is still D.O.A.  Around 5:30pm, I decided to hit the trail and hike another two miles to Walnut Mountain Shelter for the night.  Amy and Django stayed in the shelter this evening, and Carbo Man (Mike) camped up on the hill.  We had a nice fire at the shelter tonight and it reminded me of Cable Gap Shelter in the Smokies during a August 1992 trip.

  Cloudy AM   Mostly Sunny PM    Clear Night      Breezey  Low 70's  Low 40's

Tuesday, May 17, 1994 (Jesuit Hostel, Hot Springs, N.C.) - It was cool this morning when I woke up and in the upper 30's to low 40's.  I started hiking by 8am with plans to make it to Hot Springs by 1pm.  I tried to stay at Elmer's in town but he was booked solid, so I ended up crashing at the Jesuit Hostel with Squeeze Box.  The hostel was a nice place, but Elmer's was top notch (and the stay includes a vegetarian dinner.)  In the evening, Squeeze Box and I headed over to Elmer's after dinner and watched the Trail Magic video with Amy and Django then went with them to the local hot springs from 9:45 to 10:45pm.  The soak was a great way to wrap up a busy town day that included buying groceries, doing laundry and hitting multiple restaurants.  The stars were out for the walk back to the hostel this evening, and I spoke with Mom and Dad and Snyder before turning in for the night.     

  Mostly Sunny AM/PM       Clear Night      Mid 70's  Upper 30's

Wednesday, May 18, 1994 (Mill Ridge) - I spent the morning doing town chores and stopped at the bank, P.O., grocery, and hardware store (for fuel) today.  At the P.O., I ran into Wingfoot and talked with him in detail.  It was nice to finally meet the author of the Thru-Hiker's Handbook after using it for the last several weeks on the Trail.  By noon, I was getting hungry and stopped at Smoky's Diner where I saw Travelin' Jack and Bill Erwin and joined them for lunch.  Most of the thru-hikers in town were staying at Elmers and I stopped there on the way back to the Jesuit Hostel and jumped in on a jam session lead by Avalon on piano.  The Max Patch thru-hikers gave me the drums and the make-shift band was pretty fine entertainment this afternoon.  I had decided to hit the trail by 3pm and after playing a few video games, I hiked to a ridge on the north side of town and enjoyed a cool 32oz brew.  The nice spring breeze and views of Hot Springs made for a pleasant break, and I hung out on a rock outcropping for nearly two hours until 5pm.  Carbo Man also planned to camp at Mill Ridge tonight, but he never showed by sunset.  I found a nice flat campsite here and it was recently mowed and had excellent views of the surrounding mountains.  The site is near a small pond and I saw some fisherman in the area working the crank baits this evening.  A secondary road leads here, but I basically had the place to myself.  For dinner, I cooked up a hearty meal before sacking out for the night.  The new Whisperlite stove works like a champ.   

Mostly Sunny AM/PM        Breezey   Clear Night      Mid 70's  Upper 40's

Thursday, May 19, 1994 (Little Laurel Ridge) - It was a nice hike down to Allen Gap this morning, and I got some ice cream, sodas, and candy bars from a small mom/pop gas station after the descent from Mill Ridge.  My hip strap came unraveled from the hip belt during the climb to Little Laurel Shelter today and the last three miles were very difficult as a result.  The shelter couldn't come soon enough.  In the last five days, both of my shoulder straps, my hip strap, and my Coleman stove have all crapped out on me.  I spent from 7-10pm this evening sewing the hip strap back to the pack with dental floss and the needle broke during the project (since the leather strap is quite thick).  Fortunately, Bellwood Barney had a spare needle and he was the only other thru-hiker in the shelter tonight.  I was wiped out after the repair work, but fired up another great dinner on the new stove late night.      

Mostly Sunny AM/PM       Clear Night      Mid 60's  Upper 40's

Friday, May 20, 1994 (Hogback Ridge Shelter) - Today was my biggest mileage day yet  ... 21.3 miles hiked from  9:50AM to 7:30pm.  I left Little Laurel Spring Shelter with plans to stay at Flint Mountain until I read about a girl being bitten by a rabid fox in the shelter overnight.  It was around 2-3pm when I read the journal entry from the previous night, and I decided to move northbound on the A.T. since I am in a thru-hiker gap and would most certainly spend the night solo in the shelter.  I was extremely exhausted by the time I reached the Hogback Ridge Shelter this evening.  I shared it with two guys from Maryland that had a fire going when I arrived at dusk.  Both just graduated from High School and were on a two week vacation in the south.     

Partly Sunny AM/PM       Clear Night      Mid 60's  Upper 40's

Saturday, May 21, 1994 (No Business Knob Shelter) - I got a late start today and didn't start hiking until nearly 10am. Someone left an issue of Backpacker magazine dated April 1994 in the shelter and I read it for about thirty minutes this morning.  On the trail, two grouse bluff-charged me but I didn't get to my camera fast enough to capture it on film.  I also met four older ladies who were day-hiking and looking to feed a hungry thru-hiker.  They gave me three apples and some small candies, and trail magic as they say.  The hike over Big Bald was awesome, and I snapped a few self-portraits from the summit as a storm gathered in the distance.  I made it to the Bald Mountain Shelter by 3:15pm but decided too push on to No Business Knob which I made by 7:45pm.  The shelter was empty when I arrived, but a southbounder showed up around 8pm and was relieved that he could cook and didn't have to worry about keeping anyone up (since I hadn't started dinner yet).  He was a nice guy and I enjoyed his company although I don't remember his trail name.  By 10:30pm, I was pretty tired and sacked out after another big mileage day.        

Mostly Sunny     Afternoon Thunderstorms    Partly Cloudy NightLow 70's 

Sunday, May 22, 1994 (NOC Hostel - Erwin, TN) - I left the shelter by 8:30am this morning and hiked seven miles to the NOC Hostel in Erwin, TN by noon.  It was hot today and I was ready for a shower.  After cleaning up, I was sitting outside the hostel and noticed a guy in a WFU (Bowman Gray) T-shirt.  I struck up a conversation with him, and next thing you know I was running he and three companions upstream for a kayaking trip back to the NOC.  The bonus:  He gave me $20 for the help and full use of his Ford Explorer for four hours.  It was great to drive again, and the Jimmy Buffet tape was also a plus - especially at loud volumes.  I spent the afternoon doing laundry, buying groceries, and enjoying the AYCE buffet at KFC.  On the way back to the NOC, I saw two of the Rational Hedonists in the back of a pick-up truck and they jumped in with me for a return trip to the KFC and to the hostel.  They camped up on the A.T. tonight to save some cash.  By late afternoon, the kayaker's were back at the NOC and they gave me three extra brews (and some additional trail magic.)  The bunkhouse was empty tonight, but it was a great day nonetheless.

Mostly Sunny AM/PM       Clear Night      Low 80's  Mid 60's

Monday, May 23, 1994 (Cherry Gap Shelter) - I got up around 8am today to catch a ride with a kayaker into town to ship a maildrop ahead and to get my pack fixed (again).  It only cost me $6 to get it fixed, I had some breakfast until 10:30am when it was finished.  After walking 3.8 miles back to the NOC, I hitched a ride on a school bus with another rafting company who dropped me off by the bridge.  A NOC guide took me the rest of the way back to the hostel, but he had me stand on the back bumper which was a near death sentence.  I finally made it to the hostel by 11:30am, took a shower, ate lunch, then swapped stories with Mad Markum who hiked in around 1pm today.  He tried to talk me into staying, but I decided to hike five miles this afternoon and left around 2pm for a campsite just out of town.  There were too many bugs to stay, so I decided to push on to the Cherry Gap Shelter which I made by 9pm just as it was getting pitch black.  Four other hikers were in the shelter tonight, and I cooked outside to keep the light and noise to a minimum.  It was also very buggy at the lean-to, and I did not sleep well during the night (although I was pretty tired after hiking fourteen miles from 2-9pm). 

Mostly Sunny AM/PM       Clear Night      Low 80's  Mid 60's

Tuesday, May 24, 1994 (Roan High Knob Shelter) - I left the shelter by 9am today and had a big climbing day with Roan Mountain on the schedule.  The bugs (gnats/black flies) were driving me crazy during the hike.  Fortunately, the rain showers that hit around 4-5pm finally brought some relief and chased them away.  I hid out under a spruce tree during most of the storm and the frequent lightening and thunder made me extra cautious since I was near the summit of Roan Mountain.  By 6pm, I was standing at the bathroom and parking area on top of the mountain.  The bathroom was similar to the Newfound Gap building where I waited out a previous storm.  Carbo Man (Mike) was cooking dinner in the bathroom when I arrived, and the rain-free environment encouraged me to do the same.  I had an enjoyable time with Carbo Man and it was a nice break from the weather.  He and I headed to the shelter which was 0.6 miles away after we finished dinner.  We hiked in light rain but quickly found the two-story cabin structure which was pretty cool.  I slept in the loft with the Rational Hedonists and Carbo Man and there were also two other people staying on the first floor.  The thunder and lightening returned late night and it rained most of the night. 

Mostly Sunny AM/mid-PM    Thunderstorms PM       Rain Overnight 80's  50's

Wednesday, May 25, 1994 (Roan Mountain Hostel) - It was a chilly hike out from the shelter this morning but it warmed up quickly.  We had some of the best views of the entire trip today as we crossed the Hump Mountains which had spectacular views in all directions.  The Overmountain Shelter was also quite interesting since it was a converted barn with scenic views into a valley below the trail.  I walked down to the shelter for a lunch break around 12:30pm but it was too early to stop for the day.  Roan Mountain Hotel was also calling, and fortunately, I met two day hikers on top of Hump Mountain that offered me a ride into town.  As I hiked with them, we ran into Maineac at the Apple House shelter and I talked him into heading into Roan Mountain with us.  The day hikers were so cool they even ran us ten miles out of the way to get beers in North Carolina.  Manieac and I were the only ones in the hostel tonight, and we spent the rest of the evening watching Beavis and Butthead on MTV and pounding brews.  We also hit the burger and snack place up the street where I shoved down five tacos and a double cheeseburger - my appetite is out of control these days.  When we got back to the hostel we ran into Bigfoot, Purple Haze, and Moose River who opted for a hotel room over the hostel (which essentially was a converted room with bunk beds.)  They hung out with us briefly until around 1am. 

Sunny AM/PM    Showers Late PM       Rain Overnight Upper 70's  Upper 40's

Thursday, May 26, 1994 (Moreland Gap Shelter) - The A.T. shuttle left the hostel at 9am this morning, and I hiked a 13.6 mile section that was rumored to be a "danger" area with incidents dating back as recently as 1990.  We had no problems as it turned out and I found the townspeople in Roan Mountain to be quite friendly.  Back on the trail, I was hit with a torrential downpour between Laurel Fork and Moreland Gap shelter.  The rain was relentless during these five miles and it pounded down like I have never experienced before in the backcountry.  Purple Haze, Moose River, Monk, Bigfoot, and I were in the shelter this evening and someone wisely put up a tarp to keep the rain out.  The wind was blowing so hard that the lean-to was not exactly water tight.  My sleeping bag got wet during the hike, and I vowed from this moment forth to forever wrap it in a trash bag.  It is a cold and miserable experience to sleep in a wet bag in 40 degree weather.  I had a big dinner tonight and did the cooking from my damp sleeping bag.  It was hot around noon but after the storm came through the temperature dropped significantly and trapping heat in my wet bag was the only way to stay warm.  On the upside, I brought a left over beer on the trail and soaked it in a spring briefly this evening and am enjoying it as I write.  I expected Maineac to show up tonight but he never made it.  Wherever he is, he's getting soaked to the bone right now (unless he has a really solid tent).       

Mostly Sunny AM/mid-PM    Thunderstorms PM       Rain Overnight Upper 70's  Upper 30's

Friday, May 27, 1994 (Braemar Castle Hostel) - It was cold this morning and v ery hard to get out of the sleeping bag, so I didn't hit the trail until around 9:30am.  After running into Monk and hiking a few miles, we had lunch and saw the slackpacking Rational Hedonists, Freebird, and Rob near the firetower.  Near the falls, I stopped to read the shelter register and was sad to see that the Red Rainman made his final journal entry and left the A.T. due to bad ankles.  I had to write an ode to the Red Rainman since he was the first thru-hiker I met on the A.T. and we spent most of my first few nights on the trail with him.  After a moment of silence, I hiked on to the blue-blazed side trail and followed it in to the town of Hampton, TN by 2:30pm to check into the hostel and make a trip to the post office before they closed at 4:30pm.  I had a mass of letters (mostly from Mo) that had collected at Mom and Dad's house and I took them to the nearby Pizza Place to read.  The grocery closed at 7pm, so I also made a quick stop there on the way back to the hostel.  Monk and Purple Haze (Becca) hiked into town this evening, and Purple Haze decided to stay, so I showed her the way back and she/I spoke with Beverly and Sutton Brown for a while this evening.  They own the hostel and have done a really nice job at fixing it up. Late night, I walked down the road and made some calls to Mo and Mom/Dad before midnight.    

Mostly Sunny AM/PM        Clear Night     Upper 70's      Low 40's

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