Link to Facebook pictures...

 I have an album on Facebook of my AT pictures so far.  I hope most of you can access it, even if you don't have a Facebook account.

Grandpa and Grandma, let me know if you can!

Here it is:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=278921&id=510821915&l=5fdf9f4764





Real post from a real computer...

Hellllooooo! 

I finally made it to a real computer to update my blog.  Only took two weeks...

A lot has happened since I last posted from the Blueberry Patch.  We stayed in Hiawassee for about a day and a half, hoping that a day of rest would fix Stew's bad knee.  Well, as soon as we got back on the Trail it was obvious he was still in pain.  We were able to keep the miles we needed for the day, but limping down the trail is no way to hike the AT.  About two days out of Hiawassee Stew and I decided that it would be best for him to get off the Trail, take time to recover at home, and for me to continue on without him for as long as he needed.  It was not an easy decision, and I can tell you it has not really sunken in yet, but I think it was the right thing to do. 

Now, as for the Trail:

Georgia was HARD!  If you saw a peak in the distance, you knew the Trail would take you to the top of that peak.  It was a LOT of ups and downs.  North Carolina seems to differ so far (albeit we've only been in NC for three days) in that a lot of the trail just follows along the side of the mountains, instead of taking you straight to the top. 

We haven't seen any bears yet, nor have we been visited in the night and had our food taken again!  The day after our food got stolen near Neels Gap a mother and daughter had their bag stolen out of the tree... and a few days after that (around the same area) three hikers had their bags stolen too, but were able to chase down the bear and get some of their stuff back. ARGH!  Stew and I have obviously been very diligent about our bear bags, and other hikers have commented on how well we hang them.  :)  Once "bitten", twice shy I guess...

Yesterday, after climbing most of Albert Mountain, we were treated to some Trail magic in the form of an older hippie making us fresh blackberry pancakes, the Grateful Dead drifting out of his car stereo and mixing with the campfire smoke.  It was wonderful.  I think I ate about ten, spreading Parkay all over them with my fingers.  Mmmm....   We got a shuttle ride from the top of that mountain with the intent of getting into Franklin so that Stew's mom could meet us there and take him back to Arkansas.  Our shuttle driver did not anticipate taking 5 people down the mountain, so only brought his little two-door Cherokee Sport.  We packed everyone in there regardless... Stew sitting on one of our friend's lap in the front seat, me in the shuttle-driver's granddaughter's CHILD CAR SEAT (!!!) and then two other fully-grown men squeezed in beside me!  When we got out it was like clowns unloading from a circus car!  Many people took pictures of us.  A ride to remember, that's for sure.  The driver was a story-teller and drawled on about recent Sasquatch sightings in the area, something I was keen to listen to.  I'll keep my eyes open while I'm out there.... ;)

My 30 minutes is nearly up on the computer, so I have to go and finish the laundry and packing so that I can get back on the trail tomorrow morning.  I estimate that I'm a week out of the Smokies... which is very exciting.  Everyone keeps telling me to anticipate snow up there.  I wouldn't mind it... it's better than the torrential rain that we walked three miles through a few days ago.

I promise to keep posting as often as possible, though I won't have access to the iPhone.  Thanks for all the well-wishing we've received from friends and family!  It's been an interesting two weeks and we've learned a lot.

We hiked our butts off yesterday to make it to Dicks Creek Gap in time to hitch to a nearby hostel: The Blueberry Patch.  Along with unmatched hospitality (the owner did our laundry for free himself) they also are known for having the best breakfast on the Trail (says Backpacker Magazine). Indeed, we were treated to pancakes with blueberry syrup, sausage, eggs, hashbrowns, biscuits with gravy, plus juice and coffee. Everything, including a shower and bunk for the night, was free of charge, but they accept donations and of course everyone gives some.  It was a wonderful place.
After breakfast the owner drove us into town where I had reservations at the Hiawassee Inn.  Stew and I just got done resupplying and packing our food for the next 4 days (enough to get us to Franklin, NC) and now we're relaxing and just wasting time until we head to the all-you-can-eat buffet.  I KNOW I'll need a nap after that!  If we feel up to it we might walk down to the Holiday Inn where our friends Shortcut, Iron Will, and BC are staying and sit in the hot tub awhile.  Tomorrow we get back to the trail about 9:30 and should make it across the NC state line before we make camp.  
The pictures included are from the Blueberry Patch and Hiawassee. 

Thinking of you all!  Till next time...

Stew says:   Blueberry patch was amazing!  Great shower there and awesome bunk house.  Best nights rest I've had so far.  Glad we caught up to some friendly faces.  Taking it easy on the knee right now and just medicated myself with a little Sam Adams.  Thank you to everyone for the comments!

Tara says: Yesterday was definitely the worst day on the trail for us. Backtracking those few miles and then trying to press on to the next shelter killed our morale. We ended up making it to Whitley Gap shelter at about 8pm.  Stew's knee was killing him at this point and we were both so frustrated with everything that we both broke down at separate points.  The sunset on top of the mountain, however, was one of the most magnificent I'd ever seen. And then our luck tuned for the better:  though warned that there were "40" boy-scouts at the shelter, we came down and found it empty- the scouts were camping a few yards away.  So Stew and I set up our tent in the shelter and had 9 entire hours of peaceful slumber (which we desperately needed after our bear night). Plus, the scouts were so kind as to bring us extra food they had in the morning...  even olive oil!  Thank you troop 589 from Beaufort!!!  
Today was cold and windy, and surprisingly lonely, as we saw nearly NO thru-hikers the entire day.  This feeling of camaraderie was something that neither Stew nor I knew we would  want on the trail... but after a week of hiking with the same group of people, you find comfort in their presence throughout the day.  It's also nice to know that you aren't the only one with aches and pains.. We all share our gripes at the end of the night around the campfire (along with plenty of jokes and wise-cracking).  So today our goal was to make it to Blue Mountain shelter, and despite the large milage, we did.  We were greeted warmly by a group of familiar hikers who fed us extra food and discussed our bear incident.  We're glad to be " home" tonight.  We're going to take it easy the next couple of days and ease our way into Hiawassee where we might take a day off to let Stew's knee heal.  Hopefully I'll be able to write a "proper" blog from the public library instead of on the phone.
Feelin' good!!!

Stew says:   Loved getting to shelter tonight after a tough hike,  awesome fire going.  Knee is killing me but it is manageable,  I'll keep gritting my teeth til we get to town and I can take it easier.   But got to get back to the fire for tonight.  Good to be laughing and drinking coffee.    Ps.  I really hate bears!

Climbed up Blood Mountain yesterday which offered outstanding views and upon which sits one of the oldest trail shelters on the AT.  The climb down was rocky and beautiful, though brutal for Stew, who still has a troubled knee.  At least the descent brought us to Mountain Crossings, a wonderful one- stop shop for thru- hikers, offering food, supplies, showers, laundry... and even a bed for the night if you need it.  We resupplied and then set off up the trail again- Stew sporting a new knee brace that we were hoping would ease his pain. We caught a second wind, although the day was getting late, and sped down the trail.  We made camp at a nice spot near a large fire ring, although we were totally alone. We hastily hung our bear bags, eager to get to bed.  However, at 11:30pm we awoke to large crashings and movements close to our tent.  It was so heavy and loud, we knew it had to be a bear! Sure enough, we heard our bags get ripped off the branches. In fact, the noises didn't subside until 4:30am.  We were too terrified to glance out at it,  though the claw marks on the tree in the morning showed it was quite light.  ALL of our food was eaten, including a bottle of olive oil and my toothbrush with toothpaste!  We picked up    all the garbage and it led us to a " bed" of food wrappers on which the bear slept- we could see the imprint of it's body! Needless to say, we learned our lesson about appropriately hanging our food.  We hiked the four miles back down to Mountain Crossings, and now $90 lighter, we're getting ready to set off again.  What a night!  

Here's a pic of the garbage we picked up and the toothmarks in my vitamin bottle:

Well, it's been three days now and we're still here!  I heard somewhere that 30% of people drop out in the first 4 days.  That figure is probably not exact, but you get the point.  It has been a tough but rewarding few days.  Got a couple small blisters and Stew's knee was bad today, but that seems to be the norm around the hiking crowd here.  I'm loving my boots, which have saved me from rolling my ankle a couple of times.  Our tent seems to have been worth every penny too, as we were the only people I've found who stayed dry that first night on Springer when it rained for hours and the wind sped like a freight train over us and down the mountainside.  We're camped half- way up Blood Mountain tonight at Slaughter Creek and just watched a red sunset. Tomorrow we head for Neels Gap where there are showers and food!  :). Life is good!

Haha! What a First day!  We're at the summit of Springer, healthy and happy, with camp set, dinner eaten and everything cleaned up. It's a beautiful view and maybe an hour till what should be a glorious sunset.  It was an intensely tough hike, but that's what we expected.  Have met some good people already.  Wish I could type more but I'm on the iPhone and it's a little awkward.  So till next time...!

Here we are- made it to Amicalola state park!  We'll spend the night here and set off tomorrow from the approach trail.  Having a blast with wonderful friends in this beautiful place.  PS: the photo of Stew and I holding the pebbles is a hiking tradition- we're going to carry them all the way to Maine.   We're happy and thrilled to finally be here.

Final post from home.

This will probably be my last post here at home.  I've got most of the house packed and am going to spend the evening at a birthday dinner (for me!) and mingling with friends.  Stew, his dad, and I will be packing up the house early tomorrow and then Stew and I will spend our last night in our house--- sleeping on the floor.  :)  I guess there's no better way to ease into sleeping on the ground for months than to do it at home.

Over the past year I've researched, read, looked at, questioned, and absorbed every nugget of information I could find on the internet or glean from others concerning the Trail.  Some of it was very useful, thought-provoking, clever, and helpful.  Some of it wasn't.  It's up to Stew and I now to make of it what we will and (as the common saying goes) "hike our own hike".  Many people have been humble in offering advice, but I've also found that many people who've hiked love to explain just how THEY did it.  And why that is not only the RIGHT way, but the ONLY way.  Gladly, I usually don't place other people's advice higher than my own (okay, some might call that a "fault"...)  :)

What I'm trying to say is, I feel good about this.  I feel calm, I feel determined, and I feel happy. More could be said, but it would only come back to the fact that I feel ready. 

I had some tid-bit of information floating around in my head today, something about "getting in touch with the silence within myself", and I was wondering where I'd heard that before.  Then it came to me: my parents had written "Learn to get in touch with the silence within yourself..." in my Senior yearbook.  I think I am already on that track, but maybe it's something I'll focus on during my long walk.



So here's to our walk, and here's to everyone who helped us prepare.  And here's a big THANK YOU to our wonderful, supportive family and friends.  Many people helped in so many ways, and without you I don't think we'd be as ready, or as successful, as we are- and as we are going to be.

Okay, here we go...

A quick photo for inspiration...

Supposedly this man made it all the way to Maine, with an oar for a walking stick and a 90lb pack.  Success in this venture is really not about what you take with you... it looks to be more of having the right attitude. I'll remember that -and this picture- as I hike.

"Walking With Spring"

Over the past three days I've been reading a book called Walking With Spring, written by the first man to ever thru-hike the Appalachian Trail: Earl Shaffer.  Anyone who knows about the history of the trail knows about Shaffer.  And so I thought I knew his story pretty well: young man, on his return from World War 2, decides to reconnect with nature and "walk the war out of his system".  I guess I had this romantic notion of how he did it- peacefully strolling over mountain upon mountain- a man who would probably look down in scorn upon naive hikers of today with their full packs and technical gear.  Well, like many things in life, I was surprised at the true story once I actually decided to know it.

The first thing that struck me, heartbreakingly, was that he had planned this hike before the onset of WW2 with another hiking buddy- who was sadly killed in Iwo Jima.   I had never heard this. It added a certain depth to his hike I'd never considered before.  Throughout the text, I realized that this was not just some faceless man who randomly walked from Georgia to Maine- he goes through bouts of exhaustion (once just lying where he falls on the trail and napping before finding the strength to go on), problems with his gear (his pack- like many today- weighs about 40 pounds), and near starvation from not realizing how much food his body would actually need.  And he's quite shy!  To put it shortly, I'm enjoying this book more than I thought I would, and it feels great to connect with a hiker who did what I'm about to do 60 years prior, and see that he had many of the same problems and struggles that I will.  It has been a perfect last book to read before setting off... in many ways inspiring.  I know that in hard times I'll probably reflect back on Shaffer's tale to remind myself that it is a challenge for everyone, and pain and weariness just come with the hike. 

I'll add finally that I couldn't help but think of my grandpa as I read about Earl Shaffer... they seem similar in many ways and I could see my grandpa hiking a similar hike if he were to take off on the trail. 

In other news: my excitement about the hike returned abruptly as I awoke this morning.  I immediately sent Stewart a text message (he is in Arkansas visiting with family) expressing my disbelief that we had such few days remaining until we set off.  I think the stress of packing was putting a stopper in my excitement.  I'm slowly crossing things off of my "to-do" list here at home: pack the kitchen, clean the bathroom, print such and such forms off the internet, re-pot plants, etc.  Somehow, I've still found time for a two-hour nap each of these last few days... !  :)  I can't take things too hard, now can I?

Lastly, I've been checking the weather for Amicalola online and it's looking pretty good for us.  Temps during the day in the low 60s, lows at night in the mid 40s.  Not too shabby.  It's going to be rainy, but I expected that for winter/spring weather.  In fact, whenever I daydreamed about us setting out, it was always with our rain gear on.  It will just add to the authenticity of the start of our AT hike.  What hike is not complete without a messy two weeks of rain and pain in which you don't question why you ever started in the first place?  Even Earl Shaffer had that experience.  I say "Bring it on!" 

Emotions on Knowing There's Less Than a Week Left...

Yes, there are only six days remaining until the 14th, in which we'll set off on our great hike during the late morning hours. 

I've been asked so many times recently "Aren't you so excited?" or something of that sort.  I want to reply an honest "yes", but I'm searching inside myself right this instant and I can't truly say I feel any excitement at the moment.  And I know this is for two reasons: 1)  I'm still at home, in Columbia, where my main focus is packing up our entire belongings so that we can prepare to move (on Saturday, the 12th).  Having so much to think about here at home makes it nearly impossible for me to devote more than a minute's thought to our impending departure.  2) I guess it hasn't hit me yet that this is really happening.  I've been dreaming about hiking the AT for years, preparing for 12 months, and now that it's nearly upon me... I can't say I that my mind is totally understanding that concept right now.  The AT has always been this "far away" thing to me.  I guess my mind doesn't know what to do now that it is something I can almost grasp.

And perhaps there's a third reason that I'm not bursting with excitement yet.  I think a huge chunk of me is scared.  Not scared of bears, or twisting an ankle, or running out of money, etc.  Moreso scared of being confronted and tested by this thing I've built up for so long and either failing to accomplish it or coming to find it's not what I wanted it to be.  I imagine it's something along the lines of meeting a pen pal face to face for the first time, after a long and wonderful correspondence.  What if you get along horribly in real life?  What if you find that the other has a speech impediment that makes them unintelligible?  What if they are waaaaay more exciting on paper than in person? Maybe what I'm feeling is really just nervousness more than fear, and I've not been able to recognize it as such yet.  Maybe some of you might understand that...

One thing I'm almost certain of is that I know this confused nervousness won't last too much longer.  I do get butterflies picturing Stewart and I standing under the arch at that beginning of the approach trail and waving goodbye to Windsor and Casey.  Taking those first few steps, I know I'll have a huge grin on my face that will be nearly impossible to wipe off (ha! Impossible, that is, until we reach the 600 or so steps we need to climb to get to the top of the nearby waterfall.  That will wipe a smile off a clown's face!).  I'm also eager for the drive up to northern Georgia... watching the scenery change from flat and piney piedmont to rolling hills to forested valleys and gray and misty mountaintops.  I'm absolutely glad we booked a night in the Amicalola Lodge with two of our friends.  That alone seems like a wonderful trip in itself.

I'll write at least one more before the morning of the departure. 

Till then...

Haha!  First iPhone blog update.   Bought our first 5 days' worth of food tonight and packed it up to get an idea of what the weight and quantity would be.  Feels pretty heavy- maybe ten pounds per person- but I'm sure it will feel lighter in the pack.  The green bag is my food bag.  I had Stew hold it up for perspective. Till next time...