Snow on the Appalachian Trail

March 2014
As I walked into the snowstorm the night before I notice it was getting kinda chilly. When I get to the shelter and set up, we hang around the campfire and chat with the "spring breakers" from Vermont. It was kinda like, "Are you having fun coming from a winter in Vermont knowing it's not suppose to be great weather down here?" So, we wake up and there is about an inch or two of snow on the ground, but it's nice out, so I trudge on and begin the climb up. Under the cover of the trees everything is great and I'm snapping off pictures while Big Hungry is running around and stirring up the snow. As I suspected I hit the bald of the mountain and the wind picked up a couple of miles per hour with every step. The footprint that I was following disappeared and the snow level gained about an inch or two, to the point where Big Hungry was belly deep and started to shiver so I called it at that and turned around. On my way back to the road it began to pour down snow and all I could think was I'm glad I'm not up in that wind on the bald. Also, I hope my friends that kept going are gonna make it, or turn back around. I got to the road and after a few cars passed me (in pretty heavy snow), I whipped out a 20$, and the first truck pulled over and took me into town. After a good hot shower, the Grinch was at the hostel and we went to the Blue Blaze Cafe for some beers and burgers and saw every hiker within a 50 mile range of Damascus. Apparently we are all thru hikers, not mountain climbers, or Eskimos.
My snow gear rule = Drink beer and eat burgers in a warm restaurant.

Blue Blaze Cafe, Damascus, VA

Wolf's Heart Attack Burger

March 2014
The hike into Damascus was fast and great and we celebrated with a great 3/4 pounder 'Wolf's Heart Attack' burger (3 patties and named after a hiker, who, yes, had a heart attack...) and beers at the Blue Blaze Café. About 14$ with fries.

Blue Blaze Cafe
132 W Laurel Ave,
Damascus, VA 24236

Phone:(276) 475-5753

On To Damascus, VA

         Pac and Big Hungry

March 2014
Leaving Erwin and Uncle Johnny's hostel was tough but it had to be done! From there the hiking was usually along a ridge with nice weather for the most part. I didn't have to carry much food for this 100 mile stretch to Damascus, VA because there were 2 gas stations along the way to fill up my tank. The first one was about a mile down some road and the guy said he doesn't see many hikers ever. I showed him what we do and had 18 corn dogs for lunch followed by a pint of ice cream. The next pit stop was a McDonald's for dinner and some more junk food from a dollar store. I would like to be eating healthier but it's hard around these parts. There aren't many good, fresh, or healthy options, but I make do. The AT runs right through this town and it's a pretty popular hiker stop. Also, it hosts Trail Days, the main AT gathering in May, or something.
Off into some hopefully not too cold VA late winter weather.

http://www.traildays.us/

Hawg~N~Dawg BBQ in Erwin, TN, and Hiking on the Appalachian Trail

Hawg~N~Dawg BBQ and Coneys
202 Union St
Erwin TN 37650
(423) 743-9600

March 17, 2014
Great BBQ! I had a pulled pork sammich and some sliders. Daily specials for a great deal!
And, I am off on the AT again!

Zig Zagging through TN and NC on AT

 

March 14-17, 2014 

After the hitch around the Smoky Mountains, I seemed to run into a whole new group of folks. I've been hiking a lot with The Grinch from Boston area, and I've been seeing a bit of Figgy, someone who has had way too many name changes, 5-Star, Cannonball, Ipex, and a few more.
Hot Springs, NC was a cool town where the trail goes right through Main St. I stayed there 2 nights because the weather wasn't so great the second day. From there, The Grinch (he got his name by picking up a Grinch hat that was hanging off a bush on the trail and confirmed his name by turning a corner, spooking three little kids, and making them cry. Oh ya.) and I took off into the cold and frozen Appalachian Mountains. The miles that day were pretty cold and there was a good amount of snow on the ground, maybe an inch or so on the north side of the mountains. That night was spent at an AT shelter with 5-Star. (She got her name as she is a 5-Star chef, not only because I would imagine she is a great cook, but she carries a couple kitchen cabinets of fresh food and utensils and accessories.) From there we did another nice day and ran across Pan, Peter Pan that is. He has the green tights and even has the look of what I imagine Peter Pan would be. His routine is somewhat peculiar too, with the hiking sandals, a heavy amount of yoga and stretching pads (most hikers just talk about stretching and doing yoga but never actually do it, myself included), and the use of the alarm clock on a daily basis. I'll set my alarm clock to get to the 'All-You-Can-Eat' buffet before it closes, and that's about it. And then my favorite is the girl who keeps changing her name. I've seen her here and there for the past week or so, and I still can't remember her name because every time I remember it, she has a new one.

The trail is beautiful, fun, and whatnot, but the hiker crowd is where it's at. I'm having a great time with a great group of people.

    Appalachian View

                   Appalachian Mountains

Smoky Mountain Diner in Hot Springs NC

Smoky Mountain Diner
70 Lance Ave
Hot Springs NC 28743
(828) 622-7571

 

March 14, 2014

First day I had a Big Hungry Hiker Burger (8$). Next day I had a large Smoky Mountain breakfast plate that was about 10$. Outdoor eating with a view...  Thus, hiker and dog friendly.                     The staff was awesome!

A fellow hiker and I load up on fuel. 

 

http://www.smokymountaindinerhotsprings.com/default.html This will wake you up if viewed on your computer (not mobile).

BellaBigHungry on the Appalachian Trail Dreams of Home

 

Bella was in Hot Springs, NC and dreams of home...

Max Patch, Madison County, NC, Before Hot Springs, NC

     
March  2014     Max Patch Bald, Madison County, NC   4629 Feet

 

 

Weather Monitor

 

http://www.visitmadisoncounty.com/activities/hike-the-appalachian-trail-in-madison-county/trail-access-in-madison-county/max-patch-on-the-appalachian-trail/

Appalachain Trail Path, Lookout Tower, NC, Get Email Updates!

Lookout Tower, NC

AT Path

 

If you would like to automatically follow along with Doug on his hike in the blog titled Doug on the 2014 Appalachian Trail, an email can be delivered by selecting the internet site:

pacmanhikes.blogspot.com

Then,
--- via mobile device, at bottom of blog site, select 'view web version' and enter your email address in box to 'FOLLOW BY EMAIL.'

--- via computer, select above site and enter your email address in box  "FOLLOW BY EMAIL.'

River's End Restaurant, Bryson City, Nantahala Gorge, NC

River's End Restaurant
13077 Highway 19 West
Bryson City, NC 28713
(828) 488-712

I had a high quality burger and a coke (served by a very cute waitress) on the river's edge at River's End at the Nantahala Outdoor Center, which is a meeting stop for bikers, mountain bikers, hikers (directly on the AT) and one of the top river rafting/kayaking areas in the US. I got to enjoy my meal with Shepard, who hiked the AT in 2000. He also gave me a beer on the trail 30 minutes before and gave me a ride around the Great Smokey Mountains.

http://www.noc.com/noccom/lodging-a-dining/dine-with-us/rivers-end-restaurant/

Takes Reservations     Not on AT                           
Delivery                      Not to AT                        
Take-out                     Yes to the AT, however stay at the restaurant for a great time.                        

Accepts Credit Cards  Yes                          

Ambience       Casual

Alcohol    Beer and Wine Only (Yeah!)

Outdoor Seating   Yes

                                                           

Has TV    Yes

                                                           

Bypassing the Great Smokey Mountains NP

BellaBigHungry

March 10, 2014
Just a quick update. The last 20 or so miles were great. On the way I decided it would be best for Big Hungry and me to skip the Great Smokey Mountains NP for a few reasons: No dogs allowed in NPs, didn't have a kennel for her, and it will be a lot easier to come back and hike in July when I'm finished. Also, I'll be able to take my time and do a complete circuit on the AT and another trail in GSMNP that will loop back and is apparently even nicer that the AT. I had a great day thanks to Shepard, who is a local in Tennessee and hiked the AT in 2000. He is a true AT addict and a great person to be around. He ended up meeting me on the trail and giving me a beer. We then went to the River's End Restaurant and had a meal, then he drove me the 80 or so miles around the Great Smokey Mountains to the north side of the NP and dropped me off at a hostel where I'm staying the night! Cool place too.
And thanks again Shepherd, and all the other cool AT trail angels!

 

http://www.nps.gov/grsm/index.htm Great Smokey Mountains NP

Scenery on the Appalachian Trail, Franklin North Carolina, 100 Mile Mark

March 2014

 

Frosty Day

Another day

 

After being dropped off by the hotel shuttle  (the guy's name was "Shuttle"), we took a group pic and took off into the woods. The group was only going to the first shelter and Big Hungry and I (Pac) were anxious, so we kept going and wound up at a shelter later in the evening with three other hikers and a fire. After dinner we had a good chat around the campfire. I like that about the AT, how there's usually a fire going and a good amount of people to chat with every night. I froze my ass off that night and decided I had some good thinking time of how I'm going to add some weight to keep warmer for the cold nights. The next day was some cold walking and a celebratory Mile 100 tower that had a great overlook of the North Carolina valley.
Oh ya, Georgia is in the books. After a nice night in a hiker shelter, I had a 3 mile walk to the road then a quick hitch into Franklin, NC.

     100 Mile Tower

Daniel's Steak House in Hiawassee,Georgia, with Hungry AT Hiker Friends

Daniel's Steakhouse
273 Big Sky Drive
Hiawassee, GA 30546
(706) 896.8008

No steak for me, just my first AYCE on the AT for 8$, so I can't complain. Good fries, chicken, and pork. I ate 3 salads to get my greens. The building was a neat southern style building, maybe even an old theatre. The theme of the building seemed to be Gone with the Wind. There was Gone with the Wind memorabilia all over the place. Very nice for us AT hikers.

Takes Reservations           No                            
Delivery to the AT            No                        
Accepts Credit Cards        Yes                    
Good for Hiker Groups     Yes                          
Wi-Fi                                   No
                                                                                    
http://www.yelp.com/biz/daniels-steak-house-hiawassee

Appalachian Trail, Amicalola Falls, Springer Mountain, Neels Gap, and Hiawassee, Georgia

 

March 1-4, 2014
After finishing up my packing, I rolled up the windows to the car and locked the doors, hopefully.

From there I met my first fellow thru hiker and two southbound hikers that just finished up!!! So yes, they were hiking through the winter. The first climb was a steep climb up stairs to the top of Amicalola Falls. The grates on the stairs were too wide for Bella, so I got some practice carrying Bella on my back. We made it to Springer Mountain where the trail officially begins.

 

It was a cold and windy night... and Bella and I got up ready to start the AT. The hiking was good and we were all excited and full of energy from all that driving, so we did a few more miles than I planned on over the next two days. There was a stop on day 2 at Neels Gap, GA for some pizza and a dog food feast. There was an outfitter with some very knowledgeable ex-hikers running the store, so they answered all my questions, mostly about how to beat the rain and stay dryish. That night I ran into a group; First Blood from Germany, ZZ, Beast, Batman, Moneymaker, and Forget-me-not. We had a great time hanging around the fire playing games.

The next day it got a little wet, but there seems to be shelters every 5-10 miles, so the protection provides a good lunch break stop and are a good place to rest when it's raining.

From there I did some early morning miles in the frost covered trees to the town Hiawassee, GA. Nothing beats a nice warm shower after a night that got down to 20 degrees, or so. Oh ya, and we agreed on a hiker name for Bella. She is now Big Hungry!!!

                     Amicolola Falls

                                                   Big Hungry

 

 

On the Appalachian Trail March 2014

March 1, 2014

Bella and I have started!!!

http://www.appalachiantrail.org/

When you donate to the above site, ATC will send a great map of all the states.

14 States on the trail:

Georgia
North Carolina
Tennessee
Virginia
West Virginia
Maryland
Pennsylvania
New Jersey
New York
Connecticut
Massachusetts
Vermont
New Hampshire
Maine

Happy hiking!
Doug and Bella