Lovers Leap

Miles: 4.5 loop trail (Moderate)
Elevation Gain/Loss: 1,068 ft.

“This is the most beautiful place on Earth. There are many such places. Every man, every woman, carries in heart and mind the image of the ideal place, the right place, the one true home, known or unknown, actual or visionary.” --Edward Abbey

The clouds hang heavy in the sky like cotton balls soaked in oil.The air is cool and damp against my skin, and a slight breeze makes the tiny hairs of my arms stand at attention as if on the lookout for something unknown to me is about to happen. We step across the pavement and over a small wooden bridge. I am wrapped up in a lush blanket of green, and the river is rushing by me. With each step the smell of damp organic matter saturates my senses as it squishes beneath my feet. I am in the Appalachian mountains, walking along the Appalachian Trail. I am home.

To be more exact, I'm in Hot Springs, NC, walking alongside the French Broad River. We are climbing relentlessly upward as we make our way North on the AT toward the top of Lovers Leap Rock. I can feel the the effects of three weeks in a car. I move forward without stopping but my calves are burning and I'm moving slower the usual. Which means I'm moving pretty slow.

We reach the top of lovers leap after a mere 0.3 miles. From here there was a birds-eye view of the French Broad River, 500 ft. This iconic landmark gets its name from a Cherokee Indian legend that tells of a maiden who threw herself from the steep cliff after learning her lover had been killed by a jealous beau. Such a sad legend for such a romantic sounding place.


View of the French Broad River from the top of Lovers Leap Rock



From here we continued upward for nearly another two miles, discussing the recent catastrophic earthquake in Nepal, and the hypothetical future of Mt. Everest. Our hearts are with the victims families of everyone affected, and we are grateful for the safety of friends that have just made it home safely.

We took the Pump Gap Trail back down to the parking lot. The downhill was long but easy. As we neared the bottom we passed two small concrete buildings, which are old bunkers that were used to hold explosives.



There were also several water crossings and I managed to keep my feet dry until the very end. I regret not getting a picture, but the crossing was wide (maybe ten yards) but shallow. F** - it. I walked right on through. Shoes and socks will dry and my feet will eventually regain feeling.

Post trail refueling consisted of a salad, grilled chicken, and a beer from the local Spring Creek Tavern in "downtown" Hot Springs. While we enjoyed our meal on the outside porch we noticed the rather large group of thru-hikers gathered on the front porch of the Hiker Ridge Ministry across the way. "We should buy them beer when we go to the store" Cori suggested. Brilliant. We picked up a 24 pack of Yuengling on the way back from Dollar General and cheerfully delivered it to the very appreciative group of hikers...and bikers! That's right! There was a couple there that is currently biking the Trans America Trail, and they took a little detour to the south. The TransAm trail is something that Cori and I have talked about doing for the past four years. It was actually on our list to do before the PCT and it fell by the wayside when I went to work for The Nature Conservancy in Georgia in 2013. Tonight's encounter has definitely resurrected the interest and has it back to the top of our list once Cori gets her whole rib/heart thing under control. I'm also slightly terrified of road biking so some short trips will be needed before jumping I to a three month cross-country biking trip. Guess that means it's time to start planning a short bike trip! Highway 12 in Southern Utah sounds good to me ;) Stay tuned!

Fishing in Cherokee

May 3, 2013

I just dropped back to sleep when the alarm clock buzzed at 6 am. Uuggghhh. One if these nights I'll actually get some sleep. I pushed myself up, pulled on my long johns, and stuffed all my miscellaneous stuff back into my backpack. Cori and I were meeting Leeland on the river ( Cherokee/Raven Fork) in 15 minutes. It would be a long day. A very, very long day.

Today's Highlights
I saw a rainbow trout jump straight up out of the water like shamu. It was huge and it's belly shined the color of blood.

A heard of elk walked up to the rivers edge to say good morning to us. Leeland yelled at them to chase them off.

I practiced my casting. It was a hot mess.

I now have a pair waders to wear (thanks to Cori) so I wasn't to cold for too long.

Stone flys were emerging from the river and Leeland picked one up that had just floated to the top of the river. He handed it to me and I watched it has its wings finished uncurling and it took off to its next stage in life.

I watched Cori get taken for a swim by a horny head sucker fish. I wish I could have videoed it.

After lunch we drove to Portsmouth, OH to spend the night with Nutmeg, whom we haven't seen since Maine on the AT.

I neglected to take pictures of all the cool things I saw today. New goal: take at least one picture a day.

Third Time's a Charm! A Thunderstorm Free Day Over Big Hump Mountain

The original plan for today was to hike the 13.5 mile stretch from Carvers Gap to 19E. Unfortunately, we didn't make it out of the house in time to make the 9am shuttle from Mountain Harbour Bed & Breakfast, so plans quickly evolved to hiking south from 19E to the summit of Big Hump Mountain. After picking up some pizza from Smoky Mountain Bakers we were at the trailhead by 1pm  (thank goodness the sun sets late). We headed south along the Appalachian Trail, climbing 2,500 ft. over the course of 5.5 miles. I was feeling strong, I was fast, I was unforgiving, and I was feeling great despite the fact that I was on the edge of sucking wind. After the first hour I finally stopped for water, "Thank God!", Cori exclaimed, "I thought you were trying to kill me! What kind of mission are you on right now?" I guess I needed to slow down a little bit. It helped that stretches of the trail between Doll Flats and the bald of Big Hump Mountain were covered in rocks. I hate rocks. They slow me down. They cause me to be meticulous with every little step. They slant in all kinds of weird directions, making every step across the mini boulder line a precarious balancing act, and all I can do is focus on not breaking an ankle or hyper-extending my knees. Terrifying.

I breathed a sign of relief to myself when the stretches of rocks ended, and the thick rhododendron thicket gave way to an open, overgrown meadow. Wildflowers swayed back and forth gently in the wind, and bumble bees buzzed around our legs. They sky was marked with puffy white clouds, just enough to tame down the sun. There was no sign of rain. I guess the third time really is a charm. We would finally make it over this bald in good weather. Thank God, because the first and second times were nearly epic.

We made the final steep ascent up to the top of Big Hump Mountain where we sat on the little bench made from cement slabs, soaked in the view, ate some snacks, and added another top layer to help keep us warm on our long windy descent. Dear lord, we have to go down everything we just hiked up. I hate downhill hiking. It kills my knees, and today I'm carrying a pack which meant extra weight bearing down on me. At least this would give me an opportunity to assess how well my knees would currently handle a tough descent. With our Long Trail hike only two weeks away (yikes!) I needed to know what my body could handle.

We went down, down down, back into the rhodo thicket and hardwood forest. Then down, down, down the 2,500 feet to the road. Some parts of the trail were so steep that I was practically jogging. We reached the road by dinner time and I was feeling surprisingly good. I felt like I could go on for a few more miles. My endurance was great, and my legs didn't hurt; until I sat down and tried to stand back up again. We headed to Bob's Dairy Land for dinner, just a short 5 minute trip down the road, and when I stepped out of the car my knees were throbbing. Uh oh. Tomorrow would require a zero day, and plenty of anti-inflammatories. I'm not sure what this means for the Long Trail, but I do know that everything else about this day was epically perfect.

Sign at Doll Flats

View Heading Toward Big Hump Summit

View of Grandfather Mountain from Doll Flats

Bee Balm

Memorial Sign for Stan Murry near Big Hump Mtn Summit

A Day for the Dogs

Today was a day for the dogs... four of them to be exact. After a 10K morning run, and a second breakfast where I discovered that I like strawberry cream cheese on blueberry bagels it was time to give the dogs some fresh air. We loaded up the car and headed toward Grayson Highlands State Park and stopped short at the AT road crossing on hwy 58.

Fall Colors Damascus Virginia

We loaded all the dogs into the car today and headed over to Damascus, VA to spend another beautiful day in fall colors.


Entering Damascus, VA Northbound on the Appalachian Trail








Tennessee/Virginia Border


Cori and Dudley

Trailversary

Two years ago today I made the arduous climb to the summit of Baxter peak on Mt. Katadhin. It was cold and extremely windy. My body was tired but my soul was renewed. As I made the climb down I was lost in a bittersweet reminiscence of the past six months of my life; excited by how my experiences had changed me, and of the new person I was becoming, and sadden by the thought that my journey was now coming to an end. I had no idea of what I was returning to once I stepped off the AT, but I new it would be a life different then the one I had left behind.

Two years later I have come to realize that stepping off Katahdin was not the end of a journey but the beginning of one. Thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail opened up a door into a world that was truly my own. The road before me was no longer brightly blazed and defined with the expectations of others. It was unmarked and overgrown, left for me to figure out my own way through. I was only beginning to (re)discover who I was and who I wanted to be.

This new path has not been an easy one, but similar to the AT it has thus-far been filled with incredible memories, and of constant lessons that life is what you make it, that attitude is everything, and that life is whispering the way if you stop and sit still long enough to listen. I have learned that for the most part, I was always headed in the right direction even if I didn’t know it.

I have learned that it is always good to have a plan A, plan B, and plan C, but it’s even better to let go of those plans and adapt to what life presents when life doesn’t seem to go as expected. Rather, planning provides a means to mentally prepare for the road ahead by simply pointing me in a direction, and allowing me a means to take those first steps forward. After that, life unfolds and it becomes this dance between myself and it, requiring me to accept, adapt, and constantly readjust in order to move peacefully forward. I have come to understand that although things don’t seem to be going quite as I anticipated, somewhere down the line things will fall into place in a way that I cannot even begin to imagine or comprehend.

I have learned that I have an extraordinarily, everlasting need for self-challenge and adventure, both physically and mentally. I’m not always sure of what this means, or exactly where it comes from, but it always seems to weave its way into my life. It’s that feeling of I don’t know why I need to do this, but I need to do this. There was a time I never really questioned this sense of need I just followed it, and from it good things always resulted. As life progressed new responsibilities that came with becoming an adult entered my life, relationships formed, and competing I don’t know why I need to do this, but I need to do this moments seemed to form as well. For a while I sacrificed some needs for others but a big part of me felt suppressed. Hiking the AT allowed me to reconnect with this sense of self-propelling need for constant challenge and adventure, and made me remember what it felt like to follow those I need to do this moments. It is a part of me that I didn’t even realize I was missing. It was also the part of me that had been screaming to get out. More recently and perhaps more importantly, I have come to realize that this is possibly one of the most important aspects of my inner self and a part of me that I cannot live without adhering to. Yes, life does often present seemingly contradictory I need to do this moments, but with some reflection I am learning that they are simply that, seemingly contradictory.

No Coincidences

The Appalachian Trail has an energy, a magic about it. Perhaps that’s why so many people are drawn to it, or perhaps it is the Trail itself that draws a certain type of person. Regardless, it is this energy that provides the foundation for the Trail community.

Although it is true that thru-hikers share a special bond, we all also share the knowledge that the hiker community spreads way beyond the thru-hikers themselves. In fact, initiation to this community doesn’t take much, just a hike (short or long), or an act of kindness (trail magic, a free ride) along the Appalachian Trail. It is the hostel owners, restaurant workers, and town’s people through which the trail traverses. To become a part of this community means to get a glimpse of the magic of the universe, and to the knowledge that everything in life, on and off the trail, is unfolding for reason. You just have to be aware enough to see it and open enough to accept it. To sum up the words of Dick Ludwick, the former mayor of Unionville, NY and current AT hostel caretaker, members within this community just have a way of making the oddest coincidences in life unfold. Yet we within the hiking community know there are no coincidences, rather, the unexpected current moment is a collection of every past moment, and is completely intentional.

I was reminded of this today, when Grommet and I found ourselves at Newfound Gap located in Great Smokey Mountains National Park. We were at the park for the weekend to partake in the annual Wildflower Pilgrimage. After an early morning breakfast in Gatlinburg, TN we made our way into the park. Our original intention was to stop at the visitors center on our way in and take the dogs on a 4 mile hike near the visitor center and then head up the mountain to Newfound Gap where the AT passes through. However, the weather was gorgeous and the forecast called for potential showers later in the afternoon. Grommet really wanted to get some good views up at Newfound Gap, so we altered our plans and made the 15-mile drive up to the gap first. When we arrived we did the usual tourist activities; taking each others pictures at the North Carolina/Tennessee border, at the AT trail head sign that gives mileage to Katadhin, ME, and of the surrounding vistas.

As we wrapped up our photo montage we noticed a few current AT thru-hikers mingling around another car that was providing trail magic. Remembering how awful my experience was at Newfound gap as a thru-hiker we decided to see if any of the hikers needed a free ride into town. As we introduced ourselves to the hikers Grommet began exchanging words with an older gentleman. It only took a minute for each to realize that in fact they not only knew each other but they had hiked together several years before. The hikers name was Bill, and he was currently section hiking the Great Smokey Mountains. He was soaking wet from the previous nights down-pour and ready to get into some warm dry clothes. He graciously took us up on our offer to drive him into town. While Grommet and Bill played catch-up over the next 20 minutes I sat there listening, completely grateful to be witness to another trail “coincidence.”

Living a Dream

What is the Appalachian Trail?
The Appalachian Trail (AT) is a long-distance hiking trail that stretches 2,175 miles from Springer Mountain in Northern Georgia to Mt. Katahdhin in Central Maine. Some just hike pieces of the trail on a day or a weekend (day-hikers). Others go out for several weeks at a time completing different sections of the AT (section hikers) and others attempt to hike all 2,175 miles in a single calendar year (thru-hikers).

Why hike the Appalachian Trail?
Because I wanted to; because I needed to. The answer seems simple and ungratifying to most who asked me why I would want to thru-hike the AT. Others just thought I was crazy. A thru-hiker once stated that the desire to hike the AT is something that you can feel deep within yourself, but can not find the words to express. I could not agree more.

I first heard of the AT in my early teens. My younger cousin Ryan, talked about the trail and his dreams of hiking the trail one day. I remember thinking, "sounds neat, maybe I'd like to do that to."

Time went on and I had long forgotten about the AT until I was 15 years old and went on my first official backpacking trip in Joyce Kilmer Wilderness, North Carolina. I was in love, and the thought of one day through hiking the Appalachian Trail resurfaced. The dream continued to linger on in the background of my mind as I made my way through the mandatory and mundane process of high school and college. I would announce on occasion that I would one day like to hike the AT, but had no idea when or how to tackle the planning of undergoing such a huge expedition.

It wasn't until the summer of 2006 that my dream of attempting a thru-hike of the AT began to manifest into a possible reality. A close companion of mine, Cindi, had also had a life long dream of thru-hiking the AT. She had an opportunity to move in with family in an attempt to save money for a thru-hike in 2008 and asked if I was interested. The timing was perfect. I was scheduled to be done with graduate school in the fall of 2007, so leaving in the Spring of 2008 seemed feasible. My dream was in motion.

As 2008 neared both Cindi and I were in constant conversation of our plans to thru-hike. After awhile it became very clear that neither one of us would have the money to start in 2008. So, we both decided to postpone the hike until 2009.

From March 2, 2009 - September 19, 2009 I lived out my dream. How was it? Life changing. You can read about my journey at atjournal2009.blogspot.com.