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Appalachian Trail – Grayson Highlands State Park

Virginia
Grayson Highlands State Park

“Strength in numbers is the delight of the timid. The valiant in spirit glory in fighting alone.”

Journal Entry 4.16.00
“Last meal in town this morning – a swiss cheese sandwich with chips and a bag of chocolate-covered pretzels. Breakfast of Champions!”

Journal Entry 4.17.00
“7pm at Wise Shelter. 17.4 miles today, plus an extra one mile to the top of Mt. Rogers (5729 feet) and back. It is pouring rain with thunder and lightning outside the shelter. What a great feeling to be here, in my dry clothes and sleeping bag. The hike today wasn’t bad until I got to Mt. Rogers and then all these crazy storm fronts started coming in. There was hail on the way to the summit. Then it broke for awhile and the sun actually came out. When Round 2 came I had to hide under a tree for about ten minutes while lightning and thunder crashed all around. I was scared out of my mind. Then the sun came out again for the next 2 miles. After that Round 3 hit – more thunder, lightning, wind, and hail coming at me horizontally. I was in total survival mode just to get off that ridge. I am SO glad that’s over.”

Journal Entry 4.18.00
“6:30pm at Raccoon Branch Shelter. 17.5 miles today. It was a stormy night last night with 7 of us in a 6-person shelter. It was overcast, dreary, foggy, and misty all day but luckily the rain held off. I felt inspired meeting Billboard yesterday – a female solo hiker, averaging 20 mile days. She’s the first solo female hiker I’ve met – at least I’m not the only girl out here alone! There are daffodils blooming outside the shelter so spring must be here, finally!”

Journal Entry 4.19.00
“13 miles to Partnership Shelter today. It’s amazing how 13 miles can seem so easy after two 17+ mile days in a row. This is an awesome shelter, newly built with a loft and hot shower (not working for the season yet). The visitor’s center for Mt. Rogers is just yards away so we have access to a phone, bathrooms, and a soda machine! This is definitely the heaven of shelter world. Retread, E.T. and I have already ordered pizza to be delivered from town!”

Journal Index

Georgia – Overview And the poop on the Trail Divorce

0 (miles from Georgia) – Springer Mountain, Georgia Whose idea was this again??
87.7 – Georgia / North Carolina Aint no all-inclusive package vacation story…
161.7 – Fontana Dam, North Carolina No Rain, No Pain, No Maine
204.6 – Great Smoky Mountains National Park I My deodorant gets the heave-ho!
268.7 – Great Smoky Mountains National Park II The Food Appreciation Trail
336.5 – North Carolina / Tennessee & Trail Names How the Gimp got her name
390.7 – North Carolina / Tennessee The famous Roan Mountain hitch
452.9 – Crossing into Damascus, Virginia 3 states down, 11 to go!
516.7 – Grayson Highlands State Park Roughin it at Partnership Shelter
573.3 – Bland, Virginia My wonderful trail angels!
665.3 – Pearisburg, Virginia The switch from boots to sandals
767.4 – Catawba / Troutville, Virginia Heat wave in Virginia
839.4 – Montebello / Rockfish Gap, Virginia ‘Hiking with Gimpy Sr.
920.0 – Shenandoah National Park Rattlesnakes, Jack Daniels, and bears – oh my!
988.3 – Front Royal, Virginia Invasion of the Boy Scouts
1001.1 – Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia The mental half-way point
1061.4 – Maryland / Pennsyltucky Y’all done drank enough beer!
1123.8 – Duncannon, Pennsylvania The Half-Gallon Challenge
1208.9 – Port Clinton, Pennsylvania $1 Yuengling drafts and the rocks of PA
1283.9 – Pennsylvania / New Jersey Friends and family visit WonderGimp
1334.2 – High Point, New Jersey Rain, rain, rain, trail magic, and more rain
1440.7 – Bear Mountain, New York Hike Naked Day!
1486.1 – Kent, Connecticut Gimpy Sr. and Barkeater hike with W.Gimp
1543.8 – Great Barrington, MassachusettsWelcome to Mosquito Hell
1618.0 – Massachusetts / VermontPhoton and strobe lights for the 4th of July
1687.3 – Killington, Vermont The Inn at the Long Trail
1738.1 – New Hampshire Live Free or Die!
1794.4 – North Woodstock, New Hampshire Gettin’ above treeline
1814.4 – AMC-land, New Hampshire Entering the White Mountains!
1854.0 – Pinkham Notch, New Hampshire Mooning the tourists on Mt. Washington
1869.2 – Gorham, New Hampshire My first Moose sighting!
1920.7 – Andover, Maine The way Life should be…
1979.3 – Rangeley, Maine Closing in on the end
2015.6 – Kennebec River, Maine Eye of the Tiger!
2095.7 – Monson, Maine 100-mile Wilderness
2152.0 – Abol Bridge, Maine Katahdin is in sight!
2167.1 – Baxter Peak, Mount Katahdin, Maine Goodbye Capilene – Hello Cotton!!

Other Pages:
Map – Yep, 14 states
Gear – What to Bring
FAQs – See for yourself
Glossary (learn the AT lingo)
Links to Additional Info
Trail Injuries Everything from blisters to swampfoot
Trail Privies Bring your own TP
Class of 2000 Katahdin Thru-Hiker Pictures