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Appalachian Trail – Great Smoky Mountains National Park II

North Carolina / Tennessee
Great Smoky Mountains National Park

“If less is more just think how much more more would be.”

- Frasier Krane on Frasier

Journal Entry 3.27.00
“7:15pm at Mountain Momma’s Hostel. We hiked 15 miles today, in the rain, coming down the last 4200′ in 5 miles. Pain – need I say more. I was dreaming of hot showers, good food, clean clothes, and a warm bed – incentives to keep hiking all day. If only I had known. $10 to stay in this shack is complete highway robbery! It’s dirty, there’s no heat, no FLOOR, no laundry, 1 shower in the back of the house, and they don’t take credit cards. With $40 between the two of us we only had enough for the hostel, one good meal, and some trail snacks to get us through the next 3 days. There was trash all over the room – empty boxes and all kinds of crap. We’re in the Honeymoon Suite – hah! Now THAT is really funny.”

Journal Entry 3.29.00
“13 miles today. 13 more to go to get to FOOD, FOOD, FOOD at Hot Springs, NC. Yes I can feel the excitement! We’re kind-of low on food after not being able to re-stock at Mountain Momma’s so it’s been hard to watch everyone else gorge on all their snacks and good food. Well have an ok dinner tonight – rice and beans. Then I have 2 Pop Tarts, 1 bag of M & M’s, and 1 tortilla with peanut butter for tomorrow. The feast will begin in a matter of 24 hours! No wonder Bachelor keeps saying they should rename the A.T. the F.A.T., or Food Appreciation Trail. Last night all we talked about was everyone’s favorite cheese, salads, falafel, and which is better – NY or Chicago-style pizza.”

Journal Entry 3.30.00
“10pm at Elmer’s Sunnyside Inn in Hot Springs, NC!!! Yes we finally made it here after all the anticipation. We got up super-early at the shelter after hanging out last night with Dan and Brian from NH and Perry from VA. Perry was a riot last night – telling us the funniest stories about wearing cowboy boots in high school and hunting for squirrels. It rained last night but luckily there were no mice in my hair (although one got inside Brian’s pack and ate a granola bar). It was a difficult downhill into town for me but I paced myself and took my time. We went straightaway to the ATM and then had lunch at Gerties – I loved the salad and huge brownie. This place is a beautiful old Victorian house, at $12/night it’s a world away from Mountain Momma’s. I did laundry and showered, then I packaged up excess items to be sent home – this time for me it was my camera, down booties, tripod, flashlight, tent stakes, tent attic, bandana, glove liners, glove shells, stove parts, and spice jar. Hopefully this will help reduce the god-awful weight of my pack.”

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