12/31/12
On December 17
Zero Miles hiked today. Weather: raining alllll day. I woke up at the Helendorf River Inn. Below is a picture of their lobby all ready for Christmas. I spent the morning at the library, then wandering around town. I met a cashier named Stephanie who just graduated from college with a degree in Christian Studies and is trying hard to find full time work, but for now is working in Helen. She was sweet and the shop had few visitors, so we talked for awhile. Next door at Higher Ground Coffee I met Sott. He is the father of two, husband of one, an avid photographer and excellent hot cocoa maker. We chatted for almost three hours and it was a most delightful afternoon. In the hotel lobby, while waiting for my laundry to finish I met a man from Texas who was travelling through with his wife and toddler daughter for vacation. We shared travel stories and laughed. I spent the evening 'catching up' on make-your-brain-turn-to-mush TV shows on cable.
12/30/12
On December 16
Low Gap Shelter to Unicoi Gap/ Georgia Highway 75
Miles: 9.4
Weather: Raining cats and dogs. Or at least a Monsoon.
I got up early this morning and packed up camp at the shelter. I wanted to get 7.2 miles of hiking to the next shelter and then decide what to do with the day. I knew that it was supposed to rain. A lot. All day. After about two miles of hiking it started to pour rain. First it was foggy, and sort of creepy. Well, very creepy. But then it just rained very hard.
I was so excited that I was getting close to the shelter where I could tuck into a dry spot, study a map, and decide if I should go into town or wait it out in the shelter when I saw 12. Yes, 12. People leaving the shelter up ahead. I ran after them. 'Hey', I yelled, 'do you have a car at the next road?' They turned around and stared at me in the rain. They were a group of Korean-American business people; a group of friends from Atlanta, just out for a day hike. Only two of them spoke English fluently enough to understand my question, (I speak no Korean) and tell me that, yes, they had two vans at the bottom and they could give me a ride to Helen. No, I said, I am trying to go to Hiawasee. Helen, they said, Helen is nicer. It is closer. Helen is the town to go to. OK, I said, rain dripping off all of us, Helen it is. I was incredibly impressed by these hikers. They were very very fast. I didn't want them to drive away without me, so I kept pace. But I was very tired at the bottom. I was relieved to know that I had a ride into town. I thought I could get to town, try to get warm, and then decide what to do next. I piled into their SUV with four other dripping hikers and a full size poodle.
They dropped me off 20 minutes later in Helen, GA. You really have to see Helen for yourself to understand it. It looks like a full size doll house town. Every building is built in a faux German-ish style. I asked every shop keeper and cashier that I ran across and all of them told me that no one lives in Helen. All of the workers drive in from towns 20-30 minutes away. I checked in for the night in the Helendorf River Inn and Suites. It is wonderful.
Miles: 9.4
Weather: Raining cats and dogs. Or at least a Monsoon.
I got up early this morning and packed up camp at the shelter. I wanted to get 7.2 miles of hiking to the next shelter and then decide what to do with the day. I knew that it was supposed to rain. A lot. All day. After about two miles of hiking it started to pour rain. First it was foggy, and sort of creepy. Well, very creepy. But then it just rained very hard.
I was so excited that I was getting close to the shelter where I could tuck into a dry spot, study a map, and decide if I should go into town or wait it out in the shelter when I saw 12. Yes, 12. People leaving the shelter up ahead. I ran after them. 'Hey', I yelled, 'do you have a car at the next road?' They turned around and stared at me in the rain. They were a group of Korean-American business people; a group of friends from Atlanta, just out for a day hike. Only two of them spoke English fluently enough to understand my question, (I speak no Korean) and tell me that, yes, they had two vans at the bottom and they could give me a ride to Helen. No, I said, I am trying to go to Hiawasee. Helen, they said, Helen is nicer. It is closer. Helen is the town to go to. OK, I said, rain dripping off all of us, Helen it is. I was incredibly impressed by these hikers. They were very very fast. I didn't want them to drive away without me, so I kept pace. But I was very tired at the bottom. I was relieved to know that I had a ride into town. I thought I could get to town, try to get warm, and then decide what to do next. I piled into their SUV with four other dripping hikers and a full size poodle.
They dropped me off 20 minutes later in Helen, GA. You really have to see Helen for yourself to understand it. It looks like a full size doll house town. Every building is built in a faux German-ish style. I asked every shop keeper and cashier that I ran across and all of them told me that no one lives in Helen. All of the workers drive in from towns 20-30 minutes away. I checked in for the night in the Helendorf River Inn and Suites. It is wonderful.
Me in the Spooky Fog
I can't get over the beautiful green on the Trail in December.
This is how much it was raining. Wow. See the blaze?
12/29/12
On December 15
From Walasi-Yi Hostel at Neels Gap to Low Gap Shelter
Miles Hiked: 10.8
I woke up this morning at Walasi-Yi and got a slow start after breakfast with Pirate. It was a slow day in general. I saw 10 people in one big group from the Atlanta Adventure Club. It rained a little bit, but the weather was o.k., just very cold.
I met a man and woman hiking together who had driven in from Atlanta just to hike for the day, and they were in love with the world, the mountains, each other, the woods. It was uplifting to chat with them. And then I met a man and woman who lived nearby and had hiked into the woods hoping for a spectacular view, but had apparently consulted the wrong maps. The woman told me, very grumpily-we hiked for hours, and all we saw were trees and more trees, and shot the man an accusing look. I hiked quickly on.
I was at the shelter by myself tonight, and it was very very cold. So I set up my tent inside the shelter after reading in the log book that four days earlier a mouse ran over a hiker's head while he slept. It was a hard night. I felt very sad tonight. I cried myself to sleep. I haven't done that for a very long time. Enough said.
Miles Hiked: 10.8
I woke up this morning at Walasi-Yi and got a slow start after breakfast with Pirate. It was a slow day in general. I saw 10 people in one big group from the Atlanta Adventure Club. It rained a little bit, but the weather was o.k., just very cold.
I met a man and woman hiking together who had driven in from Atlanta just to hike for the day, and they were in love with the world, the mountains, each other, the woods. It was uplifting to chat with them. And then I met a man and woman who lived nearby and had hiked into the woods hoping for a spectacular view, but had apparently consulted the wrong maps. The woman told me, very grumpily-we hiked for hours, and all we saw were trees and more trees, and shot the man an accusing look. I hiked quickly on.
I was at the shelter by myself tonight, and it was very very cold. So I set up my tent inside the shelter after reading in the log book that four days earlier a mouse ran over a hiker's head while he slept. It was a hard night. I felt very sad tonight. I cried myself to sleep. I haven't done that for a very long time. Enough said.
When you have worn out your shoes, the strength of the shoe leather has passed into the fiber of your body. I measure your health by the number of shoes and hats and clothes you have worn out. -Ralph Waldo Emerson.
The words above are on a sign on the Walasi-Yi hostel near to this boot tree.
Walasi-Yi. See the white blaze on the arch? This is 30 miles after Springer. This outfitter is famous for being the first stop that North Bound Thru hikers have where they can re-assess their supplies, send things home, and buy what they forgot, and take a shower.
Views from the Trail
The Trail
More pretty clouds and mountains.
12/28/12
On December 14
From Ramrock Mountain to US 19/129/ Neels Gap/ Walasi-Yi Inn Hostel
Miles Hiked: 12.0
Today was another perfect weather day. Sunny and warm with beautiful views from the top of Blood Mountain. I hit my stride today and felt good hiking, felt like I was where I belonged and that I could trust my body to carry me forward. Even with a full pack I felt energized. It was good.
I was sitting in Jarrard Gap on a log, studying my map at 12:00 noon. I felt good and I was congratulating myself on already hiking 7 miles today when The Hardway strolled in! Remember The Hardway from Maine? I hiked with him for about four days around Rangely and Sabbath Day Pond. He plans to finish tomorrow at Springer. He told me that he had already hiked 15 miles today (by noon) and felt good, so he thought he might go 30 miles today to set one last personal distance record before he ends tomorrow. Wow.
Tonight I checked into the Walasi-Yi Hostel in Neels Gap. It is a privately owned historic building on a highway through National Forest Lands. The trail literally passes through an archway of the building. It houses a convenience store/ hiker merchandising/ tourist kitchy-trail stuff for sale/ hiker hostel. For $20 I did one load of laundry, had the use of the shower, and a mattress on which to put my sleeping bag. I also was able to eat a by-donation dinner and breakfast cooked by A.T. Pirate. A.T. Pirate is an old Georgia guy who has run the Walasi-Yi hostel for the last 22 years. I was the only hiker there so I picked the movie and A.T. Pirate and I enjoyed a popcorn and wine movie night after dinner. The place was very dusty and dirty, and I counted three dogs and two cats that roam in and out of the kitchen, living room, and sleeping bunk room. But it was heated and dry, so who can complain? Also, A.T. Pirate was a fun host.
An aside story about doing laundry. When I hike I carry only the clothing I am wearing and one extra set of everything. When I hiked into Neels Gap today everything I had was quite dirty and smelly. I asked A.T. Pirate if the hostel kept a hiker laundry clothing box. It is custom for places that offer hiker laundry to have a box of thrift store clothing so that hikers can wash everything they have at once, borrow the clothes and throw them into the next hiker's load. It is a definite advantage for any hiker. Also, hikers are a very low theft risk because no hiker wants to carry any more weight-no matter if it was free. So hikers tend to NOT have 'sticky fingers'. Pirate explained that they used to keep a box of clothing, but they had so many homeless persons -he called them 'duffel bag hikers'- using the hostel as a shelter as well as 'traditional hikers' that they found the clothing disappearing into duffel bags of people who needed another set of clothes. So he told me matter of factly- 'I gave you one towel. That should be enough.' 'Oh', I said, 'where is the laundry?' 'Outside, up the stairs, and across the trail, beside the other building.' So, I took a shower, wrapped myself in a damp towel, and carried my laundry outside, up the stone steps, and to the other building in 40 degree weather, barefoot because my boots were wet. And then I watched TV wearing only my towel while washing and drying my clothing, occasionally chatting with hikers as I crossed the trail to move the laundry from the washer to the dryer. I didn't need to explain. Everyone understood why I was wearing only a towel for a couple of hours. Again it leads me to the question-what is happening with our system in this country when the best option for a homeless person is a smelly hiker hostel? Its something to think about, anyway.
Miles Hiked: 12.0
Today was another perfect weather day. Sunny and warm with beautiful views from the top of Blood Mountain. I hit my stride today and felt good hiking, felt like I was where I belonged and that I could trust my body to carry me forward. Even with a full pack I felt energized. It was good.
I was sitting in Jarrard Gap on a log, studying my map at 12:00 noon. I felt good and I was congratulating myself on already hiking 7 miles today when The Hardway strolled in! Remember The Hardway from Maine? I hiked with him for about four days around Rangely and Sabbath Day Pond. He plans to finish tomorrow at Springer. He told me that he had already hiked 15 miles today (by noon) and felt good, so he thought he might go 30 miles today to set one last personal distance record before he ends tomorrow. Wow.
Tonight I checked into the Walasi-Yi Hostel in Neels Gap. It is a privately owned historic building on a highway through National Forest Lands. The trail literally passes through an archway of the building. It houses a convenience store/ hiker merchandising/ tourist kitchy-trail stuff for sale/ hiker hostel. For $20 I did one load of laundry, had the use of the shower, and a mattress on which to put my sleeping bag. I also was able to eat a by-donation dinner and breakfast cooked by A.T. Pirate. A.T. Pirate is an old Georgia guy who has run the Walasi-Yi hostel for the last 22 years. I was the only hiker there so I picked the movie and A.T. Pirate and I enjoyed a popcorn and wine movie night after dinner. The place was very dusty and dirty, and I counted three dogs and two cats that roam in and out of the kitchen, living room, and sleeping bunk room. But it was heated and dry, so who can complain? Also, A.T. Pirate was a fun host.
An aside story about doing laundry. When I hike I carry only the clothing I am wearing and one extra set of everything. When I hiked into Neels Gap today everything I had was quite dirty and smelly. I asked A.T. Pirate if the hostel kept a hiker laundry clothing box. It is custom for places that offer hiker laundry to have a box of thrift store clothing so that hikers can wash everything they have at once, borrow the clothes and throw them into the next hiker's load. It is a definite advantage for any hiker. Also, hikers are a very low theft risk because no hiker wants to carry any more weight-no matter if it was free. So hikers tend to NOT have 'sticky fingers'. Pirate explained that they used to keep a box of clothing, but they had so many homeless persons -he called them 'duffel bag hikers'- using the hostel as a shelter as well as 'traditional hikers' that they found the clothing disappearing into duffel bags of people who needed another set of clothes. So he told me matter of factly- 'I gave you one towel. That should be enough.' 'Oh', I said, 'where is the laundry?' 'Outside, up the stairs, and across the trail, beside the other building.' So, I took a shower, wrapped myself in a damp towel, and carried my laundry outside, up the stone steps, and to the other building in 40 degree weather, barefoot because my boots were wet. And then I watched TV wearing only my towel while washing and drying my clothing, occasionally chatting with hikers as I crossed the trail to move the laundry from the washer to the dryer. I didn't need to explain. Everyone understood why I was wearing only a towel for a couple of hours. Again it leads me to the question-what is happening with our system in this country when the best option for a homeless person is a smelly hiker hostel? Its something to think about, anyway.
Me at the sign. "Chattahoochee National Forest. Woody Gap Recreation Area"
Blood Mountain Shelter
Views from the top of Blood Mountain
An interesting rock along the trial.
12/27/12
On December 13
From Hawk Mountain Shelter to Ramrock Mountain stealth camping site
Miles Hiked: 10.9
I woke up this morning at 6:30 with the sun and Subman was already breaking camp. He told me that he had blisters from his new shoes and he planned to go back to his car today instead of tomorrow. So I went ahead alone again. The fog this morning was awe-inspiring. It was so thick that when I walked out the other side of the cloud my hair was dripping, even though there had been no rain. Last night was perfect for sleeping in my 20 degree sleeping bag and the weather today is gorgeous. I was surprised to see 14 other hikers today, four of them were thru-hikers excited to get to Springer in the next day. I stopped hiking at 4:50, a little over an hour before dark, and set up camp, built a campfire and made dinner. It was a relaxing day, all in all.
Miles Hiked: 10.9
I woke up this morning at 6:30 with the sun and Subman was already breaking camp. He told me that he had blisters from his new shoes and he planned to go back to his car today instead of tomorrow. So I went ahead alone again. The fog this morning was awe-inspiring. It was so thick that when I walked out the other side of the cloud my hair was dripping, even though there had been no rain. Last night was perfect for sleeping in my 20 degree sleeping bag and the weather today is gorgeous. I was surprised to see 14 other hikers today, four of them were thru-hikers excited to get to Springer in the next day. I stopped hiking at 4:50, a little over an hour before dark, and set up camp, built a campfire and made dinner. It was a relaxing day, all in all.
Sunrise in the Fog
Soldiers in the fog
My silhouette
More fog
Fog and Trail
Georgia is full of funny names for the many 'Gaps'. In Maine these are called 'Cols'. In Indiana we call it a 'Valley'. For example, so far I have crossed through the following Gaps: Hightower, Horse, Gooch, and Cooper. In Georgia the trail will cross these Gaps: Liss, Jacks, Woody, Lunsford, Dan, Henry, Jarrard, Bird, Neels, Swain, Tesnatee, Hogpen, Wide, Low, Cold Springs, Poplar Stomp, Chattahoochee, Red Clay, Unicoi, Indian Grave, Wolfpen, Steeltrap, Sassafras, Addis, Deep, McClure, Moreland, Dicks Creek, Cowart, Plumorchard, Blue Ridge, Rich Cove, and Bly.
Georgia Mountain views from the Trail
I was interested in the way I could see through the trees on the top of this mountain peak.
12/26/12
On December 12
Finally, hiking! From highway 42 to Springer Mountain to Hawk Mountain Shelter.
Miles Hiked: 8.8
I slept in this morning at the hotel in Blue Ridge and met Subman mid-morning when I returned the rental car. He drove me to Amicalola Falls State Park and we parked at highway 42 which is a mile North of the terminus. We left our things in the car and hiked up to the summit.
At the summit we met eight thru-hikers who timed their ending to be at 12:12 pm on December 12, 2012. It was fun to see eight people who had walked all 2,184 miles. Some of them had started on Katahdin about a week before I started this summer. It is interesting to think about how my last five months have been different than theirs. I am glad that I have made the decisions about hiking (and not hiking) that I have.
So many people on the trail talk about Springer Mountain with great majesty or awe. For many it is the place that marks the start of their epic journey, for others it marks the end. One of the thru-hikers today said that he did not want to touch the Springer sign because it would mean his hike is over now. It is a place that has legendary stories in people's emotional landscapes if they thru-hike the trail. But for me, because it is not the beginning or the end, it felt different. For me this is mile 701. Somewhere around the 1/3 mark of finishing the trail. I imagine it must be similar to be a catholic person and visit a Buddhist sacred monastery or to be a pagan person and visit a Jewish Synagogue. You understand that this place holds sacred for many people, and you can feel that and you can respect it, but for you, it is simply a beautiful place to be honored but not revered. That is how I felt today at Springer Mountain.
Then Subman and I hiked back to the car, picked up all of our gear, and hiked about six miles to Hawk Mountain Shelter. At the shelter I met Tonka and his dog, Zues, who are hiking North to VA to experience witner hiking weather. Tonka, Zues, and I stayed in the shelter and Subman set up his tent nearby with his dog, Pepper. Hawk Mountain Shelter is in Chattahoochee National Forest lands. However, nearby there is a U.S. Army Ranger student center and the Rangers use this land two weeks out of the month in their training drills. So about an hour after dark (the sun sets at 5:30 and it is dark at 6:00 pm) a soldier came through to inform us that in another hour 60 students would be coming down the path. I don't know where they came from or where they spent the night, but indeed, about an hour later, running through the dark, a crowd of uniformed, armed soldiers ran past the shelter. I am thankful that I was at the shelter with two men (one an ex-Marine) and two hiking dogs, and not alone tonight. We also heard pretty constant firings from the other side of the gap which Subman informed me were cannon practice shots. He said that he has camped at Hawk Mountain more than a dozen times and often he sees the Army Ranger students, but he has never seen as much activity as we saw and heard tonight. I'm guessing that it was sometime after midnight when became more quiet in the woods and I fell asleep.
At 2:15 AM Zues began to growl and bark, which awakened me quickly. Spiced Nutz, a thru-hiker, came into the shelter and set up his sleeping bag. He said that he planned to meet his dad the next day at Springer Mountain and he had night hiked because he wanted to be sure to be close enough to complete his hike tomorrow. And that sums up my first day back on trail, and my first full day in GA.
Me at the Springer Sign
South Bound Hikers completing their trek.
View of Georgia mountains from Springer Mountain
Larry and Pepper.
A Stream Crossing.
Miles Hiked: 8.8
I slept in this morning at the hotel in Blue Ridge and met Subman mid-morning when I returned the rental car. He drove me to Amicalola Falls State Park and we parked at highway 42 which is a mile North of the terminus. We left our things in the car and hiked up to the summit.
At the summit we met eight thru-hikers who timed their ending to be at 12:12 pm on December 12, 2012. It was fun to see eight people who had walked all 2,184 miles. Some of them had started on Katahdin about a week before I started this summer. It is interesting to think about how my last five months have been different than theirs. I am glad that I have made the decisions about hiking (and not hiking) that I have.
So many people on the trail talk about Springer Mountain with great majesty or awe. For many it is the place that marks the start of their epic journey, for others it marks the end. One of the thru-hikers today said that he did not want to touch the Springer sign because it would mean his hike is over now. It is a place that has legendary stories in people's emotional landscapes if they thru-hike the trail. But for me, because it is not the beginning or the end, it felt different. For me this is mile 701. Somewhere around the 1/3 mark of finishing the trail. I imagine it must be similar to be a catholic person and visit a Buddhist sacred monastery or to be a pagan person and visit a Jewish Synagogue. You understand that this place holds sacred for many people, and you can feel that and you can respect it, but for you, it is simply a beautiful place to be honored but not revered. That is how I felt today at Springer Mountain.
Then Subman and I hiked back to the car, picked up all of our gear, and hiked about six miles to Hawk Mountain Shelter. At the shelter I met Tonka and his dog, Zues, who are hiking North to VA to experience witner hiking weather. Tonka, Zues, and I stayed in the shelter and Subman set up his tent nearby with his dog, Pepper. Hawk Mountain Shelter is in Chattahoochee National Forest lands. However, nearby there is a U.S. Army Ranger student center and the Rangers use this land two weeks out of the month in their training drills. So about an hour after dark (the sun sets at 5:30 and it is dark at 6:00 pm) a soldier came through to inform us that in another hour 60 students would be coming down the path. I don't know where they came from or where they spent the night, but indeed, about an hour later, running through the dark, a crowd of uniformed, armed soldiers ran past the shelter. I am thankful that I was at the shelter with two men (one an ex-Marine) and two hiking dogs, and not alone tonight. We also heard pretty constant firings from the other side of the gap which Subman informed me were cannon practice shots. He said that he has camped at Hawk Mountain more than a dozen times and often he sees the Army Ranger students, but he has never seen as much activity as we saw and heard tonight. I'm guessing that it was sometime after midnight when became more quiet in the woods and I fell asleep.
At 2:15 AM Zues began to growl and bark, which awakened me quickly. Spiced Nutz, a thru-hiker, came into the shelter and set up his sleeping bag. He said that he planned to meet his dad the next day at Springer Mountain and he had night hiked because he wanted to be sure to be close enough to complete his hike tomorrow. And that sums up my first day back on trail, and my first full day in GA.
In the hotel breakfast room was this decorated Christmas tree. I've never seen Peacock Feathers as a tree-topper before.
The sign at the top of Springer Mountain
Me at the Springer Sign
Me with Pepper at the other Springer Sign
South Bound Hikers completing their trek.
View of Georgia mountains from Springer Mountain
Larry and Pepper.
Trail. Look at how luscious the woods are here!
A waterfall on Trail.
12/25/12
On December 11
Robbie generously offered to pick me up at 6:30 this morning so he could drive me to the airport to pick up the car. And then I promptly set my alarm to ring at 6:30 AM. Duh. So I rushed this morning to get out the door and when we got on the US 20 by-pass to South Bend there was a three-car pile up and traffic was forced off of the by-pass from CR 19 to 331, more than 9 miles. We knew he wasn't going to be home to be with the kids so my sister could leave for work on time, so we called my mom for emergency kid-watching back up. Grandma to the rescue!
Robbie dropped me off and the car rental company said that there was no record of me calling yesterday. They did not have a car ready for me, and they weren't sure who I had spoken to yesterday. After a few phone calls and some walking around the South Bend airport they found the reservation on another computer system. I was given the keys to a Dodge Caravan and I was on my way!
Somewhere in the corner of Kentucky, around 2:00 pm, I decided that I would stop soon for a bathroom/lunch break since I had been driving about six hours by that time. Just then I passed a sign for "The Creation Museum". I had heard of the Creation Museum from my cousins, but I have never been there before. So I decided to stop and add it to the adventure. I ate in Noah's Cafe and bought a ticket into the museum. Tickets are regularly priced at $29.95 which seemed quite pricey to me, and when I mentioned this to the ticket seller he offered me a ticket for $10.95 instead. I'm thankful for that.
The Creation Museum's tag line is "Prepare to Believe". The purpose of the museum is to walk the visitor through world history and using modern scientific knowledge prove that Noah's Flood as represented in the Bible did happen. And if it can be proven that Noah's Flood happened, then the museum exhibits state that the rest of the Bible, in its entirety, is also true to fact. It is a high quality museum, with mannequins and audio tapes and a representation of Noah's Arc. The museum states that it shows visitors the "Seven C's" which are: creation, corruption, catastrophe, Christ, the Cross, and consummation. And, everywhere throughout the museum there are dinosaur statues, replicas, and other dinosaur animated things. Here are some pictures of the museum exhibits.
After spending a few hours in the museum I went back to driving south. Just after dark, near to London, Kentucky, there was a man hitch-hiking down highway 75. So, naturally, I pulled over. His name is Mike. In the end I drove Mike all the way to Blue Ridge, GA, exactly 200 miles.
It was 36 degrees and he was very cold. It was about 6:15 in the evening and he had started hitch-hiking in Northern Ohio at 5:00 this morning. He was trying to reach a town near Atlanta, GA to see his daughter. He is 42 years old and down on his luck. He is white with blond hair (cut in a mullet, business in front, party in back) and piercing blue eyes. He was courteous and glad to get into the car and out of the cold. Mike informed me that he had $5 in his pocket and asked if I could drop him off at or near a homeless shelter in Blue Ridge, GA so he could spend the night somewhere warm.
I called Subman, who I was planning to meet tomorrow to let him know that I had picked up a hitch-hiker and to confirm plans for tomorrow. Then I called Glassman to also let him know that I had picked up a hitch-hiker and to ask him to see if there was a homeless shelter or another resource where Mike could spend the night. As we drove the three of us brainstormed safe places to spend a 30 degree night in a new town: Homeless shelter, hospital, police station, a church. Glassman did a few hours of research while we drove and called back to say that he had called around town and around the county and had spoken with four different people from social service agencies and churches to learn that the homeless shelter in Blue Ridge was closed in the last few months due to lack of funding. The nearest shelter was a 30 minute drive farther past Blue Ridge.
It is an understatement to say that I am grateful to Glassman for spending his evening trying to find a safe place for Mike to stay. In the end I dropped him off at a 24 hour McDonald's in Blue Ridge that was across the parking lot from a 24 hour Waffle House. And then I drove across town and checked myself into a warm and safe hotel. I e-mailed Subman to let him know that I was safely in my hotel, alone. And I called Glassman to thank him for his hours of help and let him know that I was safely checked in, and alone.
You tell me. Where is the justice? How do we have a system that is this broken as to not have a place to sleep for one night that is safe? How did McDonald's come to serve as a homeless shelter? How do I justify spending cash on traveling across the country just for fun when my neighbors are hungry and cold? I don't know.
And a whole separate question: Should I have picked up a male hitch-hiker, after dark, when I was driving alone, in a rented van? Is it worth the risk? I don't know that either.
Robbie dropped me off and the car rental company said that there was no record of me calling yesterday. They did not have a car ready for me, and they weren't sure who I had spoken to yesterday. After a few phone calls and some walking around the South Bend airport they found the reservation on another computer system. I was given the keys to a Dodge Caravan and I was on my way!
Somewhere in the corner of Kentucky, around 2:00 pm, I decided that I would stop soon for a bathroom/lunch break since I had been driving about six hours by that time. Just then I passed a sign for "The Creation Museum". I had heard of the Creation Museum from my cousins, but I have never been there before. So I decided to stop and add it to the adventure. I ate in Noah's Cafe and bought a ticket into the museum. Tickets are regularly priced at $29.95 which seemed quite pricey to me, and when I mentioned this to the ticket seller he offered me a ticket for $10.95 instead. I'm thankful for that.
The Creation Museum's tag line is "Prepare to Believe". The purpose of the museum is to walk the visitor through world history and using modern scientific knowledge prove that Noah's Flood as represented in the Bible did happen. And if it can be proven that Noah's Flood happened, then the museum exhibits state that the rest of the Bible, in its entirety, is also true to fact. It is a high quality museum, with mannequins and audio tapes and a representation of Noah's Arc. The museum states that it shows visitors the "Seven C's" which are: creation, corruption, catastrophe, Christ, the Cross, and consummation. And, everywhere throughout the museum there are dinosaur statues, replicas, and other dinosaur animated things. Here are some pictures of the museum exhibits.
After spending a few hours in the museum I went back to driving south. Just after dark, near to London, Kentucky, there was a man hitch-hiking down highway 75. So, naturally, I pulled over. His name is Mike. In the end I drove Mike all the way to Blue Ridge, GA, exactly 200 miles.
It was 36 degrees and he was very cold. It was about 6:15 in the evening and he had started hitch-hiking in Northern Ohio at 5:00 this morning. He was trying to reach a town near Atlanta, GA to see his daughter. He is 42 years old and down on his luck. He is white with blond hair (cut in a mullet, business in front, party in back) and piercing blue eyes. He was courteous and glad to get into the car and out of the cold. Mike informed me that he had $5 in his pocket and asked if I could drop him off at or near a homeless shelter in Blue Ridge, GA so he could spend the night somewhere warm.
I called Subman, who I was planning to meet tomorrow to let him know that I had picked up a hitch-hiker and to confirm plans for tomorrow. Then I called Glassman to also let him know that I had picked up a hitch-hiker and to ask him to see if there was a homeless shelter or another resource where Mike could spend the night. As we drove the three of us brainstormed safe places to spend a 30 degree night in a new town: Homeless shelter, hospital, police station, a church. Glassman did a few hours of research while we drove and called back to say that he had called around town and around the county and had spoken with four different people from social service agencies and churches to learn that the homeless shelter in Blue Ridge was closed in the last few months due to lack of funding. The nearest shelter was a 30 minute drive farther past Blue Ridge.
It is an understatement to say that I am grateful to Glassman for spending his evening trying to find a safe place for Mike to stay. In the end I dropped him off at a 24 hour McDonald's in Blue Ridge that was across the parking lot from a 24 hour Waffle House. And then I drove across town and checked myself into a warm and safe hotel. I e-mailed Subman to let him know that I was safely in my hotel, alone. And I called Glassman to thank him for his hours of help and let him know that I was safely checked in, and alone.
You tell me. Where is the justice? How do we have a system that is this broken as to not have a place to sleep for one night that is safe? How did McDonald's come to serve as a homeless shelter? How do I justify spending cash on traveling across the country just for fun when my neighbors are hungry and cold? I don't know.
And a whole separate question: Should I have picked up a male hitch-hiker, after dark, when I was driving alone, in a rented van? Is it worth the risk? I don't know that either.
12/24/12
On December 10
Yesterday (December 9, Sunday) I decided I would go down to Georgia and hike North from Springer Mountain, which is the Southern Terminus of the Appalachian Trail, for ten days. After ten days, if all goes according to plan, my gallant brother will come pick me up wherever I am and hike with me for a day. Then we will come home in time for Christmas. My goal is to reach North Carolina, 78.5 trail miles north of Springer Mountain.
In preparation for this adventure I e-mailed Subman. I met Subman at Bromley mountain in Vermont back in September. He was hiking the Long Trail and had thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail back in 2003, he has also completed the Benton MacKaye trail. His name is Subman for two reasons-he was in the Marines for years, and on his thru-hike he often bought a subway sandwich in town and then hiked into the woods and ate it for lunch or dinner. He is an avid hiker, and currently he runs a lawn business, so he has more time to go hiking. Anyway, he lives in Elijay, GA, near to Springer Mountain and in September he gave me his business card and said that if I was ever to come down to GA to call him and if he could help me out he would. So I e-mailed him to let him know that I hoped to hike through GA and to ask his advice about where to rent a car, where to stay, how to get to the mountain, etc. He promptly e-mailed me back with a fountain of wisdom and an offer to meet me at the rental car return and drive me up to Springer Mountain. And he said that he had about three free days and so if I wanted company he and his dog Pepper could hike with me for the first two days. I am glad for this offer because he knows the area well and I don't know how many other people will be out on the trail, so hiking with another hiker seems like a way to be safer. And dogs are good at keeping the mice away from the shelters!
I also made myself two boxes of food and mailed them ahead; one to a shelter in Neels Gap called Walasi-Yi Inn, and one to a hotel in Hiawasee, GA. I called to reserve a rental car and I think that I am ready to go hike again. I'm very excited. Although, this time the excitement is different than it was in the summer. It is like going back to your first day of school but when you have already been to that school for three years. You're excited, but you also have an idea of what some of the hard parts will be. It is a more tempered, (more mature?), kind of excitement.
In preparation for this adventure I e-mailed Subman. I met Subman at Bromley mountain in Vermont back in September. He was hiking the Long Trail and had thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail back in 2003, he has also completed the Benton MacKaye trail. His name is Subman for two reasons-he was in the Marines for years, and on his thru-hike he often bought a subway sandwich in town and then hiked into the woods and ate it for lunch or dinner. He is an avid hiker, and currently he runs a lawn business, so he has more time to go hiking. Anyway, he lives in Elijay, GA, near to Springer Mountain and in September he gave me his business card and said that if I was ever to come down to GA to call him and if he could help me out he would. So I e-mailed him to let him know that I hoped to hike through GA and to ask his advice about where to rent a car, where to stay, how to get to the mountain, etc. He promptly e-mailed me back with a fountain of wisdom and an offer to meet me at the rental car return and drive me up to Springer Mountain. And he said that he had about three free days and so if I wanted company he and his dog Pepper could hike with me for the first two days. I am glad for this offer because he knows the area well and I don't know how many other people will be out on the trail, so hiking with another hiker seems like a way to be safer. And dogs are good at keeping the mice away from the shelters!
I also made myself two boxes of food and mailed them ahead; one to a shelter in Neels Gap called Walasi-Yi Inn, and one to a hotel in Hiawasee, GA. I called to reserve a rental car and I think that I am ready to go hike again. I'm very excited. Although, this time the excitement is different than it was in the summer. It is like going back to your first day of school but when you have already been to that school for three years. You're excited, but you also have an idea of what some of the hard parts will be. It is a more tempered, (more mature?), kind of excitement.
12/17/12
Grasses
For awhile now I have been eyeing these grasses. You know the ones. They are about 9-10 feet tall. They grow in large clumps, maybe 6-8 feet around. They are used increasingly in lawn ornamentation and professional landscaping. They are beautiful and they are grass. I finally had the chance to photograph them about three weeks ago, and finally time today to post the pics. Here are some cool shots.
12/1/12
700 miles!!!
Today I hit a milestone! I have now hiked over 700 miles. 700.9 to be exact. Well, as exact as you can be on a footpath of this sort... Yay!
From New York State Thruway to West Mombasha Road
Miles 5.1
Well, today is the last day of hiking for now, before I (and Chip) have to return to our 'regular' lives for a short time. We slept in, kind of. Then, because it is Saturday, Sherwood was able to take time to hike along with me. I felt it was fitting because I was ready to hike up Arden Mountain, and his middle name is Arden! He had not been to this part of trail before, so off we went while Chip drove to the south end and started hiking toward us. I was impressed that Sherwood, who is my uncle, (and is even older than my dad!) was willing to just jump onto the trail where I was today. Which turned out to be an incredibly difficult climb. I mean, really a hard boulder scramble for the first part of the morning. We climbed together to the top where we took a break, then Sherwood hiked back to his car while I kept going South to meet Chip.
By the time I met Chip there was only an hour of sunlight left, I was starting to get blisters from my new boots and it was very very cold. Chip had hiked four miles from the car. We told each other about how few blazes we had seen all day and the difficulty we had in following the trail in broad daylight. We commiserated about getting lost and wandering in the woods. We decided with only an hour left of sunlight and three hours left of hiking it would not be safe to continue on towards the car, knowing we would be forced to night hike. So when we came to a road three miles before the place where the car was parked we hitch-hiked back to the car instead of finishing the last three miles as planned. It was a disspointing way to end the week; to hitch-hike instead of trail hike.
I had originally hoped to finish hiking through New York state this week, but because of losing a day of hiking to the car breaking down on the way here, I feel good about the 49.7 miles of trail that we covered in five days. I still have exactly 13 miles left in New York, and about 1,470 after that. I will come back again in the spring, you can count on that!
From New York State Thruway to West Mombasha Road
Miles 5.1
Well, today is the last day of hiking for now, before I (and Chip) have to return to our 'regular' lives for a short time. We slept in, kind of. Then, because it is Saturday, Sherwood was able to take time to hike along with me. I felt it was fitting because I was ready to hike up Arden Mountain, and his middle name is Arden! He had not been to this part of trail before, so off we went while Chip drove to the south end and started hiking toward us. I was impressed that Sherwood, who is my uncle, (and is even older than my dad!) was willing to just jump onto the trail where I was today. Which turned out to be an incredibly difficult climb. I mean, really a hard boulder scramble for the first part of the morning. We climbed together to the top where we took a break, then Sherwood hiked back to his car while I kept going South to meet Chip.
By the time I met Chip there was only an hour of sunlight left, I was starting to get blisters from my new boots and it was very very cold. Chip had hiked four miles from the car. We told each other about how few blazes we had seen all day and the difficulty we had in following the trail in broad daylight. We commiserated about getting lost and wandering in the woods. We decided with only an hour left of sunlight and three hours left of hiking it would not be safe to continue on towards the car, knowing we would be forced to night hike. So when we came to a road three miles before the place where the car was parked we hitch-hiked back to the car instead of finishing the last three miles as planned. It was a disspointing way to end the week; to hitch-hike instead of trail hike.
I had originally hoped to finish hiking through New York state this week, but because of losing a day of hiking to the car breaking down on the way here, I feel good about the 49.7 miles of trail that we covered in five days. I still have exactly 13 miles left in New York, and about 1,470 after that. I will come back again in the spring, you can count on that!
Sherwood and I climbed up to the "Viewpoint Via Agony Grind .2"
I saw a snake today. It stayed perfectly still while I conducted a glamour shots session with it.
Sherwood talking on the phone to his girlfriend while we take a break. Below this picture are some shots of moss that I found to be beautiful.
Views from the Trail.
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