Zero in Franklin
there is wilderness on the AT in NC????Originally Posted by zerohiker
glad u made it to Franklin..
if u could start over would u start your hike later in the year?
wilderness?
I don't have my maps in front of me, but as for wilderness, wilderness vs. wilderness areas under the congressional act that designates "wilderness areas" are two radically different animals.
One estimate, which I believe I read in the Once and Future Forest, estimates that a true wilderness needs at least one million acres of roadless, continuous area to operate as a truley functioning ecosystem devoid of edge effect(invasive species, habitat modification and fragmentation and the like) that impacts the ecosystem functions in most of our forest and natural areas today.
Most of our wilderness areas in the east are pretty meager when you start wo look at them realistically, and once you start to recognize the factors that indicate the health of a forest, like spcies diveristy, you start to realize that most of these areas are in decline.
on to other topics...GHOST, I was chasing you a solid 5 days behind until I hit standing bear. I think someone else passed me while I was there also. At least I'm off the trail while the weather is crap though...
I took a week off at Cloud9 and now am back in Franklin with Zero. He's made it too Deep gap, so we'll hang out tomorrow for the superbowl and then on Monday morning part ways. I'm leaving from Wayah Bald and hope to make Hot Springs by the 19th.
Zero's journal: http://trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?id=166110 , sounds like rather harsh weather....day & nite
Leaving
I am leaving tonight after the SuperBowl. So I will be starting tuesday. See you all out there.
Hear there are around 15 at Mountain Crossings tonight
hikernutt , where r u on the trail?
Fannypack,
I am back home in GA right now waiting on a new sleeping bag to come in.
I made it to Franklin NC and my 15 degree was not warm enough, had to come out at Deep Gap down a blue blaze trail to Standing Indian Campground to get a ride into Franklin. Will be back out on weekends when new bag comes in, then will be heading north for good around March 15th, hoping to make it to Fontana before then so I can start through the Smokies on the 15th.
I'm home again too. I crossed the Dam on friday and made it to Shuckstack (3.5 miles into the park) before deciding to turn around. I was physically exhausted and should have just takena zero day, but I didn't, so I ended up coming home for a few weeks to recover. I'll defenitely be back out on the trail before March 2nd.
Oh yeah -- Santa's Helper was at the Fontana Village resort, according to the Fontana Hilton register. He was staying there on the night of the 7th. Don't know if he has going into the park yet or not.
My brother and I did a short hike (Sat/Sun) from Unicoi Gap to Dicks Creek Gap last weekend.
Shortly after starting from Unicoi on Sat (12:30 p.m.), we ran into a NOBO named "Walrus." He's from Montana and is a recent retiree. Said that he left Springer on 2/2/07 and that the trail has been pretty much his. Seemed in good spirits and was excited to have begun his hike.
There was good bit of ice and snow on Tray and in parts of the trail that don't get much sun. Temps were in high 30's during the day (sat) and my thermometer read 24 at some point during the night. The views were outstanding and I wish we could have kept going.
Good luck to all!
Good for you! The thought of you up there in the Smokies in the cold the other week - not good. What happened to Zero?
Heven't heard about Zero - sure would like to.
Here is MrHappy's latest.....brilliant writing.
http://2000miler.net/index.html
Last I heard, Zero left Franklin on Thursday from Winding Stair Gap. He wasn't planning to stop at the NOC.
Sticks styxz stixz?
arrived here yesterday to sit out this weather.
He started Feb 5......a gentleman from Atlanta area.
Anybody know if the G.H.O.S.T. go going back out of Damascus yet?
Anybody know what GHOST stands for?
Bear Bait GA boys
Hiker Nutt - I had a message from your husband about the Dalton gang. They are in the Smokies during this little winter storm (Valentines day '07) Where are you this weekend?
Ghost left Damascus on Feb 9th. He spent last night at Davis Path Shelter and plans to spend tonight at Chesnut Knob Shelter. He chose Ghost as his trail name as he left NOBO the end of the year/first of this year and said he wouldn't be seen by anyone while on the trail, leaving when he did.
Thanks for the update. I'm new to WB, Trail Journals, etc. and so far the biggest surprise is how late/ early some of the SB/ NB hikers come thru. Good luck to the GHOST on his hike, I think a couple of guys came by on his week off so he may be able to catch some company.
Got a text message from Ghost last night. He was at Chesnut Knob Shelter and said Trek was also there. Last time I talked to him, he said there was another hiker about 2 days ahead of him, but I don't remember his trail name.
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
