March 1st, 2004 starts [Archive]

Rain Man

03-01-2004, 18:40

Well, saw my daughter Sarah off this morning (March 1st) on Springer.

We drove down Saturday from Nashville and stayed at Amicalola Falls State Park Lodge. What a nice place! We saw it on the "mountain top" from a couple of miles away, all lit up after dark.

Sunday morning after the Lodge's AYCE breakfast buffet we drove the mile back down the mountain to the Visitors Center, weighed our packs, met other hikers, took photos, and hit the approach trail. Met "Happy" and "Hacksaw" at the Visitors Center. Happy hiked up. Hacksaw did not.

My wife drove our Dodge Caravan around USFS 42 and parked in the lot 9/10ths of a mile on the north side of the summit. The rest of us hiked up.

"Bloody Cactus" (aka MadAussieinLondon?) and Carey (from Springfield, IL) hiked up with us. It was a beautiful sunny day. We saw lots of hikers, many coming down from the Len Foote Hike Inn.

Got to the top around 4:00 to find a small crowd milling around the terminus plaque and register. Said hellos, took photos, signed the register, and headed down to the shelter, where wife was waiting. We expected a crowd there, but she was the only one in the shelter, so the four of us took the loft. We made a trip down to the van to get extra gear and food.

Had fun as many folks cooked on the shelter's picnic table, comparing gear and food and excitement, and a campfire once the sun went down.

It was 37 degres and breezy just before we hit the sleeping bags last night. This morning around 7:00 it was 42 degrees and foggy. Not a bad night... and NOT A SINGLE MOUSE that I saw or heard.

After breakfast and packing up, hiked down to the van with daughter and a couple of others. Sorted some gear, took some final photos, and Sarah hiked off into the fog.

Some of the hikers and folks we met on Springer included:

G-giddy (from Massachusetts), Happy (who made GREAT tortillas), Bloody Cactus (in kilt), Arwin & Heather & Sasha (their dog) (they had their own camera crew!), Kathryn, Haiku (from Mass. and in a kilt), Andy, Jonathan, Burn, and Sherpa (a female thru-hiker, hiking with her friend (Beverly?) to help her friend get going). There were others, but I didn't get all the names, and they all didn't come down to the shelter. Saw Zzzzzyd (?) had signed the register the day before.

Oh yes, Glenn Reynolds, the shelter caretaker was there being a good shepherd. We shared our "campfire pizza" with him. :)

I hope all the hikers have a GREAT hike. They had a nice morning to start.

Rain Man

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Lilred

03-01-2004, 19:48

Great report. Makes me even more excited to get there in June. I bet you hated getting back in that van....

novatrek

03-01-2004, 23:40

That sounds so nice...........cant wait to get there Mar.12

TJ aka Teej

03-01-2004, 23:53

Well, saw my daughter Sarah off this morning (March 1st) on Springer.
What a wonderful send-off, Rain Man! Many thanks for sharing it with us.

Happy

03-02-2004, 01:34

Rain Man, what a great couple of days. The excitement of hiking with all the thruhikers was sensational! Even with a very cool and windy evening on top of Springer, the excitement of 20 people standing around the campfire passing around the quart of single malt scotch that "Bloody Cactus" brought from England was super!

You fed half of the hikers with your SUPER solo pizzas and homemade cookies...what a great hike!

Going back down the approach trail I met another 10 thruhikers with 6 of them having journals on Trailjournals.com.

attroll

03-02-2004, 01:56

Thanks Rain Man. Keep us informed on how your daughter is doing. Does she have a trail name yet?

Uncle Wayne

03-02-2004, 02:06

Best of luck to her. And to you and momma! Do you have plans to join her for a section or two?

Kozmic Zian

03-02-2004, 10:18

Yea.....Springer Sprung. Real nice discriptive of a Great Springer Sendoff. Made me really nostalgic for the Mt. Thank You for Sharing it with Us. KZ@

Rain Man

03-02-2004, 10:43

Rick, no, she doesn't have a trail name yet, though she has posted on here a couple of times as climberchic2004, I believe it is. She's a rock climber (actually, a "boulderer"?).

Wayne, "mama" and I (and maybe other family members) plan to meet her in Hot Springs, NC around March 17th. We might do some hiking with her then, if she'll let us, that is. She says we'll be too slow and will hold her back. LOL

We will swap out a camera memory card with her then, so maybe I'll be able to post some on here after that. I'll have a few of my own from this weekend once I get the film developed.

She has arranged for various family members and friends to do mail drops for her. That is involving the folks close to her in her hike. :)

If things are going according to plan, she should be hiking between Hawk Mtn and Gooch Mtn right now. You may remember, she and I did the Springer-to-Neels Gap section in August (pics in my gallery). So, I know she can do this section easily, and now she won't have "Dad" holding her back! LOL

Yes, Happy, it was a great afternoon & evening on Springer. I hope you've posted your tortilla recipe in the recipe's forum on WhiteBlaze! Your cooking was holding its own ... and beating our pizza, I thought. :)

Rain Man

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Jaybird

03-02-2004, 10:52

Rain Man:

Thanks for the Springer Report!

Makes me want to get out there now....instead of April 30....
(but, i'll guess i'll have to wait....)

glad your daughter is off on a good day & good to hear Glenn "Gizmo" Reynolds is treating the hikers with care (& sharing their food! hehehehehehehe :p ).

see ya'll UP the trail!

flyfisher

03-02-2004, 11:10

Well, saw my daughter Sarah off this morning (March 1st) on Springer.

We expected a crowd there, but she was the only one in the shelter, so the four of us took the loft.

Had fun as many folks cooked on the shelter's picnic table, comparing gear and food and excitement, and a campfire once the sun went down.

Rain Man

.

A great memory! Sounds like a whistful night and morning, seeing your daughter walk into the fog...

BTW, I spent new year's even on Springer this last Dec 31. I happened to write a poem in the shelter journal and forgot to copy it into my personal journal. If anyone who is at the shelter, before the journal gets retired could copy down my poem (entered trail name as "Risk") and email it to me from somewhere up the trail, my wife would appreciate beeing able to read the poem.

:rolleyes:

It would be fine to email me direct at:

ra1 ... at... imrisk ...dot... com

I plan to do a Springer to Smokies section this summer, but the first journal will be long gone by then.

Thanks!

waldo

03-02-2004, 11:59

Rain man .... thanks for the screenplay of you hike up to Springer! I am a little envious, because I wish I was there with them, trudging through the cold weather, but my day has come and gone ...... anyway rain man - good luck to your daughter .... and you got to meet burn? he is a very nice fella .... i meet him at low gap shelter on my thru hike ... he was doing a practice hike for his thru hike ..... i keep in touch over email and on his journal

Waldo ME-GA '03

Rain Man

03-03-2004, 20:31

Well, got two calls from my daughter Sarah today. They made it to Neels Gap this afternoon. She did 8 miles on Monday to Hawk Mtn in beautiful sunshine, then 8 miles on Tuesday to Gooch Mtn in rain and fog and nasty weather. Got in each day about 2:00 or 2:30. Then she planned on hiking to Woods Hole or Blood Mtn today, but the registers told tales of cheeseburgers and ice cream at Walasi-Yi, so she and the whole group pressed on 16 miles to Neels Gap! Got there around 4:00.

She almost got the trailname "Wise Ass," but it got voted down in the shelter! Whew! C-Giddy who placed his Lekis on Sarah's pack next to our van at the Springer Mtn parking area (which poles then migrated into our van), got nominated "Leki-less." LOL Maybe he can go back to C-Giddy when his Lekis arrive tomorrow. I sent them FedEx today. He and Bloody Cactus are having sore knees and hanging back. Heard that Bloody Cactus unloaded some of his 50 lb pack at Hawk Mtn. LOL

I just received a pocketmail message from Captain Hook about C-Giddy's Lekis, plus I got a cell phone call yesterday from Burn, so they are all looking out for each other.

Sarah says "Georgia Boy" is with their group and he's a local and his relatives are meeting them at road crossings and giving rides to anyone who needs. Thus, Sarah is already set for her ride into Hiawassee for her first drop box!

The group loosely includes Brianne, Seeker (from Nashville), Boy Wonder, Mel, Banjo (from Nashville), Air Ferret, Jacob, Joy, C-Giddy, Bloody Cactus, Arwen & Heather & doggie Sasha, and Miranda & Dave (?), plus others whose names she couldn't recall. Some are a day behind.

Sarah took a wrong turn leaving Hawk Mtn and hiked a mile or so down the wrong trail. Ooops. She's staying at the Walasi-Yi hostel with a group. Another group is staying at the Blood Mtn Cabins.

Tonight they're watching Blazing Saddles on TV and washing clothes (except the washers broke).

I can tell from her voice she's having a ball and making friends!

Rain Man, Proud Papa
:sun

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Happy

03-03-2004, 21:03

Great report Rainman...tell Sarah I said Hello! After you left Springer Monday morning we realized that C-Gitty had left his tarp, while he was packing up at the picnic table, so i sent it with another hiker...maybe his trailname should be "Lost Gear". Keep us informed on Sarah's hike.

Jaybird

03-04-2004, 06:40

Rain Man

03-04-2004, 12:16

...After you left Springer Monday morning we realized that C-Gitty had left his tarp, while he was packing up at the picnic table, so i sent it with another hiker...maybe his trailname should be "Lost Gear".

Maybe so. I'll let you know if "Leki-less" sticks as his new trail name, even after he gets 'em back today at Walasi-Yi at Neels Gap. :) At least he has some good sense. He uses the exact same Leki Makula Titaniums that I do. :)

I wanted to report one more very interesting tidbit. When we stayed in the Springer Mountain Shelter on Sunday night, I never saw or heard a single mouse. NO MICE.

I asked Sarah last night when she called, and she said she saw (or heard?) a single mouse at only one shelter (can't recall now if she said Hawk Mtn or Gooch Mtn).

I think that's amazing. We were told Springer had a ton of mice and last August we had a bunch in Gooch Mtn and a few in Hawk Mtn.

Any ideas where the mice are? Too early in the season for them? Not enough hikers dropping enough food crumbs yet?

Rain Man

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Rain Man

03-04-2004, 12:23

Thanks for the report on your daughter's trek...& ALL the March 1st group of hikers.....feels like i'm traveling right along with 'em.

("wise ass" huh?... the girl must have a mouth on her to get that one!)

Jaybird,

Well, let's just say she is one tough little girl (okay, "woman") who has lots of smarts and self-confidence and sticks up for herself quiet nicely? :)

Another tidbit you'll enjoy hearing is that there are new privies at Springer Mtn Shelter. I'm not sure if they are "organic" or some newer design. I'll post a photo when I get the film back. One is complete/finished and is across from the tent campsites between the AT and the Shelter. The other is under construction and is between (but not "above") the Shelter and the spring and lower tent sites.

Anyway, the nicest privies I've seen so far on my little section of the AT (being Georgia)! Don't miss 'em. :)

Rain Man

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Jaybird

03-05-2004, 07:10

Jaybird,

Well, let's just say she is one tough little girl (okay, "woman") who has lots of smarts and self-confidence and sticks up for herself quiet nicely? :)

Another tidbit you'll enjoy hearing is that there are new privies at Springer Mtn Shelter. ...............................
Anyway, the nicest privies I've seen so far on my little section of the AT (being Georgia)! Don't miss 'em. :)Rain Man.

Rain Man::

My wife ("D-bird") & i plan a "long-weekend" in the near future...to Dahlonega, GA & plan to hike up to Springer Mtn & take some photos....thanks again for the report!

p.s.: i talked to Scott Rogers (aka: "OneLeg" aka: "Bionic Hiker") yday...
he's in Nashville Mar 9-10th (speaking @ a school).

& he said he's gonna be on CNN Mar 13th.

www.OneLegWonder.com (http://www.OneLegWonder.com)

see ya'll UP the trail! :D

steve hiker

03-05-2004, 09:56

I asked Sarah last night when she called, and she said she saw (or heard?) a single mouse at only one shelter (can't recall now if she said Hawk Mtn or Gooch Mtn).

I think that's amazing. We were told Springer had a ton of mice and last August we had a bunch in Gooch Mtn and a few in Hawk Mtn.

Any ideas where the mice are? Too early in the season for them? Not enough hikers dropping enough food crumbs yet?.
Strange. But I bet they wake up soon.

TedB

03-05-2004, 13:33

I wanted to report one more very interesting tidbit. When we stayed in the Springer Mountain Shelter on Sunday night, I never saw or heard a single mouse. NO MICE.

I asked Sarah last night when she called, and she said she saw (or heard?) a single mouse at only one shelter (can't recall now if she said Hawk Mtn or Gooch Mtn).

I think that's amazing. We were told Springer had a ton of mice and last August we had a bunch in Gooch Mtn and a few in Hawk Mtn.

Any ideas where the mice are? Too early in the season for them? Not enough hikers dropping enough food crumbs yet?

The mice are waiting the annual killing-the-shelter-snake ritual to be completed before coming out in force. Someone, please protect those poor mice from that mean, mean snake.

A-Train

03-05-2004, 14:28

I started 3/1/03 and slept in shelters 95 percent of the time. I hardly EVER heard or saw any signs of mice. I saw one mouse in the loft of the Roan High Knob Shelter and I think thats it. Maybe they take longer to come out, waiting until the shelters are being packed every night and garbage/food left carelessly all over. BUt then again i've read journals of folks who started in jan/feb saying the mice had a field day. Guess it all depends

Rain Man

03-05-2004, 16:05

The mice are waiting the annual killing-the-shelter-snake ritual to be completed before coming out in force. Someone, please protect those poor mice from that mean, mean snake.

You might have a good point there.... kill the snakes, welcome the mice, fer sure.

Snakes are our FRIENDS!!!

Rain Man

03-05-2004, 16:40

Well, Sarah has an official Trail Name now, thanks to "Deja Vu" (Brianne, from Massachusetts).

Seems they had climbed one of the Georgia mountains and were so tired that Sarah was dropping things during their rest stop. Among some of the things she accidently dropped were the sacred M&Ms!

So, what did she do? What ANY good thru-hiker would do! She got on her knees and began picking M&Ms out of the grass. Deja Vu leapt on the golden opportunity before her to bestow a fitting Trail Name. So, Sarah is now "Grass-Picker," or just "Grass" for short.

She says she pretty well earned both trail names she was nominated for, the other being "Wise Ass" by C-Giddy after she, er, commented on his lack of Lekis. LOL She seems to like Grass-picker a tad better, though.
:dance

Anyway, she called today from a motel in Hiawassee, after hitching in from Unicoi Gap with another hiker (Chris from Mt. Airy, NC). Her first mail drop is in Hiawassee, so she's headed to the Post Office after a shower.

She sounded as if, and said, she is having a ball. She and Deja Vu hike together and stay at shelters together and spend lots of time laughing together.
:sun

She also has learned a new hiking term, "Touron." Seems there are "Thru-Hikers," "Weekenders," and "Tourons." She jumped on those M&Ms as a good thru-hiker should. A "weekender" would have seen them and stepped on them and kept going. A Tourist-Moron (a "Touron") would have stepped around them to avoid touching them and getting their shoes dirty.
:banana

When she arrived at Neels Gap on Wednesday, she says she drank "several" root beers and had two of the "frozen" cheeseburgers they sell there. I guess she cooked them in the microwave? She also said the "welcoming" guy wanted to show her around the hostel and all she wanted to do was sit for 30 minutes. He also invited hikers to some barbeque in Blairsville, but mentioned no details. The ones who went had to pay for the ride, and the meal and it cost them $25. She says she's happy she didn't go.

She left Neels Gap yesterday morning around 9:30 and hiked to Low Gap Shelter, which was crowded, but she and Deja Vu stayed there. Today she hiked to Unicoi Gap and decided to give her knees an early rest in Hiawassee. Being the caring father that I am, I told her that 16 miles on Wednesday was, er, too much this early, and now she's paying the price and needs to use better judgment. :)

"Pez" (Rob from Illinois) is one of their hiking buddies. His fiancee started at Amicalola Falls with him. Her name is Robin, so it was Rob and Robin. They had planned to thru-hike together. Indeed, he delayed his hike from last year to this year so she could hike it with him. But she did no training at all. She bailed out the first day, but "Pez" is continuing and having a great time anyway.

Sarah says she herself is falling behind schedule, BUT wants to go farther than her minimum-planned destination of Harper's Ferry.

She also reports that C-Giddy almost certainly is no longer actually Leki-less, as many people knew his Lekis were going to be waiting on him at Neels Gap yesterday. I feel better thinking he has his hiking poles now.

That's the news on Sarah, aka "Grass-picker," currently resting in Hiawassee, showered and with her drop box of goodies by now. :)

Rain Man, the proud papa

Rain Man

03-05-2004, 20:23

Just FYI, I posted several photos in my Member Gallery today of us doing the Approach Trail, Springer Shelter, a few personalities, etc.

:welcome

someday

03-06-2004, 11:40

Thanks for the photos. It makes it more interesting to see some of the hikers actually out there after reading about some of them for months.

Brushy Sage

03-06-2004, 12:08

Such a wonderful report. Thank you, Rain Man.

Rain Man

03-08-2004, 20:58

GrassPicker has made it to Franklin, NC and is still "having a ball." She called to report that the weather yesterday was ... GORGEOUS, but that last night it was ... HORRIBLE.

After taking an overnight at Mull Motel in Hiawassee, GA (she learned a lesson... for a few bucks more she could have stayed in the Holiday Inn, which has a SPA!!!), she hit the trail at Dick's Creek Gap. You may notice she got off the trail at Unicoi Gap. So, she is NOT a purist, but is out to have fun. Oh well. LOL

The first night back on the trail, she stayed at Plumorchard Gap Shelter, in the 3rd loft (or is that the 2nd loft?). Apparently they had a nice campfire. The next day she hiked past the GA/NC state line and had lunch in the famous gnarled oak tree at Bly Gap. She says she climbed the tree and stayed in it an hour!

That was the gorgeous day of hiking. That night (last night) she stayed in Muskrat Creek Shelter. She reports 50 mph wind, rain, and snow and says she didn't sleep due to the chill factor. She has an REI Sub-Kilo 20 degree bag, with coolmax (?) liner.

She says she slept next to a 65-year-old woman (Arlene?) who had hiked from Springer to Neels Gap with a 50 lb pack. At Neels Gap, the good folks at the Walasi-Yi center helped her get rid of 15 lbs. So, she has 35 lbs now and is doing MUCH better. :) Anyway, they and everyone else in the Muskrat Creek Shelter survived the night without much sleep.

Today, GrassPicker and Bull Frog (Michigan) and Hans Solo (Oklahoma) blue-blazed down the Kimsey Creek Trail down to Rainbow Springs Campground, and then out to the highway, where they hitched into Franklin, NC. You may recall I posted a negative report of the KCT following my mini-section hike in November, when I and my partner used it as our exit point. Well, the other hiking member of the family (GrassPicker) LOVED the KCT. She said the sun was shining and the water was gushing and it was BEAUTIFUL. :clap

Oh, one more Hiawassee thing. The drop box she had arranged for a family member to send her there never made it. We don't know why, but fortunately Hiawassee is a good town to restock in, so she was fine.

She reports the shelters have been pretty full... BUT there's always seems to be room for a little girl. :sun

She also asked for her climbing shoes. Seems she has met Slim and Biscuit, both from Massachusetts, and they climb too. So, they may take some time off to climb if the opportunity presents itself. GrassPicker is out to enjoy herself and hike her own hike, not stick to a mindless routine. :clap

She also asked for her down jacket, which she had decided after the warm hike up the Approach Trail to send home with mama and daddy. I just bit my fatherly tongue when she made that decision.

She says she has heard the Bloody Cactus is doing well. And, I was able to tell her that C-Giddy is no longer Leki-less, as he got his hiking poles at Neels Gap. :)

She has seen lots of deer (she mostly hikes alone) and has taken 128 photographs so far on her little Nikon Coolpix 2100. I just got her a memory card today on sale to swap out. I want to see those photos!!!

She plans to take a zero day tomorrow to let Deja Vu catch up with her... and also to visit our friends who own and run Mountainside Chocolates just outside of Franklin. :) http://www.mountainsidechocolates.com/

Now she better call home and talk to her mommy too if she knows what's good for her. LOL

Rain Man

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Jaybird

03-09-2004, 06:31

GrassPicker has made it to Franklin, NC and is still "having a ball." She called to report that the weather yesterday was ... GORGEOUS, but that last night it was ... HORRIBLE.......................................... ...

...........She has seen lots of deer (she mostly hikes alone) and has taken 128 photographs so far on her little Nikon Coolpix 2100. I just got her a memory card today on sale to swap out. I want to see those photos!!!

She plans to take a zero day tomorrow to let Deja Vu catch up with her... and also to visit our friends who own and run Mountainside Chocolates just outside of Franklin. :) http://www.mountainsidechocolates.com/

Now she better call home and talk to her mommy too if she knows what's good for her. LOL Rain Man.

Rain Man:

"GrassPicker" huh? so whats the story behind the trail name?????????

i guess anything is better than "WiseAss"! hehehehehehe! :p

thanks for the updates...cant wait to get there in late April.
(doing weekly 11.5mile day-hikes @ Montgomery Bell now to prep.)

see ya'll UP the trail!

Uncle Wayne

03-09-2004, 08:32

I just bit my fatherly tongue when she made that decision.

Now she better call home and talk to her mommy too if she knows what's good for her. LOL

Rain Man

.

Wow, what a good trip report! Really enjoying the updates. Yeah, the old "fatherly tongue biting routine". I know it well. :)

you're exactly right about the call home to mom. How does that old saying go? "If momma ain't happy, ain't nobody happy!" :D

Rain Man

03-09-2004, 11:39

Wow, what a good trip report! Really enjoying the updates. Yeah, the old "fatherly tongue biting routine". I know it well. :)

you're exactly right about the call home to mom. How does that old saying go? "If momma ain't happy, ain't nobody happy!" :D

Uncle Wayne, you are RIGHT on both accounts.
:jump

And Jaybird... regarding her Trail Name... if you don't mind, so I won't have to retype the story, scroll down/up to my "GrassPicker update" post. The story behind her trail name is in there. :)

Finally, one tidbit I forgot to mention in my last update. When it was SO windy and cold in Muskrat Creek Shelter the night before last, she got up the next morning with numb hands and feet. When they warmed up, they hurt so much she cried. OUCH.

In spite of that, she STILL reports each time "I'm having a ball." :)

Today is a zero day in Franklin, NC to let a knee get some rest and to wait on Deja Vu to catch up. :)

Rain Man

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TJ aka Teej

03-09-2004, 21:56

Youngblood has posted a photo!:banana

http://www.whiteblaze.net/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=2820&password=&sort=2&size=medium&cat=996&page=1

MadAussieInLondon

03-10-2004, 11:03

hey rainman! nice report! im here in hiawase, heading out in 30 mins to plum orchard gap or whatever. staying at the holiday in, 50 bucks hiker rate, 4 ppl (me, Xena, Castro (Johnathan) and Lekiless). that spa is AWESOME!

we also met youngblood on the trail too (thanks for the pics from both you guys!)

my knees are killing me, im shedding more weight. sent the lid of my pack home today... so now i'm down in the weight division, 5 days food + 2litre water im at 40 pounds. i can live with that... still too heavy but ohwell..

se you guys around! state line coming up! whoooo....

The Frozen Bloody Cactus (who got snowed on yesterday coming down Everest into Hiawase)....

Rain Man

03-10-2004, 15:13

hey rainman! nice report! im here in hiawase, heading out in 30 mins to plum orchard gap or whatever. staying at the holiday in, 50 bucks hiker rate, 4 ppl (me, Xena, Castro (Johnathan) and Lekiless). that spa is AWESOME!
...
The Frozen Bloody Cactus (who got snowed on yesterday coming down Everest into Hiawase)....

Bloody Cactus, my Approach Trail friend!!!!! Good to hear from you. So, has C-Giddy officially been renamed Lekiless??? And all my fault?! LOL

GrassPicker (my daughter Sarah) is in Franklin, spending her second full day there today, visiting friends who own http://www.mountainsidechocolates.com/ and resting her knee and waiting for Deja Vu to catch up.

She was The Frozen GrassPicker a couple of nights ago in Muskrat Creek Shelter and is glad to have a warm bed right now. She was very jealous when she heard about the spa at the Holiday Inn in Hiawassee when she stayed at the Mull Motel!

I hope you catch up with her, but you need to shed some more weight.

Please write again when you can. Happy Hiking!

Rain Man

.

Rain Man

03-12-2004, 16:27

Her Mom and I spoke to GrassPicker yesterday morning just before she and Nails were to catch a shuttle back to the Trail. Nails is a woman from Florida, married with kids out of college. Nails shared a room with GrassPicker last night at The Haven Motel in Franklin, NC.

GrassPicker stayed at The Haven Motel three nights resting her knee and says she HIGHLY recommends the motel, because the owner is so nice to thru-hikers and even shuttles hikers not staying at his motel. She also ate twice at "Fat Buddies" barbeque and loved it, thus the two times there.
:jump
Anyway, the shuttle was to run around 11:00 and was taking them to Winding Stair Gap. GrassPicker said she expected to take 3 or 4 days to get to Wesser and the Nantahala Outdoor Center, depending on her knee. She did meet Slim, Biscuit, Deja Vu, Big Red, and Sarah (another Sarah) on the 10th in Franklin, but they weren't staying the night.

She reports she loves her Gregory Diva woman's pack and Waldies. She sent home her CamelBak 100 and purchased a Nalgene at the 3-Eagles Outfitters in Franklin. Also got her Polaroid photo taken there as a thru-hiker.

I asked what her meals on the Trail have been like. She says she mostly has cold breakfasts and dinners and a Mountain House hot meal for lunch. (She has an MSR WhisperLite for a stove.)

Oh yes, she's thinking of doing a flip-flop by having us pick her up and drive her to Harpers Ferry, WVA. She thinks the flatter terrain will be easier on her knee and she can hit the Smokeys after building endurance through Virginia. Any comments?

Mama and I hope to hear from her this weekend from the NOC. :)

Rain Man

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Flash Hand

03-13-2004, 01:05

Rain Man::

My wife ("D-bird") & i plan a "long-weekend" in the near future...to Dahlonega, GA & plan to hike up to Springer Mtn & take some photos....thanks again for the report!

p.s.: i talked to Scott Rogers (aka: "OneLeg" aka: "Bionic Hiker") yday...
he's in Nashville Mar 9-10th (speaking @ a school).

& he said he's gonna be on CNN Mar 13th.

www.OneLegWonder.com (http://www.OneLegWonder.com)

see ya'll UP the trail! :D

Hey there

Yes, Scott Rogers, trailname One Leg, will be interviewed live on CNN at 9:45am March 13. Am proud to say that he will be my hiking partner for most of the southern terminus of Appalachian Trail... He will be flip flopping and I will be staying thru to Mt. Katahdin. You guys may hear us as One Leg and Flash Hand.

March 22 start is coming up soon! can't wait and thanks for the report on other thru hikers.. especially Sarah!

Flash Hand :jump

attroll

03-13-2004, 01:27

Rain Man

03-13-2004, 16:33

Maybe we should change the title of this thread to GrassPicker's adventures or thru-hike. LOL. I love hearing your reports about your daughter Rain Man. I look forward to logging and and seeing how she is doing. You sound like a proud dad. I know I would be.

Hey Rick,

Sure, if you want to change the title of the thread to GrassPicker's adventures, that's fine by me.
:dance
She left a message this morning that she's at the NOC already. Sounded cheerful on the answering machine. That seems like just over two days, instead of the 3 or 4 that she had estimated.

Once I speak to her and get a report, I'll post an update. I don't mean to compete with TrailJournals, but as she's not doing a journal there, and may not even be doing a thru-hike, I don't mind posting updates on WhiteBlaze, and maybe even some photos soon.

More later or tomorrow. :)

Rain Man, proud papa

.

Rain Man

03-13-2004, 21:40

Well, her mama and I spoke to GrassPicker this afternoon. She reports she is still having a ball out there. She also asked us to come pick her up, so she can rest her knee. One option is to bring her home for a few days. Another is to drive her up to Virginia where it's flatter hiking. We're driving over to Wesser (the NOC) tomorrow afternoon, will spend the night, and take her wherever she wants to go on Monday. I'll give a report later. Now for today's report:

She and "Nails" (a woman from Florida) left Franklin, NC two days ago (March 11th) around noon by shuttle and hit the AT at Winding Stair Gap. They hiked to the Siler Bald Shelter, but decided it was too early to stop, so they continued on to Wine Spring Campground. About 8 or 9 other thru-hikers there, so they camped there for the night. "Kinloch," "Lowpaka," and "Scarf" were among the hikers there.

GrassPicker sent her tent home, so Nails invited her to sleep in Nails' one-person Sierra Designs tent with her. GrassPicker has renamed Nails to "Mama Nails." :) Mama Nails reported that GrassPicker kept one side of Mama Nails warm through the night, ... it was freezing cold at 5,300'.

The next day (yesterday, March 12th), they hiked from Wine Spring Campground to Wesser Bald Shelter, about 13.4 miles, and had the same big bunch of hikers stay there. They all decided on protocols to "round up" their daily mileages. Anything over 10 would be rounded up to 15 ... and anything over 15 would be rounded up to 25! LOL

They arrived at the Nantahala Outdoor Center today around noon. GrassPicker ran into a friend from college who is working there and invited her out for free BBQ tonight.
:clap
She also got her mail. The folks at the NOC said they had been waiting to see who GrassPicker was, because she had FOUR boxes and THREE letters waiting on her!!! LOL

Explanation: One dropbox was from her grandmother and was supposed to be there. Another dropbox was shipped too late by a friend to Hiawassee, and got forwarded by the P.O. there to the NOC. I sent her a box with her down jacket as she asked... after deciding she should not have sent it home with us after all. Another box was from her Mama and was full of brownies. Her Mama also had sent a letter, as had her law school big sister, and a friend from Colorado. Thus, four boxes and three letters!
:dance
She says she is keeping a journal and has taken about 135 photographs.

She is staying in the bunkhouse at the NOC tonight for $15.00. It even has a community kitchen, she says.

Anyway... we'll get to see her tomorrow night. Whether we drive her north or bring her home for a few days, I'm sure she'll keep going. She's having too much fun to quit.

Rain Man

.

attroll

03-13-2004, 21:55

I hope GrassPicker keeps going I look forward to your reports on her. I wish I was having that much fun.

Jaybird

03-14-2004, 09:09

Hey there

Yes, Scott Rogers, trailname One Leg, will be interviewed live on CNN at 9:45am March 13. Am proud to say that he will be my hiking partner for most of the southern terminus of Appalachian Trail... He will be flip flopping and I will be staying thru to Mt. Katahdin. You guys may hear us as One Leg and Flash Hand.March 22 start is coming up soon! can't wait and thanks for the report on other thru hikers.. especially Sarah!Flash Hand :jump

Yo Flash Hand

Yep, talked to "One Leg" again (several times) as he appeared on Nashville TV station WTVF/"NewsChannel 5" friday & sunday morning(on tape).

Missed the CNN intvw..but i know the guys @ the satellite uplink (StagePost in Nashville) where the interview was done...so i can get a tape copy (maybe).

Good luck with your hike...we're looking foward to reports either here or on trailjournals.com :D

Rain Man

03-15-2004, 23:35

I thought I'd post an update on GrassPicker as we arrived back home with her this evening. She plans to head back to the trail in a very few days.

We drove over from Nashville to the NOC in Wesser, NC yesterday, arriving around 8:00 local time. They really need better signs on the highway! In the dark with some rain, and no real town to speak of, we went right past it and had to double back.
:confused:
Anyway, GrassPicker was sitting there in front of the "base camp" building waiting on us with Satori (from Knoxville). I also met Mailor (who has a Trail Journal), Tennessee Jack (Nashville!!!), and Happy Feet (Bristol, TN).

We took GrassPicker and Satori into Bryson City for dinner at a Mexican restaurant. The others had had a steak dinner (and offered none to GrassPicker nor Satori?) already. Satori just finished home schooling and hasn't started college yet. He's a neat kid. His mom dehydrates whatever meals they have at home, and sends them to him. Supposedly it has become common knowledge that he eats better than anyone on the trail! Last night he had a big sit-down Mexican meal, however! The "sit down" part seemed espcially pleasing to Satori and GrassPicker for some reason! LOL

After dinner we dropped the family off at the Sleep Inn in Bryson City, and I took Satori back to the NOC with GrassPicker, and we picked up her pack and drop boxes. She and I bid adieu to Satori and Happy Feet who was there, and headed back to the Sleep Inn, where GrassPicker got a "real bed!"
:clap
This morning (Monday) we drove into Cherokee, NC and visited the Cherokee Indian Museum with our Azerbaijani exchange student son. The locals advised us to eat lunch at "Paul's" for the best hamburger east of the Mississippi. Truly, they were good hamburgers, so on GrassPicker's advice, we bought 5 cheeseburgers to-go before we left.

From there we drove up to Newfound Gap where the weather turned worse and worse the more we climbed the mountain on that road. It was about 45 degrees, totally fogged/clouded in, and a steady drizzle. We watched hopefully for hikers, but only saw two coming off the trail from a day hike and heading into Gatlinburg.

After two hours we were taking votes on how much longer to wait, when a figured loomed across the road in the fog. GrassPicker hopped out and ran over, and it WAS A THRU-HIKER. YEAH!!!

"Tortoise" (Boone, NC) had hiked from Derrick's Knob Shelter and was headed for Icewater Springs Shelter. She was happy to take a cheeseburger, but her eyes really lit up when I mentioned "root beer." Soon, she had downed one, standing in the rain. She didn't want any other goodies, but did think twice and took one more cheeseburger, then made it two more for her friend "Just Jim" (Maine) whom she was planing to catch up with at Icewater. (Tortoise started at Springer on February 23rd. She says she hikes very slowly, but does 12 mile days.)

Tortoise headed off into the fog and rain with three warm cheeseburgers in her rain jacket and we headed down towards the Sugarlands Visitors Center and Townsend. Got home just a couple of hours ago, around 7:30 (this is Monday evening).

GrassPicker's knee is sore, but she is doing just fine and has been telling family members on the phone about all the fun she's had and that she's going right back out.

I'll let you know when that happens!

Rain Man

.

Jaybird

03-16-2004, 10:15

I thought I'd post an update on GrassPicker as we arrived back home with her this evening. She plans to head back to the trail in a very few days.............etc.,etc.,etc.................... .................................................. .................................................. .................................................. .................................................. .................................................. .....

GrassPicker's knee is sore, but she is doing just fine and has been telling family members on the phone about all the fun she's had and that she's going right back out......Rain Man.

Rain Man:

WOW!, where were you when MY knees were about to fall off as i hiked into N.O.C.??????????????? hehehehehehehehe ;)

"GrassPicker" is a very lucky young lady having a caring family to care for her along the trail!

let us know when she gets back on the trail.

flyfisher

03-16-2004, 19:47

GrassPicker's knee is sore, but she is doing just fine and has been telling family members on the phone about all the fun she's had and that she's going right back out.

Rain Man,

Just a small suggestion from someone who had problems with knees on the trail.. If y'all have not already read up on Glucosamine, I firmly believe it has made the difference in my being able to hike or not. It is not magic. It does not work for everyone. It takes a couple weeks to work well. Again, I believe it is worth reading about.

Flyfisher (M.D.)

Rain Man

03-19-2004, 15:32

Mama drove "Grass" back over to the NOC in Wesser, NC yesterday (Thursday) late in the afternoon. Grass called this morning from the NOC to double-check on maildrops and was going to hit the trail this morning, just going from shelter to shelter this time (no "big mileage" days). She plans 3 days to get to Fontana Dam/Village.

When Mama left the NOC, she drove over to Fontana Village and left a food box there for Grass to pick up for her first leg of the GSMNP. We have arranged for a friend in Maryville (hopefully) to meet Grass at Newfound Gap with another food resupply on her way through the Smokies.

Anyway, there was a rumor on the Trail that she had "left the Trail," but that's not true. She's right back at it.
:)
Oh yes, Mama said only one hiker was at the Fontana Hilton Shelter when she stopped by there yesterday around 5:30. He was very surprised to be the only hiker in the Shelter. That was a first for him. (Sorry, she didn't get his name.)

Rain Man

.

2XL

03-24-2004, 07:23

How's Grasspicker doing? It's been a while since a report. I hope all is going well for her.

Rain Man

03-24-2004, 10:28

Yesterday (Tuesday) was "GrassPicker's" first day in the Smokies, so here's an update since the NOC.

Her Mama drove her back over to Wesser, NC on Thursday (March 18), after Grass rested her knees for two days at home. She wouldn't stay home any longer. She was so antsy to be on the trail. She spent Thursday night back at the NOC on the couch of her friend Garrick from Middle Tennessee State University. He is working at the NOC just now.

Friday morning she called to report in before hitting the trail northbound. She asked me to mail her a tent to Fontana, as she heard that its hard to get spots in shelters in the Smokies. She said it would take her 3 or 4 days to get to Fontana. Two and a half days later, she called from Fontana Village (Sunday afternoon)!
:sun
She said her knees are pretty good, also that the climbs out of Wesser and Stecoah Gap, which were reported to be really tough, were hard but not so bad after all. She says she "just went slow" and was fine. I guess her Colorado conditioning paid off. On the way out of Wesser she met "Bedpan" and then "Fuman," two SOBOers who had started in September and had been together since Pennsylvania.

She hiked about 7 miles on Friday to Sassafras Gap Shelter. There she stayed the night there with "Rex" (girl from Connecticut), "Honey Pie" (a guy from New England), "Hoss" from Atlanta, and "Fingers" from Pennsylvania.

She says Honey Pie and Hoss were a good pair and were hilariously entertaining. Hoss and Fingers held a "javelin" throwing contest with dead limbs, while Honey Pie acted as the announcer, entertaining the whole group for the evening.
:banana
On Saturday, she hiked about 9 miles to Brown Fork Gap Shelter (where it rained a little) and stayed again with the same group of NOBOers.

On Sunday, she hiked about 12 miles to Fontana Dam, where she hitched into Fontana Village. There she discovered her old hiking buddies, "Bloody Cactus," "Joy," "Lekiless," "Arwen & Heather," and got lots of hugs like a long-lost friend.
:clap
Later, when she called me, those hikers had all hit the trail and she said she was luxuriating in a room to herself, with washed clothes and pack spread out all over the place. She said her hiking weather had been beautiful and sunny. In fact, she had gotten a sunburn! She reports her Gregory Diva pack is "fantastic" and she "absolutely loves" her Waldies. Also, she has been taking lots of pictures to make her Dad happy, which she will mail to Dad from Gatlinburg. Finally, she said she planned to leave in the morning (Monday) and hike to Mollies Ridge Shelter in the GSMNP.

On Monday she called to say the tent I mailed to her had arrived, but that she was going to wait another day. She and "Brambles" had hitched a ride with two day hikers (a mother and daughter who meet to hike together) about 15 miles to Tooties Cafe. She really bragged about the barbeque, cornbread, and sweet tea at Tooties Cafe. Apparently it really hit the spot for a hungry hiker!

Later, Grass heard a report that the temperatures were going to be in the teens that night in the Smokies. Plus, she met sisters "Flora" and "Fauna" (from Kansas) and "Beavis" and "Butthead" (from Connecticut) on Monday. They all asked her to stay the night with them and start out as a group when the weather warmed. Didn't take much arm-twisting, so Monday became a zero day in Fontana.

None of the services are open at Fontana during the week, due to the season. So, no restaurant meals. The whole group decided to "pot luck" dinner on Monday evening. All "Grass" had to contribute was brown rice, as she had already mailed her extra food to The Happy Hiker in Gatlinburg. However, Brambles had stayed in, or gotten to, the Cherokee Indian Reservation the night before, where he had gotten some trout and wild boar. So, the menu was looking interesting, and up!
:)
An interesting side note. She met a hiker (name unknown) at the Post Office on Monday morning who said that due to warm weather, he had mailed all his long underwear home!

Tuesday (March 23) the whole group (Grass, Bramble, Flora & Fauna, and Beavis & Butthead) was scheduled to enter the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Six ATers. Three males and three females. So, once again Grass has plenty of female hiking companions. I'd say she has done well having other women to hike and stay with. But whatever gender, Grass reports the folks on the AT are just wonderful ... and she's still "having a ball."

That's all for now. More next week after we hear from Grass and her mama and I return from a few days in Florida.
:sun

Rain Man

.

weirdfrog

03-24-2004, 17:42

:banana GrassPicker Update! Yay!

I was starting to worry about those knees of hers.
Good to hear she's doing well and back on the trail.

I have to wait until next year for my hike, dangit.

Lilred

03-24-2004, 18:49

Love your reports Rain Man. Glad she's back on the trail and having fun. I'm starting to get antsy about my section hike coming up.

Jaybird

03-25-2004, 06:44

Yesterday (Tuesday) was "GrassPicker's" first day in the Smokies, so here's an update since the NOC............................................... .................................................. .................................................. .................................................. ......
Grass reports the folks on the AT are just wonderful ... and she's still "having a ball."
That's all for now. More next week after we hear from Grass and her mama and I return from a few days in Florida. :sun Rain Man.

Rain Man

Thanks for the "GrassPicker" update....feels like i'm right there on the trail...hikin' thru the Smokies again! hehehehehehe :D
You & your wife have a good vacation in Sunny FLA.!

Rain Man

03-28-2004, 23:17

Thanks for the "GrassPicker" update....feels like i'm right there on the trail...hikin' thru the Smokies again! hehehehehehe :D
You & your wife have a good vacation in Sunny FLA.!

Well, wife and I got back from Florida (where we had a great time) about 8:40 this evening. GrassPicker had left us a message on the answering machine Saturday morning around 10:30. Seems she was in Gatlinburg, but the resupply package she had mailed from Fontana wasn't there yet. So, she left forwarding instructions to Hot Springs.

She didn't say "boo" about the stuff I sent her from Nashville ... brownies, replacement camera memory card (so she could mail me her GSMNP pics so far), money, and etc., nor any details about her days hiking in the Park. I'll have to speak to that Girl about leaving more complete messages!
:-?
But she did "save the day" by reporting "everything is going well." That sums it up nicely to this daddy.
:sun
Next time I'll post more ... if she tells me more! I guess I just have to be here to pump her for information. LOL

Rain Man

.

Rain Man

03-30-2004, 15:49

Grass called this morning (Tuesday, March 30, 2004) around 9:45 ET just as my hand went for the doorknob to leave for my dentist appointment. ... He'd have to wait just a bit!

Grass says her knee is "great" and she is "absolutely having a good time!" I could tell all that from her voice without her saying so.
:sun
She was on a hiking buddy's cell phone in Davenport Gap, TN/NC, where they had just finished a big breakfast. She says she's being teased about her growing appetite as she can down three plates of food at a sitting now!
:)
Anyway, we only spoke a few minutes, as her friend's boyfriend kept beeping in on her friend's cell phone Grass was using to call me. Geez, rude of him! LOL I quickly gave her addresses for the family members mailing her next two food boxes, as she had bought post cards in Gatlinburg to mail them as Thank You's.

The group of six hikers (Grass, Flora & Fauna, Bramble, and Beavis & Butthead) had spent the night in Gatlinburg at the Gran Prix motel the last time she called home. She DID get the package of brownies, money, and camera card I had sent her at The Happy Hiker, but not her own resupply box from Fontana. But she did NOT switch out camera cards nor send me the one from the camera. ARGHHH. Says she hadn't written down what all the pics were for me yet. Daughters! I swear. LOL

Said she'd have to look at her notes to give me names of the shelters they stayed in in the GSMNP prior to Newfound Gap. But after leaving Gatlinburg they stayed at Icewater Springs, Tri-Corner, and Davenport. They left the Davenport shelter early this morning for the short hike to "Mountain Mama's" for breakfast.

In Gatlinburg they picked up a 7th hiker, whom Grass laughingly called "the old geezer" (as he was standing next to her while she was on the phone to me!). That's Seiko, who's on his 13th (?) thru-hike.
:banana
In Gatlinburg, two section hikers took them to breakfast. Grass ate three plates of food and got ribbed by some of the guys who ate less. She did the same this morning at Mountain Mama's. In case you don't know, Grass is a petitte little girl (okay, "woman," I guess, ... she did just turn 20).
:rolleyes:
I asked about cold weather because of reports I've been reading, but she reports it has been so warm at night that she sleeps in her shorts and the daytime weather has been great.

She says they will be in Hot Springs in two and a half days and will zero there, and hopefully catch any other hikers who are zeroing there, to catch up on trail news.

That was all the time she had to talk to me this time. Next time (from Hot Springs) she said she'd give me a fuller report on the Smokies and send me that camera card!
:clap
Oh yes, she said she was very glad to be out of the Smokies, so that she can camp wherever she wants now. Sounded odd to me, because so far she has stayed in shelters every night on the trail anyway, so I don't understand. Oh well, I'm a "Dad," so maybe I'm not supposed to. LOL

Rain Man

.

Rain Man

04-01-2004, 17:57

I received an email from Grass Picker this afternoon. Here is a slightly edited version. Enjoy.
==============

Hey Dad!

Well, I got some internet access so I checked my e-mail and now I'm going to write you a quick message about where I've been! I will call you later this afternoon, I promise, but the pay phones are out in the cold weather and I'd rather keep talking short : )

Anyways, here is a list of the shelters I stayed at in the Smokies:

1) Birch Spring Campsite- 5 miles after Fontana
2) Spence Field Shelter
3) Silers Bald Shelter
Gatlinburg!
4) Icewater Springs
5) TriCorner Knob
6) Davenport Gap Shelter
Davenport Gap for breakfast!

After I talked to you Seiko, Sevy, and I hitched to the trail head after the interstate crossing. We hiked seven miles to the Groundhog Creek Shelter.

Then (and I don't want a lecture on this one please!) Flora, Fauna, Scuba, and I hiked 23 miles to Deer Park Shelter. We got there about fifteen minutes after dark. What a day! We all got in the shelter, ate everything we could cook! and then feel asleep in about fifteen seconds after hanging our food bags!

This morning I felt like a kid on Christmas morning- I woke up at 5:30 and waited until about 6:30 before I started moving around and waking everyone up. I packed up quickly and hiked the remaining 3 miles to Hot Springs.

I'm in a hostel called Cody's House with Bramble, Flyboy, Honeypie, and Hoss. I think there might be two others there but I don't know who they are. Oh, and Satori is there tonight as well- he told me to tell my family hello!

Anyways, I feel pretty good for having done that many miles- nothing hurts I'm just a little sore. It's given me a lot more confidence in myself though as a hiker. (snipped personal stuff)

Anyways, I hope everything is going well at home. I will talk to you soon!! Love you!!

Uh oh, there's a guy here who's asking questions about us hikers and wants to know if I'm saved. Hmm, this could be fun.

Love,
Sarah
aka. Grass Picker : )

Jaybird

04-02-2004, 06:19

Hey Rain Man:

Is GrassPicker uploading a journal to trailjournals.com???????????
enjoying greatly your "grass-reports"...but would love to see her journal
too....if she is keeping one.

28 DAYS TIL I HIT THE TRAIL (for section hike)! :D

Rain Man

04-02-2004, 10:11

Is GrassPicker uploading a journal to Trailjournals.com???

Nope ... if you want to keep up with GrassPicker, you're stuck with me passing along updates.
:)
I did get to speak with her yesterday. She's going to spend two nights in Hot Springs. Today's plans are to soak in the hot springs and get a massage. I'll post an update later.

Rain Man

.

flyfisher

04-02-2004, 11:49

Nope ... if you want to keep up with GrassPicker, you're stuck with me passing along updates.
:)

It sure would be nice if you chose to take those emails and put them in a TrailJournal. I (and perhaps others) would find it a lot easier to keep up with her progress that way.

It is worth a thought. Thanks for considering the idea. ;)

Chappy

04-02-2004, 19:10

Nope ... if you want to keep up with GrassPicker, you're stuck with me passing along updates.
:)
I did get to speak with her yesterday. She's going to spend two nights in Hot Springs. Today's plans are to soak in the hot springs and get a massage. I'll post an update later.

Rain Man

.

I appreciate the updates. I'm following several journals of folks I don't "know", this is more like family. This also helps to stay in touch with the AT from a great distance. Following journals in 2001 also made my year in Kuwait go much faster. Boy, talking about yearning for green trees...caused me to decide to never cut another tree from my farm in GA.

Rain Man

04-03-2004, 01:49

It sure would be nice if you chose to take those emails and put them in a TrailJournal. I (and perhaps others) would find it a lot easier to keep up with her progress that way.

Hmmmmmm ... I read some TrailJournal journals, so I'm not sure why you say it'd be a "lot" easier to keep up with her there. Am I missing something? I actually think it's harder and slower and more tedious on TrailJournals.

In the meantime, I'll ask her. :)

Rain Man

.

attroll

04-03-2004, 02:04

I like it that you post here. Like someone said in a previous message. I like reading what you post here because we are like family here. I have plenty of other journals that I am trying to keep up with at TJ.

Rain Man

04-06-2004, 23:28

Here is the April 1 telephone call update, to go with the April 1 email update I posted already.
:)
This report is from Hot Springs, NC.

GrassPicker really likes sisters "Flora" and "Fauna." They hike at a great, steady pace with Grass, about 2 mph "all day long." On the other hand, "Bramble" is solid muscle and "runs!" He's an ex Army Ranger. They measured, and his thigh is as big around as Grass' waist. But he is a hare. He speeds along, then takes long breaks. Flora and Fauna and Grass just say "Hey Bramble" as they pass him along side the trail.
:cool:
After leaving Mountain Moma's at Davenport Gap after her last call on Tuesday morning, GrassPicker hiked about 7 miles to Groundhog Creek Shelter (?) and got there around 3:00. "Michael" and "Patrick," two brothers from VA (?) were there. Also, "SCUBA" is in the hiking group. He is from WVA (?) and was in the Navy. Now he leads scuba diving trips. Sevy was there, as was Seiko.

On Wednesday she started out from Groundhog Shelter about 8:15. During the day it rained. Then in higher elevations the rain turned to sleet. She caught up with the group at 1:37 and they waited half an hour for her to eat a hot lunch. They passed a shelter after a mile or two. The sleet had turned to snow and about an inch or two had fallen by then and it was cold. So, rather than stopping at a shelter and getting cold from sitting around, they kept hiking. While moving, they were warm. They also crossed Max Patch that day, but visibility was about zero due to the clouds and snow. They passed a burn area that "smelled like a huge campfire" and saw a couple of trees still burning in the snow.
:-?
During the late afternoon, they had to take a Snickers break because they were running out of energy. The snow had turned back to rain in the lower elevation. They pressed on and got to Deerpark Shelter around 7:45 or 8:00, which was about 15 minutes after dark. They had done 23 miles, ate quickly and fell into their sleeping bags.

The next morning (Thursday), is when GrassPicker said she felt like a kid on Christmas morning, because they were only three miles from Hot Springs. (see her email I posted earlier)
:clap
In Hot Springs she picked up the food box her Uncle Paul sent her. She said it was "a GREAT box." She also used the library to check and send email. To make phone calls, she had to stand in the rain at a pay phone. Apparently the town has very few phones. She stayed at the Cody House and said it had satellite televistion, a DVD player, and a kitchen!

She also caught up on some details of her hike through the Smokies, which she didn't have time to relay to me during her call from Mountain Moma's. After leaving Fontana Dam, her group hiked to Birch Spring Campsite and tent camped there. Was a good thing she had asked me to mail her my REI Roadster. Beavis and Butthead were in the group. They had a little campfire.

The next day they hiked to Spence Field Shelter with the same group, and there stayed in the shelter. Again they had a campfire.

The next day they made it to Silers Bald Shelter with the same group. Clingman's Dome a BEAUTIFUL. It was 70 degrees and they all took two hours to sunbathe. "Push" and "Shove" (husband and wife hikers) took photos of them forming the AT symbols with their bodies.
:sun
At Newfound Gap a husband and wife set of '02 thru-hikers, "Papa Smurf" and "Flame," were waiting with trail magic and fed them burgers, chips, apples, cookies,and sodas. They also gave them a ride into Gatlinburg (and have already emailed Grass).
:)
Grass and the group took two nero days in Gatlinburg (see earlier report), then hitched a ride back up to Newfound Gap. On the way to Icewater Springs Shelter, they met a returning maintenance crew, who had just installed a new porta potty privy. All the hikers made sure to use it more than once just for the novelty of the fresh cedar smell!!!

They had packed hot dogs and fixin's for S'Mores to Icewater Springs Shelter, where they met some Mt. LeConte hikers. The group there included Flyboy, Seiko, Grass, Flora & Fauna, Bramble, and Beavis & Butthead. Grass said she and Flora and Fauna ate about five S'Mores each. Beavie & Butthead had to return to Gatlinburg the next day to take care of banking.

The rest of the group went on to Tri-Corner Knob Shelter, which Grass reports as pretty good, with a spring close by. For dinner she cooked some Cajun rice Lipton dinner, added some chicken-in-a-pouch she had brought from Gatlinburg, and some red pepper that Beavis & Butthead had given her. Suddenly, she had a Mexican "wrap" and says it was GOOD!

After Tri-Corner, the next day they hiked to Davenport Gap Shelter, which I think brings you up to the last update.

Rain Man

04-07-2004, 23:59

Just FYI, I have now posted a few pics from the Great Smoky Mountain National Park, thru-hikers there, and Mountain Moma's in Davenport Gap, NC, from last week. See my "Member Gallery" in the photos section.

:welcome

More to come as I can find time.

Rain Man

.

Jaybird

04-08-2004, 05:35

Rain Man:

As usual...excellent "GrassPicker" report!
Like the photos too.....so, my Springfield buddy: Papa Smurf & Flame can't stay away from the trail, huh????? :D

Uncle Wayne

04-08-2004, 05:59

I have really enjoyed the updates and agree, eventhough I've never met her, it seems like keeping up with one of the family. Good reports, and good photos Rain Man. Keep 'em coming.
Much easier to keep up with her here than it would be on TJ, imo. I subscribed to this thread and Rain Man's updates come to my home email address also. :)

A-Train

04-08-2004, 10:20

I could be off, but im pretty sure that pic of thr group at New Found is not papa smurf and flame in the front. I followed their journal and they look way different from that, so i suppose the couple are thru-hikers. I could be wrong, but you might wanna check out their trailjournals....

Rain Man

04-08-2004, 10:59

I could be off, but im pretty sure that pic of thr group at New Found is not papa smurf and flame in the front. ...

Thanks... I'll check with GrassPicker. Between grabbing quick phone reports and the brief list she mailed with the camera card, I could easily be wrong.
:-?
Could be that this is simply the couple who gave them the ride back to Newfound Gap from Gatlinburg the next day.

Anyway, Grass is at Miss Janet's in Erwin now and has access to WhiteBlaze, so she can double-check. I'll post a correction if need be.

Rain Man

.

Jaybird

04-08-2004, 16:26

I could be off, but im pretty sure that pic of thr group at New Found is not papa smurf and flame in the front..............

Hey Rain Man

after seeing this post...i looked for this photo...couldn't find it....did u delete it til u can positively I.D. Papa Smurf & Flame??????????????????????

ship me a copy of photo...i can probably I.D. 'em fer u. :D

Rain Man

04-10-2004, 19:53

after seeing this post...i looked for this photo...couldn't find it....did u delete it til u can positively I.D. Papa Smurf & Flame???

Jaybird,

I spoke with GrassPicker and indeed that couple was not Papa Smurf & Flame, who did give them trail magic at Newfound Gap, and a ride TO Gatlinburg. She does not remember the name of this couple, who gave them the ride back FROM Gatlinburg.

The photo is still in my Member Gallery, but I did delete the wrong names.
:)
Rain Man

.

Rain Man

04-10-2004, 20:23

GrassPicker called Saturday morning to say they were heading out of Hot Springs after a full zero day. It is really sunny and the sky is so blue. She's heading out with Satori (Knoxville), Tinder, and Uncle Ben (Boston). There are rumors of 14" of snow 20 miles north.

The Cody House was good. It had satellite television, a DVD player, and a kitchen they could use. She feels good and rested. The soak in the hot spring yesterday was GREAT. They had it for an hour and it was right on the bank of the river. Though it was rainy, the hot spring is covered. A very CUTE little woodpecker decided to peck a tree nearby. It would peck for a while, then lay its little head against the bark to listen. GrassPicker really thought this little bird was CUTE!
:cool:
She also got a massage ... and now wants to have one every day on the trail!!!
:)
"The Diner" is where she ate meals.

Lekiless and Arwen & Heather headed out yesterday.

She says Flora & Fauna have a TrailJournel, as do Kyle & Kara Thoem (?), and Scuba.

She is thinking about going to Trail Days. She mailed me her water filter, ... and the cameral memory card yesterday.
:clap
That was a quick report just before hitting the Trail again.
:sun
Rain Man

.

Rain Man

04-12-2004, 11:18

"Snow, Ice, Getting the Blues, Snowmen, Hiking for Cheeseburgers, and Miss Janet"

Grass called Tuesday from Miss Janet's in Erwin.

She reports they have been hiking in about 14" of snow. It has been "really cold" and she has fallen "a hundred times." So, she and Sevy hitched today to Erwin for a break. Miss Janet was the one who gave them the ride from Devils Creek Gap (?) when Grass and Sevy hitched!

Her hiking group did make the best of the snow, however. They built a snowman on the Trail and gave him a backpack, a kilt, and a hiking pole. Then they lined up "Uncle Ben" (from Boston), Tinder (Chicago), and Satori behind him, as if all four were hiking single file. Grass took pictures, so I"ll look forward to getting that memory card from her.
:cool:
She said Lekiless and Arwen & Heather should arrive in Erwin today. They are slackpacking. Grass plans to slackpack to Kincorra with them.

Grass reports that the "hills" from Hot Springs are "just as bad" as the ones in Georgia and have been giving her the blues. It hasn't helped that she has had to contend with icy conditions and has fallen so much. She says it took "several hours" to do 6 miles on the trail yesterday and it was 22 degrees.
:-?
Yesterday they hiked to Flint Mountain Shelter. The group got to the Flint Mtn Shelter around 1:30 or 2:00. Grass and "K-less" emptied their packs at the Shelter. Then the two of them high-tailed it 3 more miles to the road at Devils Creek Gap. From there they hitched into Erwin yesterday (they ran into Seiko again there).

They went to the A&W rootbeer place and bought FIFTEEN cheeseburgers, a 12-pack of suds, and some soft drinks and loaded it all into their two empty packs. Then they hitched back to Devils Creek Gap and hiked the 3 miles back to Flint Mtn Shelter, arriving around 6:30. By then some other hikers had arrived, so the 8 hikers split the cheeseburgers and drinks.
:clap
The day before Flint Mtn Shelter, they stayed at Jerry's Cabin Shelter. The day before that they tent camped along the trail down low below the snow.

"K-less" is called that because his name is Richard and would be Rick for short, but he goes by Ric without the "K." Just a tidbit.

OH, OH!!! I got to talk to THE Miss Janet. Grass put her on the phone to say "Hello." She surely sounds like a neat lady!
:sun
Rain Man

.

weirdfrog

04-22-2004, 16:30

...bump...

:)

Grass

05-04-2004, 18:58

Hey everybody! Wow, I can't believe so many people actually read all this stuff- I'm not that exciting. Anyways, I'm back in Damascus for the third time (man, it's a vortex, I'm telling you, it's a vortex! you will be caught) and I'm really excited about the upcoming Trail Days. I just have to go find the hugest water gun around and buy two of them- one for each arm. That's the advice Miss Janet gave me. I'm going to be ready, are you?? : ) Well, Nuffy is calling me to do dinner prep. Happy Trails!

GrassPicker

2XL

05-18-2004, 08:25

Is Grasspicker still on the move?
Has she escaped the Damascus vortex?

2XL

Rain Man

05-20-2004, 11:30

May 20 update ... Grass escaped the vortex!

Is Grasspicker still on the move?
Has she escaped the Damascus vortex?

Not only has she escaped the Damascus vortex, she has escaped the AT vortex,... for two weeks, whether she wanted to or not.
:cool:
Right this moment, Grass is in Colorado fulfilling a commitment to her aunt and uncle to house and dog sit for them.

I'll try to post complete updates, but here's her status in a nutshell. She reached Pearisburg, VA, and from there returned to Damascus, where she worked at The Side Track Cafe through Trail Days.

After Trail Days, she hitched down to the Kincora Hiking Hostel in Hampton, TN and on Monday and Tuesday of this week (5-17 & 5-18) she worked with the hardcore trail maintenance crew out of Kincora. They relocated over 2,000 feet of AT. The crew included about 70 hikers.

I drove over on Monday evening from Nashville and arrived at Kincora just in time for dinner. Baltimore Jack was dishing out lasagne and salad and bread. It was great.

I met SGT Rock, Baltimore Jack, Bob & Pat Peoples, Seiko, Haiku, Bramble, Flora & Fauna, Fancy Free, Crispy Critter, Camel, Patrick, Booboo, and many more. Spent the night on a bunk at the hostel and Tuesday drove Grass back to Nashville for my birthday dinner at home.
:sun
On Wednesday (yesterday), Grass flew out to Colorado. Her original plan was to stay out there and continue working on establishing residency for college in the Fall. But she's got the AT bug bad, so now her plans are to return straight to the AT as soon as her aunt and uncle get back in 10 days or two weeks.

She wants to catch up with "The Family" of Bramble, Flora, Fauna, Patrick and the rest, wherever they are on the trail, and hike to Katahdin. I'll keep you posted.
:)
Rain Man

.

2XL

05-20-2004, 15:23

Thanks for the update. Sounds like she is having a great time. By the way Happy Birthday.

2XL

Jaybird

05-21-2004, 05:39

May 20 update ... Grass escaped the vortex!
Not only has she escaped the Damascus vortex, she has escaped the AT vortex,... for two weeks, whether she wanted to or not.
:cool: Right this moment, Grass is in Colorado fulfilling a commitment to her aunt and uncle to house and dog sit for them.:)........................................... .................................................. ...................................Rain Man.

HAPPY belated BIRTHDAY wishes!

Glad to hear "GrassPicker" is doing well...tried to find her @ TRAIL DAYS...never did....saw "Bramble" a few times...met Jan LiteShoe, saw "Baltimore Jack", "Sgt.Rock", "Model-T", "Dharma", Warren Doyle & Bill Irwin & a few others....

missed a whole load of WHiteBlaze folks.....maybe next year!

i knew there wuz a reason i liked you RAIN MAN...a fellow TAURUS! :D

Rain Man

05-21-2004, 10:31

Glad to hear "GrassPicker" is doing well...tried to find her @ TRAIL DAYS...never did....
i knew there wuz a reason i liked you RAIN MAN...a fellow TAURUS! :D

So... we're BOTH "full of bull"???!!! LOL

Grass said that the Side Track Cafe was SO busy during Trail Days, that she and the other workers couldn't even get out from behind the counter to take food to customers. So, they just had to shout out for them.

Thus, unless you made your way through that mass of people to find Grass trapped behind the counter, you wouldn't have seen her at Trail Days.
:)

Rain Man, now older, if not any wiser.
:sun

.

Rain Man

05-28-2004, 11:21

Grass has been in Colorado house and dog-sitting, as promised, for her aunt and uncle. Now, she's headed back east.
:)
She's taking the Greyhound bus back from Colorado, leaving some time today (Friday), arriving in Nashville (home) tomorrow (Saturday) afternoon for a 3-hour lay-over at the bus station, then on to Waynesboro, VA where she catches up with "the Family" (her hiking buddies) on Sunday morning. There, they begin a water-blaze canoe trip and hit the AT "for real" again on Monday.
:-?
I think, but I'm only the dad.
;)
She started on March 1 with a vague goal of Harpers Ferry. Now she's been bitten by the AT bug ... and plans on summitting Katahdin in a few months! If I'm able (and she'll let me), I'll go up and summit with her.
:sun
Rain Man

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flyfisher

05-28-2004, 23:18

Grass

05-29-2004, 18:07

Rick,
Dude, I realize that with a name like mine there will be several versions of the events that created my name. Let's face it, with a name like Grass you can't escape it! However, there are certain trail rumors I would appreciate not being spread to my father. As much as I know he'll hate me saying this- I already feel like I can't always do what I want on my hike because inevitably it'll get back to him through this forum. My hike already being somewhat restricted by the idea of my father always knowing what I'm doing- can we please not say anything to further this? And that goes for everyone else too. I think it's awesome that so many people read this and are actually interested in what I do. I'm flattered!!! But this hike is supposed to be mine, as my dad and I have already had talks about. The more anyone tells "good stories" that had you laughing- the less I'm going to laugh later because what's funny to you isn't necessarily funny to a father. Not to mention the fact that if I didn't tell him the story you heard, there is a reason! So please, let's be intelligent about what we tell the parents, ok? Thank you!

GrassPicker

ps. Dad, ignore this!! : ) I love you!

Rain Man

05-29-2004, 23:08

ps. Dad, ignore this!! : ) I love you!

Okay Dear. I'll ignore your post. I love you too!

:jump

flyfisher

05-30-2004, 07:21

Rick,
Dude, I realize that with a name like mine ...

Heather,

I enjoyed the way you told the story in the register. Both you and your father write well. I hope the two of you can stay close over the years in conversation and also in letter writing.

Walk Well

Rain Man

05-30-2004, 10:17

Heather,

I enjoyed the way you told the story in the register. Both you and your father write well. I hope the two of you can stay close over the years in conversation and also in letter writing.

Rick, I think you had a slip of the fingers on the keyboard? "Heather" of "Heather & Arwen" ("the Camera Crew") fame wrote the story.

"Grass" (aka "GrassPicker") is my daughter. Her name is Sarah. Oh, just to add more confusion, she is registered here on WhiteBlaze as "Climberchic" because of her avid "bouldering" interest. That's "rock climbing" to us ignorant masses.
:)
Clear as mud?! Anyway,
I already have 3 daughters of my own, plus 6 exchange student daughters around the world. I don't need a 10th just yet, even though I met Heather on Springer on March 1 and she seemed quite nice.
:jump
Greyhound Bus Trip:
Now, a little update on Grass. She came through town (Nashville) yesterday via Greyhound Bus. During her 3-hour lay-over, she got to come home, shower, have a home-cooked meal with her family, and have a good friend come over to visit. Then back to the bus station for another all-night bus ride.
:)
Waynesboro, VA & "water blazing" plans:
Less than half-an-hour ago (around 8:30, Sunday morning) Grass called from Waynesboro, Virginia. She was with her trail friends and getting ready to hit the river for some water-blazing. Next stop, Harpers Ferry, she said. I don't know if that meant canoing all the way there or not.
:confused:
Rain Man

.

Rain Man

07-08-2004, 21:09

Well, I got the call every parent dreads. "Hello. Dad? I'm in jail."
:eek:
FORTUNATELY, Grass was calling from Palmerton, PA, where the town has used the basement of an old jail as a hiker hostel. So, in this case, calling from "jail" was good news. Grass had access to a hot shower, laundry facilities, AND the local Girl Scouts give each hiker a "care package" of goodies, including toothbrush and toothpaste, toilet paper, and a stamped post card of Palmerton.
:dance
Grass said it had been a week and a half since her last shower and it felt SO GOOD to be clean. She reports that even after running her clothes through the washer, they still smell.

Grass had last called on the 21st from Port Clinton. She said the hike out of town was steep, but someone had put up movie quotes on little signs along the climb, so it was entertaining and fun to look forward to the next one. They had gotten a late start and only hiked 6 miles and stopped at the Windsor Furnance Shelter.

There were two teachers there, first time hikers, who were amazed at hiking from Georgia to Maine.
:)

On the 22nd, Grass hiked 16 miles. They stopped at the Eckville Shelter, which has a solar powered shower, a flush toilet, and a refrigerator, plus they ordered pizza. It was raining and they waited out the rain till about 6:00, when she hiked out with Dragon Slayer to the Allentown Shelter.

Then on the 23rd, she did 18 miles to Palmerton. She reports it is relatively flat, but really, really rocky. She heard one girl fell and broke her arm. Grass arrived around 7:00 and had dinner at the steakhouse in town.

She says the hiking "has been good."
:clap

Rain Man

.
:dance

Jaybird

07-09-2004, 05:10

RainMan:

Thanks for the "GRASS" update!

interesting...as always...& makes me envious!:D

Rain Man

07-17-2004, 13:51

An update to July 4, 2004.

The last update I posted was June 24 in Palmerton, so I'll try to quickly bring you up to date since then. I have posted pics since then, in my WhiteBlaze Member Gallery.

Grass said PA was pretty weird ... it made her want to come home.

On Tuesday June 29 Grass had reached the Brink Road Shelter in New Jersey, asking for me to mail her tent, as Uncle Ben's had been leaking in the rain. She also reported she was getting sunburned. She has seen a bear eating berries, and had eaten lunch in Bake Oven Shelter ... with TWO snakes. She continues to hike off and on with Flora & Fauna, Ben, Slim & Biscuit and a variety of other thru-hikers. She's see Pony Express and LWOP lately. She did 20 yesterday (June 28).

We spoke again on Sunday July 4th. She was at the Graymoor Monastery past Bear Mountain, NY.

On June 28th, they had camped with Slim's girlfriend near the Delaware Water Gap. Somehow, Slim had to hike 3 miles each way to get his girlfriend or for some reason, THEN had to hike to the Post Office in time to get a box. He was sick and threw up, but got it all done anyway.

On June 29th, Grass hiked 7 miles to Gren Anderson Shelter, including two and a half miles with a lost, scared female first-time section hiker, who did NOT want Grass to leave her "out there." Grass got the section hiker to where she needed to be, then went on.
:clap
At a crossing, Grass met Desperado, a trail angel who came along and took her to a deli,where she got a FAT!!! sandwich. Grass had no cash, so I think this ride to a deli that took debit cards saved her. She bought extra and Desperado drove her back to the trail crossing, where she left the sandwiches for Uncle Ben, Slim, and Biscuit. Desperado also told her "lots of stuff" about the Trail ahead. He maintains FOUR shelters. The weather was "beautiful" and the trail was over "fairly easy terrain."

On June 30, she hiked 18 miles to the "Secret Shelter." The weather was hot and muggy with ups and downs on the trail, but "nothing too big." She saw lots of deer and saw a "pretty big" bear two days ago. The bear was "NOT afraid at all."

At the shelter (I think) that night were Uncle Ben, Slim and Biscuit, Pez, LWOP, Bear Behind (who has stuffed bears and animals on his backpack), and Phil The New Guy (who got on the trail at Harpers Ferry). The Secret Shelter HAS A HOT SHOWER.
:jump
On July 1st, Grass hiked 2 miles to Unionville, NY, a very small town, to pick up the food box we sent her. She says it was muggy and very hot, with ups and downs on the trail. She was tired, she says. Then she hiked on to Vernon, NJ, where she stayed at the St. Thomas Episcopal Church Hostel for $5. It has showers, a laundry, AND cable TV. The watched Rocky III and IV and the Karate Kid. They went to the Heaven Hill Bakery for goodies.
:cool:
On July 2nd, the hikers watched Brave Heart in the morning, checked email, and Grass got a late start ... at 4:00 p.m. She hiked 9 miles and crossed the NY-NJ border and camped at a spot with a vista. They got to see a beautiful sunset, fireworks, the lights of New York City, and a beautiful sunrise, all from the same spot.
:D
On July 3rd, Grass hiked 22 miles to the Fingerboard Shelter.

On July 4th, she hiked 20 miles to the Graymoor Monastery, under some cloud cover. They passed the Bear Mountain State Park Zoo this afternoon, and had to wait in line to hike the AT through the park! They spent 2 hours in the park and had lunch there.

She says they blaze the trail very poorly in NY. It appears they rerouted the trail, but didn't reblaze it, she says. Her sunburn is gone, but her knees and feet hurt some (but not badly).

She got to make some calls and is having her aunt in Colorado send her climbing shoes, harness, and quick-draws. She and some other hikers plan to do some rock climbing up ahead. You might remember the name Grass gave herself on WhiteBlaze is "ClimberChic."
:dance
All is well on the trail.
:sun
Rain Man

.

Pencil Pusher

07-17-2004, 15:09

She got to make some calls and is having her aunt in Colorado send her climbing shoes, harness, and quick-draws. She and some other hikers plan to do some rock climbing up ahead.
That sounds like a detour to the Gunks: http://www.gunks.com/index.php?pageid=2&smGroup=2&smID=5

Rain Man

07-18-2004, 10:50

July 11th update -- Grass called from Slim's house in Housatonic, Massachusetts, from where they have been slackpacked (back into Connecticut) by Slim's mom, et al for two or three days.

On Monday, July 5th, they hiked 20 miles from Graymoor Monastery to RPH Shelter. It was hot, with lots of up-and-down hiking. When Grass and Uncle Ben got to Ginny Town Road, a local and his daughter drove UB to get sodas and candy and Oreos. Grass and UB left drinks for Slim and Biscuit, and Fitz and Slips, at the trail crossing. After half a mile more Grass and UB ran into A-Train, who slackpacked them the rest of the day. YEAH A-Train!!!
:clap
Grass and UB ran into a huge thunderstorm and passed a section hiker crouched in the middle of the trail. He had thrown his pack and poles to the side. Grass and UB said "Hello" to him and hiked right past. A-Train slackpacked the last 7 miles and they hiked about 3.5 miles per hour then. The trail was "nice."

On July 6th, they hiked 4 miles from RPH Shelter and ate at a deli, then hiked on to Pauling, NY. At some point, they passed the "biggest oak tree on the AT." They stayed (I think) at a pavilion and a lake, and got a neat hitch from a guy whose wife made him turn around and go back to get them.
:sun
On July 7th, they got a ride with the bike-shop owner back to the trail, hiked 3 miles, and went to a hot dog stand at NY Hwy 22, where a trail angel bought them all hot dogs. Biscuit tehn announced he was "tired and was calling his Dad." That snowballed (in JULY?!) untill everyone went home with Slim and Biscuit to Housatonic, MA.

July 8th was a ZERO day at Slim's home. They slept. They ate. They did errands. They watched "Monty Python and the Holy Grail."

Slim's girlfriend (Sam) took Grass to a hairdresser, where she got a cut and had her hair "done." Sam loaned Grass her dress to wear to the big lasagna dinner that evening Slim's house for the hikers and families. When Grass came out,-- cleaned up, made up, dressed up, and I suspect smelling slightly better than on the trail,-- all the boys cheered her!!!
:dance
On July 9th Grass went rock climbing, but everyone was still so trail-tired that they soon went for burritos.
:D
On July 10th, they were slackpacked 12 miles from MA Hwy 23 (SOBO?) to Jug End Road (in CT?). There was a quarry after about 8 miles (?) where they went swimming. The boys were diving from a ledge over 20 feet up, but Grass wasn't diving into unknown water from that high, so she went lower and jumped in. That was fun.

After the swim, there was a "one-mile boardwalk" over a bog with BAD misquitoes. YUCK.
:mad:
On Sunday July 11th, Grass, Uncle Ben, Slim, and Biscuit took a ZERO day. She says they ate, slept, and ate and slept. Slim's mom and Biscuit's mom cooked for them.

Fitz and Slips hiked today and saw Nails and Satori too!!! Two of Grass's very best hiking buddies from back in Georgia and North Carolina and Tennessee. They also saw Flippy and Jakebrake.

Grass says Slim and Biscuit live in towns close to each other, and their moms have been taking great care of the hikers. Ummmmm ummmmm... home cooking!!!
:jump
Rain Man

.

Rain Man

07-21-2004, 00:21

Grass called around noon on Friday July 16 from Slim's house in Massachusetts.

She hiked her first 30 mile day yesterday! Actually, it was something like 29.7, but she rounded up. Plus, she was slackpacking, but still proud of that day. She said it felt odd to get to the 20 mile mark and realize she still had 10 miles to go.
:p
On Monday (July 12) she took a ZERO day at Slim's house and "did nothing, but did do laundry."

On Tuesday (July 13) they were slack-packed from Jug End Road, MA and hiked SOBO to Conneticut Highway 4. She and Slim hiked together and did 20 miles, after first going to Slim's mom's school and speaking to "troubled teens" about hiking the AT. Slim's mom drove Grass and Slim to Jug End Road. Earlier, Biscuit, Uncle Ben, Fitz, and Slips had driven a car to CT hwy 4 and started NOBO.

The weather was pretty and sunny, hot but not too bad. The trail had all sorts of terrain, some mountains, some farm fields, some bogs and board walking. The misquitoes were NOT as bad as Sunday. She saw Flora and Fauna, SCUBA, and Giggles, and 30-30 (all headed NOBO).

Grass and Slim arrived at the car at CT hwy 4 around 9:30 or 10:00 at night and drove back to Jug End Road to pick up "the boys." Flora and Fauna came to Slim's house for the night too.
:D
Grass took another ZERO day on Wednesday, July 14 at Slim's house. They drove aound Great Barrington, MA (I think where Biscuit lives?).

On Thursday, July 15, they made up for a zero day and did their first 30 mile day. The last 5 miles were "easy" -- a gravel road walk.

They went to NY highway 22 in New York to start -- a 1.5 to 2 hour drive from Slim's house. First, they dropped off half the group (Slim, Fitz, and Slips) at CT hwy 4 to hike SOBO. Grass, UB, and Biscuit went on to NY Hwy 22 and hiked back NOBO.

The trail was not too bad, decent rolling ridge tops to start, then some mountains. The weather was really grey, hot and humid, and it sprinkled on them some.

They FINISHED all of NY and CT that day!
:banana
When Grass called on Friday at noon, she said they were all leaving Slim's house and returning to the trail for good that afternoon. Grass and UB were to be dropped off at MA hwy 23 and planned to do an easy 3 mile hike to Mt Wilcox South Shelter for the night.
:sun
Rain Man

.

Rain Man

07-27-2004, 23:58

Grass called on Tuesday, July 20 from Massachusetts at the AT crossing of MA Route 2, around 2:00 in the afternoon. She says they will be in Vermont this evening.
:sun
Friday, July 16, Grass and Uncle Ben left Slim's house and Slim's dad dropped them off at MA Route 23 and they hiked 3 miles to the Mt Wilcox South Shelter and spent the night alone. The hike was uphill, as most are from road crossings. The night was cool.

Saturday, July 17, they hiked 15 miles to Goose Pond Cabin, "a nice little cabin" with an ATC caretaker, who, for a $3 donation, cooked them blueberry pancakes in the morning. Uncle Ben swam in the pond nearby, but the water was too cold for Grass. Tailwinds, No Worries, Longshot, and Cheddars stayed the night also.
:D
Sunday, July 18th, they hiked 21 miles to Dalton, MA. It was hot and sunny, but then sprinkled rain on them. It "was supposed to be relatively easy," but a "few bumps" turned into "lots of big bumps." They saw A YOUNG BULL MOOSE just past Finerty Pond just off the trail in a little stream, rubbing against trees. It let them take lots of pictures and was unconcerned about them being ten feet away. This was a highlight of the hike! In Dalton, they camped in the back yard of Tom Bird's home, along with "a bunch" of thru-hikers and some section hikers.
:dance
Monday, July 19th, Tom Bird slackpacked them an EASY 9 miles, which they did in 3 hours, from 10:00 to 1:00, to St. Mary's Catholic Church. They found a GOOD ice cream shop and Grass had black raspberry, coffee, and mint chocolate chip ice creams. It was rainy.
:clap
Tuesday, July 20th, they had done 15 miles when she called at 2:00. They had 4 more miles to do to the top of a mountain they were about to climb, to Elph Lookout Vista, to camp for the night. While I was speaking with her, Flora and Fauna beeped in on call waiting. Turns out they are at the next shelter and are letting Grass know.
:jump

Rain Man

.