Coming to a standstill.

Hello!.. Although Gatlinburg was a typical American tourist attraction I was slightly disappointed that I didn't spend more time there. We arrived on the Tuesday lunchtime and left Wednesday morning so although we had a night there it wasn't really a day off because we'd walked over 5 miles Tuesday and even though we didn't start until midday on Wednesday we still did 10.2 miles. It was very tempting to stop another night and if I'm honest I regretted not doing so halfway through Wednesday, it turned out to be very hot again with, yes you've guessed it, more long climbs which had me sweating and swearing! One thing I noticed more that day was that at touristy places like Newfound Gap (there were bus loads of people there) loads of people approach you and ask 'y'all thru hikers?' 'You going all the way to Maine?' 'How long you been on the trail?' and a good one for me 'Where you from?' some even want to take photos of you! It really is like you are a celebrity! Very strange but weirdly uplifting although some of the time you just want to keep your stride going and not stop. I arrived at Pecks Corner Shelter late that night and was surprised at how many people were already there. It seemed Gatlinburg had been a popular stopping point for many people and it had created a bit of a bubble, there must have been about 30 others there and naturally the shelter was full so I had to set my hammock up. What with regretting not staying another night, arriving late, having to set up camp and hurting feet again I wasn't in the best of moods. Most people were talking about going about 12 miles the next day and because I'm not as fast as a lot of the younger ones (did I really say that? I'm getting old!) I knew it would be the same again the next night. With the weather forecast for rain the next night I decided there and then that I was only going 4.9 miles to Tri-Corner Knob Shelter the next day. I wanted to secure a place in the shelter, at least I would be dry if the rain did come. Pebbles kindly collected me some wood for my stove as she had gotten there early so was all done and I managed to just get everything done before dark and hiker midnight (9pm). 

The next morning I had a lie in as I knew I wasn't going far, I didn't get out of my hammock until 9.30am. My sleeping patterns don't seem to have sorted themselves out, I'd lain awake until well gone midnight even though I was shattered and yet I could have slept longer in the morning, I really don't know what that's all about. It's very frustrating. 

So on Thursday the 4.9 miles were done by 3pm although once again the majority of it was uphill. The wind had picked up and the temperature was dropping so I was more than happy with a short day, the next shelter was a way away and I certainly didn't fancy another late night. The sun was still out, my feet were ok and it felt good to have time to sort everything out early for a change. There were already four people in the shelter and gradually throughout the afternoon and evening it filled up but there were only a couple of people outside camping so we'd lost the crowd thankfully. When I say we I mean our group had split again, Brother Blood never  came into Gatlinburg at all so he was ahead and Pebbles, Vino, Norway and Scout were now at least one shelter in front. As for Frisbee, Stubbs, Hollywood, Hatchet and Strider they were at least a full day in front by now. So that left me and Cheddar, Refill (not sure if I've mentioned him before) and some new faces Up and Kenwood and Thumper and Texas Hillbilly. The predicted rain came down heavy that night and into the next morning but I'd decided that at some point I was going to get wet so geared up and set off from Tri-Corner Knob shelter earlyish, whether it was down to the rain or not I don't know but by just after midday I'd covered 7.7 miles and reached the next shelter where I took a break. I was already wet and it was very early and I didn't want to waste a good morning so set out again. I was getting cold and knew that hiking would warm me up, it had stopped raining for a while so I was confident of getting to Davenport Gap shelter. As I made the descent I realised that I was coming down into the clouds which was a bit surreal and sure enough it was pouring down again in no time, most of the afternoon was downhill as this was the end of the smoky mountains. I carried on through the rain and after a while I thought I must be near the bottom and I came across a sign, thinking it was to the shelter imagine my disappointment when it said 2.9 miles more! I was gutted so sat down on a log had a drink and ate a snickers bar. When I finally did reach the shelter I had decided that I would stay there for the night, I couldn't face another 3.5 miles to Standing Bear Hostel but it was cold, I was soaked and there was no dry wood for fire. A few people turned up including Sneaky Pete and Stripes and when I overheard them say her mum was coming to pick them up and take them to Hot Springs I couldn't resist asking if there was room to drop me at the hostel! Sure enough Stripes said it wouldn't be a problem and I was happy to be headed somewhere warm and dry. It was nearly two hours later and getting dark when her mum turned up and although it was actually dark when she dropped me off I was eternally grateful for the lift. I'd still covered 15.7 miles that day which wasn't too bad in the rain but I was to pay for it later.

Standing Bear was a hostel with a difference, very rustic, a bit like a sprawling farm with many different shape and sized buildings. It was also very busy so the only available sleeping space was in a large outbuilding where you just picked a space on the floor! Very basic! Also when I retrieved my sleeping bag from the bottom of my bag it was soaked from all the rain. I made a mental note to get a bin liner for future rain, once again I'd learnt a valuable lesson, you're never too old to learn new tricks. I still slept ok thanks to my under quilt and a couple of well earned cans of beer! The next morning I dried my stuff out, restocked and then slack packed the 3.5 miles I'd missed the previous evening. Slack packing is when you do part of the trail without your pack, a perfectly legal thing to do! As Standing Bear wasn't the most salubrious of places I decided to move on that afternoon and at least start the 5 mile climb to Snowbird Mountain with the idea of stopping at a campsite halfway up. That was the good thing about leaving the smokies, you were back to being able to camp where you wanted without restrictions. I set off with Wokman at about 2pm and unexpectedly reached the top without  too much effort where there was an Air traffic control tower in the middle of a bald which offered more great views. As I was still feeling good I thought I'd head to Groundhog Creek Shelter a further 2.5 miles away. The only problem was that that downhill started to cause pain in the join of my foot and ankle. At the time I didn't think too much of it, once I got to the shelter I figured I'd be okay in the morning and went to sleep in my hammock happy with the 6.9 miles. 

Saturday morning I awoke and gingerly stepped out of my hammock hoping to feel no pain but it still felt uncomfortable. Still I hoped I'd be able to walk it off and as the first part of the day was uphill I managed ok up to a beautiful place called Max Patch Bald. Yet again stunning views from the top for 360 degrees and an added bonus of trail magic twice! Once leading up, a guy who I met in Hiawasee called Cliffhanger was dishing out beers which on a hot day was very welcome and then on top of Max Patch a young couple were giving out sandwiches, fruit and yet more beer! Bonus! I stayed on the top for an hour or so and started down the other side hoping to get as far as possible but as soon as I started going downhill the pain returned with a vengeance. At this point I was hiking with Stonebridge and he slowed down to keep pace with me and throughout the day we managed 11.6 miles and stopped by a stream and camped for the night with a guy called John. As it was a clear night I didn't put up my tarp and lay in my hammock looking at the stars. Although my leg was hurting still it was a nice night, this was what it was all about. 

The next day I realised that my ankle was turning into a bit of a problem, a few people had said it sounded like tendonitis and that rest was the best treatment and this sounded about right but I knew I was only 14.6 miles from Hot Springs and a good place to rest so I pushed on on my own hoping to get as close as possible. There were two problems though, one it was all downhill which was the most painful and two Hot Springs was inundated with people because of an out of control fire just north of the town which had closed a 15 mile stretch of the trail and had had to be evacuated so I was unsure whether there were any rooms available in town. By 4.30 I'd only managed 8 miles to Galinfro Gap and I was in absolute agony. I stopped at the gap which had a small road and not long after a couple of other hikers caught up and called me a shuttle into town. I just couldn't do anymore at that stage. A lovely woman called Ruth came and fetched me, took me to town and promised me she would find me somewhere to stay. Luckily because there was no chance of the trail re opening any time soon people had started shuttling 15 miles north to Allen Gap where the trail was open so when Ruth took me to the Laughing Heart hostel there was room for me. 

And here I am three days later still at the Laughing Heart, feeling frustrated watching people come and go. To be honest it's a very nice place and there are a lot worse places to be stuck but it is still a bit of a downer. 

When I got here Cheddar, Pebbles, Wild Horse and Stonebridge were all here but they have all left today. Scout turned up yesterday as did Sunshine and Purple Bear and then today my old friend Rock Steady turned up and it was great to see him. Giggles and Sneaky Pete have both passed through and i also caught up briefly with Strider, Frisbee, Stubbs and Wokman. A whole new bubble of people have passed through since I've been here aswell. And also yesterday a couple called Brett and Lonnie appeared again, I'd met them a couple of weeks ago at a shelter, then again the morning at Standing Bear and then again here. The unusual thing about that was that they are section hikers and not going in any particular order so to bump into them so often was unusual. Lovely couple who it was a pleasure to spend time with.

On my first day here I hobbled into town to the laundrette and down to the river. Also got a bit of shopping in but since then I've had to sit here with ice on my lower leg whilst elevating it! Miss Janet is another trail legend and she had a look at it the other night and immediately said it was a shin splint. I felt like a naughty schoolboy being told off when she accused me of pushing too hard and not stretching properly! The thing is you are putting your body under so much stress with walking mile after mile everyday that injuries are likely to occur, the amount of knee and foot problems people have is incredible. I'm just hoping this clears up soon and I can get moving again. 

The fire was still going when I arrived in town, the smoke was billowing out the mountains, I thought I'd passed the smokies but apparently not! At this point there are many rumours about how it started but it's not for me to speculate. One thing I do know is the other night you could see what looked like the whole mountain ablaze as the firefighters did a controlled burn to try and halt it. It was quite a sight from the hostel and not something I expected to see. There was a rain storm last night and it seems to have put out most of the blazes, the mountain is clear of smoke so who knows, maybe the AT will open again soon. 

As for me I've had countless advice about what to do to help the recovery and it does seem slightly less swollen today. I certainly don't think I'll be going anywhere until at least Saturday which is a bit crappy, I'm currently going stir crazy confined to this hostel, I came out here to hike not sit around doing nothing all day. Although it has given me the time to talk to you. So here I am sat on the porch with my foot in the air with an ice pack on it just waiting it out. It is nice and warm here though!

007 

Licensed to Hike! (Hopefully!)

How it all came about

Well this is a suprise! Two quick blogs. I can't sleep so I thought I'd tell the tale of how this idea began.

It was June last year when I first read about the Appalachian Trail. There was a holiday review in the paper about a two week section hike of this huge trail in America and at first I was intrigued then interested and finally hooked! Now anyone who knows me knows that two week holidays aren't my thing. I haven't been on a proper holiday in a long long time and so therefore I wasn't really interested in the two week aspect of it, once I knew what it was all about I wanted to do the whole thing!

Over the next few months I started researching the trail; reading articles, watching YouTube videos and generally gaining as much information as I could. I didn't tell anyone properly until October, it was exciting to think about but really still a dream, it was hard to even imagine the enormity of it all. Once id started telling people, I carried on researching and waited for the flaw in my plan to become evident but strangely it didn't appear and come  December I started the on line application for a US visa. An Esta allows 3 month travel but because the trail was 2189 miles long and would take between 5 and 7 months I obviously needed longer so a B2 visa was needed. The form took ages to fill in and there were many parts I had no answers to but my sister helped me and I completed as much as I could and set an interview date for January 19. 

Over the Christmas period I put it on the backseat a bit, I was a bit concerned about whether I'd qualify for a visa so I thought I would wait until after the interview before going any further although I did get a few trail related presents; a new watch, a Swiss Army knife (which has been invaluable) and a first aid kit (which thankfully so far hasn't been needed) and a new camera.

By the time Jan 19 came round I had read up so much about the interview process that I had convinced myself they were never going to give me the visa I needed, that's the pessimist in me! I travelled to London by train arriving at Kings Cross two and a half hours before my interview so decided to walk to the Embassy (I mean walking was what it was all about, wasn't it?!). When I finally arrived there, still nearly an hour early, the queue outside must have been 250 people so I registered and thankfully they didn't turn me away and joined the queue. One hour later I was being ushered through security and made my way to reception where I was given a number and then had to wait in a huge room and watch this big screen for your number and which window you had to go to! That initial call was a few basic questions and then you had to sit and wait to be called again. Finally, nearly three hours after I'd started to queue my second call came, again you were called to a window and the guy asked me why I wanted to travel to America so I told him and he said 'a couple of my buddies are doing that this year, you might see them'; at that point I realised I'd been worrying about nothing! A couple of questions later and he informed me my application was successful and enjoy my visit to the States! I was gobsmacked, I couldn't believe I'd been worrying so much, job done, visa secured. Now there really was nothing stopping me!!

In between work over the next couple of months I researched and bought lots of equipment including a bio lite stove which runs on twigs only and does work very well as a phone charger aswell but unfortunately is a bit heavy! I'm sticking with it though, in getting used to the weight in my bag. I also purchased a hammock and tarp from DD Hammocks, I'd made the bold decision to not go with a tent (varying degrees of success and failure as you've already read) and I'm still not sure it was the right decision but the new under quilt I have bought could save the day. Hopefully.

Other bits and bobs were attained but I couldn't decide whether to get a new backpack or stick with the trusty old thing which I'd had for years and had served me well in South Africa. So on February 10 i caught the train to Nottingham to check out a few camping stores and see what they had to offer. To be honest that part of the day was a complete failure as they didn't have what I was after so I came back empty handed. However, I'd been looking at flights online for a while but because I wanted to fly into Atlanta and fly out from up north I hadn't found anything suitable and my neighbours daughter told me to try Trailfinders who also had a store in Nottingham. I went in with the sole intention of just enquiring but after half an hour I came out of the place with a flight booked for March 22! I'd done it, the final big part of the plan was complete, £705 spent on an open return and I was on my way to America for the first time in my life!! 

I then registered with the AT Conservancy to start the approach trail on March 24 and they sent me my Thru Hiker hangtag. After yet more online research I decided to get a new backpack and ordered an Osprey Atmos 65 which I have been very pleased with. Even now a month into the adventure I'm still learning things about my purchase. Some might say it's too big but I'm happy with it and that's the main thing. I then confirmed with my employer my plans, handed my notice in and the rest you know if you've been reading my blog. 

So there it is, the story of how I came to be walking through the Appalachian mountains. I hope that's answered any questions you might have had about why I'm here doing what I'm doing. Some might say it's a mid life crisis, I would prefer to call it one last hurrah before I'm too old to enjoy such a trip but having met many people who are much older than me doing the same thing who knows??

What I would say is that so far it's been hard work, probably one of the hardest physical things I've done in my life, however also one of the most enjoyable and rewarding and I'm so pleased I read about the Appalachian Trail when I did. And if any one of you reading this fancy a life change, be it a new job, a long holiday or something completely different don't be scared, be brave, go for it, you only live once, believe me you won't regret it. I don't. 

007

Licensed to Hike!

The Smokies

Hey there.. Im currently in the process of writing the story of how I came to be out here on a different post which I will hopefully publish soon but as for now I shall take up the story from where I left off in Franklin..

Friday night was our second night in the motel  and I went out with George and birthday boy John to a bar just down the road called Mixers. Also there were Cheddar, Wild Horse and Sunshine. John insisted that as it was his birthday he would pay for all the drinks which was extremely generous but no one took the mickey and the night ended earlyish although not before I had taught George a lesson at pool and we had taken over the Juke Box much to the annoyance of the locals!!

Saturday morning we were up early for the 7.15 am pick up to the Baptist Church for free breakfast. All through March and April they provide hikers with pancakes, bacon, coffee and Orange Juice; there are no catches or obligations, they pick you up and take you back to the town motels, take your picture which they post to whomever you wish and it really is all you can eat, they will keep cooking until everyone has had enough. Franklin is a growing town, there are job vacancies everywhere I went and they want to become known as the best trail town. So hikers are looked after and the church are doing their bit. The morning we went took the numbers they had fed so far this year to 633! That's a lot of pancakes and bacon! The generosity shown to people who choose to hike still amazes me. That day I met my first fellow Englishmen, brothers 'Sherpa Tensing' and 'Kaiser Sauze' from Sussex and we all agreed that such generosity in England would be treated with huge suspicion. What do you think?

The rest of the day I picked up my under quilt (which has been a huge success and kept me nice and toasty at night) had a chat with one of the employees there who was really into English Football, bought a few bits from Ingles, met up with my good pal 'Rock Steady', had endless conversations about the weather before ending the night at the Lazy Hiker for a live band but it was packed out and cold out so didn't stay long. That night I was packed and ready to go as we'd decided enough was enough, Sunday morning we were going back on the trail.

After missing breakfast (doh!) I struggled to get going and after a slow start we got the free shuttle back to where we had been picked up on Thursday; Winding Stair Gap. The bus journey was unusually quiet, everyone lost in their own thoughts anticipating leaving town and going back into the woods!

Yet again the day started with a long slow climb (as most days seem to!) but by the end we'd made 11 miles progress and camped at Wayah Bald Shelter. On Mon 11 we did another steady 10.8 and camped at Wesser Bald Shelter. These areas are called Balds because you'll reach the top of a mountain and there are no trees, it's a bit of a strange sight really but a nice change. Just before the camp there was an observation tower with yet more outstanding views of the mountain range surrounding you.

Then on Tuesday morning I was up and ready to go, I knew it was going to be a short days hike as it was only 5.9 miles to the NOC (Nantahala Outdoor Center) I was there by midday and the sun was blazing, a perfect day for lazing in the sun with a few beers, some proper food and generally having a rest! That night a few of us camped next to the river and with no rain forecast I decided to hammock with no tarp, just my mosquito net and a beautiful night it was, real camping under the stars. The one blight on the day was when I heard from George that he and John were off the trail due to George popping his knee. It brought home how easily and quickly the adventure can come to an end. Reinforced by later news that a lad we roomed next to in Franklin was also gone due to a broken ankle. One misplaced step and that's it, simple as that, certainly a sobering thought. Wednesday started slowly, we didn't get back on the trail until 11.30 which turned out to be a mistake, once again a long climb 5.8 miles up nearly 3000ft punctuated by many stops and lots of swearing on my part much to the amusement of anyone in earshot! By the time I reached Locust Cove Gap, which was the nights camp it was getting late and I was grumpy! When you reach camp late it's all a big of a rush as there's water to collect and treat, food to cook and bed to make up. By the time all this was done it was dark and because of the previous nights success, lack of time and good weather forecast I went without the tarp again. I'm sure you can guess what happened next! Yes, at 5am I awoke to the pitter patter of rain and had to jump out my hammock find my headlamp and tarp and try to stop everything getting wet. Luckily there was no wind and it only turned out to be a shower so I was able to drape the tarp over my mosquito net and no damage was done. Good old Brother Blood, a fellow hammocker, shouted through the darkness asking if I needed help but I'd got it covered and managed to get back to sleep! That day we'd covered another 10.4 miles which wasn't bad after such a late start. 

By this stage we'd lost Wild Horse and Sunshine again who were struggling and for a few nights our little band of hikers had joined up with Wokman, Frisbee and Stubbs, Strider, Hollywood, Hatchet, Baptist, Taylor aswell as myself, Cheddar, Scout, Brother Blood and Pebbles. 

Another long day followed, only 11.5 miles but it was a similar story of arriving late into camp at Cable Gap Shelter and after another rush of finding two evenly placed trees and all the rest of the jobs I was starting to feel mentally and physically exhausted. Any of you who follow me on Facebook will know I had a bit of a wobble on the Friday and although it was only 5.8 miles to Fontana Dam by the time we got there I was shot and not feeling good. My Facebook followers gave me a much needed lift with some lovely words of encouragement and after a tasty burger at the grill house, a quick resupply, a visit to the laundromat and finally getting a permit for the smoky mountains (which cost $20!) I was feeling better. Later that day I got a shuttle back to where I had been picked up earlier and hiked the final mile to the Fontana Hilton which was a shelter with a difference. Positioned over the lake, it's one of the biggest shelters on the trail and sleeps 28! As there weren't any suitable trees left I set my sleeping bag up in the shelter and the day ended a lot better than it had begun. Also at the Hilton were phone chargers and showers, real luxury in the world I had immersed myself in! I took advantage of the shower early next morning and although there were no towels a shirt did the job just as good! That morning Wokman left the group to meet his wife as it was his birthday and Scout also disappeared (he reappeared a few days later!)

Fontana Dam is the gateway to the Smoky Mountains, a 70 mile stretch through a national park with many rules and regulations which if aren't followed can lead to fines; you must have a permit, you must stay in the shelters, you can't light campfires, there are no dogs allowed (there are quite a few people who hike with their dogs so they have to make alternate arrangements for people to look after them) yet strangely horses are allowed! There are many other rules too ridiculous to mention, it's as if hikers are a nuisance rather than celebrated as at most other places. The day began with a quick look around the visitors centre and then a walk over the actual dam itself which made a change. Honestly, I hadn't been looking forward to that days hiking, over 3000ft climb over approximately 11 miles but maybe because of this it went better than expected and after 5 miles we came across another disused fire tower which I managed to get halfway up but its rickety structure dissuaded me from going any further but still got some nice pics. Stopped at Mollies Ridge Shelter that night and managed to burn my fingers on my stove, won't be doing that again! Next morning I got my first sight of some decent wildlife as some deer came right up close to the shelter completely unperturbed by people close to them. The only previous things I'd seen were a few squirrels, still no bears though!

I'd been warned that the Smokies would be cold with the possibility of snow but the reality has been a mini heatwave which brought out all the bugs and do they like me! I've been bitten numerous times over the last few days, very itchy and annoying. Not to mention a bit of sunburn on my arms and legs which led to Brother Blood lending me a shirt as my base layers are black and hot! 

The next day was again very hot but still managed 12 miles to Derrick Knob Shelter without any notable incidents just a nice days walking with some great views which were just the precursor for the next day.

That next day was Sunday and although the morning was tough going, the afternoon was worth it. Clingmans Dome is the highest point on the AT and obviously that means more climbing however under 25 degrees heat by mid afternoon me, Cheddar, Pebbles, Brother Blood and Vino were at over 6600ft and enjoying some spectacular views from the purpose built platform. I can honestly say it was breathtaking, 360 degrees view of endless mountain ranges stretching over 5 states. Words can't describe it and the sunburn and insect bites were forgotten for a short time. After half an hours break there it was time to push on and shortly after that we hit the 200 mile mark, a truly monumental day! By the time we reached Mt Collins Shelter it was getting late but 13.8 miles had been covered. Unfortunately all that climbing and descending had caused my feet to hurt like hell and I was hobbling around the shelter with a few hotspots on my heel and toes. It wasn't long before I turned in for a third successive night in a shelter. Shelters aren't the most comfortable of places to sleep due to hard wooden floors and I was looking forward to a night in Gatlinburg.

I woke at 7.30am and gingerly stepped down anticipating pain but it wasn't too bad and I knew it was only 5 miles to Newfound Gap where we could catch a ride into Gatlinburg. The scenery had changed over the last few days and walking through a pine forest made a nice change again, lots of shade and fresh smells which also made a change from smelling myself! Not good! Once underway those 5 miles passed quickly and Cheddar had rung ahead and booked us a room at the Grand Prix motel. When we reached the gap there was a nice suprise, trail magic provided by the Baptist church again; fresh fruit, snacks, coffee and soft drinks which was all greatly appreciated and they also provided a free shuttle the 15 miles into town. Nice people. 

Once dropped in town I could see what I'd been told about the place was all true, a gaudy tourist attraction in the middle of the mountains a bit like Skegness but on a much larger scale! A walk down the strip was like sensory overload, I reckon you could stay here for a year and eat in a different place every day if you had the money as like most touristy places it's very expensive! The hotel was only $40 between us, nice sized room with 2 double beds if not a little shabby but compared to the shelters it was pure luxury! Took a ride out to Food City to resupply again and bought hotdogs and buns to eat to save money on eating out. Once again there are a lot of hikers in town, quite a few are stopping in this same hotel, everyone taking time off the trail to resupply, eat well and generally dip back into society to see what they've been missing! 

I was up until 2am writing this so if some of it doesn't make sense then that's why! It's now 8.30 am and I'm just finishing off before heading back out on the trail via the shuttle at 11. It's a cloudy morning and the forecast is to cool down and possibly rain over the next few days but mustn't grumble as we have been very lucky so far in the smokies. Sorry for the length of the blog, hope I haven't bored you and I will endeavour to not go so long without posting not least because I can't recall what happened when and it takes so long to catch you all up with my news! I honestly thought I would have more time on my hands but as I alluded to earlier there's always something that needs doing!

One last thing, I'm thinking of setting up a go fund me site if anyone is interested, my boots are going to need replacing soon and it's proving to be more expensive than I originally thought, a few people have expressed an interest in helping me out and I'm not too proud to not accept so like I say if you are interested I will post details on social media and in my next blog. Any donations would be greatly appreciated. Okay, it's time to pack my stuff up and get that pack back on, many more miles are ahead! Back into the mountains where signal will be sparse again for a while, national parks don't have the best coverage. By the way I also renewed my phone contract yesterday so I can keep posting blogs and social media. 

Thanks for reading.

Will be back soon.

007. Licensed To Hike!

109 miles in.

Hey everybody, as the title suggests I'm into 3 figures mileage wise and also into state number 2. Georgia has gone and I'm into North Carolina, it felt quite exciting to cross the border, don't get me wrong there was no great fanfare just a sign on a tree but for all hikers, crossing a state border gives you a great sense of satisfaction and pride. Every step is a step closer to Maine but those solitary border steps seem so much bigger. 

I had some nice feedback from the last blog thanks including a note from the mother of one of the guys I've met along the way. South wind is with his good friend Owl and we seem to cross paths every few days travelling at a similar pace and those pair are going about it the right way, not going too fast and enjoying the experience. Nice guys who it's been a pleasure to chat with, Char O im sure you're very proud of your son and you should be, he's a great bloke, and thank you for the kind words.

Okay last time I wrote we were in Hiawassee for the bash which was good fun but weirdly on Saturday lunchtime I started to feel restless and couldn't work out why and then it dawned on me that it was because I was stationary! I wanted to get walking again! It's strange how the trail can get hold of you. Sunday morning I got up early so I could call home, I timed it for lunchtime as I knew the family would be together and it was nice to talk to them from thousands of miles away but I was slightly jealous, I miss my mums Sunday roasts! And all the family of course! At 9am five of us were in the van and on the way back to where we got picked up at Unicoi Gap...

That days hiking started with 2 massive climbs and it wasn't long before I was sweating buckets and blowing hard but got to Tray Mountain in the end and had a little lunch at the top with my companions Cheddar, Wild Horse, Scout and Maniac. Maniac later forged ahead but the rest of us along with Sunshine all camped at Addis Gap; a lovely little secluded campsite next to a stream. We'd done 11.3 miles first day back and it felt good. The next day we did a steady 9.9 miles to Plumorchard Gap shelter but lost Wild Horse and Sunshine along the way as WH wasn't feeling well which was a shame. The last 4 miles were tough and I fell behind myself but I met Brother Blood and between us we encouraged each other up the long incline, eventually beating the bloody thing! I feel a good friendship was formed that afternoon, it's what the trail does, brings people together. After a literally freezing night the night before in my Hammock I stayed in the shelter which was only slightly warmer but it did save me time in not setting up or taking down in the morning.

Tuesday was the day we crossed the border, as I said earlier it felt good, it was a nice warm sunny day and although it ended with a steep climb followed by a tricky descent which had me cursing as it was particularly rocky we still managed 12.2 miles. Just before the shelter we met some section hikers who had just finished and had excess water and food which they dished out to us. More Trail Magic. We stopped at Standing Indian Shelter which was a bit cramped but once again better than being completely frozen!

The next morning I shot up Standing Indian Mountain, inspired to get warm as the morning had been bitterly cold again. Once I'd reached the top the next few miles were a lovely slow descent down a ridge path and the morning flew by, today was going to be a personal best, I could feel it. The miles flew by and we all caught up with each other just as  we got to Albert Mountain where there's an old disused fire tower. That was the hardest climb yet, short but steep and literally clambering up boulders but getting to the top was worth it, the views were amazing, it was like being on top of the world, however when the wind blew I hung on to the stairs for dear life and raced down to terra firma!! After that it was all downhill to Long Branch shelter where 14 of us crammed in and although it was another cold night I was the warmest I'd been for 3 nights. That day we'd hiked 16.2 miles. That personal best had been smashed and although my feet were screaming at me the rest of me felt good!

Cheddar and Scout were up and gone at 5.30am but I waited for daylight, the plan was to get to Franklin for a night or two at the Budget Inn. I set off on my own and in 3 hours under murky skies I cleared 7.8 miles by 11.30am and arrived at Winding Stair Gap just as the free shuttle pulled in, brilliant timing! The bus took me to the Budget Inn and when I arrived Scout and Cheddar had booked the room and paid for my share which was very kind and much appreciated. Then to great delight Wild Horse and Sunshine appeared and the gang were back together. I then had my first taste of Bojangles which was a chicken style fast food place, I was ravenous after 4 nights of trail food and gorged myself. The rest of the day was spent resupplying and chatting and the day ended with a quick drink in the Hiker Bar which disappointingly closed at 9pm but still managed to catch up with Brother Blood before closing.

And so here we are in Franklin, a bigger town than I imagined and lots of hikers, I've ordered an under quilt for my Hammock from the outfitters so that I'm not going to be cold anymore, $175 but I'm sure it'll be a good investment as the Smokies are going to be very cold. Talking of the weather it's getting very cold and last night there was apparently a foot of snow in the mountains so we are all staying here tonight and maybe even tomorrow until it starts to warm up. The helicopter has constantly been flying overhead and the word is that at least 3 people have been rescued and flown out in the last 24 hours so no point in rushing back into it. The only problem being that staying in town costs money, it's a dilemma but with such a long way to go it's best to be safe than sorry so hunkering down looks to be the best option.

So 109 miles in and apart from the people already mentioned I've met other great people aswell; George and John (whose birthday it is today so probably have a beer with him tonight!) Slowpoke and Hot Rod, Jason, Puck, Pumba and Timon, Bonnie and Clyde, Shepherd, Rainer and her mum, Pebbles, Ismail and Purple Bear. 

I'm growing a nice bit of facial hair and I've decided I'm not going to shave until I get back! And I've lost a few pounds which I'll probably put back on whilst in town but that will soon go again! Talking of which it's time for pizza so I'm going to sign off and bid you farewell for now. It's 100 miles to the next proper town visit and it's all through the Smokies so probably won't post again until then. If I've got decent signal I'll still be on the other Social Networks so follow me there! Once again thanks for reading, hope you're enjoying the trail as much as I am!

007!

Update!

Hello! It's been a while I know but it's quite difficult to update a blog in the middle of the woods, hopefully once I get settled into a routine I'll be a bit more organised. One disappointing thing is unfortunately I can't seem to put photos on this blog so I will just remind you I'm on Twitter @RichCampion1 or on Facebook at Thru Hiker where I shall continue to post the latest photos and anecdotes. Please follow me there.

Okay so last Thursday I started the Approach Trail from Amicalola Falls and it was an eye opening introduction starting with over 700 steps up the falls. Ended up camping at Black Gap Shelter 7.3 miles in. Was in bed at a very early hour exhausted and wondering what I had let myself in for! 

Over the next few days it was a case of finding my feet, learning new things about life on the Trail. Have to admit didn't have much of an appetite to start with which was probably why I felt so lacking in energy. I plodded along though ticking off the miles slowly but surely, meeting lots of interesting people along the way and picked up my trail name. I am no longer known as Rich, I am now '007'!! Hilarious I know but hey I didn't choose it myself and got to admit I'm pretty happy with it! I'm constantly told it's a cool name and apparently my reputation precedes me. Over the last week, countless times I've had people come up to me and ask ' are you 007? I heard some people talking about you!' or 'you're 007, cool, what a great trail name, heard all about you'. Apparently the fact I'm from England and am hiking the trail makes me a bit of a celebrity! Brilliant!

After experiencing my first real Trail Magic on Sunday lunchtime at Gooch Gap (a lovely warm soup, Oreos and coffee) I arrived at Woody Gap in awful weather, I couldn't see 10 yards in front of me due to fog and rain and wondered whether I should push on or stay. Then a couple I started talking to said they were setting up more Trail Magic in about an hour so my decision was made, set up hammock and enjoy more free food. There weren't many of us staying there but we were treated to more soup, fruit, chicken wraps, hot tea and homemade energy biscuits all served from this massive double decker bus which was originally made to follow The Grateful Dead on tour! Much conversation was had and finally retired to my spot at about 11pm. Then, at 3am disaster struck!! I awoke to find myself lying in a pool of water at the bottom of my hammock, it was pouring down and I was freezing. The rain had come down the tree, down my ropes and pooled underneath me, soaking my hammock, sleeping bag and all the clothes I was wearing. I had to jump out and take my dry stuff down to where the bus was parked and completely change my clothing in a pitch black restroom. I couldn't believe it! I spent the next 5 hours walking round the car park trying to keep warm whilst waiting for daylight feeling very sorry for myself! At that point I was seriously considering packing it all in. When day finally did break the rain had stopped and the wind picked up and incredibly my stuff started to dry. By lunchtime I was ready to start moving and with the sun shining I did a very short day to Lances Creek, it was a nice short hike and I found a lovely spot to try my hammock again, got my bio lite cooker on the go, had some instant mash, sorted the water for the next day and I really felt I'd turned a corner. What had started out as a disaster had eventually turned into a good day.

The next day was a tough days hiking up and down Blood Mountain, it was particularly hot after a dry but cold night at Lances and coming down the other side of Blood was gruelling, over 1000 metre descent in less than 2 miles. On more than one occasion I didn't see a White Blaze for so long that I began to think I'd lost the trail but finally reached the bottom and the sanctity of Neels Gap. What a treat, a bunk in the Hikers hostel, a pizza, a cold drink, restock of supplies and then even more Trail Magic (another free meal, even after a whole pizza!) Good times!

The next day, buoyed by the previous evenings bonus, I managed my best day mileage wise yet; 11.5 miles from Neels to Low Gap shelter. I felt quite proud of myself and met up with some really nice people; Cheddar, Wild Horse, Shepherd, Mojo (who couldn't pass up the opportunity of a photo with '007') and set up camp waiting for the storm which everyone seemed to be talking about to arrive. The night passed without incident but the threat of the storm was still in the air in the morning and after a lot of indecision a few of us moved into the shelter itself and decided not to move that day. The rain eventually came at about midday and although the saying goes 'no rain, no pain, no Maine' I felt the right decision had been made on this occasion. It's still early days and there's  a long way to go. A few stragglers made it in throughout the day, some of them absolutely drenched including Scout who'd done 21 miles in the rain. Respect to that! It was a long day waiting around but during a small gap in the weather we had a campfire going and it was a pleasant end to the day. The shelter was only supposed to sleep 7 but we squeezed 11 in and sure enough the rain did return with some spectacular lightning. It wasn't the most comfortable of nights and shelters maybe avoided in the future but we'll see.

And so to today! Set off early in the gloom and it was very humid (hard going uphill) but made it to Unicoi gap by 2pm which was good going (9.6 miles). However, in my haste to get to the bottom I slipped on a wet rock and took my first serious fall, pack hanging over the edge of the ridge trail Wild Horse managed to pull me back up in between nearly pissing herself laughing! Luckily no serious injury and I can see how funny I must have looked! Within 5 minutes of reaching the parking lot myself, Wild Horse (and her dog Milo) Cheddar, Scout and Maniac were in the back of a pick up hurtling our way to Hiawasee for this weekends Hiker Bash at the Budget motel. That's the first time I've experienced such a ride and great fun it was too! 

I've treated myself to a room at the motel (bed, shower and laundry what a treat) sharing with Cheddar and Scout and more familiar faces met up tonight including a 70 year old called Rock Steady who deserves a mention, he may not be the fastest but he plods along and finally catches up every day. What a great guy. There are so many different ages hiking the trail and it really is inspiring to meet so many great people.

Staying here Saturday night aswell as there's live music and more free food and beer. Getting back on Trail Sunday morning and seriously going to try and get some miles done.

One thing that has slightly changed is that although this is called from Grantham to Maine, I'm not going to kill myself or beat myself up in trying to get to Maine by the end of September. This first week or so has taught me that it's not just about the final destination, the journey itself is the destination. Yes, I still do aim to complete but it won't be the end of the world if I don't. The thing is to take each day as it comes but most importantly to enjoy it, which I am starting to do now. 

Thanks for reading and goodnight from Georgia.

007!