Beauty Despite the Heat

(Phone Message Transcribed by Bethany)



It’s a little after 5 o’clock and Figgy and I are taking a break at Caledonia State Park, mile 1,068. We entered Pennsylvania this morning and have been making great miles despite the punishing heat.

We just saw a thermometer that said 106 degrees Fahrenheit! It sounds a little hotter than what my impression is, but regardless we are feeling it today. As a result we haven’t seen much wildlife at all. The only wildlife we have seen have been chipmunks that seem to scold us as we walk by, probably for hiking in such hot weather!

I have never been to this part of my home state, so we have been pleasantly surprised at how beautiful Pennsylvania is. There have been an abundant amount of hemlock trees along with beautiful rocky bluffs and boulder fields. We’ve also been surprised at the amount of state parks along this stretch. We have been in 6 State Parks in the last three days through Maryland and Pennsylvania. We are hoping to make a few more miles tonight which should put us in good shape to walk into Pine Grove Furnace State Park tomorrow where we will end our day, hopefully, a little early. Right now we are going to catch up on some journaling and wait out some of the last of this heat before moving on to camp.

That’s it for now. Over and Out.

Onward to Damascus

(Phone message transcribed by Bethany)

This is an update from Monday May 28, 2007. The last three days since Erwin have been spectacular.



Lauren and I enjoyed some of the most beautiful country we’ve seen so far this trip. We got to experience the amazing above tree line views from the Roan Mountain Highlands. We’ve thoroughly enjoyed the rhododendron and rugged terrain of Tennessee.



Today we are taking a zero day at the Kincora Hostel, which is an amazing place. We decided to push ourselves yesterday and hike 24 miles in order to arrive here yesterday evening. Today we have done nothing but sit back, read National Geographic, and prop our feet up. The Kincora hostel is one of the amazing places on the trail because Bob and Pat Peoples are motivated solely by helping hikers. They have a log cabin and property approximately .2 miles away from the trail where hikers have access to shower, laundry, and a bunk, but in our case, a private room for only $4 a night! They even offer a complimentary shuttle into town.



We are regrouped and are looking forward to the next stretch into Damascus, Virginia. We’ll be leaving Tuesday morning to head there. We’ve accomplished most of what is described as the rugged terrain of the south, so things should be a little smoother in Virginia. We continue to feel very strong and are still enjoying the views along each mile. Sometimes in the morning I [Ben] wake up in a bad mood not looking forward to hiking all the miles in the day, but after about 5 miles I’m doing a lot better and we have a good time.

I’m really excited to get to Damascus. We should be there in about three days. It should be a little less of a circus and it has the reputation of being the friendliest town on the trail so we’re looking forward to experiencing that and finding out what that means. Between here and there we’re looking forward to 50 miles of great hiking and some views of Lake Wautaga. The rhododendrons are about to bloom so we’re headed into the Grayson Highlands in peak season which should be beautiful. We hope to post some more pictures and stories from Damascus.

Until then,
Over and Out.

Wild Flowers and Open Trails

(Phone Message Transcribed by Bethany)



Good Morning! It's Wednesday, May 2, 2007. It's about 11am here. We rolled into the Walasi-Yi Center at Neel’s Gap. We’re having a blast and and are just amazed that we are finally doing this. We’ve got about 30 miles of the Appalachian trail under our belt so far, and we're doing great. The weather is warm and sunny and the skies have been blue. The trees are budding green, and new life abounds.



We are making great progress as we are enjoying the wildflowers in bloom during the season. Things couldn’t be better. We just re-supplied with seven days of food as we get ready for our next destination, the Nantahala Outdoor Center. We are going to be leaving here shortly.



As far as thru hikers go, we haven't seen too many. There are less registered hikers than normal this year. We signed in at the register at the Walasi-Yi and our numbers are 570 and 571, which is about a few hundred less than usual. We’ve had the trail to ourselves and we’ve been enjoying every bit of it. I had no idea that Georgia would be so beautiful. We’ve been taking some great pictures of the trail, and I hope to post some of those the next time we have an internet access.

Alright everyone thanks for your interest and support! We look forward to relaying some more details as they come. I guess that’s about it for now. Talk to you later.

Over and Out.

Walking Northward with Spring

Bradley Fork of the Oconaluftee River, Great Smoky Mountains NP, originally uploaded by phovicom.

We will be starting in Georgia, feeling the last nips of winter at higher elevations (maybe?), and experiencing the transitions as spring gives way to summer followed by the colors of fall, as we make our way northward to Maine.

One of the things that I am looking forward to is being enveloped by green on our journey. I guess that's good since the AT is also affectionately known as the "green tunnel." I have been spoiled for the last few years with the expansive panoramas of the west, but I think the contrast will help me appreciate the landscape of my earlier years all the more. In particular, I love rhododendron, which is widespread in Virginia and other portions of the trail.

Rhododendron Portal to the Fall Carolina Series, originally uploaded by Mike_tn.