Astrogirl

7.6 miles (from Sam’s Gap)

I could have gone on to a campsite today, but this is a nice site and I wanted to stay here. Also, I thought the elevation (5500′) would make it cooler as it was HOT today (90).

Here with me are Red Arm, U-Turn and Tony Tiger. A trail angel [...]

6 May 2006, Saturday ~ 15 miles
I’m staying at the Sunnybank Inn and sharing a room with the Librarian (a thru-hiker). She really is carrying a pile of books.

When I first got here, Elmer sent me up to the attic over the utility room hanging off the back of the house and said dinner was [...]

5 May 2006, Friday ~ 15.4 miles

Max Patch was totally fogged in, misting and fucking freezing. I got rained on for six hours, but once you’re wet, you are wet, so why not go on? It’s warmer than sitting around anyway.

It was a pretty challenging day, but not because of the rain. There was a [...]

4 May 2006, Thursday ~ 18.1 miles

Great place Curtis has here. I really thought today was 16 miles and was very surprised to find I’d done just over 18. I must have mis-read the map yesterday. Curtis put me in the little cabin, which is just awesome.

I got poured on today. I guess I couldn’t [...]

3 May 2006, Wednesday ~ 15.6 miles

I either had to take a shuttle at 12:30 for $7 or arrange one earlier for $40, so I got a late start. I burned up the trail today, and man are my dogs barkin’, as the saying goes.

Here I am in a shelter again. There is just nowhere [...]

2 May 2006, Tuesday ~ 18.2 miles

It was a tough 18.2, but it was totally worth it. I’m now back on schedule, and I’m in a hotel room, clean and fed.

Gatlinburg is an odd place. We have friendly locals, goths (who may also be local) and Russians. The bartender at No Way Jose’s was a [...]

1 May 2006, Monday ~ 11.7 miles

Very tough day again. I could have gone a few more miles, but the Smokies require that you stay at a shelter, so I couldn’t just eat dinner and go on to a dry camp, as I usually would.

I’m here with 2 people from Mollie’s, Duck Soup [...]

30 April 2006, Sunday ~ 11.5 miles

Started at Fontana Dam, and to be honest, I lost the trail and did a lot of extra stomping around. I have no idea how I missed the blaze to cross the dam, but there it is.

This is a huge shelter, and the hiker zoo chain-link has been removed. [...]

5 May 2005, Thursday ~ 21.3 miles

Big day with a big totally pointless climb. Ridge over Watuga was great though — view all the way down the ridge overlooking the lake for *miles*. Too many trees to get a good shot with a Camera though.

Big Campfire here because again, it is [...]