North to Katahdin

Today, Easter Sunday April 8th, marks the beginning of the second leg of the adventure. After four days off the trail I was itching to go. Got up at 4:30 and drove to the trailhead parking lot at Caledonia State Park in southern Pennsylvania and was headed north shortly after sunrise.

The plan is (though best-laid plans "oft gang aglay") to string together out-n-back day hikes from here continuously north all the way to Katahdin. Then, as fall descends and the leaves are changing in the Shenandoahs, I'll go back to Daleville, VA where the adventure began, and make my way north to Caledonia for the grand finale.

It all looks so easy in black-and-white on the computer screen. Step upon step, soaking in nature's wonders, tripping over rocks, deliriously happy one day, beat down and plodding on another - that's the boots-on-the-ground reality. It's a long way. Yet somehow each day seems to be enough by itself - each out-n-back provides a challenge and a fulfillment. And as long as I get up every morning eager to hike one more day hike, I really *don't* care about the destination. I already don't want this odyssey to end!

The transition from Georgia to southern PA was a bit of a shock. In Georgia the mountains are perky - plenty of knobs and peaks to see and traverse. Up here the mountains roll along in lazy, subdued ridges and mounds. There's much less relief (vertical variation) and yet the soil is much more rocky. Therefore so is the trail.

From Caledonia State Park I hiked north to Birch Run Shelter and back, about nineteen miles of hiking, and got only this one very limited vista of the flatland to the west.

The highlight of the day was the immaculately maintained Quarry Gap Shelters - complete with hanging baskets full of pansies, a picket fence and park bench. The shelter caretaker, 'innkeeper' Jim Stauch, shows up most days (judging by the entries in the log book), and obviously applies a lot of TLC here. It's more like a country cottage from a picture book than a trail shelter.

Otherwise the trail was like this - a steady walk along a broad ridge with plenty of road crossings and even a few short road walks. Michaux State Forest is a popular multi-use destination and it is criss-crossed with gravel roads. You can't avoid them. Fortunately they're fairly lightly traveled, so don't detract much from the wilderness experience.

And it felt wonderful to be back to that wilderness experience after the whizz and bustle of the Baltimore Inner Harbor. The rehabilitation of that inner city core area is a marvel to behold and a delight to visit. But on a day-to-day basis, I'd much rather be out in the wilderness, thank you very much.

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Here, as always, I've provided a map with the route of today's hike plotted on it, and with little red 'pegs' or 'pushpins' that mark where I took a photo. To see the photos, click the title.

AT Day 88 - Caledonia State Park at EveryTrail
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AYCE

Every Appalachian Trail long distance hiker knows, or quickly learns, this acronym: All You Can Eat!!!

One of the favorite subjects for discussion on long trail days is food - specifically fantasizing about what you're going to eat on the next visit to town.

Well, with a few days off the trail to take care of business (including taxes - I'm due a refund! Yay!), there was also time to connect with my kids for a little R&R in the Baltimore Inner Harbor ...

... and for a little upscale AYCE action. And I mean upscale. As part of a belated birthday celebration for El, we went to Fogo de Chao, an all you can eat Brazilian Steak House. Like strolling minstrels, there are waiters circulating among the tables with skewers of hot, fresh, succulent meats of a dozen different varieties. No getting up to go to the buffet - the food comes to you on demand. Needless to say we all got stuffed - giddy stuffed. Laughing and joking all the way back to the parking garage even though the only 'drink and drug' involved were ice water and beef.

A really enjoyable day. Thanks, kids.

The Approach Trail

Frankly I had expected Amicalola Falls to be just another excuse to put a state park somewhere - just a pretty place that also just happened to be conveniently situated near the original Appalachian Trail so that it could become a serviceable jumping-off point when encroaching development ruined the Mt. Oglethorpe area's natural setting.

In other words, I expected Amicalola Falls State Park to be nothing special.

I was wrong.

I'm a lover of waterfalls. To me, they're a multi-sensory experience. The mesmerizing sight of flowing water set free to tumble, the all-pervading roar and rush that drowns out civilization's clamor, the smell of fresh-water spray, of moss and perennially soaked vegetation, the feel of the mist and the gusty downrush of water-driven air. Yes, I have a taste for waterfalls. And Amicalola Falls is one of the really good ones.

It's good, not just for the show (and recent rains made for an especially good performance) but for the care with which the park developers provide the viewer with a front row seat. The extensive walkway with more than 600 steel-grate slip-resistant steps takes you up and across and around the falls, so that you can fully experience it in a way that you can do with few other great waterfalls. The only thing missing is the opportunity to walk behind the curtain of falling water, but this waterfall isn't structured right for that.

Now, here's my surprising conclusion. I've now hiked essentially the entire southern half of the Appalachian Trail; and today's portion (which isn't even actually part of the trail but is an integral part of most thru-hikers' experiences) is my favorite. It was well worth the $5 fee to get into the park, which I originally grumbled about and begrudgingly doled out. This part of the Appalachian Trail is a toll-route; and it ought to be, with views like these right from the treadway:

Once the trail leaves the State Park and enters the National Forest, it quickly acquires the typical flavor of most of the next thousand miles. Some sections have that distinctive Georgia red clay underfoot, but those are rare (and are symptoms of unwanted erosion). Although there's another 1200 feet to ascend from the top of the falls to the summit of Springer, almost all of it is accomplished with a gentle grade and smooth footing. There isn't really a picture worth showing until you get to the very end of the Approach Trail, where the sign identifying it is accompanied by a picturesque mountain-top white oak:

So I have to take you back to Amicalola Falls State Park, because the other end of the Approach Trail is cool too. And for me it marked the end of an 87-day-hike odyssey. From here, I flip north to southern Pennsylvania and begin the trek toward Maine.

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Here's the track of today's final walk in the South. The title links you to a lot of additional photos.

AT Day 87 - The Approach Trail at EveryTrail
EveryTrail - Find the best Hiking in Amicalola Falls State Park

Springer!

The End.

The southern end, that is, of the Appalachian Trail, was my significant destination today (Saturday, March 31st). It was a nice weekend day, and the crowds were out - vehicles filled every parking area with long lines of them overflowing along the shoulders of the adjacent roads.

Three Forks was a zoo. It's a popular day-hike trailhead because the trail there follows a significant mountain stream, Long Creek, with some beautiful cascades including Long Creek Falls. It had poured down rain for four hours last night to the campers' chagrin, but to the delight of lovers of waterfalls.

The Georgia Adventure Group had set up a trail magic canopy where the trail passes near (but out of sight of) the Hickory Flats Cemetery. This is the most lively cemetery I know, with picnic pavilion, camping welcome, and a rest room. Yet the cemetery itself mostly consists of simple natural unhewn standing stones with no readable inscriptions.

But of course Springer Mountain was the highlight. The trail from the parking area 0.9 miles up to the summit was half under water (or mud) due to the overnight rains - tough walking. But there's an indescribable feeling when you get there - almost like being on hallowed ground. Everybody and his uncle gets a shot like the one up top, but you rarely see the shot in the other direction - a very nice vista of the flatlands to the south:

I'm coming back tomorrow, via the approach trail, just to complete the full AT experience. Then its time to flip up north and start trudging toward Katahdin.

The (other) End.

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Here's the map showing today's route. It comes with a link to many more photos (click the title).

AT Day 86 - Springer Mountain at EveryTrail
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The Home Stretch

Today (Friday, March 30th) I hiked from mile 20 down to mile 9, as measured from the southern terminus of the Appalachian Trail. Tomorrow should finish the deal.

For a change, let's try looking at today's hike mile-by-mile.

Mile 20 to 19: Nice level side-hill trail headed south out of Woody Gap. And fortunately the side of the hill I was on was facing east, so I got this nice sunrise photo.

Mile 19 to 18: Reaching Jack's Gap (with a private house in view through the trees just to the west) the trail makes two fairly sharp climbs to the tops of two knobs, both of which have nice views from their rocky summits.

Mile 18 to 17: Pass through Liss Gap where the trail meanders through a solid growth of Mayapple - yes Mayapple is already up in March! It was another near-summer-like morning.

Mile 17 to 16: Easy hiking with very little elevation change, gradually descending to Gooch Gap where the 'baby-sitter' highway FS 42 crosses the trail. There's a parking lot there, and the photo of it is in the EveryTrail package, but it's just a gravel parking lot ...

Mile 16 to 15: Begins with a sharp climb south out of Gooch Gap. Then the trail levels off, reaching a side spur ridge on which the nice Gooch Mountain Shelter is located.

Mile 15 to 14: Descend fairly gradually and cross Blackwell Creek on nicely placed stepping stones, then the trail undulates a little, but stays at about the same elevation.

Mile 14 to 13: Cross Justis Creek with elaborate trail log step-work, and then begin the significant ascent toward Justis Mountain (the first strenuous part of today's southbound leg).

Mile 13 to 12: Reach the summit of Justis Mountain after crossing a secondary summit. There's just a bit of a winter view from the top of Justis Mountain - hardly does it Justice.

Mile 12 to 11: Descend off Justis Mountain past a cute rock overhang that people have camped under, and would serve as an emergency shelter. Reach Cooper Gap where the AT once again crosses FS 42 and where there's another parking lot photo-op. Flat gravel just ain't photogenic though. Then comes the most significant climb of the southbound leg: From Cooper Gap up Sassafras Mountain, with limited view right at Mile 11, and right near the summit.

Mile 11 to 10: This entire mile involves the 600 foot descent from Sassafras Mountain to Horse Gap. Returning northbound this is the most strenuous climb of my day - it's steep enough to get your heart rate going.

Mile 10 to 9: The steepest climb of the southbound day is the 300 foot climb up to the ridge from Horse Gap. Then the trail undulates, coming within view of FS 42 again twice including passing a parking and camping area 0.6 miles south of Horse Gap with a 25 yard access trail to the AT. Finish with a steep little climb to a summit with no name and almost no view - almost qualifies as a PUD (pointless up-and-down) except that there is a half decent campsite near the precipice with decent winter views at least. Here's where I turned around.

If you need to experience my return trip, you can read backwards back to the top of this page. Otherwise go have a beer, the story's over :-)

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Here's a map with today's route plotted on it. Sorry for the sharp, straight lines - they are 'artifacts' of my GPS, connecting the various spots where I parked and hiked short legs out and back, then moved to another parking area. The title provides a link to many more photos:

AT Day 85 - Approaching Springer from the north at EveryTrail
EveryTrail - Find the best hikes in California and beyond

Short hike, long drive

I have an extra day to kill, so I only hiked ten miles today, then did some extensive scouting of the remote (I thought) Forest Service Road access points along the rest of the 20 miles of Appalachian Trail between Woody Gap (where I started this morning) and Springer.

So - to the hike first. I wasn't ten steps from my vehicle when down the trail comes a couple whom I've been shadowing. Today was the fifth time we've crossed paths. Meet the 'Sarasotas'. They are definitely your non-standard AT hikers. First of all they're headed south (started in Franklin - took a bus from their home in Sarasota FL to get there). Second of all, they will keep walking south beyond Springer - road walks I think, rather than the Pinhoti and Alabama Connector and Florida Trail - but I'm not clear on this. Third of all ... just look at their gear! What's in the duffels? Blankets. They do have a tent. And most importantly they have the grit ... and the unquenchable enthusiasm. They say they now have the money to buy some better gear and they want to do more AT hiking. They're naturals - salt of the earth - It will be great to have them back on the trail.

Among the newbie fully-geared northbounders whom I passed today, there was an ever-increasing crop of huffing-puffing struggling folk (of all ages) with huge heavy shiny-new packs, crisp boots, immaculate gaiters, brand-name outfitter 'stuff' overflowing and dangling every which way. (Today's section of trail was 20 to 25 miles north of Springer.) What is it about the mystique of the Appalachian Trail that seems to send otherwise reasonable people's common sense into a tailspin? Yes, there are the fit ones, fast moving, getting on with business. "You - you'll make it" I wanted to say a couple of times. But only a couple, from among the throngs. And finally there is the AT's version of Venice Beach - the 'freak show'. Passed a guy with a bongo today - not a tiny little one either. Yesterday it was funny stuffed duck hats.

The trail from Woody Gap up to Big Cedar Mountain's summit (with excellent bare-rock viewpoint) is a popular day-hike section; and it shows the wear and tear. It's tougher than most of the rest of the Georgia 'Bunny Trail'. But from Big Cedar Mtn to Jarrard Gap (my turn-around point) the pathway resumes its fairly gentle grading though with quite a few ups and downs of a few hundred feet each.

And speaking of 'Bunny Trail', my afternoon scouting of the road network confirmed a new feature that most hikers may not even be aware of: The first 20 miles of AT has a very competent 'baby-sitter' just out of view, but keeping a protective eye on the hikers nonetheless. The 'baby-sitter' is the road called FS42, or Cooper Gap Road. It starts across from the lake in the idyllic little hamlet of Suches (just 1.5 miles down from Woody Gap) and parallels the trail, intersecting and/or providing parking at Gooch Gap, Cooper Gap, Horse Gap, Hightower Gap and at the Springer Trailhead (just 0.9 miles from the terminus).

FS42 is a high quality gravel road - not at all what I expected because the official Appalachian Trail guidebook for Georgia says (page 202) “all roads are unpaved and often very rough and muddy”. Simply not so. You can drive FS42 end to end at 20 to 30 mph and feel as if you're driving conservatively. It is nearly level, has no sharp turns, no potholes or 'corduroy' spine-rattling sections. Nowhere is it narrow 'single track' road - vehicles can easily pass one another at will. And even after a whole night of hard rain it was *not* muddy anywhere. Yes, it's the AT's baby-sitter - its safety net. An emergency vehicle with a fit crew can get to any point on the trail in under half an hour, I'd estimate.

You're in good hands, dear newbies. You are free to imagine that you have immersed yourself in the wilderness, but it's a wilderness with training wheels. And that's probably a good thing.

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Here's a map of today's walk. Click on the link (the title) for a connection to more photos.

AT Day 84 - Big Cedar Mountain at EveryTrail
EveryTrail - Find hiking trails in California and beyond

Walasi-Yi

"The place of the Great Frog" was my base of operations today (Wednesday, March 28th) - great atmosphere, very nice, clean hiker hostel ($15) and very well stocked store/outfitter. The hike wasn't bad either. I'm being lazy today, though, and just cutting and pasting the text from my personal journal. Sorry, no attempt at interesting prose, just the facts:

******* from personal journal ************

Headed to the Reece Memorial trailhead parking area at Neel or Neels Gap. It took well over an hour to get there, so I wasn’t on the trail until 8:15AM. I hiked the nearly half mile back up to the AT crossing at the Walasi-Yi center. They were just opening their store, and a handful of hikers, perhaps up to a dozen, were hanging around and or getting ready to go. I lingered there taking photos for a bit before heading up the trail.

The whole five mile section up to my turn-around at Cowrock Mountain was relatively easy, though with quite a few hills to go up and down. The way back had one steeper climb—it almost seems as if they’ve groomed the trail through Georgia to make it easier for the newbie northbounders, and let the southbounders have the tougher, less groomed climbs. That was very much also true of the ascent of Blood Mountain, which entirely dominated the afternoon 5 mile leg.

On the way north to Cowrock I struck up a conversation with a fit thru-hiker from CT named ‘Nomad’ who is 60 but looks 50 or less—a just-retired school teacher. He opened the conversation by asking about the little three-leaved ubiquitous flower that are abundant here and that I’ve been wondering about too. It blooms in two distinct colors – a dominant deep purple and a clear yellow: pure Mendelian genetics it appears based on the 75-25% ratio. (I later learned that it is a type of trillium called Toad Shade.) Nomad and I walked together and got each others’ stories and I took his photo on Cowrock and he took mine.

The only other notable people meetings of the day was a set of identical twin young women I passed with their dogs – no conversation, just the oddity of twin thru-hikers. The hiker count was 83, though that could be off by a few if I missed people taking a midday break as I passed through Walasi-Yi.

The weather was humid and there was enough haze to mar the views. There were views from Wolf Laurel Top and, of course, Cowrock in the morning and fantastic view opportunities from Blood Mountain. I took the obligatory photos, but the quality of the viewing wasn’t the best. The humidity did make for pleasant spring-like hiking, though, and the emergence of life and greenery is happening at an alarming rate.

The end-of-day return ascent of Blood Mountain put me against my ‘wall’, so I actually had to stop to eat shortly after I began the final long descent to Neel’s Gap. It’s amazing how suddenly that ‘wall’ hits, how intense it is (every aspect of your body, including brain function, deteriorates noticeably) and how instantly the intake of food restores normalcy.

I stopped in at the store at Walasi-Yi for the third time before returning to my van. I bought nothing. There was a commotion this evening down at a highway-turnout parking area in sight of the store - one that the sign says is supposed to be used only for emergencies. It seems a car full of genuine country types had stopped there. I’m guessing one of the (heavily bearded) men wanted to pee. In any case he slipped at the edge of the precipice (overweight and out of shape it appears) and had a serious fall of 50 feet or so, rolling over rocks and breaking bones. He was talking, they said, and an ambulance arrived shortly after I passed, walking down the highway to the trailhead parking area. I hope he's OK.

************** end-o-personal journal entry ******************

Walasi-Yi holds the distinction of being (described in the guidebooks as) the only place where the AT passes 'through' a building. It's a breezeway, really, exposed to the weather, but I guess being under roof with walls on both sides is what's unique. But the trail passes by shelters where the roof is literally inches from the footpath, and it passes under the eaves of the general store at NOC. It also passes beside a roofed picnic pavilion at Caledonia State Park in PA where the white blaze on the corner post would allow you to pass under the roof and still be 'officially' on the trail. In fact, in each of these cases there's a white blaze painted right on the buildings in question, just as here, and the white blaze is actually under a roof. Finally, there are numerous white-blazed bridge underpasses with far more expansive 'roof area' and 'walls' on both sides. So I'm not sure what the big deal is here ... ...

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Here is the map of my hike today, with a link to plenty of photos:

AT Day 83 - Blood Mountain at EveryTrail
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