Pictures from the last 2 weeks!

 Views from Charlie's Bunion!

April 17th-April 28th

This post is really long as it covers almost 2 weeks! We haven't had great cell signal or much time lately. Hopefully we can keep this updated more consistently  in the coming weeks. This is also my (Cody) first time taking a turn writing this out! Enjoy!

April 17

Kaci and I, along with a few others, decided to slack pack this day the 14 miles from I-40 up through Max Patch to the Kana'ti Lodge.  The owners, David and Jeanette Kendall, offered to let all the Warrior Hikers stay that night. We hadn't slack packed before so we figured it would be a good idea. It turns out a few lessons were learned that day. It was a tough climb up the mountains and the humidity was stifling because there was a storm brewing. It was only a 40% chance of rain so I didn't bring any rain gear (Kaci did) or a change of clothes, which was a poor decision. About 2 miles in Kaci had an asthma attack which was pretty scary. She was okay, but we figure the fast climb with the heat and humidity must have played a factor. A few more slow miles later, the rain finally came, it was a cold rain. I had taken my only shirt off because it was soaked through with sweat, so I was hiking shirtless through the cold rain and wind.  Luckily, the rain only lasted a few miles. Of course the sun came back out and it got hot again, but at least I wasn't going to freeze. The mountain tends to be a little crazy sometimes! A few loooonnggg miles up and down hills and several hours later we finally came to the point where we thought our meet up point for the lodge was. Well there was a sign there informing us we still had an hour to go! That was quite the kick in the gut, because it had been a long day already and we were ready to be done. So Kaci and I headed up to Max Patch, which was beautiful, but we were almost too tired to enjoy it. We came to a "T"in the trail and were trying to figure out the map to the lodge that was left for us. A fellow warrior hiker, Steve-O, caught up with us. We finally figured out the right way to the lodge, it was almost dark, we were not happy and we figured we missed dinner but when we made it to the lodge, our mood did a complete 180! The Kana'ti Lodge is a beautiful log cabin and we were greeted by Jeanette and David; they are the nicest people ever! They invited us in and told us dinner had just been served. They had steak, chicken, potatoes, corn on the cob, brats, burgers, wine, and ice cold craft beer! It was amazing! We stuffed our face for a good hour, and then Jeanette served us amazing blueberry lemon swirl ice cream by the scoop and brownies until we couldn't fit anymore. The night was topped off by sitting around the fireplace, on leather furniture, drinking wine, and listening to David play old railroad songs on the player piano. We couldn't have asked for a better end to a bad day. The only bad thing was Gary, Liz, Tom, and Joelle got lost and didn't make it to the lodge. They were fine and ended up at a different cabin the next night, but they would had enjoyed this. The Kana'ti Lodge is actually a Bed and Breakfast, and I highly recommend it to anyone lookin for an awesome B&B in the mountains of western North Carolina.

April 18

Today started with the scent of fresh brewed coffee and bacon coming from the kitchen as David got up and made us all breakfast! We all sat on the porch and watched the sun come up while drinking coffee; it was super relaxing. David and Jeanette also own an organic farm down the road from the lodge and offered to show us around. Kaci, myself, and a few others rode down there and he took us for a tour. They have another cabin there that he built and a farm with all sorts of fruits and veggies, a mushroom farm, and chickens. He also has 2 WOOF'ers who volunteer there. WOOF stands for World Organization Of Organic Farmers. It is an organization where people volunteer to work on organic farms anywhere in the world. So that was a fun side trip. It was really hard to leave that day, but we still had 20 miles to Hot Springs with rain forecasted the next day so we decided to head of in the afternoon with Steve-O and Kevin. We knocked out about 12 miles that day. We had two big climbs, but nothing crazy. We wanted to go as far as we could so we would have less rain hiking the next day. We found a nice flat spot around dark and called it a day. 

April 19

We got up and had about 7 miles to go till we got to Hot Springs. It was kind of rainy but not too bad, not a down pour or anything. The most exciting part of this short hike was seeing our first, and hopefully last, snake. It was about 2 feet long and black with a small head just laying across the trail. It saw us and as Kaci approached it scurried back into a bush, much to my relief! We finished out the hike at the Laughing Heart Hostel where we were staying, it was right there off of the AT, so that was very nice. We changed clothes and showered and had a big lunch out of the rain. Kaci's parents came down to visit for the weekend and arrived that afternoon with our dog Dexter with them! They also brought Gary's dog Roofus too. The dogs are going to join us for about 3 weeks until we get to Damascus, VA. It was awesome to see the pups again and Kaci's folks were excited to see her again. Kacis mom, Lola, is going to hike the AT for 2 weeks next months and I think she was eager to pick our brains a bit. We had another big meal with them and called it an early night. 

Saturday April 20- Monday April 22nd

We stayed in Hot Springs, NC the weekend for Trail Fest. Hot Springs is a tiny little town with no chain stores or restaurants  in sight. It was voted #1 mountain town recently and has a festival every year for the hikers. I have a feeling that's where 75% of the towns annual revenue comes from! The highlights of the weekend were a free soak at the Spa in Mineral water and Kaci finally got her massage she's been wanting.  They also had a parade in which they had us Warrior Hikers lead. The parade was all of one block! It was the Warrior Hikers and about 30 kids on big wheels and that was it! But hey, it's the thought that counts right? I weighed myself for the first time and I am down 22 pounds! I started the trail at 215 and am now 193! Needless to say, I was super happy. We  took Kaci's folks back up to Max Patch and it was nice to be up there when we weren't all worn out. It was cold and windy, but everybody enjoyed it, especially Dexter! Rick and Lola headed back to Indiana, but they didn't seem too enthused to be headed back already. Other than that, we just relaxed the rest of the weekend. 

Tuesday April 23

We finally got out of the Hot Springs vortex and hit he trail. By the time we started we had about 4 straight days off which was really nice. I think all of our bodies needed it, and we all felt better. We hiked out with me, Kaci, Dexter, Gary, and Roofus. It was a steep climb out of town but the day overall was uneventful. We did about 10 miles and set up camp at Hurricane Gap. It was a warm night so we built a fire and ate dinner. It was a clear night and the moon was super bright. The dogs were pretty tired after their first full day of hiking, but they did great, minus Dexter being a little yappy, but he's a little dog, so he has that tough guy complex. 

Wednesday April 24

Today was cut short due to threat of thunderstorms. We ended up only doing about 7 miles total. We wanted to get up to the top of the next mountain, but the rain came early, so we set up the tents really quickly and stayed dry. It was kind of a long day being stuck in the tent for so long, but it was better than being soaked all day and night!

Thursday April 25

We slept in and took our sweet time; we headed out around noon today. We had a long 4 mile climb going up 2200 feet to start our day. Luckily, it was an absolutely gorgeous day. The climb wasn't too bad, but the last mile was super steep and pretty tough. We had lunch at the top and relaxed for a bit to get our legs back. The afternoon stretch took us over some rocky ridge line, but offered us some beautiful views of Tennessee and North Carolina. Some of the rocks were treacherous but the dogs loved it. I think Dexter was agitated with me for not going fast enough! For such a little dog, he was climbing around the rocks like a goat! We did about 9 mile total and called it a night in a gap. It turned out to be a pretty cold night, so Dexter got to sleep in the sleeping bag with me and I think he was very appreciative of that!

Friday April 26

We knew rain was coming so we wanted to put as many miles in as we could. We started around noon again and had some climbs but nothing crazy. The first mountain we went up was called Big Butt. It is a bald and it had a big meadow up top. We decided to stop up top and had lunch under some trees and it was really pleasant. A few miles later we passed the Shelton grave stones. It is the final resting place of William and David Shelton. They were an uncle and nephew from Madison County, NC, but enlisted in the Union Army during the Civil War. During the war they were heading home to a family gathering and were ambushed and killed by Confederate soldiers. The burial site was on flat land on top of the mountain under some trees. They were killed in a brutal way, but they were laid to rest in a peaceful spot. Someone still puts American flags on their graves, so that was a nice thing to see. We wanted to get down the mountain and up the next one before we set up camp because of the looming rain. It got dark as we headed up. Of course, it started raining too. We were about halfway up and Gary stepped on a rock wrong and sprained his ankle. He heard it pop so we went to the next flat spot and set up camp. It was swollen and bruised but he should be okay. We ended up doing about 12 miles total and called it a day. 

Saturday April 27

Woke up today to rain and more was forecasted. It had gotten chilly overnight. With rain and wind forecasted the entire day, and for Sunday as well, along with Gary's sprained ankle we decided to hike 7 miles to Sam's Gap and catch a ride  into Erwin, TN two days early. It was a good decision overall, and when we take off Tuesday, we'll go back to Sam's Gap to make up the 25 miles we bypassed. It was a very cold, rainy, gross hike but we made it relatively quickly. We ended up sitting under the I-26 underpass for an hour waiting on the shuttle to pick us up. A nice man named Tom was our driver and he drove us to Erwin. He gave us some good info on restaurants in the area and was super nice. We are staying at the Grand Southern Hotel in Erwin because it is the only hotel in town that allows dogs. It is certainly nothing to write home about, but I still think it is a step up from the Budget Inn of Hiawassee! We checked in, ordered pizza, and just relaxed the rest of the night.

Sunday April 28

Woke up to more pouring rain and reserved the room for another night. Tom swung by and gave Kaci and I a ride across town to a laundry mat so we could finally do laundry. We got that taken care of and walked across the street to a little Mexican restaurant/grocery store. Tom, the shuttle driver, said it was really good, and boy was he right! The burritos were huge and made fresh, you could hear the woman cutting and cooking in the back, and slapping out hand made tortillas. We stuffed our faces and set off through town trying to hitch hike back. After a few blocks a door swung open and told us to get in. A hiker named Hand Me Down, who we had seen on the trail, but never formally met, let us in. I guess he is from Erwin and was with his mom and Grandpa. They drove us back to the hotel and were super nice, plus they  kept us from getting soaking wet! As of this post we are just hanging out, watching tv, and relaxing for the rest of the day. We're in town tomorrow and going to Colony Earth, a local organic farm/sustainable living community which is having a dinner for the Warrior Hikers tomorrow and breakfast Tuesday. We are really looking forward to seeing that place, just hoping the weather improves! 

April 10-16th

April 10th

Day 2 in the Smoky Mountains. We left Mollies Ridge and climbed Rocky Top Mountain and Thunderhead mountain. It was hot and a long 12 mile day in the blazing sun. We got to the last 4 miles and they felt like they'd never end. We had lunch at Spence Field which was cleared in the 1800s for grazing. The trees are slowly moving back in, but it's still very open and awesome. I can't imagine clearing all that land on the top of the mountain, especially without modern tools. Everyone was commenting on how tough the day was. We stayed that night at Derrick Knob shelter. It was full and very popular, tent city, so many people! 

April 11th 

We left Derrick Knob and headed for Clingman's Dome. We heard from a ridge runner (someone who works for the Smoky Mountains Natl Forest who checks permits, makes sure people are following the rules at shelters, etc.) and he said a storm was moving in around 2pm that day. We pushed to make sure we made it to Clingman's by then. He warned us of possible hail and 50-60mph winds so we definitely didn't want to get caught in that. I'd made a reservation in Gatlinburg for that night so despite my injured foot, we pushed on. The climb up to Clingmans wasn't nearly as bad as we had anticipated, especially since it's the highest point on the AT. We made it to Clingmans by 2 and got to climb to the top. We didn't have a ride down to Gatlinburg so we had to hitch hike since there wasn't a shuttle running there. It felt pretty weird and unnatural sticking out my thumb for a ride. The second car that went by picked us up. It was a nice young couple from Michigan who seemed pretty outdoorsy themselves. They were in Gatlinburg for a week, renting a cabin celebrating their 15 years together. It only took the girl about 5 minutes before she rolled down her window a little to let our stink out. They had been doing day hikes and enjoyed hearing our stories from the trail. They dropped us off at our hotel, River Terrace, and wouldn't accept any gas money. Our friend Toby Gerkin from home, Bedford, had been in touch earlier that day and had been contemplating coming down for a visit while we were in Gatlinburg. He decided to come and arrived around 1am. Cody, Gary and myself actually somehow managed to stay awake until then too! 

April 12th

Toby drove Cody to the post office and Food City to resupply. He also took me to a walk-in clinic to get my foot examined. My ankle had been rolled a few times in the first week on the trail and hasn't been the same since. I kept walking on it, hoping it would get better but it just got worse. Leaving Fontana Dam and the following day it was baaaad. I went to the doctors office and waited awhile. The nurse thought I was nuts for hiking the AT because she couldn't handle snakes or spiders and shuttered at the thought of a bear. They did X-rays and determined that it was a taliofibular sprain and possible avulsion fracture. The doctor said, "absolutely no more hiking!" I just kind of grinned and said, "ok" knowing that I wouldn't come off the trail if my foot was about to come off completely. He offered a prescription for Lortabs but hydrocodone makes me puke so he gave me 800mg ibuprofen instead. He told me to get an Ace compression sock and use heat and ice on it. So far this has helped quite a bit. Later that night we went out for karaoke and Toby got to meet some of the Warrior Hikers. Toby and the store he works for in Bedford, Good Sports, donated the shirts for the Warrior Hikers. It was a good night, we enjoyed good food and a few beers. 

April 13th

We decided to stay an extra day in Gatlinburg to rest my foot and hang out with Toby some more. Cody got his McDonalds fix since he'd been craving it for a week. We meandered around town, I rested my foot and we ate at Mellow Mushroom (pizza) for dinner and it was phenomenal. This was a very chill day so there's not too much exciting stuff to report. 

April 14th

Back on the trail! Toby dropped us off at Newfound Gap. You could tell he didn't feel like leaving and we wish he could have come with us. We climbed out of the gap and it was pretty windy. We came across Charlie's Bunion (rocky outcrop)  which was awesome!! We climbed all over it and had great views along the ridge that day. We did about 10 miles that day. It started to rain a little toward the end of the day. We stayed at Peck's Corner shelter which was .4 miles off the trail and had a really crappy camping area. 

April 15th

I definitely had a case of the Mondays today. We woke up and everything was wet from rain and I just didn't feel like getting out of my sleeping bag. We did 13 miles to Cosby Knob. We had lots of good views and gradual climbs. We hiked with Liz (trail name Flow), Steve-O (trail name Popeye) and Kevin (trail name Grape Lightning) all day. We played the Geography game for around 2 hours while hiking. It's where someone names a location and the next person names another location that begins with the last letter of the previous location. For example, Cody says "Tampa", Kevin has to say a place starting with an 'A' and says, "Amityville", now I've got 'E' and say, "Eau Claire", etc. We took a long lunch that day with our hiking crew and Jesse and his dog Cooper at Tricorner Knob. Someone had died at that shelter from hypothermia earlier this year in January or February. We got to Cosby Knob and it was packed. We finally found a semi-flat area to set up camp. We dealt with a relatively crazy old man who yelled at us for "being loud" before the sun had even set while eating dinner and speaking with normal voice and volume outside the shelter. He came out and instead of nicely asking us to be a little quieter, he yelled "SETTLE DOWN" at us after lecturing us about how he, and others, were trying to sleep. Apparently he had threatened to "beat" two other hikers with his trekking poles earlier on the trail, so he's not know for being very mentally sound. It was ridiculous but we just laughed and went on to our tents. 

April 16th 

We finished up the Smoky Mountains finally. The WarriorHikers had a dinner at a VFW in Waynesville NC that night. We went to I-40 and found trail magic from members of the VFW. We were greeted with beer and food! Bear meat salad no less! The lady who prepared it thought we'd be apprehensive about eating it so she told us that it was pot roast salad and then after everyone had eaten it said it was made with bear meat. I didn't have any, but apparently it was pretty good. They also had, "mountain spring water" aka moonshine...the real kind. I tried it and it was strooonngg. The lady warned us that it would, "put the wooly in our boogers"...whatever that means. These were interesting people to say the least. They gave us a ride into town and dropped us off at the hotel. We heard it was a long ride so we asked for sodas to take in the truck for the drive, they brought us beer. Liz asked our driver if we could open our "sodas" in the moving vehicle going down the interstate. He replied with, "more power to ya!" So there we were going down the road with 4 open containers in the truck and two people in the truck bed too. Interesting day. 

Tuesday 4-9

Tuesday 4-9

We left Fontana Lodge and headed for the dam. The AT runs across the dam and down the road for a bit, maybe about a mile, before entering the Smokey Mountains national park. We put our Smokey Mountains back country permits into the box ($20 per thru-hiker and you have 8 days to make it through the park). We had a little over 10 miles to the first shelter, Mollies Ridge, and it was a huge climb. We had four miles up hill to Shuckstack fire tower. It was about a 15% grade but got even steeper for a few miles to the top. It dipped down and around and then we climbed some more. Today, overall, we climbed about 3,000 feet in elevation. Today was hot!!! It was a little over 80 degrees. Apparently spring doesn't feel like showing her face this year and we seem to have skipped straight from winter to summer. We poured sweat as we trudged up all those mountains. I could feel beads of sweat rolling down my back. I know you've heard of "swamp ass" or "monkey butt" but I saw a few people today who had it so bad that it had soaked through their pants and they were rocking a seriously wet behind. Today also seemed to be the day that many bugs decided to come out and harass us hikers. At any given moment I guarantee every hiker had a swarm of about 60 gnats swarming their head. Cody had a cloud of them flying behind him as he hiked, and not because he stunk (he showered this morning before we left). They didn't bite Cody but apparently I taste great to bugs. I got bit multiple times before yelling and then drenching myself in a healthy coating of 98% deet. Hiking today I noticed an odd sound, a rustling of sorts, similar to rain drops hitting dead, dry leaves on the ground. It took me a second to figure out that it was hundreds, if not thousands, of tiny baby grasshoppers leaping out of my way on the trail and landing on the dead leaves that line the path. It was weird. We finally made it to the shelter and it has about 20-25 people camping around and sleeping in the shelter tonight (combined). I had a few choice words today about "Molly" of Mollies Ridge on our way up the final climb today to the shelter. Cody just informed me, while reading our AT Thru-hiker companion that it's named for a Cherokee woman who froze to death on the ridge while looking for a missing hunter. The book also says her ghost apparently haunts this ridge, lovely. I hope ghosts are deaf. Mollies Ridge is right on the border of Tennessee and North Carolina. We will officially be in Tennessee in about 2 or so miles!

Photos from Friday 4-5 to Monday 4-8

 Kevin and Cody at Cheoah Bald

 Our tent at Cheoah Bald

 Cody at Cody Gap!