Gluten Free Saves!

So far my diet appears to have saved me from two trail sicknesses, that were either food borne or food related in some way!

Norovirus outbreak after Erwin,TN: all I read about in shelter/hostel journals or heard rumor of from passing hikers upon leaving Erwin was the so called 'Erwin flu.' I guess someone or multiple someones 'ate at KFC' in Erwin, then went back to the hostel sick, everyone at the hostel got it, upon leaving the hostel they spread it upon hiking out if town and left some at the hostel for future visitors, now it seems like every has had it... It is rumored that someone was hospitalized with it and that the CDC sent an investigator to the hostel to check it out...

Food poisoning in Damascus,VA: a good number of hikers have been complaining of food poisoning-like symptoms upon leaving trail days or being in Damascus... it may have been from one or more of the free meals served to hikers at trail days or the local pizza joint... hard to say.

Maybe being gluten free isn't so inconvenient after all!

A weekend to remember...

WOW, I AM SO GLAD THAT I SIGNED UP FOR HARD CORE!

Sunday, we were given day packs with snacks and water, shuttled from Damascus, VA to a plot of private land adjacent to the section of the AT we would be rerouting, given hard hats and gloves, and assigned to work crews. Then, we hiked a little over a mile into the work site with picks, shovels, axes, rock bars etc. From there each crew began turning a hillside marked with flags into a new switchback on the Appalachian Trail! The transformation included digging to uncover rocks, moving rocks, building rock retaining walls, making staircases out of rocks, chipping rocks too large to move, paving muddy sections with smaller rocks, using rocks to construct water bars...

Did I mention that there is a lot if rock work involved in trail maintenance?

After we dragged our dirty tools back down the mountain, they fed us dinner at a nice picnic area at Watauga Lake and gave out patches, hats, and bags monogrammed with 'Hard Core Work Crew.' Sugared up and filled to the brim, they shuttled us back to the hostel for showers, laundry, and sleep.

Sunday, the day's schedule was very similar to that of the previous day but in a different location: Roan Mountain. Now, the first time I encountered Roan the trail was wicked muddy because the weather decided to be miserably cold, rainy, and windy. This second trip, the trail (and new trail) was wicked muddy, but the weather held out for some amazing views! I helped install rock steps and got completely covered in mud. I helped remove dead tree stumps and got completely covered in mud (also, I learned that I'm pretty good with an axe!). I 'mined' a hillside for small rocks to pave the better half of the new switchback (which incuded crawling under a boulder the size of a car to scoop out the mud-covered gravel and transferring it to a bucket, which was then carted up the hill and dispersed among the eager gravel spreading crews), and... you guessed it... I got completely covered in mud!

I ended the day sweaty, muddy, and absolutely elated about a good day's worth of playing in the mud!

The experience has completely changed the way I look at the trail. At one point in the weekend the whole section of the switchback visible from my work spot appeared lined with hard hats. The volunteers were working almost shoulder to shoulder and I imagined for a minute that their hard hats where the dots of the dotted line that would later represent the new section on a map. Then I thought of the number of hard hats it must have taken to lay all 2200miles of the AT. I know I'm getting a bit philosophical here, but really, a lot of people have moved a lot of rocks and gotten completely covered in mud to make my current journey possible.

Plus: There is a general agreement among the current hiker-volunteers that participating in the maintenance makes you feel like a 'part of the club' because you work and dine with 'hiking legends,' hikers you've heard or read about for their various distinct achievements and/or contributions.

All said and done Hard Core 2012 added 2500ft to the AT and gave its volunteers a truly irreplaceable experience!

Oh, I've included before and after photos of one section.

Kincora

Sharing video 2012-05-17_11-59-37_317.mp4

Frogs

Sharing video 2012-04-27_21-58-53_13.3gp

400 miles of experiences!

Side Adventures: Part 2

So, when I got into Denis Cove I walked down to the Kincora Hostel. I had sent my bounce box to the hostel and needed to pick it up/send in on. The walk was a short one, and ABSOLUTELY worth it! This little hostel is all overgrown with vines on the outside and hiker photos and decorations on the inside (keep an eye out for video in the next couple days). The cats and the guys that run the place are eccentric and friendly.

Upon arrival, I was informed that not only was the hostel practically empty at the moment (I would have my choice of beds) there was a tree house out back, which I was welcome to occupy! Seriously?! A tree house?! I felt 10 again, running up the path to my own little dwelling in the trees!

Could this day get any better?!

OH, YOU HAVE NO IDEA!

Bob, the hostel owner, inspired my next side adventure. He offered to give me and a few others a ride up to Trail Days in Damascus, VA. This is an event put on by the city every year. Given that Damascus is about a 50mi hike from Kincora, I hadn't considered attending Trail Days because I wouldn't arrived there on foot until the beginning of next week (after the conclusion of the event). But, with Bob's ride proposition...

THEN, Gerber (another hiker, solid dude, will talk nutrition stuff with me all day) mentioned that he and some of his friends were renting a house in Damascus for the weekend and said I could crash with them free of charge (they later showed up and confirmed this offer in person)!

THEN...

Bob mentioned this massive trail maintenance project (100+ volunteers) going on Sunday/Monday that is using the hostel as a home base. The trail club that runs it shuttles 50 volunteers to the hostel/maintenance cites from Damascus (free) but you have to be a current thru-hiker to get the free shuttle (hmm... no problem). I'm so excited! What a unique element to add to my thru-hike; I think it will add a whole new dimension to my personal definition of the Appalachian Trail.

Side Adventures: Part 1

So I'm about to embark on another, excellent side adventure, and I'm realizing that I did not write much about my last...

When I got to Hot Springs, I picked up my bounce box and hitch-hiked into Asheville (writing 'Asheville' on the inside flap with a Sharpie and sitting on the edge of town got me picked up in 1/2hr). Once downtown, I wandered into an excellent restaurant (Green Light Cafe) for some grub and contacted the couch-surfers who had agreed to put me up for the night (couch surfing is an online collective of people who either like to travel cheaply and experience a place through 'the eyes of the locals' or like to share their home and hometown with travelers or both...). Anyway, the couple I stayed with were exceptional! We enjoyed meals and drinks downtown and in the comfort of their home. They took me to grocery shopping/resupply, invited me to stay as long as I wanted (so I stayed 2 nights instead of 1), and drove me back to the Hot Springs (like 30min drive).

Asheville and my hosts were wonderful.

More than anything, I can't explain how refreshing it was to get off the trail and not be in a trail town.

Trail Mix Recipes

I eat trail mix EVERDAY with/for lunch. Here are a few of the mixes I've done so far or have received from others:

Almonds, walnuts, cashews, dried papaya, dark chocolate chips

Salted peanuts, raisins, M&Ms

Walnuts, almonds, pecans, peanut M&Ms

Peanuts, both regular and peanut M&Ms, raisins

Banana chips, shredded (sweetened) coconut, salted peanuts, craisins, dark chocolate chips

Banana chips, shredded (sweetened) coconut, toffee peanuts, raisins

Chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, dried fruit (not entirely sure what it was...), coconut

Almonds, walnuts, cashews, wasabi peas, candied ginger, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds—fancy but... not my favorite, not salty or sweet enough

Sometimes when I resupply, what's left of the old one gets dumped in with the new one for an even weirder, more random snack. Who knew there could be so many ways of mixing up the same basic ingredients!

From one barn to another

Another renovated barn! A barn turned shelter one night, a barn turned hostel the next!

It's hard to motivate myself to leave this hostel/b&b!

It's been a while...

It's been a while since my last post, what have I been up to?

Well...

Adopted a trail name (gluten puff) and hiked a couple of days in the 15mi range... had an adventure... crossed the state line into TN and then back into NC and then back into TN... had an adventure... Got my bounce box in Hot Springs and hitched to Asheville... had an adventure... Climbed up a fire tower, over a train and through the woods... had an adventure... Picked a flower and took picks of flowers... had an adventure...

I know my communication has been sparse. I am extremely grateful for the love and support of so many friends and family. I love you all, thank you so much for sending me positive energy and wishes of goodwill!!!

Mother's Day

If they would have lasted, I would have picked them and sent them to you for Mother's Day! I guess a few photos posted a few days late will have to do!

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY, MOM!!!

Overmountain Shelter

Check out this shelter I stayed in last night!

TOTALLY LIFESAVING!!!

I pulled into camp drenched and muddy to the core... let me emphasise... I was very wet and muddy (and therefore cold, to the very core of my being, I was beginning to wonder if my hands or my feet would ever be dry or clean again)... from a FULL DAY of cold and rain.

Have I mentioned that it rained all day?

Went over Roan Mountain in the rain and fog, then three balds... I repeat, three BALDS (as in no trees or rain protection of any kind) totally exposed to the elements, thoroughly drenched on all sides from changing direction at each of the switch backs (I imagine it must have been similar to how a rotisserie chicken is slowly rotated to evenly expose every nook and cranny...).

To have a shelter with four walls was crucial. TOTALLY LIFESAVING!!!

Inside my bag things didn't fare much better. Everything but my sleeping bag and the contents of my clothes bag were drenched. And as I looked around the shelter i realized that no one else had fared much better. Everyone's stuff was strewn about in an attempt to drip dry and each person had made a little pocket of territory along the outter walls of the shelter. Each of us intently focussed on one of a few basic elements of self care: food, warmth, feet, moisture control, sleep preparation and journaling to name a few of the more popular choices.

At some point someone likened our condition to a refugee camp, an all too accurate description of the scene.

Anyway, we all made it. I'm now cozy in a real bed at the Mountain Harbor B&B and Hiker Hostel.

Enjoy the pics! The sun came out today just long enough to snap 'em!

Creativity and resupply

Well, resupply went better in Erwyn, TN than in Gatlinburg, despite the complete unavailability of markedly gluten free products at the Food Lion.

Here's what I packed out with:

1 box minutes rice (poured into a gallon ziploc)

7 tuna packs

3 packets random seasoning (ingredients list triple checked)

1 box store brand Nature Valley-like granola bars (who knew? Ingredients check out)

15 packets of oatmeal

2 boxes Quaker brand bars (also appear okay)

Trail mix (banana chips, sweetened coconut, raisins, and toffee peanuts all mixed by me after purchase)

1 pack Hormel pepperoni

1 brick super sharp cheddar (Cabot)

1 box rice crispies

1 box hot chocolate (splurge that later proved to be a life saver! More on that later)

All in all, cheaper, more inventive, and lighter than ever!

Problem Solving on the AT

Sharing video crocoplug

This video is a test. Crossing my fingers that it works so i can share some of the other stuff I've filmed!

Problem solving

Lost a plug, and the guy at Bluff Mountain Outfitters in Hot Springs, NC helped me find a replacement! He rifled through a whole bunch of random items and found me a little Croc sandle-hole plug/decoration with the company logo on it to stick in there!

Perfect!

So what does camp look like on a given night?

I've given a few photos below of hammock set ups and shelters. I prefer to hammock, but some nights shelter slumber is easier.

When you sleep in a shelter you sort of agree to half a nights worth of sleep and half a nights worth of fussing over the dirt and dust naturally tracked into the sleeping area, the wildlife (mice, chipmunks, snakes etc) that scavenge crumbs in the night, the snoring and midnight bathroom breaks of others (impossible to do without climbing over others or making noise or a headlamp), and the constant tendency of various appendages to fall asleep just as you do.

In the case of the Smokies, sleeping in a shelter is required unless the shelter is full (a situation we only lucked into one time). Often, I will hammock near a shelter so I can socialize and use the bear cables but, ultimately, get a better night's sleep.