Day twenty nine Monday March 27, 2017 Clingman’s Dome: I began my assent early. I was on the trail about 8:45. Again the day was misty, rainy, with almost no visibility. Some of the most spectacular vistas on the entire A.T. were all around me and I couldn’t see 100 ft. At least the wind […]

Day twenty eight Sunday March 26, 2017 Day twenty eight would begin in the rain and it would end in the rain. It was only seven and a half miles from Derrick Nob shelter to Double Spring shelter and that was fine with me. The only other alternative was to tackle Clingman’s Dome late in […]

Day twenty seven Saturday March 25, 2017 And the rains came again in the middle of the night. And it was still rainy and misty as I packed up my wet tent and began another long 12 mile day. And the wind, today it was even stronger than yesterday. And that nice dry trail that […]

Day twenty six Friday March 24, 2017 Today began with me walking across the Fontana Dam and right up onto the back of The Great Smoky Mountains. I hope to follow her backbone all the way to Virginia. The day began cool gray and windy as hell. The wind rushing through the bare trees overhead. […]

Day twenty five Thursday March 23, 2017 It was a chilly night but my water bottles didn’t freeze so it couldn’t have been that cold. I was slow getting out of my tent this morning and I felt slow for the first couple of miles. I think this was mostly from not eating enough yesterday. […]

Day twenty four Wednesday March 22, 2017 Well my new best friend Steve Braxton picked me up at my hotel this morning and dropped me back at Stecoah Gap. I was getting a late start 11:00 A.M. but at least I was facing Jacob’s Ladder at the beginning of this day rather than the end […]

Day twenty three Tuesday March 21, 2017 The day started for me with the sound of the wind in the trees. For a change it was a rustle instead of a roar. And birds, what a great way to wake up. I was on the trail just before 10:00 A.M. the sky dark gray, and […]

Day twenty two Monday March 20, 2017 I started the day by crossing the foot bride over the Nantahala River and headed up the trail. I was on the trail just before 10:00 A.M. after a breakfast of biscuits and gravy with a side of bacon and a mug of hot coffee. I knew it […]

Day nineteen Friday March 17, 2017 After three zero days in Franklin, I’m finally standing at the bottom of Winding Stair Gap, ready to begin my ten mile climb to the 5342 ft. summit of Wayah Mountain. The day begins cold and damp with intermittent showers. The sky a sheet of slate gray above the […]

​Day sixteen Tuesday March 14, 2017 Does everything have to be up a frigging hill? Even Franklin is on top of a hill. The first time I walked up that hill today was in search of breakfast. As I started up the hill I looked down and lying at my feet was a playing card […]