May 12, 2005 - Clyde Smith Shelter to Cherry Gap Shelter
I played cards till 10 p.m. last night with Randy and Kevin. They gave me some gorp and granola bars they had left
over and it allowed me to continue today without going off trail to get a few groceries at Greasy Creek Road. I was a
little short and I had just enough to keep going. It was up and down and hot all day. I made it to Cherry Gap Shelter
early and washed up clothes and ate something. It is still warm in the early evening. The bugs are starting to show
up. The black flies are the worst.
May 13, 2005 - Cherry Gap Shelter to Curley Maple Shelter
I hiked hard all day and did 12.2 miles to Curley Maple Shelter. I have four more to get into Erwin in the morning. I
went over beauty Spot today. It did not seem as nice as in 1981, but I took a long break there anyway. There was a
road there this time I don’t remember before. I got to the shelter and I had hiked 30 minutes in the rain before
getting here. The shelter is full with me inside. There were 5 others here already. Two thru-hikers came in late and
screwed around till 10:00 p.m. One hiker slept out on the table. I slept well through the entire night.
May 14, 2005 - Curley Maple Shelter to No Business Knob Shelter
I was up at 6 a.m. and gone 15 minutes later. The hiker on the picnic table was still asleep when I left. I hiked four
miles by 8:00 a.m. and got a quick ride into Whites Grocery store. I bought $53 dollars worth of food here. I bought a
rib eye steak, sausage, carrots, candy, tuna, cheese and peanut butter to name a few things. You name it I bought it
today. I won’t be hungry tonight. I got a quick ride back to the trail by a woman and boy and went into Johnnies and
got some fuel for my stove. I hiked 6 more miles to No Business Knob Shelter and got there in the early afternoon.
The extra weight in food about killed me, but I will eat steak and spaghetti for supper tonight and sausage and eggs
in the morning for breakfast. I had to walk in a violent thunderstorm getting here and it is still raining as I sit in the
shelter. I cooked the rib eye in a skillet after putting garlic and real butter in the pan. It was real good. I also cooked
some ramin noodles and put spaghetti sauce in it. Wow, what a meal. Two other weekenders are here now and will
stay the night. It is now raining very hard at 7:14 p.m. I’m glad I am in the shelter. Triumph was here 2 days ago. He
must not have stayed in Erwin either. I should have plenty of food to Hot Springs. I took a shower at the N.O.C.
today. (Nolichucky Outdoor Center) It rained all night here.
May 15, 2005 - No Business Knob to Bald Mountain Shelter
I was up at 6 and went back to bed. It was raining again at 7. I finally left at 8:30 a.m. It was a hard 10 miles in the
rain all day. It was a pretty area but I didn’t want to camp in the rain so I pushed on. I made it to Bald Mountain. I left
the sitting pad that Freddy Bear had sent me today up on some scenic overlook. I will miss my sitting pad, Roy. I left
it on Little Bald Mountain. At the end of this day I was wore out. The heavier food in the pack is hard on me but I
need to eat. I made it in to North Carolina for good today. I have been skirting Tennessee and N.C. for days. I am at
Bald Mountain Shelter tonight. This state has outhouses again. I had sausage and flour tortillas for supper with
cheese and it was good. Fresh stuff is gone now and my pack will be lighter tomorrow. It is going to get real cold
tonight.
May 16, 2005 - Bald Mountain Shelter to Hogback Ridge Shelter
I left early and I needed to keep warm quick. It got down to 36 last night but I slept well. There were five other hikers
here last night. It was very clear and sunny all day. A wonderful day of hiking and I did 10 miles today and got to
Hogback Mountain Ridge Shelter. There are many thru-hikers here tonight. Some stayed and some went on. On-
Star was here and left. She made it to Maine early in the year because she hikes long miles and walks everyday.
Night crawler was here too. I showed him ramps and he and his buddies ate many of them this night and they farted
a lot too. Ramps give everyone who eats them a lot of stinky loud farts. They are good to eat but you need to camp
alone when eating them! I saw Night crawler later in this year on my third section hike and he remembered me from
the ramps and was still thanking me for showing them to him. The water is way down from the shelter but it is not
steep and with many people here I didn’t mind taking the time to go down. There are way too many people here
tonight. There may be as many as 25 people around the shelter. It will get a little chilly again tonight. I have a short
day tomorrow with 8.8 to do. I threw away my radio at trash can today. It stopped working.
I played cards till 10 p.m. last night with Randy and Kevin. They gave me some gorp and granola bars they had left
over and it allowed me to continue today without going off trail to get a few groceries at Greasy Creek Road. I was a
little short and I had just enough to keep going. It was up and down and hot all day. I made it to Cherry Gap Shelter
early and washed up clothes and ate something. It is still warm in the early evening. The bugs are starting to show
up. The black flies are the worst.
May 13, 2005 - Cherry Gap Shelter to Curley Maple Shelter
I hiked hard all day and did 12.2 miles to Curley Maple Shelter. I have four more to get into Erwin in the morning. I
went over beauty Spot today. It did not seem as nice as in 1981, but I took a long break there anyway. There was a
road there this time I don’t remember before. I got to the shelter and I had hiked 30 minutes in the rain before
getting here. The shelter is full with me inside. There were 5 others here already. Two thru-hikers came in late and
screwed around till 10:00 p.m. One hiker slept out on the table. I slept well through the entire night.
May 14, 2005 - Curley Maple Shelter to No Business Knob Shelter
I was up at 6 a.m. and gone 15 minutes later. The hiker on the picnic table was still asleep when I left. I hiked four
miles by 8:00 a.m. and got a quick ride into Whites Grocery store. I bought $53 dollars worth of food here. I bought a
rib eye steak, sausage, carrots, candy, tuna, cheese and peanut butter to name a few things. You name it I bought it
today. I won’t be hungry tonight. I got a quick ride back to the trail by a woman and boy and went into Johnnies and
got some fuel for my stove. I hiked 6 more miles to No Business Knob Shelter and got there in the early afternoon.
The extra weight in food about killed me, but I will eat steak and spaghetti for supper tonight and sausage and eggs
in the morning for breakfast. I had to walk in a violent thunderstorm getting here and it is still raining as I sit in the
shelter. I cooked the rib eye in a skillet after putting garlic and real butter in the pan. It was real good. I also cooked
some ramin noodles and put spaghetti sauce in it. Wow, what a meal. Two other weekenders are here now and will
stay the night. It is now raining very hard at 7:14 p.m. I’m glad I am in the shelter. Triumph was here 2 days ago. He
must not have stayed in Erwin either. I should have plenty of food to Hot Springs. I took a shower at the N.O.C.
today. (Nolichucky Outdoor Center) It rained all night here.
May 15, 2005 - No Business Knob to Bald Mountain Shelter
I was up at 6 and went back to bed. It was raining again at 7. I finally left at 8:30 a.m. It was a hard 10 miles in the
rain all day. It was a pretty area but I didn’t want to camp in the rain so I pushed on. I made it to Bald Mountain. I left
the sitting pad that Freddy Bear had sent me today up on some scenic overlook. I will miss my sitting pad, Roy. I left
it on Little Bald Mountain. At the end of this day I was wore out. The heavier food in the pack is hard on me but I
need to eat. I made it in to North Carolina for good today. I have been skirting Tennessee and N.C. for days. I am at
Bald Mountain Shelter tonight. This state has outhouses again. I had sausage and flour tortillas for supper with
cheese and it was good. Fresh stuff is gone now and my pack will be lighter tomorrow. It is going to get real cold
tonight.
May 16, 2005 - Bald Mountain Shelter to Hogback Ridge Shelter
I left early and I needed to keep warm quick. It got down to 36 last night but I slept well. There were five other hikers
here last night. It was very clear and sunny all day. A wonderful day of hiking and I did 10 miles today and got to
Hogback Mountain Ridge Shelter. There are many thru-hikers here tonight. Some stayed and some went on. On-
Star was here and left. She made it to Maine early in the year because she hikes long miles and walks everyday.
Night crawler was here too. I showed him ramps and he and his buddies ate many of them this night and they farted
a lot too. Ramps give everyone who eats them a lot of stinky loud farts. They are good to eat but you need to camp
alone when eating them! I saw Night crawler later in this year on my third section hike and he remembered me from
the ramps and was still thanking me for showing them to him. The water is way down from the shelter but it is not
steep and with many people here I didn’t mind taking the time to go down. There are way too many people here
tonight. There may be as many as 25 people around the shelter. It will get a little chilly again tonight. I have a short
day tomorrow with 8.8 to do. I threw away my radio at trash can today. It stopped working.
Hogback Ridge Shelter
May 17, 2005 - Hogback Ridge Shelter to Flint Mountain
Shelter
Everyone got up at 6 a.m. All of the north bounders were
going to a restaurant near the last road crossing. I left the
shelter at 7:15 a.m. after looking for my knee brace
everywhere. Someone may have picked it up by mistake or a
mouse maybe had carried it away for the salt content. I know
where I left it. I looked all around the shelter and still didn’t
see it. I tore my pack apart and no luck there either. Anyway I
walked to Flint Mountain Shelter which was rebuilt in 1988. It
is a nice log shelter and I took a picture of it. One section
hiker who is here too will camp out back tonight. I have a
small blister on outside of my right ankle. I busted it and will
moleskin it in the morning. I had Mac and Cheese for supper.
I saved a piece of candy given to me two days ago and it is
really good. Licorice is good and I must buy some in town
next time I get to one. I washed up and cleaned clothes today
in the a.m. near a stream. It was a sunny warm day and I
hiked until 2 p.m. after only doing 8.8 miles. I just sat around
and cleaned out my pack. It is 6 p.m. and I have been
hearing roughed grouse all day in the woods. The shelter is
separated by a small board used as a table. I set a mouse
trap in the night and got two of the little pests. Triumph has
not signed a register in two days so I don’t know where he is
at the present time.
Shelter
Everyone got up at 6 a.m. All of the north bounders were
going to a restaurant near the last road crossing. I left the
shelter at 7:15 a.m. after looking for my knee brace
everywhere. Someone may have picked it up by mistake or a
mouse maybe had carried it away for the salt content. I know
where I left it. I looked all around the shelter and still didn’t
see it. I tore my pack apart and no luck there either. Anyway I
walked to Flint Mountain Shelter which was rebuilt in 1988. It
is a nice log shelter and I took a picture of it. One section
hiker who is here too will camp out back tonight. I have a
small blister on outside of my right ankle. I busted it and will
moleskin it in the morning. I had Mac and Cheese for supper.
I saved a piece of candy given to me two days ago and it is
really good. Licorice is good and I must buy some in town
next time I get to one. I washed up and cleaned clothes today
in the a.m. near a stream. It was a sunny warm day and I
hiked until 2 p.m. after only doing 8.8 miles. I just sat around
and cleaned out my pack. It is 6 p.m. and I have been
hearing roughed grouse all day in the woods. The shelter is
separated by a small board used as a table. I set a mouse
trap in the night and got two of the little pests. Triumph has
not signed a register in two days so I don’t know where he is
at the present time.
6