Day 77 - 90, 31 May - 13 Jun, Erwin, TN to Damascus, VA

Anyone who has taken part in a long distance sport event; marathon, triathalon; knows of "hitting the wall".  Well, I think Mom and I hit our wall coming into Damascus, VA.  We have spent a week here at Woodchuck Hostel in Damascus, VA resting and slackpacking and are rejuvinated and motivated to head back out onto the trail on to Harper's Ferry, WV.  We have found two new hikers to slackpack with us on up the trail through Virginia.  I have thoroughly vetted them  and am confident we won't have any issues like we did with the last guy.

This AT hiking thing ain't easy, but if it were we wouldn't be doing it...haha.  So onward we trudge!!!!

You know you have been hiking hard when you have worn your SmartWool socks down to their bare threads.

Hendo's socks with white strips along the arches where socks are worn down to the threads

Sun 1 June - Iron Mtn to Hughes Gap-371.2 miles

Juveinile snake

This area of NC and TN is the center of the christmas tree farm universe. Christmas tree farm on the side of a NC mountain

Sat 31 May - Hughes Gap to Carvers Gap-377.5 miles

Red Eft

Cloudland on top of Roan Mtn

Roan Mtn shelter, highest shelter on the AT

On top of Roan Mtn

Mon 2 June - Carvers Gap to 19 E - 391.8 miles

Scouting out parking areas, found ourself in the middle of a christmas tree farm

Hiking over Jane Bald

The usual not so smooth AT

Overmountain shelter, an old barn

Little Hump Mtn

Commemorative plaque on Hump Mtn

Fence obstacles to keep cattle out

Up and over obstacle

 
Finally done with North Carolina!!!!!

Tues 3 June - 19E to Walnut Mtn Rd - 402.7 miles

Wed 4 June - Zero Day


Thurs 5 June - Walnut Mtn Rd to Dennis Cove Rd - 417.0miles

A memorial bench to Vango, a hostel owner along the AT near ampton, VA

Mom enjoying Vango's bench

Hendo enjoying the bench and view

Small world...we met an old friend and former choir director of Mom's at Mt. Zion Presbyterian Church, Terry Cunningham (Midwest Mama). We had a great day hiking with her.

Midwest Mama and Hendo's Mom at Hardcore Cascade.

Fri 6 June - Zero Day


Sat 7 June - Dennis Cove Rd to Wilbur Dam Rd - 429.8 miles

Sign leading up to Pond Mtn...glad I left y hanglider at home!!

Hendo soaking her feet in Laurel Fork Creek

Laurel Falls

Wilbur Dam holds back Watauga Lake, it is an old school earthen da, this is the terraced backside of Wilbur Dam.

Watauga Lake, formed by Wilbur Dam

Huge Beaver hut in Watauga Lake

Sun 8 June - Wilbur Dam Rd to TN 91


Mon 9 June - Zero Day, Woodchuck Hostel, Damascus, VA


Tues 10 June - Zero Day,Woodchuck Hostel, Damascus, VA


Wed 11 June - TN 91 to USFS 69

Thurs 12 June - Zero Day, Woodchuck Hostel, Damascus, VA


Fri 13 June - USFS 69 to Damascus -467.6 miles

We made it to Virginia!!!!

Made it to Damascus, VA

Yay...Damascus!!

Special thanks to Woodchuck, owner and operator of Woodchuck Hostel in Damascus, VA and former AT thru-hiker.  His hostel and hospitality have been the best yet on the trail.  Mom and I were feeling pretty down when we got to Damascus, but a week of slackpacking, relaxing and visiting at Woodchuck's has done our minds, bodies, and souls good.  We are re-motivated to move on up the trail, but are sad to have to say goodbye to Woodchuck for now, not to worry, we will definitely be back again!!!

Hendo's Mom, Woodchuck and Hendo 

Need to Park Mom's Car

We have not been able to find another hiker to join us in our slackpacking/shuttling, so we are in need of a place to park my mom's car and we will return to full packing.  Anyone willing to let us park the car at their house?

Need New Slackpacking Partner or Someone to Help Shuttle

Mom and I have made great progress slackpacking with a fellow thru-hiker over the last week.  However, we have parted ways with our current slackpacking partner.  Therefore we would like to find another hiker to partner up with or someone who would like to come visit and shuttle our gear.

Here is how it has been working.  We picked up mom's car when we were in Erwin, TN.  There are roads or parking areas that cross the AT approximately every 15 miles.  We have been camping at the northern end of each days section.  Then mom and I walk south towards the southern end of the days section.  Our hiking partner would then drive to the southern end, park and hike north.  We would get the keys from him as we passed each other on the trail during the day and continue south to the car.  When we got to the car we would drive back to the northern start point, pick up our partner and move north to the next days section and repeat.  Doing this allows us to leave all of our heavy gear in the car and hike with a small day pack, carrying only food, water and rain coat needed for the day.

We have been hiking approximately 12-16 miles each day while slackpacking, while with our full packs we were only able to do 10 miles a day on a repeating basis.

So we are looking for another hiker to join us and help us slackpack or a visitor to come and meet us at the end of each day with our gear.  We have mom's car so a visitor would not be expected or have to use their own car or gas.  A visitor could enjoy day hiking on the AT or visit local sites during the day.  Just note that we are still camping at the end of the day and are not going into town daily, we are simply using the car to shuttle our gear. We cannot afford to put someone up in a hotel each night, but would expect them to camp with us or sleep in the car.  Mom and I can do this ourselves, but that would mean we would have to hike seperately, which we will do if we must, but we do enjoying hiking together.

Please pass the word and contact us via email, as cellphone service is hard to come by out here.  You can also leave us a text or voicemail, but do so as a backup.

Email:  ilenemhenderson@gmail.com
Cell: 404-234-6513

Day 62, 16 May - Day 76, 30 May

Mom and I have made it to Erwin, TN.  We are doing good, I am still having some achey ankles, but definitely better than before.  We are concerned that we are behind schedule and will not be able to make it to Mt. Katahdin, ME, the endpoint, before it closes 15 Oct so we have picked up Mom's car from Doc, my CVMA brother, in GA and along with another thru-hiker will slack pack for a week or so to get caught up on miles.  Another CVMA brother, Gary, and his wife Sharon live here near Erwin and drove mom and I to her car in GA.  We are truly indebted to their generosity.  Getting mom's car and using it to slackpack will cost us much less, than if we paid for shuttles, and money is getting very tight.  We have been watching our expenses from the get go but the extra days of recuperation needed and better dry bags and Hendo's new backpack have made a significant dent. But we will continue to trudge onwards.

Regarding Hendo's pack, I never should have bought the one that I did, but didn't know it at the time.  It is a 70 liter pack, far bigger and way more heavier than I need.  Because it is designed to carry 70 liters of stuff it has a very robust back support and waist band which have been rubbing sores on my back and waist.  I ended up just having to purchase a new smaller and lighterweight pack, it is a GoLite Jam 50, and weighs 1lb 17oz compared to my old one of 5lb 14oz.  It was not an expense we really wanted to expend, but I just couldn't continue on with my original pack.

I have been slacking on my daily journal so going to do a quick rundown of the last section from Hot Springs, NC to Erwin, TN.  This is by far my favorite section we have hiked yet.

Day 62, Fri 16 May, 275.9 miles
The bad part about going down into town is that you have to hike back up out of town.  We didn't leave Hot Springs until 1600 hrs, as it was raining on and off all day, so we waited until the skies cleared and just hiked out of town 2 miles and set up camp. The all day rain pushed the French Broad River to its max.

French Broad River lapping at the AT.

Looking down on Hot Springs, goodbye.

Day 63, Sat 17 May, 282.2 miles

Cute pond and amazing block dam

Amazing block dam.

Day 64, Sun 18 May, 286.7 miles

Just another day of trudging

Day 65, Mon 19 May, 295.6 miles

And another...day of trudging north

Day 66, Tues 20 May, 300.3 miles

Today was a very cool day.  We climbed over Big Firescald Knob and passed the 300 mile mark, whoohoo!!

The beginning of the climb up Big Firescald Knob. Of course we followed the white blazes and didn't take the easy route.

A taste of Firescald, even with the amazing trail work, Firescald was quite a fun challenge.

Enjoying lunch on top Firescald.

Hendo's Mom and Hendo enjoyimg the view ontop Firescald

One of the few flat sections of the trail, on our way to 300 mile mark

300 miles walked!!!!!!

Day 67, Wed 21 May, 309 miles

Pretty meadow of flowers going over Big Butt Mtn

The big split rock resembling a butt that Big Butt Mountain is named after.

Hendo trudging north

Hendo hiking through a rhododendron grove

Day 68, Thur 22 May, 316.6 miles

Taking the stairs over the fence on the trail at Devil's Fork Gap

Gorgeous creek cascade in lush may apples and ferns

Day 69, Fri 23 May, 322.3 miles

Today we got awesome trail magic at Sam's Gap.  A former thru-hiker, Long Trail, showed up with beer, donuts and oranges, what else could you want at 1030hrs...thank you!!!!!  

On the south side of Sam's Gap, we had showers this morning at 0800hrs, we just waited in our tent until they passed.  On the north side of Sam's Gap, however, they had extreme storms and at least a dozen trees had been blown down across the trail.

Day 70, Sat 24 May, 330.8 miles

We spent last night just below the summit of Big Bald, so this morning we hiked up and had breakfast ontop of Big Bald.  We met a group of 6 who were visiting for the weekend up from Atlanta.  We also met a family who was day hiking for the day.  The family gave us some bottled water which was greatly appreciated.  Their 6 yr old daughter said she woulld push me to Maine in their all-terrain baby stroller if I provided her with unlimited blue Jolly Ranchers and sweet tea...DEAL!!!!!  

Hiking down Big Bald we came across these 2 folding chairs in the middle of nowhere, we made good use of them.

When we got to Spivey Gap we got some more trailmagic, two bananas left of the trunk of a white Toyota Corolla...just what we needed after a long day of hiking!!!

Day 71, Sun 25 May, 341.5 miles

Hendo crossing a footbridge on our way into Erwin.

Made it into Erwin, TN...yay!!!  We are staying at Uncle Johny's Hostel.  Showers, laundry and hot food!!!  Two day hikers we met on the trail gave us a ride to dinner, awesome trailmagic!!!

Day 72, mon 26 May, Zero Day

On the trail this year, two hikers have taken on somewhat celebrity status.  One is Engineer who is a civil engineer and leaves amazing drawingsas part of his entries in the log books; another is Color Bandit, who is packing along colored pencils and writes his journal entries in a multicolored fashion and also colors in Engineer's drawings; lastly is Lint who is working on completinhg his triple triple crown.  The triple crown is completing the Appalachian Trail, the Pacific Crest Trail and the Continental Divide Trail, Lint is working on completing all three three times....AMAZING!!!!!  Can't wait to meet Engineer one day!!

Hendo and Color Bandit

Lint and Hendo

Day 73, Tues 27 May

Slackpacked from Iron Mtn Gap to Indian Grave Gap

Day 74 -75

Wednesday we rested, Thursday my CVMA brother Gary and his wife Sharon drove mom and I to Mom's car in Clarksville, GA.  What amazing trail magic and a true trail angel.

Day 76, Fri 30 May, 361.7 miles

Today we slackpacked and completed the 20.2 mile section north of Erwin to Iron Mountain Gap.  Tonight we meet up with our trail buddy Blue Ribbon and will begin our 2-3 weeks of slackpacking to make up miles.