Date: December 12 2000
Trail Day: 195
Miles Today: 32
Location: Day's Inn, Dalton
Section Mile: GPT 44
ECT Mile: 2931
A very long day today. Set a personal mileage record - 32. The previous was 27
on a roadwalk on the IAT.
It rained last night but I stayed dry and extremely warm. The temperature
dropped to about freezing. I got up early, even before the sun rose and started
hiking. It was quite foggy when I started. Roads I walked - Shakerag road,
Conasauga road, Highway 2/52, Alt 52, Route 52.
Climbed to Fort Mountain state park. There was leftover snow in this height
and the trees were covered with ice. People in cars seemed mixed. Many smiled
and waved, some looked puzzled - a throw back to the IAT road walk. Almost
none of these roads are designed for pedestrian use. If you have a stalled car
and you have to walk 2 miles to get some gas you take your life in your hands.
Shows how auto-centric American culture is. No wonder we are all so fat.
Had lunch at a Mexican restaurant in Chatsworth. I have been wanting to do
that since I started the AT but there were very few opportunities to do so.
Relished the meal. Ordered a second lunch. The waiter asked - "To go". I
said - "No, for here". He had to make an effort to keep his surprise from
showing. The service was very good. This area seems to have a decent hispanic
population. I am glad to see a somewhat cosmopolitan place after the almost
all white scenario since Canada.
Decided to bounce my sleeping pad. Bounce means to mail stuff to a new location
and if not needed there, forward it to the next location. I dont think I will
be needing the pad any more. I am tyring to cut out the weight
as I dont think I will be facing the 15 F temperature I faced in the Smokies.
I had no intention of walking to Dalton, but as I kept walking the traffic
picked up and I realized it was city traffic. Also, I decided to get a
motel and they were all on the other end of Dalton. Walking at night is
also possible in a city because of all the lights - in fact its downright
interesting. I find the reactions I provoke from drivers and passengers to
be the most interesting. Each demographic has a general reaction - Country,
City, male, female, young and old.
Stoppped at a gas station to get me directions and withdraw money. As I put on
my pack outside and got ready to move on a guy drove up to me and said - "Hey,
looks like you could use some help" and offered me 5 dollars. I refused saying
I was just a hiker. He was a little disappointed that his generous act had not
worked out. I found this to be a small moral dilemma - should I have accepted
the money just to make him feel good even though I did not need it. Was I in
fact justified in taking it because he offered it to me. Had it been an old
friend offering me food/drink for 5 dollars, I would have accepted it
immediately. What is the right thing to do - I wonder.
Got de-natured alcohol at the "Super" K-mart. The merchandise available for
sale is just astonishing. There is no doubt in my mind that the materialism
has gone way overboard and is now functioning to fill the voids that modern
life has created in us. The crap that will be exchanged and discarded promptly
during this Christmas will be proof enough.
Got to Day's Inn and was glad to sit down. I am quite tired after a long long
day.
Date: December 13 2000
Trail Day: 196
Miles Today: 0
Location: Day's Inn, Dalton
Section Mile: GPT 44
ECT Mile: 2931
Decided to take a zero day as I was very tired and the weather seemed to be
quite bad. It started raining heavily in the afternoon and I was glad to be
indoors.
Date: December 14 2000
Trail Day: 197
Miles Today: 21
Location: Horn Mountain
Section Mile: GPT 65
ECT Mile: 2952
Today was overcast all day. Never saw the sun. Had breakfast at Waffle House
and started off. Saw my first Pinhoti blaze. I hugged and kissed it
as tears of joy ran down my face :) Blazes make a huge difference to the trail.
I can slowly see that the mountains are coming to an end. On Blood mountain,
about 20 miles north of the AT there are no mountains to the south. On Cohutta
overlook, near the beginning of the GPT there are no mountains to the north.
Now there are very few mountains to the west. They are spaced further apart
and are quite low. I dont think the climbs are more that 500 feet. It is a very
satisfying feeling to see that I have almost crossed an entire mountain range.
The hike was fairly easy. The climbs were short and the ridge runs relatively
flat. I was quite surprised to do a 20+ day with a late start. I was also
grateful that it did not rain.
Date: December 15 2000
Trail Day: 198
Miles Today: 21
Location: Old Narrows's Park
Section Mile: GPT 86
ECT Mile: 2973
Due to the humidity the sleeping bag felt clammy all night. In the morning
there was a lot of dew and fog.
Decended from Horn mountain. Met a hunter along the way. Took a break at
Pikher pond. Met another hunter. This guy was not a serious hunter. He seemed
very relaxed and said he never walked too far from his truck. I think he uses
hunting just as an excuse to get out into the woods.
Then came a climb up Keown Falls park. Its a very small falls but the trail
maintainance seems very good. Crossed two creeks and got my shoes and socks
wet. All in all a fairly easy hike. Most of the trail is blazed and therefore
easy to follow. I have also cross referenced the GPT maps with the DeLorme
maps and now have a much better idea of what the trail is doing.
Today I reversed all the north meander caused by the BMT and am now south of
the Springer mountain.
The day turned quite warm, probably 55 F. I could hike in just my shirt.
Date: December 16 2000
Trail Day: 199
Miles Today: 22
Location: Near Holland
Section Mile: GPT 108
ECT Mile: 2995
It rained off and on all night. Stayed very dry. Started off when the rain let
up a little. It was over cast all day and I never saw the sun.
Got into a very good trance and the miles just flew by. Most of the trail was
through old logging roads and dirt roads. The hills have become small with
flat ridge runs. That has really speeded me up. Could not find a 1 mile
section of trail that hooked into the Simms trail. Used the road to hook into
it instead. Simms trail is an abandoned rail road that has been converted to a
trail. I really enjoy those.
I was hoping to be in Holland - A small community tomorrow but I made it
today. I have two days worth of food still left i.e. I could have gone another
50 miles till a supply stop. The people here are extremely friendly. As I
reached Holland I saw two guys waiting in a van. They said they had seen me
hiking down the road and had stopped by to talk to me. They asked me about my
hike. They also offered me a ride to Rome which is about 20 miles away.
Went to a small store in Holland. Bought some sandwiches and beer. Some of
the local guys also offered me a ride to Rome. Decided to camp early to beat
the rain. Another gentleman also stopped by as I was setting up camp. He said
he had seen me hike a little way up. We chatted for a while.
I set up my tarp with it raining. Got in, ate a sandwich, spilled half a can
of beer on my ground cloth. It is exciting to eat and drink in a tarp with it
raining outside. The tarp today is poorly set as I dont have much space. I
think I will be getting somewhat wet tonight. But tomorrow I should be in Cave
Springs where I go into a motel.
Date: December 17 2000
Trail Day: 200
Miles Today: 22
Location: Cedar Creek Inn, Cave Springs
Section Mile: GPT 130
ECT Mile: 3017
A very important day today - day 200 and M3k, mileage 3000.
Last night the weather went nuts. It started raining as soon as I setup my
tarp. It warmed up to 55 F and rained very heavily. Then the rain stopped and
it was extremely windy. I had to hold on to a tarp end to keep it from blowing
off. Then it became extremely calm. Later the temp started falling sharply. I
had not worn any warm clothes to bed so I was cold. The temperature went to 25
F and I woke up to frozen shoes.
Continued hiking the Simms trail then did a road walk to Cave springs. Almost
everything is closed because it is Sunday evening. The weather is going to be
very cold for the next few days. A zero looks good before I head in to
Alabama.
Date: December 18 2000
Trail Day: 201
Miles Today: 0
Location: Cedar Creek Inn, Cave Springs
Section Mile: GPT 130
ECT Mile: 3017
A good relaxing 0 day. Did laundry after a long time. Picked up the mail drop.
Suriyan and Karen have sent me a box of goodies. Thanks Karen. Also got the
next set of maps for the Alabama Pinhoti trail. Thanks Vivek.
The weather for the next few days does not look good, but I will be heading out any way.
