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.
Date: December 19 2000
Trail Day: 202
Miles Today: 20
Location: Near US 278
Section Mile: APT 9
ECT Mile: 3037
Bought some gorceries and started off. First a road walk on a big road, then
on to smaller paved roads and then on a dirt road. There were numerious dogs.
These dogs are a nuisance and the owners don't do anything about it.
Then started a cross-country hike to find the Alabama Pinhoti trail. I had to
do this for 1.5 hours before I found it. Took a
photo
of the first blaze I saw
- I tried to get myself in the photo but was just too tired to go thru the
process. Some of the cross country was through very brushy areas. I had to
fight my way through it. In the process both my orange vests are now in
tatters. It was also hard because it had started snowing and I was slipping
almost every step on slopes.
Once I found the trail things were better. Hiked till I found a creek and
decided to stop. The water bottles were frozen.
Spilled my food again while cooking. You get very chilly when it gets very
cold and tend to make a lot of mistakes.
Also crossed into Alabama somewhere in the cross country hike - my 17th and
second to last state. The APT is also my second to last trail. The hike is
almost two - thirds complete
Date: December 20 2000
Trail Day: 203
Miles Today: 19
Location: Near Water Shed
Section Mile: APT 29
ECT Mile: 3056
I had been hoping for a while that I wouldn't see temps below 15 F. Well,
didn't work out. Last night it was a cold 12 F. The sky had cleared and with it
we lost whatever heat we had. My water bottles were frozen. So were my shoes.
The first couple of hours under such conditions is agony. Things are good so
far as I am in the sleeping bag. But once I am out and get my feet into the
frozen shoes the horror starts. The feet go numb. I then have to handle
different things with my bare hands to break camp. So the hands go numb. Since
my sleeping bag is quite thick with a liner it is a struggle to get it into the
pack. The numbness stays for another hour and a half after which things improve
slowly.
Today's nike was slightly more difficult than I would have anticipated. There
was also a section running along a steep slope. I slipped on the snow and
leaves several times - very hard on the knees.
Saw a fox today as I set my pack down to rest. Haven't seen once since Mt.
Carlton in New Brunswick.
The good news here is because of the snow and rain almost all the little
creeks have water. Things also warmed considerably during the day. It was a
clear day. Another 90 miles of mountains and I am out of them!
Date: December 21 2000
Trail Day: 204
Miles Today: 18
Location: Laurel Creek Shelter
Section Mile: APT 47
ECT Mile: 3074
Things change quickly here. It was clear and still when I set up camp at about
5 pm. By midnight the wind picked up considerably. I had to get out and
tighten all the lines. Then about 4 am or so it started raining which then
turned to ice. Morning - my tarp was covered with ice. I waited for it to stop
raining in the morning and then set out.
Some of the sections run through trails that are on steep slopes. With all the
snow, ice and leaves I was slipping a lot. There were also a lot of blow downs
- One of them was on a steep slope and I could go neither up nor down to get
past it. Took me 5 minutes to clear that one.
The trail later in the day became much flatter and there were a lot of pine
stands - almost like Florida.
Got to Cedar Creek shelter - one of the four on the APT. Cooked some rice but
it was too salty and I could not eat it.
Today (apprx.) is also the shortest day of the year. For the first month of my
hike the sun and I were approaching one another. Then the sun went south much
faster than me. Now it will come back.
My review of the GPT - the section from Dalton to Simms mountain trail is
worth hiking if you don't mind the numerous dirt roads and old logging roads
that the trail uses. The entire GPT from BMT to APT is not worth hiking
because of too much road walk. This is obvivously a young trail and the
association has done a wonderful job with it in the short period it has been
in existence. However, a lot more work needs to be done.
Date: December 22 2000
Trail Day: 205
Miles Today: 17
Location: Econo Lodge, Anniston
Section Mile: APT 64
ECT Mile: 3091
Last night was extremely cold. Started off with very frozen shoes and I was
miserable for a good 2 hours. It had cleared up last night and with it we lost
all the heat. But the sun was shining today and things warmed up a little by
noon. The lakes here are 75 % frozen. I used to live in Louisville which is
very north of here and don't remember seeing frozen lakes. I am quite
surprised that Alabama is so cold. Looks like I will have this till I enter
Florida. The cold is certainly wearing me out.
The trail was quite flat in the beginning but then turned up and down. In one
long section there is a dirt road that runs on the ridge and the trail had to
be put down the slope. It thus meanders a lot.
Got to US 78 and had to wait a long time to get a ride. Finally got picked up
by 2 guys - Joe and Shannon. They took me to their apartment and fed me and
then dropped me off at a motel. They were really helpful.
Date: December 23 2000
Trail Day: 206
Miles Today: 0
Location: Econo Lodge, Anniston
Section Mile: APT 64
ECT Mile: 3091
A 0 day. I was planning on heading out. But when I got up I had absoloutely no
mood to go.
Tried to buy another orange vest but they are all out. I have also lost my
whistle/compass/thermometer combo, pocket knife and photon lamp. They were all
tied in a string. I bought another pocket knife, could not find a photon lamp.
The compass I will buy in Pensacola. The Florida trail is notorious for people
getting lost due to poor blazing. So I will have to buy one before I start it.
Date: December 24 2000
Trail Day: 207
Miles Today: 4
Location: Near I-20
Section Mile: APT 67
ECT Mile: 3095
Slept well last night and got out of the motel at about 9 am. Walked to Rte 78
and tried to get a ride for about 2 hrs. Could not get one. Decided to walk 5
miles further out of town and try a ride. No luck. Walked another 4 miles and
tried again. No luck again. Then just walked the remaining 4 miles to the
trail. So it was 17 mile day although only 4 on the trail. It was also
interesting to note that I could not get a ride on Christmas eve, where
people are supposed to be full of brotherly love. Even more ironic that a good
number of them were travelling to/from churches. It occured to me that if
Jesus were to be walking through one of the neighborhood they would call the cops.
Religion is just a farce these days.
Walked the 4 miles to I-20. The trail is fairly non descrept - a little of
this and that. Ate some cheese and ham sandwhich and fell asleep.
