Neels Gap Hostel

For those following me where I'm on the trail, I hiked from Woodys Gap to Neels Gap today. It started out as a moderate 7 miles and became strenuous the last 4 which included conquering Blood Mountain, the highest elevation in GA. I would suggest doing a Google search and seeing some of the beautiful views that I missed.  This is the second time I've hiked the mountain and the second time that there has been no visibility due to weather.  At least I didn't run into any rain.  Oh well, guess I'll have to come back!

I've met up with another hiker named Sky Walker (aka Joe). We've decided pair up for a little bit as we're going about the same pace. We hike together to start the day and then take rests a different times so that we can still hike alone which is nice. It's good to have company but not be obliged to stay with them the entire time.

I also ran into 2 wonderful people as I was finishing my day. They were Teacher and Snacktime, a grandmother and her grandson out on the trail for a home schooling activity. They had some questions for me and the other hikers passing through. They also were kind and gave out a little bag of "trail magic" which included some candies and toilet paper among other things. It was a nice gift.

The day got even better when I arrived at the hostel. I was able to check in and take a shower (a luxury in the middle of the wilderness). The warm water felt great as it washed the salt off my body. I met a few of my fellow hikers who planned to stay the night, all of whom are various ages and all very interesting. The best part of the evening came when a family from a local Baptist Church in Cleveland, GA stopped by with dinner for us. The dinner tasted amazing and it was a lot of fun to hang out with them for the hour and a half they were here. The hospitality and fellowship tonight was just amazing.

I was able to restock some supplies here with some food that some section hikers from Florida left. I had passed these guys on the trail earlier in the day without much talking. They finished their planned hike today and left some wonderful dinners for us to take.

The rest of the night was spent hanging out with my fellow hikers. We had a TV,  but it stayed off all night as the company was far better than anything we could put on. Bedtime came around 9pm. It's just before 3am now and I'm gonna go back to sleep.

Continue to keep me in your prayers!

(Photos are of the sign at Blood Mountain and the view from Neels Gap)

Hello, my name is...

"I'm afraid I've lost touch with my old friends.  The greatest friend I ever had was as school, a fellow named Smith.  It's odd you should mention it, because I was thinking of him today, though i haven't seen him for seven or eight years.  he was on the science side with me at school, a clever fellow though a little weird, and he went up to Oxford when i went to Germany.  The fact it, it's rather a sad story.  I often asked him to come and see me, and when I heard nothing i made inquiries you know.  i was shocked to learn that the poor Smith had gone off his head.  The accounts were a bit cloudy of course.  Some saying he had recovered again, but they always say that.  about a year ago i got a telegram from him myself.  The telegram, I'm sorry to say, put the matter beyond a doubt."

 "Quite so," assented Dr. Warner stolidly; "insanity is generally incurable."

"So is sanity," said the Irishman, and studied him with a dreary eye. 

"It's a shame to joke about such things," Said Inglewood, in his honest, embarrassed way; "the telegram was Smith's illness, not Smith.  The actual words were, 'Man found alive with two legs."

This is an excerpt from the book Manalive by GK Chesterton.  I have selected Manalive as my trail name for my trek northbound.  Trail names are selected by the hiker or given by fellow trail mates. No one knows where/when the tradition was started but it is now expected that hikers have one. 

I selected this name for a number of reasons, but the biggest one is that I am carrying that book with me. It is also one of my favorite books. Additionally, when I read the part of the book above, I laughed because I received a similar response when I told people I was quitting my job to hike the AT (short hand moving forward for Appalachian Trail). Finally, being on the trail makes me feel alive! The pains and joys all make this a great experience. 

The book is a great read and very short. I'd definitely recommend that everyone read it! My copy is only 127 pages long, so get on it!

~~Manalive~~

Day 1: Amicalola Falls

So this is my first blog entry from my phone. It's the entry that let's everyone know I am hitting the trail today!!! I can not explain how exciting this is.  After a great Friday night and short Saturday in Greenville I am thrilled to be starting the trail at about 9:00am.  My mom plans to hike the first half mile with me which is great! 

So far today I've had an amazing continental breakfast consisting of liquid eggs and rock hard biscuits.  At least the banana was fresh and a little under ripe! 

My mom took a picture of me at the start of the trail. Please keep me in your prayers as I start this adventure!!!!

I found some reception while I eat lunch so I'm posting now! More to follow!

Final Preparations

The final preparations have been made!  I have my backpack packed!  I have food for the first leg of my trip!  Water is ready to go.  I have finalized my preliminary schedule! 

I have purchased my permit for the Great Smokey Mountains. 

Currently my pack weighs about 38lbs.  This is a little heavier that what I hoped, but I'm not disappointed.  I'm fully stocked with more food than I need for the leg.  I will fine tune by food intake after a few days and the pack will be much lighter.  I also have a tent that is a little bigger than what I need for 1 person, but I feel the extra space will be nice.

I have decided to move my start date up almost a week as I am ready to go now.  Additionally, I hope to make it to my friend's wedding in June and I need to be in town a day or two earlier than I had planned as my buddy who is picking me up and is in the wedding needs to get me earlier than I had assumed.  Sunday is the day!  4/27/14!  only 3 more days!  I cannot explain the excitement that I am feeling right now!  I will soon be on the trail carrying everything I need to survive on my back!

I will update with some pictures on Sunday as I leave!  Stay tuned for my updates!

WHY!?!?

So the first question people ask me is why do you want to do something like this?  It's not a judgmental question, but one more of curiosity and excitement.  Instead of answering the same question for everyone, I figured I'd take a short cut and post to my blog.

I first decided that I wanted to hike the entire trail about 6 years ago.  I first hiked the trail with my friend Ryan when I graduated college.  I loved the physical and mental challenge of hiking.  I also loved the scenery and people along the way.  I fell in love with the trail then.  I spent only a week on the trail and traveled about 120 miles, and at that point I knew I wanted to hike the entire thing.  Ryan and I discussed the possibility of hiking the trail after he graduated.  I even discussed with my manager at work the possibility of taking a Leave of Absence in order to do this.  Unfortunately, Ryan took an extra semester to graduate and the idea of the trip went away as it is extremely difficult to hike the entire trail in a single summer.  Additionally, it was never a good time to get away from work, family, friends or responsibilities.  

The desire to hike the trail remained, but the idea of doing it was subdued.  I still went for weekend trips during the next few summers with various friends, and each time the desire was reignited, but the execution was always an intangible or indeterminate goal, much like when you run into that old friend from high school and you both say, "we should get coffee sometime and catch up!" but nothing ever materializes.

I finally decided to go for it in June 2013.  I went mountain biking with my friend Daniel and his brother in Virginia.  We ended up biking the Virginia Creeper Trail which intersects the Appalachian Trail at various points.  I left the trail riding back with Daniel to SC and told him about how I always do something like mountain biking and am reminded about my desire to hike the Trail.  He asked me, "Why don't you just do it?!"  At least 100 excuses went through my head.  They were good excuses too, but they were all excuses.  When I really thought about it, there was nothing that was preventing me from going other than me.

Next came the how.

While hiking on the trail the first time I met a former thru hiker who was a fellow engineer.  I asked her, how she was able to hike the trail with a full time "professional" job.   She explained that she went up to her boss with 2 letters, on for an LOA and one for her resignation.  I made the decision that I was going to do the same thing by asking for an LOA from my company this summer.  I also made the decision that if that LOA was denied, that wouldn't stop me from going...I was prepared to leave much like her.  Unfortunately, the LOA was denied and I submitted my letter of resignation.

I have been planning my trip since January.  The more I plan, the more I feel confident that this is where I am being called to be.  I don't know what I'm doing after the trail, but I trust that God has a plan.  I look forward to figuring out that plan while on the trail or even afterwards!

At this time I start my hike on May 1!!!  I can't wait for it!  Stay tuned for more updates!

Craig

Welcome to my blog as I hike the Appalachian Trail!  More information to come.  I'm not sure how often I will post, but I hope to update during my trip!