The trail has been good to us in every way we could possibly imagine. Then, on our last night, Fireman Stephen crashed our idyllic scene. First he tried to oust us from our place inside the shelter, then he launched into a manic rant about his days as a child in the mountains of North Carolina, …
In “The End of the Trail, Part 1,” I recounted the tale of what was meant to be the last morning of our Appalachian Trail journey. Alexander and I had spent the previous night with our friend Stuart, from Texas, at Brown Fork Gap Shelter. Stuart was a highly organized hiker, who liked to be on the trail at first light.
Our 33rd day on the Appalachian Trail was supposed to be our last day hiking—the end of our magnificent trip. I arose early at Brown Fork Gap Shelter with Stuart, our new friend from Austin, Texas. To be precise, I was awakened by Stuart and the sounds of him making oatmeal—in his JetBoil stove.
Monday morning, after Miss Beverly dropped us off at the AT trail head, we had only a six-mile hike from Winding Stair Gap to Siler’s Bald—but that hike was six miles of steady climb. Still, we were rested, and we Read More
On Sunday, Alexander and I needed to make a trip to Three Eagles, the local hiker outfitter, for supplies. The store was an eight-mile round trip—a longer walk than we wanted to make on our last down day at the Read More
This morning marks the 23rd day of our Appalachian Trail journey—and once again it’s raining. Today, however, the rain is not an obstacle, for I am warm and dry at the hotel in Franklin, North Carolina, a steaming cup of Read More
As I lay in my sleeping bag atop Tray Mountain last Wednesday night, the warmth from the fire Alexander had conjured out of a forest of wet wood radiated throughout the open shelter. That fire was as much a testament Read More
Although I live in the small city of St. Augustine, Florida, “city boy” is not how I would characterize myself. I love gardening. Getting my hands in the dirt feels like it grounds me, equalizing the electrostatic discharge from computers Read More
Friends Made on the Peoples Trail The Appalachian Trail is known as the “People’s Trail,” and after our first week of hiking north Georgia it is easy to understand why this is so. The boys and I have encountered many Read More
Before heading off on my Appalachian Trail journey, I’d already had experience with the sort of extreme physicality I knew lay ahead on this trip. My cross-country bicycle journey of five years ago prepared me for the ultimate by product Read More
