Friday Zero

So yeasterday I got into Fontana and Spent the night at the Hike Inn with another thru-hiker Yanni

The owners were really great, and for 40 bucks they picked us up and then drove us into Reynoldsville where we went to an Excellent,, very authentic mexican restaruant, where I had two Chicken Fajitas.. and then to Ingles where I resupplied.

It was a great stay and then, I'm now at the Fontana Village Resort where i'm using their internet and taking a Zero day at the Fontana Dam Shelter... which is called the Fontana "Hilton" mainly because there are public showers and restrooms nearby.
So a zero day today and then I'll be heading out Tomorrow into the Great Smokie Mountains.

I'm feeling Great and the hiking has been fantastic,, the smokies are going to be cold but fortunetely passable. Hopefully in between a few rainy/snowy days coming up the skys will be clear and I'll be able to enjoy the great views that this Park has to offer.

I'll either check back in if I decide to stop and head down to Gatlinburg,, in between the Smokies or else I'll check back in once I get out of them in Hot Springs.
Either way these next 70 or so miles is going to be a rough and beautiful stretch,, the Smokies is the Nations Most Visited National Park,, more people than Yellowstone and Yosemite combined each year,, I'm looking forward to it....

Until Next Time
Joe aka _Kashmir_
signing off

Pictures

Those pictures in the blog post below are, first the Diamond size hale-ice,, me and my parents at the start,, sunset on the top of Blood Mountain,, snickers break and Me wearing my 100%Cashmere Hat,, which has duely gotten me my trail name of Kashmir... and another of me at the official Start of the Trail

These next ones in this current post are of GA/NC border

the crazy snow
and some of us checking out the Second Biggest Poplar ?sp? Tree in America,, it was dead and not very tall but it would have been huge if still alive,,

That's all for now, I'll update the next time I can

Kashmir onward.....

Hey everyone,, So I would have updated at neels gap, Mile 30, but the computer was out the previous evening and I just wanted to get going in the morning.

So far, including the Approach trail I've gone about 115 miles in 11 days,, I'm feeling great and excited to continue on. I took a "rest" not quite zero day today and just hiked 4 miles from the Rock Gap shelter and took a Shuttle into the Town of Frankline NC. I'm updating at Ron Haven budget inn at the moment. I had a massive breakfast(eggs, sausage and bisquits and hashbrowns) with 4 of the other guys who decided to stay in town today. and then after we were done eating breakfast,, it was 11 and the restaurant (I actually can't remember the name,, it was right next to the VFW someting like the Nanadine)anyways at 11 they switched to the lunch menu and so we just all decided to keep eating.. haha I ordered a fantastic huge Burger and Onion Rings and A grilled cheese, It was Fantastic,, all only 14 bucks

I had hiked the past 3 days with not enough food and that is someting I'll never do again,, I kind of just had 2 or 3 granola bars and then a lipton dinner... Way too little calories and I'll for sure be packing more food next time. I got into town with absolutely Zero food as I ate my last Cliff bar during the 3.7 miles this morning,, so a bit of a miscalculation but not something I'll do twice.

Anyhow,, everything out here has been amazing so far,, Everything was going smooth until I crossed into North Carolina and had to hike up a crazy mountain to get to the Muscrat Creek Shelter. Literally as soon as you passed into NC and started climbing up,, these giant Diamond Crystals of Ice started falling and as you hiked a steep, steep climb the temp dropped like 15 degrees and everything went from damp and foggy to Snow and Ice everywhere. It was pretty nasty and the Muskrat Creek Shelter was quite cold. If that is what the Smokies are going to be like then it is going to Suck,, I heard the smokies shelters are pretty nice but waking up in the cold snow is awful.. once you start hiking though and warm up, you beging to appreciate the beauty of the snow,, but in the morning everything seems terrible.

Made it to the start.

So I'm here down in Amicalola Falls State Park,, original plan was to hike the approach trail this morning 8 miles to the top of Springer and then my parents were going to pick me up at the top and I would have the first 8 out of the way and then start Sunday,,, However Trecherous snow and ice is preventing cars from reaching the summit and they would not have been able to come a pick me up..

new plan is to start Sunday Morning after some presentations on Saturday, one by Gene Espy,, the second man to ever walk the entire trail. It should be pretty interesting.

So I'm leaving early sunday and I'm probably not going to have Internet access for another 4 or 5 days. it's just about ready to kick off and I can't wait,, I did a short 1 mile hike this morning and i'm ready for more.... (i think) =)

Forgotten stuff

So I'm having two things mailed to me that I forgot back at my previous places of dwellingment.
Thankfully my friend Nick is going to mail my Crankup Radio/cell phone charger down to an outfitter at Neels Gap. I had left that in the trunk of the car after breakfast on sat.

Other missing item that is being mailed is My glasses. That's pretty bad to forget, I must say. I'll be wearing contacts but I'm practically blind without anything so I would like to be able to function after taking contacts out every night. so anyhow, we're just about to take off and drive down to Georgia, from our hotel here in Virginia.

Hopefully I don't forget anything.

Last Day in Kennerdell

So this will be my last day at home for a while,,, it was nice to see my Grandma, Aunt Barbara and Jim and Monday night we all had a enjoyable dinner of Pierogies and mashed potatoes. I'm 50% Polish and I grew up enjoying my Grandma's Pierogies,,yet for the past I'll say 5 or 6 years though, my mom has sort of taken over as Pierogie maker and I must say that they are excellent. So yeah, I spent a few days at home, got interviewed by the local paper and now I'll be driving down once we're all packed.

I'm going to try to weigh my gear momentarily.

Last day in State College

so it's 3:34 AM monday morning here in state college PA, and I'm in the midst of moving out of my apartment. Most of my belongings are just about packed. Original plan was to leave early on Sunday but I inadvertently fell asleep at Noon and didn't wake up until 11:30. I still have to head downtown early today and purchase a few more items of gear,, mainly Crocs and maybe a titanium spork if AppOutdoors carries them. I have an interview with my hometown paper at 4 PM today as well and I hope I won't be too tired. Now, back to packing.