Waynesboro, VA

Another one bites the dust! I’m in a town that lies at the southern terminus of the Shenandoah National Park. Check out the location map at www.auontheat.com — they’ve updated it to show my progress Everything’s going great so far, and I’m learning how to be blissful in cold and rainy environments. The Shenandoahs are known for “easy” hiking, but that doesn’t mean it’s gonna be easy.

I stopped at the outfitter here in town and dropped $115 dollars–but I came away with new insoles, a new knife (lost my old one), some seam selant for my shelter, some fuel, new titanium tent stakes, and a fifty foot cord for bear bagging (bears are very common in the Shenandoahs, so hopefully I’ll finally see one). I think I got something else, but I can’t remember right now.

I’m taking a zero today, even though I probably don’t need to. I want to see if Feezel and Bigfoot catch me. I don’t know how I would have gotten more than a day in front of them, but maybe they’ve passed me and just haven’t been writing in the shelter registers…quien sabe?

Aunt Sylvia, thanks for the mail drop! There was way more in it than one man could carry, but my fellow hikers also send their thank-yous. The reading material was a pleasant surprise, as well! Hope all is well with you and yours.

GrDi, I’m glad I opened your palate up to a new flavor. If I’d have known how expensive they were, I would have picked a bushel or so! Actually, it’s illegal to pick ramps in the Great Smokey Mountain National Park because the population is thinning. Anyway, hope you enjoyed them, but you can enjoy them more (and any recipe, for that matter) by adding 2 weeks of wilderness immersion to the recipe

Cody, just so you know, the invitation is always open for you to meet me/us somewhere along the Trail and pop some miles. Good to hear that you haven’t forgotten about the forest–someone’s gotta keep those Smokies tame.  I use a super light Platypus for water transport, and I’m guessing that the container you have is similar. I haven’t seen Bigfoot or Feezel for a while, so I don’t know if they’d want it. If you send it to my mom, I’ll probably need a replacement in a couple hundred miles…keep workin’ hard, you phlebotomist, you.

Leah, sweet. You know, you’re not too terribly far from the Trail in Minnesota. Maybe you’d like to be a Trail Angel? Then you wouldn’t just have to read about it, you could actually be a part of it! Kidding but not–take care.

imma!, yup, you returned the book–or rather, i had to rescue it. either way, it’s in my possesion. and i have been graciously feeding off the Trail Magic–the difficulty is not to expect it at every road crossing I got two Trail Magics in my mail drop yesterday from Spring Beauty…

Trail Letter 8: 4/16 and 4/17

29.0 ridgey miles today. After 3 of them, a turkey hunter returning from an unsuccessful morning gave me a hitch into Bland, Virginia. I picked up my maildrop at the P.O. (thanks Mom! and thanks for the trail mix Josh, Sandi, Lexi) and took it to a small diner where I ordered some breakfast and added my food to the pack. I also traded sleeping bags at this maildrop (15 degree rating / 2lb 4 oz to 40 degree rating / 1lb 4 oz) and dropped a pound in the process (yay!). I paid a lady $5 for a lift back to the Trail — I could’ve waited and gotten a free ride, but she was kind and her tank was empty.

The hiking today was the easiest so far, and 30 miles would have been easy but I ran out of sunlight. The first 3/4 of the day was a series of ridgewalks — the grade never was too steep and the climbs were short with lots of switchbacks. The last 1/4 was nearly a 0% grade (completely flat). I came upon this large pond that looked pretty so I’m cowboy camping again — the weather is warming day by day.

I saw two bunny rabbits today, and smelled about five different varieties of Spring perfume. I’d never noticed the sweet, nectary smells before, but they are much more pleasing than any bottled fragrance I’ve smelled.

Sleeping under the stars is nice — I saw three shooting stars last night. Tomorrow I’ll be in Pearisburg, Virginia — I desperately need a shower and some laundry done — I can’t even stand my own stench much longer…

Still no Feezel or Bigfoot.

4/17

16.9 “into town” miles today. I feel like I don’t belong in civilization — my trips into town consist of lots of strange looks from huge truck/SUV driving “civilized” folk. The amount of noise surrounding and produced by cities is alarmingly much — I heard Pearisburg from miles away. Sometimes the deafening jake-brakes and pimped-out-exhaust Dodge Neons make me angry — it’s as if the noise drives me mad! Sometimes when I cross interstates, I can’t help but yell back at the noisy traffic — it’s a release of sorts. When I return to the Trail after an extended (1/2 day or more) town stop, my rhythm feels out of sync. Soon I hope to minimize town visits by bathing and laundering in the icy mountain streams and springs.

Met a father/son hiking team yesterday — Craig and Napalm — and today I finally met Piperhiker and Dartman — two older guys whose shelter register entries I’d been following. My next goal is to track down Dynamite, who I believe is a day ahead of me. I’ve really been pushing my body, so it’s very glad for this half day off. But it’s also been responding very well — despite the abuse it continues to heal quickly and maintain stamina. I’ll give it a rest, and then stretch it again… Neckbeard said I could use his cell phone, so I’m gonna make a call or two.

Still no Bigfoot/Feezel — hopefully my “lead” on them motivates them to pick up the pace. We are, after all, TN Studs. Hah, they probably don’t care, but that’s OK because I’ve been enjoying solo hiking — it’s much easer to “hike [my] own hike”. Looks like pen #1 is down and out…of ink.

Trail Letter 7: 4/15

27.8 thawing miles today. The temperature when I started this morning was 29 degrees, but as the day progressed it steadily increased to around 55-60.

Climbed a mountain to get to Chestnut Knob Shelter — by far the best-placed shelter I’ve encountered. It was on the very top of the mountain on a bald — almost a 360 degree view. But it wasn’t even noon, so I had to move on. Maybe Bigfoot and Feezel will stay there…

I saw two sets of three deer, a set of two deer, and a single doe — whom I surprised (and vice versa). She looked like a deer caught in headlights…hah. Also spotted an owl — they truly have a mysterious feel, and the deep stare got me again — and the thing was at least 50′ away! I almost stepped on a grouse — right before it flew away and scared me silly. They always wait until you’re right up on them… And finally, I built a snowman on top of the mountain. It was a small snowman, but the snow was way too perfect for snowsculpting to simply pass by.

I’m “cowboy camping” tonight — that’s where you don’t have a shelter of any kind. I could put up the ponchotarp, but I don’t think it will rain. I’m no more than 24” off the Trail right now, but this spot was really tempting so I bit. The only thing it has that I don’t need is the ceaseless lull of the interstate (I-81). Picking up my maildrop in Bland, Virginia tomorrow — got about 3 miles to the Highway where I’ll catch a hitch.

Wondering when Bigfoot and Feezel are gonna show…

Trail Letter 7: 4/12, 4/13, and 4/14

23.7 windy miles today. After 6.5 miles we arrived at a shelter where we met 4 slackpackers: Tupperware, Loafy, Dorothy, and Greg. Slackpacking is the practice of leaving your pack with someone, then at a road crossing they either shuttle you back to town or your pack back to you. In general, we TN Studs decided slackpacking was cheating, so if one of us does it he will be heavily ridiculed.

The Trail led us through the Virginia highlands today — imagine a desertous looking terrain with more foliage, raging winds, and wild ponies. The views were fantastic — I can see why it was one of your favorites, Colin. The wild ponies were very friendly — one of them used me for a salt lick for about 10 minutes. The insane wind blew my hat off a number of times and absolutely ruined the crow’s feather it was sporting. I’ll need to find another.

We’re sharing this shelter with Smokey and Phoenix — they’re not too talkative and Phoenix — the woman — seems to be having a bad day or something. Supposed to be bad weather tomorrow, but we’re used to it by now. Oh yeah there were tons of people camping in the Highlands — it must be the weekend or something…

4/13

30.6 frigid miles today. Woke up to low 30s, and perhaps freezing as my water bladder’s bite valve was frozen. All day long sleet peppered the forest — it sounded like bathtub bubbles popping.

Feezel and Bigfoot were still staying warm in their sleeping bags, waiting for the sun when I had all my stuff packed up, so despite their persuasions to wait until it warmed, I bid them adieu. It didn’t matter, either, because the sun stayed behind a curtain of clouds all day, and the temperature stayed cold.

I have been feeling like my body is finally starting to man up to the daily beating I’ve been giving it, so I wanted to test my new carriage out — hence the 30+ mile day. I left camp around 7:30 (I think) and hit the Partnership Shelter at 6:15. So 30+ miles in 10.75 miles is roughly 3.75 mph, which is a racing pace. I have to prepare for our four-state challenge, when we’ll hike 50 miles in a 24 hour period.

It helped that my pack was super-light after sending home my tent, pants, and some other stuff. The cold’s making me question sending the pants and gloves home, but “That which does not kill me makes me stronger.”

There is a ton of hiker trash here at this shelter — including a bunch of people we passed in the Smokies but who passed us during our 4-zero day week.

I saw a HUGE doe today — quite possibly the biggest deer I’ve ever seen. She jumped over the trail about 25 feet in front of me… majestic creature.

4/14

25.5 Christmasy miles today. I’ve been having back pain when I sleep — ever since I started, really — that causes me to wake up many times throughout the night. This morning it was so frustrating that I just sat up and I leaned my back on the shelter wall. I don’t have a watch, so I didn’t know what time it was, but it was still pitch black outside. Hit & Miss woke up and started rostling around, so I figured it was late enough to start the day…

I was ready to roll at the same time Hit & Miss were, so I asked them if I could tag along — we had almost 12 miles until Atkins, VA. They let me, and it was good to talk to other thru’s in a little more depth. We hit Atkins and ate at a restaurant, then I bid them adieu and continued.

The weather was a mirror image of yesterday’s — at the foot of the mountain, the sheet was bouncing off the leaves, then as I ascended and eventually crested the mountain, the sheet became hail — and lots of it. Finally, as I descended, the hail turned into snow, and the Pop rocks and soda sound was transformed into complete silence….

Walked through some cow fields today, and the snow dusted pastures with iced mountaintop background was nothing short of spectacular. Here it is, April, and it feels like Christmas is tomorrow….

There’s a really interesting crew here at the shelter — Little Miss Sunshine, Nighthawk, Erin, and Catfish’s buddy (can’t recall the name). Everyone’s real friendly and this is one of the most comfortable shelter environments I’ve experienced, despite the freezing weather.

Feezel and Bigfoot are somewhere behind…

Trail Letter 7: 4/10 and 4/11

10.0 early miles today. Nature called at about 5:45 am, before the sun woke up. On my way back to the tent, I saw a box of Oreos and a birthday card from Bigfoot and Feezel that said, “See you in Damascus! OOooooo!”

So then it was on. I immediately packed up everything in the dark, ate some energy bars on the run, and hustled down the Trail. The guys had passed me while I slept as part of their 36 mile day. But if there were even a chance of catching them, I was determined to do it. After about 2 hours of hiking, I saw the sign indicating the State Forest Boundary, but also served as the TN/VA line. Immediately after seeing the sing, I saw the green Big Agnes tent that Bigfoot sleeps in and joy exploded within me. Haha, Feezel was already up, or I may have tried to slip by and win the race to Damascus, but I waited there for them to pack up, and we hit Damascus.

I got a great room for $4 at “The Place”, a Methodist-run hostel. We took it easy the rest of the day, and I spent a couple hours sewing tie-off loops to my poncho/tarp.

Damus’s (pronounced Dommus) pack was stolen while he was at Dot’s Restaurant. Some people gave him some boots, a sleeping bag, a new pack, a sleeping pack, and some other stuff so he doesn’t have to get off the Trail.

4/11

9.4 leaving town miles today. Leaving town is always a drag, because it’s always uphill and your pack is loaded with food for the next stretch. However, I sent my Tarptent, some pants, my glove, a handkerchief, and a couple of other things back home (and gave my sleeping pad to Snake), so my pack is getting even thinner! Yippee! of course, now I’m sporting a 5′x8′ ponchotarp that serves as my shelter, pack cover, and rain jacket. Setting up camp in the rain will be *no fun*.

Ran some errands around Damascus, ate a hearty breakfast and lots of fresh fruits/veggies for lunch. I’ve really missed fresh foods on the Trail.

The guys left town before I did, so I was able to hike alone again. We’ve decided to up our mileage if possible to 20 miles a day minimum. On that note, I’m hitting the hay…

Pearisburg, VA

Yay, another town down! These guys leave their blog address in a lot of shelter registers, and their site has a bigger, easier to read AT map. They update their location with time (I don’t know how), so the big red pinhead looking thing is where they are. I’m about a week behind them, so it’s also pretty close to where I am…anyway, here’s the link: http://www.auontheat.com/wp-content/location/location.jpg.

Cody: your wonderful “device” was not at Hogback: I made a point of looking under the cracks and between wall logs. My guess is some BOYscout found it and thought the design was cool, so he took it home to copy and sell to all his buddies.

GrDi: Time Traveler does have a home to go back to–at least I assume so. She talked of calling her parents while she was 250 miles into the Trail to let them know what she was doing, so I’m sure they’d take her back.  As for the trail name, “don Juan” doesn’t refer to the infamous/famous Don Juan Giovanni, but rather don Juan Matus-a character in books by Carlos Castenada. There’s a short ditty about him on wikipedia.org, but it’s farily unaccurate in that it highlights the unimportants and omits the importants. You gotta read the books for the full scope: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Juan_Matus. It’s good to see your constant replies to my what-must-be-becoming repetitive entries. I mean, I walk all day–how interesting can that be? Thanks for the nibbles; they keep me going when I want to stop!

Lisa: I will give you a city/PO in the future, as right now isn’t the right time…can’t wait, though! Remind me if I should forget (which shouldn’t happen).

Trail Letter 6: 4/8

23.1 anniversary miles today — it’s been one month since we set foot on the Approach Trail in Amicalola State Park! It doesn’t feel like 31 days have passed, but the calendar is usually pretty accurate.

After 6 miles we hit Kincora Hostel, where Feezel had a mail drop. Trouble was that the owner/manager was out doing Trail maintenance and wouldn’t be back until 3 — it was 11:30 when we arrived. He decided to wait until 3, and Bigfoot jumped on the chance for a 3 hour break, shower and toilet included! So I set off by my lonesome, with plans to rendezvous later at a shelter….

But shortly thereafter, as I was about to turn off the road back onto the Trail, George — a retired gym coach — pulled up and honked at me. He wanted to know who far and how easy to Laurel Falls: “I’ve run over 60,000 miles on trails and roads, and some of my students asked me, they said ‘Coach, have you ever been to Laurel Falls, Coach? You should go, Coach.’” He was really interested in my hike and kept saying how wonderful it was for me to do this — he said, “You’re my hero for today, son,” to which I replied, “Any 60 year old man that runs trails is my hero.”

So I left him gearing up in the parking lot, but eventually he caught up and passed me. In passing he said, “I don’t have any money to give ya but I got these,” and he handed me 3 Jolly Ranchers. “Use ‘em when you get thirsty!” Anyway, we ended up at the Falls at the same time, and he was kind enough to snap a picture, “…as long as all [he had] to do is press a button.”

I ran into Snake, who had hidden a bag of brewsky’s and Mountain Dews beside a highway crossing the day before. He was kind enough to share, so I had a Modelo and a Dew. Shortly thereafter I reached the shelter, but it was early so I decided to continue, and left BF and Feezel a note in the shelter register.

I’ve set up camp here on this ridge purposefully — so that I can see the sunset, and the sunrise will wake me up tomorrow. The sun was blood-red for about 10 minutes before it disappeared — surreal.

While I was eating dinner, I heard a creature moving through the woods below the ridge. I sat still, anxiously curious about what it was, and soon I saw a doe scratching and nosing the forest floor for food — it was amazing what caution deer used — looking around every 5 seconds and taking deliberate, slow steps through the woods… I whistled a few times, and each time the animal completely froze — after a few seconds, its color(s) blended with the forest’s making it hard to distinguish.

It’s my first night sleeping completely alone on the Trail — hopefully no bears!

4/9

23.2 “Happy Birthday to Me” miles today. After waking up before the sun, I made some oatmeal and watched the sun come up. It was the same blood-red color rising as it was setting the night before. I saw very few people and spoke very few words today — and it was quite possibly the most enjoyable day yet. BF and Feezel are still somewhere behind, but I’m hoping they make it to this shelter — Feezel has Oreos and I have vanilla pudding, so we’re gonna make some Oreo pudding for my birthday.

The hiking today was quite possibly the easiest stretch yet — no significant climbs or descents. There was a one mile section through bright green rolling grassy meadows that reminded me of home.

Wendy & Drew, Fifer, Chili Mac, Gatoraid, and Half-Brew are at this shelter. I heard Fifer fifing on his fife-flute when I was filtering water, and when he arrived he informed us he had seen a bear today.

Made it here by 3:45, so I’m gonna eat some birthday lasagna (thanks Mom!) and rest up for the 10 miles into Damascus tomorrow.

Oh yeah, my other birthday gift to myself is my Trail Name. I’m now don Juan (inspired by don Juan Matus, my first name “Jon”, and my dabblings in learning Spanish).

Trail Letter 6: 4/6 and 4/7

8.5 refreshing miles today. But it was after a not-so-refreshing night’s sleep. Bigfoot and I were right next to the world’s loudest snorer. I’ve seriously never heard snoring this loud in my life — we were laughing in disbelief for about 23 seconds, then the reality of our sleepless night set in. We tried short yells to wake him to no avail. So we had to pick up our pads/bags and move to the other side of the barn, but 15 ft. doesn’t help too much. Anyway, I told him if there were a world’s loudest snoring contest, he’d win it.

The rains finally passed, and we were left with a beautiful Spring day. Green is starting to pop up through the forest floor, and occasionally I catch a whiff of that (or one of the) Spring smell — freshness, newness, greenness, revitalization. We were on top of Hump Mountain (5,800′), and we could see the field of clouds keeping sunlight from the rest of the world, but we were above it all… magnificent.

Our low mileage today is a product of the day of the week — Sunday. I have a mail drop to pick up, but the PO isn’t open on the Lord’s Day, so we stopped at the Mountain Harbour Hostel for the day. We’re watching ESPN’s Greatest Sports Plays of All Time (on VHS, it’s like 25 years old) right now. Anyway, mail drop tomorrow, then back on the Trail!

Called Caitlin, she said Feezel started about an hour and a half after we, but stopped after 3 miles, whereas we did 16. So he’s not too far behind.

4/7

18.2 hilly miles today. We’re finally out of North Carolina and fully in the homeland, Tennessee. All the miles today were very gently graded — I think we stayed between 3000′ and 4000′ the entire 18.2. We hit the Trail late, though becauuuuse…

Feezel showed up! I had just returned from the PO with my 2 mail drops and a card and was sorting out the delicious food when Feezel walks through the hostel doors! He had busted butt to catch up, so we were reunited for the day.

Mom sent me 3 pints and 1 quart of jarred birthday cake! We ate the tree pints, and I put the quart in the fridge with a note for future hungry hikers to feast. She also sent a box of 24 packaged Rice Krispy Treats, so we ate as many as we could, then I put the rest in a bag and hung it on a tree along the Trail as Trail Magic. I’m sure some starving hiker will absolutely love them.

I also received a book in this mail drop — it’s a new addition to my gear, so we’ll see how it goes.

Thanks everyone who’s called — I changed my greeting so it’s more convenient for you — and everyone who’s supported me in some way — be it thoughts or contact. You’re all making my “job” much… better. And a HUGE thanks to Mom — the dehydrated meals look absolutely scrumptious; you did a wonderful job and I’m looking forward to future drops.

Today was our 30th day out here….

Trail Letter 6: 4/3, 4/4, and 4/5

Yesterday we did 11.7 miles into Erwin, TN. Good weather, and we crossed the Gap of Shame (where 2 of our buddies quot on day two of our 70 mile Erwin to Hot Springs trek) and had some moments of remembrance.

Bigfoot and I needed to resupply in Erwin, and Feezel had a mail drop coming to Uncle Johnny’s Hostel. The Feeze and I planned on rolling into town, taking care of business, then getting back on the trail. But Bigfoot decided he wanted a shower, laundry, and some “clean sheets” so he set his heart on the Super 8. I figured I’d help cut the cost (and get some shower, laundry, and internet), so I split a room with Bigfoot. The Feeze was going to continue, but two events changed his plan — his maildrop didn’t show, and his girlfriend Caitlin did show. So he got a room next to ours.

BF and I did our town business and crashed fro the night, waking up to…

4/4

..16.4 action-packed miles today. Feezel’s maildrop was still AWOL, so he and Caitlin dropped us off at the Trail and they went back to figure out what’s next.

It just so happened that Time Traveler and we started at the same time, so we hiked with her. After about 3 miles, Bigfoot left Time Traveler and myself in the dust in an attempt to outrace the oncoming torrential downpour. So I had about 5 miles to converse with TT. She’s 19 and from New York, doesn’t carry a sleeping pad or a tent, drinks unfiltered water from a 20 oz Mellow Yellow bottle, has dredlocks and giant (1.25″) earlobe-hole rings, and likes to sleep. We talked mostly about our Trail experiences thus far, and she’s hiked alone much more than I have.

Anyway, I got ahead of her for most of the last 8 miles, and I must say that hiking alone was quite the treat. Hopefully I’ll do a week or more by myself in the future — it’s very different.

After a tough climb today, there was a mile stretch through an amazing hemlock forest. When I came through, clouds were everywhere, so there was only “dark” sunlight, and there were also clouds on the mountain, so the forest was very misty. Instead of leaves covering the forest floor, there was the glowing-green moss and brown pine needles — truly a completely different environment from anything thus far. I couldn’t help but smile at the rarity I was experiencing. Worth a return trip someday.

At the shelter now are BF, me, Time Traveler, 2 high-schoolers, and a fun couple named “Hit” and “Miss”. They have a chickenwire pot stand I think I’ll copy, and they let me borrow it. “Miss” has a pleasant laugh — it’s nice to hear someone laugh as much as I do (even though mine is often caused by my delirium).

Bedtime, but still no Feezel. We’re guessing he stayed another night in Erwin with Caitlin, but who knows…?

4/5

21.7 cloudy & record-breaking miles today. The weather consisted of 100% humidity, or, us walking through clouds. No view today, despite climbing to over 6,300′.

With 21.7, Bigfoot and I set personal bests for mileage. The hike also consisted of the hardest uphill to date, due to slope and length. My body has been feeling much better, so it was good to test and stretch the limits. I haven’t moleskinned in 2 days… hoorray for the body’s ability to heal itself!

We’re staying at Overmountain Shelter — it’s an old barn that’s been converted into a shelter that sleeps at least 20 (most shelters sleep 6 – 10). There are 3 dogs, Tupperware, Burro, and Hit and Miss along with some weekenders (about eight) besides BF and a very tired and sleepy me.

We decided to race ahead of Feezel — we don’t know where he is, but we’ll wait in Damascus for him (about 85 miles away) if he doesn’t catch up…

Yawn.

Trail Letter 5: 4/1 and 4/2

14.7 miles today. I foolishly passed up an opportunity for H2O about 4 miles before the shelter, so I was dry the last 2 miles today. I kept licking my sticky lips and my body felt very weak — lesson learned! Other than that, I had a slight shin splint on the left shin, but after wrapping it all day, it feels OK.

The weather’s been crummy in the morning, but clear by about 10 for the last two days — hopefully tomorrow’s the same.

The engineer and wife from last night are at this shelter tonight. After jokingly telling them about the instructions for sending food on my blog, they gave us a nice bounty of PayDays, breakfast bars, and brownies. Thanks Tom and Anne!

We’ve already seen the mouse (or one of the mice) that lives at this shelter. They typically come out at night and have no respect for personal belongings, especially food. I felt one crawl over my head a few weeks ago, and Sam said that he woke up to one chewing on his open wound on his finger. It’s weird how harmless yet how unnerving they can be, especially when you’re tucked away in the sleeping bag at night….

Spring is starting to rear its pretty head if you haven’t noticed — blooming trees, blossoming wildflowers, buzzing bees, and chirping morning birds are all growing in number.

4/2

15.3 shirts-off miles today. Actually, the shirts stayed on until we took a 1.5 hour break on top of sunny Big Bald (5,516′). Last year, Big Bald was covered with snow when we visited, so today was a pleasant return. We also passed the small field where the picture at the top of this website was taken. We missed your MacGuyver style at Hogback Mtn. Shelter, Cody (it’s the one where you almost cut your fingers off while you were saying, “The important thing is that you don’t cut yourself…”).

Before Big Bald, we ran into two fellas, Fox and Luke, who were scouting the area for edible plants. Luke showed me (and picked a leaf of it for me) the ramp plant. The Goddesses were talking about ramps — I believe Nancy was saying they’re illegal to pick in the GSMNP anymore due to over-harvesting. And Caitlin, Feezel’s woman, showed me a black-and-white sketch of one, but I didn’t feel comfortable enough to try to identify and eat one on my own. But I was very surprised at the flavor — and the fact that I never knew about them — of the ramp Luke showed me. I, in turn, showed Feezel who began eating them for the next few miles.

We heard some coyotes howling while we were on Big Bald, and some deer below us also heard and ran into the forest.

Body felt wonderful today, with weather to match. Tomorrow we head into Erwin, TN, for a resupply.