|IV|KingofDiamonds Blog

An Appalachian Tale: Part 15

2010-06-22T08:33:00.002-04:00

19 May 2010

Yin: So... today was... interesting. We awoke and left the shelter at around 7:00 a.m. heading for Siler Bald shelter about five miles away. We arrived there at around 10:30 and had a good lunch. After looking at our maps and talking it out, we decided that we simply can't survive another cold night like last night. So we made the professional, or crazy stupid, decision to head to Gatlinburg, TN and in doing so trek over Clingman's Dome (the highest point on the A.T.) altogether making for a 12 mile day. We could see our destination the entire day looming in the distance. It was a tough climb but we had higher spirits now that we had a newly found destination. Yang assured me that we could hitch a ride from the tourist attraction/watch tower on top of the mountain. However, when we arrived the entire area was closed due to construction! We were able to talk one of the workers there to give us a ride to Gatlinburg but we would have to wait until his shift was over. Not a problem. Yang and I took some awesome photos from the watch tower (despite the clouds/fog/mist/stuff). Before we knew it we were in town and getting a hotel for the night. Right now we are talking of steak and beer so I am going to wrap this so I can fill my stomach for the first time in what seems a long time, knowing that our adventures on the Appalachian Trail have come to a close... for now! Until tomorrow, Peace!

Yang: No Entry

An Appalachian Tale: Part 14

2010-06-20T11:01:00.000-04:00

18 May 2010

Yin: Remember how I said yesterday that those maps are horribly off? Well, we were let down by them yet again today. We figured we had a pretty easy day ahead of us today at around 8 to 10 miles. Definitely not the case! Yang and I know that we have a consistent three to four mph pace. Given that we left Molly's Ridge at eight and didn't arrive here at Derrick's Knob until 1:30 PM (no lunch break). It is safe to evaluate we did anywhere from 18 to 24 miles today when our map read at 8 to 10. From here on out, we are not using the map. It is more trouble than the amount it weighs. About halfway through the day today, Yang and I had immense delirium and were suffering from heat exhaustion. I about fell down a mountainside when thought I saw a cluster of white tree mushrooms attack me. The only upside to today was the awesome view of the entire Smoky Mountains from Thunderhead. We got a bunch of nice photos all in all. We just finished supper and I am about to crawl into my sleeping bag early today because I am expecting another day of absolute uphill hell. And I thought yesterday was bad!

Yang: Feeling much better now that earlier today! We broke camp at Molly's Ridge today at around eight. Before we left, I noticed that the bear was still walking around the site, checking us out. Anyway, we figured on an eight or so mile day. All was going well when we passed Russell's Field (yay, 3.2 miles down!). There were some horse campers there that were just leaving as we were passing by. The sign there said it was another three or so miles till Spence Field. It was a lot of up, but we knew that by the time we got to Spence Field, we were over halfway to our shelter, right? Wrong! After several more miles, we decided to check our map. I'll spare the rest of the details, but the point is that the map is all kinds of wrong! It felt to me that we did around twenty miles today. We were both in pretty bad shape by the time we made it to Derrick's Knob. Somewhere between Thunderhead and Rocky Top, we had both fallen. When I fell, I twisted my leg on a rock (no real damage) and another rock sliced my left ring finger pretty badly. Like I said before, we're feeling much better now after eating a decent supper. So now for the good parts of the day. After Spence Field shelter and most of the way to Thunderhead, there are some fantastic views. Mountain range as far as you can see. We took some pictures here. We also got a couple pictures of a pretty big tom turkey in one of the fields. Earlier today, here at the shelter, there was a decent sized doe across the grass. I was too slow to get a picture though. The map says seven miles tomorrow, so we're counting on fourteen.

An Appalachian Tale: Part 13

2010-06-17T10:40:00.000-04:00

17 May 2010

Yin: We thought we were good to go today... Yang and I hit the trail this morning at around 8 or so with high spirits because we were going to experience the Great Smokey Mountains. First things first. It was an entire day of uphill. I hurt more today than when we first went up Springer Mountain on day one. Second: it rained on and off the entire day so our clothes and gear are soaked! Thirdly, the maps we have for this area are completely off when it comes to mileage between points of interest. What we calculated to be an eight mile day turned out to be closer to twelve. How can a map be that off!!??!? Lastly, it is COLD... really cold. We hardly have the clothes to keep our core temperature maintained. On an up note, once we got to the shelter we snapped a couple good shots of a 4-600lb black bear! She left us alone for the most part. Just kept getting close to us to check us out. We are staying at Mollies Ridge shelter and all is well. I am tired and going to bed. I hope tomorrow is better because I don't think I could quite handle another day like today.

Yang: First hiking day of the Smokies! It was rough. We figured on an eight or so mile day that turned out to be twelve or so miles. The maps we have for the smokies are way off. We did manage to get several good pictures of Fontana Dam this morning and some awesome photos of a 4-600lb black bear tonight. This bear is REALLY BIG!! He/she pretty has pretty much left us alone though. It's just stalking around the edge of the site waiting for us to leave so it can see if we left it any food. Not gonna happen! We met a ridge-runner coming up the hill today that told us about the bear. He said that it was the biggest bear he had ever seen! I figure when a ridge-runner says it's the biggest he's ever seen.. it's probably a really big bear! He was right! Anyway, it's time now for bed. I'm exhausted from today's hike.

An Appalachian Tale: Part 12

2010-06-15T13:06:00.000-04:00

16 May 2010

Yin: Today was a good day to do much of nothing! By the time I woke up this morning "Cowboy" and Lithuanian guy we on the trail and Yang was straightening up the shelter as well as figuring out breakfast. The rain clouds were already on the horizon as we enjoyed SPAM on toast with cheese. Very good! We then decided to stroll through town again to kill some time and we found ourselves at the general store with a root beer in our hands yet again. For lunch we went to a place outside the resort area called "Pit stop". It was a combination garage/biker bar. After a light lunch and two pitchers of beer we made our way up the hill towards our supper restaurant called "the Bistro". It started to pour almost immediately and a nice couple gave us a lift to the top of the hill. At "the Bistro" we had a Merlot and I had a turkey Reuben that was very well made. After supper we headed back to the shelter to get our packs ready for tomorrow. Just before I turned in for the night, another north-bounder from FL showed up. After getting to know each other a little bit, I'm ready for bed! Smokey Mountains tomorrow!

Yang: We took the zero day today. After a late breakfast of some delicious SPAM burgers we got bored and went back into the "village". We did the general store thing and picked up a few meals for down the trail. Yin had a root beer and I had a grape NEHI. Yum! From there we thought it would be a good idea to eat nachos and drink two pitchers of beer for lunch at the "Pit stop". Needless to say, we were feeling no pain as we headed back up the hill in the driving rain. A nice young couple gave us a lift to the resort inn/restaurant. Survived the rain! We had sandwiches at the restaurant which were very good. I had a turkey club and Yin had a Reuben. When we left the restaurant we got some coffee from the inn's lobby area and had the desk call the shuttle for us. While we were waiting for the shuttle I decided to walk around the gift shop. I found a nice piece of American Indian pottery I had to pick up for the wife. We also picked up a jar of apple preserves to spice up our oatmeal. When we got back to the shelter we met a fireman from Florida (originally from Boston). He seems like a pretty cool guy to hike with tomorrow. G'night for now!

An Appalachian Tale: Part 11

2010-06-14T10:05:00.000-04:00

15 May 2010

Yin: This morning, coming out of Cable Gap, was pretty tough. There seemingly was a lot of up and the humidity was so high that we were soaked with sweat within the first hour. After about two miles of up we were presented with a very nice section of easy going downhills. Towards the end of the trail we started seeing and hearing signs of civilization. Within the hour we were met with the Fontana Marina. We noticed however that this was not the location of the shelter, so we continued through the marina and straight up on the trail again for another couple of miles. The last part of today's hike really wore on my mind because the trail was doing some weird direction changes that made no sense to me. Eventually we made it to the very nice Fontana Dam "Hilton". We took some much needed showers and washed our clothes in the bathroom sinks. Once we were cleaned up a bit we made our way into town. We noticed a shuttle for A.T. hikers at the Marina and thought it best to hitch the road back there. We soon found out that the place was full of tourists, none of which wanted to stop and help out hikers. We never had a problem getting a ride up to this point. Very surprising to us. We still met the Marina by road in about 10 minutes. It had taken us an hour by trail! We caught the shuttle into Fontana Village. We had lunch at a restaurant on a hill and dropped way too much money on a mediocre sandwich. Shortly thereafter we went to the general store and then killed some time sipping root beer while sitting in rocking chairs on the porch. After we had our fill of the village, we headed back to the shelter for supper. At the shelter we met a gentleman from Lithuania and a former boy scout that went by the trail name "Cowboy". We are probably going to take an off day here as well because we caught wind of a horrible thunderstorm heading our way. We plan to ride it out here. I can hear the rain starting to hit the gravel outside the shelter now...

Yang: It stormed last night at Cable Gap. Luckily we were already settled in by that time. It left the trail damp this morning but not too bad. It was another humid day though. No fun. After several hours of walking we found our way to Fontana Marina. We assumed at this point that we were nearly to the shelter. Wrong. It was another mile+ down the trail. We did make it eventually though. The Fontana Dam shelter (the Fontana "Hilton", as it is affectionately called) is easily the nicest shelter on the trail. It sleeps about 20-25 and has a bath house a few hundred yards away. The first thing on the agenda, after we arrived, was a shower! We took turns bathing and washing clothes in the sink. We put our now semi-clean wet clothes in the sun to dry. Then it was off to town. We took the road from the dam to the Marina. It was MUCH easier than the trail. From the Marina we caught a shuttle to Fontana Village. The "village" turned out to be a resort. It was over-priced and since it wasn't really a town there were not many options as to what to do. We had an okay burger for lunch that was way over-priced. Lame. After that we hit up the general store in the "village" and picked up some "supplies". Two bottles of root beer and twelve cans of real beer. We enjoyed the two bottles at the general store and (ignored the signs at the shelter about alcohol being prohibited) enjoyed the twelve cans at the shelter with "Cowboy" and a man from Lithuania who had through hiked in 2006. We also hear that the weather is supposed to be bad for the next several days. It's raining already tonight. We may take another zero day tomorrow and wait out the weather.

An Appalachian Tale: Part 10

2010-06-10T15:28:00.000-04:00

14 May 2010

Yin: Today was another planned easy day. We went to the next shelter , about six miles down the trail, called Cable Gap. Even though the day was short it was made rough by a passing storm we had last night. There were bugs everywhere! We got through it though and made it to the shelter by about noon. This place also had no bear cables. After about an hour of trial and error (I got the chord tangled in the tree several times) we had a working pulley. A few people passed through for lunch and put our fire out accidentally when they spilled their boiling water in it, so I had to reconstruct it. I took the Sven saw and cut down a standing dead pine, and burned most of it. There are two others staying at the Cable Gap shelter with Yang and I tonight. One north and one south bounder. Looking forward to reaching Fontana Dam tomorrow and the famous Fontana Dam "Hilton" shelter. Early to bed, early to rise.

Yang: Today was not a great day for hiking. We think that the cold spell last week may have prevented insects from hatching for several days. When it warmed back up, we think, they all hatched at once. Add that to today's swampy muddy trail and ... well... it sucked. Aside from that the past couple days have been very humid here. Oh well. When we arrived at the shelter we noticed that it (Cable Gap) also did not have bear cables. Yin rigged up our pulley system and we were in business. I cut up some logs and Yin built a very nice fire. It was pretty much "by the book" perfect in construction so I took a picture of it. A little bit later I noticed that Yin had dissapeared. Soon after I noticed that, I heard a large crash down the hill. Upon investigation I found that he had cut down a large dead pine. It took a while to get cut up but we did it. Staying with us tonight are a south-bound section hiker and a north-bound through hiker. We've had fire and good conversation. Now is time for bed. Fontana here we come.

An Appalachian Tale: Part 9

2010-06-08T12:23:00.000-04:00

13 May 2010

Yin: Yang and I woke up pretty early today to make sure our packs were set to go. Renee was already up and out the door before we were even out of bed. Soon we were on our way in a personally owned taxi service. Our drivers name was Sally and she was a hoot! She was a world traveler also and told us many stories of "her day". About an hour later we were at our destination. Tonight we are staying at Brown Fork shelter which was about only five miles of up. In comparison to "the Jump Up" today's journey was considerably easier. This shelter was the first so far that did not have bear cables, so we had to fashion our own. Between Yang and I, we rigged a block and tackle pulley device which worked very well. I also found some sassafras root and we made tea and just relaxed all afternoon because this was also the first time that we had the entire shelter to ourselves. To conclude: I think I may have just found a walking stick and I am going to go cut it down! Goodnight!

Yang: Finally made it back to the trail today. Was starting to get cabin fever! We had a pretty good car ride this morning with the shuttle service. I think our drivers name was Joyce, and Yin thinks it was Sally, we may never know for sure. Our shelter tonight is "Brown Fork". We could tell we had taken a break the last couple of days because the five miles of up was pretty rough. The very first thing I noticed about the site was that there were no bear cables. We managed to throw together para cord/carabiner pulley system that worked out well enough. We met Cricket, Blue, and a few others who stopped in for lunch. Other than that we had the shelter to ourselves the rest of the night. A very nice change! We chilled and made some sassafras tea. I found a walking stick here and it looks like Yin has too.

An Appalachian Tale: Part 8

2010-06-07T09:02:00.000-04:00

12 May 2010

Yin: So here we are this morning with splitting headaches. Good thing we decided to hang out another day, because my body couldn't handle the trail in this state! Today's goal was trying to do a small section of trail (about three miles) late this afternoon. However, nothing quite went according to plan as the only shuttle service, that could take us to our next desired entry point, was booked for the rest of the day. I wasn't looking forward to paying for another nights stay, but we have no choice. We set up our shuttle ride for 8am and decided to grab a quick lunch. Upon returning to the Hiawassee Inn, I ran into Renee who just walked in off the trail. We decided to let her stay with us for the night to spare her the cost of a room (she's a through-hiker and has a LONG way to go!).

Yang: Well... It's probably a good thing we couldn't get a shuttle today. We definably destroyed both bottles of wine last night. It was a lot of fun though! We did manage to schedule a shuttle ride for tomorrow though. YAY! We went down the road for a hangover brunch. I had a very tasty omelet. When we payed for our meal the woman behind the counter, after finding out we were hikers, told us to "hold on" as she dashed to the back of the restaurant. When she came back to the counter she said "you boys need these" as she handed us two very large peanut butter cookies! Pretty cool town! A while later (back at the inn) Yin came back with Renee. Pretty cool surprise! She's trying to get up to trail days in Damascus, VA right now so she can catch up with the rest of the through-hikers. Looks like she's going to stay with us tonight. Now I think we may go find some supper and probably call it an early night. Looking forward to getting back on the trail in the morning.

An Appalachian Tale: Part 7

2010-06-06T11:59:00.000-04:00

11 May 2010

Yin: What a day! Everything a rest day should consist of! Yang and I slept in until about nine or so. Then, we took a morning stroll for about a mile to the closest McDonald's for breakfast. It was awesome! After that, we went to the general store for forks (to replace our chopsticks which replaces our sporks) and some ice cream. After that, we went past a pawn shop we saw earlier on our walk and Yang bought a new harp and I played an acoustic Gibson. They also had an electric Hondo, bet she had seen better days. On our way back to the hotel, we stopped past a local store named "Bacchus". It ended up being an intricate wine shop/good import beer store. After some good conversation with owner we were off again, this time with two bottles of wine and one import beer each. I got a dark lager named "Hob Goblin". It was very good. Shortly thereafter, we found ourselves in the Inn again and are about to wrap up our off day with some wine. Yep, smells good, a nice dark Merlot.

Yang: Woo hoo! What a good day! We started off with a McDonald's breakfast which was pretty awesome. After that, we found our way to a Bob's or Steve's or some random name's general store and picked up a couple forks (heavy!) and a one pound brick of fudge. We then hit up a pawn shop and messed with some guitars and I picked up an F harp. From there, we found a really neat wine shop. The woman/owner working there was sort of a hippie and was really awesome. She knew a lot about the different wines and import beers she carried. Yin got a bottle of "Hob Goblin" and I got a bottle of "1554". We also picked up two bottles of very decent wine. We're back at the Inn now watching South Park and Tosh.0. The beer is gone. Looks like a bottle of Merlot is being poured... g'night!

An Appalachian Tale: Part 6

2010-06-05T10:30:00.000-04:00

10 May 2010

Yin: I would have never guessed where Yang and I ended up tonight! Last night at Low Gap shelter, another hiker, Renee, told us of a re-stock point about three days away called Hiawassee. And here we are the next day! Yang and I originally planned to skip visiting the town altogether because we had only just come from Neels and we felt spoiled stepping off the trail. However, while having lunch at the Blue Mountain shelter we realized we could see our breath at noon! It was a gorgeous view though. That shelter was located on one of the highest points of the ridge, so when we got there it felt pretty cool being one of the highest things as far as one could see. After lunch Yang and I attempted to innovate various ways of keeping warm. Our best idea was to build a lean-to inside the shelter and then put boiling water in the lean-to to optimize heat retention. After pouring myself over the maps though, we eventually decided to hike the 3-5 mile downhill to the nearest road and hitch a ride into town. So here we are, in Hiawassee Inn, ran by a Vietnam vet, a full two days ahead of schedule! For supper we went to Subway where we quickly found out how much the locals like hikers. We got a massive amount of food and drinks and cookies all for seven bucks! I have a feeling we will be staying here another day.

Yang: Last night was very cold. Yin and I learned that our sleeping bags were not heavy enough for a cold night on a mountain! We were eager to pack up and get away from the killjoy called "Razor" (who waited for everyone to leave). We made really good time today, and were at our next shelter in about 2 1/2 hours (Yikes!). We had a decent lunch of fried spam and crackers and began to realize it was going to be another cold night. It had just turned twelve and we could see our breath. We toyed around with some ideas to stay warm, including building a second lean-to inside of the shelter and putting hot water in our canteens inside of our sleeping bags. Over the next hour though, it just kept getting colder. We decided we should try to get to town. We found a road about 1 1/2 miles down the trail (much closer than the 3 or 4 days Renee had told us about last night) and found a ride to the Hiawassee Inn. We got a room with two beds, a bathroom, and a television. After a refreshing shower, we walked up to Subway for a quick dinner. We noticed the employee was being generous with our toppings, but I was still surprised by the following: overall, we got two footlong subs (overstuffed), drinks, chips, and four cookies for around seven dollars! Awesome! They seemed to like hikers in this town. We got our subs to go, walked to the nearby Marathon gas station, and picked up a six pack of beer. When we got back to the room, we enjoyed our goodies and our good fortune (it started to rain). After some television, it's time for bed.

An Appalachian Tale: Part 5

2010-06-04T10:38:00.000-04:00

9 May 2010

Yin: Today was a great day for hiking. We left Neels Gap this morning after most everyone else. We had to check out of the hostel and Yang picked up some drink mix and a sleeping pad from the store. It was a bit of a struggle in the beginning hours however our pace quickened by the hour. There was even one point that I was running down the mountain side! Towards the end of that run I was met with what appeared to be a wolf, but it was only someones dog... Phew! We soon found ourselves in Low Gap making lunch when we realized that we left our titanium sporks at Neels Gap! Very lame! No problem though, we just made chopsticks and made do. At this shelter we met two fellow Boy Scouts. When they found out we had a saw they went and cut firewood for the night. They didn't seem to mind. We also ran into a ridge runner called " Razor". He reminded us a retired Navy chief (not in a good way). We decided to call it an early night so we didn't have to be reminded of what we came out here to forget.

Yang: The day started off pretty well even though we couldn't hit the trail right away. We had to to wait for the Neels Gap store to open up so we could check out of the hostel. Once inside the store I decided I needed a sleeping pad, and we picked up some Camelbak tablets (electrolyte booster) which proved to be much nicer than drinking plain water. After that we hit the trail. We had a pretty good hike and flew past most of the other Neels Gap hikers. There was one really amazing lookout on the mountain just north of Testnatee Gap. In the gap we took a little break for some GORP and to cool off. We watched several cars turn around due to the road being closed. Motorcycles just ignored the signs. The rest of the hike today was mostly uneventful. At some point we made it to the Low Gap shelter. There already were two guys. I recognized them to be Boy Scouts by the Philmont brand on one of their hats. More and more people arrived as the day went on. They were all just fine minus one. "Razor", a southbound ridge runner, showed up and the night got worse. Within 5-10 minutes of arriving he had all of the wood for the night on our fire and was a real "one-upper" the entire evening. Yin and I decided it was best to spend the rest of the night catching up and avoiding "Razor". Time now for sleep. Tomorrow will be a good day for hiking north.

An Appalachian Tale: Part 4

2010-06-03T08:51:00.000-04:00

8 May 2010

Yin: Last night was peaceful. Probably the best night of sleep so far on the trail. Today consisted of a lot of "leap-frogging" as we passed many hikers and a few of them passed us only to be passed by us again! We are making excellent time, and it seems our bodies are acclimating well to the environment we have submersed ourselves in. About mid-day today as I was looking at the map during lunch, I noticed a tiny short-cut on the trail that Yang and I could use to put time in our favor. This short-cut worked more in our advantage than I could have hoped. We were walking along this road when a guy in a truck offered to take us into town where we had a nice sit-down lunch #2. Then , the cashier told us of a shuttle to Neels Gap which was about two days away yet! We took the shuttle to buy time, not to mention skip Blood Mountain, and were in Neels Gap by supper. Neels is your typical hostel set up and we enjoyed good trail conversation with the other hikers staying there that night. Everyone there thought Yang and I were nuts for carrying a months worth of food with us. Seems to be a growing trend out here.

Yang: Got out of Hawk Mountain shelter pretty early today. We had two options; Blood Mountain (it's as bad as it sounds) or Suchess. We chose the latter and decided to hitch-hike into town. Town consisted of a T.W.O. (two wheels only) biker hotel, a gas station, and a high school. No hostel, no restaurant. We were told of a shuttle service that could take us to Neels Gap. Neels had everything a weary hiker needs. We got to take a shower and sleep in a real bed (bunk style). Did dishes in a sink and even did a load of laundry. At one point the nice folks who run the store/hostel went into town and brought back pizza for everyone. At the hostel are Renee(crazy hippie chick), The Grock(cool through-hiker hippie guy), Josh & Jason(saw them a couple days ago), and a few older gentlemen, one of whom is named David. All in all a pretty good group. Time now for sleep. P.S. - Made friends with one of the hostel's cats.

An Appalachian Tale: Part 3

2010-06-02T10:10:00.001-04:00

7 May 2010

Yin: Last night was rough. I heard a large animal breaking branches behind the shelter. I hardly got any sleep. The trail today though was pretty easy going. It was mostly down hill and the weather was very cool and misty which made for breathtaking scenery. We made for the Hawk Mountain shelter tonight, only to be very disappointed at the condition it was left in. Yang and I spent about an hour cleaning all the trash left behind by previous "hikers". Later in the afternoon, Auz, Megan, Adalay, and Doc showed up and we spent the rest of the evening spinning tales.

Yang: Today was not as bad as yesterday! The trail had some level spots and downs instead of the straight ups of yesterday. We were still glad to see the sign which simply read "shelter" though. When we got to the shelter we were less jovial. We managed to fill the fire ring to over-flowing with all of the garbage we collected in and around the shelter. The entire area looked much better by the time Auz, Megan, Adalay, and Doc showed up. After a quick supper and light conversation, it is time for sleep. Everyone is still pretty exhausted from yesterday.

An Appalachian Tale: Part 2

2010-06-01T11:27:00.001-04:00

6 May 2010

Yin: What can I say? Today was very rough and painful! Let me start at the beginning though. This morning it became obvious that over the next month I wouldn't get much peaceful sleep. Every hour or so I would have to re-position myself to keep my limbs from falling asleep due to the lack of blood flow. After a quick breakfast consisting of GORP we were on our way. We were immediately introduced to a mountain of stairs leading to a beautiful waterfall cascading over at least 10 stories of sharp, ragged rocks. There were approximately 600 steps in total... yes, There were signs saying how many there were, and I counted them. Yang didn't share my optimism as far as I could tell. After the stairs, we had an entire day (7-8 miles as the crow flies) of inclined mountain to traverse. I didn't prepare for this and it was a long day for me. Yang thoughtfully led me up the mountain and never complained about how many breaks I took. Today's climb is called Springer Mountain and we stayed in the shelter on top. Very sore. After a satisfying lunch a few more people showed up. There are two women by the names of "Auz" and Megan, and they have a guard dog named Adalay. Adalay carried all their water and it reminded me of cat companion "Doc" had mentioned before. We also met a guy from Germany who must have been well off because he says he leaves Germany many times a year to hike the many trails of the world. He was very cool and Yang and I got along with him very well. We also made a fire tonight and played harmonica to entertain our "guests" (because we got to the shelter first).

Yang: Today was not an easy day! This morning "Doc" told us about an amazing breakfast at the Amicalola Lodge. We went on a several mile "goose chase" looking for the lodge only to give up and start hiking the trail with an open bag of GORP. The first part of the trail was absolutely beautiful yet absolutely horrible. The beautiful part was the 6-700 ft. waterfall. The horrible part was the staircase that went the same distance nearly straight up. Good Times. When we finally made it to the top, who else would be waiting for us but "Doc"!?! After a short chat with him, we started up the mountain. Approximately 6-7 hours later we arrived at the Springer Mountain shelter and were officially on the Appalachian Trail. At the shelter we met a really neat guy from Germany as well as two girls from Georgia. There was fire and good conversation most of the evening. We even shared our Makers Mark with everyone. Now time for rest. If today was any indication of how the trail will be, we'll need all the rest we can get.

"There and Back Again" An Appalachian Tale

2010-05-31T12:19:00.003-04:00

Appalachian Trail Journal by Yin and Yang. This is the first post since December. I have been very busy with a naval deployment and other things (including this hike) so bear with me and enjoy this Appalachian Trail journal in a day-by-day format. We covered the trail from Amicalola Falls to Clingman's Dome. So maybe this will help some folks out who are considering a southern section hike.

5 May 2010;

Yin: Today we left the Atlanta, GA airport via taxi service to the A.T. approach trail. We arrived in Amicalola park in the late afternoon and decided to stay here for the night. Waiting for us at the shelter was a crazy "ole-timer" whose nickname was "Doc". He was prior navy and it quickly became apparent that he has a few screws loose when he started to repeat himself. However, he did have many interesting stories. One worth mentioning was of a thru-hiker who carried a cat with him as pest control at night. After a fine meal of ramen and a conversational pipe, Yang and I went to explore the surrounding woods before calling it a night.

Yang: Yin and I started the day at the airport in Norfolk, VA. We decided to get a quick breakfast of sourdough toast and orange juice in at the airport. Soon thereafter we heard our names being called over the intercom. Our plane had started boarding ahead of schedule. We then hurriedly ran to our terminal, and after the security checkpoint, made it to our seats. The first flight landed in Miami without incident. Our second flight, however, was a much bumpier ride. There were a few times I thought we might go down. A few weightless dives. Yin and I shook hands at one point and said "It was good to know you". We did make it to the ground and to safety though. Once on the ground we had our next adventure. We had no transportation to the trail. After checking out a hostel in downtown Atlanta we decided to "suck it up" and take a cab to Amicalola. (If you ever do this sort of thing, call the cab company and get a locked in fee. We saved around two-hundred dollars by doing this!!) That night we met another backpacker called "Doc" who was a bit odd but was full of wonderful poetry and trail wisdom. Who isn't a bit odd anyhow? After a brief walk in the woods to clear our minds for the upcoming endeavor, we spent our first night in a shelter on the approach trail of the Appalachian Mountain range.

HOW TO BREAK IN NEW HIKING BOOTS

2009-12-04T10:35:00.000-05:00

How to break in a new pair of hiking boots.
It may not cross your mind but anyone who has ever made the mistake of wearing new boots on a long hike will tell you it's important. You don't want to get up on the side of a mountain and have your feet hurt or covered in blisters. It may not be so bad at first but it can quickly ruin an otherwise perfect hike. Here are a few things you can do to ensure that your feet will survive in your new boots. It will take some time but it will be worth it.

1. Make sure your new boots fit BEFORE you buy them! This may seem obvious but it is important that your boots fit well. Many outfitters will even have a ramp in the shoe area so you can walk up and down to see how much your feet slide around inside the boot. You want them to be comfortable with the laces snug.

2. Wear your new boots around the house and also while you're doing your chores or running errands. Basically just wear them casually for a while until your feet get used to them and they get used to your feet. If after a week or two they are hurting your feet then I would take them back and get a different type of boot.

3. After you've worn them in a bit you can take them on some short hikes. Stick to easy trails and day hikes.

4. Now just keep increasing the length and difficulty of your hikes slowly over time. You can also start wearing your pack and start adding weight while you do this. If all goes well you're boots will be broken in quickly enough. If they continue to hurt your feet GET NEW BOOTS!! It's not worth damaging your feet and hiking in pain!

Good luck and I hope you don't have to use too much moleskin :) .

COLD WEATHER BACKPACKING TIPS

2009-10-20T21:34:00.001-04:00

COLD WEATHER BACKPACKING TIPS

Colder weather is upon us. Knowing how to keep warm and dry may save your life if you are going to do any camping or hiking this winter. Here are several tips and tricks I use when dealing with the cold. They aren't in any kind of order.

Fill your water bottle with hot or warm water and put it in the foot of your sleeping bag before you go to sleep. The water will hold heat for a while and keep you warm for a few hours.
Know how to make a fire and use that knowledge in a survival situation! Don't fall asleep next to a fire though. You don't want to wake up on fire or worse not wake up at all.
Cotton is your enemy! No matter how cold it is outside you will still sweat. Cotton clothing will absorb that sweat and you will soon be cold and wet. Stick to synthetics and wool. At least when wool gets wet it will stay warm.
Eat high energy foods and drink plenty of water. This may seem like common sense but it's important to keep your body working the way it should.
Getting out of your sleeping bag in the morning is hard when it's super cold outside. Put your clothes for the next day in the bag with you so they're toasty warm.
Have a good warm beanie style hat to wear. I usually sleep in my thick watch cap when it's really cold outside. You can save a lot of body heat just by putting something on your head.
Use a sleeping mat. It makes a nice buffer between you and the cold cold ground.
Dress in layers. This is the most common advice for cold weather camping. You can always peel off a layer if you get too hot. But if you don't have anything extra to put on when you're cold.. you'll stay cold.
Don't wear the same clothes that you wore during the day to bed. Even if they feel dry they are not! Wear fresh clothes to bed or wear nothing!
Make sure your shelter is capable of keeping out most of the wind and cold. If at all possible put your shelter downwind of a safe object that will help to block wind. (i.e. a boulder)
Make sure your sleeping bag is rated for the temperature you are sleeping in! If you have a 40 degree rated bag DO NOT try to sleep in 0 degree weather.

Camping and hiking in the winter can be very fun and rewarding as long as you use your brain and stay safe. I hope this helps some people get some ideas on how to stay warm. Please post any other ideas in the comments!

MSR MIOX WATER PURIFIER

2009-10-15T21:30:00.002-04:00

MSR MIOX water purifier.

The MIOX water purifer system does a great job at killing waterbourne bacteria and viruses while not tainting the flavour of your water. If you are using iodine tablets to treat your water on the trail I highly recommend this system as a replacement. It takes about the same time (aprox. 30 min) to kill all the viruses and bacteria in your drinking water as iodine but again doesn't give it that funky taste. The MIOX system uses rock salt to create a brine that is then activated by electricity. I don't know how/why it works, but it does. MSR has included test strips that show you when your water is safe to drink. When you run out of rock salt or test strips, more are available at most outdoors retailers that sell backpacking gear, or you can always find more online. The price is a little steep at 100-140 dollars for the whole setup, but it is a solid investment. Here is a breakdown of the setup and a step by step of how to use it.

From left to right:

Battery cap (uses two CR123 batteries, included)

Activation button

Cell with cap (cap holds salt)

Salt chamber cap (connected to battery cap with strap)

How to use:

First you'll pull the cap off and reveal the cell. Fill the area with water (not the cap!!). It should hold about 1/4 tsp. Now replace the cap and shake the water into the salt chamber about ten times. Be careful not to shake it too much or the water will have too much salt content. Now take the cap off again. Be sure to hold the purifier upright so you don't spill the water. Now you're ready for the fun part! Push the button! Depending on how many times you push it, it will treat a corresponding volume of water.

1 = 1/2 liter

2 = 1 liter

3 = 2 liters

4 = 4 liters

If you need more than that you'll have to refill the cell. Now just dump the activated brine solution into your water bottle, wait 20 minutes (after the test strip comes out OK), and you're good to go! Here are some photos of what the inside looks like and a video of what it looks like when you click the button.

Cell and cap with screen

Rock salt chamber

The only downfall of this system is that it runs on batteries. Mine has been used for the past year and it just started to flash the low battery light. Not too bad, but it wouldn't be good if it died on you while you were in the middle of a hike. I always carry iodine tablets as a backup (plus they work on big cuts and scrapes if you grind them up with a little water). I'll leave you with this video of the activation process. Stay tuned for more articles in the near future!

FIRE STARTERS PART 3

2009-10-09T16:14:00.004-04:00

How to make fire starters for family camping. The last two posts on fire starters have been geared toward survival or emergency fire starting. In this post I will go over egg carton fire starters. These are perfect for family camping and a fool proof way to get a fire going. So first, what you'll need.

1. A paper egg carton (styrofoam doesn't wick properly and just melts)
2. Molten wax (I covered melting wax in part 1 if you missed it)
3. Shreded newspaper and/or dryer lint

This is another pretty easy fire starter. You'll want to put your newspaper or lint inside of the cups in the egg carton (where the eggs were). I used newspaper for these so I tried to crumble the pieces up a little before putting them in.

Once you have the newspaper or dryer lint packed in you'll need to pour wax into each of the firestarters. It doesn't take a lot. Here is a close up so you can get an idea of how much to use.

Make sure when you are pouring your wax that you have something under the egg carton in case there are any leaks. I just put it over a cardboard box to catch any wax drippings. When that is finished let the wax cool and harden. You are finished! Cut them all apart and use one or two to start a fire on your next family outing. These burn for around 6-10 minutes for me usually. As with the char cloth I will be loading a video of these burning within the next few weeks when I can get out of the city. ENJOY!

FIRE STARTERS PART 2

2009-10-08T21:14:00.003-04:00

How to make char cloth to start a fire.

Char cloth is a lot like it sounds. Charred cloth. In this edition of fire starters I will teach you how to make char cloth. Here's what you'll need.

1. A tin that has a fairly tight lid.
2. 100% cotton cloth that you don't mind burning :)
3. Fire (yes in this case it takes fire to make fire in the future)

This is a pretty simple process, however it may take a few tries to get perfect char cloth. First you'll need to prep your tin. If your tin is completely sealed, you'll need to use a small nail to punch a hole in the center of the lid. I use a square Altoids tin to make my char cloth. It already has two small holes where the hinges are, so no extra holes were needed. Once you have the ventilation done you may want to pre-burn your tin to get all of the paint burned off. It should look something like this.

Once this is done you'll need to cut up your cotton cloth into pieces that fit flat on the bottom of your tin (or smaller). If you don't have an old tee shirt that you can part with you can use gun cleaning swatches. They are the perfect size and are also very cheap. In a tin this size I try to use fewer than ten thin pieces of cloth. If you are using a cotton tee shirt about six pieces will do. It should look something like this.

Now all you have to do is close up the tin and throw it into some hot coals in your fire. Try to avoid the open flames. Once it is in the fire a lot of smoke will come out of the hole you made. Once the smoke stops (a minute or two) then your char cloth is done! Remove the tin from the coals and let it cool. When you open it you should see this.

The char cloth should be nice and black. If it looks brown then put it back in for a minute or two. After a few tries you'll be making perfect char cloth.

The idea behind char cloth is that it will catch and hold a spark very easily so you can get your tinder to flame up. I like to make a tinder nest with frayed twine and lay a piece of char cloth on top like this.

Now all you need to do is throw a spark onto your charcloth and gently blow. You'll get a fire every time. I use a Swedish fire steel for this purpose. There will be a review of the Swedish fire steel after this series. Below is an image that shows how nicely the char cloth holds a spark.

In the next few weeks (when I can get out of the city and go camping or hiking) I will make a video of char cloth in action and give you a better idea of how to start a fire with it.

Hope you enjoyed this. More to come.

FIRE STARTERS PART 1

2009-10-06T10:08:00.001-04:00

How to make fire wick fire starters.
In this post I will be showing you how to make fire wicks. A fire wick is a piece of cotton yarn or in this case jute twine that is coated in wax.
If you are in a survival situation, these can be very handy to have around. The main advantage of such a simple thing is that it is waterproof. You can literally take one of these, dip it in water, and still have it light up. The wax repels water and melts easily enough that you can get a flame in a few seconds. You'll need just a few things to get started.

1. cotton or jute yarn/twine/rope
2. wax
3. container to melt wax in
4. pliers or hemostats

To get started with your fire wick you'll need to melt the wax in your container. I'm using a tin cup with beeswax on the stove. If you do it on the stove, be patient and don't melt the wax too fast or it will burn up and get black spots. Also, you do not need beeswax. The fire wick will work with any type of candle wax or even old melted down crayons.

Once you have your wax melted, you need to cut a length of twine. I've got around 2-3 feet here. That will be more than enough to make a decent amount of fire wick.

Now go ahead and put the entire length of twine into the molten wax. It just needs to be covered. When you have done this, it is ready to be removed. DO NOT use your fingers. Use the pliers and pull out the fire wick starting at one end. Drag the wick over the side of the container to remove excess wax.

When you are done, let the wax cool and harden. Then all you need to do is cut it into lengths that you can use to start fires. I've cut it into about two inch pieces.

Now you are ready to start your fire. These pieces will burn about 3 minutes. If you need more time to build your fire, then simply cut your wicks longer. You can use a lighter to get it going or you can fray one end (try to strip some wax) and throw a spark on it. You can store these in a 35mm film canister or some other container. They work great in a survival kit due to their size and because they are waterproof.

Hope you enjoyed this fire wick tutorial. More ways to start a fire coming soon.

GSI NFORM DUALIST REVIEW

2009-10-02T09:06:00.001-04:00

My review of the GSI Nform Dualist.

No backpacker can survive without food. They require a lightweight, durable way to prepare it that also won't break the bank. The GSI dualist is a feature rich solution that comes in a small package.

Weighing in at a total 1lb 4.9oz. (593g.), it is definatly managable. There are probably lighter cooking systems out there, but you would be hard pressed to find one more feature rich for the same weight. Let's look at the details.

The pot is made out of an alloy called halulite that is supposed to be just as light as titanium but spreads heat more evenly. It is hard anodized to provide scratch resistance. I have used my Vargo titanium sporks on it and havent noticed any scratching as of yet, so apparently it works. It also has some non-stick qualities, but it is still possible to burn your noodles to the bottom of the pot (they wash out easily enough). The pot holds 1.8 L of water, however I would say that is on the full side. I would personally rate it at around 1.5 L, which is more than sufficient for boiling water for a friend and myself for most meals. The handle on the pot unfolds and is actually really sturdy. Its sturdiness comes in handy when you need to strain liquid through the lid.

On the top of the pot you'll notice a clear plastic lid with strainer holes. The lid is made of lexan resin that is "virtually unbreakable". It's definitely some tough stuff. It also won't hold any odor or flavors from your food. It has a rubber handle on it that folds up while you're cooking so you dont burn your fingers (it can get warm up there though so use caution!!).

When you first open up the cookset you'll see something like this. It has cup/bowls with sippy lids that nest very nicely inside of the pot. Around the cup part is an insulating wrap that is made of neoprene. It helps to keep your drinks hot and keep your hands from getting burnt. The sippy lid is a nice feature too. It is always a sad night when your warm cider or hot chocolate gets spilled on the ground or all over your clothes. The inside wall of both bowls is graduated up to 20oz. and the cups up to 500ml. They both safely hold two cups without much fear of spillage. It's hard to see the graduation in the image but you can see it clearly in person.

Another really handy feature of gsi dualist is the sack that everything fits inside. Normally I would throw an item like this in the trash and forget about it to save that extra little bit of weight. I found this one too handy to throw away because it doubles as a sink. The entire inside and bottom of the stuff sack is rubberized and stands up on its own. It makes it so much easier to wash your dishes. I've even used it to carry some bath water on a section hike.

That pretty much covers it as it comes, but let's not forget about the unused space inside the cups when it's all folded together. I have been able to fit either a soda can stove or an MSR pocket rocket stove inside with some matches and a corner of a scotch brite sponge to wash your dishes. If I'm using the soda can stove, I can also fold up my foil windscreen which fits in there too. The gsi dualist actually comes with a suede leather pouch to hold an ultralight backpacking stove. The pocket rocket fits nicely. On top of all of that, you can even fit a fuel canister in it if you change the way you nest everything together. With an 8oz. canister you can fit the matches and sponge, but the stove doesn't comfortably fit with it. It will however fit if you use a 4oz. canister.

I really thought that this cookset couldn't get any better. It even has a backpacker magazine editor's choice award for 2008. But lo and behold, GSI has found a way to improve on it. The new dualist system is called Pinnacle rather than Nform and features a BPA free lid and a scratch resistant dupont teflon coating on the inside of the pot. It also comes with two color coded GSI telescoping foons that match the color coded cup/bowls and somehow manages to stay the same weight as the Nform due to a lighter lid. It also costs about 20-30 dollars more than the older Nform system. Look to give around 40-60 dollars for each of the dualist systems. Not a bad price at all, and much less than titanium. Hope you enjoyed this review of the GSI dualist. Feel free to leave comments. More to come.

MSR POCKET ROCKET REVIEW

2009-09-29T16:10:00.002-04:00

My review of the MSR Pocket Rocket.

This review will be on the MSR Pocket Rocket ultralight backpacking stove.

MSR (mountain safety research) has a pretty outstanding reputation as being a high quality provider of various camping and backpacking gear. The pocket rocket stove is the most affordable and consequently most popular ultralight stove they offer. Like anything else it has its pros and cons, but first I'll tell you what MSR claims right on the box.

Burn time: aprox. 60 min. / 8oz. canister
Boil time: 3.5 min. / 1 liter water
Water boiled per oz. fuel = 2 liters (8 oz. canister = 16 liters)

The pocket rocket has three serrated pot supports for stability, a wind resistant clip over the burner, and "glove friendly" flame control. What they mean by glove friendly is that it can be operated while wearing gloves easily, not that you should wear gloves due to heat. I have operated the pocket rocket on full blast several times and the flame control handle has never been hot enough to burn me.

The first thing I noticed about the pocket rocket was that it was actually pretty small. I had been using a Coleman white gas hiking stove for a while and now I can't believe I used to lug that heavy thing around! The pocket rocket weighs only 3oz. and fits in the palm of your hand! It also comes with a hard plastic carrying case that could be useful. The stove is actually small enough to fit inside my cookset, so that's where I leave it.

Another advantage to this stove is sheer heat. This thing is really just a vertical blowtorch. But not only does the pocket rocket produce a lot of flame when you need to boil water quickly, it will also adjust to a nice low flame to simmer. I was really impressed with the range of adjustment.

MSR claims that the stove will boil 1 liter of water in 3.5 minutes. I had to put this one to the test. I put 4 cups of cold tap water (slightly less than 1 liter) into the GSI Dualist cookset and timed how long it took to get to a rolling boil. I came up with 3 minutes 34 seconds. Not bad! Considering it was cold water and I waited for a rolling boil, I'd say this stove performs every bit as well as MSR claims.

After going through a couple of fuel cannisters, I would say their estimate on fuel consumption is only close. It seems to me that in a controlled environment like the one I demonstrated above, their figures are probably accurate. However, on the trail is a different story. The big factor here is wind. The wind guard clip on the burner works to keep the stove lit, but does little in a constant wind to cook your food. The easiest solution to this is simply to stack up some rocks upwind of your stove. Even with this the fuel isn't really an issue for weekend trips or short section hikes. I can get about 10-14 days of cooking done with one 8oz. canister. If you are a little more frivolous with your fuel or if you are simmering anything for long periods of time, then look for that number to drop a little.

There are two sizes of fuel cannisters that MSR sells. They are 4 and 8 oz. respectively. The cannister design is a good one for most cases. Of course there are a couple drawbacks. The cannisters don't like to work when they are really cold. A simple solution to this is just to keep a cannister in your jacket to warm it up or in your sleeping bag so it will be ready to go for breakfast. The other drawback is that you are not supposed to use a windscreen with them for fear that they may over heat and explode. Other than that, they are good to go and the MSR pocket rocket will even fit onto other manufactuers' fuel cannisters.

The last thing I would like to bring up is about the pot supports. I have read others reviews of the stove and have heard mention that the pot supports are flimsy. Not true. They are actually very sturdy in my experience. I don't think that they would hold a cast iron skillet or anything like that, but that's not what they are designed to hold. If you are using a backpacker's cookset or mess kit you will have no problems with the pot supports.

In conclusion:

Pros: Lightweight, sturdy, decent fuel consumption, cost, boils water really fast

Cons: Wind gaurd doesn't do much, can not use a windscreen, cannisters do not like sub freezing temp.

All in all for 40 bucks I dont think you'll find a better stove than the MSR pocket rocket.

In my next post I will be reviewing the GSI dualist cookset!

SCUBA DIVING

2009-09-27T17:19:00.000-04:00

Looking for a great way to spend a weekend with a friend or family member? S.C.U.B.A. diving may be the way to go! Have you ever wondered what it would be like? It's a whole lot better than sitting on your couch all weekend eating potato chips. I have been a certified diver for six years, and my wife recently received her qualification. There is nothing quite like being able to breathe 100 feet below the surface. If that sounds scary to you, don't worry. More people die bowling every year (heart attack, stroke.. i guess all that beer and cigarette smoke really is bad for you ) than die from scuba accidents. My dive instructor told me from day one that "There is no such thing as an underwater emergency". I believe what he really meant by that is this. As long as you keep your head about you, there is always a fail safe as long as you follow the rules.

If you like adventure (and my comments above didn't scare you away) then this sport may be for you! There are diving sites all over the world that offer unique experiences. You could dive ship wrecks, or coral reefs. You could be an underwater photographer or even a treasure hunter. Lets look at some of the basic gear so that you will be able to determine if you would like to get into this sport.

Scuba is an acronym for self contained underwater breathing apparatus. This apparatus is usually composed of the following parts and systems.

1. BCD or buoyancy compensating device: This allows you to inflate or deflate a bag inside the vest to make yourself buoyant in the water. I.E. Allows you to hover at any given depth without shooting up to the surface or sinking like a rock.

2. Tank and regulators + hoses: The most common tank for recreational diving seems to be either a steel or aluminum 80 cubic inch tank. It will hold up to 3,000 psi of glorious air. This should be enough to keep you underwater for at least an hour or so depending on your depth. Attached to the tank is a first stage regulator that converts the high pressure in the tank to a lower pressure that you can breath from or inflate your bcd. Hoses run from the first stage to your second stage/s and your bcd. The second stage is another regulator, but this one has a mouthpiece that you can breath from. Modern second stage regs. have a diaphragm that allows you to breath quite easily underwater. It makes it just as easy to breath underwater as it is on the surface. Also attached to the first stage is one more hose that goes to your gauge pod. Gauges can range from just depth and air pressure to full blown dive computers that calculate every aspect of a dive. For beginners a dive computer is really not needed.

3. Mask, fins, snorkel: These items are really up to personal preference. Some divers swear by their split fins, while I swear by my old scuba pro jet fins. It's really up to you to find what works best. The only thing in this arena that is imperative is that you have a mask with tempered glass. A mask that has a plastic or even untempered glass could crack or implode from the pressure of being so far under the surface.

This is in no way a complete gear list. In most places you'll most likely wear a wetsuit, hood, boots, gloves etc. There are also dry suits and other various equipment that many divers choose to take down such as underwater cameras and writing boards. A friend of mine and I even made an underwater deck of cards by weighting all plastic playing cards. The options are nearly endless.

In conclusion, scuba is a very fun and rewarding hobby that may take you to many interesting places.

Keep in mind that you should never dive without a buddy, and you should not dive unless you have completed a divers certification course. These courses are available at most dive centers. If you are land-locked fear not! There are many rock quarries across the country that have been converted to diving sanctuaries. I got certified in Ohio and made many of my early dives in a quarry. Remember, be safe and have fun. I'll see you on the bottom!