From the Potomac to Pen-Mar: A Hike across Maryland

Looking down into the valley where Boonsboro, Maryland is, from the George Washington Monument State Park.

It's "common knowledge" for AT hikers that Virginia is flat and Maryland is easy. Having hiked 30 miles or so of the Appalachian Trail in Shenandoah National Park in Northern Virginia, that first bit of conventional wisdom can be put to rest. But what about the second one? It can't be that difficult, if some people cross the state's 40.6 miles in one day, right?

A Glossary of AT Hiker Terms

Here's a picture of a NOBO through-hiker as she heads out north from Newfound Gap. 

In our posts on this blog, our various social media pages, and on Erin's blog at Appalachian Trials, we often use some terms and slang that are common to the AT hiking community, but can be pretty confusing to everyone else. For example:

"Going NOBO across Newfound Gap, I yogied a couple of weekenders for a Snickers and a Coke. Glad I did, I was feeling the hiker hunger real bad, thanks to that green blazing I did."

Three Walls and a Roof: The AT Shelters of Georgia

Springer Mountain Shelter, from a previous visit to the mountain of the same name. This is the only picture of a shelter I have.

Of the eleven National Scenic Trails in the United States, the Appalachian Trail is unique in its system of shelters. In general, these structures are placed between 6-10 miles apart from each other, which makes them accessible by a day's hike for all but slowest hikers. No two shelters are alike, as they have different capacities, were built at different times, and use different designs and materials. Some are well built, protect from the wind, and have easily accessible water. Others are barely better than no shelter, are more shelters for mice than hikers, and seem to be built to funnel the wind into the shelter area.

Looking Towards the AT: Virginia Blues, Part 3 (Troutville to Waynesboro)

I believe this may be along the Blue Ridge Parkway close to its northern terminus at the southern entrance of Shenandoah National Park. 

Section: Virginia, from Troutville to Waynesboro 
Region: South
Miles of trail: 132.4
Highlights: The Priest, James River Bridge, Blue Ridge Parkway

For most of the 469 miles of the Blue Ridge Parkway, it has little to do with the Appalachian Trail. It starts several miles down US 441 from Newfound Gap in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and heads in a northeasterly pattern from there. As the AT follows the western edge of the Blue Ridge, the BRP follows the eastern edge, going by the Black Mountains (and Mount Mitchell, the highest peak of the Appalachians).

The last 100 miles however, the trail and the parkway become intertwined, with the trail making a crossing of the Parkway many times. These 100 miles are also the part of the BRP in Virginia that looks closer to the high vistas of the first 100 miles of the roadway, rather than the pastoral meadows and woods to the south of Roanoke. It's a beautiful drive, and I imagine it is a pretty nice hike as well.

While the trail begins deep in the heart of Virginia, the northern end of this segment marks the move of the AT into the northern portion of the state. Here, near Waynesboro, is the crossing of I-64 and the beginning of Shenandoah National Park (specifically the southern terminus of Skyline Drive). As such it would be easy to define this part of the trail by its end.

However, there are some sights to see along the trail. Most famous is probably The Priest is a peak along the blue ridge that is famous for a rocky outcropping near the summit, giving a panoramic view of the Tye River valley. The pictures I've seen look rather interesting, but also a possible place for my latent fear of heights to kick in.*

While there are plenty of places along this section that are high up above the valley, the hike is also defined by two major river crossings. The second, across the Tye River, is after an over 3,000 foot descent from The Priest. The first encountered by the NOBO hikers is the James River, making its way out of the mountains down to Richmond, the Hampton Roads, and eventually the Atlantic. Here is a footbridge across the wide river, the longest foot only bridge on the trail.

There aren't any trail towns directly on the trail along this segment once you leave Troutville, at least until you get to the other end. Even here Waynesboro itself is a couple miles off the trail, but should be fairly easy to reach, upon where a multitude of hotels, restaurants, and shops are available for a hiker preparing for the hike through Shenandoah.

* I know, I know. "But Andrew, if you have a fear of heights, why do you hike?" The answer is that I don't have a fear of all heights. For instance, I'm fine flying, or in a tall building (that doesn't have floor to ceiling windows). For the most part I don't feel it while hiking down a hill with drops on the side. However, overlooks, particularly those on rocky outcrops, can make me a bit nervous.

Looking Towards the AT: Virgina Blues, Part 2 (Atkins to Daleville)

Section: Virginia, from Atkins to Troutville 
Region: South
Miles of trail: 181.3
Highlights: Dragonstooth, Audie Murphy Monument, Keffer Oak

Some of the sections of this feature almost write themselves. This is because of our familiarity with the section (The Smokies), a particularly interesting stretch of trail (Damascus to Atkins), or the importance of being first or last (Georgia). Other sections, however, are tougher to write about. The second segment of the Virginia portion of the AT, Atkins to Troutville, is one of those sections.

A Long Way Yet to Go

My camera has a tendency to flatten images, yet clearly here you can see the incline to reach this point on the AT.

Wisconsin, Illinois, doesn't matter. These hikes I've done this Spring and Summer have been the minor leagues. Heck, many not even that. Perhaps the Rookie League, or Little League. Tee-ball even, if I'm being honest about Moraine Hills State Park.

This realization hit me about halfway up the Slaughter Creek Trail. The trail, which is almost 3 miles long, goes from the edge of Lake Winfield Scott up to a junction with the Appalachian Trail near its approach to the summit of Blood Mountain. As such, it's pretty much uphill the entire way. Despite taking frequent breaks, my legs were beginning to feel tired from the uphill grind. I moved at a snail's pace, and yet I struggled mightily to get up to those white blazes, where a slackening of the difficulty was promised by the hiking book.

Looking Towards the AT: Tennessee and North Carolina Between the D's

Section: Tennessee and North Carolina Between the Ds*.
Region: South
Miles of trail: 225.6
Highlights: Hot Springs, NC, Max Patch, Roan Mountain and it's related balds, Overmountain Shelter, Lake Watauga, Laurel Falls

AT marker in Hot Springs, NC. The trail along the town's sidewalks are marked with this symbol.

So you're at Davenport Gap on the northeast end of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Now what? Is it time to give up, considering you've just been through one of the most scenic places in the Eastern United States? Of course not!

Looking Towards the AT: Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Section: Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Region: South
Miles of trail: 70.1 
Highlights: Clingman's Dome, Spence Field, Charlie's Bunion, Mount Cammerer, Siler's Bald, bears, long periods in the rare spruce-fir zone of the southern Appalachians, salamanders

A bit more than 150 miles into the trail* hikers on the AT say goodbye to the Fontana Hilton, walk across the dam**, and go past a small sign welcoming you to the national park, with a white blaze on one of the posts telling you that you are heading the right direction. 

Looking towards the AT: North Carolina to Fontana

Note: Over the next year, we'll be sharing our thoughts on the sections of the Appalachian Trail that we will be walking next year. Only a few do we have any even remotely significant experience with, but we still have thoughts on them that we'd like to share. After we finish our hike, we'll be able to look back at these and see if we were pretty astute with our thoughts, or way off the trail. Although many of the sections are broken down by state, some (such as VA, NC, and TN) will be broken into smaller portions due to length of trail and special circumstances. Next up is North Carolina to Fontana Dam. 

Section: North Carolina (to Fontana Dam at the entrance of the Smokies)
Region: South
Miles of trail: 86.2 
Highlights: Standing Indian Mt, Winding Stair Gap, Wayah Bald, Wesser Bald, Nantahala River and Outdoor Center, Fontana Dam


I have a confession to make.

I know very little about the Appalachian Trail.

Oh, of course I know what it is and the general where, of course. I know the states it goes through, and the types of topography and ecosystems I'll be hiking through. Unlike Andrew, though, I just don't have the mind for memorizing information about the trail that I haven't experienced first hand. This means I have a whole lotta learnin' in the year ahead of me.

Why I'm Hiking the Appalachian Trail

I've been putting off this post for quite some time; not because I doubt my sincerity in hiking the Appalchian Trail, but because I wasn't sure how to accurately express why I felt I needed to complete this hike. I'll do the best I can.

There are the "easy" reasons - the ones that pop into my mind every time I think about writing this post. I'm young and not tied down; I crave adventure and want to be surrounded by nature. It's there, and frankly I don't have much else going on in my life.

Looking Towards the AT: Georgia

View from atop Blood Mountain, highest point on AT in Georgia

Note: Over the next year, we'll be sharing our thoughts on the sections of the Appalachian Trail that we will be walking next year. Only a few do we have any even remotely significant experience with, but we still have thoughts on them that we'd like to share. After we finish our hike, we'll be able to look back at these and see if we were pretty astute with our thoughts, or way off the trail. Although many of the sections are broken down by state, some (such as VA, NC, and TN) will be broken into smaller portions due to length of trail and special circumstances. We begin with Georgia, the first state heading north.

Section: Georgia
Region: South
Miles of trail: 76.4 (Not counting ~9 miles along the approach trail from Amicalola Falls State Park)
Highlights: Springer Mountain, Blood Mountain, Neel's Gap

Appalachian Trail Expense Breakdown preliminary

I think one of the best ways to show we're serious about this hike will be to chronicle everything that goes into planning the journey. One of the biggest things, for me, is finances. Every month, or every major marker in donation/savings process, I'll make an expense report with gear bought and maybe findings on how much other hikers have spent on resupplies and the like.

I'm going to be completely up-front and honest here and it may get a little heavy, so bear with me. I'm pretty open about my struggle with mental illness, and the past 3 years I've been waging all out war with debilitating clinical depression. It's robbed me of a good chunk of my 20s, a decade that I'm under the impression is supposed to be filled with adventure and self-discovery. I spent most of my mid 20s tucked away under covers, wondering if it was really worth it getting through the day. (More on this when I write my "why I hike" post for the AT). It also left me stagnant in my career goals and now I'm left financially in a rut. However, if I'm going to do this hike and move on with my life, the time is now. It's next year or bust.*

Why I'm Hiking the Appalachian Trail

So why am I hiking the Appalachian Trail next year? Well, one reason is already apparent, as I want to hike to help raise money for a good cause. Naturally, it would be an opportunity to do something really worth writing about, so that is a good reason as well. And of course, the challenge of it all has an appeal, as does the idea of doing something that relatively few people have done.

Hiking the Appalachian Trail for BECA

We've done it, guys! We've completed our goal! Oh, no, not the raising money part. I meant the choosing a cause to hike for part.

You see, most people want to raise money for a cause and then figure out a way to do it. Andrew and I, being the unconventional people we sometimes tend to be, have wanted to hike the AT for quite some time and knew that hiking the trail would be great exposure for one of the many causes we care about. Raising money for a charity also spurs us on to complete the trail because you just don't quit when people have financially invested in your success. Barring serious emergency, it means we don't give up.

Journal of the Smokies: A Lack of Hiking Experience

Note: Journal of the Smokies is a new feature on this blog. The Great Smoky Mountains is one of the jewels of the National Park System, and the park visited by the most people each year. It's also the most visited park by Andrew, and one of Erin's most frequently visited. From visits long past and recent we'll be sharing some of our thoughts and pictures. This will be a cross platform feature, as we'll be sharing pictures and short posts in the series on our Walk With Nature tumblr as well.

Since I began hiking in earnest again in October of 2010, I've hiked hundreds of miles in states from Virginia to California, and Florida to Michigan. I've hiked to the top of the highest points in Georgia and Tennessee, hiked all 600 steps at Amicalola Falls, and went to the top of Blood Mountain along the Applachian Trail. I've a hiked a lot of miles, but very few of those have been in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Announcing our 2015 Hike of the Appalachian Trail

We started this blog back in November of 2010 with the intention of it being one part of a journey towards walking the Appalachian Trail. As you can gather from our domain name (walkwithnature2012.com), our original goal was doing it in 2012. Unfortunately, an inability to get our schedules and responsibilities in line to make the six month trip resulted in that not happening. It also didn't happen in 2013, and it won't be happening this year. But next year? That's a different case.

Hiking the Lists #9 - Amicalola Falls Loop

Hike: #9
Title: Amicalola Falls Loop
Location: Amicalola Falls State Park
Hike List: North Georgia
Difficulty: Easy, then difficult, then hundreds of stairs, then a moderately easy walk back down hill
Duration of Hike: Two-three hours of hiking, depending upon how many pictures (and rest stops) you take. Be careful, a side trail can take you six months (one way) to finish.

Some of the hikes in this series, particularly the ones in a certain state that rhymes with "thrillinois", are not the most interesting to write (or read) about. They may just be nice walks in the woods, or a sweaty tromp through prairie grasses. They can be a slog to get through, and often put this feature in jeopardy of getting behind.

Why Hello Again, Appalachian Trail!

Note: This started as a mere image post on our Tumblr, but became something more. As it became a full-fledged post, I figured I'd cross post it to here, as we've not had a post all week, and I kind of like it. My Hiking Training Plan recaps will return next week, unless a hectic work week pushes it off until the next week.

The picture is from my latest visit to the Appalachian Trail, at Newfound Gap looking Southbound across US 441. Sure, it's not exactly the hardest spot to reach, or the most strenuous of hikes, but it's still part of the trail. And also the first portion of which I ever visited, even though I'm pretty certain I wasn't aware of it at the time. I visited Great Smoky Mountains National Park with my family several times when I was growing up, many of which coming at a time when the Appalachian Trail was little more to me than a long winding red line going across several eastern states in the atlases I loved to read. On at least a few occasions we stopped at Newfound Gap, and at some point walked across the path of the Appalachian Trail as it crosses the large parking lot.

Since I've become an adult I've driven over Newfound Gap many times, and rarely have I done it without making a stop to view the sweeping vistas of the ancient mountains of Tennessee an North Carolina. Most of the time i make a point to walk to either the crosswalk heading south towards Springer, or the point where the pavement ends and the trails heads northbound on the much longer journey to Katahdin. Common sense has kept me from venturing forth in either direction without provisions, shelter, and proper hiking attire. Someday I fear it may fail, and I may find myself on an unexpected journey into the back of beyond.

Hiking the Lists, #6: Springer Mountain and Benton Mackaye Legacy Loop

Hike: #6
Title: Springer Mountain and Benton Mackaye Legacy Loop
Location: Springer Mountain and surrounding land, Chattahoochee National Forest
Hike List: North Georgia Mountains
Difficulty: Moderately Difficult
Duration of Hike: A few tough hours

This marks the first of the hikes in this feature to already have been written about before. There isn't much in the way of specifics to add to her tale. In short, the hike is well worth your time, is moderately challenging, and lets you say you were a section hiker on two different long distance trails on the same day. Since time has passed since that hike, I thought I would add a few additional thoughts.

A record breaking week on the AT and the PCT

At 7:20 PM EDT this past Wednesday, Matt Kirk reached the summit of Springer Mountain, better known as the southern terminus of the Appalachian Trail. With his final step on that trail, he became the record holder for the fastest self-supported hike on the Appalachian Trail. During his 58.4 day hike, he dealt with the wetter than normal summer along the East Coast, a twisted knee, and a pace that averaged over 37 miles per day. Even if the trail was graded like it is along the B&O Towpath for its entire distance, that would be a tough undertaking. And as anyone who has walked more than a few yards on the AT knows, it is rarely flat.