Insights from Pace

Pace sent me this email. (Don't forget to click on the title to see where they have been.)

Pace - in my own words

 

"April 20th, 2011 - 23 days on the trail - 348.1 miles 

Porter asked Socks on why she was hiking the Appalachian Trail (AT) and she said, "Because I can."  This got me thinking why I was drawn to the AT.  Bottom line it that it was to put life in prospective.  So often most of us get caught in the daily grind and lose sight of the simply and important things.  The trail forces me to live in the present.  I have not found myself living in the past or the future which is a true gift.    

The thru-hiking community is very difficult to describe.  For the most part, one hikes all day seeing very few or no people.  When you meet a follow hiker you always ask for their trail name.  Trail names are not your given name.  For example, I am called Pace because I set the hiking pace and I have a pacemaker to keep my heart ticking.  Anyway, often the converstation is about where they started their day and where they hope their lungs and legs will take them.  It is good to check where other follow thru-hiker friends might be on the trail. 

One of the best parts of introducing yourself is staying connected to the advice and wisdom of others.  There are several repeat thru-hikers that have so much to offer.  For example, Tim who is on his seventh thru-hike has made all of his gear out of cuban fiber and has a wealth of knowledge.  Two days ago we met "501" who thru-hiked once before.  He was heading for a hostel, but we where not sure if he knew what he was talking about.  A couple nights ago a group of us were eating dinner at the shelter and discovered 501 was AT royality.  501 wrote the Thru-Hikers Handbook for years and recently sold the rights to David "AWOL" Miller. 

Porter, 501, and Pace 4/19/11

So just like in non-trail life we pass judgments when you meet someone on the trail.  Once you get to know people in the shelters you find how wrong you were.  Porter and I have been working on not judging or having expectations of others on the trail.  If their is room in a shelter we always stay because it is easier to set up and pack up in the morning.  When it rains the shelters are heavenly, but often cramped and you always make room for more hikers.  For example, one night it was snowing and sleeting and a lean-to designed for twleve people held twenty-two.  When the weather is cold your tent is the best place for warmth.  

Of the 23 days we have been out I have used my tent about six times.  The tent will be used alot more during the buggy season.  The weather changes often.  One day we had a 90-degree day on top of the mountain and the next day we had 3 inches of snow.

The trail has humbled me and brought me closer to peace.   PACE"

Jay & Carrie (Porter's Brother & sister-in-law) They drove down to VA to see them!

Easter Day Pace & Porter - They had spaghetti out of bag...yum.

Trisha - Bob Trail Angels

Roan High Knob Shelter - this shelter is the highest on the AT

Easter Breakfast at the B&B

Barn that is a AT shelter. They slept with 20 others and 3 dogs.

Outside Privy

 Porter wishes everyone the best and says they are having fun. They plan on being in Damascus, VA on Thursday. They have 50 miles to get there.

 

Porter and Pace Appalachian trail 4-14 to 4-17-11

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4/17/11 Porter & Pace Check-in

I had several calls and emails from people wondering if the guys were alright and if they were affected by the storms in the south. I received this message.

PORTER

 Latitude:36.03494

 Longitude:-82.59644

 GPS location Date/Time:04/17/2011 16:58:13 EDT

 Message:This is Porter and  Pace. Everything is going fine. Until the next check-in...We'll keep on hiking!

 Click the link below to see where I am located.

http://fms.ws/4cu6F/36.03494/\-82.59644

Porter and Pace hiked a 10 mile day on Saturday, 4/16, and called it an early day because the weather turned to rain and it was getting cool. Porter called at 6:45PM on Saturday and they guys had set up their tents and were settled in for the night.

They plan on being in Erwin, TN on Tuesday to meet Porter's sister, Debbie, and his brother John. On Wednesday, Pace's parents are supposed to meet them there. They are looking forward to the family visiting with them.

Here are a couple of pictures Porter sent.

Trillium - there was a field of these flowers.

On the way to Max Patch 4/14/11

Porter met these nice people on Max Patch, a field over 4000 ft up

There names are Joe and Cynthia Ward

 (Don't forget to click on the title to bring you to the latest map.)

Ground Control a/k/a Dreamer

Trail Angels...Snow Angels

Trail Angel: Someone who provides unexpected help or food to a hiker.
Snow Angel: is a human-made depression formed in an area of snow in the shape of an angel. Making snow angels is a common childhood game.

(I have created another way for you to view the progress of our hikers. If you click on the title "Trail Angels" at the top of the post, you will be brought to another website that has a bigger map to play with. I'll continue to add the little map to my posts, but I thought it would be cool to have a better view of where they are.)

• 4/8/11 - From Fontana Dam they most likely hiked to either Russell Field Shelter or Spence Field Shelter. No privies there. They had to dig a hole in the field to "do their business."
  
• 4/10/11 - I'm not sure where they stayed on the 9th but they ended up in Gatlinburg, TN on 4/10.
• 4/12/11 - Pace stayed in Gatlinburg and Porter took the shuttle to the trail. Porter stayed the night at Pecks Corner Shelter mile 215.1, elevation 5280.
• 4/13/11 - Pace leaves Gatlinburg and is on his way to catch up with Porter. Porter stays in Davenport Gap Shelter, mile 235.1, elevation 2600
• 4/14/11 - Porter hikes to Walnut Mountain Shelter where Pace catches up to him after a 30 mile day! mile 258.7, elevation 3999.
• 4/15/11 - to arrive in Hot Springs, NC for Trail Fest, mile 271.8, elevation 1326

Porter and Pace have been having lot of fun and adventures along the trail and also in town as they resupply their food. Here is a little overview of the past week.They have run into some really great people, known to Pace and Porter as a trail angels. A special THANK YOU goes out to Beth and Kevin Corbin. While on their way to visit their daughter for her birthday, they met the guys at Clingman's Dome. They were kind enough to give them a ride into Gatlinburg even though it was out of their way and they had another car following them. Serious trail angels there.

Kevin and Beth Corbin, Porter and Pace (Nice shoes Pace!)

While in Gatlinburg, the guys met other nice trail angels, Genevieve and Jason who kept them company and bought them a cold drink. Porter and Pace didn't even have to "Yogi" them. They are just nice people.

Genevieve and Jason (front), Porter & Pace 4/10/11

There is another interesting person on the trail that Porter mentioned. He is an older man, probably in his 70's, with the trail name Bible Ben. Bible Ben is on a mission to place a bible in each shelter that he is able to day-hike into from Georgia to Maine. He leaves his vehicle open for hikers to take food and water if they wish. He has hiked the trail in the past and now has this vocation to fulfill. We wish him success on his journey.

While Pace decided to take another ZERO day (a non-hiking day) in Gatlinburg, Porter took the shuttle back to the trail. It was his first time hiking alone and he said he enjoyed it. He was listening to an audio book. Unfortunately, his ear buds (head phones) got wet or broken when he stepped on them but thankfully he has tiny little speakers in his mp3 player.

On one particular day Porter was caught in a torrential downpour. He was wet and cold by the time he made camp. Other hikers were in the shelter and he was thankful they had started a campfire. Porter changed into dry clothes and warmed himself. During the night it had gotten cold and snowed. He started the next morning out with ice on the trees and snow on the ground. As the day got warmer he had to put on his raincoat and backpack cover because the snow and ice was falling from the trees and binging him on the head. By mid-day, the weather was beautiful and the snow was gone.

Ice on the trees.

Snow on the ground - no Snow Angels here!

Snow and ice is gone and it was a beautiful and warm day.

On 4/14 I was happy to hear that Pace had caught up to Porter. Pace had a long haul of 30 miles on the 14th. He was hoping that Porter was staying at Roaring Fork Shelter which would have given him a 25-mile day, but when he read that Porter had moved onto Walnut Mountain Shelter he had to hike another 5 more miles. Pace must have had some tired legs and feet after all those miles! Good thing he has those bright lime-green camp shoes.

The guys plans for Friday, 4/15-4/16, was to hike from Walnut Mountain Shelter to town of Hot Springs, North Carolina for Trail Fest. They especially wanted to hit the all you can eat spaghetti dinner at the community center. How much do you think they ate?

I have a You Tube video I put together from the pictures Pace and Porter sent from April 4 - 8, 2011. Enjoy. (I had the Traveling Wilburys song End of the Line for the music but YouTube wouldn't let me...darn copyright laws.)

4-15-11 Porter & Pace

AT white blazes that mark the trail.

Where are they heading next? I'm not sure but they will be white blazing. Keep on trekking guys...

Ground Control a/k/a Dreamer

Crossing into Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Pace and Porter have been steadily moving along and will be crossing into the Great Smoky Mountains National Park southern boundary on Saturday 4/9. On Friday night they stayed in Fontana, a dry town, where they feasted on BBQ ribs. Porter was hitting the salad bar for some fresh veggies, but Pace has never really met a veggie he likes so he avoided that and went straight for the ribs.

From Franklin, NC the guys have still been averaging about 15 - 20 mile days. Here are some highlights along the way.

• 4/5 Franklin to Wayah Shelter, elevation 4,810 feet. - mile 118.7
•  4/6 Arrived at Nantahala Outdoor Center around 11am - elevation 1723 - mile 135.00 - stayed in town.
• 4/7 This was a tough day. It was very hot and they had a lot of  elevation loss and gain the entire day. As usual, they pushed through it and made good time to their next shelter. 
• They went from an elevation of 1723 at Nantahala to 5062 at the top of Cheoah Bald mountain and then down to 3800 feet where they stayed at the Brown Fork Gap Shelter at mile 151.
• 4/8 hiked to Fontana, elevation 1810, mile 162.6 (BBQ ribs and salad)

Pace in his new "house" for the night.

Pace and Porter's beds. Pace's sleeping bag is red and Porter's is green and black. Aren't they neat?

On the way to Wayah Bald

A cold and frosty morning.

Frost and ice on the trees.

A hiker's feet are very important to them and it's important that their boots are adjusted just right.

Porter adjusts his boot for comfort.

Pace had a big blister on the side of a big toe. It popped and looks pretty raw. I'd show you a picture, but it is just too gross. The good thing is that he has "magic tape" to help cover and protect it.

What is magic tape you ask? It is a medical grade tape that is thin, flexible and won't fall off if it gets wet. We all swear by it and the guys use it to cover hot spots from shoes rubbing wrong on their feet. It's called Hypafix Dressing Retention Tape and you can get it online.

Wayah Bald, Stone Tower - elevation 5342 - mile 117.8

One of the most common questions Porter had from the different classes at Schodack Central School was, "Where do you go to the bathroom?"  Well here are pictures of a privy.

Privy also known as the outhouse.

The privy seat. No running water here! Although, it does look to be handicap accessible. Interesting.

Trail Slang
 Yogi-ing is the good-natured art of "letting" food be offered cheerfully by strangers without actually asking them directly (If you ask, it's begging!).

Porter has Yogi-ing down. He scored a fresh apple! Pace, take lessons from Porter.

I have also started a Shutterfly picture album. These are pictures that Pace and Porter have uploaded for us.
PorterPace Picture Album

Keep on hiking!

Fontana, NC

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Be sure to check out the Shutterfly pictures.

Meanwhile keep the messages coming. They appreciate the support and encouragement you share.

Ground Control a/k/a Dreamer

Franklin, NC

Pace and Porter crossed the Georgia - North Carolina state line on April 2.

GA-NC border - mile 76.4 - elevation 3825 feet

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The guys are staying in Franklin, NC tonight. Porter went to the ER at Angel Medical Center to get his knee checked out because it is hurting him. He is fine. The official diagnosis is, "He's OLD!" Well, maybe the doc didn't exactly put it that way but it's wear and tear that comes with age. Porter was given a couple of ace bandages to wrap his knee and some Advil and was sent on his way. Porter reports that he is doing fine but wanted to be safe rather than sorry. It is nothing that will keep him down, he said. (If you enlarge the map enough, you can actually see Angel Medical Center.)

They had a laundry day on Sunday. Glad to know they will smell good for a least one day. They also met some other hikers and had a meal with them. 

Pace on top of the Albert Mountain, fire tower - mile 98.0- elevation 5250 ft

Porter on top of Albert Mountain, fire tower - mile 98.0- elevation 5250 ft

 

 

 

Shelter along the trail.

The duo continue their hike...happy trails.

Ground Control a/k/a Dreamer

 Franklin, NC

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Neel's Gap: Blood Mountain

Pace and Porter have been cruising right along. They are averaging about 15 miles a day without any problems. Because of that, they arrived at Neel's Gap a day early. From Springer Mountain they went to Gooch Mountain Shelter, from there they arrived at Neel's Gap.

They were full of stories. They met a man that had hiked 1 hour. He had a big bowie knife strapped to his chest. He asked they guys if they were thru-hiking the A.T., when they answered "yes", he said, "You can have it! I'm done!" There was one person who gave up early in the process.

At one of the shelters there was a young man that tossed and turned all night long, groaning and making strange noises. The next morning Porter and Pace talked to the guy. He didn't seem to be doing very well. The good thing about Porter and Pace is that they are both New York State Licensed Guides with wilderness first aid training. Porter starting to question the man and it was determined that he had hypothermia and is a diabetic. They wrapped him in one of their jackets to warm him and gave him some candy to get his blood levels back to normal. He was doing well when they left but the young man decided to stay the day in the shelter to give himself a rest.

Pace also helped a woman whose feet were pretty blistered. He wrapped her feet in a special tape he has for just the purpose. So as you can see, both Porter and Pace were good CITIZENS on the trail, helping those in need.

Now you might think that everyone is having a hard time on the trail. Not so! They have met others that are cruising right along, having fun and meeting the challenges of the trail.

Porter called me to say that they had arrived at Neel's Gap a day early and asked if I would be able to meet them on 3/30 instead of 3/31. I was staying with my family outside of Atlanta, GA so I hopped in my car and drove to Neel's Gap. It was the most winding road I have every been on. It was as if they let a snake decide where they should pave the road! It was very foggy as I got close to the summit and my destination, Blood Mountain Cabins. For $60 a night for the cabin they found a great spot to stay. Each cabin is assigned an animal name, theirs was the Beaver Cabin.

There is even a resident stuffed beaver as the cabin's mascot.

Porter celebrated his birthday a day early. Pace had sent down a 30 pound box of presents and beverages for Porter's special day. He even gave Dreamer a special "thank you" gift for writing the blog and driving them down. Porter got some special gifts, including Silly String, cheese in a can, cigars, Peeps, and lots of cards from his family and even from their cat and dogs. One funny gift was from his sister Liz (Burps) although she might be missing a tooth. Anyone need a slightly used retainer? A good gag gift is always appreciated and Porter's family excels at giving them.

Porter gives a big THANK YOU to his family for his birthday wishes. He had lots of fun opening his gifts and cards. He is wondering where the ears went on his chocolate bunny...strange. ;-)

You might wonder if Porter carried all that weight, the answer is: NO! Pace and Porter drank their special beverages and ate a bunch of the snacks that were sent. You'll be able to tell what happened to the Silly String.

 Lots of gifts for Porter.

Porter thought it would be fun to Silly String Dreamer while she opened her gift. It is a Pez dispenser with a little duck on top.

After all the fun of opening the gifts we went in search of dinner. We went down the winding road of the mountain in search of a restaurant that turned out to be closed. The one very cool thing we saw was a mother boar (wild pig) and her six piglets that were on the side of the road. We couldn't get a picture before they ran into the woods, but what a sight it was to see wild pigs. We ended up eating frozen pizza that we bought at the camp store. It was actually very good.

Planning their next day using a map. The image below is taken from the book they use. It shows where shelters and other places are including where to find water. It also illustrates the elevation and gives mileage to their next destination.

Dreamer left Porter and Pace once again to start their travels. They started out in a misty and foggy day but in wonderful spirits.They are very excited about their journey, and although they miss friends and family back home, they know that you are all cheering them on. 

Off they go from Neel's Gap and onto their next adventure!

Till later,

Ground Control (a/k/a Dreamer)