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