Washington, DC (USA)

[busy work day - around 1630, headed over to Poste with Ian and met up with a larger group - the gathering had been intended as a celebration of the arrival of Summer, but Sabrina co-opted it to celebrate her birthday - everyone played along, though, and had a great time - around 1900, a subset of us took a cab to Sax Lounge and enjoyed several more hours of comraderie and entertainment - by the time I got on the Metro, there was a real chance I wouldn't make it home before the trains stopped running (!) - I encountered a large group of Honduras soccer fans in a few of the stations - didn't realize how tired I was until I made it to my car - it was nearly 2345 by the time I got to bed - what a night!]

Chantilly, VA (USA)

[it was nearly three months since our company CEO had requested that our research team brief him on one of our products and today was the day! - after leaving home around 0630, I arrived at our company HQ in Chantilly around 0700 and worked out of some of our hoteling spaces for a few hours (including a teleconference) - at noon, I drove over to Eggspectations to have lunch with Aunt Judy and Uncle Jim - it was great to see them one more time - after that, they departed for points north of DC - got back to our HQ and set up for the presentation with Martin and Jim R. - our presentation went very well - afterwards, Jim and I had drinks at Wellington's Pub at the Westfields Marriott - by the time I departed for home (1700), the traffic was horrendous - it took more than an hour and half to get home - took care of a few more tasks for my customer before calling it a day]

Washington, DC (USA)

[rejuvenated from a good night's sleep, everyone (including Erin, Brenna and Mollie) was ready when the "tour bus" (our mini-van) departed around 0800 - we used I-395 at first and got off on George Washington Parkway - there was already a huge traffic jam near Arlington, but we were able to get around that and arrive at our first stop, the Marine Corps Memorial in Arlington (one of Aunt Judy's favorites) - we then crossed the Key Bridge and drove (carefully, to avoid tickets) through Georgetown and the Mall to my office parking lot - the weather was great again, this time for Memorial Day! - we walked across the Mall to visit the Newseum (0900) - the girls have been there before (school trip) and had a great time pretending to be news broadcasters (ala "Anchorman") and reading/viewing many amazing news reports - we stayed for several hours and saw almost all of the exhibits (9/11, Berlin Wall, FBI, "First Family Pets", journalist memorial wall, etc.) - around 1230, we walked a bit farther to see the Navy Memorial - lots of people were already gathering for the Memorial Day Parade (scheduled for 1400), so we stayed away from the crowds along the route - we ate lunch at the nearby Hill Country Barbeque restuarant (see APR 2014) - everyone had fun with the format for ordering and enjoyed great food (we were stuffed by the time we left) - we then rode the Metro over to the White House (a little stressful the first time for Aunt Judy and Uncle Jim - but it is for everyone!) - we got some more great photos and strolled around the grounds for a bit before heading back to L'Enfant Plaza - we picked up the car and headed towards home on I-395 - along the way, I took them to the Pentagon 9/11 Memorial and Air Force Memorial - with the great weather, there were some amazing views and photo opportunities - by the time we arrived at home, the kids needed to get back to studying (they have been all week, preparing for big standardized tests) - what a good day with the family!]

Washington, DC (USA)

[as planned, we (Aunt Judy, Uncle Jim, the kids and I) got another early start (0730) - this time, we drove straight into the city on I-395 and tried to park in the same place (near the Tidal Basin) as we had the previous day - but the police had cordoned off almost the entire Mall west of the Washington Monument and north of I-395 - luckily, I remembered a side street near the Holocaust Museum (our ultimate goal) and we were able to get there without a problem - it was still early, so we walked down the hill to the Jefferson Memorial and got some more great photos - our walk back was also pleasant because the weather was awesome again - by the time we headed back up the hill, the Rolling Thunder event was in full force (almost every street was filled with loud motorcycles) - the implication was that all veterans are bikers (or vice versa) - after some delays, we reached the Holocaust Museum, the line was pretty big - up until today, I had just walked in the front door - but the normal process, I guess, is to wait in a queue to get a "fast pass" for entry - Aunt Judy found a friendly young couple to chat with while we waited - fortunately, our 45 minute "delay" yielded an almost immediate entry once we had the tickets - after getting inside, we visited the exhibit about Daniel's family (geared towards younger people) when our "fast pass" allowed (1030), we headed into the main exhibit - it was VERY crowded inside and we weren't able to stay together - we made our way slowly down the several floors and I found some new things (multimedia) that brought home the impact of the terrible genocide - when I met up with Uncle Jim and Aunt Judy again in the lobby, it was close to 1330 - they chatted with a Holocaust survivor for a bit before we departed - the walk to the car was quick - they said they were tired and wanted to head back, so we drove to where we typically get on the I-395 but found it blocked - we used I-295, instead - crossed the Potomac on I-95 and then used US-1 to find a restaurant near South Kings Highway - we started in Applebees, but their grill was broken and several other menu items were unavailable, so we moved next door to El Pollo Ranchero (Mexican food) and had a nice lunch - when we got home, Uncle Jim and I watched the last part of the Indianapolis 500 and, later, the Coca-Cola 600 - Nicky made a big meal and everyone had fun talking for several hours - Uncle Jim and I tried to see the end of the race but there were so many cautions that we gave up and headed off to bed (tired)]

Washington, DC (USA)

[Aunt Judy and Uncle Jim arrived yesterday - after some strategizing with them about the places they wanted to see in the DC area during their visit (May 23 to 28), I had agreed to depart for the City at 0730 today - Mollie joined us and Uncle Jim drove us along the Potomac River on the George Washington Parkway (for scenery), starting near Huntington Avenue - we crossed at the Memorial Bridge and made our way to the edge of the Tidal Basin and located a parking spot on the northeast corner - we parked and walked towards the Potomac River, stopping at monuments along the way - we discovered that today was the 10th anniversary of the opening of the World War II Memorial we got to watch the soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines practicing for the event and saw a lot of older veterans who had come for the event - we didn't wait for it to start - instead, we continued walking to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial - the Rolling Thunder motorcycle event (scheduled for Sunday) had already attracted a large crowd of people who wanted to pay their respects - Aunt Judy loves to talk to the people she meets, so Mollie and I got to hear several interesting stories from the War (and lives lived after the return from combat) - we saw a large contingent of people carrying South Vietnam flags - our next stop was the Lincoln Memorial - the crowds weren't bad and we were able to get some great pictures - this was the turn-back point of our walk (and I was getting worried that it might have been too far to go) - however, our next few stops (Korean War Memorial, MLK Memorial and Franklin Roosevelts Memorial) were possible because we slowed down the pace and enjoyed the beautiful weather - Uncle Jim took a ton of photos and Mollie helped out as a tour guide - when we reached our car again, the parking lot was packed (the whole city was, actually) - so we drove over to the parking lot behind my office to park - after a short walk, we discovered that one of the local restaurants where I usually eat lunch (Pizza Authentica) was open and so we sat and enjoyed the nice meal (with lots of great conversation) - we then walked down to the Smithsonian Museum of the American Indian - we started on a tour of the building (interesting) but the walking tour finally took its toll on Uncle Jim - so we made our way back to the car and headed home - we planned for another day of touring before bed]

Oxon Hill, MD (USA)

[around 1800 I picked up the girls and drove them to National Harbor so we could have dinner - all they knew is that they wanted to eat there, but not the restaurant - after we parked the car, we came out and saw the sign for Grace's Mandarin Restaurant - Erin said she had heard good things about the place, so we went in - it was a very high end Asian place - we got some good dishes (chicken teriaki, shrimp fried rice, tuna sushi roll, fried fish) and ate them all up - we had a nice conversation and caught up on lots of news from the last few weeks - we finished around 2000]

Baltimore, MD (USA)

[Mollie and I left Alexandria around 0730 this morning - we drove towards Baltimore, stopping for some breakfast at Burger King just before we reached I-695 - back on the road, headed to Pimlico - I had heard about parking at Sinai Hospital and we tried the back side (no luck) - we drove around Pimlico (0915) and saw lots of places to park, but I had heard some nasty stories about parking, so we doubled back to the hospital - we found the right place on the front side of the building and parked right inside - it wasn't too long of a walk to the backstretch entrance to the infield and we bought our tickets easily (pricey, though) - I was a little worried about what they might let us bring inside, but everything worked out well - we looked around the edge of the infield and located a quiet place (behind some porto-Johns) where no one else had set up for the day (0950) - Mollie was very excited to be at the race, and her mood improved even more when I got her a copy of the program (live bands she recognized were playing!) - after we watched our first race of the day, I found her some lemonade and ice cream - the infield got very rowdy ($20 bought an "all you can drink" mug for beer) - we had brought snacks and folding chairs and we enjoyed several races with partly sunny weather - we explored a little around 1100 (tunnel to the grandstand, where I bought a Black Eyed Susan drink - with souvenir cup) - it was already pretty crazy - a little after noon we walked down to the Jagermeister stage to see the Eli Young Band - Mollie told me they were play "too rock" so we didn't stay long - at the main stage, the entertainers were much louder (obnoxious, actually): NAS and Lorde - we could hear them but stayed away from the mass of crazy kids that got drunker and drunker - Mollie rested comfortably with a nice blanket and we endjoyed our great view of the 11 races that preceded the main event - ultimately, we stayed longer than I might have if I had been alone - the drunk girls and rowdy guys largely stayed away from us, but they seemed to get closer by the hour - when the Preakness race began (1820), we had front row seats - we cheered loudly as California Chrome raced to victory - right after the end of the race, we immediately headed for the backstretch exit (muddy) and had no problem getting back to our car - we made it out to I-83 with no problem (much quicker than I expected, actually) - made good time back to Alexandria - it was a great day]

Slackpacking Trip - Day 11

[left the hotel (after breakfast) at 0800 - my gas tank was nearly empty, but I thought I had enough to get up to Springer Mountain and back (famous last words) - after all, it was only supposed to be 12 miles... - I drove north on US-19 and then took Camp Wahsega Road (recommended by iPhone app) - used Forest Road 80 and Forest Road 42 (with help from the gate guard at the Army Base) and never found the parking area - decided that I was going to really run out of gas, so I turned around and drove the car "dead stick" (with the engine off) down the hill again - found that I had earlier crossed a section of the trail (Cooper Gap) without seeing it on the way up - there was actually a couple camping there (0900) and the girl asked me how far it was to get back to the parking lot (I guess she wanted to quit?) - I told her I didn't know and kept going - I made it to the bottom with a little bit of fuel to spare and filled up (0930) - took a look at the map again and found another route that looked better (around 14 miles of Forest Road) - drove back into Dahlonega and west on GA-52 to Nimble Will Church Road and then used Forest Road 28-1 and Forest Road 42 (other end) to get to the top of the hill (and the trail head) - the road was washed out in some places and I got worried that I might not make it - but I eventually (1045) came across a huge parking lot, full of cars and school busses! - I followed the signs to get to the top of the mountain - after about a mile of hiking (passing lots of groups of school kids), I found a rock with the first blaze on it (and a plaque that marked the Southern Terminus of the trail) - after a bit of time admiring the views (and my great trip, I backtracked to the parking lot and did a section NOBO beyond it - I encountered a couple that had just started the trail that morning (from the State Park on the south side of the mountain) - what a long trip they still have! - finished at 1210 - one of the rangers told me that I could get back to a paved road quicker by heading out a different way - she was right - it was only four miles to Big Creek Road (paved) and then Doublehead Gap Road (near Mollie Mountain Road) and I made it back to GA-52 soon after that - I actually found the town of East Elijay before I realized exactly where I was - had lunch at Arbys (1305) before heading deciding that this was the end of my hiking journey :-( - but I still had to get home... - from the restaurant, I used US-76, GA-386, GA-2/52 (crossed Fort Mountain), US-411, US-64 and got on I-75 (near Cleveland) soon after crossing into Tennessee (on the way, saw lots of great vistas and followed a huge funeral procession with police escort) - after getting through Knoxville on I-40, made great time as I headed north - I stopped for a break (rest area) at 1730 - finally on I-81 - stopped again for fuel (Marion, Virginia) at 1850 - also picked up a snack for the road - finished trip using I-66 and I-495 - arrived around midnight - Trip Summary: total for the day was only 1.78 miles (not counting backtracks) and Grand Total on the A.T. is now 64.72 miles - in total, I hiked roughly 120 miles (and biked around 7-10 miles) in 11 days - I left behind a lot of troubles (work, family, life, etc.) and body weight (I can't wait to get on the scale!) and (at least) one toenail - grew my beard nice and full (and gray) - this was the best choice for a vacation I've made in several years - next year, maybe I can do a northern segment of the A.T...]

Slackpacking Trip - Day 10

[I slept in today and didn't get on the road until 0830 - first, I drove west again (backtrack from last night) and turned off at West Old Murphy Road, driving up to Wallace Gap (at Forest Road 67) - this was close to Standing Indian Mountain - parked at 0900 and hiked several miles on both sides of the road (tree cutting crews almost took out my car!) - finished up the section I couldn't finish (due to dark) on the US-64 side - saw a lot more people this morning: male solo NOBO, foursome NOBO, 2 fast ladies NOBO, couple with dog NOBO, solo male NOBO - at one point, I startled something - it made such a ruccous, I was really afraid of what it might be - one of the NOBO hikers told me that grouses do that (whew!) - after that section, I got on US-64 again and turned on NC-175, which became GA-75, and drove to Hiawassee - found the trail again on US-76 (east of town) - at 1230, I parked and hiked another good section (Dick's Creek Gap) on both sides of the highway (steep trail, shady and not too unbearable) - perhaps the most surprising thing was that I saw a mother with her three (VERY) young children, asking about how they could get a ride into town - I certainly didn't have room, but my big question was "what are you thinking, bringing them on this trail?" - there was a nearby hostel called "Top of Georgia" and I saw a couple of guys waiting for rides to take a break - it looked like a nice place to stop - in this segment, I encountered a pair of guys NOBO, a trio of guys NOBO, a couple resting at the picnic area near my car - before getting back into my car, I had to switch to another t-shirt (1400), since mine was drenched with sweat - at this rate, I will run out of clean clothes by tomorrow... - headed back to Hiawassee to have lunch at Dairy Queen and encountered the mother and kids again - she explained that she planned to take three months with them and that she thought they could do it - she had been having luck getting rides and other help (I realized later that this was so very early on the 2100 miles of trail - I hoped she would be OK) - got back on the road (GA-75) and found the trail again at 1530 (Unicoi Gap), where I hiked another section in the hot sun - it was very hilly again (saw 1 old couple on a day hike SOBO) - back in the car at 1630 and looking for another place to hike (used GA-180 to get to the trail crossing on GA-348) - managed to fit in another section between 1710 and 1800 (Raven Cliffs Wilderness at Tesnatee Gap, 3138 feet) - it broke me, actually, with the steepness and heat - very hard, tired, saw no one else - after that frustration, I backtracked to GA-180 and drove over to US-19 - the scenery was unbeatable (pretty, mountains, trees) - stopped for a bit at Neal's Gap (Blood Mountain, 4458 feet) and looked around a the vintage building ("Mountain Crossings") and camping area (lots of folks had stopped there for the night) - continued on US-19 to Dahlonega - drove through town and located a Quality Inn on the west side of town (1920) - checked in and then drove back to the town square of this historic place - had dinner at a place called "Piazza" - it was a good meal and I talked to the chef about his many hikes on the trail since he had first moved to the area (he has hiked over 200 miles over the years) - back to the hotel, posted Facebook photos and planned for what could be my last day (Springer Mountain) - bed at 2200 - finished 6.31 miles (not counting backtracks) today - Grand Total now 62.94 miles]

Slackpacking Trip - Day 9

[up at 0700 and left hotel by 0745 - it was foggy and brisk (needed fleece pullover again) - drove to Fontana Dam and parked at the border of Great Smoky Mountains National Park (0810) - rode my bike from their back to NC-28 (roughly four miles) - hiked all the way back to the Dam - great views of the lake and (finally) flowering rhododendon bushes (saw a young couple headed NOBO and a Daddy/Daughter pair NOBO) - visited the Fontana Hilton (trail shelter) and chatted with a lot of hikers who spent the night there (last shower before the backwoods of the N.P.) - the views from the top of the Dam were amazing - the sun started to come up and clear away most of the low lying clouds after getting back to my car, I continued up the mountain into the Park but turned around after about half a mile (steep) - left at 1020 and picked up my bike again - drove over to Fontana Village Resort to see if it was any good (meh...) - drove back on NC-28 to the Tuskeegee Motel and got some lunch from the nice family that runs the place (heard the troubles of running a remote hotel for tourists...) - almost everyone else around there was at church - very quiet - by 1115, I was back on the road - found the trail again at Stecoah Gap (3165 feet) on NC-143 and hiked on both sides of the road there (very steep and hot - great views) - saw lots of hikers: trio of NOBO males, one solo woman (trail name = "Robert Redford") -put in about another 1.5 miles there before backtracking to US-19/74 - found the Nantahala Gorge west of Wesser (wow!) and, after struggling to locate a parking spot, hiked a section close to the amazing Nantahala Outdoor Center (NOC) complex along the river (kayaking, rafting, boarding, hiking) - between 1330 and 1445, I found some shady places on the mainly uphill (both directions) section - I had definitely earned a break when I got back to my car - bought a beer from the pub at NOC (the barkeep even gave me a water with mint leaf on the house...) - by then, I was completely out of water and my clothes were drenched with sweat - but I sat on a bench along the river and watched all of the people having fun in the rapids - it looked like a great place to take a vacation (I would definitely do it!) - got back to my car by 1530 and drove a little further (to NC-1310, Wayah Road) and hiked on trail again (between 1630 and 1730) - the section was OK (not too steep) but I found out later that I could have climbed up to the top of Wayah Bald Tower if I had hiked a little bit further - in any event, I had to change to another t-shirt because I was sweating to much then I got back to my car - the weather was awesome today and I wasn't ready to quit - so I drove to US-64 and found (1800) one more place to hike: Winding Stair Gap (3820 feet) - during this segment, I encountered hikers getting settled for the evening (3 male campers, 2 male "resters" with dog and one solo NOBO man) - when I finished (1920), it was getting dark - headed into Franklin (back to the east) and found a hotel (Colonial Inn) - drove back towards town to eat dinner at Zaxbys (2030 - they screwed up my order several times but I eventually got my food...) - back at the hotel, posted Facebook photos and watched TV - body is sore but it gets easier every day to wake up, hike and then recover overnight (I'm glad!) - I was actually on the trail (off/on) for nearly 12 hours today and it didn't kill me... - bed at 2300 - today I managed to complete 9.06 miles (!), not counting biking or backtracks - Total on A.T. is now 56.63 miles]

Slackpacking Trip - Day 8

[woke up around 0615 and looked outside - it didn't look too nice, so I napped a bit more and ate breakfast - left hotel around 0900 - used US-25/70 to drive through Hot Springs - it started to rain, so I didn't get to hike near there... - regretted not leaving earlier (everything got wet as it rained for a few hours in the middle of the day) - got on I-40 and drove east until reaching exit 451 (eastern border of Great Smoky Mountains National Park) - found trail near Waterville (1100) - spent some time on the phone with Nicky while I waited for an opening to hike - break came around 1215 - hiked on both sides of the Pigeon River (lots of kayakers and rafters south of really tough rapids) - took a bear claw from the trail magic checkpoint on the east side of I-40 (bottom of big hill) - most of the first section of my hike was on paved roads, so I didn't get too wet - however, I did hike a section of muddy trail under dripping trees that got me really wet - actually didn't see anyone else during the whole walk and made it back to my car around 1300 and then used NC-284/TN-32 to find the trail again (1315) - this time, I was inside of the National Park and saw lots of warnings about bears and notes that I needed a back-country permit - but I didn't see any rangers and only encountered one hiker (NOBO woman who I passed twice) during the entire segment - I actually managed to finish up the section (making it to where I had turned around earlier in the day) - saw some birds (rather big, black color with red head) that made a large commotion when flushed out of the trees - also encountered a lot more rhododendron bushes (still no flowers) - as I returned to my car (1500), I noticed a standing stone off the trail and that it was inscribed with what looked like a year (barely legible) - a later search on the internet revealed it was related to a NC/TN survey team that came through the area in the early Nineteenth Century - at the bottom of the hill (driving back to Waterville), I found a N.P. campground (and restroom) - back in the car (more rain), drove east on I-40 and got off at US-23/74 (west) - the scenery was great and I enjoyed mostly four lane roads that followed the Blue Ridge - almost ran out of fuel but found a place to stop just in time (in Sylva at 1630) - continued west and found myself almost alone after everyone else headed towards the National Park (nice...) - followed signs for a resort complex north of Robbinsville (used NC-28) and found a place to stay (Tuskegee Hotel - mainly for bikers) - after getting settled and making myself some dinner, drove about seven miles to check out the Fontana Dam (where the trail enters the National Park on the west side) - made a plan to avoid a significant amount of backtracking in the morning - back to the hotel, uploaded Facebook photos and decided on early (2200) bedtime again (satellite TV disabled after a tree fell behind the hotel!) - hiked 3.05 miles (not counting backtracks) today - Grand Total on A.T. is now 47.57 miles]

Slackpacking Trip - Day 7

[out of bed at 0715 - medicated (lots of bandaids and extra water), repacked and left hotel at 0815 - drove east on US-19E, looking for trail but didn't find it - went into North Carolina and turned around (later discovered the trail crossed just beyond that point) - I have discovered that it moves enough each year to really make following a road atlas troublesome... - decided to head further south (to Roan Mountain), using TN-143 to get to Carver's Gap (5512 feet) - at 0930, I parked my car at a great parking lot on the TN/NC border - it was cold and windy (needed my fleece pullover - what a shift!) - I first hiked up on the west side of the road (SOBO), walking through a cedar forest with lots of rocks (reminded me of Washington State) - I think the area was called (appropriately) Spruce Knob - I saw around 15 through-hikers in this section, all headed north - I eventually gave up and headed back to the highway (sad, wanted to do more - got tired, though) - on the east side of TN-143, I found a completely different kind of terrain: exposed, grassy and hilly - there were some amazing terrain views and the clouds overhead were whistling by very quickly - I had to tie on my hat to keep it from blowing away - after cresting the mountain at 5826 feet of elevation ("Round Bald"), I hiked NOBO on the other side of the hill - I could see the trail for miles in this direction (no trees) - encountered many more hikers on this leg, but most were day hikers like me - turned around and headed back to the car as the sun started to creep out and the temperature went up (finished up at 1145) - drove into North Carolina and then doubled back to the border on NC-226 (saw a cow walking down the road), avoiding wash out damage along some of the side roads - barely getting radio signal at that point (much less cell signal) - parked again (1220) when I saw the trail (Iron Mountain Gap, 3723 feet) and hiked another few miles (saw a NOBO couple that I passed in both directions, 2 older ladies NOBO and 2 older men NOBO) - when I finished this section at 1400, I was exhausted from the hills and decided to get some lunch - drove into Erwin (TN) on TN-107 and ate lunch at KFC (1430 - signed hikers log) - by that point, it had started raining - so I got on (nearby) I-26 and headed south - the rain stopped for a bit and I found another place where I could hike (where US-19 crossed the border of TN and NC - Spivey Gap, 3200 feet) at 1530 - there were lots of drenched hikers waiting for a shuttle there (using satellite phones) - I found another NOBO man when I headed out on the trail (we took each others' picture) - I got really muddy as I hiked (probably shouldn't have done that section) - still, I fit in a few more miles on both sides of the road - when I finished (1700), I was ready to get to a hotel - however, the prices really jumped up - I probably should have stayed in Erwin for the night since the prices eventually rose to close to $100 for a room when I finally stopped near Asheville for the night (after checking on prices for around 10 places) - by then (1845), it was a full-blown thunderstorm, so I was glad to have a place to sleep - I decided to go to bed early so I could get an early start if the weather improved in the morning - posted photos to Facebook and then went to bed (2130) - total for the day was 6.03 miles (not counting backtracks) - Grand Total is 44.52 miles]

Slackpacking Trip - Day 6

[got up at 0645 and left the hotel at 0730 - filled up the gas tank after a nice drive through downtown Bristol (0820) and continued south on US-421 - found the A.T. (Low Gap, 3385 feet) around 0900 and hiked along the Johnson County (Tennessee) line for a couple of hours - saw lots of Butterflies and the trails were grassy - trees were very tall - saw three solo NOBO hikers and a pair of ladies dressed in pink - hiked on both sides of the highway and enjoyed clear sky views across the rolling mountains I've only seen from the Interstate before this trip - when I returned to my car (1105), I found a pair of older ladies (with their dog) who had run out of water (nearest town was quite a distance, yikes! - I was almost out too) - drove south to TN-91 and then east to where the trail crossed the road at a nice parking lot (1130) - before I started again, talked to a trail Maintenance Man (a former resident of Bland) who gave me lots of trail advice (including "drink water from springs - locals do") - grabbed a soda from a trail magic checkpoint (left by a local Baptist church) - walked through a jungle of rhododendron bushes and other big-leaf trees as I headed south - caught up to a family of five, who told me that it was a three mile hike to the burial place for Uncle Nick Grandstaff (hermit) on the top of the hill - decided to try to make it up there - uphill almost all the way - getting hot - drank what was left of my water and fought the instinct to turn around - fortunately, I saw several NOBO groups who reassured me the grave was there (3 solo men, one loud couple - lady - and father/daughter) - by the time I found the grave, with a sad warning "lived alone, suffered alone and died alone", I was very tired, sweaty and ached - I started down and caught the loud couple - it really would change the tenor of the hike to hear her chatting incessantly (glad I didn't have that for 2100 miles...) - hurried ahead to get away from them - passed the family again (I actually didn't think they would make it with their three young boys, but they did) - and caught up to the father/daughter and followed them for almost the rest of the hike - they told me great stories about their adventures and warned me about difficult sections to the south - by the time I reached my car (1410), I had decided that hiking on the other side of the road (open, unshaded farmland) would not be any fun - plus, I was hungry - so I headed south on TN-91 to Elizabethton, where I had lunch at Wendys (1445) - I have noticed that I end up taking a long lunch during this trip (tired, achy, catching up on internet while I have a signal) - after finishing, I drove a little further south and looked for the trail (along US-321) - found it near Watauga Lake (National Forest Recreation Area) at 1600 - I managed to fit in another few miles around the lake (very wooded, lots of great views) - found the shelter but didn't stop (filled with hikers already) - only saw two hikers (1 NOBO solo man with dog and another hiker who appeared to be SOBO as I finished) - made it back to my car (1720) and then changed into a bathing suit - lots of people were swimming, so I joined them - WOW! - it was so COLD - I could barely stand the temperatures - the only thing I was able to do was wash off most of the sweat and grime - but when I came out of the water, I air-dried immediately - left at 1745 and found a hotel (Traveler's Inn) - by this point in the trip, every bit of the clothing I had brought was dirty and sweat stained (salt lines) - so, I walked down the hill (1900) and found a coin-operated laundry - it had been awhile since I used one - there were a few other friendly people there who talked to me about local events and scenery I should see on the trail - I had to get some change next door at a Chinese Restaurant (got some great egg drop soup in the process) - finished around 2100 and posted photos to Facebook - bed around 2300 - total for the day was 8.01 miles on the trail (not counting backtracks) and Grand Total on A.T. is now 38.49 miles]

Slackpacking Trip - Day 5

[up early today - found some energy! - left hotel at 0715 and drove east on VA-608 (looking for the places on the trail I couldn't find yesterday) - between 0730 and 0830, I hiked a section near Crandon (saw three solo NOBO men) - highlights included: seeing a hidden campsite (missed on the way up, saw on way back), encountered a "600" or "God" written in broken sticks in the trail, heard crowing rooster the whole time - headed east again to VA-606 and parked for more hiking (0845 to 0945) - had to cross a pretty stream on a swaying suspension bridge and climb some steep terrain again - I encountered the three NOBO hikers again (they looked confused about how I could have got there) and talked to one of them about his journey - signed another checkpoint log - when I got back to my car, saw several groups of hikers getting dropped off by shuttle services - explored near VA-611 but couldn't find the trail - headed back to US-52 and parked along the side of VA-612 to set up the next section for my hike (biked to the bottom of the hill, crossing I-77) - between 1025 and 1200, I hiked south on the trail to the highest point I could reach and then backtracked north to the other end of the valley - in the middle of this section, I saw more pick-ups and drop-offs with shuttles (at the Senior Center) - on the trail, saw three more solo NOBO men - took advantage of some fresh water (left at a trail magic checkpoint) - drove back to get my bike and then got on I-77 - drove towards Wytheville and got some lunch at Popeyes (1230) - took care of work emails and answered voicemails - back on the road (1330), headed south on I-81 to find the trail again - backtracked on US-11 when I found it (just beyond a rest area) - I was able to fit in another couple of miles near Atkins (exit 54) - during the roughly 1.5 hours I hiked in the hot sun, I enjoyed a flatter area of the trail with swaying grasses, pretty creeks and beautiful views of brightly painted barns (saw a NOBO couple, mother/daughter NOBO, pair of NOBO men, 2 solo NOBO man) - also encountered a train, crossing the trail with little warning (and a local man waiting to see it - he said it almost never passes) - when I returned to where I parked my car (1515), I realized that I had filled up with fuel at this particular gas station before (see JUL 2012) - got in my car and drove to Bristol, where I spent the night in the Skyland Inn on the Virginia side (1630) - watched TV and snacked (vice dinner) before heading to bed (2200) - total on the trail for the day was 6.28 miles (not counting biking or backtracks) and Grand Total for the A.T. is now 30.48 miles.]

Slackpacking Trip - Day 4

[woke up at 0645 (didn't sleep well, loud traffic outside all night) - left hotel at 0730 and scouted out locations where I might be able to hike later - at 0745, I drove back up to the parking area for "Angel's Rest" (where I stopped yesterday) - the hike up allowed about 1700 feet of elevation increase in around 2 miles - very steep, lots of switchbacks - just when I thought I had made it to the top, I would see another ridge around the bend - tiring hike and getting hot, using up all water - just before I reached Angel's Rest, I found a group of five hikers (NOBO), who warned me about something related to a rat (didn't understand) - enjoyed the beautiful view of the New River valley - decided to hike father along the ridge and saw more tremendous views of the Wilburn Valley on the other side - the weather was great and I rested on a rock at the top of the hill, high above the people in the valley below - hawks circled below me - at one point on the hike, I encountered a huge black rat snake, dangling from a tree (then I understood the warning!) - I saw one other NOBO solo man and encountered a father and son from town walking near the bottom of the hill (he had never hiked to the top in all his life) - finished up this walk at 1115 and then moved the car down to the side of the road (VA-100) north of Pearisburg - walked the rest of the section I couldn't finish last night and continued all the way to the other side of the New River - by this point, it was really hot - walked back along US-460 to my car (finding interesting trash as I walked) - drove to the Dairy Queen and had lunch (1230) - almost impossible to walk - filled up water bottles and hoped to do some more hiking - however, a crisis with Nicky derailed that plan - the rest did me good, though - used VA-42, VA-606 and VA-608 - had trouble finding the trail again and gave up at 1645 (after several "misses" and detours along a dirt road to Dismal Falls and others near Holly Brook) - made it to US-52 north of Bland and found the Big Walker Hotel near the intersection of I-77 - relieved to soak my blistered feet - ate cold ramen noodles for dinner - posted photos on Facebook and went to bed early (2130) - total for today was 4.07 miles (not counting backtracks), Grand Total is now 24.2 miles]

Slackpacking Trip - Day 3

[up at 0715, packed and had breakfast at the hotel - left by 0800 and drove on I-81 to VA-311 - had intended to hike across the Catawba Pass, with bicycle leap-frogging - by the time I reached the area, though, it was raining - I did find the parking area at the Pass but, when I drove down into the valley, I had a lot of trouble finding the trail (still don't know where it is...) - on top of that problem, there was lightning in the distance, so I decided not to get out of the car and continued west to New Castle - at this point, I entered an area where I didn't have a cell signal for almost the whole day - got gas around 0930 (station was a blast from the past - no credit card readers, no auto shut-off for pumps, really old building...) - I next drove along VA-42 and tried to find the trail again (no luck) - ended up on US-460 and headed west until I found another trail crossing opportunity (VA-635) - it was a pleasant drive into the Mountain Lake Wilderness - I had not intended to enter West Virginia, but the road took me there... - I doubled back to a sign I had seen for the White Rocks Recreation Area - by now (VA-613), I was using gravel roads - used the bathroom at the Recreation Area and watched the Forestry Service cutting trees - found a sign with a map on it and discovered I could find the trail by going south on dirt roads - took the chance and used my compass to ensure I was headed in the right direction (I will admit that I was worried I would be stuck in the mud or encounter another car but none of that happened - experience reminded me of the McKendry Road in AUG 2007) - when I reached the top of the hills, I located a dirt parking lot - right as I got out of the car (1130), I met up with three heavily bearded NOBO guys who told me about the terrain they had encountered in the direction I was headed - they also showed me their trail map and I determined I had a choice between flat rocky hiking or steep uphill climbing (I chose the former) - in the end, my choice might not have been wise - I walked south for several miles through ROCKY terrain with steep drop offs and fallen trees everywhere - I encountered more NOBO hikers (father and son, married couple, solo grandpa) - made it to the Dailey's Gap Shelter and signed the log - waited out a mini rain shower before heading back - water was the issue today: I wish I had a pump/filter to get some from the many springs I have seen... - rocks really took a toll on my feet today (luckily, wearing my running shoes) - there were tons of chipmunks everywhere (actually scared one who was hiding under a rock that moved when I stepped on it) - when I reached my car (1545), I decided to descend the mountain using a different route - I found Mountain Lake (or what is left of it - almost empty) - nearby, I found the Blueberry Ridge Hotel (fancy!) - I used VA-700 to get back to US-460 (winding, paved road down the hill) - finally got a cell signal and found some frantic texts and phone messages - some people at work forgot I was away and thought something bad had happened to me (we recently had a suicide at work) - I wanted to get away but not worry anyone... - I drove to Pearisburg and located the trail on the northwest side of town - I hiked about half a mile of the trail between 1650 and 1720 before driving into town to look for a hotel (only two, wasn't convinced they were a good deal) - drove north on US-460 and explored the town of Narrows before doubling back to Pearisburg on VA-100 - had dinner at Dairy Queen (1800) - checked into the Holiday Lodge (hikers' dorm) - it was cheap and no one else ever arrived during the night - posted pictures on Facebook - laundry is getting rank... - bed at 2200 - total on the trail today was 4.81 miles (not counting backtracks) and Grand Total on A.T. is 20.32 miles]

Slackpacking Trip - Day 2

[woke up at 0615 and got ready for the hike - I had breakfast at the hotel and told them I wanted to extend my stay for another night - left on my bike at 0715 and rode a few miles to where the trail crossed under I-81, north of Daleville - I hiked 0.3 miles north on the trail (through Troutville) to US-11 and started south again - walked all the way from there to the top of Tinker Mountain on the other side of the valley - highlights included: roughly flat trail, cool air, pretty scenery, small animal sightings, "trail magic" boxes, a log book (for signing in - I used the trail name "Workaround") - as I walked, I was equipped with two hiking poles, my Notre Dame backpack (roughly 20 pounds of gear) and my Wyoming brown Stetson - only saw two groups (NOBO mother and son, NOBO solo man) - my brain was cleared up very quickly - at this point, I don't even remember what I was thinking about, but it wasn't work... - my duck taped boots held up OK, but my feet hurt a lot from yesterday (bent back toenail and achy ankles) - when I reached the top of Tinker Mountain, I heard loud arcing sounds from nearby power lines - views were tremendous - I spotted what looked like a fire road near the trail and walked down to it to backtrack to the hotel - I had originally considered riding my bike to this location, but thank goodness I didn't... - when I got to the paved surface again, I realized that I had been on a private road for several miles - an untied watch dog, who chased me for a bit (along with "Posted" signs at the bottom of the hill), informed me of that fact - I walked along the road until I reached the hotel - I had drunk all of my water, so I filled up again and taped my toes with bandaids - I had already hiked around 4.25 miles of A.T. by that point (1030) but didn't want to quit - so I drove my car to retrieve my bike and parked on US-11 (1400) - I started north bound again, walking across cow pattied fields and up and down rolling hills - the sign said it was 3.9 miles to the top of Fullhart Knob - it was all uphill and the weather was getting warmer - my feet felt better in the running shoes but I was about to give up until another hiker (NOBO woman and her dog) caught up to me - she encouraged me to keep going ("not far now to the shelter") - we walked for another 3 miles before and she told me about quitting her job and how her dad had just left her alone on the trail (after a week together) - I would definitely have turned around before I did, but the fatigue eventually got to me and I decided I would not be able to make it up there - when I sat down to rest, the dog didn't want to leave me behind - they continued, though, and I gave it another shot - about a half mile away, I found them again - they had run out of steam too - before I headed down the hill, she showed me some of the other terrain and landmarks in her A.T. Hiking Book (inspiring for tomorrow) - I made my way back to the car, learning how hard it is to hike downhill - it is actually almost harder on the body than going up (which is just tiring) - I also decided today that all of the hiking on the trail near where the road crosses will probably be uphill - the trail drops just long enough to meet the road and then climbs back up... - I saw a snake crossing the trail and laid down in the middle of a farmer's field to catch my breath, listening to loud cardinals singing and the sound of the gentle breezes that made the hike bearable - back at car around 1730 - cleaned up at the hotel and had dinner across the street (Rancho Viejo, Mexican) - very sore now, it was hard to walk... - total on the trail today was 7.67 miles today (not counting biking or backtracks) - Grand Total for A.T. is now 15.32 miles in one direction - watched Game of Thrones and posted photos on Facebook before heading to bed around midnight (exhausted and sore - fell right to sleep)]

Slackpacking Trip - Day 1

[finally had a chance to get away for a vacation (a real one, not just moving or squeezing fun into a 72 hour window) - I'd told folks at work that I would be unavailable for two weeks and had two or three ideas for how to use the time: Space A military flight, driving tour to see National Parks left unvisited on my list or hiking on the Appalachian Trail - I chose the latter option and planned to leave my computer at home - I made a decision early that this would be a Slackpacking trip (staying in hotels) and not a camping trip - after a busy week, I woke up today at 0700, packing and filling up the gas tank, I was headed out on my way by 0830 - I used I-495, I-66 and US-29 to get to Charlottesville - it was a very scenic route and would probably be the best way to go if any of the kids ever went to the University of Virginia (!) - continued on US-29 towards Lynchburg and ended up switching to US-460 there - had lunch at Chick-fil-A around 1200 and then drove down VA-122 (across Smith Mountain Lake) to the Booker T. Washington National Monument (1300) - I'd never been to this park before, but I had been to Tuskeegee Institute in Alabama - the self-made African American educator came from humble beginnings on a farm in rural Virginia and it was inspiring to learn about the challenges he had overcome - there were animals and old buildings (farm) to see - I also took a nice hike (probably about 2 miles), enjoying a nice breeze and the greenery - from there (1430), I drove west on VA-122 and north on VA-116, trying to get on the Blue Ridge Parkway - this proved to be quite difficult, since there were only a few access points east of Roanoke - in a preview of the plan for hiking the Appalachian Trail, I used my road atlas and my cell phone (poor signal, actually) to find places where I could try to catch the trail - instead, I wasted around two hours (VA-116, VA-24, Roanoke, etc.) - ultimately, though, I found an access point on VA-24 east of Vinton - the drive north was nice (saw lots of motorcycles) and I looked for signs of the Appalachian Trail (white blazes) - it took some time, but I eventually located it around VA-43 (east of Buchanan) - first, I looked for a map - many of the Parkway facilities were closed and the open gift shops didn't have maps - so I backtracked to a place I had seen where the trail crossed the road - I dropped of the bike I brought near mile marker 95 and then parked near mile marker 93 (1620) - I put on some old hiking boots and walked north - I encountered two hiking pairs (two women NOBO and two men SOBO) and enjoyed the great scenery - I learned a lot about the type of terrain and challenges I would face - when I reached VA-43, I was going to backtrack, however, my boots had started to fall apart - so I limped back to where I had left the bike (using the roads, thinking about hitchhiking) - rode back to my car and switched shoes - biked again about a mile south of the car (mile marker 92) and hiked back - finished around 1820 - I got back in my car and headed west on VA-43 - I picked up a hiker who wanted a ride into Buchanan (Yancy = trail name "So Heavy") - he gave me a lot of tips for hiking the trail - I got on I-81 and headed south - when I arrived a Daleville (north of Roanoke), I stopped for dinner at Bojangles on US-220 (1900) - I found a Howard Johnsons Hotel right where the A.T. crosses the highway and determined they had a great rate for hikers - I drove south a few miles (to intersection of US-220 and US-221) to shop for hiking supplies and food at Walmart - fixed my boots with duck tape! - soaked in the tub (a little sore) - planned the next day of hiking and posted photos to Facebook - bed at 2200 - overall, I was able to complete 3.15 new miles of the Trail today (not counting backtracks, biking or the Booker T. trail I hiked) - factoring in previous day-hikes on the Appalachian over the past 20 years (roughly totaling 4.5 miles), my Grand Total on the A.T. is now 7.65 miles]

Washington, DC (USA)

[today's happy hour was held at Chef Geoff's (near Metro Center) - the occassion was another farewell (this time to Mary - we were all very sad) - I had expected to be there for a little over an hour, but the event lasted from around 1630 to 2030 (and, probably, after I left...) - rode the Blue Line home (scenic route)]