AT Hike

After living a stone's throw from one of the best hiking trails in the world for the last 6 years, I figured it was about time to take a journey on it. The Appalachian Trail comes within about 15 miles of Blacksburg, VA as it snakes its way from Springer Mtn, Georgia to Katahdin, Maine.

More meadows on the first ridge line.












The section I chose to hike was 75 miles over a period of 6 days running from Angel's Rest to Tinker Cliffs. The going was slow at first due to my massive pack and the oppressive heat. My starting pack weight was around 70 lbs and the temperature the first day was 100 degrees F. By the end, I had shaved my pack down to a more reasonable 45 lbs and was hiking only in the early mornings and evenings.

Second biggest tree on the AT.








































Although I set out hiking by myself, that did not last long. I met many fun people to hike with along the way: Wolfman, Hobo Joe, Rocklocks, Bad Dinner, Gnormal, Hollywood, and the Guardian. These are of course all trail names- a name that is given to you by other hikers.

Hawk riding thermal currents at Dragons Tooth.

























With some of my new friends, I took an evening off to hitch into town and grab a case of beer. Our ride ended up being a Pentecostal Priest who took us to a service. Pentecostal churches are an animated atmosphere to say the least, and make for a memorable experience. We ended the evening camping at a trail head parking lot drinking beer and moonshine.

Sunset at Kelly's Knob












View from Wind Rock