Appalachian Trail

TALES FROM THE TRAIL

On his return I thought it would be a great idea to get these stories down in full detail for others to enjoy.  Those of you planning the AT hike might pick up a few hints 'n' tips too.

The Dinner Bargain

In the town of Franklin I went to the Engine Shed Restaurant, which was just around the corner from my motel, for dinner.  I had an appetiser of mushrooms crumbed in beer batter -  a meal in itself enough for 3 people.  This was followed by a huge piece of flounder with vegetables and some fresh dinner rolls.  I also had two large glasses of beer to quench my thirst.  When the bill came it was only $15 and I discovered they had forgotten to charge me for the beer.  When I queried the bill I was told the drinks are free!  I couldn't believe it, I'd had this fantastic huge meal with free drinks for only $15.

Stormy

On the sixth day of my hike it rained solidly all day and by the time I reached the shelter it was getting dark.  I was too cold and wet to be bothered setting up my tent so I grabbed a spot in the shelter and laid out my sleeping bag.  I quickly cooked my dinner and got into my sleeping bag. 

Out of the darkness a hiker arrives, a lady aged about 50 I guess.  She was tiny, only standing about 5 feet tall.  Managing to squeeze her butt down on the edge of the shelter, she promptly changed out of her wet gear and then proceeded to tell us that her trail name is 'Stormy'.  She  is gradually hiking the AT in sections and each time she comes out to hike the storms come, hence her trail name.  Then she informs us all that she is going to sleep in a hammock slung between two trees with a tarpaulin over it (you've got to be kidding)......but before she sets up her unusual sleeping quarters she immediately goes about her dinner preparations.  Stormy whips out a small Trangia (methylated spirits) stove and a few miniature pots and pans and proceeds to cook a 3 course meal no less!
First course:  Black Bean Soup,  Second course:  Vegetable Casserole along with a biscuit (a flat scone cooked in a miniature fry pan),  Third course:  A stewed fruit dessert.

After devouring this gourmet meal she quickly packs up and disappears in the night to set up her hammock.  All those in the shelter were amazed as we had never seen anything quite like the performance Stormy had just put on.  One wag said he wouldn't have been surprised to see her whip up a Caesar Salad!

Postscript:  Further along the trail I heard that at another shelter Stormy had cooked a cake on the spot and shared it with all in the shelter.  It also seems that Stormy is a retired FBI agent and had entertained hikers with her many interesting stories.

Frozen Boots

It was Saturday April 8th and I was halfway through the Smoky Mountains.  The rain had begun the night before and it was still raining lightly and was very cold when I packed up my tent at 7.30am.  I hit the trail and over the next few hours the weather worsened.  Firstly the rain got heaver and the air colder, then the rain turned to sleet and this continued for another two hours.  Finally the sleet turned to snow....brrrrr......and the wind began screaming.  This kept up all day and was the only day of my hike that I did not pass another hiker in either direction.

I didn't have any gloves and my hands were freezing, so being creative I placed a pair of socks on them.  Rather than stop at any of the shelters I passed, I decided to keep hiking as I figured I was warmer moving than I would be if I stopped and huddled into my sleeping bag for the remainder of the day.  After hiking 14 miles I reached Mt Collins shelter at about 6.30pm, my boots were covered in ice, as were the socks protecting my hands.  Fortunately there was room in the shelter for one more person and I claimed it.  All of the other inhabitants were lined up in their sleeping bags like sardines in a can!  I quickly cooked my dinner (nothing as fancy as Stormy's I guarantee)  and got into my sleeping bag with ALL of my spare dry clothes on!  I still froze all night.  The next morning when I woke I found my socks (substitute gloves) were frozen rock solid and weighed a ton.  Worse than that, my boots had also frozen during the night and I couldn't get them on my feet.

I had to fire up my stove and carefully hold my boots over it for 30 minutes so they would defrost enough for me to squeeze my feet into them.  The overnight snow had covered the ground with a decent four inches, fortunately it was good quality snow and it made walking on the trail easier that day as the rocks and tree roots were well covered.  The next stop that day was to be Newfound Gap where I could warm up, dry out and, most importantly, buy some mittens.

Old Navy

One day on my AT hike I traveled for most of the day with a young navy guy (approximately 30 years old - trail name Old Navy) who was taking a few weeks leave to hike a section of the trail.  We talked about all sorts of things as people do, and we got along really well together.  We reached the camp site at about 5.00pm and there were quite a few people gathered there as it was close to the water and at the end of a difficult stretch of hiking.  We set up our tents well away from each other on opposite ends of the campsite.  As I am an early starter I didn't expect to see him in the morning, so I said farewell before turning in for the night.

Sometime during the night it started to rain quite heavily.  I didn't mind as I was lovely and cozy in my comfortable tent.  During the early hours of the morning I was awoken by someone calling "have you got any room, can I come into your tent?".  It was Old Navy.  He had been going from tent to tent trying to get someone to let him in as his borrowed tent was leaking like a sieve and he was washed out.  I took pity on the shivering soul and let him squeeze into my tent.  He slept alongside me on the floor in his day clothes as his sleeping bag was soaking wet.  About 8.00am the next morning the rain finally stopped so I kicked him out and got on my way.  I advised him to buy a new tent at the next town.  I never saw Old Navy again.

More tales - Hitching A Ride & the AT Folk