Category: AT 2017

So this really happened… I was cruising down the trail and came across a trail junction to the parking lot. An older gentleman came down from the lot and turned in front of me onto the AT.   He was wearing white Bermuda shorts, a polo shirt, and sandals. It was like he just got […]

Another day of busting miles in the mountains. According to my app, I climbed over 5,000 vertical feet today. And descended just about the same amount. My pace is strong. I feel like I’m making good time.  We all are looking for bears, but I have not seen one yet in the Park.  It’s been […]

It’s always a struggle when family visits. I’m so excited they came to visit. Yet, excited to get back to the task at hand. I’ve never been good at goodbyes. Somehow Mrs. Growler and I were able to make peace and it was back to the Trail.  Within minutes of leaving the gap, OC and […]

We enjoyed every minute of our weekend.  Mrs. Growler got the thrill of visiting a laundry mat. I’m sure a memory she won’t soon forget.   Of course, we visited a number of breweries, consumed massive amounts of food, and laughed at our hiker stories.  The visit eased some of the home sickness I’ve been […]

Last night we chose to skip the tents. We slept on the stage. It was peaceful and beautiful. Of course, we had to be up and packed early. The brewery even had a $5 hiker breakfast. After coffee and eggs, it was another easy hitch back to the trail.  Again the miles flew by. We […]

It rained all night. Probably two inches or more. I stayed dry and warm in the tent.  The morning was spent hiking in the mist and fog. I’m sure there were amazing views, but I didn’t get to see them. All I saw was my feet as I navigated the rocks.  The miles went by […]

It was risky. It was dangerous. But I survived! Dang…that taxi ride was scary. Who would of thought the sketchiest thing on the AT would be a taxi?  We hit one curb, right side tires off the road twice, and crossed the centerline a few times. Plus the car smelled like death warmed over. I […]

It’s rainy and crappy outside.  A good day to shelter in place.  OC and I hit up Burger King for breakfast. The large burrito was very good. Plus I had a large side of tater tots! The rest of the day…laying in bed watching TV.  And a Dominos order.  With enough food left over to […]

It rained most of the night. The rain continued into the early morning. Hiking was delayed by thirty minutes waiting for the rain to stop. Once we started, the conditions were good. Cool, dry, and foggy.  Today my mojo returned. It was a big climb right out of the shelter and I powered up the […]

It was cold last night. So I didn’t get an early start. Nothing new there.  As you can see from the picture, the views today were amazing. The clouds eventually lifted, but there wasn’t much to see at that point.  Today I felt mostly back to normal. My strength and sense of purpose returned. It […]