Craig and Suzy's 2006 Appalachian Trail Journal

As you can imagine, long-distance hiking takes a lot of time and money. This particular hike is estimated to cost about $17,000. Hikers cannot be reached on the trail without your support. If you like reading the journals or if you would like to see more chaplains on the trail, please prayerfully donate your funds to A.T. Servants by clicking here.

Search Results

Day	Date	Start	Finish	Miles	Journal	Photo
8	3/25	Blue Mountain Shelter, GA	Swag of the Blue Ridge, GA	11.1	Day: 8 Date: 3/25/06 Start: Blue Mountain Shelter, GA Breakfast: Helen, GA Finish: Swag of the Blue Ridge, GA Miles:11.1 A.T. Total: 59.4 Clay: What a great time we had last night. Fun and funny conversations were had amongst the blazing fire and snow. With the wind and snow surrounding us, we figured out why they called this shelter "Blue" Mountain. Although sleeping in a hotel room would have been beneficial hiking-wise, being amongst our warm-hearted peers far outweighed those benefits.   Today Shoto and Crusty wanted to do something wild and fun. They crack us up. After braving the cold, wind, and possibility of another bear encounter last night, they wanted to hitch into Helen and eat breakfast at the Huddle House! So, we huddled up, scurried down the hill, and got to Unicoi Gap. Getting a hitch always seems to take forever in the cold. So, Branch, Crusty, and I said a short prayer. God answered that prayer in a mere 1 minute 11 seconds through the generosity of Freddie from Sautee. Thanks! Soon we were whisked away from cold and snow to the warmth of the little German town of Helen. Branch: At the Huddle House, we gorged ourselves on food and enjoyed the company of great friends. It was a most enjoyable field trip. After breakfast, we made a few phone calls home, and walked through town praying that we would get a quick hitch back to the trail. Within 6 minutes, a wonderful lady and her son offered to let the four of us pile into her minivan. I had the best time talking with her as she kindly drove us up the mountain and back to the trail. The food from the Huddle House acted as fuel as we climbed up Rocky Mountain. The sun began to peek through the clouds and e had some amazing views as we climbed. Before we knew it, we were standing on top of Tray Mountain. Tray Mountain has a reputation for being colder than average. This reputation was confirmed as we found ourselves once again standing in the snow. So, in order to better weather the cold, we continued downhill in hopes to find a warmer campsite. Within an hour, we came across a site with water, enough room to accommodate our two tents, and a fire ring with embers left by the previous guests. With only about an hour of daylight remaining, we made quick work of setting up the tents, getting water, hanging the bear bag, and gathering wood for a fire. Soon, all the chores were done, and we gathered around the fire with our dinner. I am so glad that God has allowed us to hang out with our new friends, Crusty and Shoto. I wish that they could hike the whole trail with us.
9	3/26	Swag of the Blue Ridge, GA	Dick's Creek Gap/Hiawassee, GA	7.2	Day: 9 Date: 3/26/06 Start: Swag of the Blue Ridge, GA End: Dick's Creek Gap/Hiawassee, GA Miles: 7.2 Cumulative A.T. Miles: 66.6   Clay: Sleeping in the swag was cold but a good choice for our conditions. Although it was very windy, it was certainly better than sleeping atop Tray Mountain. It was snowing and windy up there. That did not seem to affect some of the hikers. There was a guy at Tray Gap handing out hot dogs, hamburgers, soft drinks, and beer. So, that was enough to make some hikers happy. For us, we had our own food, we knew that town was near, and we had fun fellowshipping around the fire in the Swag. Having lacked sleep for the past two nights was tough. We all woke up with the thoughts of getting to town. With every step we thought, "Town...town...town...town..." Today was the first day that the skies were clear and the warm sun was mixed with freezing shouts of wind. It was a great hiking day and we had more good conversations. We even talked with a person who worships fire. I wish that this person's god would heat things up but since fire is impersonal and lacks any divine attributes, I decided to bundle up instead. Immediately prior to Dick's Creek Gap/Hwy 76, we were offered a ride to a hostel from a new hostel owner. Crusty, Shoto, Branch and I decided we'd rather forgo this opportunity. Instead, some of us decided to pray for a ride again. Within 7 minutes, two Christian fellows named Sammie and Owen 'felt impressed' to take us to town despite the fact that they were supposed to be driving in the opposite direction and their destination was south Georgia. This was amazing. We were grateful for them being sensitive to God's prodding. Branch: We packed ourselves into the back of Sammie's pickup truck and headed to Holiday Inn. After saying goodbye to the Godly men who drove us into town, we hurried into the luxurious Holiday Inn where we were greeted by hot showers, comfortable beds, and the biggest room I've ever stayed in. Tonight we ate one final dinner with our friends, Crusty and Shoto. They have to press on to Franklin tomorrow and we are going to stay in town to take some personal time. I have been having a nagging left knee/hip issue since day 1. While it is improving, I think that the day of rest will help it to heal much more rapidly. Sadly, though, tomorrow we will say goodbye to our Georgia hiking buddies.
10	3/27	Hiawassee, GA/Holiday Inn	Hiawassee, GA/Holiday Inn	0.0	Day: 10 Date:3/27/06 Start:Hiawassee, GA/Holiday Inn Finish:Hiawassee, GA/Holiday Inn Miles: 0 Cumulative A.T. Miles: 66.6 Clay: We had a great, comatose sleep last night. This morning we had breakfast with Shoto. We are going to miss him and Crusty dearly. It was sad to see them get on the shuttle to go to the trail but they need to be in Franklin by March 31. Goodbye friends. We enjoyed hiking with you, laughing with you, and fellowshipping with you. Today is an administration and rest day. Branch's knee is ailing with possible ACL problem and we both need a Sabbath rest (Matthew 14:23). Each night for the past week I have been reading the minor prophets. Wow, they are amazing. They talk about social problems like the rich oppressing the poor and building up their own house (Haggai 1:9), the "remnant" of believers, idols in the heart, and the Messiah (cf. Zechariah). The coolest verse for me was about Joshua, son of Jehozadak. Although it is about him, it is fun to use for my wife. The verse says, "The Branch is the servant"--how fitting! Branch: Today has been a good zero day. The hotel is in close proximity to both the grocery store and restaurants, so chores took up relatively little of my day. By 2:00 or so both Clay and I were able to sit back, relax and read some of God's word. I, too, have been reading the minor prophets and have been especially enjoying Habakkuk. The last two verses in the book of Habakkuk really struck me, "Yet I will exalt in the Lord. I will rejoice in the God of my salvation. The Lord God is my strength, and He has made my feet like hinds feet, and makes me walk on my high places." (Habakkuk 3:18-19). Another cool thing that happened today was that Craig called a friend of ours at the outfitter at Neel's Gap and ordered me a Thermarest sleeping pad from them. Someone from there happened to be driving our way, so they delivered it to our room! Now that's service! We can't even get pizza delivered here. I can't wait to be able to try out my new sleeping pad. Hopefully, now I will not be as cold at night.
11	3/28	Dick's Creek Gap, GA	Muskrat Creek Shelter, NC	11.6	Day: 11 Date: 3/28/06 Start: Dick's Creek Gap, GA Finish: Muskrat Creek Shelter, NC Miles: 11.6 Cumulative A.T. Miles: 78.2 Branch: This morning we awoke anxious to get back onto the trail. Yesterday, we visited with Trail Angel Todd, a friend of ours who lives in Hiawassee, and he nicely offered to take us back to the trail this morning. By 8:00 A.M., we were piling our gear into his truck. It was fun talking with him on the short ride to the trail. Thanks! It was weird getting back on the trail knowing that most of the people that we have been hiking with are either ahead or behind us. While we are looking forward to meeting new people, we already miss seeing familiar faces. Hiking was very difficult for me today. We took the day off yesterday to rest my knee, so it has felt pretty good. But as we crossed the state line today my left hip all of the sudden started screaming in pain. Every time we went uphill (and we went uphill a lot) my entire left leg was in agony. I have no reason why I have this new pain. So, I've drugged it up with the great vitamin I (ibuprophin) and am praying for a better day tomorrow. Clay: Branch and I enjoyed our short respite but we were ready to hit the trail again. Today we were excited to complete our first state. During the morning we dragged our feet because we knew that we were leaving behind our friends and family in Georgia and moving on to less familiar territory. We will miss our loved ones and we look forward to meeting new friends. By the afternoon, we finally reached North Carolina. As we passed the state line marker, we were greeted by the famous gnarled oak--what a majestic site. We took a few pictures, talked with Cheetoes, Michelangelo, Gut, and Silverback, and progressed North. No sooner than we were greeted by the oak, we were spanked by two mountains named Sharp Top and Courthouse Bald. It was as if North Carolina both welcomed us and demanded respect. Tonight we are tenting next to Muskrat Creek Shelter. We recognize some hikers and we spoke briefly but we did not hang out around the campfire tonight. There was too much base humor for us and we did not feel that the atmosphere was condusive for meaningful conversation. Maybe we will meet more nice folks tomorrow.
12	3/29	Muskrat Creek Shelter	Carter Gap Shelter	12.5	Day: 12 Date: 3/29/06 Start: Muskrat Creek Shelter Finish: Carter Gap Shelter Miles: 12.5 Cumulative A.T. Miles: 90.7 Weather: Beautiful and sunny! Branch: We woke up this morning to the sound of birds singing and we could feel the beginnings of sunshine peeking through our tent. It felt so good, that we decided to just lay there for a while and feel the restful goodness. Oh, by the way, I would first like to mention that I slept *great* on my brand new thermarest. Someone said that the temperature was down to 29 last night and I didn't shiver once. Our friend, Nate was right. I don't think I'll ever go back to my old mat! When we got on the trail this morning, my hip was back to its screaming pain and I was mentally trying to figure out ways to signal a helicopter to come rescue me. However, after Clay reminded me that none were coming for me, we prayed, took some more vitamin I and continued walking. Soon after that I was enjoying my hike in the sunshine much more. On the way up Standing Indian Mountain, Clay and I were talking about how we'd need to borrow some ibuprophen from some of our fellow hikers so tht I could less painfully limp my way to Franklin (which is about 2 days away). At the shelter, Clay mentioned our need to one fellow and he gave us literally a handfull of vitamin I pills! Isn't that always how God provides? After that, I knew that God would continue to give me the strength that I need to keep on walking. Thanks to Him and the wonderful and compassionate encouragement continously given from Clay, I truly enjoyed today's hike. Clay: Since our buddies, Shoto and Crusty, are away from us now we are trying to make new friends. Today we hung out with Goldfish (from Oregon) and Carrie (from California), The Wanderers (a thru-hiking family from PA), Ork and Bean (from Alaska), Red Necked Crake (from England), Michaelangelo (an artist that draws the A.T. as he goes), Miss Swiss and Harley (from GA), and Fast Lane. Today we leap frogged all these people all day long. Then we all camped together. I hope that we can continue to hang out. Thus far, the hiking has been relatively easy for me and I have not had even a blister. I would like to thank Relient K, Living Sacrifice, Kainos, Audio Adrenylin, Project 86, Glenn Miller, Caedmon's Call, Supertones, DC Talk, and Guardian for getting me up the hills today--especially the 5498' Standing Indian Mountain. I also had a *great* time listening to Dr. Michael Behe lecture about "irreducible complexity" in Bacterial Phlagellum (see www.origins.org or www.veritasforum.org for more information). The Nantahala National Forest is also a bear sanctuary. Recently, a bear has been taking the packs of hikers. So, I may sleep with one eye open. Tomorrow is a big day. We are slated to do over 12 miles and go over Mount Albert--a hand-over-hand treat. We plan on giving our best effort (cf. see Malachi about givng your best). Good night and God Bless.
13	3/30	Carter Gap Shelter	Rock Gap Shelter	12.1	Day: 13 Date: 3/30/06 Start:Carter Gap Shelter Finish: Rock Gap Shelter Miles: 12.1 Cumulative A.T. Miles: 102.8 Branch: Today we awoke to yet another gorgeous day weather-wise. Knowing that today would be fairly tough for me and my gimp-hip, we got out of camp fairly early (7:25) and completed 4 easy miles by 9:00. We had a great time, but the entire time I was both dreading and looking forward to the 2.5 mile climb up Albert. About 1.5 miles up, my hip was beginning to need a break. All of the sudden I began to hear music and smell the incredible aroma of cooking pancakes. I've heard of the brain doing some funny tricks and quickly dismissed the smell as a strange, hikers mirage of sorts. Soon, however, we turned a bend, and saw the most beautiful sign-"Trail Magic". We walked a little further and who did we see but Fishin' Fred, a friend of Clay's who he met while Fred was thru-hiking last year. Fishin Fred and his friends Gatorade, Skirt, and Flat Bread had the most incredible set up I've ever seen. They have a *huge* tent for hikers to stay in, they have all sorts of goodies for hikers to munch on, hot coffee, tea, soft drinks of every kind, and best of all-- they made the best blueberry pancakes I've ever tasted! Better than the food was hanging out with Fishin' Fred and the gang. We truly enjoyed catching up with this great trail servant. Clay: Fishin' Fred is so nice. While we were at his cook-out, he gave us each a beautiful, wooden pendant with an A.T. logo on one and a white blaze on the other. We are very proud to wear Fishin' Fred's creations (www.fishinfreds.com). After we departed, he even chased us down the trail just to give us a great-tasting apple. What a guy. We look forward to seeing him again at Trail Days. After hanging out with Fishin' Fred, within a mile we began to ascent the 5200' Albert Mountain. We have been dreaming about climbing the famous Albert Mountain for years now. Today was the day. Albert reminded us of certain mountains on the Long Trail. It was very comforting and familiar. Unlike the first part of our hike, Albert is a hands-on mountain. You must reach out and take hold of Albert in order to conquer Albert. The hike up Albert is steep and doable even for the weekend hiker. It was as if Albert Mountain was our 100-mile exam. After passing our "exam", we were rewarded with the best views that we have seen thus far. Only Miss Swiss and three section hikers have decided to stay at Rock Gap Shelter tonight. Everyone else is trying to find camping spot between here and US 64--Winding Stair. We must stay due to Branch's gimp hip. She needs the rest and it is a hard 3.1 miles to the road. Miss Swiss and the eldest section hiker asked me about my profession. I told them that I'm an itinerant minister and I told them about my degrees in theology and philosophy. We talked a little about why philosophy is useful, how philosophy can aid theology, and about a simple cosmological argument. It was fun for me and I hope that they enjoyed it too.
14	3/31	Rock Gap Shelter, NC	Winding Stair Gap, NC/ Hwy.64/ Franklin, NC	3.8	Day: 14 Date:3/31/06 Start:Rock Gap Shelter, NC Finish:Winding Stair Gap, NC/ Hwy 64/Franklin, NC Miles: Cumulative A.T. Miles: Clay: Last night we were fortunate to find a tent space at the shelter. There are literally no designated spaces to speak of. Staying on durable surfaces, we practiced LNT and set up for the night next to the moldy, sporulating stone wall beside the shelter. For us, this was a much better decision than traveling extra miles, climbing 500 vertical feet with the remote chance of finding a campsite, and possibly having to hitch into Franklin. This morning we were up and out by 6:40 A.M.--a new record for us. Our intuitions paid off. The climb was tough and there was only one unmarked camping site that could hold two tents on the 4-mile trek to the road. These tent sites were occupied by The Wanderers and a nice lady with a dog. We passed the Wanderers as they ate breakfast and we said "hello" to our friends as we passed by. The sunrise from their tent site was phenomenal. The shuttle was scheduled to be at Winding Stair Gap at 9:30 A.M. Given Branch's hip and knee problems, we were supposed to mosey to the gap. Instead, she hoofed it and we made the 4 miles in 1.5 hours. When her hip and knee heal, she is going to fly! What a woman! Winding Stair Gap (Highway 64) is a major highway. So, hitching should be no problem we assumed. We were incorrect however. The cumulative time for all 4 of our previous hitches was a mere 16 minutes. (Three of us prayed for these hitches). Today at Hwy 64, however, we could not get a hitch to save our life! When the Wanderers came to the gap, Gear (7th grader), Sarah (recent high-school grad.), Branch, and Miss Swiss tried to look cute for the highway travelers. It did not work. So, instead, we had to catch the shuttle--54 minutes later. It was a lot of fun trying to do the big group hitch. Branch: We got to town around 10:00 and decided to stay at the Haven Motel. The owner of the Haven is throwing a big hiker party this weekend and we wanted to be where other hikers are. After a surprisingly short shower, we walked to the post office to pick up the package that Craig's mammy sent. This is when the coolest thing happened. We asked the gentleman working at the counter for directions to Wal-Mart, and as he gave them it became apparent that the Wal-Mart was a good distance away. Dejected, we went through, our wonderfully packed package, complete with cookies (thanks Mammy!) and prepared to walk to the store. As we prepared to leave, the gentleman from the counter came up to us and said that if we'd wait about 10 minutes, he could take us. Soon after we got into the car, the man asked if we were Christians. God had prodded his heart to take us to the store and this faithful Christian had been obedient. Thank you! This evening we decided to attend the big hiker party. We got there around 6:30 and were surprised by the number of people milling around. Right away we recognized to good friends of ours, Sherlock and Circuit Rider. They've been making great time on their thru-hike and have already caught up with us. It was such a great time seeing them and talking with them. During the party we also had a wonderful time hanging out with Crake, Cheeto, Goodhand, and several other hikers that we've been hiking with. They are all leaving tomorrow, so we'll be switching groups when we get back on the trail. We will certainly miss our new friends.

Search

Search: State Choose GA NC TN VA WV MD PA NJ NY CT MA VT NH ME