Sunday, May 3, 2015

Georgia, North Carolina and Tennessee with pix


Nothing Like a nice Sunny Start to a thru hike.  And this was nothing like a sunny start.

 Utah thinking "this? again?"




We met Doug Eastman and his dog Jennie on the first day.  We hiked together for most of the first month.



Here I am with Molly Rose now known as Ruach:
  1. In a living creature (nephesh chayah), the ruach is the breath, whether of animals (Gen 7:15; Psa 104:25, 29) or mankind (Isa 42:5; Ezek 37:5). God is the creator of ruach: "The ruach of God (from God) is in my nostrils" (Job 27:3).
  2. Here we are hiding from the rain in her hammock.








In Georgia and the part of North Carolina before the Smokies we travelled through a string of Wilderness areas.




These photos were taken from the top of Alberts mountain.  From the South, it is a scramble.  I was very proud to have made it over the top and discover I had completed my first 100 miles.




Trout Lillies

On the way to the highest point on the AT.


Clingman's Dome the highest point on the AT at 6,643'

Our first pine forest starts at about 6000' this far south.





Wild Iris


Sometimes gaps have ice cream!

I have hiked on and off with Foodtruck and She Wee.  Here we are on a knife edge ridge with a 360 view.


I have walked 300 miles and I have walked 5000 more


Leaving the Laurel General Store and hostel was gorgeous.  The hillside was blooming in 500 shades of green with Trillium and violets.


At the top I found deep purple larkspurs, and even better cell service.  I talked to Kevin for an hour at this spot.  North Carolina and ATT don't get along.


Utah and I camped in this high meadow near a bald called Beauty Spot 

On one rainy day I discovered a whole hillside of Dutchman's Breaches.  So many there was a lovely fragrance.  I have never seen that many



After climbing up and over Roan Mountain I reached the Roan Highlands, a series of bald peaks that were amazingly beautiful.




Way up high I discovered this flowering plant.  Do any of you know what it might be?


Yeah!  Done with North Carolina.  75 miles of Tennessee and I will be in Virginia!  


The red barn has been converted to the Overmountain Shelter.  It is at the confluence of the Overmountain Historic Trail and the AT.  



The trail goes ever on and on 

Roads Go Ever On

Roads go ever ever on,
Over rock and under tree,
By caves where never sun has shone,
By streams that never find the sea;
Over snow by winter sown,
And through the merry flowers of June,
Over grass and over stone,
And under mountains in the moon.

Roads go ever ever on,
Under cloud and under star.
Yet feet that wandering have gone
Turn at last to home afar.
Eyes that fire and sword have seen,
And horror in the halls of stone
Look at last on meadows green,
And trees and hills they long have known.

The Road goes ever on and on
Down from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
And I must follow, if I can,
Pursuing it with eager feet,
Until it joins some larger way,
Where many paths and errands meet.

The Road goes ever on and on
Down from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
And I must follow, if I can,
Pursuing it with weary feet,
Until it joins some larger way,
Where many paths and errands meet.
And whither then? I cannot say.

The Road goes ever on and on
Out from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone.
Let others follow, if they can!
Let them a journey new begin.
But I at last with weary feet
Will turn towards the lighted inn,
My evening-rest and sleep to meet.

Still 'round the corner there may wait
A new road or secret gate;
And though I oft have passed them by,
A day will come at last when I
Shall take the hidden paths that run
West of the Moon, East of the Sun.
by JRR Tolkien



Kevin drove all the way to Hampton TN to spend the weekend with me.  We went to Damascus, VA and are now spending time together in Elizabethtown.  Tomorrow I will start hiking again.  Next time I will be in Virginia!

Sunday, March 29, 2015

North Carolina Today

Well friends sorry about no Pictures.  I am sitting in Hiawasee Georgia after hiking about 60 miles from Springer mountain.  I have been hiking with a crew of friends since the first or second day.  Doug Eastman and his dog Jennie made friends with Utah and I on the first day.  We have hiked together quite a bit.  On the second day We met Rainbow and Molly Rose.  This is my core group so far.  We hike at about the same speed and travel similar miles.  So far 10 to 12 every day.  What we have learned about the trail is injuries happen in the first 70 miles.  I turned my ankle hard enough to knock me off the trail for a few days.  Today I am eager to return.  I will be sleeping in North Carolina tonight. My next resupply is Franklin NC. I will be there in 4 days so around Thursday of this week.  I promise there will be pictures on my next post.  It has been beautiful.  My favoite day so far was when we camaped in a stone shelter on top of Blood Mountain.  We hiked up in the pouring rain but when we woke in the morning the clouds were clearing from the peaks and valleys with us in the shining sunlight.  Unforgettable!

I will try to post again in a week or so.

Happy Trails
Mama Moab

Wednesday, March 18, 2015

Today I leave for Springer


you tube video link.


Ok the countdown at the top of the page is about to run out.
My next post will be from on the trail.


Monday, March 9, 2015

Spring Break


Jay grinds in a snow storm at Canaan Valley in West Virginia.  We skied at Canaan Valley and Timberline.  

Then we traveled down to Cumberland Island National Seashore, GA for some gear trials.


This is the remains of an African American community from the 1800s.  The white house was the church.



The island has many armadillos.  These guys don't even run from Utah.



Kevin and Jay were packing their new Advanced Elements Inflatable Kayaks.  At 4 Lbs they are very packable.  The paddles are a little harder to manage.


I am sporting lots of new gear.  Here Utah is curious about what is in my UrSack



Here Kevin and Jay are trying out the new kayaks.  Luckily it was a very warm day.




I tried out my sleeping system for the AT.  A gossamer Gear Spinn Shelter made of Spinnaker cloth.  Inside I have an Equinox Mantis bug screen and an Equinox Sprawler Bivy.
http://www.equinoxltd.com/the-gear/sleep-screens/mantis-sleep-screen.cfm
http://www.equinoxltd.com/the-gear/tarps-and-bivis-and-ground-cloths/sprawler-ultralite-bivi.cfm
With tent stakes and ground cloth the whole thing weighs 1.5 lbs


Plum Orchard Mansion was built in 1898 for George Carnegie.



Here I am sporting my newly repaired 2010 Gossamer Gear Mariposa.  My niece Lara Eventide is a gifted seamstress and patched it up with some super tough dyneema.



Jay and Kevin enjoying the beach near Stafford Camp


Here we are waiting for our ferry ride back to our car.  

It was a fantastic trip.  

On the drive back home I realized I leave for the AT in 10 days!
On Wednesday March 18 I board the Go Bus in Athens at 5:05 PM for Atlanta then Hiker Hostel picks me up and gets me to the trail on Friday March 20th.