I’m sure everyone has a few questions so I will try to get them all answered here. I got in to see an orthopedist the morning after I arrived back in Birmingham. After some X-rays and questions he told me it sounded like I had a subluxation of my knee cap. Basically I dislocated and relocated it when I took that slip up on the mountain. That injury irritated the inner workings of my knee. He said he didn’t think an MRI was necessary. He gave me some anti-inflammatory drugs and told me to get some rest. So I gave it about a week then decided to go on walk around the neighborhood because I wanted to see how the legs were doing and I also didn’t want to lose all the conditioning I had built up. I walked about seven miles and by the end of it my knee was aching a bit. The next day Dad and I decided to go on a hike at Oak Mountain to really evaluate things. We intended on hiking about 6 miles without any packs. I ended up hiking eleven and a half miles. I really pushed it that day because the last thing I want to do is get back out on the trail and then have to come right back off because I wasn’t ready. By the end of the day at Oak Mountain I could barely walk down hill. We all agreed it was probably a good idea to go back to the doctor to get an MRI. I got the MRI and the good news is that I do not have any torn damage in my knee. The doctor said I do have arthritis and he thinks the subluxation aggravated this condition. As it sits right now I am scheduled to get a series of four gel injections in my knee over the course of four weeks or so. Once I’m through with this treatment I should be able to get back out on the trail. So that puts me back on the trail the first week in May. Until then I’ll be spending my time in the pool and on the bicycle rehabbing the knee. I’ll keep y’all updated if anything changes. If you have any questions leave them in the comments and I’ll answer them as soon as I can. 

Dad relaxing by a stream at Oak Mountain 

That was the coldest night I have ever experienced camping in my life. Everything was frozen in my tent when I woke up. My underwear that I had set out to dry after arriving yesterday was now a solid sheet of ice. I had to crease and fold it in order to get it into my warm sleeping bag so that it would thaw out enough to put back on. The mesh on the inside of my tent was covered in ice crystals. Normally I would worry about these falling on my sleeping bag and soaking it but it was too cold for anything to melt. Those crystals that did fall were easily brushed off like so much dust. I just wanted to stay in my sleeping bag but I had to pee. I took a short walk to take care of the call of nature. This walk gave me a chance to evaluate the state of my knees. Normally when I arrive in camp after a day of hiking my knees are a little swollen and achey, but after some vitamin I and a good night’s sleep they feel good and solid again. Unfortunately when I took my walk I noticed no change in my right knee. Something still felt wrong and it was painful to walk down hills on it.  
I sent my dad a text letting him know my injury status and asking his advice. I then crawled back into my sleeping bag and waited for a reply. Once he and I had a chance to talk we decided that considering the weather and the up coming terrain the wisest course of action would be fore me to hike back up to Wayah Bald and then down the forest service road to meet him at a highway crossing. If I had decided to push forward on the trail my knee could have gone out completely stranding me miles from any help. Discretion is the better part of valor so I would beat a retreat.  
The weather was clear as could be with beautiful blue skies and sunshine that made the snow almost blindingly white. It was still bitter cold. I packed up my camp. I had slept with my CamelBak in my sleeping bag so that my water wouldn’t freeze solid. In the five minutes between putting it in my pack and finishing loading everything else up my drinking tube had frozen solid. The hike that day would not be too taxing. It was a mile back up hill to Wayah Bald then a four mile walk down a forest service road. I was disappointed in my injury but I wasn’t upset. So I decided to look at the bright side of things. I was able to see the gorgeous views from the top of the bald. The walk down the road was breathtaking and it gave me a chance to evaluate everything and come to peace with taking a break from the trail. It also made me realize that there was no way I could have continued on with my injury. I met my dad at a road crossing. I reassured him that I was not finished with this adventure and I would be back. He gave me a hug and agreed.

The view from Wayah Bald

Forest Service Road

After three nights in Franklin I was getting restless and I was ready to get back out on the trail. I got everything back into my pack, grabbed a quick breakfast in the lobby, and sat and waited for the shuttle to arrive to take me back to Winding Stair Gab. As I waited Tin Man strolled through the lobby. He looked surprised when I told him I was returning to the trail today. He said the expected temperature that night was going to be in the single digits in the mountains with a wind chill of -10. He was taking another zero to avoid this savage weather. I couldn’t stomach another night in a hotel so I stuck to my guns to get back on the trail. A jolly German couple joined me in the lobby and soon we all piled onto the shuttle that ferried us back up the mountain.  

We arrived at the Gap and piled off the shuttle. I stood there and organized my things preparing for the hike to come. As I stood there fritzing with my gear I surveyed the scene. The highway was clear but there was snow covering all the surrounding ground. The sky was overcast and as I looked around I was unable to see several of the surrounding peaks. I had checked the forecast and it called for some brief snow showers which would soon subside. So of course there was a healthy amount of snow falling all around me. I looked over at the shuttle that was lingering, waiting to pick up any hikers coming off the trail, and for a moment I considered getting back on it. But NO! I was a hiker, damnit! A little snow was not going to shake me! So I hoisted my pack, which was now fat from a fresh resupply, onto my back and I set off into a winter wonderland.  

Starting off things were not too bad. The trail was easily visible and the climbs were decently graded. My friend, Kyle, had suggested I start listening to Jason Isbell so I had his tunes pulling me up the hills. As I climbed higher into the mountains things began to change. There was more snow and soon the trail was well covered over. 

 There was also a significant amount of wind. It’s moments like this when I begin to question the wisdom of marking this trail with white blazes. On a windy snowy day these markers easily disappear. Several hikers had come through before me that day so when I lost the white blazes I followed the footprints instead. I kept hiking and the weather got worse. The wind really picked up, sometimes gusting to over 30 miles an hour. It was then that I got a little spooked. The wind combined with increased snowfall caused me to lose the trail completely a few times. It is one thing to get a little lost in normal conditions. In these conditions with the temperature quickly dropping into the single digits I could find myself in serious trouble very quickly. In times like these I find it best to say a few prayers and just keep hiking.  

Soon enough some other hikers passed by and I even ran into a group of South Bound hikers. They had been hiking all through the winter. Though they looked a little ragged their spirits were bright. Seeing other hikers, especially on difficult stretches, always lifts my spirits. Maybe it’s the idea that we’re all in this together. The snow continued to deepen and the green tunnel turned into the wintry white tunnel. But soon enough I topped out on Wayah Bald. Under normal conditions there would be a beautiful view from the large stone tower located on the summit. Today I could barely see more than a hundred yards.  

The good news is the shelter was only a mile downhill from Wayah Bald. The bad news is that the trail was treacherously covered in snow and ice. At one point I took step and went sliding. I came to a stop with my foot wedged behind a rock and when I did I felt something sort of tear in my right knee. From that point on my knee felt sketchy and it hurt to take a step down hill. I managed to limp my way into Wayah Bald Shelter.  

The shelter was full so I decided to set up my tent on one of the tent pads nearby. I knew I would be in for one frigid night. I piled up snow around the base of my tent to keep the breezes out much like I had done with the leaves a few days before. I walked over to the shelter to cook dinner and visit with the other hikers. It was getting to be just wicked cold. Once I had my dinner made I had to race to get it into my belly before it turned into a pasta popsicle. After I got everything cleaned up I boiled a pot of water and poured it into my Nalgene bottle so that it would keep me warm in my sleeping back at least for a few hours.  
I sent a few text messages to my folks to let them know I’d made it to the shelter. I also let them know I injured my knee and I would evaluate it in the morning. They were worried about me spending a night on a mountain in single digit temperatures with a windchill of -10. I reassured them that while it would be absolutely miserable I would be okay. I put on every scrap of clothing I had and snuggled deep down in my 15 degree sleeping bag. The snow continued to fall and the wind howled. I questioned my sanity several times that night but by morning I was still there.

I arrived at the Microtel in Franklin a few hours before check in and the nice folks there allowed me to stash my pack in the room while they got it ready. Since I only hiked a few miles that morning and I had some time to kill I decided to walk the mile and a half down the highway and check out the local movie theater. Ruby Cinemas is a throwback to simpler times. There’s no stadium seating, no D-Box seating, and no epically large food menu. But what they do have are three screens, comfortable and clean seats, and a very friendly staff. The popcorn was absolutely delicious! I took in a showing of Logan. I’d recommend the movie theater and the movie.  
The staff at the Microtel was friendly and informative. The modest accommodations came at a reasonable rate. It is also located near all the essentials for a good resupply. I was able to pick up a few items at the Three Eagles Outfitters. They had a good selection of gear and goodies and they offered a 10% discount to thru-hikers. I took care of my laundry at a local laundromat. On that particular chore I ran into a gentleman named Tin Man. He was a hiker from New Jersey with an amazing story. Tin Man has lived under the shadow of bad heart for most of his life. As a result he now has a defibrillator installed in his chest. He is hiking in celebration of outliving his expiration date according to his doctors. I’m never going to bitch about hiking again. Of course I ate too much food. It was a zero after all. I had plenty of options located all around the hotel.  
Originally I had planned for just one zero in Franklin. After the first night I woke up to a decent amount of snow on the ground. I checked on the weather forecast and decided to extend my stay by one more day in hopes of avoiding the worst of the weather in the mountains. My knees were still bugging me so other than chores and eating I didn’t really do too much other than relax in my room and ice my knees.   

I awoke to a frigid but beautiful morning. I had three easy miles to hike and then I could enjoy my zero in Franklin, North Carolina. I put on some good music as I sat and ate another breakfast of bacon jerky and Oatmeal Creme pies. As I was camped very close to the trail I chatted with a few of the hikers who passed by as I was packing up. I finally got everything in my pack and set off to the tunes of Taylor Swift. 

 It was somewhere in the 30’s but to me it felt like excellent t-shirt and kilt weather. I started the descent to Winding Stair Gap and the sky began to cloud over. At the map pavilion near the parking lot I saw my German hiker friend. She was waiting on the rest of her group hoping they’d join soon because the temperature was dropping. I made my way down to the road and surveyed my options. There was a fair amount of traffic passing by so I could hitch hike the 10 miles into town. Or I could call a shuttle. I tried all of the numbers for the shuttles because I thought that would be the quickest option and I was getting chilly rather quickly. Fortunately or unfortunately none of them answered so I was left with hitchhiking. I had never stuck my thumb out for a ride in my life. I was a bit timid at first but I quickly became bolder. After about 45 minutes a gentleman in red Ford pickup truck stopped and offered me a ride into town. I was cold, damp, and ready for my zero. I jogged across the parking lot to get my pack and I tossed it in the bed of his truck before hopping into the warm cab. As soon as I sat down I noticed the immense pride this guy took in his truck and I was grateful for the jog across the parking lot hoping it had dislodged most of the mud on my boots. We chatted on the way into town. He told me he used to drive for a shuttle service and he was a veteran. He gave me a few food recommendations for my stay in town and dropped me at my hotel. I thanked him profusely both for the ride and for being my first hitch.

I had all the motivation in the world to have a good hike today. I had a zero approaching in Franklin, North Carolina, I had just had my favorite day so far on the trail, and I was ready to rock and roll today! The storms had blown through and done their thing. The fires had taken care of most of the ground cover so when it rained as hard as it did the storms managed to splatter mud halfway up the side of my tent. It was so nice to have a dry relatively clean tent for all of a day and a half.  
It was a gorgeous day. I knew I had a long one ahead of me as I wanted to hike to Rock Gap Shelter 12 miles away. The terrain did not look too awful bad save for one particularly daunting climb. I set out from camp at a good pace and the trail led past some breath-taking vistas.  I hiked through the morning and came upon a group of my friends taking a rest just before the steepest part of Albert Mountain. I stopped, got a bite to eat, and took a rest with the other hikers. I enjoy the solitude of hiking alone as it gives me time to enjoy my own thoughts and the beautiful surroundings. It’s also nice to have a balance of social interaction on the trail. From where we were the climb up the rest of Albert Mountain only ascended around 400 vertical feet but believe me when I tell you this was the most difficult climb I have faced so far. I had my eighties mix of the Rocky IV soundtrack and St. Elmo’s Fire but at times I was still crawling hand over foot up parts of this mountain. It was brutal but luckily it was brief and it finished with a spectacular reward in the view from the top and a super cool fire tower. I am scared to death of heights so I limited myself to only climbing up a few flights of stairs on the tower. Besides it was windy as hell and I was getting chilly.  

The rest of the afternoon was pretty uneventful. As I mentioned before I was somewhat stuck in a hiking bubble. By that I mean I saw the same crowd of people each night I stopped at the shelters. This was a rather large group of folks by trail standards. As I made my way down the blue blazed trail to Rock Gap Shelter it became apparent that I needed to break away. The shelter was completely full as were all of the tent spaces. It was a good thing I had such a big dinner the night before because it gave me the energy to pick up my pack and keep on walking. I walked about a mile or so past the shelter and up another mountain and I was rewarded with the most beautiful stealth camping spot. 

 It was incredibly quiet as I was the only one there. It also knocked a mile off of my already short hike for the next day. I was about to hike even further but my knees told me that I had gone far enough that day. I set up camp and then made my dinner. Before turning in for the night I checked the weather report. The temperature was already dropping but it was supposed to be near freezing that night. I gathered some leaves and piled them around the base of my tent to keep the breezes out. I sat and watched the sunset then I slept the deep sleep of man who’d earned it that day.   

Today has been my favorite day on the trail so far! I woke up refreshed and ate a delicious breakfast of maple bacon jerky and a couple of Oatmeal Creme pies. It was a clear crisp morning but I decided to hike in a t-shirt. I knew I had a big climb coming up over Standing Indian Mountain. This climb would be almost two and a half miles long and take me to almost 5500 feet of elevation. I stopped about a mile into the climb at Standing Indian Shelter to make use of the facilities and make a phone call to my parents. Being out here away from everyone phone calls home always boost my spirits though the roof. Before setting off on the rest of the climb I hiked down to a stream to top up my water.  

The pictures don’t do it justice but it was an enchanting and beautiful location to get water. I put on some good music, finished getting water, and began to climb the rest of the mountain. With each step I felt myself getting stronger and stronger. It was a weird but incredibly enjoyable sensation. I found great joy in walking up that mountain. The trail skirted the summit but I saw a blue blazed trail that led the rest of the way to the top. I was feeing so good I diverted onto this trail so I could see the view from the summit. As I burst through the undergrowth up onto the summit clearing tears began to fall from my eyes. I was beginning to understand the incredible appeal of hiking such demanding terrain. 

I hiked on through some beautiful terrain. The wild thing is that ever since I crossed into North Carolina the surrounding forest showed the evidence of the fires that had ravaged the area the previous season. Just about the entirety of Standing Indian Mountain had burned. Based on what I saw though the fires never got hot enough to ignite the standing trees. The conflagration mainly consumed the underbrush and the dead fall wood. The forest had already begun to recover from these ravages and it seemed reinvigorated.  

I finally found my way to Carter Gap Shelter. I was wiped out from the hike but I felt great. It was crowded again as I was hiking in the same bubble that had stayed at Muskrat Creek the previous night. I found a great spot for my tent with a view of the valley below. I spent the rest of the afternoon chatting wth some hikers I’d met in the preceding miles including my friend, David, one of the German women, and my hammock camping friend.  

I was feeling good when it came time to cook dinner so I decided to experiment a little and I’m glad I did. I made a delicious mix of parmesan fettuccine, miso soup, and tuna. It filled my belly to almost bursting. I checked the weather report before turning in and unfortunately we were expected to get thunderstorms around midnight. I made sure my tent was secure and turned in for the night. The thunderstorms turned out to be pretty impressive. The winds picked up, the rain fell, and the lightning crashed all around the camp. At one point at bolt crashed though the canopy not fifty yards from my tent. I’ve grown to trust my tent and I ended up falling asleep sound and secure.   

I hadn’t enjoyed all that much about the previous two days, even though a bad day out here is better than a lot of the good days back in the world. I began to think about some of my previous travels and I remembered the time I traveled to Ireland. One of my evenings there I met a wonderful girl and we got to talking about how we each loved traveling. I remember us comparing the places we’d visited as well as the places we still wished to see. She told me to always remember that often times it is the journey that is more important than the destination. Sometimes to enjoy the journey you need to shake things up and look for joy in the small things.  

As I lay there in my tent at Plumorchard shelter thinking I began to realize the freedom I have in doing this hike. This is my hike. If I want to sit in a tent and read all morning I certainly can. There is no one looking over my shoulder to make sure I stay on some set itinerary. I am bound only by the limits of what I am willing to carry. This realization brought the joy that had been missing back to my heart. The pleasant sunny day dried out my gear and lifted my spirits. I packed up at a relaxed pace, got some water on the way out of the shelter, and headed on down the trail.  
My unexpected half day meant I wouldn’t be hiking as far but today I would be passing a significant milestone. At about 78 and a half miles on the trail I finally reached the border between Georgia and North Carolina. I may not have hiked the entire length of Georgia but I had finally hiked all of the Appalachian Trail in there and I had completed that state. As is often the case the clear skies brought stiff breezes and colder temperatures. Luckily the campsite at Muskrat Creek was shielded from most of this as it lay in gap along the banks of a beautiful creek. The shelter was crowded but I was able to find a nice tent pad near a hammock camper. We traded stories about our ailing knees and she gave me a few tips on hanging my bear bag. I definitely needed them because up to that point when hanging my bear bag I looked like one of those “touched” individuals that southern women exclaim, “bless his heart” at the sight of. I cooked some dinner and settled into my sleeping bag to read before drifting off to sleep.    

The first two days after Helen I hiked from Unicoi Gap up over Tray Mountain to Sassafras Gap for a one night stay and then on to Plumorchard Gap. These were two miserable, cold, wet, painful days. They were not without their good points and they taught me some valuable lessons.

First, DO NOT GO FOOD SHOPPING WHILST BUZZED! I cannot emphasize this point enough. You will end up with a ridiculous food bag weighing you down much like I did. Why in the name of all that is holy did I find it necessary to buy a pound of sour patch kids? A pound?! I enjoy them but not that much. This was just one of several examples of poor judgment. But you live and you learn. This weight took its toll on my legs, especially the knees. The bitter cold blustery weather only added to my hardship. I encountered some steep and unforgiving climbs over these two days. Kelly Knob stands out in my mind as one particularly nasty ascent. I did encounter the most delightful group of Germans during my stay at Sassafras Gap. They were quite taken with my choice of attire. One lady in particular took a photo of me in my kilt while telling me she wanted to get one for her husband. I ended up seeing these folks many times throughout the rest of the week and we always greeted each other with a smile. By the time I reached Plumorchard Gap I was also approaching my limit. Once I got set up there I checked the weather and saw that I would finally get a break from the rain the next day. I decided to sleep in that morning which did my legs some good. I then spent the rest of a pleasant evening reading in my tent whilst things dried up outside. As they say you have to hike your own hike.  

A delicious lunch at the Hofbrauhaus

I am not as young as I once was. That being the case I thought the more prudent course of my journey would take me to Helen, Georgia so that I might rest my weary knees. I’ll admit it. I definitely splurged. I got a room at the Hampton Inn. I do enjoy those hotels and I recommend them to everyone. My trail magic friends dropped me right at the door. I placed my pack in the room, took a long hot shower, then I took a walk around town to get the lay of the land.

I had heard stories of Helen but this was my first personal experience of the town. It’s campy yet oddly charming. It reminded me a little of Gatlinburg. The strangest thing was the wide spectrum of tourists who populate this town. As I was in town to rest and the town isn’t that large I didn’t walk around very long. I grabbed a pint of Bulliet Bourbon and a Baconator from Wendy’s and I headed back to take advantage of my hotel bed and cable tv.  

The next day my friend, Lauren, drove up from Atlanta to hangout. We had a delicious lunch at the Hofbrauhaus catching up over a few beers and some schnitzel with mushrooms. After treating me to lunch, Lauren was kind enough to help me with my resupply. 

This is not a time warp.  Apparently the local internet is so bad the residents are unable to stream movies so they still have video stores.

 After seeing her off I got some more rest then headed off to a place called Big Daddy’s for dinner. My friend, Moe, had recommended the place because she had a friend who tended bar there. I enjoyed some of the best steak tacos I’ve ever had along with some great conversations with James, the bar tender, and some fellow hikers. That tricky Moe ended up taking care of my tab, more trail magic! All in all I had a wonderful zero in Helen and I can’t thank Lauren and Moe enough for that!