Charleston, West Virginia
Kanawha Trail Club

Mustang Sally’s Journal

May 19th, 2008 Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off
Hello ATgroup:
 
Got off the trail on Friday, May 16th at Atkins, VA in the early afternoon.  Had to plow thru big fields of tall grasses to get to the road and service station that you can out at right off Interstate 81 (I guess).  Since there weren’t much services there I got a ride to the local post office, picked up my mail and then got another ride into Marion.  Folks are pretty good to AT hikers.  I’m now in a motel that provides free breakfasts.  It’s about a 2 mile walk, all on a sidewalk into downtown Marion. 
 
Marion is a very nice small town that has been maintained and still has its historical structures in use.  The real estate prices here aren’t bad and the people are friendly.  Got some nice restaurants, one of which is Mexican, where I will have dinner at tonight. 
 
 
Weather on the trail as been rainy with thunderstorms and high winds.  We
hikers were lucky as they all happened at night.  Temperatures had been down so winter clothes are still being used.  All the spring wildflowers are blooming and add bright colors to the ever green moss and ferns.
 
 The last shelter we stayed at before coming into Atkins, called Partnership, the whole lot of hikers ordered pizza.  I think they spent all together around $130.  This shelter was built by the National Park Service and some other groups.  The park service public building and parking lot are within a couple minutes walk so the delivery guy can park his vehicle and the hiker(s) walk over and meet him/her.  This fact is known all up and down the AT.  It’s a dream most hikers can’t wait to get.
 
Next off trail town will be Pearisburg, VA about 4/5 days away.  I hope to get there around the 24th as they are going to have a ice cream social and band concert at the gazebo.  After that I’m meeting my nephew at Catawba, Va on May 29th.   We will hike to Mcafee’s Knob which has one of the most beautiful views in the South.  Also, while there we will eat at the “Homeplace.”  It’s a well know eatery that is all you can eat with outstanding food.
 
Speaking of food,  I can tell you for a fact that with walking every day you will lose weight and still eat anything and everything that’s put in front of you.  Every time I have to climb another mountain or hillside I keep that in mind, and somehow manage to put one foot in front of another.
 
Got my second pair of hiking boots.  This is the new pair that I broke in at home and will replace my daughter’s boots that I’ve been using.  Most of Virginia will go pretty fast.  If I quit taking zero’s I should be finished with Virginia by the third week of June. 
 
Thanks for all your e-mails.  It always helps when there’s mail waiting off the trail. 
 
Happy Memorial Day to everyone
 
Me:  Mustang Sally – May 17th

 

 

Mustang Sally’s Journal

May 15th, 2008 Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off
 
Hi Folks:
 
Well, its Sunday, Mother’s Day, and I have been in Damascus since Friday.  Will leave here tomorrow after visiting the post office.  Going to send some stuff home and then bounce a box to Atkins, VA (my next supply stop) and mail a letter.
 
Had a big rain storm the last nite on the trail before coming down to Damascus.  In the shelter we have 8 people in a shelter that was made for five.  At least we were all dry and warm.  Four guys had to tent and they got in late and set up in the rain.  I felt for them.
 
I like Damascus.  Two outfitters here and they LOVE hikers.  I’m staying in a church hostel that asks for $4.00 in donation for each day.  Luckily they don’t enforce the 2 day limit as I’ve been here three. 
 
Don’t have any stories to tell.  I did get back together with “Guns” the ex E8 Army guy.  He’s got his car here and we went to Abington (about 15 miles away), my reward.
 
The senior hikers tell me that Virginia won’t take as long as I think, as two thirds of Virginia will be easy walking and I will increase my miles.  I hope they are right. 
 
No big stories to tell.  Got my pack ready for tomorrow and the letters/cards written so off I will go “Into the Wild” of Virginia and Mt. Rogers.
 
Will try to remember more to report next time.  I remain:
 
Mustang Sally

 

 


Mustang Sally’s Travel Journal

April 29th, 2008 Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off
Hi to all my ATGroup:
It’s Saturday evening here at Uncle Johnny’s Nolichusky Hostel.  The Nolichusky river runs right along side the hostel and yes, they do rafting on the river.  Two young male hikers (you are only young and crazy once right)  challenged each other to jump into the river and float downriver.  This is the end of April so use your mind as to how COLD that water is.

Arrived here early (around 10am) with a 4 mile down mountain hike.  Will leave here Tuesday morning.  Very nice hostel; $14.00 a nite in the bunkhouse.  The owner and or employees will take anyone who wants to go, to breakfast and dinner places usually in a shopping center where you have several choices of eateries.

No Business Knob Shelter, at an elevation of 3,180, was the last shelter before reaching Erwin.  Erwin is at 1,780 elevation and is 6.3 miles from No Business Knob.  Tips of my toes were ready for a break upon finishing.

Tomorrow (Sunday) I’m going to slack pack.  That means I will only have a day pack (the hostel lends you one).   The hostel drives you to a point north and you then hike back south to the hostel.  Forget all that weight of your backpack.  Then, when you are ready to depart the hostel will drive you back north where you started the slack hiking.  All this for $6.00.  Why do you do this you are wondering?  Well, you avoid          l9 miles of uphill climb from the hostel.  Erwin is at an elevation of 1,700 feet and the end is 19 miles north of the hostel where you reach a 5,180 ft elevation.  With a full pack that would be a really long, tiring hike. 

My next town will be Damascus, VA.  I’m finished with three states.  Figured it will take me about 8 days (if I follow my hike plan) to reach Damascus.
I will average 12.7 miles a day with the longest at 18.2 and shortest 8 miles.

Will take Monday off as I missed the post office Saturday hours.  Only open for 2 hours. More time for real food — Smile

Mustang Sally

 

 

Mustang Sally’s Journal

April 21st, 2008 Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off
Greeting AT group members:
 
I’m in Hot Springs, North Carolina.  Got here around 8 am and went straight for the local diner for a big breakfast of 3 pancakes and 2 eggs up (think next time I will get 2 pancakes plus the eggs).  It was a GREAT breakfast.  Hiked in for that breakfast 3.5 miles so was up and out of the shelter around 7am.
 
Weather has been good during the days (around 65/70 degrees) but the wind is still cool.  Gets down in the 40’s during the nights.
 
Staying in a historical home here in Hot Springs.  The owner is a chef and he has turned the place into a youth hostel.  He cooks dinner and breakfast (only organic) with a lot of the stuff coming from his garden.  The cost is $l5 a nite with dinner at $10 and breakfast at $8.  Staying here tomorrow for a zero day and then off Sunday morning after breakfast of course (smile). 
 
Next stop will be Erwin, Tennessee; 68.1 miles.  I plan on four days to reach the town. 
 
I have now hiked 271.7 miles; only 1,904.5 miles to Katahdin.
 
I lost my small group in the Smokies.  I woke up cold at the Icewater Spring Shelter and took out of the shelter around 7 am so I could get warm.  As I was hiking it started to rain and then snow.  The rest of the group when they got up decided to turn back to Gatlinburg.  I figure they are about 2-3 days behind me.  However, new groups are forming all the time, as some people push a little further and suddenly you are in another informal group. 
 
Speaking of groups, sometimes the only time you see these people are at the shelter.  Each of us hike our own hike, so you may spend the whole day by yourself on the trail.  I can do it both ways as each has its pluses and minuses.
 
Still haven’t weighted myself.  Never found a scale yet at any of these hostels.  Thanks to all the people that have sent me messages and/or given me news from home.
 
Oh, I almost forget.  Clingmans Dome at 6,643 feet is the highest point on the AT.  The day I hiked up this mountain is was socked in and you could only see about 200 feet in front of you.  I had in my mind this mountain would be a bear to climb,  but it was very gradual and it took me three/fourths of the way up to realized that I was hiking up Clingmans Dome. 
 
The shelters I will be staying in next week are named (1) spring Mtn Shelter, (2) Jerry Cabin Shelter, (3) Hogback Ridge shelter and (4) Bald Mtn shelter.  Erwin has a movie theater and a mexican restaurant.  Sounds good to me.
 
I’m getting tired so will sign off.  Keep those e-mails coming.  Thanks again for keeping me in the circle of what’s happening in the world at large.
 
Me:  Mustang Sally

Mustang Sally’s Journal

April 15th, 2008 Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off
Hi to all ATgroup members:
 
Well, it’s March 31st; have finished my first month (calendar wise) and have added a few new members to the group.
 
Found a little quote that I wrote down:  ” In a remote cove or on a high wind swept ridge, thoughts and cares of the modern world drop away, letting us for a little while become children of the earth”.
 
First,  the ankles are better.  The right is still a little swollen, but each day I hike I bind them up.  Most of my blisters are healed; only two are left.  Think I had about 7 at one time.  Have you ever tried to look at the back of your toes?  It’s a little hard (smile).  Anyway, I got everything from the drugstore for blisters including what we in the operating room know as Durabond.  But believe me, everyone has aches and pains on the trail no matter what their age.
 
I’m finished with Georgia and I’m now in Franklin, North Carolina.  It’s a nice little town.  Very hiker friendly.  This morning, one of the local Baptist churches had a FREE pancake/bacon breakfast  for all the hikers and they even picked you up at the local hotels.  I said one of the Baptist churches;  they have around 30 churches.  I managed to down about 8 pancakes and coffee and OJ.
 
 Went grocery shopping (didn’t mail drop here) at a store called Ingles; it’s a local southern chain.  Got some thai single soup mixes.  On the trail you get tired of the commom foods; chicken noodle soup, peanut butter, oatmeal, etc.  Spice adds a little interest to your meal time.  Not like we can go out to eat (SMILE).
 
Our (remember I have a loose partnership with a lady about 7 years older than me) next destination with be Fontana Dam and after that the Smokey Mts.  We figure on the 5th day we will arrive at the dam; April 5th.
 
Someone asked me what piece of equipment helped me the most and I will have to say my hiking poles.  Without those 2 poles I would probably be over the side of the mountain. 
 
Got a liner for my sleeping bag here in Franklin.  I’ve been cold several times in the bag; I’m cold nature like lots of women.  I also got a new pair of hiking socks here,  as I have already rubbed thin a hold in the toes and heel area of the first pair.  They were name brand socks too.  This time I’m trying Smartwool.
 
The hardest and most challenging part of the last section was Albert Mountain.  It was all rocks and handholds (course it was raining and the rocks and leaves were slippery).
 
Most trail people say that if you make it past the third week on the trail that you will make it barring accidents.  I’m still taking it step by step but I’m thinking in my mind that soon I will have my second state behind me.
 
I sent my kindle machine ahead to Fontana Dam, as it needed to be juiced up and my Mom sent that box to Fontana Dam.  Otherwise,  I was in the middle of a nonfiction book about movie making in the years l966-67. 
 
The trees are in bud here and spring is in the air.  Bulbs are pushing up through the ground and of course with spring comes rain. 
 
Today, the sky is cloudy with gray clouds.  It will probably rain tomorrow
(smile).  Thanks to all of you for your interest in my journey and the “go for it” attitude.  It really helps.
 
Until Fontana Dam:
 
I’m Mustang Sally
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Appalachian Trail Hike-Club Member Mustang Sally March 08

March 29th, 2008 Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off

Sally, one of our long time club members, left mid March to become  a thru hiker on the Appalachian Trail. She is corresponding with many club members who are anxiously awaiting word from her on her progress. She made it to Neely Gap in Georgia the first week, March 21, and stayed at a Youth Hostel. She arrived about five days later in Hiawassee Georgia with blisters and wrapped ankles. She reports she got a little trail magic upon arrival when a couple who had been thru hikers in the past offered her lunch. She had her first salad in ten days along with  Chicken on a stick and Sweet tea. She will now leave Georgia behind and will continue on to Franklin Tennessee. She thanks everyone for the outpouring of e-mails and support.

Camp Creek Hike March 22, 2008

March 23rd, 2008 Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off

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Dunbar Wine Cellar Hike March 9, 2008

March 19th, 2008 Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off

img_3071.JPG     cellar        cellor hike                            

Lois led fifteen hardy hikers through the Dunbar Wine Cellar Park.  The day was spectacular with blue skies, white clouds and snow covered hills.  This was a typical Lois hike with some steep hills, but everyone had a good time slipping and sliding both up and down the trails.  Click on picture to enlarge.

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