3/29/03
Had a nice 17-mile hike yesterday and a twelve today. Hiked with a 70-year-old retired judge from Minnesota. His trail name is “Recycle” – boy is he in great shape. Today’s hike ended at about one o’clock. I’m staying at an outdoor center on the Nantahala River in Wesser, NC. It’s the busiest day of the year here. It’s a nice resort – the attraction is the river. Whitewater is huge and today is the biggest kayak event of the year. Very exciting. My focus is food and more food. Be out of here in the early morning – 3 days from entering the great Smokey Mountains. Can’t wait. Hope the weather is nice.

The trail is tough. One can’t say he’ll finish; one can only hope. It’s a long way and all you need to do is twist an ankle the wrong way and you’re out. I’ve seen people in great shape drop out already. “Recycle” has attempted the hike twice before. The first time ending in Virginia and the second in Connecticut.

Hiking everyday is punishing. I have a few aches – but nothing serious. It’s hard not to push for those 15-mile days every day. The key is to listen to your body – of which I have to keep reminding myself. Your body becomes conditioned after a month or so and the terrain gets easier through the middle states. It’s hard to believe I’ve only been out for eleven days.

I must say I’m really enjoying it. It all seems so simple – but getting up early and hiking all day is really a rush. It’s hard to sleep sometimes when your anticipating the next day and all the beautiful visuals. Everyday is different and not knowing what’s behind the next corner keeps it exciting. Pray for strong legs and good health.

3/30/03
Twelve inches of snow on ground at shelter. 25 degrees at 4:30. Dropping down to 10 tonight. Hands are cold. Beautiful day for walking – let’s see how the night goes. Had 8” of snow last night and more tomorrow. (Pictures are of Mountain Adventure in the snow.)

4/1/03
Walked down 2,000 feet in elevation and camped last night. Amazing how a few thousand feet can mean the difference between a foot of snow and no snow. Walked off the mountain and I’m resupplying in Fontana Dam.

Tomorrow I enter the Smokies. A 71-mile hike through the second most visited National Park in the US. The weather is going to be nice. The hike begins with a gradual climb of the 2nd highest mountain in the Eastern US – Clingman’s Dome. The first is Mount Mitchell, which isn’t far away. Views are supposed to be spectacular of the most diverse forest in North America.

For more information on this portion of the trail, visit the: Nantahala Hiking Club (www.maconweb.com/nhc/)