Walking the Appalachian Trail

It’s three in the afternoon on day four of my walk. After waking at 8am from another restless chilly night in my tent, the falling rain from all day yesterday had transformed to snow this morning. I spent over an hour trying to get my frozen gear thawed out. The temperature dropped well below freezing and has stayed there most of the day. All I can think about is trudging through the snow towards the Low Gap shelter area, still several miles away, to set up camp and avoid dying of hypothermia.

My Appalachian Trail hike started on a 50 degree sunny day at Amacolola Falls State Park in Georgia. I didn’t know what was to come, but I was full of optimism and a sense of adventure. This quickly changed at 4am on day 3 when a violent thunderstorm moved in to my solo camp on top of a 3,200 foot mountain. This turned into a very wet weather system and I walked the next 11 miles in the pouring rain. I had made it to Neels Gap, about 39 miles from where I started. It is estimated that almost 1 in 4 people who intend to hike the entire 2,000 mile Appalachian Trail drop out by Neels Gap. When I first heard about that statistic, I thought it couldn't possibly be true. But now I see how people can have an idealistic view of walking the Appalachian Trail quickly shattered by an 11 mile day of cold, wet rain.

This was the first point in the trip where I briefly thought about dropping out myself. But, I quickly decided that I wasn’t quite ready to end my trip. Besides, in the words of one fellow AT hiker, if you make the decision to drop out, always do it on a bright, sunny day.
The next day, the rain turned to snow and I walked 11 miles to Low Gap shelter. I spent a very cold night in my tent. The temperature dropped into the teens.

On day 5, I walked 15 miles. Another cold night. I was finding that spending 12 hours in your tent was challenging for me. I would go to bed around 8 or 9pm because it was too cold to stay out of my bag, and I wouldn’t get up until after 8am because I wanted the sunlight and any warmth I could get in the morning. This was one of the most challenging parts of the trip for me...sleeping and the down time when not hiking.

On day 6, I walked about 11 miles to Hiawasee Gap. I met my first "trail angel" He gave me water, a snickers bar, an apple, an amazing growing towel tablet, and a cigarette. Plus a ride to my second hostel stay on the trail. (I stayed in a hostel before starting the trail) Trail Angels are people who volunteer and wait at the major roads that cross the AT. They give you free food, water, support, whatever...The hostels are like vacations from the trail. For many hikers, once they stop at a hostel, they find it very hard to go back to the trail. I would hear stories from the owners of grown adults literally crying when they were taken back to the trail to resume hiking.
Now you might be assuming that I am all alone out in the wilderness. Sometimes this is true, but often there are a lot of other people out there too. The hostels and shelters were usually full. I can’t begin to tell you how many people I met. There were a lot of interesting hikers along the trail with various goals and ideas about the experience.

Day 7, I walked about 13 miles. I am amazed by my immune system. After many days of rain, snow, cold weather, constant punishment, and limited food, I was still not sick. Many times, I felt that I was possibly coming down with a cold, only to find about 12 hours later, I was strong like an ox. I am made to walk in these mountains! Thank you, God.
More rain today and another cold night. (I probably noticed it more after spending last night in a warm hostel on a king sized mattress.) This night, I spent the night around a campfire with 3 hikers, including Traveler Dave. He was living on the trail more so than the rest of us. This was like his home. He made bamboo flutes using the fire...he cooked using a big iron pot on the open fire...he used old fashioned gear and techniques to get by.

On days, 10 and 11, I made the decision to end my hike walking in the rain. I finished at the Nantahala Outdoor Center in Wesser, North Carolina. The Smoky Mountains were just ahead and it was going to be tougher, colder, snowier, and rainier. I was done for now. A total of 144 miles in 11 days. An experience that I really can’t convey in words. It is one that you have to do yourself. This is the longest I have backpacked.

What I have learned:

I enjoy backpack trips of up to 3 days. I really enjoy being connected to the Internet. I am a fair weather hiker/backpacker. I don’t enjoy the cold, snowy, and rainy days. I would not be interested in hiking a long distance trail. I need a large social outlet of people to hang with on a regular basis. (I miss the city life) I don’t enjoy solitude for long periods of time. I really love the Western U.S. when it comes to the natural scenery. (Among other aspects)

I spent the night in my tent at the NOC along the Nantahala River. The next day, I hitchhiked in record time. From the moment I arrived on the side of the road, I waited about one minute for a ride straight to Asheville. (about 60 miles away) The driver was a nice, normal, guy in his early 30's. He wouldn't accept money, and he got me to Asheville safely and in good time, with good music and conversation. So, does this beat Greyhound? Free, safe, and with no wait times! I guess it depends on your ride.

Next topic - Life In Asheville

Quick Update:

I am leaving Florida on a Greyhound in a couple hours. Next stop: Springer Mountain, Georgia. I intend to walk on the Appalachian Trail for a while. I'm not sure yet where the next stop will be...I am planning to walk to Hot Springs, North Carolina. After that, I might spend time in Asheville, NC? Oregon? California? Washington? Wyoming? Mexico? Vancouver, B.C. - A different reason for each place.

I will write more later.

The Asheville Experience

Hello,

I am currently writing to you from Stuart, Florida. I arrived here by bus on the 11th of December. It took about 19 hours to get from Asheville to Stuart. All for the low low price of $54 dollars. And the entertainment is free! I have ridden on Greyhound buses many times over the years, and usually it involves at least one interesting experience. The longer your trip, the more entertainment you will have. After listening to a baby scream for 2 hours straight on the first bus of this trip, and I'm not exagerating, I got onto another one with a guy who liked to make cat noises every now and then...along with an occasional blessing from the Lord. That bus driver was o.k. with it. However, when we boarded the next bus in Orlando, Florida, the driver, with a harsh New York accent, heard one of those cat noises and said, "Who brought a cat on board?! Everyone laughed, except for the driver, when he found out it was a guy making cat noises. The driver said, "I don't want to hear cat noises...real or imagined." Not a minute went by, when another cat noise was sounded. The driver quickly swerved the bus into the right lane of a major road and stopped...not on the shouler, but in the middle of the lane! He got out of his seat and walked back to cat man. He said, "If I hear another cat noise, the bus is going back to the station." I held my breath for the next 5 minutes wondering if this guy was going to test the waters again. My rides on Greyhound in the past have involved everything from Elvis impersonator bus drivers to several times where the police had to get involved! Like the company motto says, "Go Greyhound!" (as long as you don't mind the possible risk of death in your travels)

The weather here is warm...about 75 during the day and 55 at night. I sold my truck, and I happily don’t own a vehicle again. It will be interesting to see how long I can last this time. I have tried not owning a vehicle twice before, and I have ended up buying one again after a couple of years each time. I will not write much about Florida, since I just arrived.

I stayed in Asheville until December 10th. Thank you to Blake for letting me stay with him in his 1 bedroom apartment. I slept on the living room floor on my Thermarest. We got along great. After my roommate problems of the summer, it was great to see a positive perspective of having a roommate. I really enjoyed living with Blake.

I also got to see lots of friends that I had not seen in almost 2 years! That was also a great experience. We had many fun nights of food, drinks, conversation, and board games. I also enjoyed lots of hiking and biking in the surrounding mountains.. Thanks to all of my friends in Asheville. We had a great time together, and I will miss all of them; but I plan to visit again next fall...so I will see you soon.

I did landscape work for several friends in the area. I enjoyed the contrast from working as a Ranger at Yellowstone. Kind of nice not to have to talk with people for a change. I also did some odd jobs, such as dog/cat sitting. I don’t think I’ll do that one again. Now, I plan to spend until the end of March living in Florida visiting my parents, who live here during the winter, and my friends. I will live with my parents until the end of December. After that, I will move in to my friends place down here.

I wish everyone out there a Happy Holiday Season!

As always, tell me what you are up to.

Jason

My Stay In Asheville

Hello,

I finished my contract working for Yellowstone National Park on September 29th. It really didn’t start to slow down until mid-September...but at least I got a couple of slower weeks in to end my work there. Overall, I enjoyed my stay in Yellowstone, however, I could only do that type of work full-time for 4 months at a time. I saved up a lot of money from this summer, which is helping to fund my winter.

I left Yellowstone on October 1st. I drove my truck across the United States until I arrived at Asheville, North Carolina on October 4th. I took a week off and enjoyed social time. I spent most of the summer alone in my free time. In Asheville, I have spent almost all my free time in the company of friends. It has been quite a contrast. After the first week here, I took up a landscaping job working about 3 hours per day. I trim bushes, weed, and cut grass for 2 apartment complexes...among other various jobs. I have also found myself bartering with friends: I will help them do some work for a few hours in exchange for some food. I enjoy doing this also.

I am staying with a friend in his 1 bedroom apartment. I use the living room as my bedroom at night. During the day we share the place. So far it has been working out great... so I have not been sleeping in my tent lately.

I have continued to do lots of hiking and bike riding after arriving in Asheville. I am enjoying all of the fall colors and the slow changing of the seasons. My stay in Asheville has been great so far. I plan to leave for Florida on December 10th.

For now, I have decided not to own an automobile. I have spent about 4 years of my life (after 21 years old) not owning an auto and the rest of my life owning one. I have to say so far, that even though there are advantages to owning an auto, overall, I enjoy not owning one more. My truck is currently for sale.

Let me know what you have been up to.

Jason

End of August Update

I have four weeks left working for the Park Service. My contract ends September 29th. It has been an interesting summer. We shut down the East Gate several times this year. Twice for mud slides and twice for forest fires that threatened to burn across the East road. Our biggest fire is over 18,000 acres and is only a short distance from where I live. Rangers here were on standby to evacuate for a week. It seemed certain the fire was going to push us out and right then (a couple weeks ago) unusual August weather rolled in with lots of rain and cool overcast weather. This helped to calm the fires down considerably. Now we wait to see if any of them flare back up. With windy, dry weather over the past several days, some fires are starting to become more active. Time will tell.

I have not enjoyed living with my roommate, however he leaves around the 7th of September. This will reduce some stress in my life. Our road has been under construction all summer. This will be finished by the end of September...another stress reduced. The crowds have thinned considerably over the past week. As a VUA-Ranger, we could easily average 250 cars or more in our lane in a four hour period. We collect $4,500 or more in four hours...Keep in mind this is just one lane out of three! The road into Yellowstone often looked like a freeway toll booth area...hardly the remote experience you would think of out here. September will be a much slower month. Now, I might average 80 cars and $1,400 in four hours...with only 2 lanes open. I am thinking of September as the true "payoff" month.

I have seen some amazing and beautiful sights this summer. Countless Grizzly Bears, Moose, Elk, Bison, Mule deer, Black Bears, Fox...the list could go on for a while. I will share photos and video with you when I see you.

I have decided to sell my truck and go back to owning just a motorcycle for now. This will help to save some money. I have my eye on a motorcycle called the Buell Blast. It gets around 70 miles per gallon! I will be traveling to Asheville, NC in the beginning of October. I intend to stay there for 3 months. I will look for a seasonal part-time job for November and December. January until March I plan to spend in Florida with family and friends. I intend to work for the park service again next summer. I will try for a smaller park closer to the West Coast either in California, Oregon, or Washington.

Hello everyone,

It has been a while since I updated our website. I left Portland, Oregon (population 750,000 +) to live at the East gate of Yellowstone National Park. (population 9) There are 9 people living here including myself. As you can imagine, this is a bit of an adjustment. I live in a modern government apartment with a 23 year old roommate. We each have our own bedroom and bathroom, and share the kitchen and living room. The cost is about $290 per month including everything. Not bad, but it would be nice if it was free.

I work as a Park Ranger - Visitor Use Assistant. Basically, this means I collect money at the entrance station and answer the same basic questions over and over again. I enjoy the job itself, but I don’t enjoy working 40 hours per week. We work four 11 hour days in a row. I haven’t worked this many hours in many years. It’s challenging. Here is my schedule for the summer:

Mon: 12:30pm - 11:30pm
Tues: 12:30pm - 11:30pm
Wed: 9:00am - 8:00pm
Thurs: 8:00am - 7:00pm
Fri - Sun OFF

Yellowstone Park is setting itself up to be treated like Disneyworld. We charge $25 to get in. This money is used for maintaining/upgrading roads, new state of the art visitor centers, staffing, building maintenance and construction, and so on. The park service is being run more and more like any other business. The park leases out hotels, gas stations, stores, restaurants, and so on to major corporations. We have close to three million visitors over the summer. The number one activity among them in Yellowstone is shopping. There are corporations chomping at the bit to get into Yellowstone because there is so much money to be made. For some good laughs, read: ‘Industrial Tourism and the National Parks’, in the book "Desert Solitaire", by Edward Abbey. This was written over 40 years ago by another seasonal Park Ranger. I can relate.

So what to do? Good question! One of the big problems is that people make a living working for the park. The Rangers and park staff are unlikely to do things that the paying public don’t like, because the paying public is paying our salaries. This creates a conflict of interest. The park service mission is to protect and preserve the park, but also to provide for the enjoyment of the public. If the public wants to shop, well then who are we to stop them? If they want to stay in a nice hotel room, why not inside the park? If they want to drive their 40 foot motor-home all over the park, then let them drive. I feel it is the duty of the park service to whip humans back into the primitive animals we really are. (Myself included) The park service should help us to live "closer to nature" while we are visiting a park. I would have to agree with many of Edward Abbey’s ideas for fixing this problem.

So on the days I work, I don’t have a lot of free time. On my days off, I enjoy being surrounded by beautiful scenery and lots of wildlife. I have been going for walks/hikes in the area. I also enjoy mountain biking in the Shoshone National Forest. These are my primary activities for exercise. I cook most of my meals. I always eat at home...partly because there are no other options...and it's cheaper. (and better for my health) I travel to the town of Cody, about 52 miles away (population 8,000) to get groceries, visit the library, and go on the internet. After living in Yellowstone for a while, Cody now seems like a big city! I don't have Television or radio reception at home, so I borrow movies and CD's from the library. I also download radio programs off of the internet.

My next stop will be Asheville, North Carolina...the beginning of October.

I'll write more in the next couple weeks.

I hope you are doing well.

Jason

I am currently writing to you from my living room...the hospital library. Yes, you read that correctly. I have spent the last two months living in a 5x10 storage unit. Mainly I just sleep or relax there from around 10pm - 8am. It's a seven block commute to the hospital where I work. At the hospital I have access to my personal training center... a full gym complete with enclosed hot showers and changing rooms. Also 24 hour access via my personal security code. Nearby, I have access to my personal bike locker and storage area. Inside the hospital is my grand living room complete with fireplace, a large volume of medical and scientific journals, and wi-fi internet access. One block from my unit is my limo and driver...the public train. I get a free anual pass to all public transit with my job. Also, I have access to a full size dining area complete with a chef. So, yes...I'm living the high life.

But it's time to give it all up! I decided to work for the National Park Service for the next five months. I signed a contract to work in Yellowstone from May 14 - October 14. The job: Fee Collector. The place: East entrance near Cody, Wyoming. The hours: Four 10 hour days (I'm a little nervous about working this much) I don't really know a whole lot else about the job and that part of the park. I lived in Yellowstone in 1999 for five months. I worked for a grocery store near Old Faithful. So this will be my second time living in the park. However, the park is very large...the biggest in the lower 48...so working at the East entrance vs. working at Old Faithful is like working in Portland vs. working in Seattle. I will write more about the park after I arrive.

My last day at Providence Hospital is next Friday, the 27th. I will fly to Florida for a week, return to Portland and then drive my truck to Yellowstone.

Yes, my truck. I bought an 8,500 pound, 1993, 3/4 ton Dodge pickup truck with a 6 cylinder Cummins diesel engine. It has the full size 8 foot bed with an extended cab...so you can imagine it's huge! The gas mileage must be terrible you say. Not too bad. First, it gets about 20 mpg on the highway and 17 in the city. Second, I can run it on Biodiesel...a mix of ethanol, lye, and mostly vegetable oil.

So once I get to Yellowstone, where will I live? I'm not sure. I am planning on turning the bed of my pickup into a covered wagon. Building a simple frame over the bed and using canvas as a roof skin. Not sure really how any of this will work out. Do grizzly bears like simple minded campers who live in the back of their truck covered with canvas? I guess I'll find out.