ATOutlaw is back!

As you can see, I have not been here in a looong time. However, since my brother Tom, aka  "Fat Man Walking" is now doing the trail, I have renewed interest in finishing my blog. I will pick up where I left off and it will soon feel as though I had never left.

Day 9

Wednesday, April 12, 1989

I took advantage of the sun today to stop early and dry out my tent. I had to elevate the feet for a while to try and reduce the swelling of the Achilles Tendon. It is still bothering me just a little bit. Karl (Cameraman) showed up late tonight and I got a beer from him. It was left over from his trip into town last night. I guess the Traveling Willbury's couldn't handle it all! I hope to put in a fairly long one tomorrow, but I guess the feet will tell. Boy that beer was good!

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one of many rhododendron tunnels (and my pack) along The Trail in Georgia

Day 8

Tuesday, April 11, 1989

It's amazing the amount of people that I have met so far. Everyone is so different from each other, but all of them with something in common; the AT. There's The Traveller and Maniac who both went two miles one way last night for pizza and beer. Then they hauled it all the way back to the shelter for everyone. There's the group who has been right behind us; Tom the Oatman, Jim, Ruth the Aussie, Laurie and Buzzard Bait. One crazy group! I passed Choo-Choo on the trail who was held up because of a blister. I met a 67 and 68-year old couple yesterday who were slowly going on. There was Karl who also had about 15 pounds of camera equipment with him. And so many more. I expect that I will see more, but as I get further on, I imagine there will be fewer thru-hikers.

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Choo-Choo help up along-side of The Trail because of blisters

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7th night on the AT at Addis Gap Shelter with ET, Max, The Singing Horseman and a few others

Week 1

I would like to take this opportunity to reflect on my first week on the Appalachian Trail. In the future I will do this after each week on The Trail as well. I will try to elaborate on things that I talked about in my logs, talk about other memories that weren't mentioned, and any other relevant information that I can think of. So....here goes.

I was working as a pipefitter with a construction company here in Phoenix when I finally decided that it was time to fullfill my dream. It was winter time and we were working on a project in Payson Arizona. The crew was staying in a cabin that the company had rented that was quite a ways off the beaten path. Why am I telling you this? I think because I'm trying to figure out why it was at that particular point in time that I finally decided to do The Trail, and I believe that this has a lot to do with it.

Anyways, it was winter time. There was lots of snow. We were staying in a cabin that was "out of the way"; on a dirt road as I remember, and I was driving a Nissan Sentra. OK, picture it! I'm driving up to the cabin one day in my Sentra when my tires start spinning in the snow. I have to get out and put chains, or actually cables, on my front tires just to move any further. Even with the cables on, my tires were spinning and I was getting nowhere. Then, SNAP! One of my brand new cables came apart. My boss came around the corner just as I was throwing the broken cable into the woods along with several profanities. That was it! I'm not sure why, but that was the moment that I decided it was time to take my hike.

I remember driving back to my apartment in Phoenix a few weekends later. There at my door was the package that I had been waiting for. It was my set of Appalachian Trail guide books that I had ordered earlier that month. When I got back to the cabin on Monday night that following week, I was sitting at the kitchen table with the map of Georgia spread out before me. I was plotting. I was plotting where I would stay the first night on the trail, how many miles I would hike the next day, what I would carry for food and anything else that I could think of. When my boss showed up that night and asked me what I was doing, I don't think he believed me. Well, a few months later he was a believer, because I had already given my notice, my car was packed and I was headed for New Hampshire to make final preparations for my trip. Fast forward to Monday, April 3, 1989.

My friend Ron Fleury had agreed to drive me down to Springer Mountain in Georgia where my adventure would begin. We left early Monday morning and took turns driving straight through. We arrived in Amicalola State Park on Tuesday afternoon, April 4. In an unceremonious goodbye, Ron dropped me off at the visitor center and headed back to New Hampshire. I like to think that I had at least paid for the gas along the way. I'm sure I did. So, this is where I pick up with my logs from along The Trail. Oh, by the way, thanks Ron! I still owe you.

When I arrived at the visitor center there was already a tornado warning out for the area. I was itching to get on the trail, but the park ranger warned me against it. He suggested that I stay in the park for the night, but that cost $8.00 and I was on a tight budget. I couldn't see paying $8.00 the first night on the trail. I had a better idea. I was going to hike up the approach trail to Springer Mountain just far enough to get out of the park and pitch my tent along side the trail and weather the storm out. Bad idea!!

I started hiking and the weather wasn't too bad at first. Then, I came up onto a small ridge and I saw it. A wall of blackness was headed my way. It didn't take long before the winds picked up, and I do mean picked up. The rain that erupted from this dark cloud was falling horizontally and that is no exaggeration. I tried to construct a temporary shelter using the fly from my tent, but it was no use. In a matter of minutes I was soaking wet. My only option was to retreat. I headed back down the trail and back to the visitors center as fast as I could. And, as you know from my log of day 1, I ended up staying at the campground in the park after all. And yes, I still had to pay the $8.00. I spent the night sleeping atop a picnic table under a large pavillion in the rain. It was all good!


This is the scene of the crime. It really wasn't all that bad after I got settled in. I did have the whole place to myself. This is obviously a picture of the morning after.

When you look at my picture from day 7 on The Trail, keep in mind that I weighed approximately 200 lbs. This is important to remember, because as you see pictures of me as I progress towards Maine, you will see some dramatic changes! Also, keep in mind that my pack was exceptionally heavy for a thru-hiker. It averaged about 70 pounds when fully geared with food and water. It was sometimes a little lighter if the hike to the next supply point was short. It also weighed more at times when the distance to the next supply point was longer than usual. This was especially the case heading into the 100-mile wilderness in Maine. But that's a story for much later in this blog. About 15 pounds of the weight was the camera equipment that I had with me. I also ate very well so that tended to add to my burden as well.

Well, you pretty much know the rest. I had hiked 49.3 miles of the Appalachian Trail so far, spent six nights on The Trail (seven including the first night under the pavillion), and met several other thru-hikers. I was already experiencing problems with my feet and the weather. But, I was already having the time of my life as well. And, the adventure was just beginning!!!

Day 7

Monday, April 10, 1989

Well, this is getting to be more of a lifestyle every day. The weather is supposed to clear up and warm up the next couple of days. Although today was cold, at least it didn't rain or snow. Things are really starting to bud around here now and it is getting very green. I had a long day of hiking today and the legs are really feeling it so I am going to crash early.

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The first signs of spring on the AT

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The ATOutlaw (that's me) chilling on the trail with my pack

Day 6

Sunday, April 9, 1989

The weather was a little better today. At least it was dry with some spectacular views. There is rain in the forecast tonight but this shelter should provide more cover than my tent. I guess that ET and I have become hiking partners; for a while anyway. My Achilles tendon flared up a couple of days ago and it is making it hard to hike. So far the whole experience has been great even with the bad weather and all. I'm looking forward to tomorrow already!

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Here is the albatross that I like to call my pack

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ET chilling out on the trail with my pack

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ET and Max at Whitley Gap Shelter with my pack

Day 5

Saturday, April 8, 1989
The skies opened up again today and spit down snow all day. Unfortunately we went over Blood Mountain today; the highest point on the AT in Georgia and some of the best views in Georgia as well. Visibility was only about 50 feet. We were robbed! By the time we got to Neal's Gap, we were soaked all the way through. We went into Blue Ridge and stayed at ET's mom's house. (Shower, shave, s__t, laundry, dry up, Chinese dinner.) It was a welcome feeling.


Some pictures of the Chattahoochee National Forest from the AT

Day 4

Friday, April 7, 1989
What a satisfying day! I didn't put many miles in, but it was satisfying none-the-less. The stars are out now and you would never know that it snowed last night. That's right, snow, about two inches of it. It got my tent, air mattress and my sleeping bag wet. It was cold and windy the first part of the day today, but after about four hours of holding up in the shelter at Gooch Gap, the weather cleared up and we moved on. ET is still with me although he does pull into camp a good time behind me. John got left behind and plans to hike into Suches for supplies. All I can do now is leave an occassional note behind in the log books. I'm watching the fire from the tent now as it burns out; just like me!


Second night on the A.T. at Blackwell Creek with ET and Nanosec.
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Next morning at Blackwell Creek after the first snow on the A.T.
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Held up at Gooch Gap Shelter with ET and Nanosec.

Day 3

Thursday, April 6, 1989
What a day! I put in about 12.4 miles today and I must admit that I feel it. I started out this morning with Ed (that was his name) but he calls himself ET. Someone abandoned a tent at Stover Shelter last night because it was too heavy. He just took the fly. I talked with another hiker at Hawk Mountain who was leaving stuff behind also. I got a nice pair on sun glasses from him. I left Ed and didn't see him again until camp. I met a couple from British Columbia who had their 2 1/2 year old son with them and another older couple from Mississippi. I passed both couples. I also met John (what a character!) at the stream here. We talked for about 1 1/2 hours before who shows up? ET. We are all in our tents for the night and it is starting to rain again now. I'm really tired and think I'll go to sleep, but all in all it was a great day.

Ed Taylor "ET" on the trail in Georgia

John Perry "Nanosec" at Blackwell Creek

Day 2

Wednesday, April 5, 1989
It was a much better day today. The sun came out and I was able to dry all of my stuff out. I met two other thru-hikers today. I hiked with one of them most of the day, but I forgot his name already. I will tell you tommorrow. Well, I'm actually on the AT now. I tried my cheescake but it didn't set up. I used too much water, I guess. Night!

The start of the Appalachian Trail atop Springer Mountain in Georgia

Day 1

Tuesday, April 4, 1989
Well,--- I'm finally here! I haven't reached the beginning of the Appalachian Trail itself yet, but that will come tommorrow. After Ron dropped me off in the Amicalola State Park I did try to begin the trail, or I should say get to the beginning of the trail, but my attempt was foiled by (of all things) a TORNADO! I went back to the visitor house soaking wet. Soaking wet already and I hadn't been on the trail more than 30 minutes. I waited for the rain to stop, hiked to the campground, and here I am. This is GREAT!