A Walk In The Park

Winding Down

That’s correct.  I have only a couple days left to completion! I haven’t seen my wife in eight weeks and am so looking forward to seeing her, as well as other friends and family.

Now is the time if you have any questions or comments for me; just post in the comments section.

It’s Cooling Down

We’ve had a couple really cold days and the leaves are changing, but not in a dramatic way. Individual trees may change, but so far not entire mountainsides.

Day 145 – Wayah Gap to Carter Gap shelter (21 miles) 

Day 146 – Carter Gap shelter to Dick’s Creek shelter (25 miles) 

Day 147 – Dick’s Creek shelter to Unicoi Gap (16 miles) 

Day 147 – Unicoi Gap to Neel Gap (22 miles)

Albert Mountain

In honor of my father (Albert), here are some wonderful photos from his namesake mountain.

The Peach State

On day 146 we entered Georgia, the final 78 miles of the trail.

A few days ago, a hiker by the name of Misery told us that Georgia would be “A walk in the park ” for us. But, once we arrived we learned that Georgia actually has the greatest ascent and descent per mile of any state. Nevertheless, our trail legs are really cranking out the miles.  Doesn’t this look like a walk in the park?

Updates

In my last post, I wrote a paragraph that began “It doesn’t seem possible” followed by some great vistas. Somehow, the rest of the paragraph was lost. But, when I look back on it, it seems the words captured were enough.

Also in my last post, I explained how I mistook the term pit-stop for hip hop. Well, it’s catching on and will soon go viral. The appropriate trail reference for splashing in the woods is now “I need to hip hop”.

Miscellaneous Thoughts

Since my blog is winding down, I thought I would provide some things that have come to mind but never had an appropriate place:

– I recently saw a sign referencing a town called Booger Hollow, which sounds like an oxymoron.

– Since hiking south of Virginia, the low point between mountains is designated with the name of a “gap”. These don’t seem to exist, or at least be named up north.

– The privies in the Smoky Mountains (and maybe elsewhere) are handicap accessible.  I don’t think they’ve ever seen a wheelchair, but I suspect it’s easier to build a ramp than get permission not to.

– We stopped seeing stinging nettle in the Smokeys.  I think it’s because of the feral hogs, so at least there’s that.

– You don’t see it on the trail, but Kudzu is a major problem in the south.  It grows up to a foot each day and encases everything it can reach.

– On two occasions we’ve seen massive toads pop out of yellow jacket nests, seemingly unharmed.  It appears that they are gorging themselves on easy-access insects.

– Spokes has been practicing his southern drawl by thanking hikers that let us pass with “Appreciate y’all”, but it’s not going very well.

One Final Photo

I caught this photo as the sun was burning off the morning haze.

Coming up- The end of the road.

Thanks for listening.

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Comments 8

  • Carol : Oct 19th

    Good luck on the last 31!

    Reply
  • Gene : Oct 19th

    And I thought sleeping giant park was a good hike. Good luck on the last stretch. What’s the next adventure when you get back?

    Reply
    • Tom Czako : Oct 19th

      Hi Gene, I’m thinking about a 10 day canoe trip from the Connecticut Lakes in New Hampshire down the Connecticut River to Long Island Sound. Get in shape if you want in.

      Reply
  • YeeHa of BeeChHill : Oct 19th

    Hey Tom! I haven’t been following you, but your “One Final Photo” caught my eye. Phenomenal! Thank you for sharing it. I’ll look forward to looking at earlier posts, for both photos and text. Thank you for raising awareness of the invasive kudzu. It is a great example of humans messing with nature (import from Asia) in trying to correct a human-caused problem (erosion from logging, development, etc.). Maybe we’ll never get rid of kudzu this way, but it IS edible! Enjoy your final days on the great AT.

    Reply
    • Tom Czako : Oct 19th

      Hi YeeHa,
      FYI, Sideways, Spokes and I stayed at BeeCh Hill for a couple days on our way south. It was a great stay.
      Tom

      Reply
  • Rushmore : Oct 19th

    Nice post. Yeah, GA is not easy but it’s pretty.

    Reply
  • Phil D. : Oct 19th

    Can’t wait to have you back Propensity. Post PB dinner to fatten you up next week?!

    Reply
  • Barbara : Oct 19th

    Good luck on the final steps of your journey. What an accomplishment! Thank you for sharing your photos and adventures across the miles!

    Reply

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