Appalachian Trail – Roger Carpenter

Hiking the Triple Crown of Long Distance Hiking, 1995 to 2021: Part 3 of 3, the Appalachian Trail

This is Post 3 of 3 about my pursuit of the Triple Crown of Long Distance Hiking and the Appalachian Trail. I started in 1995 with the Pacific Crest Trail, but finished far short that year. I hiked the entire Pacific Crest Trail in 1996 and the Continental Divide Trail in 2016. To read the previous posts look for the link “Triple Crown Hikes” or click here.

I was nervous about hiking the AT. “Welcome to New England hiking!” my friend Brownie wrote in an email. “Why the nerves?”, I blogged the night before climbing Katahdin. This was not the well-graded PCT I hiked in my 40s, and Brownie knew it. I was 67, and about to walk and sometimes crawl over steep, rocky terrain for 2,169 miles on the AT for the first time.

The five-hour hike up and down Mt. Katahdin was spectacular. In Maine I embraced the lush forests, ponds and lakes, but learned quickly how the steep, rocky terrain can beat up a SOBO hiker. My good friend Marmot had advice when our paths crossed in Maine. “This is the hardest state on the AT; take more zero days here!” I took the advice and ultimately loved hiking the White mountains and the Presidential range in New Hampshire in great weather. Thru-hiking southbound was a good choice for me.

December 15, Day 176: Springer Mountain and the completion of the Appalachian Trail!

I really did it. On a nice sunny and breezy day I arrived at Springer Mountain in Georgia at 11:41am on December 15, 2021. Cindy and our friend Sharon hiked up to Springer Mountain along the Approach Trail and arrived at the same time as I did.

December 15, 2021 on Springer Mountain, Georgia

December 13: Getting close to Springer Mountain, 24 miles!

The weather is perfect…enabling me to savor the last few glorious days on the Appalachian Trail. I am embracing some special moments: seeing a Spotted Towhee, my favorite bird which are rarely seen on the AT but numerous in Oregon; conversations with other hikers who are passionate about this trail and curious about my thru-hike; the clear sky at night with the moon, planets and stars illuminating my campsites; owls hooting; the incredible sunrises and sunsets; and simply walking!

View to the south from Blood Mountain. Springer Mountain is out there somewhere.

December 10: Signs that the finish is near!

Since I last posted on December 8 I hiked 16.7 miles from Dick’s Creek Gap to Unicoi Gap, a section that looked easy on the map. In reality the altimeter watch I wear indicated I climbed 5,295 feet, many of which were steep. Only on three other days did the ascent exceed what I did on December 10. It’s no wonder I was tired! Lisa, the owner of Hostel Around the Bend, drove to Unicoi Gap and returned me to the hostel. I will resume hiking on December 12. The zero days at the hostel are conveniently timed for the rainy weather on the 10th and 11th. Along the 51 miles to Springer Mountain sunny and mild weather will inspire my footsteps to the completion of the Appalachian Trail!

Yesterday, December 9, there were no panoramic views or small things that inspired me to capture images for the blog. However, as I got closer to and crossed into Georgia I noticed the unusual and somewhat funny names of places on trail signs. I am devoting the images posted here to those signs and others I photographed during the last few days.

December 8: Springer fever ahead!

69 miles! That is all that remains of the Appalachian Trail for me to hike between today, December 8, and December 15, the day Cindy will meet me at Springer Mountain. There were signs that the end of my journey was near. I crossed the place on the AT that was just 100 miles from Springer Mountain. Soon after that was the border between North Carolina and Georgia, the final state to enjoy.

At the border where I entered Georgia, final state on the Appalachian Trail.

December 2, Day 163 on the Appalachian Trail: Thoughts on the final 156 miles

The southern border of Great Smokies National Park represented a transition on this 2,193 mile hike. Going forward from there it is only 168 miles to Springer Mountain, the southern terminus of the AT. As of today its even fewer, 151 miles! The mountains will be lower than the Smokies, although sometimes just as steep. I will finish on December 15 when my lovely wife Cindy will meet me at Springer Mountain. I really look forward to our reunion! The schedule enables a welcome level of flexibility for my hiking to the finish.

My mind wanders as I walk these near-the-end miles, often landing on a larger perspective of the journey.

Greg in Wild at Hogback Gap, mile 2,038.

November 27-30: Through the Smokies in five days

I hiked through 77 miles of the Great Smokies National Park in five days. The elevation was as high as 6,610 feet, the weather was cold and icy one day. But the rest of the time it was very pleasant.

November 26, Day 157: First day in the Smokies

Day 157, 26-Nov. Milepost: 1962.0, Daily: 10.4, Ascent: 4450′, Descent: 1280′, Highest: 5120′. Camp: Cosby Knob Shelter, GSNP 4725′.

First day in Great Smokies National Park. Above 4000′ ice clung to trees, trail had dusting of snow, temperature dropped below freezing in shaded areas. The higher I hiked the more icy everything got. The trail looked like winter sometimes. In camp I have a hot water Nalgene bottle inside sleeping bag. It’s too cold to write much more. Enjoy the photos!

November 25, Day 156: Thanksgiving at Standing Bear Farm

Happy Thanksgiving to my American friends who celebrate this holiday. By chance I am staying at the Standing Bear Farm Hostel to let a minor rain and snow pass through the Smokey Mountains tonight. Today the hostel has arranged to take a couple of us AT hikers to Hot Springs where a large gathering of hikers are partaking in a traditional holiday meal. This is a very kind effort by the trails community and reinforces my belief in strong southern hospitality! I will enter Great Smokies National Park on November 26.

I give thanks to the many people, including hostel owners and local residents, who have provided trail magic and support along the AT. Because of them my respect for the AT has grown as I get closer to Springer Mountain, Georgia!

See my real-time location produced by the InReach unit I carry and a daily log of my progress on the trail.

November 19, Day 150: Big Bald Tennessee and the lunar eclipse

The sky cleared at around midnight while I slept in the Bald Mountain Shelter after an afternoon and evening of light rain. The clear sky was a welcome sight as I looked skyward after leaving my new, dreamy sleeping bag to find a place to pee. A lunar eclipse was in progress and I could see a mere sliver of the moon, a rare sight on any night. Very early, before dawn, while the eclipse was waning, I switched on my headlamp and headed uphill toward Big Bald. At first I was leary of climbing higher in the cold wind. Moving forward and upward was the best thing to do for warming my body. Soon, while still in darkness, the trees gave way to Big Bald, where nothing could calm the wind which was blowing strong and gusty.