Homeward Bound on Megabus

For the past week I have been hiking with a
really fun group of guys. "Chef-Boyardee" (aka Chef), "Waterboy",
"Jedi", and "Turbo", and we have been trucking since Damascus, VA. Chef is
from New Brunswick, Canada. Waterboy is from Fort Collins, CO, Jedi from
Alabama, and Turbo from ATL, Georgia. They are a really diverse bunch,
but we all get along really well and have fun together. Damascus to
Pearisburg was 162.5 miles, and I finished up in 7 days. Turbo was a
section hiker (just graduated from GA Tech) and wanted to go out with
a bang. He wanted to do a marathon hike, so on Wednesday we woke up
early and hiked 30.6 miles. It was a long day as you can imagine but
really fun with a good friend. I was sad to see him go on Saturday.

We passed through the Grayson Highlands State Park, a beautiful
section around Mt. Rogers. This is where ponies roam free on the
ridges. Since it's spring time, there were lots of colts out. Here is
one that wasn't more than a week old it seemed.



Right now I am on a Megabus headed from Christiansburg, VA to
Knoxville, TN. Though it seems crazy, my ticket round trip cost
$2.50. There is also free wifi and power outlets. I'm am now a huge
fan of Megabus...I think they are expanding their routes across the
eastern US.

Random Trail Facts:
Total Miles Covered- 627 miles
Longest Day- 32 miles
Shortest Day- zero (Damascus, VA)
Favorite Breakfast- "Oat Revolution: Maple Brown Sugar" Oatmeal
Favorite Lunch: whole grain bread with sliced avocado
Favorite Dinner: Knorr Sides four cheese bowtie pasta
Favorite Dessert: S'mores Poptarts
Most Craved Food: sushi, chips, milkshakes, and fresh veggies.
Longest Time Unshowered: 8 days
Most Common Snack: Snickers
Favorite Section So Far: Grayson Highlands
Number of Salamanders Seen in One Day: 58
Most Water Drunk in One Day: 1.75 gallons
Favorite Time to Hike: Morning (5:30am - 9:30am)
Nights Spent Alone: 1
Most Commonly Asked Questions: "When did you start?" and "What do you eat?"
Number of Times Been Rained On: 6 (two w/ hail)
Heaviest Item: Water!!!

I really miss driving, bathrooms, my dogs, stove tops, my family and
Julie, cheese, milk, and consistently flat ground. Luckily I will
experience all those this week while I'm at home!

My First "Zero": Damascus, VA

Today I took my first "zero" day in Damascus, VA. This is one of those silly trail jargon words for "taking a day off." Most people have taken a few by this point, so it was time to let my body rest as well. Though I get a little restless in town for a day, it is important to get off my feet for 24 hours.

From Erwin to Damascus has been my most ambitious section yet. I left Erwin in the afternoon and could only squeeze 14 miles in before I had to bring my headlamp out. I started to climb over the top of Unaka Mountain, and I think I saw my first bear. It was just a flash of a large dark creature about 50 yards off. Larger than a deer and much darker. Definitely a bear or, of course, Bigfoot. The top of Unaka is a dense spruce forest and at dusk, the trail started to get confusing. I decided to make camp on top: my first night alone. Luckily I was tired enough to fall asleep fast. That eliminated any spookiness I probably would have experienced. The next few days were 27 miles, 23, 24, 21.5, and 19.5.

The next few days were beautiful like I talked about in my last post. Since the Roan Highlands, it has been a lot of woods hiking. I was crossing over Pond Flats in the Pond Mountain Wilderness, and a major storm rolled in. Within 10 minutes, I have my pack cover and jacket on. Then...the sky opened up. Hail started to fall, and lighting started to crack all around me. Trees started to sway wildly, and branches began crashing to the ground. I cinched my pack down and started running...actually sprinting. I knew the more I descended, the safer I would be. Luckily, it was a few miles to the bottom, and I was safe.

Damascus is a funny little town, and it's home to Trail Days, an annual reunion site for thousands of thru-hikers. I didn't go this year, but I might at some point. I have just been eating good food and relaxing. I'm staying in a hostel where many trans-American cyclist are staying. I've had some really neat conversations there. I have free wifi everywhere but no phone service. This will be my last town stop until Pearisburg, VA where I take a bus to Knoxville. I will make my way to Nashville that weekend to celebrate Liz and Corbin's wedding! It is an event I have been looking forward to for a long time, not only for Liz and Corbin but a grand reunion of friends. It will be such a change from trail life, but I'm so excited.

Sorry about my lateness in posting the mail drop. I will post another one after I get back from Nashville and will leave ample time for shipping. Also, I will upload pictures when I get around a computer. Typing on this ipod touch is more challenging than walking from Georgia to Maine!

Vango & Abby's Memorial Hostel

The past few days of hiking have had the most amazing scenery thus far. Yesterday and today I passed over the Highlands of Roan. This area of Tennessee/North Carolina really is some of the most beautiful scenery. I am so sad I had never been there before. It is so close to Knoxville, yet I never really took the time to look into it. Here is a photo from one of the bald there. I was walking over grassy ridges and balds for miles and could see mountain ranges far off in the distance. It was truly amazing and reminded me of my trips to Alaska. I would upload my own pictures, but this bandwidth is really limited.

I didn't think I would be able to get online until Damascus on Saturday, but I have come upon a pleasant surprise...today I was hiking and was pushing for 26 miles, but I looked in my guidebook and saw a hostel just up the trail. I had already done 20 something the day before, so I wasn't really feeling 6 more miles today. Plus it looks like a storm is rolling in. I followed a side trail off the AT for about 0.3 mi down to a nice cabin in a pine grove. I am here by myself, but I think others may show up. It's pretty neat here. There are a couple computers with internet, bunk beds, a fridge, stove tops, and a great porch looking out into the valley. There is no caretaker here, but a donation box is sitting on the desk. I'm guessing an old thru-hiker built it and allows us to come and go as we please. That is kinda the spirit out here anyway. Everyone has an unsaid trust between each other, and strangers turn into friends really fast.

While hiking today, I was thinking about the ground I have covered so far. Starting at Springer seems like forever ago. Even crossing into NC seems like months ago, and I am still in the same state (or TN: I have crossed the state line so many times, I am never really sure). Some days are just a blur, and I have crystal clear memories of others. It's strange how the mind picks out certain moments and stores that memory so clearly. I hope that happens a lot while I am out here. I am keeping a daily journal too. It will be fun to read in the years to come.

Three Weeks : 340 miles

I made it to the next town of Erwin, TN. The past few days I hiked 10 miles, 24, 19, and 16. I think the majority of my aches and pain are slowly leaving me, so I might be able to walk higher miles. Perhaps I am getting my "trail legs" people always talk about. We'll see about that. Some friends and I walked down the street for dinner, and then we stocked up on groceries. Unfortunately my eyes were bigger than my stomach, and now I have a massive amount of food to pack up.

The good thing about towns is that they are a "recharge" for food, energy, sleep, and relaxing. The bad things are that you usually have to descend a good ways into town, and then leaving you have to hike out (and usually up) with a super heavy pack of food. Though somewhat accidental, I think I may have enough food to get to Damascus, VA without having to resupply. It is 124 miles away, and I am planning on getting there in about 6 days. For those of you asking about mail drops, here is an address I will check when I arrive in town. ETA: Saturday, June 11th. If you would like to send anything (letter, food, a sack of bricks, etc), send it to:

Jeff McKnight
C/O Mt. Rogers Outfitters
PO Box 546
110 W Laurel Ave.
Damascus, VA 24236
"Please Hold for AT Hiker"
ETA June 11th, 2011

(USPS and UPS only I think...)
...just remember, whatever you send, I have to carry it. No Watermelons!

Otherwise, things are still going great. The shelters in North Carolina aren't the greatest, so I have been sleeping in my one man tent a lot. I sleep better there. I am looking forward to these next 6 days, but I hope the rain holds off. Last night it rain, but I was in a Super 8 with some friends! So glad that worked out. Virginia in 6 days! Nearly a quarter of the way done. That's a crazy thought...

Hot Springs, North Carolina

Right now I am sitting in the Hot Springs library after a good breakfast at Smoky's Diner. Julie and I just finished out our 67.1 mile journey from Newfound Gap in the Smoky Mountains to Hot Springs, NC in five days. What a journey! I loved having my favorite hiking partner with me. She is a really strong hiker and sometimes I had to catch up to her. One day we hiked 17.5 miles, and she said she was okay to keep going! Throughout the 5 days, she never even developed a serious blister. Now that is the mark of a hardened runner. I wish I could have her feet!

We started at Newfound Gap, which is about halfway through the Smokies. The Smokies section was really fun with lots of good views and even the remains of an old fighter plane crash. The third day we descended out of the Smokies which ended at I-40 and parallels with the Pigeon River (an oasis for the sweaty hikers that we were...). We immediately got into the freezing water to cool off and had lunch on a big rock. It was indescribably refreshing. Unfortunately, that feeling left us within 2 minutes as we crossed under I-40 and began the grueling ascent up Snowbird Mountain. We passed over it and Max Patch which were both so beautiful! Here is a photo of Julie and me another hiker took of us on Max Patch during our lunch break.
We arrived in Hot Springs together and met her parents for lunch. Hot Springs is a small trail town, and the AT literally passed through the main street. I stayed at "Elmer's Sunnybank Hostel" last night, an old Victorian house build in the 1840s. The house was full of thru-hikers, and we all ate dinner and went out for a beer last night. Those are the moments I will remember.

My sister asked me to write about the details of my day on the trail. I usually get up around 6:30-7:00 and hit the trail by 8:00am. I do oatmeal, dry cereal, and granola bars for breakfast. I usually push it until lunch and take a 45 minute break. Lunch is usually tuna, crackers, and lots of snacking. Depending on the terrain, I will hike until I reach a shelter or until I am tired. Dinner is Knorr sides, the occasional Backpacker Pantry meal (freeze dried stuff), and powdered potatoes (Idahoan). Most things actually taste really good out in the woods. I get a lot of high calorie foods because I burn so many during the day. Sweet things and salty things are the best.

I now have a trail name. It was born when Julie and I were talking about the idea of "thru-hiking". As hikers, we are always talking about the next shelter, the next stream, the next view, state, or road crossing. Thus, "NEXT" has become my name. It is also a reminder to enjoy the moments I am presently experiencing...to enjoy the journey as it comes.

My next town is the bustling metropolis of Erwin, TN. I am shooting to arrive there within 4 days or so. I will have a list of mail drops on my next post.