Father/Son Hike 2003

Once upon a time:

Day one:
I headed for the big mountains of Tennessee on Sunday with a truck cab full of gear (not as much as last year), a mind full of last years memories, and a sewing machine. Mainly I was thinking "PLEASE DON'T RAIN THIS YEAR!" Nothing even fell out of the truck this time so I started off on a better foot. Lunch was ready when I arrived and a short hike was planned after the meal. [A quick jump back: You know that with a year full of planning, nobody even knew what day we were going to start the hike. I was planning on hiking on Monday, Dad and Steve were starting on Tuesday. A few days before I left to go over, Dad sent me an e-mail and asked what day I was planning on coming. During lunch we decided that we would leave in the morning.]

A small warm up hike it was. We battled the traffic and people to get started. Mom and Kathy stood in a line like they were waiting to vote at the restrooms before we started down the trail. The stories were being told and memories spoke of times in the past as we headed through the woods. After a bit of time we passed a couple coming back down the trail. The man was carrying two walking sticks and offered me one. I quickly said, "no thanks," and then the thought ran through my mind: I am walking with Mom and Steve on either side. Dad and Kathy were ahead of us. Why did he pick me to offer the stick to? Did I look that bad already? I quickly caught up with Dad. If he didn't offer it to him, I was going to have to chase the man down and give him a piece of my mind. Lucky for him, he did ask Dad if he wanted it. On the way back down I had one of those moments. You know the type that you don't want anyone to see. When one boot lace on the left foot got hooked on the hook of the right foot. I went from a regular pace to double time real fast. I did manage to stay on my feet, but not gracefully enough to let it slide by everyone else. The humor began.

Back at the ranch we had a hearty meal and then the packing began. I noticed that Steve's pack was quite small, but said nothing. The big argument was not about the bear spray this year. Besides we never saw one last year. This year it was the amount of Scotch to bring. After an hour I found out that I lost. For the record, Kathy was on my side. After the learning experience of last year, I knew that I wouldn't need all the extra stuff I wanted to bring the year before. Dad said that his pack weighted about 30 pounds. Mine must have been a heavy 30 pounds. I looked at Steve's pack again. After all the packing was done, we settled down for a good nights rest. Kathy and Mom spent more time planning their shopping trip than we did packing for ours.

Day two:
After a good hearty breakfast we headed out for the trailhead. We were starting out at the highest point in the Smoky Mountains. That should tell you something. It was an hour and a half travel time of pure terror as Dad screamed through the winding roads in the van. The van was impressive as always. We started out with a squeak and ended up with a noise like something was falling off. Of course when we started it that morning it didn't want to start. Dad mentioned something about that happening more often now. You know what I was thinking. After a long hike in the mountains....

When we got to Clingmans Dome (the top) we had a beautiful sight. The sky was clear and you could see for miles and miles. We had a lady take our before picture and headed down the road. We had to hike a mile down the road to the trailhead. We were hiking down one mountain ridge, across another mountain ridge, and then back up a third mountain ridge. A round trip you see. The first wildlife we came across was of course just gas. That happens when you walk a long way; excuse me. After that we flushed some Grouse. That is a game bird for you non-hunters. We came across the lunch spot, which was a campsite by the river--very nice. A siesta was voted on. Steve set up the hammock. This is the new experiment this year. We are sleeping in hammocks that have a bug screen over it. The next animal was a small snake in the path. We had a few river crossings, but all had either logs over them for us to cross or rocks close enough together to keep us from wading. After hiking all day out in the middle of nowhere, we came across bulldozer tracks. What the he...? A little further down the trail we find a bulldozer and a backhoe. Back to nature we went.

We got into camp early. We decided to wash up, something that we never had the opportunity to do last year with the rain. Dad and Steve got out the old washrags. Me, you know I-the-man, just dove on in. There are different kinds of pain, as we all know. You got the soreness pain, the burning pain, and then there is the freezing pain. I came up screaming like a schoolgirl, but quickly regained my composure as I walked across the top of the water to the shore. The next chore was to set up the camp. You know, the hammocks. That first try out you just kinda ease on in with one foot never leaving the ground. I looked over at Dad and he was sitting in his hammock on the ground, a minor misjudgment of the tying-off height. You put your pad in the middle layers of this hammock and then your sleeping bag is put inside. You can get into this set-up in just under 15 minutes. Dad and Steve made dinner while I picked up the firewood. Part of a Ranger's job must be to go to different campsites and lay out wood that looks real good, but doesn't burn. It's a pretty cool thing, literately. We found that of all natural things to get a fire going that gas does the best job. The argument about the amount of Scotch was brought up again. I won this time, but it didn't do any good. After Dad went to bed, Steve and I were standing at the fire. He said that he heard something and looked around with a flashlight. I heard nothing but joined in the search. My brother was worried about a toad. Can you believe this? I was thinking deer, bear, tigers, but never toad. We climbed into the hammocks. You can get seasick on land! 15 minutes later you are in a spot that you think you are supposed to be. It was a clear night with a lot of stars. The sound of the river put you to sleep.

Day three:
Steve said that he was sniffed. At first I thought that I might have missed out on some fun, but then he said that he got sniffed last night. He had heard something playing in the river. After it got quiet he dozed off to wake up to a loud huff in his ear. He was for sure awake then. He handled this situation a lot better that what I had planned. He cleared his throat and heard the bear walk off. For some reason, he didn't get up even to pee until it got light out. When we got ready to leave camp two trucks pulled up and the men started fueling the backhoe up. They have to clear this trail out every year for a truck to be able to bring a family up to visit a graveyard. That's your tax dollars at work!

The climb out of camp was similar to an elevator shaft. It wasn't long for the puffing to start. Finally the trail started leveling out and along we went. You know the hunter in me, and I am always looking. I knew that this bear poop we had found was very fresh and voiced my concern. Further down the trail we found more of the same. We said that when we came across them they would probably be hungry. Well this is how it goes: Steve was in front, Dad in the rear. The path went along the side of the mountain. One side went up, the other went down. The black blur came from the top at a very high speed. When it hit the trail and started coming at us it focused into a black bear cub. Steve was backing into me and we were both staring at this cub. At the distance of about ten feet the bear cub slid to a stop and reversed directions. The words out of my brother's mouth were not that of a calm man. Actually all that he could say was "cub". The facial expressions where worth a million if caught on tape. I knew what he was thinking as I was thinking the same: Where is Momma bear? I had pictures of poor dad lying on his back with boot and walking stick marks all over him, as he did not know what was going on and my feet were heading his way. At the point of which it was time to panic, out came Momma bear. She came from above and headed the same way that baby bear did. Time to let the stress out. We laughed hysterically. No signs of the bear after that.

We made it to our lunch spot and then to a camp for our siesta. I guess that I was too comfortable with my hammock. I should have tested those knots like the previous day. I found everyone laughing at me as I lay on the ground with my hammock. Further down the trail we came across some wild turkeys. We also found out that the wider the river the less rocks to walk across on. On one such river crossing as I watched Steve going deeper and deeper, I thought that I should start looking for better way across. My legs are not as long as his. With Dad half way across, I found rope tied across the river downstream that you could walk across rocks and hang on to. I rubbed this in after I got across. We passed two other hikers going the other way, the first on this trip. When we got to camp we met another. He was from Chicago and was just starting his four-day trip. He hung out at our campfire that night and then joined us on our hike to Clingmans Dome the next day. The night was calm.

Now there were four. More grouse were kicked up. The trail was not as bad as figured going back to the top. We came across a campsite that had a bunch of trash in a bag hanging on the bear line. (For you non-campers, that is the line that you lift all of your smelly stuff and food off the ground to keep the bear out of it.) As we left the camp we came across two propane bottles and a half full bottle of lighter fluid. I made 60 cents at this point as well. Further down the trail were four sleeping bags, one still in the plastic. Because of the steepness of the trail, we suspect that this was the first and last backpacking trip for four individuals and that they must have lightened their load on the way out of the woods--sissies! Our new buddy had one of those programmable GPS. He spent most of the trip looking at it, but he could tell us that we were turning left before we got to a turn. I guess that is well worth the money!

Soon we came across day hikers and then the top of the mountain. Being the heroes that we were, we added another mile on our trip and went up to the lookout tower on the top. You could really look at different states. We also found out that this little addition would cause a lot of pain to the calves. The van started after a little help, and the only problem was the driver door wouldn't close. As Steve said "you might be a red neck if...." I found a small stick and wedged it in the door where a screw had fallen out. Hey it worked. A one-time door closing followed and he headed home. Over all it was a wonderful trip and everyone had a great time. The tree colors were wonderful and so was the weather.

Father/Son Trip 2002

Hey,

For those of you that had bets on me not making it without the help of medical attention, you have lost your bet. The trip was successful and all three of us made it back in one piece. I left here on Sunday and made it to the ponderosa a little after lunch. This is when the pre-trip training began. Some of the training was considered top secret but I will share as much as I can. Our biggest defense plan was against bear, but could be used, with some modification, on other critters. I received from my trained instructor a small canister device. My first thought was of course, with my military training, a hand grenade. I looked quickly for the pin and knew enough that there would be a handle to hold down until my trained eye could locate the most favorable place to lob this weapon of mass destruction. Upon further investigation, much to my surprise, this canister was not a grenade at all, but a spray canister. Of course as any normal man would, I figured that my instructor had said bear by mistake and had giving me something for mosquitoes. As I read the instructions on the canister it stated that this spray was effective against bear and even better than that it said it was good up to fifteen (15) feet. A small tickling feeling started around my waist and worked itself up my ribs and came out as a very hearty laugh which continued until I noticed that my instructor was not laughing with me. I then thought that he obviously had not read the canister and so between tears I read it aloud to him. Your not going to believe this, but my instructor actually believed that this stuff was going to work. Plan "B": I figured that with the weight of the canister I should be able to, if aimed properly, hit one of my companions in the head or leg area thus allowing me adequate time to get a head start. I had heard somewhere that in case of bear attack, all you have to do is out run your companion. I immediately inserted running shoes into my backpack. Then came the shake down.... I had brought what I felt would be needed over a three day trip into no-man's land. This is when it became obvious that neither of my companions were planning on me completing the trip. After they viscously ripped apart my gear, I was left with a nearly bare pack and a sleeping bag. I was most sure that clothes were essential, but later found out that the key points were food, water, and of course alcohol. All of which I insisted were to be put in my pack. Over the alcohol there was no arguing. The food list was missing some major items that I quickly pointed out. No meat or potatoes were on the list. I was then informed that we would be using dehydrated food. I remembered MRE's from the military experience. Just add water and instant meal missing only the flavor. I OK'd the food but stood firm on the water. After mulling over the map for several hours and beat "should be's" down to definite "maybe's" with back up plans, the water portion was planned. The last offer was a walking stick which I immediately accepted, thinking "weapon". Then came the "final meal" of fine salmon steaks. You could feel the questions in the air, wondering who would be the victim and who would make it to the end of the trail. Only time would tell.

We started the trail by being dropped off by the women, who were planning some type of trip themselves ($$). There was a light rain falling which we knew would not last long. There was some talk of some possible river crossings, but I remember hiking some trails here with dad which always had a bridge. My first miscalculation came within the first hour. Yes, the weather was warm but the water temperature was a definite cold. Out came the sandals. The pain was sharp but only lasted until everything went numb. After making the crossing, I was notified that this was the easiest of nine crossings. Luckily the feet weren't the only thing wet. The light rain lasted most of the day. The climb wasn't all that bad. The visibility wasn't all that good as we ascended into the clouds. When we arrived at camp, we were greeted with a plastic sign warning us of extreme bear activity in this area. Upon multiple checks of the map, we decided that yes this was where we were to spend the night. There was one tent set up at the site and my partners stated the fact that they didn't set that tent up for me. It belonged to a couple. Since I was notified that we did not need a tent, a tarp was put up and we spread the bags under it. I was not sure if the no walls was a benefit for me to be able to exit at any angle at a rapid rate of speed or to save the bear the time of having to rip a hole in the side. The national park service has quite the sense of humor. They let you know that there is a water source at the camp site, but will not put even an arrow to let you know which way to start looking. Not too long after we wallowed out in the mud, there was a scream of excitement when Steve found the water. A small spring. The rain quit while we got our water and cooked our food. We finished eating under the tarp. We found that darkness overtook us by six o'clock. We visited until decided that it was bed time. I thought that someone was taking my picture, but woke to a lighting show. Shortly there after the gully washer. I felt the fine spray of water on my face and began to look for the source. After feeling all around the tarp and feeling nothing, I put my hand up to the tarp to find that the tarp was dividing the large drops into a fine mist. I looked over at my poncho hanging out in the rain and decided that I would get wetter trying to get to it then just putting up with the mist. I looked over to see how my brother was handling the situation and found that he had a head piece to cover up with which was of course water proof. Finding no brick near by that I could drop on him, I just rolled over and went back to sleep.

We got up in the morning, had oatmeal and packed up. Off to the Appalachian Trail, which I later found out was just for those who couldn't muster up the strength to beat themselves in the legs with a sledge hammer. Right about lunch time when the legs were done for the day a large pool of water was dumped on us. At first I thought that a damn had broken and that I was going to drown. I then realized that this was the heaviest rain I had seen in a while. The good point being that there was a shelter just a mere mile or so down the trail. It was truly a god send when we found the shelter. We took time out to wring the water out of our shoes and socks and eat lunch. After we had eaten another couple came into the shelter. They were thinking about going to the next shelter where we were heading except for "Brier Knob". That should have sent a flag up right? Well, as we were getting ready to leave up came a man with four legs. Actually he was a guy with two walking sticks moving at one hundred miles an hour. He stopped long enough to ask how far to the next shelter. Steve told him seven miles. He said "then we are almost there, see ya when you get there." I was going to explain to him that Steve had said miles, but he was nowhere to be seen. Brier Knob is like climbing a 3000 foot ladder without a ladder. It was straight up with little for the toes to hold onto. The clouds were beautiful but I feel that they were hiding something. It felt like ten hours and a hundred miles; we came to the top. God had pity on us and split the clouds. A view that was too beautiful to explain. We looked down at Cade's Cove and many more ranges. As we continued on to Rocky top we found that they call it that because on top there is a field of grass and big boulders that are just piled up on top of the mountain. Beautiful sights everywhere as we realized the sun was going down.

We made it to the shelter just as the last light disappeared. There were two other guys there plus Speedy who said that he was worrying about us. They told us where the water source was so that helped out. We wrung out our socks and made dinner. A heavy fog set in so thick that if you went more that ten foot from the shelter you couldn't see it. After dinner I grabbed the toilet paper, flashlight, and headed to the woods. Just as I was about to stop, my light came upon an outhouse. I was pretty excited. It was a wooden structure with a tarp that covered a portion of the doorway. Guess what comes to mind when you are sitting on the throne in the woods in the fog.... Every movie that you have ever seen--chain saws, hooks, knives, screams. The flashlight goes from left to right and then back left again. It probably looked like a lighthouse in the fog. You just kinda blow and go. Back to the shelter to spread the good news. Speedy had left Maine in June and had 180 miles left of the trail. He was averaging twenty miles a day. Our whole trip was I think twenty three miles. Well he told us stories about the bear and the mice in the shelters. He woke up with a mouse sitting on his face at the last shelter. Out to the tree to hang the bear bag. There is a cage on the front of the shelter for protection. You cannot get out of it quietly. Not much sleep that night. We tried to drink the sore legs away. After that each person got up to go potty rattling the cage. We found out the next morning that two of the guys tried to find the outhouse and never did. Just as I was floating off to sleep a had a guest crawl over me. The flashlight came on and the search reviled nothing. I woke to the sound of a gusher on the tin roof. It poured down for a long time. Next time I woke some kind of bug was crawling on my arm. Lucky for everyone else it wasn't a spider.

I woke in the morning, Speedy was looking out at the rain. He wasn't looking forward to the hike that day. He had been in the rain for a week or two. After breakfast we got dressed for the day. One more time, putting on the wet clothes for the walk. I had to quarantine my T-shirt to a zip lock bag. I think it was the T-shirt that kept the bear away. Today was all downhill. There is no such thing as all down hill in the mountains. This was the day of scenery. The clouds were farther off and we had more to look at. We didn't get rained on this day.

We did come to a beautiful campsite towards the end of the trail. Dad said that it was closed because of bear. Just past this camp we passed a day hiker and he asked if we had just come from that camp. Lucky for him I was too tired to lift the walking stick or I would have beat him with it. We didn't look like this because of a half mile hike. We made it to the end of the trail and in the van. At first we started looking to see what had died in the van, then we found out it was just us and opened the window.

We made it home before the women and got all cleaned up. The washer made a mess of it, but I found the roll of toilet paper that I left in my jacket pocket. Thanks Steve for all the help. And thanks to Dad for the fun trip. I had a good time, got lots of exercise, and saw some beautiful sights.

Love to all,

Craig