Background
For 2017, we have 308.4 AT miles remaining in North Carolina / Tennessee and 373.1 AT miles remaining in New Hampshire & Maine. Sox and I were able to free up a week in March to knock off about a third of our southern gap. I checked the AT Thru Hikers' Companion and determined that Sams Gap at the I-26 underpass was a reasonable 99 miles south of our 2016 starting point from Dennis Cove Road.
Friday March 17th
Happy St. Paddy's Day! Since Sox live near Boston, he has a bit of travel just to get down my way. Previously, he has flown from Logan to Dulles and I have picked him up on my way down south. The downside to flying is a fixed return time or penalties for changing his flights. This time, he left his place at 03:30 and drove down to my place in the Harrisburg area. I worked a half day, snuck out an hour early, and we were on the road before 11:00. Not much to say about the 8-hour drive down I-81 except that we stopped off in Marion VA at the McAdo's Restaurant - the same place we celebrated St. Paddy's Day in 2014 when a storm drove us off the trail near Mount Rogers.
We arrived at the Black Bear Resort on Dennis Cove Road just before dark. $50 for a rustic creekside cabin and $92 for tomorrow's shuttle down to Sams Gap. The electric heater was just enough to keep us warm overnight and the rain falling on the tin roof made for perfect sleeping conditions.
[IMG:https://photos.smugmug.com/Hiking/AT-Section-Hike-32/i-8n3zFp2/0/M/AT%20Section%2032%20001-M.jpg]
For 2017, we have 308.4 AT miles remaining in North Carolina / Tennessee and 373.1 AT miles remaining in New Hampshire & Maine. Sox and I were able to free up a week in March to knock off about a third of our southern gap. I checked the AT Thru Hikers' Companion and determined that Sams Gap at the I-26 underpass was a reasonable 99 miles south of our 2016 starting point from Dennis Cove Road.
Friday March 17th
Happy St. Paddy's Day! Since Sox live near Boston, he has a bit of travel just to get down my way. Previously, he has flown from Logan to Dulles and I have picked him up on my way down south. The downside to flying is a fixed return time or penalties for changing his flights. This time, he left his place at 03:30 and drove down to my place in the Harrisburg area. I worked a half day, snuck out an hour early, and we were on the road before 11:00. Not much to say about the 8-hour drive down I-81 except that we stopped off in Marion VA at the McAdo's Restaurant - the same place we celebrated St. Paddy's Day in 2014 when a storm drove us off the trail near Mount Rogers.
We arrived at the Black Bear Resort on Dennis Cove Road just before dark. $50 for a rustic creekside cabin and $92 for tomorrow's shuttle down to Sams Gap. The electric heater was just enough to keep us warm overnight and the rain falling on the tin roof made for perfect sleeping conditions.
[IMG:https://photos.smugmug.com/Hiking/AT-Section-Hike-32/i-8n3zFp2/0/M/AT%20Section%2032%20001-M.jpg]
Trudgin' along the AT since 2003. Completed Sections: Springer Mountain to Clingmans Dome and Max Patch NC to Gorham NH
"The days I keep my gratitude higher than my expectations...those are pretty good days." Ray Wylie Hubbard
"The days I keep my gratitude higher than my expectations...those are pretty good days." Ray Wylie Hubbard