Big Gee in Action
Below are my journal entries from my Mountain to Sea thruhike in February - April of 2007. I started in Jockey Ridge State Park and hiked west to Clingmans Dome in the Smokey Mountains.
| Date | Day | Starting Location | Destination | Miles | Cumulative Miles | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 09 Feb | 0 | Parma, Ohio | somewhere on the road | 0 | 0 | Go Greyhound and leave the driving to them... for 20+ hrs |
| 10 Feb | 1 | Jockey Ridge State Park | Near Bodie Island lighthouse | 11.6 | 11.6 | And so it begins |
| 11 Feb | 2 | Near Bodie Island Lighthouse | a dune on Pea Island | 15.6 | 27.2 | Crossing the Herbert Bonner bridge and camping on a sand dune. |
| 12 Feb | 3 | that dune | this dune | ? | ? | Looking for water, an overweight pack, and lots of sand. |
| 13 Feb | 4 | dune | Avon | 7 | 47.5 | Need water in the morning - renting a cottage in the evening. |
| 14 Feb | 5 | Avon | Cape Hatteras Lighthouse | 8.4 | 55.9 | Late start, giant tent stakes, and another hotel room. This is hiking? |
| 15 Feb | 6 | Buxton | Ocracoke Island | 13 | 68.9 | Finding the MST blazes. The trail is found. |
| 16 Feb | 7 | Island campsite | Ocracoke village | 13 | 81.9 | Last beach walk along the Banks. Another night in a motel. |
| 17 Feb | 8 | Ocracoke village | Cedar Island ferry | .8 | 82.7 | Ferry problems. Another night in a motel. |
| 18 Feb | 9 | Cedar Island ferry | near Oyster Creek | 17.5 | 100.2 | Fast pace today. |
| 19 Feb | 10 | Oyster Creek camp | Laurel rd. & NC101 | 18.8 | 119 | Heavy truck traffic. Camping in a front yard. |
| 20 Feb | 11 | Laurel rd. & NC101 | Blackjack Lodge | 10.8 | 129.9 | Strange trail loop, start of the Neusiok trail, and an AT style lodge. |
| 21 Feb | 12 | Blackjack Lodge | Somewhere on the neusiok Trail | ? | ? | Air show, bog hiking, and mosquitos |
| 22 Feb | 13 | Trail campsite | Woods north of Arapahoe | ? | 154.4 | Lots of pictures |
| 23 Feb | 14 | Woods campsite | Bridgeton | 16.5 | 170.9 | Monologging motel proprieter. Almost fainting. Clothes get washed. |
| 24 Feb | 15 | Bridgeton | just beyond Piggly Wiggle on rt 55 in New Bern | 8 | 178.9 | Town walk through New Bern |
| 25 Feb | 16 | just beyond Piggly Wiggle on rt 55 in New Bern | Cove City | 13.9 | 192.8 | Beating the storm to Clover Farm Food Center |
| 26 Feb | 17 | Cove City | US 258 & Bill Stroud rd | 20.6 | 213.4 | 1st 20 mile day |
| 27 Feb | 18 | US 258 & Bill Stroud rd | few miles north of LaGrange | 19.4? | 232.8? | I hate barking dogs |
| 28 Feb | 19 | few miles north of LaGrange | Turner Swamp rd | 19.9 | 252.7 | Meeting friendly people and getting a good night of sleep |
| 1 Mar | 20 | Turner Swamp rd | Lamm | 18.7 | 271.4 | Police part I and a much needed shower. Escaping the rain. |
| 2 Mar | 21 | Lamm | Dwight's shed in Daddysville | 20 | 291.4 | Police part II. Dwight to the rescue. |
| 3 Mar | 22 | Dwight's shed in Daddysville | the Traxler Place in Youngsville | 16.5 | 307.9 | Yard camping with beer and email. |
| 4 Mar | 23 | the Traxler Place in Youngsville | Falls Lake Dam | 15 | 322.9 | Brains & eggs the breakfast of champions. Old Chief hosts Hardcore. |
| 5 Mar | 24 | Falls Lake Dam | somewhere on the Falls Lake Trail | 18.4 | 341.3 | Hiking in the woods? Sounds almost like a trail. |
| 6 Mar | 25 | somewhere on the Falls Lake Trail | Old Weaver rd | 12.5 | 353.8 | Now Spiderman takes in Hardcore for a night. Everybody loves Hardcore. |
| 7 Mar | 26 | Old Weaver rd | Masons rd & 157 | 23.8 | 377.6 | Photographing old buildings and does Hardcore = America's most wanted? |
| 8 Mar | 27 | Masons rd & 157 | NC 49 & NC 119 | 22.9 | 400.5 | Hot dogs, the best kind of dog. Sleeping in the summer houes. |
| 9 Mar | 28 | NC 49 & NC 119 | A.O. Vol. Fire Dept. Station 2 | 15 | 415.5 | Cookies, firetrucks, and a redneck BBQ. |
| 10 Mar | 29 | A.O. Vol. Fire Dept. Station 2 | Bryan Park | 16.5 | 432 | Hiking into Greensboro and staying with Grizzly Adam |
| 11 - 16 Mar | 30 - 35 | Cleveland | Cleveland | 0 | 432 | A break from the MST to visit with my brother |
| 17 Mar | 36 | Bryan Park | Yancyville rd. | 5 | 437 | Back on the trail. |
| 18 Mar | 37 | Yancyville road | Summerfield | 16.5 | 454.6 | Watching fishermen trying to row. |
| 19 Mar | 38 | Summerfield | Walnut Cove Food Lion | 19 | 473.6 | Two minutes to spare. |
| 20 Mar | 39 | Walnut Cove Food Lion | Hanging Rock State Park Campground | 15.1 | 488.7 | Piedmont to Mountain, horrible humidity, sleeping in a shower stall. |
| 21 Mar | 40 | Hanging Rock SP campground | Somewhere on the Sauratown trail | 15 | 503.7 | The first mountain of the trip, Moores Knob. |
| 22 Mar | 41 | Sauratown trail | Pilot Mountain, NC | 12.1 | 515.8 | Camping in a Best Western. |
| 23 Mar | 42 | Pilot Mountain | I-77 | 23.5 | 539.3 | G vs. Dog. |
| 24 Mar | 43 | I-77 | Stone Mtn. State Park Campground | 20.2 | 559.5 | Big breakfast. The PO is still open. |
| 25 Mar | 44 | Stone Mtn. State Park Campground | State Park boundary | ? | ? | Sweaty. Really sweaty. |
| 26 Mar | 45 | Stone Mtn Park Boundary | Station Inn (milepost 248.1) | ? | 584 | |
| 27 Mar | 46 | Station Inn | Blue Ridge Parkway | 16.2 | 600.2 | 600 mile mark. Two-thirds done. |
| 28 Mar | 47 | BRP 264 | BRP 282 | 18 | 618.2 | Rainy weather. |
| 29 Mar | 48 | BRP 282 | BRP 282 | 0 | 618.2 | Melanie's. Is this a hotel room or my Grandmother's house?. |
| 30 Mar | 49 | BRP 282 | Watkins Trail | 13.6 | 631.8 | Views of Grandfather Mountain. |
| 31 Mar | 50 | Watkins Trail | Tanawha Trail past Cold Prong Pond Trail | 12.6 | 644.4 | Lostcore instead of Hardcore? |
| 01 April | 51 | Tanawha Trail | old logging road on Beacon Hts Trail | 11.6 | 656 | Rain and mist. |
| 02 April | 52 | Beacon hts. Trail | Junction of North Harper Creek Trail and Persimmon Ridge Trail | 10.8 | 666.8 | Underwater photos. Litterbugs, beer fine. |
| 03 April | 53 | N. Harper Creek tr & Persimmon trail | Gingercake Creek? | 14? | 680.8? | Lots of water crossings. Late night tent collapse. |
| 04 April | 54 | Gingercake Creek | Chimney Gap | 8.9 | 689.7 | Blustery night. Will the trees fall? |
| 05 April | 55 | Chimney Gap | end of FS 106 | 14.3 | 704 | Long cold river fording. |
| 06 April | 56 | end of FS 106 | Woodlawn picnic area | 10 | 714 | Cold night, but warmer than Karen's house. Resupplied at Marion. |
| 07 April | 57 | Woodlawn picnic area | Old Parkway service rd at Buck Creek Gap | 12.8 | 726.8 | Cooler temperatures today. |
| 08 April | 58 | Old Parkway service rd at Buck Creek Gap | Setrock Creek | 10 | 736.8 | Snow in the morning. Highest Mountain east of the Mississippi. Curious mouse. |
| 09 April | 59 | Setrock Creek | Balsam Gap | 13.7 | 750.5 | Cold feet in the morning. Detours. Summit of Mt. Mitchell. |
| 10 April | 60 | Balsam Gap | Potato Field Gap | 9.4 | 759.9 | Great Craggy Mountains. Hosted by a Couch Surfer. |
| 11 April | 61 | Asheville | Asheville | 0 | 759.9 | 0 mile day. Pizza buffet. |
| 12 April | 62 | Potato Field Gap | Folk Art Center | 14.4 | 774.3 | Easy hiking with a day pack. Good food at El Chapala. |
| 13 April | 63 | Folk Art Center | Shut-In Trail | 13.8 | 788.1 | Another day of easy hiking. Paella and wine in the evening. |
| 14 April | 64 | Asheville | Asheville | 0 | 788.1 | Zero mile day. |
| 15 April | 65 | Shut-In Trail | Elk Pasture Gap | 15.3 | 803.4 | Hiking in a thunderstorm. Still staying in Asheville |
| 16 April | 66 | Elk Pasture Gap | Beech Gap | 24.6 | 828 | Cold. Fallen trees. 2 hours late for pickup. |
| 17 April | 67 | Asheville | Asheville | 0 | 828 | Preparing for the final push. |
| 18 April | 68 | Beech Gap | Beechflat Creek | 16 | 844 | Free of Asheville. |
| 19 April | 69 | Beechflat Creek | ?? | 19.2 | 863.2 | Balsam Gap and almost no campsite. |
| 20 April | 70 | ?? | Jenkins Ridge | 15 | 878.2 | New MST confusion, Soco Gap, and BRP tunnels. |
| 21 April | 71 | Jenkins Ridge | Newton Bald Campsite | 17.5 | 895.7 | Great Smoky Mountains National Park finally! |
| 22 April | 72 | Newton Bald Campsite | Mount Collins Shelter | 17 | 912.7 | Big ascent to the AT. Thruhikers. |
| 23 April | 73 | Mount Collins Shelter | Clingmans Dome | 4 | 916.7 | FINISHED!! |
| Epilogue | 73-75 | Clingmans Dome | Davenport Gap | 41 | 957.7 | Extra days on the Appalachian Trail |