High Tech's '96 Chuck Hike

Curley Maple Gap Shelter
Day: 46
Mileage: 341.6

Miles from Springer	Features	Elevation
342.2	River Road (1,700') Chestoa Bridge, Nolichucky RiverErwin, Tenn. 37650	1700
342.3	Chestoa Pike (1,700')	1700
343.5	Jones Branch Road, Nolichucky River Valley (1,780')	1780
346.4	Curley Maple Gap Shelter (3,900') ?10.5mS; 12.8mN	3900

05/30/96 9:51 pm

Getting out of town was hard once again, and made even more dificult by leaving my socks at the laundramat and not being able to send off e-mail.

Got a ride out seconds after starting to walk down the road. What everyone told me about Erwin being a bad trail down was bull! It was a great town (even if they killed an elephant).

Now the full story of the elephant (as per a post card):

Murderous Mary, a cirus elephant, was convicted of killing her trainer in Kingsport, Tennessee. She was transported to Erwin, Tennessee, on the CC&O Railroad and hung by the neck with a railroad derrick crane - the only means loccally available for a humane disposal of her at that time, September 13, 1916.

Ate way too much in town. Between Sonic and KFC way too much greese. Didn.t even feel the need for dinner after the hike here, just a snack.

Waldo and Snail no More are here. Waldo.s laptop bit the dust (busted screen) so no updates to the www from Erwin.

It was a nice walk by a number of creeks and the uphill, wich would have been a problem first thing in a day, wasn.t bad this late. Now there are two deer around the shelter, wich I think is neet.

Cherry Gap Shelter
Day: 47
Mileage: 353.7

Miles from Springer	Features	Elevation
350.5	Tenn. 395, N.C. 197, Indian Grave Gap (3,350')	3350
351.6	USFS 230, Beauty Spot Gap Road (3,980')	3980
352.8	Beauty Spot (4,437')	4437
353.3	USFS 230, Beauty Spot Gap (4,120')? spring across road at gate	4120
354.3	Deep Gap (4,100')	4100
354.9	USFS 230, Unaka Mountain Road (4,660')	4660
355.9	Unaka Mountain (5,180')	5180
358.1	Low Gap (3,900')	3900
359.2	Cherry Gap Shelter (3,900') ?12.8mS; 9.2mN	3900

05/31/96 9:10 pm

Here nith some new people for a change (Dr. O & D.J., H.H. and White Owl). Sitting around a fire (campfire ashes were added)

Good day of hiking after I got off my butt at about noon.

Still made it here before dark.

Beauty Spot was nice. Stayed there sunbathing for about an hour.

The shelter is nice, but it is built for midgets. Also the privey is out of order. The spring is the best I have seen, right out of the ground and it will fill up a water bag in seconds!

Roan High Knob Shelter
Day: 48
Mileage: 367.8

Miles from Springer	Features	Elevation
359.2	Cherry Gap Shelter (3,900') ?12.8mS; 9.2mN	3900
362.3	Tenn. 107, N.C. 226, Iron Mountain Gap (3,723')Unicoi, Tenn. 37692	3723
363.6	Campsite (3,950')	3950
366.4	Greasy Creek Gap (4,034') ?old roadbed to Greasy Creek Road	4034
367.2	Campsite (4,110')	4110
368.3	Clyde Smith Shelter (4,400') ?9.2mS; 8.6mN	4400
369.5	Little Rock Knob (4,918')	4918
371.7	Hughes Gap Road, Hughes Gap (4,040')	4040
374.7	Ash Gap (5,350')	5350
375.7	Trail to Roan High Bluff (6,200') USFS Cloudland Rhododendron Garden Road Parking Area	6200
376.8	Roan High Knob Shelter (6,285') ?8.6mS; 5.2mN	6285

06/01/96 9:59 pm

Boy I'm proud of myself today, 14 miles and a big ass mountain (Roan) to climb right at the end of the day and I DID IT!

Cool day, and sunny so it was great hiking, but 'Pissed Off' was right in the last journal, the Tenn. Hiking Club doesn't have the word switchback in it's vocabulary.

Snail-no-more did stay at the last shelter, so the group has been further split up. Here now with Sid, Crag, White Owl and Cosmic (John) Zion (who is nuts. I hear its from Veitnam).

Its going to be a cold night, good thing it is a cabin not a adoranidack.

06/02/96 9:47 am

This morning I woke up to Cosmic John yelling about his spoon and at Crag babout throwing a can in the fire. What I said about this guy being nuts was right. Heard he was going the 14.5 I was plaining, Thinking about only going the 6 or so to Overmountain because John is too nuts. Sid tells me he usualy tents, but .......

It was cold (as predicted) last night, but being in my bivey made it so I didn't get cold.

Also heard the full story of how Sid almost got shot by some locals that did not even know there was a hiking trail near by. At least they were sorry enough to give him two beers and to feed Crag at a campsight later that night.

06/02/96 11:07 a

Quote from Waldo 'If you stick a pice of coal up your ass, will I have a diamond tomorrow?'

Overmountain Shelter
Day: 49
Mileage: 373.9

Miles from Springer	Features	Elevation
378.3	Tenn. 143, N.C. 261 (5,512') Carvers Gap?picnic area, spring	5512
380.2	Side trail to Grassy Ridge (5,770')	5770
382	Stan Murray Shelter (5,050') ?5.2mS; 2.2mN	5050
383.9	Yellow Mountain Gap (4,682') Overmountain Shelter?2.2mS; 18.3mN	4682

06/02/96 9:49 pm

Great and short hike after being a bum all morning. Did not get moving until after 3pm. Right before we (Waldo, Crag and I) got moving Snail No More arrived and we let him rest before starting out as a group. The hike over Jane Bald and Grassy Ridge was great with FANTASTIC VIEWS. Also a lot of fooling around inncluding an atemp at the .Time Warp. on top (Waldo even took pictures of our pelvic thrusts).

Now we are in the the barn singing 'Yellow Submarine' and telling jokes.

Also found the map I lost a few days ago, it was in my bivey all this time.

I would not recomend staying here in cold or windy weather, since the walls all have � inch spaces between the boards, but it is the largest .shelter. I have seen on the AT with good views out the .Window.. I guess it could hold 40 people or so. Good water source, but a little far away (but luckly we got water on the way here).

My legs felt like crap today, maybe due to the walk yesterday, maybe becuase I did not hike till late. But it was ibueprofin to the rescue.

Overall a memorable day on the trail.

US19E
Day: 50
Mileage: 382.3

Miles from Springer	Features	Elevation
385.5	Little Hump Mountain (5,459')	5459
386.8	Bradley Gap (4,950')	4950
387.7	Hump Mountain (5,587')?plaque	5587
390.1	Doll Flats (4,600') North Carolina?Tennessee State Line	4600
392.5	Campsite (3,200') ?water 100 yds. N on A.T.	3200
392.6	Spring (3,060')	3060
393.1	U.S. 19E (2,895') Elk Park, N.C. 28622 Roan Mountain, Tenn. 37687	2895
393.1	U.S. 19E (2,895')Elk Park, N.C. 28622 Roan Mountain, Tenn. 37687	2895

06/04/96 12:16 am

Boy I will NEVER knock a cell phone on the A.T. again! Waldo called two people (who emailed him) from the top of Hump Mountain and got us all (Waldo, Snail no More, Crag and I) a free dinner, place to stay and some MAJOR trail majic. Their names are Deb and Micheal. Deb was an insrtuctor for Outward Bound and thru hiked in .78 and he is a geology professor. They are about to move to Maine. Great people!! Had two great dogs too (Daisy and Gus) but they DON.T have a cat!

Good thing we got the trail majic since the people of Roan are BAD! We were sitting by the road and we got the finger and a number of angry honks from passers bye.

We met a southbounder at the last trail shelter (.Stomach on Legs.) and he told us to expect this.

The hike was a great hike with more views per mile than any other day. I think I took more photos than any other day to.

Had the use of a modem (Waldo's) and a phone line, but I had one hell of a time. I might have sent mail, but did not get the .mail packet sent message. I normaly get. Then I tried to get my mail and the system hung up. Tried annother 40 or 50 times (going through 3 sets of batteries) with no luck. I even dialed wrong a few times so I am going to leave my address and phone number here in case they get a weird phone bill. I hope my mail was sent since one message was a message for Bren Solomon.s Eagle C of O but only time will tell.

Now it is 12:52 am and still sitting here reflecting on the day. I think Roan is missing the boat when it comes to the AT thing. I think Smokey Mo would just say 'Can't we all just get along!'

All in all the most memorable day on the trip so far!

'96 Hike Map