High Tech's '96 Chuck Hike

Siler Bald Shelter
Day: 15
Mileage: 110.8

Miles from Springer	Features	Elevation
109.8	U.S. 64, Winding Stair Gap (3,770')? piped spring Franklin, N.C. 28734	3770
110.7	Campsite (3,970')	3970
110.9	Swinging Lick Gap (4,100')	4100
111.8	Panther Gap (4,480')	4480
114	Siler Bald Shelter (4,600')?8.5mS; 7.3mN	4600

04/29/96 2:54 pm

Hiked here after being droped off from Rainbow Springs Campground. For a day that it was suposed to rain it turned out great!

It is great after a town, here with Shaka, Buckeye, Blaze Blind, Trail Snail, Jim, Purple Pirate and the Borthers. The Navigator, Botney Boy and Waldo was here when I arrived but moved on.

It seems to have been a great town (Franklin) but I am still glade I did not have to go in.

I have been identified as having shin splints, but so far I survive.

It is cooling off quite quickly now, I know it will rain tonight.

04/29/96 7:51 pm

At the shelter (and surounding area) with 15 othger hikers, yes 15 others. Four others are on the bald a little way away. Had marshmellows around a campfire (added campfire ashes) and just when we finished it started to rain (the rain we were suposed to get yesyerday). Right now 9 people are around the shelter and Iron Phill is singing his 'Trail Magic' song.

The sense of comunity and belonging is great.....it is what the A.T. is all about!

04/29/96 8:30 pm

Well we have sunk so low, we are now watching a mouse get away with stealing peanutbutter from a mousetrap. We swear we WILL get the bugger. Everyone is taking pictures of the event as well, what a night!

04/29/96 8:38 pm

Our first mouse!

04/30/96 10:29 am

Our total mouse count for the night was 6! Iron Phill did his (what I think is typical) .I.m going to hike on. routine untill there was no hope of doing so and then shoehorned into the shelter.

Today it looks as id it is going to clear up, but be very cool. Someone checked their thermometer and said it was 30 deg.

Probably going to be very crouded at the next shelter with all the people here, but I do not know if I could make it anyway due to my late start and my shin. We will see.

Licklog Gap
Day: 16
Mileage: 119.5

Miles from Springer	Features	Elevation
114	Siler Bald Shelter (4,600')?8.5mS; 7.3mN	4600
115.7	N.C. 1310, Wayah Gap (4,180')?picnic area	4180
117	Wilson Lick Ranger Station (4,650')	4650
117.5	USFS 69 (4,900')?piped spring	4900
118	Wine Spring, Bartram Trail (5,290')	5290
119.9	Wayah Bald (5,342')?stone observation tower	5342
120.3	Campsite, Bartram Trail (5,200')	5200
120.8	Wayah Shelter (4,480')?7.3mS; 4.8mN	4480
122.1	Licklog Gap (4,440')	4440

04/30/96 7:45 pm

Here camping after a nice day, after the forcast I heard said rain for a few days.

It was nice, but I was either too cold or too hot, never a good temperature. Couldn.t find my gray shirt (it was packed with the sleeeping bag) wich would have helped but it was sunny but when the breeze kicked in the wine chill made me very cold.

Great view off of Siler Bald and Wayah Bald today. Glade I had a camera, but I am sure they will not do either view justice.

Felt pretty good today untill a relocation around a mud slide. At least I took the relocation, Jim whent over the slide. After that I could berily walk, my right ankle was KILLING me. After worrying about my left shin, having my right akle in pain was a real bummer.

Decided to camp here instead of pushing on to the shelter, maybe it will help break up the croud a bit. Here win 5 others. One is .Acident Waiting to Happen.. which is a fitting name since she has fallen off a cliff (the same place I got lost) and was sent to the hospital. She also lost her backpack once as well. Hence the name.

Right now it is so cold I got in my sleeping bag early.

It is going to be a cold one this evening.

Wesser Bald Shelter
Day: 17
Mileage: 128.7

Miles from Springer	Features	Elevation
124.4	N.C. 1397, Burningtown Gap (4,236')	4236
125.6	Cold Spring Shelter (4,920') ?4.8mS; 5.8mN	4920
126.3	Copper Ridge Bald Lookout (5,080')	5080
127.5	Trail to Rocky Bald Lookout (5,030')	5030
127.8	Spring (4,900')	4900
129.2	N.C. 1365, Tellico Gap (3,850')? powerline	3850
130.6	Wesser Bald Observation Tower (4,627')	4627
131.3	Spring (4,100')	4100
131.4	Wesser Creek Trail (4,115') Wesser Bald Shelter?5.8mS; 4.9mN	4115

05/01/96 5:56 pm

Well I made it...bearily! My left leg is KILLING ME, on down hills!

Great view from the fire town at Wesser Bald! Could see for miles and miles.

Here now eating a snack and trying to keep my leg from giving me pain. Don.t know if I will make it to Wesser tommarow or not, I.ll see then if I can walk.

Other than the pain, I am still enjoying the hike and hope I can heal quick so I can enjoy the Smokeys.

**Nantahala Outdoor Center **
Day: 18+19
Mileage: 134.4

Miles from Springer	Features	Elevation
133	Jump-up Lookout (4,000')	4000
136.3	A. Rufus Morgan Shelter (2,300') ?4.9mS; 7.7mN	2300
137.1	U.S. 19, U.S. 74, Wesser, N.C. (1,723') Nantahala River, Nantahala Outdoor Center Bryson City, N.C. 28713	1723

05/02/96 4:23 pm

Been here for some time now, had a shower, doing my laudry, had Ben & Jerry.s and having a great time.

The hike here was not as painful as I feared, and in fact was enjoyable and had great views at times. It was even more fun becaise I was joined by a stray dog nicknamed .Blaze. not only because he has been following hikers since Springer, but because he had a white mark on his neck under his chin. He looks mostly bloodhound but he is a mix. He followed me for 45 min and two other hikers here. Someone who workes here is taking him to an adoption center. He will make someone a fine pet!

My shin hurt a little today, but now as bad as expected. Still debating wheather to take a second day here or go on and take it at Fontana.

In the meentime, they had that Gore-Tex treatment stuff here, so I am giving it a try. Hope it helps (right now neither the jacket or pants bead water off at all).

05/02/96 9:40 pm

Had a great dinner at the Garden Resturant with Grant (Purple Pirate), Lisa (Blaze Blind or Betty Burp), Kevin (Trail Snail), Jim (Sid), other hikers were there too but not at our table.

This is a great place. If the Leighigh river did this boy would they rake in the bucks.

Got a room with a fly fisherman named Jose who was born in Cuba and now is a professor in Florida. Again a very intresting man who, under normal, 'real world' circumstances I would never talk to.

Did a lot of chores after dinner, but it looks as if I will spend the day here tommarow to recoupe a little before heading on. Should be able to catch some of my friends at Fontana considering most are staying there 2 days.

05/03/96 12:15 pm

Well I did decide to stay the extra night. So far today I said goodbye to everyone, had breakfast with Kevin (Trail Snail), moved cabins and read (and got board).

Not much to do, trying to get back to Franklin to get to the K-mart to buy a new camera, but so far no luck on a shuttle.

I needed a day off, but watching all my freinds pull ahead is HARD!

Tried to write an e-mail to Lynn (the book writer) but it got lost in the bits and bytes (don.t know how?).

Other than that, board out of my mind, maybe lunch will be simi-exciting. Spend Spend Spend......

05/03/96 7:45 pm

It is intresting how distance rules who and how you meet people on the Trail. Today I saw only 4 hikers I knew and met 6 new ones. It is a little harder getting people to open up in town (considering there is no instant .oh he.s a thru hiker. thing going on. Had dinner ewith the four new people including Ranger Dave (x-army ranger), Jetson (from Canada) and two others.

Also, being at llower elevations it is Spring here. It is fantastic to see trees with full leaves on them, dogwoods in bloom and the works! That hike down yesterday was like walking from early spring into mid summer. Even the heat today reminded me of summer, luckly the Little Wesser Falls was there to cool me off.

Leg feels a little better, hope I am ready to hike tomarrow, but now I have no choice the place is full up and I have to move on!

Had a huge dinner of Lazana tonight, along with 4 or 5 helpings of bread and desert....oh G-d am I full! (How many times will I be able to say that I this trip I wonder?)

Well I am going to try to call mom and dad and correct the stupid mistake I made yesterday (leaving a message saying I was hurt...G-d how dumb!).

'96 Hike Map