Julie and I are hiking the Appalachian Trail in the US from Springer Mt, Georgia, to Mt Katahdin, Maine, in the north, a distance of almost 2,200 miles (3,540 km). Our journey will start in early May 2023 and is expected to take about five months. We will be mostly camping, carrying 3-5 days of supplies to get us between resupply points, where we will be staying in hostels/hotels/motels where we can. I hiked the entire Appalachian Trail back in 1986 so it will be interesting to see how much has changed and how much it has stayed the same.

Appalachian Trail - Day 009 - Rock Gap Shelter to Near Burningtown Gap

Day: 009

Date: Wednesday, 03 May 2023

Start:  Rock Gap Shelter (AT Mile 105.6)

Finish:  Near Burningtown Gap (AT Mile 123.8)

Daily Kilometres:  31.0

GPX Track:  Click here for Julie’s Strava & Photos

Total Kilometres:  210.7

Weather:  Cold and sunny with a strong icy wind

Accommodation:  Tent

Nutrition:

  Breakfast:  Pop tarts

  Lunch:  Trail Mix

  Dinner:  Soup and dehydrated meals

Aches:  Dave - very tired and some niggles; Julie - nothing to report.

Highlight:  The views from the lookout tower on Wayah Bald gave us spectacular 360 degree views on a clear sunny day and was a reward for the long climb.

Lowlight:  None really

Pictures: Click here

Map and Position: Click here for Google Map

Journal:

We woke at 6:00am and were walking soon after 7:00am, not having been bothered by a single mouse in the shelter all night.


After a short stretch of downhill, we began what was the first of three significant climbs for the day, over the shoulder of Rocky Cove Knob.  It was very chilly and windy, but the air was clear and we had excellent views through the trees of the mountains beyond, and there were a lot of them.


We never really have any idea at any point in time which compass direction we are hiking in and which mountains will be next on our path.  Carefull analysis using our navigation app would help us work it out, but there’s not a lot of point in doing that very often.  We just follow the trail and the AT whiten blazes on the trees and go where it takes us. We’ve learnt never to assume we are at the top of a climb because, inevitably, you round a corner and the trail continues upwards.


The next climb, up from Winding Stair Gap to the shoulder of Siler Bald (5,207’), was just as tough and then it was down to Wayah Gap and the climb to the summit of Wayah Bald (5,337’) where there was a lookout tower (see above).


The woodlands we passed through are still just gaining their season’s new foliage, but wildflowers are abundant and varied.  There are also lovely groves of rhododendron, but no flowers on them yet.


Saw quite a few other hikers today and chatted with a few, along with some tourists atop Wayah Bald who wanted to know all about the hike.


Soon after 6:00pm, after a long descent, we found a nice little campsite set in a rhododendron grove, about 50 metres away from another thru-hiker’s tent.  Jimmy, who we had seen a few times over recent days, came over and introduced himself while we set up camp.


Dave is still struggling a bit with the mileage, heavy pack and hills, but Julie remains patient and we are doing well timewise.  Looking forward to a shorter day tomorrow and a bunk, shower and food  at the Nantahala Outdoor Center.
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