Yesterday, Chipmunk hiked about 6 miles from Garenflo Gap into
the town of Hot Springs, NC, which has the distinction of being named 2012 Best Small Mountain Town by Blue Ridge Outdoors Magazine. After spending a few days in the town, we agree! The town is geared towards accommodating AT hikers with affordable
restaurants that serve up “Hungry Hiker” platters, coffee shops with free wifi, an outdoors outfitter, hostels and more. There are hot tubs filled from the local hot springs for soaking in, there are a few locally owned taverns with decks overlooking French Broad river that runs through the town. Furthermore, the trail itself comes through the center of town and instead of the standard “white blazes” that identify the trail, there are trail insignias emblazoned into the concrete sidewalk. It is by far, the best town we’ve spent
time in while waiting for Chipmunk’s arrival.
the town of Hot Springs, NC, which has the distinction of being named 2012 Best Small Mountain Town by Blue Ridge Outdoors Magazine. After spending a few days in the town, we agree! The town is geared towards accommodating AT hikers with affordable
restaurants that serve up “Hungry Hiker” platters, coffee shops with free wifi, an outdoors outfitter, hostels and more. There are hot tubs filled from the local hot springs for soaking in, there are a few locally owned taverns with decks overlooking French Broad river that runs through the town. Furthermore, the trail itself comes through the center of town and instead of the standard “white blazes” that identify the trail, there are trail insignias emblazoned into the concrete sidewalk. It is by far, the best town we’ve spent
time in while waiting for Chipmunk’s arrival.
We spent lots of time at the ArtiSun Gallery that connects through with Iron Horse Hotel and Boutique in downtown Hot Springs. We got to know the famous “Sunny”(who runs an amazing coffee shop there) and learned that she first thru hiked the AT at the age of 48 and “wore a dress, makeup and painted her nails”. She had a wealth of AT knowledge and I took a lot of notes. When Chipmunk arrived in town, she, too, got to know “Sunny” and they had a discussion about Chipmunk’s plan to reach Katahdin. When Chipmunk said she planned to be there by the end of October, Sunny told her that she ought to shoot for the first week of October since by mid-October, the park typically closes entry when the weather gets bad. She (Sunny) had summited on October 8th and the next day a foot of snow caused the park to close for the year.
When Chipmunk heard that, the two of them worked together with a
calculator to determine how many miles she’d need to average per day to make it from Hot Springs, NC to Katahdin, Maine in early October: 13 miles per day. OUCH! That does not leave much wiggle room for down days due to injury, fatigue, etc. Sunny pointed out that once Chipmunk got her “hiking feet”, it was not unlikely or impossible to hike 20-25 miles per day in the flatter stretches. Chipmunk took it all in but didn’t look
very optimistic.
When Chipmunk heard that, the two of them worked together with a
calculator to determine how many miles she’d need to average per day to make it from Hot Springs, NC to Katahdin, Maine in early October: 13 miles per day. OUCH! That does not leave much wiggle room for down days due to injury, fatigue, etc. Sunny pointed out that once Chipmunk got her “hiking feet”, it was not unlikely or impossible to hike 20-25 miles per day in the flatter stretches. Chipmunk took it all in but didn’t look
very optimistic.
Before leaving ArtiSun, Chipmunk got a Chocolate Ice Cream cone, declaring it was the best ice cream she'd ever eaten! Then she let us know that although she had planned to take the rest of the day off, she would be hitting the trail by 3pm that afternoon. Once she finished her cone, we ate lunch and then visited the in town spot no hiker should miss: The Hikers Ridge Ministries Center. It’s right on the main drag and is a narrow building with a welcoming front porch. We were all a bit hesitant since we are not church goers.
In fact, we often joke that we are “Frisbeeterians: we believe that when you die, your soul goes up, up, up … and then gets stuck on the roof.”
At Hikers Ridge Ministries, we met Queen Diva who welcomes each
and every hiker with free snacks, drinks and free use of their
computer/internet. There was a hiker box with items left behind by hikers looking to lighten their load and available to other hikers who may need the stuff. There was a large bookshelf with books that hikers could take to fill the evening hours and take their minds off the hike they just did. A large flat screen television had a slideshow of hikers’ pics and we recognized a few who had outhiked Chipmunk. We sat on comfortable couches and discussed all kinds of hiking stuff. Queen Diva told us she’d be at the upcoming Damascus Trail Days festival and we’ll definitely be looking for her.
As I left, a song from my childhood days of going to South Vineland United Methodist Church started playing in my head: “ … and they’ll know we are Christians, by our love, by our love”. We had expected our visit to be more of a sermon but it was truly just about kindness, the kind that hikers a long way from home doing one of the toughest tasks they may ever do, really need.
In fact, we often joke that we are “Frisbeeterians: we believe that when you die, your soul goes up, up, up … and then gets stuck on the roof.”
At Hikers Ridge Ministries, we met Queen Diva who welcomes each
and every hiker with free snacks, drinks and free use of their
computer/internet. There was a hiker box with items left behind by hikers looking to lighten their load and available to other hikers who may need the stuff. There was a large bookshelf with books that hikers could take to fill the evening hours and take their minds off the hike they just did. A large flat screen television had a slideshow of hikers’ pics and we recognized a few who had outhiked Chipmunk. We sat on comfortable couches and discussed all kinds of hiking stuff. Queen Diva told us she’d be at the upcoming Damascus Trail Days festival and we’ll definitely be looking for her.
As I left, a song from my childhood days of going to South Vineland United Methodist Church started playing in my head: “ … and they’ll know we are Christians, by our love, by our love”. We had expected our visit to be more of a sermon but it was truly just about kindness, the kind that hikers a long way from home doing one of the toughest tasks they may ever do, really need.
As we walked back through town, several hikers hollered hello to
Chipmunk, and she waved back. Before long, it was 3pm and time to put her boots back on. She put her knee wrap on and pulled “Big Red” onto her back. Again, she looked so small to me and yet her eyes seem to radiate a wisdom beyond her years that I hadn’t seen until this trip. She kissed us good bye and told us she’d see us Tanyard Gap, just under 6 trail miles away. We waited as she walked back to the main street in town and followed the AT markers away from civilization. Once we saw her cross over the guard rail and step onto the dirt path into the woods, we started up the PWT cruiser and headed for the gap.
She came into Tanyard Gap around 7 pm and there were tears coming down her face. Of course, I rifled off the standard Mom questions: “Are you hurt? Did something happen? Did someone try to mess with you??” She shook her head no and said, “my feet just really hurt.” Papa Chip took her pack and put it in the cab; Chocolate Chip jumped up and all around her as she climbed into the back of the camper. Together, we took her boots off and got her a water bottle with Arnold Palmer Tea/Lemonade mix in it. I had already started dinner and was letting our “camper chicken pot pie” cook on the stove top while I started rubbing her feet. We asked if she knew what might be the problem. She said, “I don’t know. Maybe I just walked too much.” Hmm. She might be onto something there: she has walked 275+ miles in the last month.
We didn’t have cell signals or internet access so we ate dinner and were all in bed by 8:30 pm. I think we were all asleep shortly later and we all woke up when again, Chipmunk, was hiking in her sleep. This time she said loudly, “Wait .. Wait. Wait! Wait!” I guess she was trying to catch up with other hikers or something. I feel bad that she hikes all day and then hikes in her dreams, as well. Sunny from ArtiSun had mentioned that she often dreamt about hiking during her thru hike and for many months afterwards.
Chipmunk, and she waved back. Before long, it was 3pm and time to put her boots back on. She put her knee wrap on and pulled “Big Red” onto her back. Again, she looked so small to me and yet her eyes seem to radiate a wisdom beyond her years that I hadn’t seen until this trip. She kissed us good bye and told us she’d see us Tanyard Gap, just under 6 trail miles away. We waited as she walked back to the main street in town and followed the AT markers away from civilization. Once we saw her cross over the guard rail and step onto the dirt path into the woods, we started up the PWT cruiser and headed for the gap.
She came into Tanyard Gap around 7 pm and there were tears coming down her face. Of course, I rifled off the standard Mom questions: “Are you hurt? Did something happen? Did someone try to mess with you??” She shook her head no and said, “my feet just really hurt.” Papa Chip took her pack and put it in the cab; Chocolate Chip jumped up and all around her as she climbed into the back of the camper. Together, we took her boots off and got her a water bottle with Arnold Palmer Tea/Lemonade mix in it. I had already started dinner and was letting our “camper chicken pot pie” cook on the stove top while I started rubbing her feet. We asked if she knew what might be the problem. She said, “I don’t know. Maybe I just walked too much.” Hmm. She might be onto something there: she has walked 275+ miles in the last month.
We didn’t have cell signals or internet access so we ate dinner and were all in bed by 8:30 pm. I think we were all asleep shortly later and we all woke up when again, Chipmunk, was hiking in her sleep. This time she said loudly, “Wait .. Wait. Wait! Wait!” I guess she was trying to catch up with other hikers or something. I feel bad that she hikes all day and then hikes in her dreams, as well. Sunny from ArtiSun had mentioned that she often dreamt about hiking during her thru hike and for many months afterwards.
This morning, we woke earlier than usual and had breakfast done by 7:15 am. Chipmunk dressed for hiking and we went over the AT Guide sheets to determine the best place to meet up and/or stay. Her feet were still sore so we came up with a “back-up” plan for today: she would hike from Tanyard Gap about 9 miles to Allen Gap at AT mm 288.7. Allen Gap is at or near the intersection of NC 208, TN 70 according to our AT Guide, but it does not have GPS coordinates or a specific address, so we are unsure if it’s a spot where we’ll be able to drive into and park. If she arrives there and we are not there, she’s to hike onto the Little Laurel Shelter (mm 293.5), with the option of checking out and staying at the Hemlock Hollow Inn Hostel (mm 290.2, 0.7 miles West of the AT on Log Cabin Drive). She’s to text us a time and location update whenever she has a signal and then also send us a SPOT “check in” message once she chooses her place to stay the night. FYI, we would rather she stay the night in the camper with us, but she wants to put in more than 9 miles and the meet up options are scarce over the next 20 miles of the trail. At the very least, she is to meet us the Devil Fork Gap (w/GPS coordinates) at AT mm 308.9 tomorrow evening or the next afternoon. If she meets us at Allen Gap, I’ve
guaranteed her a really nice foot rub before she hikes on … cross your fingers that we can get the truck into there.
guaranteed her a really nice foot rub before she hikes on … cross your fingers that we can get the truck into there.
Again, Chocolate Chip looked a little sad as she watched her mom head up the trail with “Big Red” on her back. We watched until she disappeared into the woods and then pointed the truck towards Greenville, TN and found internet at the McDonald’s where we resumed our morning routine of watching the SPOT tracking and updating Chipmunk’s hike followers.
On a side note, Papa Chip and I apparently broke some Twitter
rules while trying to build up Chipmunk’s @openlymtngoat account. It was “shut down” by Twitter and we are trying to sort the problem out. Until then she and we will be tweeting from my old bike ride account: @ridethenation. (Sorry) If anyone has any wisdom on restoring the account, feel free to share it via a direct message to us (eventfultw@yahoo.com); thanks in advance!
FYI, we’ve started a page of Chipmunk’s pics on the www.ridethenation.org website; click on the “Chipmunk’s Pics” tab; we'll be updating pics as soon as Chipmunk can transfer them from her phone to us. We also uploaded one of her videos to her youtube.com page; her username is OpenlyMountainGoat if you want to check it out. We’ll be adding more.
We are trying to build support and maybe even get some sponsors to help in the expenses of Chipmunk’s quest to become the youngest solo thru hiker to complete the Appalachian Trail. We could use your help. If you enjoy reading the story of our adventure, you can send a donation via the “donate” button at the top right side of this blog and we’ll be glad to treat Chipmunk to something special with the “trail magic” you send. You can also forward a website link to your family, friends, co-workers, etc, (www.ridethenation.org) and let them know we try to update it daily. Chipmunk maintains a twitter account: @openlymtngoat and she can receive personal messages directly to her email: openlymountaingoat@gmail.com. She or we (eventfultw@yahoo.com) will try to answer any questions you may have about her hike and this family adventure.
Thanks again for all your support,
Mama Chip, Papa Chip, Chipmunk and her dog, Chocolate Chip
(Tammy, Jay, Neva and Coco)
On a side note, Papa Chip and I apparently broke some Twitter
rules while trying to build up Chipmunk’s @openlymtngoat account. It was “shut down” by Twitter and we are trying to sort the problem out. Until then she and we will be tweeting from my old bike ride account: @ridethenation. (Sorry) If anyone has any wisdom on restoring the account, feel free to share it via a direct message to us (eventfultw@yahoo.com); thanks in advance!
FYI, we’ve started a page of Chipmunk’s pics on the www.ridethenation.org website; click on the “Chipmunk’s Pics” tab; we'll be updating pics as soon as Chipmunk can transfer them from her phone to us. We also uploaded one of her videos to her youtube.com page; her username is OpenlyMountainGoat if you want to check it out. We’ll be adding more.
We are trying to build support and maybe even get some sponsors to help in the expenses of Chipmunk’s quest to become the youngest solo thru hiker to complete the Appalachian Trail. We could use your help. If you enjoy reading the story of our adventure, you can send a donation via the “donate” button at the top right side of this blog and we’ll be glad to treat Chipmunk to something special with the “trail magic” you send. You can also forward a website link to your family, friends, co-workers, etc, (www.ridethenation.org) and let them know we try to update it daily. Chipmunk maintains a twitter account: @openlymtngoat and she can receive personal messages directly to her email: openlymountaingoat@gmail.com. She or we (eventfultw@yahoo.com) will try to answer any questions you may have about her hike and this family adventure.
Thanks again for all your support,
Mama Chip, Papa Chip, Chipmunk and her dog, Chocolate Chip
(Tammy, Jay, Neva and Coco)
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