Appalachian Trail, Kimsey Creek Trail

Here the old man is taking a break.

Some group hiking together near Dartmouth College.

’Standing Indian’ is a National Park near Franklin, NC. The campground is considered primitive because it does not have electric or water hook-ups. It is not a completely back to nature campground, but it is close.

While camping there we took what is called the Kimsey Creek Trail to the top of Standing Indian Mountain. At the crest, it joins with the Appalachian Trail. At this time of the year, through time for the snow to fly, if you are near the trail for an hour or so you will encounter some smelly back-packing hiker. He or she is walking the world famous Appalachian Trail, which is the longest, maintained, and marked foot path in the world. From Georgia to Maine, if you look closely as you drive you will see signs saying ‘Appalachian Trail crossing’ on many roads.

There are some places where the trail actually follows a road for a mile or two, hikers actually do a ‘road walk’ before heading back into the forest to continue the solitude of the AT. If you park at one of these trail heads and wait, you will meet some very interesting folks. They will be male and female; they can be very young or very old. But if you have time wait and talk to one, maybe give them a ride into the nearest town, you will be surprised at the stories on the trail.

There will be one central theme; they have fallen in love with the trail. Most folks that start thinking of hiking the AT want to do a thru-hike. That is to Hike the entire 2175 miles in shot. Folks do it in four to six months of steady walking. The rule of the AT is to hike your hike. Some walk 20 plus miles a day, while there are others like us, who can make six to ten miles a day.

Some folk walk alone while others hike in pairs or groups. Most groups break up after awhile because some want to walk faster, etc. On the trail you meet folks from all walks of life and from many countries. Seldom does a hiker use his or her name. If one is not chosen, someone will tag you with a name. WE met: Pigpen, Papa Smurf, Cloudy, Freight Train, Blue, Mama’s boy, Pilgrim, Scarf, Boats, CuppaJava, Christian, Mr. President, Penquin, Mooseburger and hundreds more. We are the Overland Hermits. WE met folks from Germany, Australia, South Africa, England, Canada, New Zealand and from all over the USA.

We met students, lawyers, doctors, pilots, engineers, bums, preacher, a pastor, grandmas, grandpas, A family home schooling the kids as they hiked, scout groups and church groups. It is another life out there. We were fascinated.

Thanks for coming this way,

NIte Shipslog

PS: What the girls say:

The hardest years in life are those between ten and seventy.
-Helen Hayes (at 73)-
I refuse to think of them as chin hair. I think of them as stray eyebrows.
- Janette Barber-
Old age ain't no place for sissies .
-Bette Davis