Animals and stuff you see, On the AT

When we first started this Odyssey, we knew nothing about backpacking long distance. We are camper type folk, and have been all our lives.  But this was something very different.
Out first attempt we parked the car at Ellijay, GA and hired a lady to drive us to the trail head. On the way up on the logging road, A bear darted across in front of us. That did not thrill Sherry.
That night at the first camp sight Sherry heard a noise. I located it and said come look, it is a bear.
On NO! She says.  But we made it thru the night without incident. We have seen Deer (Buck and Doe), bear, horses (wild and tame), Turkey and plenty of snakes.
Once in the Shenandoah's, Sherry was leading on a very narrow trail and met a huge buck (8 or 10) points. What to do, she asks? Keep walking, she did and about 15 ft away he makes a beautiful leap using all fours into bushes and brush I could not have walked thru.

(This ribbon snake (ground snake) came thru our camp site once chasing a toad. I yelled at it and he stopped like this, on the fire wood, and I told him is dinner was gone).
I am so proud of Sherry, she can take snakes if she sees them at a distance first. Like all of us having one come up on you, or you it, without warning gives you a start. She has moved them off the trail with her stick, even stepped over one early in the morning when it was moving slow.


Cows a plenty. the trail goes thru many pastures, they are either grazing on public lands or have sold a right-a-way to the Appalachian Trail Conference.
I did catch this toad hiding in plain sight

Well we knew there were moose here!

We never ran into a moose on the trail, but saw a lot of droppings. At Katahdin we saw a couple moose eating grass off the bottom of a lake, Then can hold their breath a long time.
We met Mountain goats in Tennessee or Virginia.
A magnificent sight to see is an Eagle soaring beneath you, as you look down from a mountain top or ledge. 
There is a beautiful valley in Virginia called God’s Thumb print. If the Vanderbilt's had not built the Biltmore house in Asheville, that was the second choice to build.
Thanks for going along the trail, we appreciate it.
Sons are up, I will be on the computer less. Gets crowded. LOL.
Nite Shipslog
PS:
The heaviest thing you can carry is a grudge..
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

I saw the prettiest ford convertible this morning, it was a 1951. Above is a 1949.

Saw this 1951 beauty in Buchanan, MI.