The night at Trimpi shelter had more animal sounds than I had heard most of the trip. They didn’t seem to stay away even though there were so many hikers camped all around.

👂The first sound I noticed was down by the spring. The spring was less than 50 yards away down slightly from camp. With so many ⛺️ set up, one could see a couple from the water source. As hikers were crawling into their tents or already there at hiker midnight ( 7 pm!), there was a series of snorting going on. I’ve learned from Indiana wilderness, these snorts are usually from deer, 🦌 namely bucks, who’ve come to the water, many times with other deer, to drink. He let us know we didn’t belong in his territory. He kept it up for awhile and eventually moved away, snorting as he went.

Just after the deer, the barred owls 🦉 started in. These owls are also common in midwestern states. I learned about them, however, down at Amicalola Falls. Barred owls have the distinct sound, their most known call, that sounds like “ Who- cooks- for-you” .

🦉 There were more than one of these barred owls talking back and forth to each other. They’d be in one area then kind of get worked up, and do their next call. They have 3 distinct calls they make. This next call they gave almost sounds like parrots or monkeys scolding. Then they’d fly to a different area and start over again. The third sound I’ve only heard twice that I know of. It sounds like a woman’s scream 😱 and will make your hair stand on end! They didn’t go to that extent, but they kept up their activity all night.

I’ve not seen any snakes, just birds and a few squirrels.

Except….Im staying at an Alpaca 🦙 Farm at the Long Neck Lair Hostel! What fun! More about that later.

(👉Note- If you haven’t figured out why there’s no pictures lately, I am having continued to technical difficulties getting them to post to my blogs. So I’ve been posting pictures on my Facebook page. Please feel free to go to Ginger Trine’s fb page to see some things that might coincide with the blogs. When I get home and have access to my iPad, I may be able to go back and add. Until then, please bear with me! Thank you!)

The “Bubble“. 🫧 🫧

I’m now what they call “ in the bubble”. When northbounders or “ nobos” start at Springer Mountain and start moving north, they slowly build in numbers. Peak start dates are March 1, March 14 (Pi day), and April 1, for example. As many as 50 or more, register with the ATC and begin their journey on those days. As they gradually move north, more and more hikers are at the shelters, in the towns or at the hostels. I’ve been experiencing the flood of “hiker trash”, an affectionate name given to hikers because they are stinky and look like they are homeless. Everyone is usually very friendly and gets along. Many become close friends and hike together in “ tramilies”. All have the same goals- to “hike your own hike”, get to Maine, or whatever section one is doing. As hikers, we have the same challenges- weather, tall climbs, huge rocks to boulder over, insects, aches and pains. We experience it all together. Sounds like life in general, doesn’t it?

AT hikers come every year, hiking from all over the world and all ages too. For example, there’s Graybeard, attempting to be the oldest hiker recorded, breaking Nomad aka “Nimble Will’s” record. Nomad is 83 years old. Graybeard is 90. Then we have children and whole families on the trail. It’s exciting to watch the kids – they sometimes can hike circles around others, especially their parents.

I’ve met several hikers at the hostel where I’m staying in Damascus. There’s a father and daughter from Holland. I’ve also met hikers from California, Wyoming, Colorado, Texas, Maine, Florida, and the more local surrounding states. Some of their hiker names are Redo, TBD, Path, Milemaker, Three Beers, Hipster, Gas leak, Midnight, Lylli, Queso, Rerun and Irish. This is just to name a few! Usually, each name has been given to them by another. For instance, Gas leak got his name from having a hole in his gas canister on his stove. When he lit it, the whole thing went up in flames. 🔥

Some are thru-hikers and others are section hikers. I have become good friends with some already. I hope we can stay in touch and maybe even hike together in the future. 💕

On this trip, I’ve stayed at three hostels so far. Hostels are like homes that cater to the needs of hikers. Hikers need low prices, showers, a bed, laundry done, ways to clean, fix and purchase gear, food, other simple needs and rides. These hostels sometimes have great food on a daily basis or provided a way to shuttle the hiker to get food. I’ve stayed at The Refuge, Black Bear Resort and Lady Di’s. They’ve been great places to stay.

The cost of a thru- hike used to be about $1000/ a month average. Now, it’s more like $1500/ month. You can go much more expensive or way less, however. Some hikers save and save so they can do it. They go on an LOA from work, quit their jobs or retire, but they find a way to make it happen, because it is their dream. Sometimes those from foreign countries have to do it within a certain time frame so visas don’t expire. Many times, the younger generations take a semester off of college, or do it between school or jobs, but eventually they have to return. So sometimes, they don’t finish their thru hike in one year. After that time frame, one can still do it, of course, but it is considered section hiking.

Only about 25% who start will complete their thru- hike in a calendar year. 🤔Thousands start. Hundreds finish. Some have trouble adjusting when they get home. Others find it was a way to focus on life- what’s important and get new direction. Some use the trail as healing from past hurts or crisis- a launch into nature. These are the ones I pray for especially, that they find the Answer to what they are searching for. It is a Person. It is in Jesus Christ we have the reason to live, the hope for our tomorrows, the healing of our hurts, the saving of our souls.

On another note 🎵 , Lady Di shared her story with us after she served us a scrumptious breakfast. She completed her thru-hike in 2019. When she got home to Minnesota, 2020 came along with COVID. She’d already retired from her public health job. She had part time jobs lined up that fell through due to COVID. Bored at home, she began to think seriously about a house that was for sale in Damascus. She and her daughter flew down to check it out. That was 6 years ago. She bought it and turned it into one of the best hostels out there. Thanks, Lady Di!

Enough for now. Will be back on trail soon. Hope your trail in life is full of joy! 🤩 🥾🥾Hike on!

Trail Food – the fuel for the hiker tank 🍌🧀🍔🌭🌮

As I’m spending the remainder of minutes at a hostel, let me share about food.  Doesn’t one think of food constantly?  When you are a hiker, it is high on the list! 👏😍

When hiking, one burns ALOT of calories.   The thru- hiker on the AT, it is estimated, consumes 3000-5000 calories per day.   Because of this, some have trouble loosing too much weight.   The father of the father/daughter duo from Holland is very tall and looking thin already.   He started about 5 weeks ago and has lost 22 lbs.   Our challenge is to pack dense caloric and nutritional foods that can be kept in a pack for days without refrigeration 🧊, that won’t get smashed, be too heavy 💪 or take up too much room.  The goal weight wise for the pack, is to carry less than 2 lbs of food per day. 😳

There are many approaches to meals.  I do know that one thinks about the next meal constantly.  Then when one is heading into town, there’s usually a search for a food place that has what one craves- a nice juicy burger 🍔 , 🍟 and a Coke 🥤 or something else.  It extremely motivates to think one is just a few miles away from real food! 🚦 📣⏭️‼️

So what does one eat on trail?  I’ll share with you what I’m doing.   I’m constantly working on adding in more calories, especially at noon since early afternoon is when I seem to hit a low energy period.

  ☕️ For breakfast I fix instant coffee and add hot chocolate to it.  I also have some type of hot or cold cereal 🥣 usually.  I have dry 🥛 milk already added.   Everything is prepackaged.  I like to add dehydrated fruits such as 🍓 or 🍌 .  I sometimes add raisins or nuts.  🌰 If I have extra jerky or peanut butter, I sometimes add it for protein.  When I can find it, I like 🥓 jerky!

Snacks are next.   🍫 🍬 I’m eating something every 2 hours to keep my energy levels and blood sugar consistent.  I use a lot of protein bars, breakfast bars, trail mix, GORP ( good ole raisins and peanuts) and candy.  Sometimes I eat more jerky or if I have 🧀 , for protein.  One backpacking dietician expert suggests eat both carbs and proteins all day to keep those energy levels more constant.  Some mix shakes and drink those.  A good protein shake will also add to your hydration.

A quick note on hydration.  💦 💧 It’s extremely important not to get dehydrated and deplete one’s electrolytes.  I’ve learned this the hard way.   For me, if I’ve not added some type of sports drink mix which has sodium, magnesium and potassium by noon, I’ll do it at lunch.  Depending how hot it is and how much you are perspiring hot 🥵 ☀️ determines how much electrolytes one needs.  This is something you learn about yourself.  

Lunch.   🕛 For lunch, I take off my pack, sit and stay awhile.  I try to find a good spot out of the way and preferably one with a view.  I take off my socks 🧦 and 🥾 and let my 🦶 rest too.  This is the time where I have to make myself eat more.  I use the packets of 🍗 , tuna 🍣 and spam 🐷 you can get from Dollar General or other stores.   Packets of peanut butter 🧈 and jelly are good too.  Tortillas is an easy way to go and add calories.  I can make wraps with those or I’ll buy some pepperoni and cheese and if I can find it some 🍕 or tomato sauce.   It makes like a pizza 🍕 roll.   Jerky is a favorite thing for me too.  I love to add all kinds of chips or 🧀 .  If I just came from town, I’ll carry an 🍎 , 🍌 or 🍊 to eat right away since they are heavy and hard to store.  Some kind of dessert is preferred although I may save it for a snack later- candy 🍬 or cookies 🍪 usually is my choice.

Snack time 👏comes about 2-2:30.  I usually have to make this a sit down and rest stop.  I’ll eat whatever I put in my snack pocket on my backpack.

Evening meal.   🏕️ By 4pm I hope to be finding camp soon.  Once I get to camp- If I’m immediately hungry I’ll mix up my recovery 🥤 .   Sometimes it’s carnation instant 🥛 .  I also have a protein drink from Plexxus I use (thanks Gabby!). Sometimes I drink it while I set up camp.  ⛺️

For the meal, I have pre- made, dehydrated meals as well as a few store bought freeze dried ones.  Since the latter is more expensive 💰 , I usually only pack one of those in each resupply box.  📦 Kenneth ships me these pre- packaged meals/ supply boxes at the appropriate time so I can pick up my resupply box at my next hostel. ❤️My trail 😇!

Some of my meals are just dehydrated leftovers from home. Chili, 🍝 , pastas, and rice 🌾 do really well.  I also have made up some knorr meals and have added some ingredients of my own such as dehydrated beans 🫘 and vegetables.  🥕 🌽 🥕 🫛 🫘 Of course there are the backpacker favorites of Ramen noodles.  One can easily add mashed potatoes 🥔 as fillers.  I usually make myself have a vegetable of some kind each day and/or dried fruits 🍎 .   One can always add packets of salmon, tuna 🍣 or chicken 🍗 or spam!   Don’t forget the spam!   Vegetarians can dehydrate tofu and add to their meal.

Olive oil is an essential oil the body needs.  I buy little packets to add to my evening meals.

I cook with a jet boil stove.   🔥 There’s many different types of stoves out there.   Some just cold soak their foods.  

You can see why hikers after a few days on trail race 🏃 into towns to hit the restaurants!  I usually am hungry for 🍔 and 🥗 and real ☕️ !

One can learn a lot about how to dehydrate and prepare backpacking foods by going to resources such as backpacking 👨‍🍳 glenn and backpacker foodie, just to name a couple of You-tube channels.  I started with an AT cookbook given to me for Kris’ hike in 2012.  Cookbooks can give you more creative ideas.   One favorite is Turkey 🦃 trail dinner.  It consists of turkey or chicken, gravy, dressing and mashed potatoes!   One of my faves! ❤️👏

💕👉More importantly, one not only needs to fuel one’s body but one’s spirit.   “ Oh taste and see there Lord is good!”  His Word 📕 is food for our spirit and soul, renews our mind and brings healing to our bodies, minds and spirits.   ♥️ Digest the Word every day and you’ll stay ready and energized to do what God has for you each day.  

💜 Thanks for your interest.  God bless you and eat hardy!

What a great adventure so far! I’m on the AT. I’ll summarize Sunday thru today.

Saturday night I stayed at a great little hostel called the Refuge. Robert, a former thru- hiker and his wife April owned it. There was a mob of people. I met Lilly again. She was at the shelter where Kris, Rockstar and I ate lunch our first day out. Then there was a lady named Ginger. She was 68 in March (I will be 68 in August.) and she’s section hiking the AT. Her long term goal is also the same as mine/- to finish the trail when she’s 70! Wow!

Sunday I hiked to Mountaineer Shelter, 8.5 miles. Lilly was there when I arrived. Later Pro Shop came. He’s a 32 year old from Spencer, IN! His uncle was the 4-H leader for my daughter when we lived there! Small world! It was just us 3 in the shelter that night.

Yesterday I hiked 12.2 miles to Moreland Shelter. This area was severely damaged by Helene. The shelter only had a tarp for a roof. I slept in my tent. Lilly was there but slept in the shelter. It got really cold last night. 34 degrees! But I was warm in my tent with all my layers. I had my best night of sleep. Today it’s supposed to get to 70! It’s been down in the 50s.

I hike into Hampton TN today to a hostel, the Black Bear. I’ll meet Anita tonight, one of my hiking buddies from Indiana.

For 5 days, Anita, aka Mosey and I hiked the AT. We saw beautiful spring flowers, Laurel Falls, met many hikers, stayed at 2 hostels and camped overnight at one campsite and two shelters. The ascents up the mountains were definitely the hardest on these flat landed, older bodies! But there was always reward at the top. Sometimes it was a beautiful Mountain View. Other times it was the shelter! Home for the night. We even enjoyed two delightful surprises of trail magic. The beauty of the Wilderness, the stillness, the times we had together where we shared our hearts., were precious. We. Also had times we shared prayer and a scripture. Sometimes we had opportunity to share our faith with others. This time moseying up and down mountains was special, because it was with a special lady and a God who loves us and helps us! We know climbing those thousands of feet up a mountain could only be done in His strength.

Thanks Mosey, for being my friend and hiking buddy! You truly are a special gal.

On Tuesday, April 21 I met up with Anita, aka Mosey”. She drove down from French Lick, IN to section hike with me. We met at Black Vear Resort. We stayed in the bunkhouse where we met Midnight, a nobo thru- hiker. He came in a little while after we were there. I had arrived off the trail about 3 pm and had my shower and got my laundry done. Anita suggested going to town for Mexican and we took Modnoght with us. He is a Mexican from Texas. We found out the closest place was back at Roan Mountain! It was supposed to be just 5.4 miles but it took us 30 minutes on windy roads. It was worth it though! And our Mexican friend ate 2 plates full! He had the hiker hunger going on. He told us he had wanted to eat there when he was hiking through that section, but don’t have opportunity.

Anita and I planned our hike. I also talked to the other girls who would be joining me in May. Then we hit the hay.

Wednesday morning, we ate a delicious breakfast at the Hostel’s restaurant. Chef Chuck was a gracious host and a tremendous cook! Midnight joined us for breakfast also. Incidentally, Midnight got his trail name by starting his hike of the Smokies at, you guessed it- Midnight!

Midnight left before us, but before he left we asked if he’d like to pray with us. He said yes. Then we went our separate ways.

Anita and I walked the 0.5 miles to the trail, which entered the Pond Mountain Wilderness. This is a beautiful section and is popular among locals and day hikers. It started as an easy walk along the river. Laurel Falls was spectacular. There was some boulders one had to work around and over and some inclines and descents.

We are our lunch beside the stream. We came to the turn off for the shelter. We both felt great and wanted to go further, so we headed up a tall maintain, over 3000 ft in around 3 miles. It took us the rest of the day to climb it, but we were so glad we did.

Just before camp, there was a spring where we got our water. We met Starburst there, a female thru hiker. She stayed at Ponds Flats camp with us along with a local.

We were tired, but glad we made the climb. It put us ahead of schedule.

Thursday, April 23rd. Anita woke up pretty sore., I’ve been at this a week and am feeling good. It takes a bit to get trail legs, especially climbing the mountains. Starburst was packing up when we were ready to leave. We took the opportunity to pray with her as well. She then passed us later. Several groups of hikers are on the trail today. Most are headed to Boots Off.

The trail down seemed so easy, compared to yesterday! We saw a great view of Watauga Lake as we climbed down.

Anita fell once yesterday going up the mountain and once today coming down it. We had talked of possibly slack packing this afternoon about 5 miles to the dam, but Anita wasn’t quite up for it. I don’t mind a day of rest either!

So we are at Boots Off in a nice camping spot, showers, laundry and resupplies. Starburst is here, along with Papa Bear, and others. Midnight is aqua blazing today along with Gasleak. The managers here are Sunshine and Lucky Moon. They run a tight ship.

I also met on the trail today Rainbow, who hiked the trail in 2018. She has several family members with her.

An interesting note. Whenever I lose something on trail, I usually find it a few days later. It will show up later. A backpack is all I carry. First I thought I’d lost my rock bag for my food hang. I used something else the night I missed it. In a couple of days, I found it in my hip belt pocket, where it doesn’t belong. Second, I hadn’t worn my hat for two days because I couldn’t find it! I thought I’d left it somewhere. I bought this hat for this trip! Oh well. Then last night, when I went to set up my tent, it was in there! I had stayed in a bunk room the night before and didn’t use the tent. Glad to have it vack do these sunny days. Mystery solved! The lesson- don’t panic. It will show up in a few days somewhere in your pack.

We are adjusting our plans so Anita can meet her ride on Sunday. The adventure continues!