Butterfly

Nomad

Cooking on The Trail

Goodbye Tennessee!

Goodbye Tennessee! Not going to miss your damn mountains!!!

Dog Heaven! Driving to beach for a well deserved R&R.....

Long Stories Short.....

It's difficult trying to take what we have experienced and sum it up into words. It's seems like we have been hiking for months, but it's only been 5 weeks. Leif and I have been hiking since Sunday morning , averaging 18 mile days. I think I starting to get some tendinitis in my right knee from all the up and down mountains, it's not so much the distance, but the terrain that lays wast to my legs. I can't wait to get out of these damn mountains and get to lower elevations. I took a short day yesterday May 23rd with 6 miles, split from leif and koda and went to Kincora Hostel to rest my knee, gonna meet them later today at a cross roads 15 miles outside of Damascus. I'm glad I decided to stop at Kincora; it just so happens that it is well known to thru hikers, and Unbenounced to me, the two guys who run the place Bob and Panama Jack are legends in the long distance hiking community, it just emphasizes my ignorance of AT tradition.

Something's that I have noticed in our experience so far!
1. Tree tops are a good sign; it means your almost at the top of a mountain.
2. The way you are raised, and military field experience pays dividends. hiking the AT is not an excuse to let your self go and look like a total bum, Nore is it healthy. Having some dignity and self respect out here is something to be proud of, because it's rare.
3. Racism still exists especially in the back country ( self explanatory), and ignorance is actually quite comical Lolol
4. Sunny days continue to make me smile, and for the first time in my life have I found my self walking along just smiling for no apparent reason and just because.
5. Cars make me queezy now.
6. I have had more hotdogs and hamburgers in the last month, than I have had in a few years. And more regular soda than I have had in 10 years.
Much more to come stay tuned!
Nomad


Sent from my iPhone

what I woke up to......

 Koda & Adam

Like a scene out of a magazine.....

Roads Like This Make Me Happy....

Mile 466

Mile 466

We have been at trail days since Wed. It's definitely time to leave though the break was nice and much needed. We found ourselves searching for more than absolute boredom, mostly because without the fact we wanted to see what the trail days hoopla was about; we probably would have never visited the town of Damascus lol. We have decided to just take in the experience for what it is and not to be compared to the time we would have with family and friends. long story short we are bored out of our minds and ready to start hiking again. We managed to send home 18 more lbs of pack weight haha. I bought a whole new and lighter pack and now Leif and I our right at about 30 lbs in our packs with full chow supply and 3 liters of water to start the day. Amazing considering we hiked through Georgia with 50 lb packs!!!

-Nomad

Sent from my iPhone

Trail Days!

Mile 450 Continued....

Mile 450
We are leaving Greecy Creek Friendly today May 16th for Trail Days in Damascus, Va we found a ride from miss Connie's neighbor who will drive us for a fee. Glad to be leaving, cool while it lasted, but the only thing to do here is grow old or get Out!! No hiking till Sunday Baby!!!

-Nomad

Mile 450

Mile 450-
I'm sitting on a couch with my feet propped up and eyes looking about the room at Greasy Creek Friendly Hostel; watching this bonfire of the vanities type movie play out. 25 hikers in one house last night seeking refuge from the thunderstorms on iron mountain
Leif ( Adam ) is sitting next to me with koda, (no shakemhand)is in the recliner at my 9 o'clock talking to (bear magnet) who just realized she is done hiking, plagued by fatigue and joint pain she is getting tested for Lyme disease. Her husband
( deadline ) is walking about being nosey, and making my opinion that being and sounding to educated is actually a possibility if when u speak it sounds like your reading verbatim from a psychology book written in theatrical terms, he later decided to quit the AT with his wife .Gerber is sitting on the other side of me reading a magazine telling me how he respects my military service and that I look mid 20's not the 35 yrs I'm quickly creeping up on. Castaway Jesus who resembles Tom Hanks and man kinds interpretation of Jesus himsef is talking to Connie about His tab. the majority have been here 3 plus days, seemingly seeking refuge from life let alone the storm and AT, I reckon for the hostels homely feeling, and miss connies motherly ways to all hikers passing through. This will be Sweaty Chetter , hot sauce and bumble bee's 4th night ; they should move in lol. Leif and I won't be here long, we are taking a zero day today ( May 15) and plotting our movement to Damascus, Va for trail days the 18th-20th.

UPDATE!!!! Adams trail name is Leif ( leifur) after the Nordic explorer Leif Erickson

" The limitless glory that moves throughout and within all of us is inexpressible "

I found that written on a tree.
GOD Speed to all the soul searchers on the AT- one foot in front of the other; one mountain at a time.

Nomad



Sent from my iPhone

Today is Mother's Day and I wanted to say Happy Mother's Day to my Mom Ellen my sister's Amber and Tonya, my niece Tiffany , my aunt Flo, Margaret and Charlotte.

Today is Mother's Day and I wanted to say Happy Mother's Day to my Mom Ellen my sister's Amber and Tonya, my niece Tiffany, my aunt Flo, Margaret and charlotte. I love all of you. These women have been instrumental in supporting me on the AT and obviously in life. A man's ambitions and accomplishments are always driven by strong women in his life.

I want to also say Happy Mother's Day to Mrs. Mabry, Mrs. Fuchs Adams sister Sarah, And both Mrs. Thomas's Matts mom and Wife.

These amazing women I have come to know and respect greatly, you have been instrumental in molding and supporting the people who mean the most to me, and with out them I would not be the man I am today!

Love u all Chris( Nomad )

Sent from my iPhone

On Our Way To Hotsprings, North Carolina

We are back, lack of reception makes it hard to up date on time. 3 weeks down, 300 miles hiked. Long distance miles have been accumulating between 15-20 miles each day. There are no such thing as easy days, even the short ones are hard, so we have just accepted it. Hills are kind to the knees, shins and feet, but murder on the calves , quads and buns! Down hills are just down right murder on everything, so I have resorted to wearing knee braces so I can one day play with my children later in life, and not leave my knees on the AT. Koda is back , I think she may have got out of shape a little while on vacation, but she will be up to speed in no time.

Now look closely at what I'm about to tell you, roots are slippery! Lol thats all i'm gonna say about that. And when it rains you might confuse us with either 12 year old girls or 90 year old women I haven't decided which better suites us yet, due to the amount of complaining that's associated. I have determined that Adam is of Eskimo heritage for his ability to sleep without heat, while me on the other hand will probably still be wearing a beanie on summer nights.
No matter how great our endurance is every day is hard in it's own way at some point, and the longer distances we hike the more I feel like it's a right of passage. it's not often that you can admit that you have walked 20 miles in one direction over mountain tops; we are fortunate to have that ability, especially since some people would be happy with half of what we have. GOD knows I don't for one second take what he has given me for granted.
God Speed to all the soul searchers on the AT
Nomad

                                                                     Adam & Koda

                                                         

                                                                 Koda Looking Beautiful

Nomad Checking In

                                                     Nomad - "Face of Pain after 40 Minute Uphill"

                                                                  Nomad & Adam

Look Out Tower- Fontana Dam

We are ending our second week on the AT and we are finally starting to show our fitness levels with finishing this week with 100miles. Adam is definitely a stronger hiker than me ; I assume because he has lived in Colorado for the past year which enables him to climb like a freaking mountain goat, but I am slowly catching up and getting faster. Most of the soreness only lingers overnight then I'm strong again. We climbed a few tough mountains one of them embraced us with 8 miles of uphill, which Adam admitted was the hardest 8 miles of his life and I agree was hands down the hardest of mine. He even admitted he was sore after; which brought a smile to my face, because until that moment nothing seemed to affect him lol.

We are both surprised at the resilience of some hikers who are not on the fitness level of even myself , but they all drive on like warriors some slow; some faster.

This past week I can honestly say that on two occasions i was as cold as I have ever been in a sleeping bag, when the temp dipped below 30degrees, miserable isn't the word for it, coda was even shivering and she is made of fur! A funny thing happen early one morning, coda decided she was gonna chase after a deer. It took Adam every bit of 30 minutes to track her down, and when he did there she was disheveled , dirty her pack turned upside down and as happy as could be. Adam was pissed, but I felt bad for her being on punishment ; she only did what came natural when chasing after a four legged creature much like we humans chase after two legged ones - if u get what I'm saying lolol. She is strong much like her human it's really heart warming to see the two of them together. Now she is on a much needed down time at a kennel till we finish the Smokey Mountains

( dogs are not allowed at state parks) we will see her soon.
I have noticed that lately we get hungry fast, even after breakfast and then can't wait to eat dinner ( at which I may add I am a field chef!!! )

Now we are at the Fontana Dam shelter, considered the Hilton with thru hikers because it sleeps 24, and has a shower and picnic benches over looking the lake.

 (Adam)

We are on our way to Gatlingburg, TN on Wednesday and Thursday which will be a zero hiking day for us.

Many more miles to hike and it is definitely what you make of it ; just like life in general. Gods speed to all the soul searchers on the Trail
- Nomad

Sent from my iPhone



We are in Gatlingburg, TN we have traveled 206 miles so far. We did are longest hike to date at 19miles yesterday, then another 11 to town. We are relaxing in a hotel for the next day, much needed rest since we were both at our limit today. We are officially in the Smoky Mountains! I have lost over 15 lbs so far and Adam about the same, we are pounding the protein to recover..
Stay tuned for great pictures !
-Nomad

Sent from my iPhone                (Pictures are above)