Appalachian Trail Loner #3 ON THE TRAIL 2012 Thru Hike

Please click “Show More” to read an excerpt from my book ‘Painted Blazes’ Hiking the Appalachian trail with Loner. Available on Amazon…

I hope it entertains, educates, and encourages people to hike! Please enjoy, like, sub, share, and spread the word!

Begin excerpt:

Hiking from dawn to dusk, I struggled to complete a day over 15-miles by the end of the first week. Even this distance isn’t recommended for beginners, and I was lucky not to have injured myself. My calves were sore the first couple of evenings, then my knees; later, my ankles. But these pains were never so great that they couldn’t be fixed with a good night’s rest, and I woke up each morning rejuvenated and ready to go again.

Spring had yet to take hold and the magical “green tunnel” I had read about was actually grey and barren. Skeleton arms of rhododendron and mountain laurel branches reached above, creating a narrow passageway. I also snuck past a log that, if you used your imagination, looked like an alligator’s head with eyes and a long snout, waiting in the brush to attack the next person to walk by!

Temps were chilly in early April - in the low 30°s, so I wore most of my layers of clothing to stay warm. On a clear day, Gooch Gap had faraway views of the Atlanta skyline. Grey shadows of giant skyscrapers, resembling dominoes, stood in a row, waiting to be pushed over with a brush of the hand.

Wearing a big cowboy hat, Lone Star was a smiling Spanish fellow from Texas. After initial introductions, he asked if we could walk together for a while, and I agreed. Honestly, I didn’t know what to expect, having never hiked with anyone before. After all, I was a loner, but enjoyed his company. Also, both of us were interested in learning about Native Americans and took time to explore several stone overhangs that could have been used as primitive shelters.

Back home, Lone Star was a professional marathon runner and alternated between wearing his dayglow-colored, spandex racing suit, covered in sponsor logos, and another outfit consisting of a work shirt and khaki pants with lots of pockets. New to hiking, his huge backpack must have weighed at least 50 pounds. Friends and neighbors from his hometown had donated a lot of the equipment for his hike - most of it bulky and heavy. He even carried a full-size, old school 35mm camera, its case, multiple lenses and enough film and batteries to last the entire trip! Lone Star explained that he brought this rig along because it took great pictures, and, it was all he had. Even with the hefty weight penalty, he was a very strong hiker. End excerpt.

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Keep checking back to the Loner channel for new videos featuring extra bonus "Lost Footage" from my thru-hike series - never seen before!

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