March 15 and March 16 - Long Branch Shelter to Winding Stair Gap and Franklin, NC

Woke up early and decided to begin packing up. Since my tent was down lower and away from the shelter and other tents, I knew it would not disturb anyone. Even though I don't have much to pack up, it still takes time.  I'm working on speeding up the process but I have quite a ways to go to get it under an hour !  The shelter had a privy and that makes the morning a little nicer.

Noticed that Woodman was packing up too and decided to see if I could pack up and hike out with him.  Dreamer and Socks have a nice routine in the morning. With two people packing up, they seem to have more leisure time. I noticed that they even have time for a warm cup of something and breakfast before they hike out.  I usually just put a protein bar in my pocket and eat it after I begin hiking; that's my breakfast.  I drink water along with it ... yummy !

I try to pay attention when turning into a shelter area for the night in order to determine what direction the trail leads for the next morning. I wear a rubber Army bracelet and when I remember, I transfer it the left wrist if I have turned left onto the shelter trail. So, then the next morning, I know to turn left to head North for the day.  

However, this shelter trail seemed different.  I was behind Woodman and he hiked straight ahead up the trail. I remember Dreamer said we had two downs and an up for the day so I asked Woodman if he was sure that was the correct direction because it seemed the trail immediately headed up.  He got out his compass and then said he wasn't sure and my question had caused him to doubt. He hiked back down to the shelter area and asked and was told we needed to turn left. When he came back, he thanked me and said he probably would have hiked awhile before realizing he was going the wrong way.  If we had just turned left to see what the other direction looked like, we would have known immediately that we were headed the correct way because the trail was a stream and we had not walked in a stream as we entered the trail down to Long Branch Shelter. Woodman stated that perhaps North Carolina should consider rerouting the AT so that it did not travel down a stream bed !  He's from Tennessee.  Our day began with wet feet. 

Woodman as we approach Winding Stair Gap

Close the highway now where we hope to get a ride into Franklin

I first met Woodman at the Blueberry Patch Hostel. He's retired and loves living in the mountains of Tennessee.  As we came down to the highway after hiking 7.3 miles (a short day), we weren't sure which direction to head as we sought to hitch hike into Franklin. We called for the shuttle at the Budget Inn but the woman at the desk said he was picking up people at Rock Gap. We didn't know that was a shuttle point and we had hiked on for 3.7 miles to Winding Stair Gap. But that was OK because it was a nice day and we'd start at that point to head North when we went back to the trail. We saw two young women crossing the highway and coming up to their car so we asked them which direction to head to hitch hike into Franklin. They pointed the way and then offered us a ride to Franklin. Anna and Carmelita had come from Georgia to hike with friends for the day day. Their friends were thru-hikers. They had spent time in Franklin with their thru-hiker friends and were familiar with the Budget Inn. They gave us bananas to eat and we got in Anna's beautiful SUV (with our dirty shoes) and enjoyed sitting in a padded seat with a back to it.  Enjoyed a great conversation as we traveled the miles to Franklin (probably a 20-30 min. ride) - didn't expect it to be that far away.  I neglected to snap of picture of them but a BIG THANKS to Anna and Carmelita for the ride to Franklin. 

Woodman had a reservation at the Budget Inn but I did not. I asked if there was a room for me and she said yes. I had mailed a small box of food to be held at the Budget Inn and she had it for me. The original pick up was to be in February but they held it for me until I arrived in March.  Nice.  I went to my room and took a shower and put on clean clothes and then I did my laundry.  I ordered pizza and a salad from Vito's to be delivered and thoroughly enjoyed it when it arrived. After the shower, I moved from the smoking room to a no smoking room

Everything out of my pack and my food box on the little table - reorganization time !

and that was a relief for the nose but not so much from the noise of the highway. Still, it was great to have a room to myself and the bed was great !  I even had a little microwave and a small refrigerator. What a change from the quiet of the woods ...



 Took the late afternoon shuttle around Franklin and went to the outfitters. Purchased a compression sack for my sleeping gear. The original compression sack was heavier and I hoped to lighten my load a little. Went to a big Walmart and bought a block of Cabot Extra Sharp Cheddar to take with me on the trail and a bottle of Gatorade to drink in my room ... I think my body was craving electrolytes and it sure tasted good. A little snippet of Ron Haven as he drives the shuttle to take hikers around town for errands.



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Front to back - Dreamer and Socks, Me and Woodman and Silver Fox

Woodman was in the seniors' group that had dinner in Franklin at Logan's Roadhouse (I think that was the name of the restaurant); it was really close to the Budget Inn Motel.  He was hungry for a good burger and he ordered a dinner that included two huge hamburgers. They may have been over 1 lb. each and he ate every bite.  Then he ordered a milkshake for dessert !  I enjoyed an 8 oz. filet and huge baked potato slathered in butter and a roll; no room for dessert (my hiker appetite has not kicked in yet). I think Silver Fox had a steak. Dreamer and Socks had a huge steak (22 oz.), I think, and a huge burger on a combo dinner and a salad. Charlie had a nice dinner when they got back to the Budget Inn from left overs.  They had dessert too. It was a relaxing and fun dinner.  Writing this after the fact, it seems that may have been our first and last dinner together on the AT.  Woodman only spent one night at the Budget Inn and took the shuttle back to the trail a day ahead of me. It was a beautiful day to hike and I expect he made good time to whatever spot he chose for the night. The rest us spent a zero day in Franklin. The next morning Silver Fox and I walked to what we thought was a restaurant open for breakfast but it was closed. I went back to my room and ate left over pizza and Gatorade; he walked on to McDonald's.  Silver Fox and I were on the same packed shuttle to Winding Stair Gap and I don't know where he is now.  Dreamer, Socks, and Charlie stayed behind at the Budget Inn in Franklin because she was having knee issues. They remained there almost one week, I think, but are back on the trail as I type this today (3/29/13) and I wish them well. I don't know if I will see any of them again but if not, I enjoyed meeting them and their company for the few days we spent together on the trail.

Saturday, March 16, was just a lazy/restful zero day at the Budget Inn.  It was a beautiful day weather wise - so warm and sunny and part of me regretted not returning to the trail to take advantage of this beautiful weather.  However, I wanted to attend Saturday night mass at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church and that pull was greater than the trail.  I asked the late afternoon shuttle driver to verify directions I had been given to walk to the church and he said "hop in, I'll take you there, eroute to dropping off the other hikers who were headed to the grocery and outfitter.  It probably would have been about a 1 mile walk to church which would have been easy considering there was a sidewalk and no Buddy on my back but I was grateful for the ride:




St. Francis of Assisi is a beautiful little church.  The sun was streaming down as I approached the drive way to walk up the little hill to the front door.

Of course, I had to take a pic of St. Francis near the front entry. We are blessed to have Franciscan Friars at St. Philip Benizi Church in Jonesboro, GA.  And our new Pope chose the name of Francis.
Father Tien Duong

Fr. Tien Duong is the Pastor. I chose a seat a few rows from the front on the right side and knelt down to give thanks that God had allowed me to get to Franklin in time for mass. Fr. Tien gave thanks for our new Pope who chose the name Francis and offered these words: " We have a new Pope: Francis! Let us join the voice of all the faithful Catholics around the world to say thanks to our Good and Eternal Shepherd Jesus Christ who never abandons His Church. Let us also embrace our new Pope Francis—the Vicar of Christ on earth, love him and express our obedience to him."

After receiving communion, tears started to roll down my face. I thought about all the Masses we have attended all over the world (because of G-4's military service) BUT this church was special. I had WALKED to it from another state. I walked through Georgia on the Appalachian Trail into North Carolina ... what a blessing to have the health and strength; what a blessing to receive Jesus in the Eucharist with the family of St. Francis of Assisi. The woman next to me patted my back when she noticed I was wiping away the silent tears. I leaned over and whispered that I had walked the trail from Georgia to North Carolina and was so happy to be here at this Mass.

After mass I had a little conversation with the woman next to me at Mass. We walked out to the parking lot and I asked for her prayers. I also asked if the street in front would take me to Ingles because that's where I would turn to go back to the motel. I started walking; they pulled up and offered me a ride and brought me back. They also offered to take me to the restaurant for the seniors were having dinner but I was not sure of the restaurant name. My sore foot was spared the extra miles. Thank you to Connie & Tim Blackburn for the ride back to the Budget Inn. They promised to pray for me too and I am most grateful for all those who pray for me. 

Now for dinner... While I was in the parking lot of the Budget Inn, Donny, a young man from NYC who I first met at the Blueberry Patch Hostel came out of his room and I asked if he would like to join me for dinner at McDonald's. He said he'd walk with me but had food in his room to eat. Donny is one of eight children (I hope I got that fact correct) from a devout Jewish family. I told him devout Catholic families often times had large families. He talked about his family traditions and worship and I shared some of my story.  We had originally talked about faith at the Blueberry Patch Hostel. He asked me lots of questions and I prayed that God would give me words to answer Donny's questions.  Donny told me he is walking the Appalachian Trail to experience new things .... so I'm praying that God will reveal to Donny all the new things He desires for him. "See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland." Isaiah 43:19

Donny at Blueberry Patch Hostel

Donny is a young man and a good hiker. I expect he's quite a ways ahead of me now but if God desires it, we'll meet again somewhere down the trail. His parents should be very proud of him; he's a wonderful young man.