The Old Gray Goose heads to town for her Food Drops
The more town stops made, the less food (weight) one has to carry in the backpack.
When I started my hike March 28, 1992, I had way too much food scheduled for each drop and also had less drops than I should have figured.
When I got off the trail at Petites Gap VA on Sat. June 13, 1992 I had traveled approximately 740 miles from Springer.
My first scheduled drop was only 20 miles down the trail at Suches, GA... As it turned out I needed none of this food drop so some was sent home and then enough ahead to Hiawassee, total of 66 miles on the trail, for my first actual "town stop" . I stopped at Neels Gap to have my pack weight reduced etc. whew!
list of my food drops-town stops.
April 6, Hiawassee 66.8 mile from Springer Mt.GA
April 10, Franklin NC 106.7 mi. " "
April 13, Wesser NC 134.1 mi. " "
April 16, Fontana Dam NC 161.m from Springer Mt.GA
April 27 and 28, Hot Springs NC 105 mi. from Fontana Dam NC
April 30, Ice Cream stop at Allen Gap NC/TN state line store 120.6 mi. from Fontana Dam NC
May 5, Erwin TN, Nolichucky River Campground 172.6 mi. from Fontana Dam
May 6 and 7, snow storm. Stayed two nights at Cherry Gap shelter, 187.7 from Fontana Dam.
Iron Mountain Gap TN 190.4 mi from Fontana Dam. Got off Trail because of snow.
down time at Damascus VA
May 11 thru 15 "slackpacked" area from Iron Mt.Gap to Damascus VA.
Week-end, Bill in Damascus for TRAIL DAYS celebration
May 21, Slackpack southbound from Elk Garden, Va 600 back to Damascus VA
Started out again May 22, from Elk Garden
May 28, Bastian VA 120.7 mi. from Damascus VA
June 1, Pearisburg VA 162.3 mi. from Damascus VA
June 6, slackpacked from Trout Creek, VA 620 over Dragons Tooth to Va. 624. Spent night with "Trail Angels"
June 9, Cloverdale VA 252.8 mi from Damascus
GOT OFF June 13, 1992 -Blue Ridge Parkway, mile 71.0.at Petities Gap VA. Total mi. abt. 740 miles from Springer Mt..
After going home and "regrouping" I decided I would restart the trail in 1993 a few days earlier than I had gotten off. Figuring I would be hiking "up to speed" when the 1993 ThruHikers who started this year March 28th caught up to me and I would be able to stay with them thru the rest of the trail. This way I would be pretty much experiencing a thruhike even though it was really my "second section".
second section list of my food drops-town stops
Second beginning, March 30, 1993 Petites Gap, 84.1 miles to Rockfish Gap, Waynesboro, VA where my bestest buddy from FL would join me to hike thru Shenandoah National Park to Harpers Ferry W.VA
June 4, 1993, Montebello VA (pouring down rain!) 36.4 mi to Rockfish Gap
"7, Rusty's Hardtime Hollow, about 18 mi from Rockfish Gap, June 8, Slackpacked to Rockfish Gap-Waynesboro VA.
"14,Linden VA Tot.miles from Petite Gap, 199.6mi
"17, Harpers Ferry, WVA, 244.9 mi. Spent a couple days family visit here.
July 1, Hostel, Pine Grove Furnace State Park
"3, Boiling Springs PA 341.7 mi.
" 5 and 6, Duncannon PA 368.6 mi. Home of the infamous Doyle Hotel!
"10, Port Clinton PA 437.3 mi.
"17, Delaware Water Gap PA 515.8mi.
"24, RPH Cabin, Hopewell NY 653.2
"27,Kent CONN 690.3 mi.
Billy and Maggie spirited me away, trail magic !
August 3,Tyringham MA 786.1
"5, Cheshire MA 821.9 mi.
"11, Manchester Center, VT 893.2 mi.
"20, West Hartford VT 975.8
stopped in Hanover NH, Dartmouth College for maildrop of winter clothes, no food.
"24, Glencliff NH 1028.0 mi.. Start the Presidentials, mostly above treeline in the Whites.
The Old Gray Goose heads to town for her Food Drops