Join us for Yoga and Paddling at Big Foot Beach State Park.  Tuesdays in July we’ve partnered with Wendy Yanke of Indigo Yoga for this four week session.  Cost is $100 or drop in for $30 a class.  Classes will begin with an hour of yoga followed by an instructional sunset paddle.  See why the sunsets at Big Foot Beach have been rated the best of Wisconsin!  July 8, 15, 22, 29.  6:00-8:30pm.  Call Laura Hering at the store 262-348-2420.

Join us for Yoga and Paddling at Big Foot Beach State Park.  Tuesdays in July we’ve partnered with Wendy Yanke of Indigo Yoga for this four week session.  Cost is $100 or drop in for $30 a class.  Classes will begin with an hour of yoga followed by an instructional sunset paddle.  See why the sunsets at Big Foot Beach have been rated the best of Wisconsin!  July 8, 15, 22, 29.  6:00-8:30pm.  Call Laura Hering at the store 262-348-2420.

Join us for Yoga and Paddling at Big Foot Beach State Park.  Tuesdays in July we’ve partnered with Wendy Yanke of Indigo Yoga for this four week session.  Cost is $100 or drop in for $30 a class.  Classes will begin with an hour of yoga followed by an instructional sunset paddle.  See why the sunsets at Big Foot Beach have been rated the best of Wisconsin!  July 8, 15, 22, 29.  6:00-8:30pm.  Call Laura Hering at the store 262-348-2420.

Join us for Yoga and Paddling at Big Foot Beach State Park.  Tuesdays in July we’ve partnered with Wendy Yanke of Indigo Yoga for this four week session.  Cost is $100 or drop in for $30 a class.  Classes will begin with an hour of yoga followed by an instructional sunset paddle.  See why the sunsets at Big Foot Beach have been rated the best of Wisconsin!  July 8, 15, 22, 29.  6:00-8:30pm.  Call Laura Hering at the store 262-348-2420.

Has spring fever got you wondering how you’ll be spending those endless summer days?  On Saturday, July 19 join Clear Water Outdoor’s ACA Certified Instructors and learn the fundamentals of kayaking and water safety.  This four hour class will be held at Big Foot Beach State Park from 8am - noon.  Topics covered include gear, safety, paddling strokes and basic rescues.  Cost is $90 and includes equipment rental.  Space is limited.  For more information, call Laura Hering at the store, 262-348-2420.

Has spring fever got you wondering how you’ll be spending those endless summer days?  On Saturday, July 19 join Clear Water Outdoor’s ACA Certified Instructors and learn the fundamentals of kayaking and water safety.  This four hour class will be held at Big Foot Beach State Park from 8am - noon.  Topics covered include gear, safety, paddling strokes and basic rescues.  Cost is $90 and includes equipment rental.  Space is limited.  For more information, call Laura Hering at the store, 262-348-2420.

Has spring fever got you wondering how you’ll be spending those endless summer days?  On Saturday, July 19 join Clear Water Outdoor’s ACA Certified Instructors and learn the fundamentals of kayaking and water safety.  This four hour class will be held at Big Foot Beach State Park from 8am - noon.  Topics covered include gear, safety, paddling strokes and basic rescues.  Cost is $90 and includes equipment rental.  Space is limited.  For more information, call Laura Hering at the store, 262-348-2420.

Hello!

Just making a brief resupply stop in Franklin, NC.  A new state!  It has been raining quite a bit these last few days.  There were some good thunderstorms yesterday.  I climbed Albert Mt. after the storm settled down a bit and the view was awesome.  I could see all the fog down below nestled inbetween the mountains.  It was one of the first really nice vistas.  I was using an umbrella and a poncho for rain protection but decided to send them home in exchange for my rain gear.  The umbrella should work better when it gets warmer.  Thanks to my parents I will be picking up a package today at the outfitter.  The knee pain has spread to my other knee so I’m limping down the trail with two braces (visualize Forest Gump).  I’m on a strict diet of advil (hikers ice-pack) and glucosamine so hopefully that’ll do the trick.  I’ve also cut the miles way down and decreased my pace.  There was a hiker party in Franklin last night and I caught up with some people that I hiked with last week.  They filled me in on a large number of people that have already left the trail do to various injuries.  I feel lucky that I’m still here!  It is like American Idol out here, somebody gets sent home every week!  I’m just going a day at a time and trying not to get eliminated. 

When I’m hiking I have been hearing this strange thumping sound that starts really slow and then speeds up.  Turns out it is the mating ritual of a grouse.  They stand on a hollow log and beat their wings to attract a mate.  At least that is what I heard out here (if anyone knows more about this let me know).  There are also alot of wood peckers and owls.  I haven’t seen too many other animals out here yet.  Maybe when I start stinking more like the woods they will come around me!

For those of you in Eau Claire, I got word that Ian and Christina are about a week ahead of me, hopefully I’ll catch them sometime soon!

Sorry Jake, Joe, and Caitlin, not too many wild flowers yet.  Well, maybe one or two…I might try to attach a picture.  Definately more to come!  Hikers would kill for a Klements sausage out here!

Don’t worry Peter I don’t think you offended anyone…(what happens on spring break stays on spring break)

Also, I noticed the format on this site has changed and the pictures are showing up really huge.  I don’t know what to do about that! Any tips? Bill? (is bill on vacation?)

Thanks for all the comments! I love reading them!

-Colby

Hello from Hiawassee, GA,

Thanks to everyone for the comments.  It’s great to hear from you!

It seems like I have been out here for a lifetime already.  I have met so many people and gone through so many places.  What a trip!  Here is a brief summary…  My dad and I spent a cold night on Springer Mt., and the next morning we decided to start hiking before eating breakfast just to stay warm.  He walked one way and I walked the other.  That was the moment when it really hit me, I’m going to be out here alone for a long time.  It was exciting and sad at the same time.  From there I hiked a couple long days and met some great people (Moss, Hamburgler, Pippy, BigFoot, Shadow Cast, Tangent, Willow, Gentleman Jack, WalkieTalkie, Wolf, Little Philly, Cat Woman, GrassHopper, Sharkey, Hot Wheels, Shutter Bug, Cyclops, just to name a few).  In case you are wondering, my trail name is now Colby because I was carrying a 1 pound block of colby cheese for the first week (hey, what do you expect from a WI native).  All was going well until a storm hit last thursday.  I hiked all day in a hard rain and thick fog.  I was up pretty high where the fog, wind, and rain all combined to make a pretty nasty storm.  At this point I was not enjoying myself.  I was wet head to toe, alone, my knee was getting sore and then, of course, I lost the trail in the fog.  There was a hard switchback that was poorly marked and I totally missed it.  I hiked for maybe half a mile before I realized I hadn’t seen any blazes (trail markers) for a while.  I backtracked and ended up finding some other confused hikers and we found the trail together.  It was pretty miserable for a while there but soon after the storm cleared and we were at a shelter eating dinner and telling jokes!  Like Sharkey says: “Whenever things get bad on the trail, just give it a little while and they will always get better”!  Other than that day the weather has been good, a little chilly at night, but good.

I’m in Hiawassee, GA nursing a sore knee.  I am staying at a little Inn owned by two men (they are partners).  It is great.  They cook a “continental” breakfast every morning in their kitchen and all the hikers eat right in their living room.  It’s hillarious!  They even let me borrow the van and take everyone to dinner at an AYCE (all you can eat) steak house.  Anyway, I knew that I should have taken it easy those first few days.  The mountains here are steep and rocky and the trail goes up and down, there aren’t many switchbacks.  I felf good though, and pushed it too hard.  A couple days ago my knee was pretty swollen and hurting on the down hills.  I’m resting it here and hoping for the best.  It is clear to me now that completing this trail has nothing to do with speed or miles, it’s survival.  The mental and physical challenges have knocked a bunch of people off the trail already.  The key is to eliminate any stress on your body or mind.  So, even though I want to be hiking really bad I’m going to bite the bullet and rest me knee.  As they say out here, “You have to hike your own hike.” 

On my next post I will include a gear list and maybe a description of a typical day, but for now I will just answer some questions (before I get kicked off the computer).  At night I am usually so tired that after dinner I have just enough energy to write in my journal for a while (Thanks again Maria!  Everyone is jealous of my hand-made journal).  I am eating mostly oatmeal, pasta, nuts, and beef jerky.  I try to spice up the meals with dried fruit, sauces, and spices.  I cook everything in one little pot on a small alcohol stove made out of a coke can.  Everything tastes so good after a day on the trail!  I just finished my book and probably won’t carry one for a while, I haven’t been reading much.  I’m not carrying an ipod because I think it takes away from the experience.  Hikers with ipods don’t hear the nature sounds and are less likely to talk with other hikers.  I do see alot of them though.  I do have a camera and I should be able to post some pictures soon.  Sorry that was so brief but my time is up!  Thank you so much for your interest and support!

Talk to y’all soon!

mike

Hello!

Thanks to everyone who has posted so far!  It’s great to hear from you and have your support.  There has been some confusion about where to post comments.  This is what I think will work the best: Please post your comment on the most recent blog entry (the one at the top of the page, they are also dated), this way when I check the comments all of the new ones will be together. 

My dad and I are staying in a hotel in Chattanooga, TN tonight.  We had planned to be on the trail today but because of thunderstorms, high winds, hail, and possible tornadoes we decided to wait until tomorrow.  I know what you’re thinking, “Well, you better get used to that weather Mike because there will be plenty more once you are out on the trail.”  This is true.  However, I had planned to hike with my dad 9 miles to the top of Amicalola Falls on Springer Mt. where the trail begins.  If I were hiking alone I would probably opt to stay at lower elevation to avoid the high winds and lightning, continuing when the storm passed.  That would be pointless for us to do.  So, in the meantime we will be napping, sitting in the hot tub, watching the weather, and enjoying a couple beers with dinner.  Not a bad start to the trip!  Also, there has been a severe draught down here for a while and there were some concerns about many of the water sources on the trail.  Last night I saw on the news that because of all the recent rain many of the lake and rivers are nearing their normal levels!  So, bring it on.

Tomorrow the weather looks great and we will continue with our plan.  I am planning my first stop to be Helen, GA about 50 miles from the trail head on Springer.  Hopefully, I will have internet access to let you know how the first week went!

-mike                                   PLEASE COMMENT BELOW  ↓