AT pathway to the schoolhouse

Lindamood School

  School Built 1894

Settler's Museum **Closed**  (Updated with pictures taken when season opened, see end of 2021)

Our first shelter stop for lunch (Chatfield Memorial) & privy

Walker Mountain View

Are we really here?!

First campsite & sunset

Partnership Shelter - Taj Mahal - Pizza Delivery for those that stay

Rye Valley View

What a view! 

So warm out ... how quickly that will change! 

Motivation! Keep Going!  

FROG's dream come true! 

C'mon, I'm ready! 

Adventure Awaits!

Trimpi Shelter after 

What a day!

Hurricane Shelter with "Texas"

I'm obsessed ...

with rivers!

The Scales

Our first glimpse of a wild pony - his butt end

Hey, FROG! 

The best campsite! 

Next to a bubbling river

HOBO GOING SOBO! 

An awesome view!

Fatman's Squeeze

Siesta Snooze

500 mile marker. We've gone 45 miles!

Thomas Knob Shelter, where wild ponies like to hang out

Our last glimpse of the wild ponies

The beautiful views never end

Am I falling sideways?

Picture worthy - a spring; no filter needed

Buzzard Rock

Is this a successful selfie?

Wonder where those electrical wires go?

Virginia Creeper Trail

Such beauty

and peaceful moments

beside the VCT

Trail Town: Damascus

Mail Resupply from Ryan's family

Our first trail town visit

Damascus, VA

Our last glimpse of Damascus as we're leaving

State Line - TN/VA

This is an old stone fence>

Cross Mountain, iconic barn just before TN91

Cross Mountain View

Rabbit Hole in Shady Valley

Worthy of a second view - A MUCH NEEDED OUTSIDE SHOWER!! 

AT symbol proudly etched in fallen tree

Gravesite of Nick Grindstaff

This looks like a pose

One of the beautiful views

Is that water way down there?

Not such a bad selfie

Morning Sunrise was breathtaking! 

A path through the rhododendroms

A bridge over troubled waters

Actually, they're pretty calm waters - a great water source!

That water is cold!!

The hike goes faster when walking next to water

Boots Off Campsite on a slant.  Great night's sleep! 

Getting closer to Watauga Lake

Watauga Lake

We probably took a rest here

The walk to the damn of Watuga Lake

Watauga Dam

Laurel Fork Falls

Laurel Fork Falls

The Hershey's (Blue) Kiss

Don't go the wrong way, stay south

Black Bear Resort - our stay at "Hollywood"

The HOBOS Future Home?

What are you waiting for?  

Many beautiful views

FROG leaping over rocks

Mountaineer Falls

Jones Falls

400 mile marker, we've gone 145 miles!

407 miles to go! 

Soooo cold! Just trying to stay warm

Ok, that's just creepy! LOL

Upper Laurel Fork

Two white blazes: Change of direction coming up

Mountain Harbour Hostel

Food truck and gourmet breakfast - THE BEST EVER!! 

Welcome to NC!  For those travelling north, they are leaving NC

Houston Ridge

The hills are alive

Just can't get enough

of the views! 

Top of Little Bald

We made it! 

Bradley Gap

Overmountain Shelter - has since been demolished

Queen's Throne - Privy with a view!

Only one of SEVERAL uphill climbs. This is tame compared to some!

A hiker's companion

The leaves aren't out yet

Is someone taking a break?

And the skies are cloudy some days

The hills go on forever

I believe that there is ...

a road down there

Jane Bald

Where did the house go?

HYOH: Hike Your Own Hike at Greasy Creek Friendly - What an adventure to have gotten here!! 

Trail Magic!! The best bratwurst sandwiches ever after a disastrous night! 

The views left us speechless

One of 250 lean-tos

My Hero! 

Is there water down there?

Standing on top of the world

D's baby boy, Adolf buried here.  No worries ... it's her dog

A town off in the distance

"Yoga girl" balancing on tree log - AMAZING! 

Hiker Feed put on by local churches in Erwin, TN.  So much food!!! 

Big Jiggle Butt!

Had to be there to find the humor

Our trail angel, Sandi

Gotta love those flat smooth paths

Shelter with sections for hikers

Big Bald

AT has proudly become our "home"

Nature's Inn Hostel

Hog Back Ridge Shelter

The windy Appalachian Trail

One of the many white blazes to mark the trail

We passed some very old cemeteries

RIP Joe Riddel

One of our water sources

Not photoshopped or staged. Looks like a cross with nail beside it

The hills go on forever

Yea, another staged moment

Beautiful view

Beautiful wife

The selfies still aren't great

Stairway to Heaven

Moye Rest

Everyone gets a free ride

Shelton Graves

Gravesite from the Civil War

We passed many old gravesites

Here is another one

RIP Howard Bassette

300 mile marker  We've gone 245 miles!

Due to a bad rainstorm, we took the bad weather trail to avoid a steep, wet climb

Field of triliums

Iron Horse Station, Hot Springs, NC

Oh dear! Ring around the tub - Best to take a shower first, then a bath after several days of hiking

A nice, comfy bed

Mural at Smoky Mountain Diner in Hot Springs

This part of the mural brought tears to my eyes realizing we are halfway to the finish line in Georgia

Resupply from Miranda and family

The colonial pipeline was highjacked during our hike

NO gas!!!!

The iconic caboose in Hot Springs, NC

Hot Springs Mineral Bath! What a treat!!

A little local history

A plaque for the Appalachian Trail

More grave markers...

along the Appalachian Trail

In Memory of Deb C. who fought a courageous fight of breast cancer

King of the Hill

Maxpatch

One of the most beautiful spots so far on the AT

Even the sparrows can't get enough of the views! 

Ahhhhhh!

This sends out directional signals for aircraft

A form of entertainment

Another form of entertainment

Submitting our permit to hike in the Smoky Mountains

Hartford, TN to Gatlinburg, TN in record time thanks to our "nascar" driver

Has anyone ever figured out their bus system?  Have to have color and direction right to get where you're going.

A church in-between a bar and a CBD store. Just thought that very odd and unusual. Maybe to go and repent for going to the other two places?

Sheila & Randy have arrived. Spent our first day just relaxing in a nearby park and what should stroll through ... a bear! Our first sighting, but thankful it wasn't on the AT. 

Cades Cove with Sheila & Randy

11 mile self-drive tour - visited churches

And homes in the area

And of course, a grave yard.  First settlers of Cades Cove

We spotted 5 bears as we toured around the cove, most were far off the road, this one right next to it

The views were so beautiful

and magnificient!

That black blob is another bear 

Slackpack Day from Clingmans Dome to Newfound Gap.

"Old School" Hiker (our name for him)

Mike, our entertaining shuttle driver

State Line at Newfound Gap

Our Journey through the Smokies

The views are awesome

Frog looks very serious

Another awesome view

The beautiful views...

...go on and on

Is Faith resting or trying to get through those rocks?

Right before FROG fell and rolled back down; thankfully he wasn't hurt

Are you coming?

Gotta love a shelter with a fireplace

And a loft!

Fontana Lake in the distance

Seems like Faith rests a lot

Maybe to take in

such beautiful

views! 

Our first view of Fontana Lake close up

Fontana Lake

Fontana Dam

It is a long walk across the dam

Fontana Lake

We made it to Fontana Dam. We are out of the Smoky Mountains.

There is nothing like a refreshing cold, bubbly soda to finish a day's hike at the marina.

Look what was waiting for us when we arrived in Fontana Dam.  Thank you so much trail angels, Tracy & Walt! 

Billy Goat Gruff Memorial Bridge

And this is it! 

We have 200 more miles, we've gone 345 miles! 

The views continue to be magnificent

Another WOW moment

Goodbye Fontana Dam

Fantastic

 We think they are power lines

It must be a trail angel?

An outhouse with a door!!!

Those electrical wires must go somewhere?

We met this guy and he started from Key West, FL on January 1

Stecoah Gap

Did we walk through there??

Some days were cloudy

But still incredible

More beautiful views

A classic trail picture

Wade A Sutton Memorial

The rhododendrons are out

Nantahala Outdoor Center

The river running through NOC

Entertained by the kayakers

Paddling through the gates

NOC

Church Service at NOC

Check out our view! 

The fog and clouds

The fog...

just keeps...

rolling and rolling...

and rolling on

...and on

Tree Roots that look like "AT"

Rocky Bald & View

One of many painted stones we saw on the trail

Wayah Bald

The view from Wayah Bald

Siler Bald

A beautiful water fall

Albert Mountain 

An Appalachian Trail mile marker

100 miles to go - we've gone 445 miles! 

We have to go up again?

This is beautiful

The clouds roll in

Yes, GOD made that

Etc.

Carter Gap - Bear Sightings the day before we arrived

Don't even get me started on the name of this trail! 

NC/GA State Line

Dick's Creek Gap

Directional Signs at Around the Bend Hostel

Our cabin at "Around the Bend" Hostel

Hiawassee, Georgia

Our compromise, the tent inside the shelter

Tray Mountain

Looking up at Tray Mountain

Swag of the Blue Ridge

Helen, Georgia

Our OBOZ

We think that is the path

Hey, look this way

FROG, the King of the Mountain

Hogben Gap

Snail spotti

The mountain views never get boring

Infamous Neels Gap

Neels Gap

Mountain Crossings

Patches!! 

Misty Mountain

Preachers Rock/Big Cedar Ledges

Views from Preachers Rock

Such

magestic

views!

An interesting read on Blood Mountain

Blood Mountain Shelter

Would be a great place to settle for the night if it was raining

The view on top of Blood Mountain

Views from behind shelter

Not as crowded with people and just as beautiful

And that's how you cool off in Justus Creek!

View at Woody Gap

What a beautiful day to enjoy the splendid view! 

Another climb up? Who said Georgia was flat?

Above the Clouds Hostel

Nimrod and Lucky

Long Creek Falls

Sooo close now! 

Almost There!

The iconic sign to start or finish your hike on the AT

WE MADE IT!! 545 MILES!! 

View on top of Springer Mountain

We were not "defeeted"

Southern Terminus marker on the AT

Start of the Approach Trail to Amicalola Falls State Park

Nimblewill Gap, reminds us  "Nimblewill", the oldest man to hike the AT

Another grave

8.5 miles to the arch

Just over this bridge and

We're Here!

Map within the park

View from Amicalola Falls Lodge

The Georgia hills

The top of the falls

That's a lot of steps!

Amicalola Falls

Absolutely stunning!

Highly recommend visiting this state park in Georgia

The HOBOS

Iconic Sign by the Iconic Arch

The Finish Line

A very emotional finish!!

Faith may not have lost much weight but she did gain some arm muscle

WOOHOO!! 

Whoa! Check out the muscles on that man!

Grizzly Adams

The sunset on our last day