May 1, 2004
Slackpacking ahead
Dad called yesterday and today, and I missed him both times. 
They camped about 2 miles north of Spring Mountain Shelter1 on the night of the 28th, and hiked yesterday (29th) from there to about 5 miles beyond Jerry Cabin Shelter2 (possibly near Flint Mountain Shelter3). Today they hiked to Sams Gap4, at which point they hitched a ride into Erwin, TN5.
Tomorrow, they will be slack-packing from Erwin back to Sams Gap, a distance of 24.5 miles, and on Sunday they'll slack-pack again to an as yet undetermined north-bound location.
| Day | Miles | |
|---|---|---|
| April 28 | 28 | 12.3 miles |
| 29 | 19.2 miles | |
| 30 | 12 miles | |
| May 1 | 31 | 24.5 miles (projected) |
References
1 Spring Mountain Shelter (3300 ft.) 281.2 miles
2 Jerry Cabin Shelter (4150 ft.) 296.4 miles
3 Flint Mountain Shelter (3570 ft.) 302.4 miles
4 Sams Gap, NC - US23 - 314.4 miles.
5 Erwin, TN, and the Nolichucky River, 338.9 miles.
Comments
Mike & Ruth
Just checked the map and it looks like you will be more than 100 miles from the intersection of interstate 77 and the trail.
We wish you both continued success on your treck. Be safe, and you'll be in our prayers.
Jim & Jane
Jim & Jane, I'm sooo sorry we had forgotten all about trying to meet up with you two. We had gotten totally engrossed with the idea of slack-packing that it escaped my brain completely.
Hope you have a fun vacation.!!
It was great to see you!
Love
The BIG 'ZERO' day at last...!!
We are here at Laurel Fork Campground. What a wonderful place to hang...!! We will be slack-packing into Damascus from here which will take 3 days. That is just over the Virginia border. The weather is awesome. Tommorrow we will probably get to go swimming along the trail even.!!!! The wildflowers are truly amazing..!
I've taken alot of pictures of them to try to show just how many different kinds and the mass amounts of them that there are. The colors in the woods are really changing now, too. Much greener and thicker. Unfortuately, the pictures still can't capture what we see. The views are extreme and expansive. And really they don't all look alike, like some of my pictures do..!
Thanks to all for supporting us and keeping up with us...and the Schnabels for sending me Wally..!! and of course everything else that they do for us too...!!!XOXOXOXOXO
Yes, we are having great times, and yes there is a lot of hard work involved too. But I think I'll stay out here awhile longer....
Hope everyone is healthy
Love Ruth