trail fact: First solo thru-hiker. In 1948, Earl V. Shaffer became the first solo thru-hiker, walking the entire Trail from Georgia to Maine. He hiked again - this time from Maine to Georgia - in 1965. On his third thru-hike, in 1998, 50 years after his first hike, he became the oldest thru-hiker at age 79.

North Carolina / Tennessee

"I think that all good, right thinking people in this country are sick and tired of being told that all good, right thinking people in this country are fed up with being told that all good, right thinking people in this country are fed up with being sick and tired. I am certainly not, and I am sick and tired of being told that I am!"

Journal Entry 4.11.00
"14.5 miles today. We're at the Laurel Fork Shelter. A long, hard morning - lots of ups and downs. Tomorrow we have a hard day - 15.4 miles - not looking forward to that. We're hanging out with Perry at the shelter tonight. He's talking about ingrown toenails - gross! Sometimes the topics of conversation out here disgust me, like "powdering the donuts". I miss girl talk!"

Journal Entry 4.12.00
"5:30pm at the Vandeventer Shelter. 15.4 miles today. A killer hike up Pond "Flats" - I though I had died and gone to hiker hell. It just kept going up and up and up and up. 33.3 miles to Damascus and it's supposed to be all flat. Lots of people do it in one day but I'm not sure the ol' Gimpy can handle all these miles on the foot. Definitely looking forward to crossing into Virginia."

Journal Entry 4.13.00
"8pm at Abington Gap Shelter. 23.3 miles today. Rained ALL day. Ugh. But man am I glad to be here in my nice warm sleeping bag. Still thinking about ways to reduce weight... I'm going to unload one pair of socks, the titanium kettle, and one of my ditty bags. Anything to get the pack lighter. Can't wait to have a day off - it's been way overdue. Yes it will feel good to cross that state line tomorrow."

Journal Entry 4.14.00
"5pm at the Place Hostel in Damascus, VA. A $3 donation/night to stay in a full house with showers and a kitchen. I hiked 10 miles from the last shelter and crossed the TN / VA state line - awesome!! 454 miles down, 1700-some to go! "

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