Bigger Days and Ferocious Animals (April 7-25, 2011)

"Approach the bears, do not be afraid. Offer them a treat." Anonymous, 9/19/10, Bearfence Hut

"The dominant primordial beast is strong in Mancub." Mancub, 5/13/11, Mt. Algo Shelter

Sensei at McAfee's Knob (April 18, 2011)

When you see a big river, you know a big climb is coming, Sensei says. The trail

The Cold (March 28, 2011 - April 6, 2011)

"It feels like I caught up with winter." Trail Blazer, 4/16/11, Rausch Gap Shelter

Overmountain Shelter (March 29, 2011)

At night it's cold. In the morning it's cold. That's understood. But now it's cold all day. I

Trail Legs (March 16-27, 2011)

"Always looking at the ground so I don't trip. I don't see anything but ground and now and then a newt, salamander or snake." LabRat, 5/30/10, Calf Mountain Shelter

"Deep in thought, walkin' the walk." Kimazoid, 4/23/11, Birch Run Shelter

Sensei (left) and Delaware Dave on Max's Patch (March 17, 2011)

After the Smokies we find our stride. It's not a real stride quite yet but it resembles

The Smokies (March 10-15, 2011)

"I still continue to be amazed that this is all free (so to speak) and how few people are on the trail excepting the thru-hiker. What a sham the billion dollar diet business is." Anonymous, 4/26/11, Eagle's Nest Shelter

The AT in the Smokies (March 4, 2011)

4 1/2 inches of precipitation hit the North Carolina mountains right before we entered the

Sharing the Trail with Friends (March 5-9, 2011)

"Suicidal hiked in the pouring rain. When I arrived there were tents everywhere and the shelter was full of boy scouts and their shit was everywhere so I layed <sic> down the law of the AT with their troop leaders." Suicidal, 4/10/11, Matt's Creek Shelter.

JT Hill on Top of a Bald (March 8, 2011)

The legend himself, Suicidal, had a meltdown over some teenage boys sleeping in a

Going to Town (February 26, 2011 - March 4, 2011)

"Stopped in for lunch after the most terrifying hitch ever with sidewalk surfers from Virginia Beach. Retreating to the safety of the woods." Dos XX, Jamie and Sloth-Dog, 7/2/10, John's Hollow Shelter

"A narrow victory as Landfill ate the 10 McDoubles and apple pie (4600+ calories) in the time allotted to claim victory...All it cost me was 12 hours of moaning on the grass by the YMCA, gasping for breath and praying for a merciful death." Landfill, 6/1/10, Calf Mountain Shelter

"I washed these clothes?" Little Foot, 6/13/10, Calf Mountain Shelter

Doing What I Do at the Laundromat (April 27, 2011)

Going into town usually requires hitch-hiking and hanging out at seedy places like Dollar

Trail Names (February 21 - 25, 2011)

"I should have made business cards with my trail name, hometown, hike specifics and occupation." Slowpoke and Peter Flakery, 6/25/2010, John's Hollow Shelter

Spam (left) and I (April 17, 2011)

Trail names are assigned to hikers for reasons unknown to me. I guess it gives the