Smokygirl's AT thruhike

“Smokygirl is thru hiking the AT southbound this year. I didn't see a thread about it so I started one. She just drop-ped me a line saying she was headed towrad Palmerton!
She is making great time and having the time of her life I bet.”

“Here is a link to her website:

http://www.footpounder.com/”

“Click on UNDERWAY: Appalachian Trail Thru-Hike
to read about KARM. It is the Knoxville Area Rescue Ministries that helps the homeless and needy in the Knoxville, TN area. She would appreciate any help we could give them.
last edited: 9/03/07 10:38:27 AM”

“Click on Update: Hello from the Appalachian Trail! to read about her journey.”

“thanks karo.....”

“Go Smokey!”

“We sure did miss you Tina! We had a party without you! See you next time I am there. Good luck on the trip girl!”

“i wonder if she ran into gforce”

“hello y'all!! I haven't seen gforce? met great folks so far tho. cb, I did gulf hagas. really not that great to trek off for, but glad to see it. in pa right now. thanks for posting karo! southbound. burnin' the ground. and I don't mean maybe!”

“Hey, Tina!
(just wanted to say 'Hey')”

“I'm starting at Front Royal and heading north for a week starting Sept. 15th.

Sure hope I get to see you !”

“stew. i think you would find it much more interesting to head south for a week. i found that stretch north of front royal to be kinda boring after shenandoah.

if you need a place to stay near front royal, terrapin station, just of the AT, is fantastic”

“Awesome Smokygirl...You Go Girl!!!”

“I still can't believe you're going Southbound! That's freakin' hardcore!! Good luck, hopefully getta see you next year at TrailDayz.”

“You go girl!”

“Party in the Smokies for smokeygirl???”

“I GOT TO HUG SMOKEYGIRL LAST NIGHT (Monday/Tuesday) AND THIS MORNING!!!

Nah...nah...nah...

Had my pic made with her...caught up with her at Blackburn AT Center and we taked for 2hrs during breakfast.

I'm hiking from Front Royal to Pen-Mar and figured I'd pass her along the way.

Woot!!!

I'll be back online next week and I'll post the pic.”

“stew, when you get to pen-mar, theres a great little pizza place in cascade, md. you gotta go. unfortuneately, the section of trail thru pen-mar park was one of the most littered, if not THE most, on the entire AT. It was despicable
last edited: 9/18/07 8:15:09 PM”

“Getting around Cascade, Md was a breeze! So many people were eager to help out with rides, one even asked before I stuck my thumb out. I made it into the post office to pick up some maps, and the clerk there was extremely friendly. She told me a story about a hiker who had attempted the 4 state challenge (Virginia/W. Virginia state line to Maryland/Pennsylvania state line, a distance of 43.1 miles, in 24 hrs or less). He had collapsed in the post office from exhaustion and not eating during the challenge. Someone had given him some food and water and he was off, because he wasn't quite to the finish
last edited: 9/18/07 8:12:58 PM”

“http://www.thebackpacker.com/pictures/pic/gyuta8f3xhx0m.php

Stew and Smokygirl at the Blackburn AT Center on Sept. 17th. I looked pretty bad after the rocky "rollercoaster", but felt great when I saw Tina.

:)”

“Congats...Lookin Svelte Yall!”

“Now I know who Stew is. When did ya change the name?”

“karo - for some reason I had a Spicoli flashack moment. "Hey, I know that dude."”

“Heh...last week was a very good one. The highlight was spending 2hrs last Tuesday morning talking with Smokygirl while I ate breakfast. She looks great and was in good spirits. She was preparing to meet her parents that day, and was going to spend a few days with them and take a break. Her parents were bringing her dog along so she was excited. Yes, she had her Tennessee Vols cowboy hat with her. ;)”

“I can't wait for her trip report.

With a little luck, the window will open for me in 2011 for a southbound attempt.”

“thats the blackburn center? i was thinking the blackburn center was something else”

“Yeah...the Blackburn AT Center is located about 10 miles south of Harpers Ferry. The hosts cooked supper for the hikers and provided coffee the next morning. Very nice couple and they had a cute baby too...excellent hosts.”

“yea, thats the place im thinking of. the picture just didnt look like what i remembered. i notice you guys have warm clothes on. i was there the first day of summer, and it was a very chilly morning then, too”

“I see Smokygirl is now through the Shen. NP - I had left some water at Blackrock Hut and when I came back for the empty jugs I saw a note in the register from Smokygirl thanking me for the water - sometimes the magic just works out right.”

“go smoky!
its your birthday!”

“That's awesome HOI...I did the Front Royal to Pen-Mar section last week and everything was dry as a bone. It was so dry that we eneded up slacking from Harpers Ferry to Pen-Mar.

You da man! I'm sure the hikers appreciated the H2O !

Go Smokygirl !”

“stew, did you go to that pizza place in cascade?”

“Nope, but I had a few suppers at the "Diner" (aka Gravy Bowl Restaurant) in Charles Town. Heh...”

“Hey Smoky I left ya a note at the Cloudland hostel in Roan mountain.Nice people and nice hostel.”

“Missed this before - sounds like a great hike. You go Smoky!”

“cloudland hostel- is that the one thats about a 5 minute walk off the trail, on 19E?”

“Yep, thats it.”

“Tell me she's hiking south.”

“Yep.”

“dont know who smokygirl is, but thats good karma for you, hawg.”

“I'm gonna do from Panorama to Harper's Ferry next week. How is the water situation along the trail in that area?”

“Pass Mtn. spring is dry
don't know about further north”

“Thanks,
We were going to spend Sunday night there, I'll have to check on the next water location or tote a lot of water.”

“A few weeks ago it was dry dry dry dry between Front Royal and Pen-Mar. Be careful and plan to cache water if you need to.”

“Hey HOI, I met a fella named JP at a wedding last Saturday. You know him? It never ceases to amaze me how small the backpacking world is.”

“panorama? wheres that?”

“did girlfriend ever finish?”

“Dk, I haven't heard from her in a while but she should be close. I had hoped to get up a group to meet her at Springer since we missed her thru the Smokies. I'm sure her family have been in contact with her, I'll try to drop her a line.”

“what was her start date? some time in june, eh?”