Appalachian Trail: Days 11-20: Great Smoky Mountains to Hot Springs

The skinny: Day 11: Friday, April 17, 2026to tentsite near the Fontana ‘Hilton’ Shelter at Mile 166.2 The story picks up at the Creekside Paradise Hostel where, during the night, it dumped rain. That was actually the first rain of the trip and I was thrilled to have slept indoors. Our gracious but eccentric hosts …

Appalachian Trail: The First 10 Days: Amicalola Falls to Stecoah Gap

I left my home early on the morning of April 6th, and Marie and Clifford drove me to the bus station in Concord, NH. I took the bus to Boston, then flew down to Atlanta. It was surreal to soar (in a matter of hours) above the mountains that would take me months to traverse …