Appalachian Trail

Friends:

The journey of a lifetime starts with just a few simple steps.  After returning from living in Germany, and after nearly a decade in the Army, I was finally able to begin my dream. Several years into my section hiking, I have found the AT is a very personal venture measured only by one's self.

I hope to finish in 20-30 years, taking a shot at sections when I get the time. Feel free to browse this page and the remainder of the site. Hope you are able to glean something from my efforts.

Captain Jack/Wanderlust
GA-->ME
2000-2030

Start Information

Finish Information

Journal Cmts

Start on: 5/14/2000

Start location:Springer Mountain, GA

Starting mileage: 0

Finish on: 5/19/2000

Finish location:Dick's Creek Gap, GA

Finish mileage: 66.8

Total days:6

Total miles:66.8

Average miles/day: 11.1

Journal: Finally started the trek of a lifetime in 2000. My wife, Toni, dropped me off at Springer on a beautiful morning in May—I worked out a lot of kinks in the few days until I saw her.

Who I Met:Met several wonderful folks: a retired Army Sergeant First Class (Bob Kelsick) going for 100 days…an 85 year old Baptist minister from Vero Beach, CA (accompanied by his 60 year old son and 35 year old grandson)…a couple of college students.

Lessons:Gotta reduce my load…. Started with 65 lbs at Springer.

Trail Magic: Dropping off 20 lbs in Neel's Gap (10 lbs mailed home and 10 lbs of GORP to the hiker box)…after putting-out at Dick's Creek Gap, conceived first child in Clayton, GA.

Start on: 5/13/2001

Start location:Dick's Creek Gap, GA

Starting mileage: 66.8

Finish on: 5/18/2001

Finish location:Fontanta Village, NC

Finish mileage: 161.7

Total days:6

Total miles:94.9

Average miles/day: 15.8

Journal: Happy to be at it again in 2001! Although I had two weeks, I missed my girls and packed it in at 6 days--this is a good length for me.

Who I Met:Sean Tracy (fellow NIMA employee) at Bly Gap (NC/GA line), Yatzee (Big Spring Shelter to Fontana), Yahoo (to Wayah Gap to NOC Wesser), Baby Jane (Wayah Bald to NOC Wesser), Quick Turtle (NOC Wesser), Blue Streak (NOC Wesser to Fontana), BeBe (from Isreal, Plumorchard Gap Shelter)

Lessons:- Upgrade to real (not cheap) Tyvek or other ground cloth. - Make 3-4 additional stuff sacks to organize items for easier AM packing. - Pack extra glasses in the car. - Continue to lighten load--especially food. Gorp is out…Ramen a possibiliy for meals other than dinner. Snickers for lunch??

Trail Magic: - When hiking from NOC (Wesser, NC) to Brown Fork Gap, I placed my glasses down when getting water from a spring. I left them there. Yahoo (Ed) & Quick Turtle retreived them--they dropped them off at Fontana Village PO for me…. - After a night of very little water on the side of Wayah Bald, I hiked the 5.7 miles to Cold Spring Shelter and celebrated the water with breakfast and…what's this?--cocoa packets hanging from the mouse lines???? Most Excellent!!!

Start on: 9/9/2001

Start location:Fontana Village, NC

Starting mileage: 161.7

Finish on: 9/13/2001

Finish location:Davenport Gap, NC

Finish mileage: 234.4

Total days:5

Total miles:72.7

Average miles/day: 14.5

Journal: Wetter than heck white blazing the overgrown weeds and bushes on sections of the trail--boots are soaked!!! Views from Clingmans Dome and ridgeline from Newfound Gap to Davenport Gap were incredible--truly on top of the world!

Who I Met:Ben, John, Dale and Bob from Buffalo; Celtic Hiker, staying two days in Icewater Spring Shelter on account of a blown knee.

Lessons:Would it kill me to bring some herbal tea for the evening? Menu worked out very well--0730 coffee; 0900 Powerbar; 1100 Snickers Bar; 1300 jerky; 1400 ramen and hour break before PM push; 1800 dinner (pudding, bug juice; dehydrated meal).

Trail Magic: Seeing a Bald Eagle soaring at my level out on Fontana Dam when starting…and again when ascending into GSMNP….Having the clouds just blow by…especially at Double Spring Shelter where I decided to stay the night…at 2 AM, the clouds parted, the moon rose and I was in awe. Clear as a bell when climbing Clingmans Dome the following day and Icewater to Tricorner shelter route was trully above the clouds for 12 miles…. How very far away from the world you really are on the trail…was at Newfound Gap when I found out about the attack on the WTC and Pentagon--two days from the nearest phone, I hiked the remaining 30 miles in about 10 hours where Jeff Hooch's shuttle awaited me at Davenport Gap--wisked me back to my car so I could report back to duty soonest.

Start on: 5/4/2002

Start location:Davenport Gap, NC

Starting mileage: 234.4

Finish on: 5/6/2002

Finish location:Hot Springs, NC

Finish mileage: 270.9

Total days:3

Total miles:36.5

Average miles/day: 12.2

Journal: Well, my heel spur slowed me down & forced me to stop @ Hot Springs, NC. Regardless, had plenty of fun just getting back out there. Weather was very cooperative; views from Max Patch were fabulous.

Who I Met:Slow Poke (Amherst, MA), Uncle (North Conway, NH; '87 NU grad), Junebug (Boston, MA), Mitch/Hornblower (Burlington, VT), and group of four from Knoxville, TN

Lessons:The journey matters not where we begin or end. Rather, it is bearing all my burdens of life in my rucksack and whistling all the while.

Trail Magic: Know that this stretch was particularly wonderful: the emerald shroud worn by the trees seeming even more brilliant after the winter…the mountain passes were saturated with the fragrance of Trillium & Mountain Laurel….

Start on: 5/19/2008 8:30:00 AM

Start location:Hot Springs, NC

Starting mileage: 271.7

Finish on: 5/25/2008 12:00:00 PM

Finish location:US 19E (TN)

Finish mileage: 386.6

Total days:7.14583333333576

Total miles:114.9

Average miles/day: 16.1

Journal: I can't believe it has been six years since I've been on the trail. I also can't believe how little I've trained this time, and how well I did--even days well over 21 miles. Just a fantastic time!! Blessed be God forever!!

Who I Met:Ted and Goose Ryan from Pennsylvania; "Coach" and Ethan from Indiana; "Zach" whom I met at Flint Mountain (he arrived and worked through a thunderstorm only to find no room in the shelter; he pushed on for a 30 mile day); Charlie from the UK.

Lessons:I couldn't resist the pace and mileage since I fell in on a great group. I took things mildly easy, and just plodded along throughout the day. I always put prayer first and miles second…. Also, I think I can ditch the pre-cooked pasta meals and instead just supplement Ramen noodles--a cheaper and easier alternative.

Trail Magic: Big time trail magic right out of Low Gap—a container in the woods stocked with water, cookies, and cupcakes. Mmmm. (see http://www.jackhaefner.com/images/at/080522_0061.jpg).

Start on: 5/16/2009

Start location:US 19E (TN)

Starting mileage: 386.6

Finish on: 5/18/2009

Finish location:Damascus, VA

Finish mileage: 461.1

Total days:3

Total miles:74.5

Average miles/day: 24.8

Journal:

Who I Met:A number of people this year, but only truly had time with Trampoline--a fellow just back on the trail following trail days.

Lessons:

Trail Magic: The views at Vanderventer Shelter (after freezing the night before) and at TN91!!