Date: 2012-04-15
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ZIG ZAG¢s FAVORITE PLACES & THINGSFAVORITE TRAIL GUIDE: The A.T. Guide by David ¢Awol¢ Miller is THE BEST!!!FAVORITE THRU HIKE ADVICE: The AT is a series of 3-5 day long hikes (just a lot of them)FAVORITE RESTAURANTS/CAFES: River¢s Edge (homemade bread; NOC), Smoky Mountain Diner (Sweet potatoe pancakes; Hot Springs, NC), AYCE Pizza and Main Street Caf© (Erwin, TN), The Homeplace (Catawba, VA), Molly¢s (complimentary hearth oven bread with maple butter; Hanover, NH), Spring Creek Bar-B-Q (Monson, ME)FAVORITE HOSTELS: Hiker Hostel (Dahlonega, GA), Elmer¢s Sunnybank Inn (Hot Springs, NC), Mountain Harbour B&B (Best Hostel Breakfast Buffet; Roan Mountain, TN), Woods Hole Hostel* (VA), Dutch Haus* (spectacular meals;VA), Green Mountain House Hostel (VT), The Cabin* (Andover,ME), Shaw¢s (Monson, ME); Hostels with * indicates that family style dinners are served --- very nice feature; fosters community feeling & home cooked meals were scrumptious!!!FAVORITE MOTELS: Ron Haven Budget Inn (your basic hiker hotel; Ron Haven¢s trail pick up/bus tour & uniqueness makes this special; Franklin, NC), Iron Horse Station (reasonable splurge, Hot Springs, NC), Knotty Pine Motel (nice family owned place with swimming pool; Bennington, VT), Inn at Long Trail (outstanding full free breakfast & Irish Pub lunch & dinner;VT)LEAST FAVORITE MOTEL: Relax Inn (Atkins VA) dirty, rundown; resupply options poor in town. The positive was The Barn restaurant, a good establishment. Better option would be to hitch 3.7 miles to Comfort Inn or just dine at The Barn and hike on.FAVORITE TRAIL BREAKFAST: PackitGourmet Jump-Start Fruit Smoothie (high protein)FAVORITE TRAIL LUNCH: Ritz Crackers & Cracker Barrel single serving cheddar cheeseFAVORITE TRAIL SNACK: Homemade Chex Mix or store bought (craved the salt)FAVORITE TRAIL DINNER: 12 Mountain House Lasagna Meal with oatmeal for dessertFAVORITE SHELTERS: VA - Trimpi, Partnership, Sarvers Hollow; Raven Rock (MD) FAVORITE VIEW FROM A SHELTER: Gentian Pond Shelter (ME)FAVORITE HUT: Madison Spring Hut (newly built & has a resident moose; White Mt., NH)FAVORITE TRAIL TOWNS: Hot Springs (NC) and Damascus (VA)SHORTEST TIME WAITING FOR A HITCH: 2 minutes flat (Manchester Center, VT)FAVORITE AREAS: Max Patch (NC), Big Bald & Hump Mountain (TN), McAfee Knob/Tinker Cliffs (VA), Hike from Mizpah Spring Hut to Lakes of the Cloud HutHARDEST CLIMBS: South Kinsman Notch (north of the notch; NH), Mt. Washington to Madison Spring Hut (White Mts., NH; weather contributed to difficulty ¢ at times 45 mph wind & 50 feet visibility);Gentian Pond Shelter to Full Goose Shelter (lightning contributed;Southern ME)FAVORITE TRAIL MAGIC: Jug of ice cold water at the base of Sassafras Mt. (GA); Fishin Fred (no plates) placing a blueberry pancake with syrup in my hand right before Albert Mt. on a day when it rained ALL day long; Grits grilling hamburgers north of Burnington Gap (NC); Ice Cream bar from the Ice Cream Man (Southern NH) and Phyllis Shortsleeve picking up 3 drenched hikers and transporting us to the Inn at Long Trail (VT)FAVORITE WILDLIFE SIGHTINGS: Hearing & seeing Juncos (bird) in Smokies; Catching a glimpse of a owl & then transfixed watching each other for 10 minutes (NC); Startling a wild turkey & watching it awkwardly take flight from a bush (NC); Seeing a black snake ¢stand up¢ to get a better view¢ (PA); Seeing a Moose nearby trail (ME)FAVORITE TIP: Keep a rubber band bracelet around your hand. When stopping place rubber band on right hand if you turn right (conversely left if you turn left) into a shelter or camp area. The next morning as you hike on look at your rubber band and turn in the same direction to keep heading north; i.e., If you turned right into a shelter at night; the next morning you take a right to head north. (Thanks for the tip Turtlefeet!!!)