Date: 2004-03-15
To: Neusiok Trail
Miles today: 0.0

Well, I finally got to do a practice hike last Friday and Saturday (March 12th. & 13th.) Will Dixon a friend of mine and myself were droped off by Will's Wife Lynn at the North end of the trail at the Neuse River just off the end of Cherry Point Marine Corps Air Station. We couldn't drive down the road to the trail head because it was gated off. We walked about 1-1/2 miles to the trail heat at the River. We started the trail about 9:00 AM. The trail started out rugged with many blow downs along the River but the view was great of the River with beautifull forest dotted with boggs and swamps. At about 1 mile the trail blazes stoped and we thought we may have missed a turn but after going futher, we realized that a portion of the trail had been washed along the the trees and blazes into the river and were now laying along the River bank. We picked up the blazes again and followered the trail through a small body of water (swamp) which we thought the trail would surely go around but the blazes were straight through the water. We were constantly able to view the belly of fighter jets and other large air-craft as they landed at Cherry Point Air Station we could actually see the piolots in the plans they were so close. The air show continued untill we got away from their landing pattern. The trail continued to be very beautifull with different kinds of terrian and forest. At about 1:00 PM we crossed HWY 306 wow did things change then. The trail begain to go through boggs, swamps and small waterway. We had to try and walk through the shallow part of the water and mud by hanging onto small brush and trees as we steped onto roots and small stumps in the shallowest part. I guess that will be some training for the boggs of Maine. As muddy and boggy as the trail was, we marveled at how will it was maintained with markings and some boardwalks and bridges. The senery around the boggs and swamps was well worth the effort of crossing them. I guess we were supprised with the little amount of wildlife we saw. We were hoping to cross hwy 101 by days end this would be about half way and would be making goot time considering the trail with its bogg crossings. We crossed 101 about 3:00 and knew then that we would be able to finish the trail on Saturday. We continued on hoping to find a good camp site soon, no luck. We stoped about 4:00 PM and cooked supper I had Ramen noodles and Will had a prepackaged dinner from REI. After Noodles and Pop-tarts we packed up and continued on hoping to fine a camp site soon. At aprox. 5:30 PM, we found a place among some pines large enough to set up our tents. We had to remove pine cones small limbs anf stomp down small saplings to prevent them from punching hole in our tent floors. By 6:30 we were both in our tents ready to get some sleep. Between the Jets landing at Cherry Point, dogs barking and sireens from somewhere we managed to get some good sleep and were up at 6:30 eating breakfast of Cerrial bars pop-tarts and dried fruit. We broke camp and were on the trail about 7:30 with less than half on the trail left to go. The terrian was the same except we had a road walk for about 1-1/2 miles along a fire/logging road before the trail went back into the woods with more boggs and swamps. We incountered a varriety of forest stands and creek, swamp, bogg crossings with some having boardwalks or bridges. We compleated the trail about 11:30 and waited for Will's Wife Lynn to pick us up. Both days of walking were great and we injoyed the intire trail and all its obstacles. They made it interesting for sure. Looking forward to another practice walk in a few weeks with my A.T. partner Charlie who retires the end of March. More later as the big day for starting the A.T. grows closer.