A Week on the Appalachian for Alzheimer’s: Daily Updates
Contents:
(click on a day to scroll down to that section)
Day 1: It Begins! (3/19/21)
We drove two hours this morning to get to our drop point at Bly Gap. Today should be a reasonable day with more downhill than uphill. We are trying to do 15 miles a day so that if we get some real bad weather the 7th day will provide flexibility if we fall short on one or more days. We are starting at mile 75 from Springer Mountain.
Mike Tyson says everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth. Well that happened as soon as we got out of the car. We had to hike a mile uphill to get to the trail and then the first mile was uphill. I am hurting. We are doing 11 miles today and it has been rough.
Looking forward to tomorrow.
Today's Appalachian Trail Info:
Between the 4 hikers in my group, the combined age of the knees is approximately 438 years old. The combined knees would have been 37 years old when the Pilgrims sailed the Atlantic and landed at Plymouth Rock in Massachusetts in 1620. Imagine how much this country has developed in those 400 years. Rocks and rough terrain serve as a natural impediment to development. One of the best things about the Appalachian Trail is that much of it in the remote areas where we are looks very similar to what I imagine it would have 400 years ago. It hasn’t changed and the trail today should be preserved in perpetuity. Only 10 miles of the AT continue to be on private property. It is an American Treasure.
400 years of no development.
Today's Alzheimer’s Facts:
50,000,000 People in the World have Alzheimer’s.
6,000,000 People in the US have Alzheimer’s.
This Number is expected to triple in the next 40 years.
One in Ten people over 65 has Alzheimer’s.
One in Three people over 85 has Alzheimer’s.
Source: Alzheimer’s Association (Alz.org)
Day 2: The Worst Is (Hopefully) Behind Us (3/20/21)
Correction from yesterday. We started at Blue Ridge Gap and it was the hardest section of the trail we will hike. With the entrance road it was 4500 feet of incline and the most we should do in a day. No wonder it kicked my butt. By the end of the day I was convinced the trail was developed by sadist and hiked by masochist.
Today we started at Deep Gap and hiked to the Cheesecake Factory (no idea where the name came from). During the hike of 9.5 miles we crossed 0 roads. 9.5 miles of the toughest of the toughest terrain in GA on the AT. We did 2800 feet uphill and 2700 downhill. It was a 10% grade the whole day. We hiked a very steep ascent of the top of Tray Mountain climbing 1000 feet in 1.4 miles. I heard they had built a chair lift in but apparently Mr. Trail was only joking. My lungs got quite a workout. Today I felt much better than yesterday although very sore. Note to self: Don’t drink beer with your high school buddy the night before you start hiking the AT.
My hiking companions are Dirt, Deuce, and Mr. Trail. Dirt is a friend from 8th Grade who I wrestled with in High School and we had a landscaping business together in HS and College. At the end of college we were cutting 55 lawns per week and no matter what we did at the end of the day he was the dirtiest. Deuce has been a friend for 30+ years and he invited Dirt and I to join him and Mr. Trail on the trip. I am calling him Deuce because he found a hostel along the trail where you can pay $20 to use a bathroom and take a shower. Mr. Trail is Deuce’s brother in law and he is our Tech Guy that has hiked portions of the trial before. He told us what gear to buy and provided a spreadsheet that calculates the weight of everything you carry down to your underwear and has programs and apps to help with guidance and water sources. He has been directing our adventure flawlessly so far.
Mr. Trail's lunch. Peanut butter, pepperoni, goldfish, M&M's. Anything goes on the trail.
Today's Appalachian Trail Info:
The Appalachian National Scenic Trail (AT) is part of the National Park Service. It was established in 1925. By 1937 a continuous footpath from Maine to Georgia was completed. During the 1930s and 1940s, the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) built much of the original infrastructure along the trail, including rock walls and steps, cabins and shelters, and fire towers. It is part of the National Park Service and goes through 6 National Parks and 8 National Forest and is 2189 miles long. I have also seen 2,178 miles and suspect the approach trails may be the difference. It stretches through 14 states between Springer Mountain, GA and Mount Katahdin, Maine. The protected land along the trail averages 1000 feet wide and consist of 250,000 acres.
Today's Alzheimer’s Facts:
Dementia is an overall term that describes a group of symptoms associated with a decline in memory and thinking skills and other cognitive abilities serious enough to interfere with daily life. It is not a specific disease.
Alzheimer’s is a specific disease and is the most common form of Dementia. Alzheimer's is a type of dementia that affects memory, thinking and behavior. Symptoms eventually grow severe enough to interfere with daily tasks. A person with Alzheimer’s has Dementia. A person with Dementia may not have Alzheimer’s.
Source: Alzheimer’s Association (Alz.org)
Day 3: OMS Awareness (3/21/21)
Can anyone explain the green on this tree?
Today we hiked from Deep Gap at mile 55 to Low Gap at mile 42. So we did 13 miles today. The first 6 miles convinced me that I am suffering from a disease called OMS (Old Man Syndrome). I would tell you what hurts but it would take too long. It was two very steep mountain climbs to start the day that were exhausting. It has been very fun except for the OMS soreness and sleeping on the ground.
Someone I passed at one of the lookouts said to look at all the mountains out there and that every one of them can kick our butts. I agree. It rained on us this morning but turned out to be a beautiful day. After the two climbs we cruised on some beautiful trail and reached mile 42. That brings us to 34 total. Tomorrow we are headed to Neels Gap where we reload our food and supplies and maybe take a shower.
Below is a picture of Paul’s Trail Magic. He sets up at a trailhead on Sundays and cooks for the hikers and gives the food away. Today he was serving BBQ and Lobster Mac and Cheese. It wasn’t ready when we got there so we grabbed some fruit and trudged on.
Paul's Trail Magic
We were setting up my tent and I said it has to go here, because my head needs to be away from the entrance in case a bear tries to come in during the night. If he does, I am going to kick him in the teeth. They laughed and said a bear isn’t going to use the entrance. While this might be true it doesn’t invalidate my defense strategy. If he comes in the other end I will punch in the mouth like Mike Tyson.
Today's Appalachian Trail Info:
Some 2,000,000 people visit the AT each year. The first time it was hiked from one end to the other was in 1948. In 2019 about 4000 people attempted to thru hike the trail and it is estimated about 20% may have completed the hike. Of those that completed a survey, 85% started in Georgia and headed North. The average time to complete the hike is a little less than 6 months. 60% are male and 40% are female. Oldest known was 82, youngest known was 15. Most people start in March and finish in September or October. The record for completing the trail is 41 days, 7 Hours, 39 minutes which is well over 50 miles per day. His knees weren’t 434 years old.
Today's Alzheimer’s Facts:
Alzheimer’s has 3 stages:
-PRECLINICAL - Preclinical Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) occurs in individuals with evidence of Alzheimer’s pathology who have no clinical symptoms. Preclinical can last 10 to 20 years. The neurologist told me it can be harder to diagnose in intelligent people because they have a greater mental capacity to compensate for the effects.
-MILD COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT (MCI) - MCI due to AD presents evidence of Alzheimer’s pathology along with impairment in 1 or more cognitive domains that does not interfere with daily functioning. MCI can last 2 to 6 years.
-DEMENTIA - Mild AD dementia, moderate AD dementia, and severe AD dementia are when cognitive abilities further decline and cause impairment in functional abilities. AD Dementia lasts the rest of the patient’s life.
From identifyalz.com
Day 4: More Trail Magic! (3/22/21)
Last night there were coyotes howling around our campground. They had no respect for quiet hours.
After three days of Dirt and I setting up my tent Mr. Trail came by and told us we were doing it wrong for 3 days. This is what it should look like.
Today we hiked 11 miles to get to Neel’s Gap and Mountain Crossing General Store. It is the only store we cross on the AT although there are points where you can divert into towns. We are down to 40 miles left. I feel better but am still sore and the 10% inclines are still kicking my butt. It was the most beautiful scenery we have seen.
It was a little bit of a recovery day before we hit the tallest point on the trail at Blood Mountain. One more punch in the mouth and then I think we will cruise.
When we got to Neel’s Gap it was amazing. They had a full bar and patio area where you could sit at high top tables that looked out over the mountains for miles. The waitresses looked like models wearing bikinis and served us frozen margaritas and Mai Tais in carved out pineapples like at the Royal Hawaiian in Waikiki. We enjoyed our drinks and listened to the live band. … Nothing in this paragraph contains a shred of truth.
But I was able to get a diet coke and Deuce dropped off a box of food a week ago so we could restock our packs and it had a few beers in it which we are enjoying. We paid $8 each to take a shower at the hostel and utilize their facilities. The facilities were replaced with out houses. After 4 days, I would have paid $50 for a shower.
Neel's Gap
Neel's Gap... for real
I met a women on the trail this morning and she was hiking to Maine with her 4 sons ages 14, 12, and 11. If they finish in order, every one will break the record for youngest to finish.
Today I had some of the best chicken noodle soup ever from Bob and Mitzi’s Trail Magic. They were very generous and would not accept our donation. They do it 3 days a week.
Bob and Mitzi’s Trail Magic
Shoe tree at Neel's Gap where people who abandon trails at 31 miles north toss their shoes.
Leaving Neel’s Gap we face the highest ascent of our trip climbing up Blood Mountain at 4,461 feet, climbing 1358 feet in 2.4 miles. Throw 30 pounds in a backpack and go up a flight of stairs with it. Then do it 136 times in a row. Oh and replace your stairs with rocks, tree stumps, mud, and slopes. Now imagine doing it every day for 6 months. The life of the AT through Hiker doing the whole trail.
Today's Appalachian Trail Info:
The AT in Georgia is 78.6 miles long and has an 8 mile approach trail to get to Springer Mountain where the trail starts and heads North. The highest point on the trial in GA is Blood Mountain at 4,461 feet at mile 28 from Springer Mountain. The lowest point in GA is 2510 feet. There are 5 peaks over 4000 feet in GA.
There are 30 independent clubs or agencies that maintain the AT. In 2008 for example, approximately 6,000 volunteers devoted more than 200,000 hours to maintain and manage the Appalachian Trail. The Potomac Appalachian Trail Club is one near me that has many cabins which you can rent for a weekend or week to stay along the trail.
Today's Alzheimer’s Facts:
Alzheimer’s is the 6th leading cause of death in the US.
Alzheimer’s kills more people than breast cancer and prostate cancer combined.
Alzheimer’s and Dementia will cost the US $355B in 2021.
11 Million People provide unpaid care for Alzheimer’s and Dementia patients./p>
Almost 2/3 of Americans with Alzheimer’s are women.
Hopefully, our donations might help find a solution.
Source: Alzheimer’s Association (Alz.org)
Day 5: Peak Elevation & Sleep Deprivation (3/23/21)
I'm not quite sure what went wrong with this panoramic photo, but I think it fits well with the quote below. -Drew
Quote of the day:
“I am hiking with three knuckleheads.”
- Mr. Trail to Bob at Trail Magic
I have to give a shout-out. When I thought about doing this trip, I told my family to see if it was a dumb idea. I said I didn’t want to ask people for money. As I explained my idea, my daughter’s boyfriend Sean sat and listened and worked on his laptop. He went out briefly and came back and said “Phil, I am pledging $3/mile. Here is the draft website with the countdown clock. You are not asking anyone for money; you are giving people the opportunity to donate to a good cause.”
Second, my son Drew took over the draft website and has managed all communications and links and updates over the last month. The effort has been tremendous and the time invested has been great. He continues to adapt it to meet the changing needs. Happy Birthday Drew.
Cheers to both.
Today we left Neels Gap at mile 31 early and we hiked 14 miles to Gooch Gap at mile 17. 27 miles left including the approach trail. A gap is a dip in the ridge line to a lower elevation. Usually the roads go through the gaps. Often the campgrounds are in these low spots.
The first thing we did was the largest climb of the trip to the top of Blood Mountain at almost 4500 feet. It was a real tough 2 miles but we hit it first thing in the morning. It had some of the best views of the trip. Made the climb worthwhile.
We crossed about 60 people going North starting their attempt to reach Maine today. Based on the stats, about 12 of them will make it.
Tonight is the fifth night sleeping in this tent - or trying to sleep.
I want this to be positive and also informative.
At home my wife Leslie has bought a very nice bed, has two big soft comforters and four huge soft fluffy pillows, and every night 20 minutes before bed she turns on an electric blanket and warms the bed. I am spoiled and I know it. I love the camaraderie of the trail and my companions. I don’t mind the salted sawdust dinners in a foil bag. I enjoy the strenuous physical exercise and am confident I can overcome.
This is my bed pad and my sleeping bag and my tent. My shoulders are wider than the pad and don’t really fit in the sleeping bag. I needed to order a double wide. I am sleeping on the frozen ground. The first night it was 26 degrees and in the morning there was ice on the inside of my sleeping bag. I don’t think I can get used to the sleeping conditions and it is the only thing that bothers me. The forest is very noisy at night with wind, trees shaking, coyotes howling, not to mention the symphony of snoring and flatulence that is prevalent in the 10 to 20 tents in the shelter area. It reminds me of the Talking Heads song Same As It Ever Was.
This is not my beautiful house.
This is not my beautiful wife.
Where am I
How did I get here.
(And why)
This has been a wonderful trip but I am ready to get home. Two more nights.
Today's Appalachian Trail Info:
Wildlife along the path includes moose, black bears, deer, coyotes, bobcats, woodchucks, porcupines, and raccoons. Bear sightings are common on the Appalachian Trail. Bear attacks are unusual. About 2 bear attacks are reported per year. Protecting your food from bears is necessary. A bear bag is typically used to suspend food in a bag over a branch with a 50 foot throw line. Bears on TV are cute. Bears encountered while camping on Blood Mountain…not so much. I did not take this picture; I would have had to go back to the Hostel for another shower if a bear got that close.
Today's Alzheimer’s Facts:
10 Early Signs of Alzheimer’s Disease:
1. Memory loss that disrupts daily life
2. Challenges in planning or solving problems
3. Difficulty completing familiar tasks
4. Confusion with time or place
5. Trouble understanding visual images and spatial relationships
6. New problems with words in speaking or writing
7. Misplacing things and losing the ability to retrace steps
8. Decreased or poor judgment
9. Withdrawal from work or social activities
10. Changes in mood and personality
Source: Alzheimer’s Association (Alz.org)
Day 6: The Magic Man (3/24/21)
Quote of the day:
Asked an older hiker, "Are you going to Maine?"
Response: "As long as it stays fun. I have money, time, and no responsibility."
Today we hiked from Gooch Gap to High Tower Gap. We started at 8:15 and finished at 12:30. It was 9 miles of up and down which brings us to 68 miles. We would have liked to do 5 more but it looked like heavy rains and this is the last road we crossed. It leaves us with a big 17 mile day tomorrow to finish.
My college roommate Jeff Kopach lives in Marietta and he texted me. He said, “Let me know where you are and I will come catch up to you rascals with dinner.” Based on the roads High Tower Gap was the last place he could meet us. It was like something out of a movie. We came down the last hill as his pickup arrived on the gravel trails. By the time we got there he had the tailgate down, hot Chick-Fil-A lunch on the tailgate and a cooler of cold drinks. I told you about Trail Magic, well his new trail name is The Magic Man.
It is supposed to rain heavily all night. The Magic Man agreed to drive us all 40 minutes to Dahlonega, GA. And we are staying at the Quality Inn for the night. The Magic Man agreed to drive us to dinner and spend the night and take us back to the trail in the morning... and haul everything we don’t need tomorrow back to Marietta. I am sleeping in a bed tonight and carrying only what I need for the day tomorrow.
The Magic Man!
I thought about this and if he takes my stuff is it still fair?
In 1953 Sir Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay were the first to climb Mt Everest. Hillary is known as the first to climb Everest. Norgay his sherpa carried much of his gear.
If it is good enough for Hillary. It is good enough for Phil.
It was a great day and we cranked 9 miles in a little over 4 hours. We have our trail legs now. And we are clean as a whistle. We even washed the shorts I have worn for 4 straight days. Although I shared the load with Dirt so they may never get clean. I may have to burn them when I get home.
Today's Appalachian Trail Info:
The AT hikers have to be educated and smart. There is an app called Gut Hook that gives you all the topographic, maps, shelters, water sources, and other information. For water we carry a 0.1 Micron filter, pick a source of spring water high on the side of a mountain and run it through the filter. This is critical as we gave water to at least one person who was miles from a source, facing a steep incline and out of water. A guy we met yesterday was experienced and he planned for 14 miles over Blood Mountain today, but he said he didn't want to be on top of Blood Mountain at 4500 feet in a heavy storm. He adapted and took a zero day. He hiked 7 miles and went into Town for a day off while the storms came through. Many people tell us they are averaging 8 miles a day at the beginning.
Today's Alzheimer’s Facts:
Alzheimer's can strike people in their 30s, 40s and even 50s. This is called younger-onset Alzheimer's (also referred to as early onset). It is estimated that there are more than 5 million people living with Alzheimer’s disease in the United States. This includes the over 5 million people age 65 and older and 200,000 people younger than age 65 with younger-onset Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer's disease has no survivors. Hopefully the first survivor is out there somewhere right now.
Source: Alzheimer’s Association (Alz.org)
Day 7: We Made It! (3/25/21)
Well everyone, we made it to Amicalola Falls today. 17 miles in the pouring rain to get to the end of the AT approach trail to bring the total to 85 miles.
Quotes of the day:
Rho McQuiston’s motherly advice on the pledge page:
“Don’t kill yourself over this cause we need you.”
Glenn Siegele with his pledge:
“My money is safe, you are going to tap out at mile 11.”
First and most importantly, a great thanks to everyone who has taken an interest in this cause and been willing to donate and follow the adventure. I mentioned before that when we started this we thought $5,000 was a lofty goal and we almost tripled that amount. All of your generosity and interest has been amazing. Thank you for your support. It has been just amazing.
Second, I hope you have enjoyed the daily updates. I think they give you an idea of how much fun we had our journey. After the fourth day we were sitting at dinner and I was laughing so hard that my stomach muscles started cramping. I have laughed more in the past week than at any time in the last year. It was so worthwhile and thanks to Mr. Trail for putting up with the three stooges. Thanks to Deuce and Dirt for helping me get through it.
A Moment of Doubt.
On day number one as we attempted to finish the final climb of the day for a total of 4500 feet of incline, I was sweating profusely, breathing so hard I was light headed, and it felt like my lunch was going to come back up. My legs were burning and I was sore in areas I didn’t know I had. I thought to myself, maybe Rho was right and maybe I need to stop this. At one point Mr. Trail and Deuce dropped behind by 50 feet and I was sure they were scheduling a Medevac. But Mr. Trail gave me some expresso goo and guided me forward.
The next morning I hadn’t slept and every muscle in my body was cramping when I tried to get out of my sleeping bag. I had to roll on my stomach and crab crawl to get out of the tent. I was ready to go but wasn’t sure if I could physically walk, let alone climb mountains with a pack. I thought too myself, maybe Glenn was right and I am going to tap out at mile 11. Once we started moving things loosened up pretty quickly. Dirt said later in the week that he woke up that morning with icicles on his toes and asked himself, “What the hell did McQuiston get me into?”
Fortunately, things got better every day and today we were able to tear up the trail. Literally because we were hiking through 2 to 3 inches of water. By the end everything about us was soaked down to and through my Spyder synthetic mesh, quick dry, non-chafe, sports boxers. At one point I lowered my hand to my side and water poured out my sleeve.
From left to right: Dirt, Phil, Deuce, Mr. Trail, The Magic Man
In the above photos you should see a picture of our night 6 campground and our night 6 camp cook out at Spirits Tavern in Dahlonega (featuring The Magic Man). This is common among AT hikers as they need a break, probably about once a week to do laundry and resupply and rejuvenate. The number on the trail today was about half the normal flow as many took a zero day due to the huge amount of rain we encountered.
For those step counters out there when you are hiking on the trail you often have to take a couple steps to the side around a rock to move one step forward. We estimated that it might be 3000 steps per mile on the steep grades. Today I asked Deuce to turn on his step counter and see what it told us. To do 17 miles on the trail we actually walked about 18.4 miles. This includes diversions like going to get water or hiking off the trial for a dry shelter to eat lunch in. His phone recorded close to 48,000 steps, approximately 8 hours of exercise, 2500 feet of gain in elevation, and an average pace of a little over 25 minutes per mile. It is truly amazing how the body recovers and every day you can do a little more.
The donations were so tremendous that I decided to turn around and hike 2178 miles to Maine. Who is with me? I’m not.
Also, Mr. Trail and I were talking about going to Nepal next year to go to Everest Base Camp at 17,000 feet without me.
Thanks again for everyone’s interest and support.
Disclosure
We hiked a total of 85 miles. 75 miles were on the Appalachian Trail from mile 75 to mile 0. The other 10 miles were on the approach trail from Amicalola Falls and our other first approach trail to get the Appalachian trail at mile 75. Mr. Trail is a purist and said the single mile from the first approach trail doesn’t count. I hiked it, it was straight uphill and it kicked my butt. It counted for me. It is entirely at the donors discretion to determine which number they select.
Today's Appalachian Trail Info:
Civil War soldiers journeyed up and down the Appalachian Mountains during the bloodiest four years the nation has ever known. The Civil War Battle of South Mountain in Maryland took place on land that is now protected within the Appalachian Trail corridor. The Confederate capture of Union troops at Harpers Ferry as well as the Confederate defeat and retreat after Antietam also took place on lands now within the trail corridor. Harper’s Ferry is recognized as the mid-point of the trail where some hikers choose to start first in one direction and then return to proceed in the other direction.
Today's Alzheimer’s Facts:
-The Alzheimer’s Association is a wonderful resource if you or a family member are diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or dementia.
-They offer a 24 hour/7day a week hotline (1-800-272-3900) to help answer any questions or give guidance. My wife has used this several times and found it very helpful.
-They have an established online community which helps connect people in order to share experiences or to support one another.
-They have an online tool which helps loved ones develop a care plan.
-Most importantly, the AA is the largest nonprofit organization supporting Alzheimer’s research. Researchers are actively trying to develop treatments to help slow the progression of the disease or prevent it all together.
-A quote from their site: "The first survivor of Alzheimer’s is out there, but we won’t get there without you." Many thanks to all of you for your tremendous support!
Source: Alzheimer’s Association (Alz.org)