• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • About
  • Baseball ’19
  • Day Zero 3
  • Earl
  • My list
  • Photo Blogging Challenge

A 'lil HooHaa

Messing with the blogging world since 2005

On the Appalachian Trail with Blue

October 21, 2011

Chris Nadeau (Blue) at an AT blaze painted in the road. (Photo courtesy of Chris Nadeau)

The reality of the Appalachian Trail is that not everyone who attempts to thru-hike it will finish it.

In fact, according to the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, 75 percent of the people who have tried to hike the trail have not finished. That’s a lot of people not finishing.

But, the trail isn’t easy. It covers 2,180 or so miles from Georgia to Maine. The AT climbs over rough terrain, high mountains, dense woods and narrow ledges. It’s not always for the faint of heart.

People will plan this hike for years and still not finish. Even with all the time and money vested in planning for this hike, not everyone will complete the jaunt, which could take six months or longer.

All in nature.

The goal, of course, is to finish the hike. And it would be hard to think that anyone starting out in March in Georgia would have different thoughts.

Chris Nadeau certainly did not when he began his hike earlier this year.

Alas, four states and 815 miles into the hike, Nadeau called it quits in one of the toughest decisions he said he’s ever had to make.

Tough reality

“I decided to end my hike about two weeks before I actually did,” said Nadeau, a 22-year-old business management major at East Tennessee State University.

The Portland, Maine native, who moved to Ashville, North Carolina in 2003, said he and his friend Laura has been close for about five years. And as things seemed destined to turn into a relationship, he was preparing to leave for the hike, a move he notes probably wasn’t the best for at that point.

“Leaving in March with such an important relationship on my mind was not smart,” he said. “Along with that, I wanted to finish school. In the back of my head, I knew I had one more year to go, and I wanted to be done. I spent Memorial Day Weekend with Laura at Lake Keowee in South Carolina, after being picked up. It was then I decided I would stop this hike and do a complete thru hike when I was more firm with other things in life.”

Nadeau (far right) and others at Springer Mountain, Ga., at the start of the hike. (Photo courtesy of Chris Nadeau)

That move was probably the best for Nadeau as having thoughts, worries or doubts about other things wouldn’t be a good way to hike a massive trail, such as the Appalachian Trail.

Still, when you are doing something you’ve wanted to do, it’s not easy to back away as evidenced by the two weeks it took him to actually get off the trail.

“That was the hardest decision in my life to date,” he said. “I’ve never been faced with such a hard decision. I was deciding to stop the goal I’ve wanted to achieve for the longest time.

“I shed many tears for weeks after,” he continued. “I felt lost. I felt regret. I felt let down. … I had worked so hard for what?

As much hurt and regret Nadeau had at the time is now erased. He’s more than six months into a relationship with Laura, he’s getting excellent grades in the business program at ETSU and he’ll graduate in a year with a bachelor’s degree in Business Management.

Don’t think there aren’t moments, however.

“There are still nights I cannot sleep and feel very sad, but that is completely normal,” he said, especially knowing that many of the people he hiked with were still on the trail and several of them were scheduled to summit Mount Katahdin in Maine in early October.

Fear not — from the ashes of bad come good.

“Laura plans to hike the trail with me in 2013,” Nadeau said. “We both agree that if we can make it through the trail together, we can be together for life. With that said, we’ve been best friends for the longest time, and are still best friends today. I’ve always thought how great it would be to marry my best friend, and she is that.

“The last day I was on the trail a lady told me, ‘end you hike now before you ruin your love for hiking altogether.'” he said. “That was a very true statement and I did so without any regrets.”

Memories are still there

Despite not finishing the trail this year — something Nadeau said he will eventually do — the trail was full of memories and things happening. He made it 815 miles, which is something the majority of people in this world couldn’t claim. With those miles, he went through Georgia, Tennessee, North Carolina and Virginia. The final state has more than 550 miles of the trail.

Nadeau at the Georgia/North Carolina border (Photo courtesy of Chris Nadeau)

“There are too many good times to list,” he said.

Even the bad times seemed to turn into the good times, Nadeau said.

The first could almost be a clip from an old 70s or 80s movie. He left Silers Bald Shelter in Swain, North Carolina at 8 a.m. with about five inches of snow on the ground. His goal was to make it to Newfound Gap some 13 miles away to meet his mother.

Knowing it was 2.7 miles to Clingmans Dome, he set out on the hike. But with nobody going before him, he was on his own. Most, he said, were going to wait for the snow to stop and get a half-day of hiking in.

But, Nadeau had a plan and he was going forth.

“After starting out, I realized it was the most dangerous move I had made yet,” he said.

He arrived at the shelter before Clingmans Dome at about 11 a.m., so it took him three hours to hike about two miles. He got lost twice. Couldn’t see the AT’s famed white blazes. Worse, his water was frozen and he was out of cigarettes.

When he got to the shelter, he was greeted by some medical students from Ohio, who gave him a cup of coffee and a smoke.

Of course they wondered what Nadeau was doing hiking in that weather.

“I simply said, ‘I want a hot shower.'”

Another hiker, Blue Stick, showed up 30 minutes later and said he would have never made it if not for Nadeau’s footprints.

Nadeau then set out for Clingmans Dome, hoping to hitch a ride from the summit. Alas, the road was closed because of the snow. Not seeing any signs and having a hard time staying on the trail, Nadeau wondered why it took so long to get to the summit.

Then he saw it. A sign with an arrow pointing to Clingmans Dome — 4.6 miles away.

“I had hiked right past the summit not even knowing it,” he said. “I was practically sliding down the trail of ice, my water was frozen solid, and I was mad to say the least.”

Six hours after leaving Silers Bald, he arrived in Newfound Gap. The road had since been opened and tourists looked at him funny. He kept getting the questions about where he had come from, what the AT and wonderment about hiking in the snow.

A teacher from the University of Kentucky gave Nadeau a lift into Gatlinburg and was dropped off at a gas station, where he promptly bough a soda and two packs of smokes. He chain-smoked five and 15 minutes later, his mother arrived to pick him up and take him to Asheville, where he rested and spent time with his girlfriend.

Nadeau said some other good times included meeting up with a lot of people at the Low Gap Shelter in Georgia for their annual St. Patrick’s Day reunion. He also had a good time at Fontana Dam Village when they walked up on a Frat Spring Formal and were invited to take part.

He said, too, his hike almost ended way before it did when his leg slid between rocks and he thought he had broke it. He hiked four miles into town, which took about seven hours. After going to the emergency room near Bland, Virginia, he was told to stay away from hiking for a week or two.

Being on the trail

First things first, Nadeau hiked under the trail name “Blue.”

He was ahead of a bunch of hikers one day and arrived at the destination, which was about 1.2 miles from civilization. So he hiked that distance with an empty pack to load up on beer. He ended up with about five cases of brew and worked his way back.

On his way back, he met a fellow playing a banjo on a footbridge. He stopped to listen to him play and chatted with — trail name — Shaw. He lived near there and made small banjos and other musical instruments. They had a beer and smoke together and Shaw said “You’re my boy, Blue.” That name stuck.

As with most things, there are positives and negatives of being on the trail.

“This depends on the person,” he said. “I believe everything that comes with hiking the AT is ‘positive’ for the most part.”

But, he said, there are days that you feel negative. Nadeau said he learned more on his 815 miles than in any classroom. You learn basic skills, but you also meet people you will stay in contact with for life.

Nadeau (far left) with a whole crew of hikers in Franklin, NC (photo courtesy of Chris Nadeau)

A fellow hiker noted to Nadeau on the first day that one will always want more. Nadeau said that is 100 percent true

The negatives are about things away from the trail, such as making sure you have bills covered, loved ones are ready for the mentality of you being away and things like that.

“Positives certainly outweigh the negatives when it comes to the AT,” he said. “What bad is to come while enjoying Mother Nature at her best?”

An average day on the trail is routine, Nadeau said. Wake up with the sun, drink some water, pack gear, some more water, eat breakfast and another liter of water.

He’d then strap on the pack and start walking. The hiking between breakfast and lunch went fast as he said he thought about everything. He said he tried to stop every 2.5 miles or so for five minutes. He always checked his guide to see where he was. Despite not having a “true” schedule, Nadeau said he knew where he wanted to be by the end of the day.

A big thing he said, was to always make sure he was drinking water and to fill up whenever he had the chance.

“I ran out twice and it isn’t a fun feeling,” he said.

One he got to his destination, he set up his tent and got things ready. he’d cook, drink more water and relax, which often included a smoke or two. Some people asked why he smoked on the trail and Nadeau said it was meditating.

At night, he would reflect on the day and drank Crystal Light mixed in with his water, which he noted tasted great after nothing by water all day. When it got dark, he went to bed and always wrote in his journal before sleeping, so he had an ongoing account of everything that happened on the trail

The future

Nadeau said he will attempt is again, in 2013. This time he won’t have 58 pounds on his back. The goal, he said, will be to have his pack at about 24 points.

“I’ll know what I am getting into, how to cook my meals, what to eat and how to make sure I sleep at night,” he said. “I know absolutely nothing about long-distance hiking last time, even though I had read numerous books about the trail.”

Nadeau (left) and others taking their first steps to the AT -- heading to the approach trail. (photo courtesy of Chris Nadeau)

And he’ll have time to prepare, too.

This time around, he walked every chance he got.

“Honestly, I don’t believe you can prepare for such a hike physically,” he said. “Your body will physically adapt to hiking every day within the first month on the trail.”

Mental preparation, he said, is the biggest part.

“Make sure you are ready to endure weeks of rain, very cold nights, and days without showers,” Nadeau said. “Get used to eating trail food, make sure you can cook your food or have a plan.”

In the beginning, it took him a long time to set up his tent. Now, he said, he could practically do it with his eyes closed. It all comes with practice. Everything eventually becomes routine on the trail.

And with 815 miles under his belt, that routine shouldn’t take too long to get rolling again in 2013.

Tidbits

Here are some quick-hitting tidbits from Nadeau’s thru-hike.

  • On why he wanted to hike the AT: After summiting Mount Katahdin on Sept. 10, 2010. “I’ve always loved the outdoors. I’ve always done a lot of car camping and so on. I had never hiked more than 60 miles before starting the AT.”
  • Going in, had he done any other long-distance hiking? “Not much.” Nadeau said he spent 10 days in the Grand Canyon with his mother when he was about age 12. They did day hikes and always returned to the same campsite. Last November, he hiked about 60 miles around Buena Vista, Virginia.
  • Plans to maybe do other long-distant hikes? Nadeau said if he won the lottery, he’d do the AT next year, the Pacific Crest Trail the following year and the Continental Divide Trail the third year, thus completing the United States Triple Crown of hiking. “I do not have the time or the money, so therefore I’ll stick to the AT for now. I have much support all over the East Coast and that is nice feeling to have especially when it is really needed.”
  • Best trail town? Hot Springs, North Carolina. “It’s the closest to my house and I had an unbelievable feeling when hiking down into town.”
  • Worst trail town? Gatlinburg, Tennessee. “I’ve been there too many times to count so it was old news for me and I had a very bad day hiking into the town,” Nadeau said. “It’s a great place, unless you don’t like tourists. It is a very tourist-friendly town and there are people all over the place.”
  • Anything he wished he did on the trail? Finished and hiked New England. Being originally from Maine, he thinks about hiking New England all the time. Too, he said sometimes he pushed too hard to get miles under his belt instead of slowing down and enjoying the surroundings more.

To read more from Nadeau, check out his Trail Journal, which he updated throughout his hike.

Below is a video that Nadeau’s brother put together using photos from the 815 miles that he hiked. It’s about 45 minutes long. Enjoy!

815 Miles on the Appalachian Trial on Vimeo.

Series schedule:

  • October 16: Win an autographed copy of Bill Walker’s book about his Appalachian Trail hike
  • October 17: Preview
  • October 19: Emily Harper
  • Today: Chris Nadeau
  • October 24: Tyler Bedick
  • October 26: Bill Walker
  • October 28: Wrap and contest winner announced

***

Reminder! Contest going on! I am holding a contest this week for an autographed copy of Bill Walker’s book “Close Encounters on the Appalachian Trail”. It runs from October16- to 12:01 a.m. Oct. 28. You can see all the details on the contest page. Enter for your chance to win!

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog [at] gmail.com. Also, please “Like” HooHaa Blog on Facebook by clicking the button on the right side of the page!

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)

Related

Filed Under: Hiking, My world, Photography Tagged With: appalachian trail, at, blue on the appalachain trail, blue on the AT, chris nadeau, chris nadeau appalachian trail, chris nadeau hiking, hiking, hiking the appalachain trail, hiking the AT, long-distance hiking, nadeau, thru-hiking, unsuccessful hiking

No Comments

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

CommentLuv badgeShow more posts

Primary Sidebar

Welcome

Welcome to A 'lil HooHaa!

This is a personal website covering many topics! We host a monthly photo blogging challenge, and then every January hold a fun writing challenge.

Thank you for stopping by and hope this becomes a stop for you!

Connect

  • Facebook
  • Flickr
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Follow

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 877 other subscribers

Instagram

hoohaa29

Don’t mind me. Just watching a little TV with so Don’t mind me. Just watching a little TV with some snuggles on the couch! 

#goldenretriever #dogsofinstagram #dog #love
It was haircut time with Cameron before Thanksgivi It was haircut time with Cameron before Thanksgiving and he challenged @studio11chris some with this festive art! 

#haircut #barber #barbershop @studio11barbersuite @harmm23 @dlinc27
Sunday was a day with some errands and such, but a Sunday was a day with some errands and such, but also a nice walk on the Vestal Rail Trail. Harper loved it, of course, especially because she got to also walk with her "Gram!" 

#dog #walk #outdoors #goldenretriever #goldenretrieversofinstagram #dogsofinstagram #love #photooftheday #iphoneography
Quick snap tonight while out walking Harper. #ni Quick snap tonight while out walking Harper. 

#night #moon #blackandwhite #spooky
The weather didn’t deter Harper for National Fet The weather didn’t deter Harper for National Fetch Day! And then friends came to Harper’s Landing to make it even better! 

#nationalfetchday #makefetchhappen #chuckit #chuckitfetchgames #dog #dogparty #goldenretriever #ball #play #dogsofinstagram #dog #goldenretrieversofinstagram #harper_dublin #akc #photography #photooftheday #love #mydogharper #harperdublin #instagood #happy #picoftheday #fun #iphoneology #retrieveroftheday #ilovemygolden #dogstagram #dailygolden #dogsofinsta #fun @chuckitfetchgames
Who’s ready for National Fetch Day on Saturday? Who’s ready for National Fetch Day on Saturday? I’m pretty sure Harper is! 

#goldenretriever #dogsofinstagram #dog #goldenretrieversofinstagram #harper_dublin #akc #photography #photooftheday #love #mydogharper #harperdublin #instagood #happy #picoftheday #fun #iphoneology #retrieveroftheday #ilovemygolden #dogstagram #dailygolden #dogsofinsta @chuckitfetchgames
Tis a dreary and rainy day. What better than to ha Tis a dreary and rainy day. What better than to have a cup of tea in my new mug, which was a birthday gift from my nephew/godson Cameron!
Live life the best you can. Have experiences. Smil Live life the best you can. Have experiences. Smile. Love the world. 

#acadia #acadianationalpark #sunrise #sun #colors #sky #nature  #life #love #goldenretriever #dogsofinstagram #dog #cadillacmountain
Likely my final game of the year… but a nice nig Likely my final game of the year… but a nice night! 

#baseball #sky
Harper and Phil! #goldenretriever #dog #dogsofin Harper and Phil! 

#goldenretriever #dog #dogsofinstagram #love #iphonography #photography
Saturday was national dog day… posted on Faceboo Saturday was national dog day… posted on Facebook, but forgot here! Harper was spoiled all day!
How could we skip this? North of the border this How could we skip this? 

North of the border this weekend to get away and hit a few caching events and geocache. Dinner tonight was at @harpersburgers, especially with outdoor seating and dog friendly! @harper_dublin got to enjoy a little of my #burger, of course. And, yes, I got poutine, duh! Great service and great food! Went back later for a spiked shake. This one was a Malibu Colada (malibu rum, dark rum, vanilla ice cream, and pineapple juice) … yum! 

Good times! Looking forward to another event and caches on Saturday before heading home! 

#food #foodporn #poutine #fries #dinner #yummy
My newest #pathtag came in! A great design by @geo My newest #pathtag came in! A great design by @geofoxandthehound! This one, of course, is connected to @harper_dublin ‘s Instagram account. It won’t be easy to get! 

#geocaching #pathtags #goldenretriever #instagram
Rain on leaves … still on trees or on the ground Rain on leaves … still on trees or on the ground… is so peaceful. 

#rain #nature #leaves #leaf # water #naturephotography #photography #love #beautiful #raindrops #iphonography
Henlo. #goldenretriever #dogsofinstagram #dog #g Henlo. 

#goldenretriever #dogsofinstagram #dog #goldenretrieversofinstagram #harper_dublin #akc #photography #photooftheday #love #mydogharper #harperdublin #instagood #happy #picoftheday #fun #iphoneology #retrieveroftheday #ilovemygolden #dogstagram #dailygolden #dogsofinsta
Haircut day! I got mine done, as did Cameron. He g Haircut day! I got mine done, as did Cameron. He got some waves for when he goes to the shore next week! One shot of me getting the straight razor too! Nice job @studio11chris at @studio11barbersuite ! 

#haircut #barber #hair
Life is good! #goldenretriever #dogsofinstagram # Life is good!

#goldenretriever #dogsofinstagram #dog #doglife #life #lifeisgood #lifeisbeautiful #morning #morningwalk #walk #iphonography #iphonephotography #photo #photography #love #selfcare #outdoors #sky #bridge
Part one of the backyard work is done. New patio h Part one of the backyard work is done. New patio has been installed ... (the rock garden area is basically done, too ... but i need to put a few things up with it). The guy who did my patio did a great job... looks cool. 

I think Harper approves. 

One more step and we'll be set to really enjoy it back there with some shade!

Working on a few other landscaping things, too.
Golden hour. #goldenretriever #dogsofinstagram # Golden hour. 

#goldenretriever #dogsofinstagram #dog #goldenretrieversofinstagram #harper_dublin #akc #photography #photooftheday #love #mydogharper #harperdublin #instagood #happy #picoftheday #fun #iphoneology #retrieveroftheday #ilovemygolden #dogstagram #dailygolden #dogsofinsta
Waggin’ Wednesday at the @swbrailriders was a lo Waggin’ Wednesday at the @swbrailriders was a lot of fun! Hot night, but very enjoyable! 

#baseball #dog #goldenretriever #barkinthepark #wagginwednesday
Load More Follow on Instagram

YouTube

P.J. Harmer

P.J. Harmer
A video looking at my first year and a half of owning a golden retriever, my first dog. It's had its ups and downs, but I've truly loved the ride and look forward to the future. 

Music: Happy before we get old by Michael Shynes via Artlist. 

► My blog: http://www.hoohaa.com
► Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hoohaa29/
► Follow Harper on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/harper_dublin/
► Like on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HooHaaBlog

Thank you for watching. :)
When these boxes come, there usually some excitement. But this one ... is the ultimate unboxing! 

#cielovideo52 #52weekchallenge #week5 #weeklychallenge

Music: Happy to be Happy (Dapun)

► My blog: http://www.hoohaa.com
► Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hoohaa29/
► Follow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/softball29
► Like on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HooHaaBlog
I hate being in front of the camera, but also realize sometimes it's not the worst thing in the world. So, I'm getting better with it. Week 4's theme was all about us and having us in front of the camera, so I tried to come up with a creative way to do it. 

#cielovideo52 #52weekchallenge #week4 #weeklychallenge

Music: Infinite Wonder (Ben Fox)

► My blog: http://www.hoohaa.com
► Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hoohaa29/
► Follow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/softball29
► Like on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HooHaaBlog
Load More... Subscribe

Archives

Categories

Calendar

December 2023
S M T W T F S
 12
3456789
10111213141516
17181920212223
24252627282930
31  
« Nov    

Search The Site

Site Information

  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.org

A 'lil HooHaa © 2023 · Created By Coded Creative

Copyright © 2023 · Ava Mae on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in