The Year 2000 AT Trip

Dan Allen and Natalie Davis

Reports from the trail can be found below or by following the appropriate links from the schedule.

Schedule (revised 2/23/2000)
Trip Over for this year due to injury

Bold Type indicates a mail-drop/phone call (and a night sleeping indoors...)
The notation (>5000) indicates that the trail will be above 5000' in elevation for part of the day.

This schedule assumes only no weather delays
Destinations in parantheses are alternates without shelters
The hope is to return to New Hampshire in time to vote (in Town Meeting) on Tuesday, March 14

To: ATlist
From: catamount@top.monad.net (Wendy & Tim Allen)
Subject: Phone Call from Dan & Nat
Date: January 10, 2000

Dan & Nat called this evening from Pearisburg, VA, on schedule having hiked through the rain all day yesterday. They began this expedition in the Roanoke, VA, area on January 3. Neal Anderson was with them for the first four nights. Dan reports that his back is not top-notch, but that he hasn't started taking any ibuprofin yet and they're going to try continuing on. We expect to hear from them next in about a week.

Date: Tue, 18 Jan 2000 20:45:38 -0500
To: ATlist
From: catamount@top.monad.net (Tim & Wendy Allen)
Subject: Phone Call from Dan & Nat on the AT

January 18,

Dan called from Atkins, VA. They've completed 178 miles so far on this year's Appalachian Trail expedition. Today was 14 miles in 4 to 8 inches of snow, depending on elevation and exposure. It took 9.5 hours, and they were really beat. Although it is not 100%, Dan's back seems OK and they are going to continue on, although they will take tomorrow off. This pushes their schedule back by a day (I have updated the schedule on the web site to reflect this).

Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2000 09:58:35 -0500
To: ATlist
From: catamount@top.monad.net (Wendy & Tim Allen)
Subject: Dan and Nat bailing out

Friday, January 21:

Dan left a message on our answering machine early this morning. He was calling from the Mount Rogers National Park, and they've decided to bail out of the trip. We are not to send any more packages... He said they'll stop by our house in Keene on their way home, so I expect we might see them tonight or tomorrow.

Date: Sat, 22 Jan 2000 14:09:34 -0500
To: ATlist
From: catamount@top.monad.net (Tim & Wendy Allen)
Subject: Dan and Nat back

2:00 pm, January 22

Dan and Nat just left our house here in Keene on their way back to New London, having returned from the AT. There was just too much snow, and they didn't have their snowshoes with them. Dan is hoping to return to the trail on Tuesday or so; he would like to finish this project this year.

Date: Sun, 30 Jan 2000 21:00:21 -0500
To: ATlist
From: catamount@top.monad.net (Wendy & Tim Allen)
Subject: Dan is back on the AT

Dan called from Damascus, Virginia. He's back on the AT, having driven down to Mount Rogers National Recreation Area on Tuesday. As you can probably imagine if you've been watching the weather this past week, he says the trailbreaking is tough. He's going through an average of 10" of new snow, less on south facing slopes, where the trail treadway is still visible, a foot or more on north facing slopes. He's also experienced some freezing rain, too. In the Mount Rogers area there were some other people out on the trails, but he doesn't expect to encounter others on his next section (he'll have to pack the trail by himself...). We expect to next hear from him on Saturday. A revised schedule and other news about Dan's effort to finish his "Hike the Appalachian Trail in the Winter" project can be found on the web at: http://top.monad.net/~catamount/DDOTM/AT.html

Date: Sun, 6 Feb 2000
To: ATlist
From: catamount@top.monad.net (Tim & Wendy Allen)
Subject: Dan is a day behind schedule on the AT

Dan called Friday evening from the Laurel Creek Hostel in Hampton, TN (near Elizabethton). He is one day behind scheduleon his AT trip. He had planned to be in Roan Mountain on Saturday, where some mail should be waiting for him; now he'll get there on Sunday, but will have to wait until Monday morning for the Post Office to open... The trail seems to be routed through every single patch of Rhododendrons in these mountains, and the shrubs have been bent over loaded with snow, obscuring the trail. It has made for a couple of wet (and really pooped) days. Fortunately it was warm on Thursday, and most of the shrubs were released of their snow loads. The forecast calls for some more warm days, which will help.

Date: Tue, 8 Feb 2000
To: ATlist
From: catamount@top.monad.net (Wendy & Tim Allen)
Subject: Another Report from the AT

Nat called yesterday (Monday 7-Feb); Dan had called her at 7:30 on Monday morning from Roan Mountain, TN. He has completed 323.8 miles of the AT so far this winter, 90.6 miles on snowshoes. Nat said that Dan seemed tired. She expects to hear from him next in 4 or 5 days.

Date: Sat, 12 Feb 2000 13:17:26 -0500
To: ATlist
From: catamount@top.monad.net (Tim & Wendy Allen)
Subject: From the Nolichucky Hostel...

Dan called Nat on Thursday evening from the Nolichucky Hostel. He reported having a sore toe, but is continuing on the next leg of his expedition. No statistics about snowshoeing, but it is a lot of hard work.

Date: Thu, 17 Feb 2000 10:04:02 -0500
To: ATlist
From: catamount@top.monad.net (Wendy & Tim Allen)
Subject: Good Spirits on the AT

Nat told us that Dan called from Hot Springs, NC, yesterday evening (Wednesday, Feb. 16). He seems to be in good spirits. So far this winter, he has hiked 436 miles, 131 of them on snowshoes. Only 268 miles to go!!!! Dan reports that there is no snow on the trails at elevations below 4000 feet, and that he has developed a "modified management plan" for his sore toe -- stuffing an extra sock in by the tongue of his boot to keep his foot from sliding forward and hitting the end. He's going to keep at it.

Date: Sun, 20 Feb 2000 14:56:43 -0500
To: ATlist
From: catamount@top.monad.net (Tim & Wendy Allen)
Subject: An AT Layover in Asheville, NC

Dan called last night from my cousin Heather's studio in Asheville, NC. He will be taking today off, returning to the trail on Monday. He is looking forward to getting through the Smokies, although he is not sure what the weather will bring. The authorities could close the trail if there is too much snow or too much wind. Once he makes it to Fontana Dam, Dan thinks he'll be able to get rid of his snowshoes and crampons, as he doesn't expect to need them beyond there.

Date: Wed, 23 Feb 2000 20:30:57 -0500
To: ATlist
From: catamount@top.monad.net (Tim & Wendy Allen)
Subject: AT 2000 expedition collapses

Dan called Nat earlier this evening; he has suffered a collapsed disc in his back, and so the trip is over. He made it as far as Tri Corner Knob. He said he will be back in New London in a day or two. Nat said that he is hurting...

Don't Die on the Mountain