Day 43 | Appalachian Trail Thru Hike 2024 | Changing up our plans  

Great work reassessing and adjusting plans in light of the incoming weather. ⛈️ Mama Bear is on it! You guys always pick awesome lunch spots. 😊 It's a joy watching the teamwork between you two; its seamless. Solid day of hiking and decision-making. Rest well ladies. ✌️

I don't worry about safety for you two because Mama Bear is always vigilant and practical. Great traits for the trail. Roam Mountain is dangerous if taken lightly. And, yes, its the last time you'll be above 6000 ft until Mt. Washington. God bless and safe travels as you near Damacus!

I'm loving every vlog. The 2 of you together are like poetry, the way you work together... Stay safe, God bless. Thank you for sharing so much of your adventure.

🦊 I love it when Ellie creeps in unexpectedly 😄🦊

Not that I have ever been reckless, but my decision making has changed since I started taking my son. You have a whole different perspective when you are responsible for someone else. Safety is always important but that added dynamic of having your kid with you really makes you much more conservative. Better safe than sorry.

I like the fact that you placed the tent well away from the fire ring where you were doing the cooking. And I am sure that you paid close attention to getting a good bear hang. With a known proximity of a bear at a shelter about a mile away, both are key to not having a bear visit your tent at night (or get access to your food). My understanding is that bears can smell food up to a mile away, so there was actually a pretty significant chance that the bear would visit you. People should avoid having food in or near their tents, and bear bags or canisters are vital in the back country. You guys modeled good food habits, as experienced backpackers should. In grizzly country out West, hikers often will stop before the end of the day to eat dinner, then hike several miles more to get away from any lingering food smell.

Fly in the tent is the worst! Getting up early and out of camp by 6AM in the hot months is a really good strategy that saves a lot of energy by hiking when it’s cooler and the bugs aren’t swarming as much. Glad you’ve learned to share camp chores that saves so much time!!

Nice lunch on the side of mountain. Great Team on setting up for camp time. One cook's and Little Bear sets up tent. Watch for snakes when sitting. Way to plan for weather and taking shelter when needed. Thank you so much.😊

PS…getting up early gives you the pleasure of seeing the sun rise over the mountains…and you’re more likely to see wildlife. Good luck!

We got amazing pouring rain, hail and thunder and lightning Monday here in Franklin, NC. Glad you will not be hunkering in your tent for the event. Safety first is a great motto for the AT. 😊

Having tentative plans, but also being flexible is so wise when backpacking. The weather conditions have a way of helping to make decisions. Haha. Glad yall chose to hunker down at the hostel.

Agree with CSwason, highlight to me was the bird nest🐦‍⬛. Great find Little Bear! Mama Bear you are on top of every detail and yes, safety first. Enjoyed the video portion of your food preparation and the slurping noise of Lttle Bear eating her meal 🤣. Hope you both slept well with out any distant relatives…aka The Bears 🐻visiting you Bears!🧸🐻. Love and light to you both, to your family and us here watching. 🐱🧸🐻⛰️🥾👍

I can leave my house and drive to Roan Mountain in about 20 minutes. The trail there is really no more difficult than anywhere else you have been. The weather is absolutely no joke. I've been soaked and very cold up there in July. You aren't in wilderness beyond the hope of rescue, but it can be a really uncomfortable slog. Planning with weather as a factor is smart.

I'm glad you guys got off trail for the storm! When I think about the electronics and other things that we have today, especially related to weather and contacting hostels on the fly, it's just hard to imagine how Grandma Gatewood did it. 3 times, I think. And doing it all in sneakers. If you haven't read her book, I highly recommend it. I'm also appreciating what you guys are doing! You do seem to be a well oiled machine, and that can be difficult in close quarters, no matter whether it's a good friend or a family member! I don't know why people say this because I already know you'll do everything in your power to stay safe, but hey, stay safe!

Oh the enchanted forest area is so cool.

🚶‍♀️🐻👟👟🚶‍♂️🐻😺👟👟⛺🌞 what is a mystical little Forest so glad you're making a good choice and following rule one little Bear is so funny when she's recording you and turns the camera and give us a peace signal you two are doing amazing stay safe love and light to you both and goodnight Ellie 🐈😺

Lunch with a view = One of my favorite things. One of the best things about hiking. 😊

Looks like an enchanted forest, your camera work is excellent, nice, slow panning. Glad that you have a safe plan. Love watching you and LB interact.

You don't have a cozy for your hot meals to stay hot while rehydrating? Its totally worth it.

MB & LB, you made some wise choices today, from staying off the mountain tomorrow because of bad weather, to where to camp tonight. You two have really streamlined setting up camp. Fun to see the entire process of fixing supper. Always wondered exactly how that works. After watching y'all yesterday, I fixed idahoan potatoes for supper last night. My favorite are Baby Red with nothing but onion added, & grated cheese mixed in just before eating. But last night I was inspired by your meals to put the rest of my supper on top of the cheesy taters. Delicious! And only one bowl to wash! Enough leftovers for tonight, then it's time for ME to resupply :-) Praying daily for your safety from illness or injury, and for lots of highlights to offset the character builders. G’nite Elle!

very misty first thing . some nice views for lunch . hope all goes well with the storm . steve

Good morning Mama Bear and Little Bear and 😺 Ellie! Good day to all of you😌🙂

Another awesome video. Thank you!

Congratulations on another beautiful day on the AT❤ Glad to hear you are/did get off the trail and safe from the storm. You both are truly inspiring. Love LB’s positivity and love MB’s parenting skills. You are raising one incredible young lady ❤

Dessert before dinner. I like that!

I wish my mother would have done something like this with me as a kid. Dad must be working. Mom is a stay at home mom. Nothing wrong with it. Atleast you are doing something kool with your time

The lesson you teach LB she carry for a life time. I was on Maine this weekend Mount katahdin had her head on the clouds and snow on her skirt. As soon as I can figure out how to post it to you I will.

Better safe than sorry.. good thinking about getting off trail temporarily while storms pass through. Those ramen bombs sound yummy.. changing your menu occasionally prevents boredom. Stay safe and dry! 🙏

Love the Chipmunk voices 😅 Go Mama Bear & Little Bear Go! 👟🐻🐻👍🏼

Good vid of making camp. Can see that you’re really dialed in. LB is such a little rascal flashing the stealth peace sign. If you ever decide to do peanut butter and banana wraps…i would be flattered. It was a staple to me and people loved them. Heavy…but with trail legs…no problem. Drizzle honey…oat meal…chocolate…caramel. So good in the woods.

Another great video - thank you for taking the time to share with us ❤

Good call getting off trail for the storms. Hope y’all had amazing views for the Roan Highlands. The old Over Mountain shelter site is an awesome place to tent. Of course I know y’all have already passed there by now. Happy Trails and hope to see y’all at Trail Days.

Safety and smiles before miles!

I think you got this all figured out, Mama Bear!!! You both got this!! Enjoying the videos and your journey!! 💙💙💙

I just looked up what a kula cloth is and yes that is what i was referring to. Never heard of them, but awesome!!

I love the way your videos show us the ordinary every-day routines about long-distance backpacking and I especially like the making-dinner-and-erecting-tent part. Funny too! Good team-work. I’m learning a lot from you which I hope will help me next year. Love and hugs. ❤

Nice view for lunch. Safe travels.

Your excitement over the tree stump! A stool!!! Warmed my heart, always looking for good. Prayers for anyone dealing with Noro while in the great outdoors!!!! I can barely survive at home! It’s horrible 😂

You two are doing fantastic! Kudos to Mama Bear for your decision-making skills and preparedness! Also, you show great reserve and respect in answering some comments that are way out there! lol. Continuing to pray for your safety and enjoyment! Godspeed!

A fellow thru hiker had a tattoo on his arm to remind him of the mission…”Hike North, Don’t Die!” Good call on the weather, the Roan Highlands are absolutely beautiful but really exposed. One of my top 3 sections of the entire trail! Enjoy in good weather if you can

So happy to follow along on your adventure

Literally watching you watching water boil and treasuring every moment 😊❤

Safety comes first. Your guys seem to have everything under control. You both rock

Of course, no one wants to be in danger, but it seems that these adjustments are something that keeps the trail interesting. Glad you’re both safe and enjoying this journey! Thank you for bringing us along. Psalm 3:3 Shield, glory, lifter. Provider! 🙌🙏💪🥾

I always say that we never want to be the cautionary tale! Safety is always the best call. Happy trails.🤟🏻🥾🏔

You're doing a great job and making safe choices. I can't imagine how hikers tackled all these problems before technology was widely accessible. Keep shining bright. You've got this.

Little Bear is pretty good at snake sightings.

Like the split chores!

Morning, Bears. I absolutely love your adaptability on the trail (and I'm sure in life also) . Such an important life skill for LB to learn. It will benefit her throughout her life. Glad to know that you're not going to risk Roan Mountain during inclement weather. Loved the bird nest with eggs. How neat. Know that I continue to pray for you for a safe, healthy hike, for judgement and guidance as you make your way to Katahdin. Ya'll are doing so well. Ya'll take care. Stay safe. See you tomorrow.

How did we ever hike the entire AT in 1984 with just an analog compass, Ø hostels and studying wildlife for impending inclement Wx. It sounds like it was the end of an era. Stay safe on the mission to Maine in 2024...

You’re making great choices. There’s an internet ‘sensation’ question resulting in plenty of Curious responses, about meeting a bear in the woods. Interesting timing.

Not sure, but I've also read where the Whites have this same unpredictability weather wise. A ways down the trail, but a heads up just to check on.😊

You two have a great team system for setting up camp and meal prep; love watching your journey.

Keep On Stepping!!

Great thinking ahead with the storms moving in!! ☔️⛈️ love where you had lunch very pretty spot 🌸💐🪵! Looks like you got your team work down to a fine science!! Stay safe & hike on!! Goodnight Ellie! 😻 🥾🙏🏕️🇺🇸🧗‍♀️❤️

I like how you show the need to be flexible. Smart move to get a hostel. Thunderstorms are dangerous.

You guys are doing great and I am very impressed with Little Bear. Did not mean to stir trouble. I apologize. You and your husband can be very proud. She is a real trooper. Please let her know we are very proud of her and also of you.

Nice video, with some good views, some hot foods, a snake, 😮,so let's keep on hiking 😊

Great Choice! Thunder & lightning not a good combination on ridges or balds! I have a question hope you can answer, do you use a pump to inflate the air pads? On one of the videos I thought I heard something like my electric pump to an air mattress 😂 Keep up the good work and stay safe 😊

Great team and great planning in light of a thunderous next day🎉

love the "double-speed dinner prep"! Great idea.

The Emerald Forest is very special and worth the climb! Nice work!! Stayed on roan mountain once and storms came through. They missed us but hit on top of grandfather mountain which can be seen across the way. A hiker that was climbing the ladders there ended up falling and getting injured because of the storms. Not worth risking!!

great job my ladys on video

I am so hooked on seeing how your journey is progressing. U 2 R doing GR8. Hope your food bag was hung high & a good distance from your tent. Dismal Falls is a popular "swimming hole" here in SW Virginia. The water stays cold. Lol..liked the fast forward camp life. A couple of chipmunks chowing down .😊

Good idea about getting off trail during potential storms. I saw on the news this morning about a tornado in Tennesee. I know that's not close but still basically a state away. That's a nice campsite you stopped at, very cool. Hope you are safe. Sunny up here in NH. 🌲👍

.. Another good day on trail ...... .. The outdoors is sinking in ... dinner ramen eaten like a couple of chipmunks ..lol .. Stay Safe ..

Good to stay flexible for your safety. Great team work at camp, solo hikers have to do everything. Hope you have a good food bag hang.

Norovirus can live on surfaces for a couple weeks. It can live in water for a long time. Five years in university to become a microbiologist was worth it but people need to pay attention. Like you MB. God speed on the trail.

Good update! Glad y'all are doing well. ❤and🔦

I have been following you since you started and you seem to be making very good decisions concerning your safety.

This time of the year the water in laurel falls stream and in watauga lake will both take your breathe away as they are very frigid cold.

Thanks for the heads up on Clyde Smith Shelter. I am a Section Hiker and had planned to stay there, but didn’t read the comments yet. Now I will most likely stay at the camp spot where you stopped. Maybe I’ll catch up to you two!

Doing Roan in better weather will reward you.

❤❤❤❤

Hi! I'm curious what are the toppings you add to the Ramen? I loved seeing the cooking portion, it was fun to see. Nice day! I can't wait to see the place you honker down in to avoid this forecasted storm. Godspeed! (PS I've commented before, but recently I changed my name from MrsPlumbersTub to EverHopeful. ;-) Godspeed!

Hey, that wasn’t a birds nest! I found a nice cool spot to leave you guys 2 trail magic, hard boiled eggs! 🤪🥚😝🥚JK! 😅 You had such a great day! Yes, safety is always first and always worth erring on the side of caution. You know what? Even if it turned out to be perfect weather and you took a zero it’s still not an err ! God has orchestrated your every step for His purposes. He knows exactly what you need, when you need it, who needs to meet you and who you need to meet😊 Going to go do my research on what type of bird lays eggs underground in the middle of the forest! They looked too big to be quail eggs I’m fascinated.:-))) Little bear, you have a keen eye for spotting nature! You both must be the most fun people to hike with because you’re always so full of gratitude no matter what and you spot all the little things that many people miss. God bless you! Keeping bears in our prayers ! WWYATW!

I am so glad that you are able to get off the trail and not the exposed on those riches! I know that I would be terrified if I were caught up on an open bald like that with thunder and lightning! I think I’m going to have to make a Ramen bomb at home just to see what it’s like🥰 God’s blessings as you continue on to Virginia 🙏💗🥾🏕️🌲🌳

I have some questions if you would like to answer them in one of your videos or something if you don’t mind… How long did it take you to get into a routine for nights and mornings? Is there anything that was very difficult at first that now seems very easy? How long are you taking to nock up in the mornings? We love your videos, thanks for sharing. Sending love and prayers ❤

The Lemmon pepper tuna is my least favorite. I went up Roan Mountain hauling wet gear, but it stopped raining long enough for me to get up and down to Carver Gap. When I got to Craver Gap, I met Matt Johnson, who is a Thru-hiker hiker on RU-vid from 2022. Very random but very cool because his channel is what made me think this would be fun. It has not been much fun so far, but who knows what today may bring. It's Tuesday, and the weather projects next Monday will be the first dry day.

Question about nutrition: you’ve mentioned the problems of getting enough calories. What about other vitamins, protein, etc? How do the dehydrated meals do, with respect to that? I mean, for a short while non-optimal meals would be fine, but month after month… will that affect your energy and health, do you think?

Hey Y'all, you're doing great, but a word of caution when pitching your tent under trees. Look the trees over for dead limbs that are hanging over your tent site. They will at some point in time fall. They can seriously injure or kill you and are known as "widow makers" for a reason. You're a very thoughtful person MB. Take Care. Kanati

✌️❤️

What did you do with your food to keep away from bears since not a designated camp site?

I really hope you guys are keeping an eye out for widow makers

I may have commented before...however I'm hooked on u2..thank you for the detailed meal prep..I think thats your 2nd camp stove..if so how is is it working and would you purchase the same.. maybe brand..later..

🌲🌲🌲🏕 🌲🌲🌲 THANK YOU.

Thanks for showing your camp set up! So interesting for all of us ❤. Are those regular ziplock bags that you put hot water into? Great job you amazing strong ladies!!!

Miranda goes Outside, showed a plush cat like yours. So, cool. I think hers is a house cat, not a hiking cat like yours.

Hiking in severe storms and flash flood no fun

Oh my gosh. I thought there wasn’t going to be an intro today 😂

As the sayng goes; ‘A watched pot never boils’ ..even on fast forward😅 Happy Trails

Man, the weather has been all over the place. You guys are doing a great job of managing it

Planning on doing the AT 2026. Just curious and to help me figure out dates, what mo did you guys start ? Seems like a lot of hikers start out earlier now than they use to.

I’m wondering if the water ever gets warm in the mountains? Does noro ever go away?

Yesterday was a mess

You guys are doing amazing! I was curious on the ziplock bags you’re using for dinner. Are they regular bags or a special bag that can handle heat??

Hiked up Roan in a torrential downpour. Wasn't fun. Plus it gets cold up there and dangerous if you're soaking wet.

What are the triangle shaped “things” on your belt area?

Are they boiling the food??? Rookie question. I haven’t missed a video yet.

It seems as though Lil bear for her age is not a picky eater because the options are limited