Jonathan (Caribou) and Yolo are now at Franklin at 107 miles. Congratulations on the first century!!
Jonathan is writing a daily Journal or PLOG (Pager Log) which we will post whenever he sends it.
Here is the first one!!!



To let you know that this Plog is not organized, it is based on my daily journal. Some from few ago, some from very recent. So this may be confusing, be patient with me! :) enjoy Caribou and Yolo's PLOG!

   At first two days I was carrying around 40 pounds of backpack (I guess I wanted a luxury trip). When matty quit, I had to carry 50 pounds of bag for other 3 days! Now my bag weight 25 pounds- just because after I experiencing first 5 days, I realized there are luxury stuffs that I don't really need. For examples- ax, camping pillow (I realized I cld just use my dreadlocks as my pillow, duh me), bowl/plate, three people tent (I switched to one person tent), etc, and foods that r way too much.
   I only now have trail mix for my breakfast. Clif energy bar for my lunch. Ramen noodles/tuna for my dinner! That's all! Easier on my back! Concerned about my amount of food? Worry not! Because almost every time I arrive road gap, there are people standing by providing various of drinks and food! I had pizza! Like I said- its a fun community! I am definitely going do this for other thur hikers in future when I have time on my hands!
    At St. Patrick party, I met two cool gals named Ace and Turtle. They were very eager to learn ASL. I bumped into them again at my day off in Helen, GA. We hit off and I have to admit they learned ASL pretty really fast. Good enough we met again at Tray Mountain Shelter and here at Blueberry Patch Hotel! We became good friends! (Not more than that, okay? So quit nagging me abt them! :P)
   Let's talk about mentality in AT. Being alone with Yolo can bring me into different thoughts in my head while hiking . Interesting thing I learned about mentality is- weather does affect your thoughts on that day. On sunny day, I could just keep on thinking about what I want to do positively in my life after AT. During rain day, it does easily make me think negatively about my past and what could happen to me in future. Every time I think of that, I had to shake my head off and try to think something else better. Interesting how it affects you without thinking about it. It does help when you hike with someone else. Just a tip for you all if you one day want to  be in my shoes. Don't worry about me, I got strong mind- thanks to my mommy and daddy! :)
    On 7th day, the weather was way lousy-rainy and fog all the way. But I learned how to appreciate it more after seeing fog cover the trail with very green trees on both sides. Just like sleepy hollow movie only with greener trees. Very spooky but yet beautiful! Tripping actually. Later on, we hitchhiked to Christians owners-blueberry patch hostel for a night to dry ourselves up. I nearly fell on pile of mud, whew! Good thing, I have wrestling skills that helps me to skip the pile of mud!
     Anyway, this blueberry patch hostel has inspired me so much to do something like this in my future. Hostel doesn't charge thur hikers for a night but do accept donations. Because of that, I aint complaining that I gotta sleep on floor with yolo. They originally doesn't allow dogs but willing to let me and yolo stay in as long we sleep on floor! Pfth. They provides various of food from fruits to deserts. They even do laundry for you! Champ place! I saw my other friends again here after three days not seeing them! So nice to see them again!
   Yolo just tapped on me and wanted to share his experience too. Here's Yolo typing: Caribou talks too much, right? ignore him if you want and read this! Arf! I can't say how lucky I am to have someone like Caribou taking care of me! He knows when I'm cold and he would tuck me with him in his sleeping bag. What a life saver! Only thing I hate bout AT the most is carrying my own foods in my backpack! I just wish Caribou could carry them for me so I can run even more! Growls! I just wish Caribou knows how to put things in my bag and balance it right. Sometimes when I run up and the left bag would fall down while the right bag will go up and that makes me run even funnier. Even when on rain day, the left side bag would be covered with mud and rub the dirt on my leg! Hey this is AT life, right! I can't complain! Good thing I'm not in DC sniffing cars' gas! Anyway, I met one cool dude dog named Trashman! Can you imagine Caribou naming me Recycleman? Arf no! Trashman looked almost same as I am only he is way bigger and is mix with coyote!! I had good time knowing what his ass is all about. We would play wood sticks together and play catch-me-if-you-can game! Of course I'm younger and more energy than he is so he lost the game! Woof hey! He has almost same job description as mine- he is service dog for diabetes. Good thing my job is much easier than his, do I really even have one? Just a lucky b.s. job ever! You know, Caribou is lucky enough to have me because I protect him all the time. When I hear someone coming I would run to them and give them my prideful sounds like this- WOOOOOFFFF! Just till Caribou tell me to stop and come back to him. Yup! One time, a small branches fell from tree I ultimately quickly jumped at it and chew it off! Hey just in case if a squirrel tries attack my master! Better attack at it than being sorry! To kill or to be killed, man. I love it when my nana (caribou's mom) sends me freeze chicken treats! Send me more, nana!! Love you! Howls!! The blueberry patch hostel owner actually made me two pancakes with two milkbones on top for breakfast! Very sweet owners! That's my story for now. Arf thanks for reading! Back to my master's lalalalaing story.
   I met a dude, beefstick, who just got his PhD in astronomer! This is his second time doing AT! I asked him why didn't he try different trails in US or even out of countries. He said simply because AT is way more fun since you can meet different kind of people everyday. There is no other trail like this. I hardly can disagree with him!
     I have to say this weather at AT is so weird! On 7th day it was pouring rain just like being in cold shower. Then on 8th day, rise n shine it was SNOWING!!!!! That's right white flakes at everywhere! It was great experience because I always want to try winter camping and here I go! I was most definitely warm on that night. Yolo and -20 sleeping bag were the help! Then on 9th day, it was totally sunny and warm!!! I wore shorts and t shirt! Imagine that? All those weathers just happened in 3 days! Its fun! Its like being tested by mother nature and I am proud to say I passed! :D
   Hiking everyday made my body even leaner! I cld see some abs on me and muscular arms! Wheee!!! Legs r still floppy, give it two more weeks! :)
     Oh Oh yeah, I'm no longer in Georgia!! I'm now in North Carolina! Wheee! First state is gone! 13 more states to GO!!!! Just passed 100 miles marker! 2,076 miles to go!
  Yeah, just wait till I collect every friends' trail names in end of my trip- many got funny names, interesting names, and very not creative names!
   Want know what heaven is? CROCS!!! I had to wear my boots for two weeks-not funny! THANKS mom and dad for sending me crocs!

More Plogs upcoming!

The mountains are calling us and we must go.
Caribou and Yolo (not recycleman!)
Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile