#11: [27-Jul-13]

#10: [21-Apr-11]

#9: [07-Apr-08]

#8: [13-Apr-07]

#7: [28-Feb-07]

#6: [31-May-06]

#5: [21-Nov-04]

#4: [03-Jan-04]

#3: [29-May-03]

#2: [24-Apr-02]

17-Sep-2000 -- The park ranger to whom we spoke before we set out, was really keen on our quest. We gave her the website, grabbed our maps, compass and GPS, then we set out. Hiking from 200 feet above sea level up to 1900 feet was quite a task. Kat and I are both in great shape, but our calves took a beating.

After 3 miles of hiking, we were at the top of the ridge, were standing on the Appalachian trail where it crossed a pipeline, and our way warned us with No Trespassing, No Hunting and No Nothing signs. But this was my second confluence, and I wasn't going to miss it. As we got closer to the confluence, we located the 39 degree north. From there, we used the compass to get closer to the goal.

Kat pointed us with the GPS towards the heavy underbrush, and I pushed a path through as she directed me. At last success!

The bushes let out into a narrow clearing; we hoped that the confluence would be here and not in the middle of all the dense brush. As luck would have it that day, the confluence was a perfect spot. It was on an old trail through the woods, overgrown with soft green grass but surrounded by the thorniest and thickest undergrowth in the forest.

Just a quick 200-yard hike up the mountain and out of the trees we found a slate-stone chimney that rose 20 feet into the air. It had the ruins of fireplaces a hundred years old on both sides of it. It could have been a massive mountain home at one time, but we like to think of it as the old Moonshine Hideaway.

It was a beautiful day with cool, soothing winds. The sky was blue. The view was magnificent. Kat spied a juvenile red-tailed hawk at the end of the day. We met a couple who had been hiking the Appalachian Trail for 3 months. AND we found the confluence. Luckily, the return hike was all downhill. Hope to do it again soon...

1000 ft from the Appalachian Trail.