BICYCLISTS SEEN - 143

SNAKES - 12 (ALL DEAD)

TURKEY'S - 14

DEER - 18

CENTIPEDES - 1 

DAYS HIKED IN RAIN - 1

TIMES I FELL - ZERO!!!!

DAYS OFF - 12 ( 5 FOR FEET REHAB ) 

DOCTOR VISITS - 3 (SAME DR.)

PARK RANGERS I MET - 4

WALKING DAYS - 26

AVG. MILES PER DAY - 17.0769

SHORTEST DAY - 6 MILES

LONGEST DAY - 23.5 MILES

TIMES PEOPLE TRIED TO RUN ME OVER - 3 (ALL IN THE SAME DAY)

BLISTERS - 45 ( 14 ON THE RIGHT,31 ON THE LEFT)

# OF CREEKS I DRANK FROM - ZERO

# OF CREEKS I WOULD DRINK FROM - NOT A DANG ONE

WOMEN WHO SAID THEY'D MARRY ME - NOT A DANG ONE

HIKING SHOES USED - 2 PAIRS

EQUIPMENT FAILURES - 1 ( AIR MATTRESS )

PHOTOS TAKEN - 823

LONGEST STRETCH W/OUT A SHOWER - 5 DAYS

MOST CONSECUTIVE DAYS HIKED - 7

J.D.ROBB SR. - my father and logistics manager (flawless once again)

BRENT "BARLEY" BUDDENSEE - webmaster,thru-hiker,renaissance man,purveyor of patron

ANNA FITZGERALD - sister,donor,provider of inspirational quotes

BETH B. - trail angel,the nashville nurse who provided me w/ cold water and the safety pin i used to pop all blisters ( against her best wishes )

SAM MARLOWE - campground owner who gave me a ride back to the trace

BILL ROPER - campground owner who helped me find reliable places to drop off supply boxes

RUTH L. & CAROL P. - the nashville trail angels who provided food,beer,laughs,encouragement & manual labor

TOM HENDRICKS - for holding a supply box & giving me a ride into town ( 12 miles ) , and for telling me his incredible story

Miles today:16...........from mp 16 to mp 0..........total miles:444

I am done!!!!!! finished at 3:45 pm.i have completed my second national scenic trail.9 more to go.no fanfare,no bands and beauty queens awaited me.that's how it is for hikers.just the incredible personal satisfaction that one feels when you attempt something like this.and while this was a true solo endeavor i had plenty of help along the way.please take a minute to read the "thank you's" blog.few if any hikers can complete a long distance (or in this case a medium distance) hike w/out help from others.....be they family,friends,strangers or in my case all of the above.

Miles today:23.....from mp 39 to mp 16.....total miles:428

Finally the "day before" arrives.with well wishes from nancy i got my earliest start yet...6:10am.and i was flying.did the first 5 miles in 105 minutes.had great weather to start.a marine layer until mp 26.nice and cool but a bit humid at times.the traffic surprised me today in a good way.very light for a saturday so i was able to stay in  a groove for long stretches.i guess the "end of the trail is near" bug bit me today.i really didn't notice much around me for most of the day.i took shorter breaks today....wanting to get to Mt.Locust before the ranger went off duty.the day really was a blur.with about two miles to go a couple of harley guys stopped as i was approaching me.they said that they had seen me hiking in tennessee last month."i guess your walking the whole thing"...that i am i replied.

Miles today:21.....from mp 60 to mp 39............total miles:405

Robert & i talked more history this morning over breakfast.....waffles and oj.....i think i drank about 1/2 gallon of it.finally i had to leave.robert walked me out and wished me good luck.so i get about a mile down the road and her comes robert in his big dodge pick-up.i had forgot my mr.pibb and more importantly my last map page.a man of integrity no doubt.i have said it before and i will say it until my last day on earth.....the folks of mississippi are some of if not the finest in the country.so we talked a little history(surprise) and off i went gimping down the trace and all pibbed up.no rain today but a full cloud cover until about 1pm.

Miles today:10.....from mp 70 to mp 60.........total miles:384

Short day today in order to get back on my water schedule.it rained last night....so much for 5 days of sunshine.cloudy all day but no rain....no sun either.

Best quote from the trace/trail # 7  - as i was approaching mp 63 i heard a vehicle behind me slow down.a gent about 80 years old in a suburban pulled up along side of me and asked "how far are you going?"......"to natchez i replied"....."where you staying?" he asked...."at mp 60" i answered......"do you want a ride?" he asked....."no thanks,i am hiking for charity"......"are you crippled?" he asked."no just blistered".after i thought about for awhile i wondered if he meant mentally or physically.

I have been so bleesed & humbled by the people in this town.i am in awe of these people and they way that they have treated  a total stranger.it is without any doubt or hesitation one of the most incredible places i have ever encountered in not only my hiking career but any place i have been.from the concerned and caring folks at polk's pharmacy to dr. taylor who was a perfect fit for me.she added a little houmor as well as her expertise for not only my feet but my back issues as well.thank you dr.taylor.....especially for not making me check in on my return visit.the owner of the package store who didn't charge me tax on my purchase.

Miles today:15..........from mp 85 to mp 70.......total miles:374

I got a late start this morning,9:50, as this was a short day.jeannie dropped me off on the trace.i sure enjoyed my time w/ her but i was anxious to knock out these last 85 miles.it was a pedestrian kinda day.i did meet a retired couple at the battle of raymond historic site.they were from waco,texas.they took my photo...i guess to show their friends back home."we meet this crazy person on the natchez trace".

After lunch i decided to try some moleskin on my beleaguered right foot.&#@k moleskin.i didn't think there was any room for any additional blisters but w/ the aid of moleskin i was able to pull it off.about the size of a quarter.then just so the new blister would'nt be lonely two additional friends joined the party.

Went to the doctor on friday morning.she was impressed.....with my feet.put me on a 3x a day routine of soaking in epsom salt,hydrogen peroxide,lotion,anti-biotic cream and a pill once a day.i return on monday.will be recouping at jeannie's all weekend.on the silver lining side of things i do get to miss the rain which is coming in on saturday.

Jeannie & i spent the weekend watching football and some racing.by saturday nite i was really starting to get restless.just gotta grin & bear it.

Good news fron the dr. today.....she said no more signs of infection.told me to cut off all the dead skin and as soon as the weather clears start  hiking again.so as it looks right now the weather will clear out tuesday night and i will resume on wednsday.85 miles to go.if we have no more feet issues i anticipate being finished on sunday.

Miles today:18..............from mp 103.........to mp 85...........total miles:359

Miles today:21...........from mp 124 to mp 103...........total miles:341

Had a great nite's sleep.all was quiet except for the owls,ducks and egrets.finally hit the trace at 7:15.the lady who works at the ratliff ferry store came out as i was leaving to say and goodbye and to wish me good luck.sure do love these folks down here.feet felt good especially the left one.in fact i would have to say that it was almost pain free.

I made good time all day.did 21 miles by 4:35.all i could think about for most of the day was"i am gettin' some news shoes.....i am gettin' some new shoes.hoping that a little lighter kick will help the feet.it was hot as heck all day w/ next to no cover.the traffic really picked up when  got to the ross barnett resevoir - a huge body of water.at this point i am about 10 miles from jackson so the traffic that everybody has been warning me about has begun to materialize.disrupts my rythym.on the road off the road on the road off the road.

Miles today:18..............from mp 142 to mp 124...........total miles 320

Here is the best quote from the trace # 4 - "we had to kill a man to start a cemetary in this town"

MIles today:18...............from mp 160 to mp 142..........total miles:302

Another day another day of firsts.started out at 7:30 w/  a full load of food but only 1 qt. of water.see i planned ahead and i knew that there was a restroom 5.7 miles down the trace.mensa hiker.walked thru a couple of road crews working on the parkway.they looked at me like all the women due out here - you stink and what planet are you from?the exceptions would be the pride of nashville, ruth & carol.when i got to my water stop i met a biker named jim.....trail name "brill".brill has hiked over half of the AT and was motoring the trace.he's already cycled it.coolest biker i've met to date.brill even kicked in a donation.thanks brill.

Almost forgot to say thanks to amy of kosciusko for donating the cab ride.so thank you amy & theresa.

Two zero days here kosciusko,ms.its pronounced koz-e-s-co.i ate dinner at the mexican resteraunt next door on friday nite.when will i ever learn.apparently never.it was really really really underwhelming.enchiladas made w/ corn tortillas.excuse me?stuffed jalapenos straight out of the freezer into the microwave and presented to me w/out a hint of heat.that would be the pepper kind.and no tequilla."you can't be serious" i protested."se...we are in a dry county"."move to a wet one...quickly" i retorted.i told the waiter that in texas unless your name was taco bell and you opened up w/out tequilla that you would open and close on the same day.and another thing one of the menu items was fried catfish.not mexican fried catfish.not spicey fried catfish.just plain old fried catfish.under no circumstances should this be allowed to happen.it would be like serving chili dogs at a raw bar.

Miles today:21...........from mp 181 to mp 160..........total miles 284

The amazin's just keep happening.i had a real breakfast this morning at the french camp cafe.deborah cooked a mean one at that.bacon,sausage,biscuits,grits,applesauce,oj,and coke.well ok she didn't actually make the coke.also there were keith(deborahs husband) and stewart who is the man in charge of the F/C academy.as i shoveled my breakfast down i spoke to stewart at length about what i was doing and what i want to do concerning future hikes going forward.i then asked stewart if had any thoughts about the mile post 41 area.from day one my biggest concern about this hike was stealth camping in this area.turns my concerns were well founded.stewart informed me that the F/C academy has a sister school in that area.he graciuosly offered to arrange for not only me to spend the night there but to be picked up from the trace and brought back the next morning.needless to say i pounced on this opportunity.

Miles today:24......from mp 205 to mp 181......total miles 263

Today was certainly a day of milestones and firsts.first i went under 200 miles.then a motorcycle coming towards me moved to the white line and took a run at me veering away w/ about 30 feet to spare.until this point it had not been my practice to turn around and look at traffic coming up behind me.now i will.a jagoff in in a girly green ford pickup pulled into my lane to pass an ambulance and van pulling a boat.didn't see him until he was at my shoulder about 18" away.the ambulance did nothing.then late in the day a punk in a subaru thought it would be funy to jerk the wheel towards me as got w/in 15 feet of me.because i am doing this for charity i will keep it clean.but rest assured that given the chance me and kershaw would love a chance to dance.if you have failed to appreciate what i am doing perhaps this will slant your view a bit.

Miles today;20....from mp 225 to mp 205..............total miles:239

The day started well enough.no rain overnite so i got to stow & go dry.after a couple of miles a man named hayes stewart stopped and said he had seen my article and wished me well.he said he would be praying for me.2 miles later another man stopped and said that he had seen me hiking on sunday and figured he would see me out here today.he then gave me a bottle of water and a bananna.i took a break at mp 220 2 a store located next to the trace(one of the few).the owner was a pretty cool guy.ali hashim baba dada(not sure about the spelling but thats how it sounded).he gave a stool to sit on so i could r 'n'r for a few minutes.as soon i as i got ready to leave the skies opened up.

day off at the taj mahal.

Miles today:19.........from mp244 to mp 225.........total miles:219

I slept long and late last night and as such did not get started until 8:05.early on this morning i met three cyclists who were from the ny-pa area.they were headed north and were biking the whole trace.all 3 had hiked all or most of the appalachian trail."t 'n' me","the chief", and "day pack dick" were their respective trail names.together they gave $30.00 in donations and "t 'n' me" gave me her safety vest.i didn't ask but they insisted....to guard against "the lunatics" as day pack called them.

Miles today:16........from mp 260 to mp 244..........Total miles:200

Wheeler picked me up at the dunghole inn at 7:38 and along w/ my new kershaw i started hiking at 8:05.this was a slack pack day as wheeler offered to carry the majority of my pack contents down the trace for me today.the track was pretty flat today w/ only a few ups.feet felt good and the first 10 miles went quickly.after about 4 miles a woman stopped and said she had seen the article in the paper and wanted to wish me good luck.then about 40 minutes later she came back w/ a bottle of water,a dr.pepper and some halloween candy.the effort some of these folks make on my behalf is humbling at the very least.i stopped for lunch at mp250 and wheeler & linda showed up w/ a monster burger fron hardee's and a bottle of crack(sprite).

Zero day in tupelo,ms

Another incredible day of southern hospitality.L.O. drove down wife his wife Grace this morning(about a 50 mile drive).he had copies of the newspaper article from the tishomingo newspaper and he wanted me to see it before i started hiking again.he also brought some bbq for wheeler.what an incredibly generous man.so i called wheeler and told him bbq was waitin' on him he drove over to the hotel.when he arrived he had a copy of the tupelo paper.and what do you know...i made the front page!!!...and not for an act of crime.

Miles today:6....from mp 266 to mp 260........total miles:184

Short day today as i needed to get back on schedule.unlike many other trails the biggest concern for a hiker(that would be me)is water.so when i started this hike everything was pre-planned.water in the woods,water from town,water from bathrooms.so if i have set up a day to hike 23 miles,it's because thats where the next water source is.no luxury of stopping short because i want to or its raining or because my feet hurt.food is a distant second to water.

Before i left the helltel to hike i got a call from scott morris a reporter w/ the tupelo newspaper.my good friend L.O. Bishop had set up yet another interview.so after i got back from the hike....scott declined my offer to carry my pack so as to get a "feel" for what its like.....he picked me up to go back to the trace and meet a photographer.scott asked alot of great questions...even got me to crack a smile for the foto.

Miles today - 20+....from mp287 to mp 266...............total miles:178

The day started well at 7:50.i did the first 3 miles in 56 minutes.....a blistering pace.hee-hee.i took  a break after 5 miles...no foot issues.i took a break for lunch after 10 miles,foot issues.new toe blister had formed,popped and torn in the course of 5 miles.new pad blister looks as big as a silver dollar.after 15 miles small pad blister on the other foot...the type i call a nail blister.nail blisters are small,deep and every time you step it feels  like a nail being driven into your foot.

Miles today 16..........from mp303 to mp 287...............total miles:157

Another huge breakfast this morning before l.o. took me back to the trace.i said my goodbyes to all...including zieg....i actually asked if they would like to loan zeig out for awhile.the reply was i don't think you could carry that much food.

So i stepped on to the trace at 7:45...a little sad to be going.my feet felt great ....95% pain free....and stayed that way for at leaast 12+ miles then only minor discomfort.i would take today's level of pain for the rest of the hike.traffic is still heavy.its apparent that the locals use the trace as a country road with no red lights and zero enforcement.hiked past a large beaver damn which was just shy of the tombigbee waterway.

No miles today....zero day

This incredible day started off at 6:45 with a huge breakfast.as hikers are prone to do we like to talk about food.yesterday i was telling l.o. about the breakfasts that my paternal grandmother used to make whenever i was at  their place on lake whitney.so what does l.o. do....he duplicates the exact breakfast.he cooks every morning for his family.i got to meet his wife grace and his son luther.bacon,eggs,sausage,biscuits,oj,coffee and great company.these folks are so geniune that i really felt like family.

Miles today - 17.............from mp 320 to mp 303........miles to date:141

Miles today - 18 ..............from mp 338 to mp 320

I started at 6:57 this morning after two days off in florence,al.earliest start yet.feet felt great for the first 5 miles and ok for 2 more.i had this brilliant mensa idea to put some padded band aids over my blisters.it made the old ones feel good but new ones formed around the band-aids.idiot savant.

took two days off in florence mainly in an effort to rehab my feet.will be soaking in epsom salt non stop.

Miles today  - 17 - from mp 355 to mp 338

lots of motivation today to play w/ pain.i went past the 100 mile mark.i hiked out of tennessee and into alabama and i knew at the end of this day i would get some time off.my times continue to be good when i am walking,i just wish i didn't have to stop so often to rest/dry out my feet.if not for the feet issues i could be knocking out 22-23 miles easy.the hike today was mostly flat w/ only mild ups.

slept really well last nite in the collinwood city park.only woke up a few times and went right back to sleep.store was right across the street so i got to start my day w/  a pepsi.what i can't figure with this being the south and all is where is all the rc cola?

stopped for a break at the tn/al state line.while there a guy from montenegro and his family stopped.he and his sister sat w/ me and asked all kinds of questions.slaven it was a pleasure meeting you and your family.

Miles today:15 - from mp 370 to mp 355

BLISTER UPDATE: i either aquired two new ones or....they were already there.this will be my last blister update until something really good happens or heaven forbid something worsens.

I did start off this morning with a little less pain.but it didn't last past the 4 mile mark.i continue to make pretty good time when i am hiking.i did one mile this morning in 18 minutes and the first three miles in 1 hour.not bad for blistered feet and humping a 45 lb pack.other than the pain the hike is going really well.no other problems as of yet.good weather and great people.

i finally met a fellow adventurer today.reid from st.paul,mn is biking from canada to new orleans.he's pushing about 80 lbs of gear.he has worked on a couple of trails that i will be hiking in the future - the florida trail and the ice age trail.he had some good intel for me regarding these trails.safe travels reid.

Todays mileage:11 - from mp 381 to mp 370

Made some improvement today with the feet.only added 1 blister to the growing gaggle.for those scoring at home thats 9 total.lighter traffic all the way around today on trace.despite the discomfort the miles went quickly.actual walking time was about 4 1/2 hours.

Received my first trail donation today.i was taking a break at a pull over site and a couple from northern kentucky gave for $5.00 for the cause.the trace finally started to flatten out a bit today which helped make for the better times.

Well the shorter days plan worked like a charm.only two new blisters were added to the gallery today.i think pretty soon i will end up with two size 11 blisters.i have decided that i will be taking my first day off when i get to mp 338 (florence,al) insted of mp 260 (tupelo,ms).

It was a pretty bland day today compared to the first three...traffic was way down in all three catergories bikers,cyclers,and rv'ers.i did talk with a couple from chicago who were riding a tandem bike.as they were riding by i asked them to carry my pack on ahead.when they found out i was doing this hike for charity they said they would carry it ahead about 2 miles....until they lifted it.the response i got was "it weighs more than our bike".it was a nice sincere offer though.

DAY 3....17 miles from MP(milepost) 408 to 391.hiking w/ blisters is a pain in the foot.or feet in my case.i really believe that the only reason i hiked 17 miles on multiple unpopped blisters is because i am hard of the head.anyone care to dispute said fact?great sleeping weather last nite...when i awoke this morning there was ice on my tent.i got to hike on three seperate sections of the old trace today.it always gives me a boost when i do so.do your history work(i guess nowadays that means google it).just thinking of those who walked here before me is pretty damn cool.

i saw fewer cyclists today...the numbers were probably about 35 or so.more bikers though.met my first ranger today.ranger t.kelley stopped when i was shoveling food in my face.cool guy...we swapped info on online commerce.not many people were up for conversation today.i guess hairy, unshaved,stinking middle aged men are not in vouge out here.

i got a later start today as i wanted to have a good breakfast with my father.if you are ever near nashville you need to experience the loveless cafe.this is where cracker barrel got the idea.hiking wise i managed to do 18 miles.solved the planter issue but picked up some new friends,blisters.by the end of the day i was hiking in one boot and one croc.there were however some real bright spots.first i got to hike on part of the original trace.for a history geek like me it was a thrill.the second was ....TRAIL MAGIC ON THE NATCHEZ TRACE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i never thought i'd see it.beth b.,a nurse nashville was cycling and stopped to ask me what the heck i was doing.she rode on and when she finished she got in her truck and drove back until she found me .i got 3 cold bottles of water and 2 safety pins to pop my blisters...against her better wishes.many thanks bet for being the first trail angel on the natchez trace.you are truely an angel.

i john robb do here by attest that on this day 10-15-10 i started hiking the natchez trace parkway at 7:20 this morning.

not bad for a first day.24 minutes to do the first mile,22 minutes to do the second mile and 3 hours and 12 minutes to do the first 9 miles...including breaks.

then i took my shoes off at lunch and my right foot was swollen.i thinks its planter faci...faci ....heck i don't know how to spell but i do know it doesn't feel too good.so after lunch i tried using aa ace bandage but that only lasted for about 300 yards until i 86'd that idea.

in all honesty after about 7 miles of gimping it, it started to at least feel tolerable.last 4 miles weren't too bad.

so 20.1 miles on my first day.no other issues.i did hightail it nashville and got hooked up with some stiffer inserts.

[Barley]:  Image's I've received so far.