The Long Way Round Hiking The National Park 100 Centennial Challenges

This blog post, on my journey towards my National Park Hike 100 Centennial Challenges, has been one a long time in the making. Whether from the start, over a year ago, of the challenges to when I completed the Appalachian Trail (AT) and Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP) ones respectively and finally when I thought I would have actually finished this blog back in December. The reason I am doing this blog in January is because of the tragic events that occurred in the Smokies and Gatlinburg.

Fire at Chimney Tops.

See I was supposed to receive my Hike Smokies 100 Centennial Challenge Pin and T-shirt from Park Superintended Cassius M. Cash. However, understandable the Hike 100 Celebration Event was first postponed and then canceled. So, I had my stuff mailed to me which just arrived. In the package was my t-shirt and pin, but there were two bonus items. First was a Hike 100 Centennial small day pack and even better was the hiking stick medallion. Oh, I also received a nice letter from Superintended Cash (I guess it was before the Trumpistan gag order).

The pin on the right & the surprise hiking stick medallion.

With all my stuff.

Letter I recieved from Superintended Cash.

Another reason it has been a long time is that I completed the actual 100-mile challenge back in June on the Bullhead Trail coming back from Mount LeConte.

At LeConte Lodge...

...where I passed 100 Miles on the Bullhead Trail.

I Also mentioned the AT 100-Mile Challenge above, because all I had to do was hike once on the AT and could count any other hikes I did including the ones I did in the GSMNP. I completed this one in late April and had my stickers mailed to me (I also have the one that Kathryn gave to everyone on our ATC Hike in Damascus), but just for the record, I did over 100 miles on the AT (crossed that threshold in late October). So, I have to say I am proud of these milestones and next up is my Hike Smokies 250 pin in 2017.

Kathryn & Kelly get us ready for ATC Hike.