How did three, sweet, Hike MoCoians get this trail name? Funny you should ask…

Hiking the Sheltowee Trace is a challenge for sure, we had all hiked it before, end to end, in 2021 so why do it again? We wanted to? Part of wanting to was to make this challenge a little easier than 2021, taking advantage of lessons learned along the trail. One of these lessons was to minimize our gear and “slack pack”, i.e. taking our gear to camp on Friday night, setting up the tents, and only take day packs on the hike.

 

On Section 2, from Morehead, KY (mile 24.2) to Clear Creek (mile 51), camp was designated at Stony Cove (mile 38.8). We packed all our gear in a large, rolling tote with the notion it would be easier to take a single tote into camp rather than each of us carrying one. The single tote was large – and heavy! And, we had to go uphill with it in the dark. As we approached the hill with our rather large tote, unbeknownst to us, we were being followed by a couple other Sheltowee hikers. Awkwardly making our way up the hill, they went around us and we overheard the comment “What do you think they got in there? A dead body??” We proceeded up the hill, opened our large tote, assembled our tents, and bedded down for the night.

We took off the next morning, hiked our 15 miles to camp, did the normal supper, and campfire sitting. The campfire conversation centered around us and what we might have in that tote. The hikers were convinced it had to be too big to hold just gear, what else did we have in there that we would leave in the woods?? So much for “leave no trace”! We also chatted about leg cramps and how eating pickles helped relieve them. Someone even recommended eating mustard – YUCK!

Same for Sunday, hiked 12 miles and returned to camp to tear down, pick up our gear, and stuff it back in our large tote. Sitting on top of the tote was a jar of pickles and a note
“To Killer Three From Tennessee
Hope this help with the leg craps-
Jody & Rusty”

And so, that’s how we were named “Killer Three From Tennessee”.

Here we are now, 181 miles later, we have met some amazing people and formed some forever friendships. Is the Sheltowee Trace Challenge challenging? YES! But us “Killer Three From Tennessee” are doing our best to rep Hike MoCo and killin’ it on trail!!

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