-- Stats from Day 32 --
Beginning Point: Hogback Ridge Shelter
Ending Point: No Business Knob Shelter
Daily Mileage: 20.6 miles
Total Mileage: 332.6 miles
Weather: Warm and humid with heavy afternoon showers.
Today was our biggest mile day since the start of the trail. We broke it up into even halves since a shelter was about 10 miles from our starting point. We made it there without trouble, however we perhaps stayed too long - about 2 hours - so we had a late start. Since Erwin was close, hikers kinda bunched up and we had a good crew assembled for lunch (photo is coming). At any rate, we didn't leave until 3 pm with looming gray skies and possible thunderstorms.
Not even an hour from the lunch shelter the skies opened up on us and we continued to slog through the building stream that developed on the trail. As we ascended a hill, the lightning and thunder was crashing all around us. Shivers (Chris) and Goofy (Pat), our fellow Storm Troopers, were not far in front of us; we always seem to hear thunder when on mountaintops near them. Maybe they've angered the weather gods. So, when we saw lightning strike near the hill we were climbing, we decided not to go further and hide out under my groundcloth / makeshift raincover for about 15 minutes. We learned from our last match with lightning. We heard from Yogi and Shoe that there was also hail on the mountaintop, however we missed that.
After the rain stopped, our journey showed marked improvement. The woods appeared greener, the woodland smell was fresher, and we traveled through a beautiful ravine with a babbling brook. Everything looks and smells better after the rain. Everything, that is, except hikers.
Dan and I have developed some pretty intense foot pains, and both of us made sure to baby our feet at lunch. The rest did my feet well, however at about 15 miles, they began sounding some serious protests. We took a snack break around 5:30 and continued on, finally arriving to camp around 7:30 - thank all that is good! And we broke 20 miles!
I've noticed that I still get sore muscles - I can even pull muscles that I use everyday. My gluteus should already be maximus, but uphills kill me! They make my butt hurt. I am supposed to be a hiking goddess by now. A goddess shouldn't have to deal with pulled muscles. Oh well, guess I need to stretch more often and keep up with the "Vitamin I" (ibuprofen) regime.
When we arrived at No Business Knob, we found a shelter that only sleeps 6 and about 12 of us there. Since we were the last to arrive, we had to tent. Which was amusing because Terrapin, Goofy and Shivers set up their Eureka Solos and then there were the three Tarp-tents from Yogi, Mike and Stephan. It was a veritable "tent-opolis" and I wish I took a photo. I think Yogi did.
We were quite tired from the hike and went to bed just after dark. We were all looking forward to a short 6-mile hike into town the next day.
Goodnight,
Steph
Starting Point: Jerry Cabin Shelter
Ending Point: Hogback Ridge Shelter
Daily Mileage: 14.7 miles
Total Mileage: 312.1 miles
Weather: warm, muggy and buggy with early evening thunderstorms.
We hiked through some beautiful woodland scenery this afternoon. Here's some plant stuff for the plant people... Solomon's seal, false Solomon's seal, white trillium, indian strawberry, bluebead lily, canada mayapple, mayapple, galax, bowmans root... just to name a few; I can't remember them all. The forest floor was very lush and sun-dappled - very pretty. Everything is a beautiful shade of green.
Stephan was in the "doghouse" first thing this morning. I was still in the tent when he decided it was time to put the tent away. I was still putting things away when the tent fell down on me. Later in the morning he made reference to Jennifer Anniston being better than me! I only feigned being upset but it was fun teasing him about it. Dan helped me out by egging him on to say things he would later take back.
Stephan would like to tell his version:
I did not compare her to J. Anniston, All I said was she is pretty. And if stephanie didn't take all morning to get her face on and pack up her gear she would have been ready to hike.
She said: That was not how the story goes, but for the sake of keeping peace, I will let this topic go.
At any rate, my dogs were barking this afternoon as I didn't have enough to eat during the day. I should correct myself and say that I didn't eat enough during the morning... so that made my afternoon run long. I was having that numbness in my big toes and the massage therapist I saw in Hot Springs said to put some foam around the ball of my foot or maybe try inserts for that part of the foot. Dan bought some of those inserts and he gave me a pair so I duct-taped them to my Super-feet inserts. The first day my feet felt great, but the second day my left foot hurt pretty badly. Yesterday was only 14 miles and relatively easy terrain and my left foot was so sore. I might have to get different footwear sooner than anticipated.
Most everyone is having foot or knee problems - I should say pains. And just about everyone uses trekking poles too. Terrapin (Bryan) I think has the worst looking feet... I think he has a sixth toe growing out of his pinky toe. And the rest of his toes look as though they've seen better days.
Well gotta get going. We have a 20-mile day planned for tomorrow.
Steph
www.hikingat.com
Hi Everyone,
Tonight is really nice; we're sitting in front of the appalachian TV - thats code for campfire. Good company, warmth and light, and it keeps away the bugs. I'm sitting here with Stephan, Atlas (Ben), Happy (Droopy Drawers), and Amanda (from my first day on the trail - she is also known as Scortch).
We had a good day today - we found a pond that was too inviting to resist so we took a dip. The water was cold and every now and then I'd hit an even colder spot. Felt good though.
We hiked with Atlas today... we met him yesterday at Elmers.
Atlas has an interesting story. He started the hike in early April and on the second night out he developed a sore throat and felt so sick that he decided he needed to see a doctor. He decided he should hike out when he still had the energy so around midnight he hiked out to the nearest road and hitched a ride. The guy who picked him up just happened to be a doctor and helped him out - he had his tonsils removed and convalesced at the doc's house for 2 and a half weeks. So, he's back on the trail now - real nice guy.
Day 27 - Zero-mile day so no stats
It is so nice to have a day off. I was really surprised at how sore the bottoms of my feet were when I got out of bed this morning - I've always worn my camp shoes when I take my boots off. They were very tender - My massage session helped with that.
Speaking of massages, I really enjoyed my first massage. Marie was great. I told her about the problems I've been having with my numb big toes... She noticed a callus to the side of the ball of my foot directly in line with the second toe on both feet. She called it Morton's Foot Structure and its a hereditary thing (Mom? Dad? Which one of you is responsible for this??). She told me that the callus is throwing off my balance and I was compensating by shifting my weight to the big toe region of my foot which was pinching my nerves and causing the numbness.
She said a little strip of foam underneath the ball of my foot to counterbalance would do the trick.
Breakfast was awesome! Elmer and his staff prepared a pancake breakfast with some sugared strawberries and maple syrup, granola, cantaloupe, and coffee... mmmmmmm, so yummy. I think we'll have breakfast here again. Elmer keeps a chalkboard on the kitchen door that he uses to keep track of who is planning to show up for breakfast or dinner. Unfortunately he wasn't preparing dinners when we are in town, but the breakfast is great. Everyone sits down at the same table to eat family style; it's fun.
After that Stephan and I did some laundry, sorted through our maildrop food supply... we both had a lot of meals from our parents. Mom sent me some fun foods to share with my hiker friends so I'm planning to do that at the next shelter - she sent a wheel of gouda, some carr's biscuits, and some pepperoni. That will be very yummy! Thanks Mom! And my friend Ed sent a huge bar of dark chocolate - thanks Ed! Chocolate definitely hits the spot at the end of the day!
We are "bouncing" about half of our food to the town of Erwin about 70 miles from here, which will be about 4 days away. We'll probably have to wait until the post office opens on Monday morning. Its nice to carry a few days worth of food - food weighs a lot! My next food drop is in Roan Mountain NC, about 112 miles from here.
One last item of news... Stephan is a veritable model of a modern Scottish highlander fashion... yes, he is sporting a kilt (like his forefathers many years ago!). Unlike his forefathers, Stephan's kilt is made from technical fabric by Mountain Hardware in a pleasant shade of khaki. It has a crotch snap for discreetness when sitting or climbing, and several pockets. He plans to change into shorts upon arrival to
camp so as to not disturb others...haha. Now I can truly say that I wear the pants in this relationship. I'll be saying that a lot! We were walking around town this morning picking up some last minute supplies and he received quite a few stares of disbelief... However, we've met others who hiked in kilts and they claimed that the kilt was very comfortable for hiking, especially during the sweaty summer months. Who knows, maybe all the boys will sport the kilt when they see Stephan wearing it day after day.
Okay, time to hike! Cheers,
Steph
www.hikingat.com
-- Stats from Day 26 --
Beginning Point: Roaring Fork Shelter
Ending Point: Elmer's Sunnyside Inn, Hot Springs, NC
Daily Mileage: 14.9 miles
Total Mileage: 270.9 miles
Weather: Warm and humid with light afternoon showers.
We had a long morning on our hike into town. The downhills dragged on for hours and made my feet and knees hurt. Everyone's feet and knees hurt. The few uphills we did have also made me hurt. However, we kept up a steady pace and trudged on. We met up with Kiwi (Paul from New Zealand) and chatted with him during our hike for about an hour; then we met up with Jacob - another hiker we've been playing tag with - who stopped by a waterfall for a break. A few miles from town, Jacob caught up to us and we all descended into Hot Springs. Shivers met us where the trail left the forest and acted as our welcoming committee. We checked out the cabins at the campground but they were too small and lacked charm so we headed for Elmer's Sunnyside Inn. Its kind of a cross between a hostel and a B&B in that you get a room in a huge Victorian mansion, but you share it with another hiker. Rates are very reasonable ($15 pp) and they also offer breakfast in the morning.
We took our showers and then checked out the town... first stop was the ice cream parlor, then the outfitters, and finally, the Pub. I had my first trail Bass Ale and it was delicious! Stephan and I sat down with Kev-Dog (Kevin) and were later joined by Dan and Jacob. As the evening wore on, more and more hikers assembled until we had a good crowd of 15-20 folks. That will likely be the last time we see some of the guys who hike 20+ mile-days already; Dan, Stephan and I don't really feel ready to move that fast yet. We each complain of foot problems by the end of the day. At any rate, it was awesome to hang out with the guys at the pub.
However,... we are traveling faster and faster. Most of the time we average 2 or more miles per hour, including the uphill climbs. I am proud to tell you that most often I lead the boys because I set a strong and steady pace. And if I didn't they could leave me behind, damn these 6+ feet tall guys and their long legs.
I'm looking forward to tomorrow; we have to do some chores like grocery shopping and laundry, but then we get to do the fun stuff like have massages and sit in the hot tubs at the hot springs resort. I'm excited about getting my massage - I've never had one before.
Cheers,
Steph
-- Stats from Day 25 --
Beginning Point: standing Bear Farms
Ending Point: Roaring Fork Shelter
Daily Mileage: 18.5 miles
Total Mileage: 256.0 miles
Weather: warm, we managed to avoid heavy rain in favor of light sprinkles.
We had some hard climbs this morning... We climbed for about 3 hours straight before finding a downhill (I now have buns of steel! and they are sore from all these climbs!). We had lunch at an older shelter... it was very questionable because the picnic table squealed when you sat on it; it sleeps about 5 people, and the privy was the worst I've seen by far, full of bad smells and flies. They don't usually look like that. The shelter had some positive aspects, however. Our friends Goofy, Shivers, et al., stayed there last night and one of them left some Near East couscous in a hiker box, so I snagged that for second lunch. The stream was also nice and harbored salamanders, Dan's new passion (he really wants to find a hellbender and frequently stops to search under rocks for them). We had a good rest there and then pushed on for Max Patch, an enormous grassy bald that offers views of the Smokies. It was once used as a farmstead but the forest service manages it now. They've used it in the past as a landing strip(!) but maintain it now as a preserve. I'm not sure who would want to land a plane there - its not exactly flat.
We had an early dinner at Max Patch at 4 p.m.. It was a much needed rest because of the ridiculous number of ups and downs between Groundhog Creek shelter and the bald. I would like to call it a pleasant dinner spot, but I think Dan in particular would disagree. Allow me to elaborate...
You see, my good friend Dan is not fond of the heat. In fact, he thinks that anything above 75 degrees F is too hot. And like most hikers, Dan perspires when hiking; however unlike most hikers, he is dripping wet with sweat within a half hour, even in cooler weather. This seems to be an aphrodisiac for black flies and poor Dan takes the brunt of it. During our meal, Stephan and I were mostly ignored by the black fly contingency and we sat a mere few feet from Dan. We might have lingered on there for a while longer if the flies hadn't been so bad (for Dan).
We pressed on to Roaring Fork Shelter and were rewarded with a soft rain-soaked footpath that passed through lush green woods. And the trail was nearly level for the entire distance to the shelter - what a treat after all those hills prior to Max Patch!
That should do it for today; we are pretty tired but in high spirits because tomorrow night we will be in Hot Springs at the Paddler's Pub drinking beer and eating all the foods we've been craving. Mmmm, beer!
Steph
-- Stats from Day 24 --
Beginning Point: Cosby Knob Shelter
Ending Point: Standing Bear Farms
Daily Mileage: ~ 9 miles
Total Mileage: miles
Weather: High humidity day with some rain, but not too warm
We left the shelter early - by our standards - at 7:45 am so we could make Mountain Mommas (a famous AT stopping point / lunch spot) by lunchtime. It was only 6 miles or so, but the first 2.5 were all uphill. Sometimes the trail doesn't have switchbacks, it just keeps snaking around the mountain, like this one did. Fortunately it wasn't terribly steep so we didn't have to stop for "breath-catching" breaks.
The highlight of the day was in the morning... we took a side trail to the Mount Cammerer Lookout Tower, one of the oldest firetowers of its kind in the east. It sits on top of a rocky ridge that surrounded by mountains on all sides. We had a clear morning and the views from it were incredible. One of the information boards indicated that this one deviated from traditional Lookout tower design because it had eight rather than four windows (4-window buildings orient with the four cardinal directions) because visibility was often poor due to fog and clouds or obstructed by other mountains. We had second breakfast there and snapped some stellar (hopefully) photos.
The vegetation became more and more lush as we descended from the last big mountain, changing from frasier firs to hemlocks and rhododendrons, then to maples and oaks and lots of herbaceous plants and wildflowers. The one thing about the northern half of the Smokies is that the trail consists of palm-sized broken stones. They are loose underfoot and I often trip on them - I'm surprised I haven't injured my ankles yet (knock on wood!). They also are very hard on the feet.
When we got out of the mountains we ditched our packs in the woods amidst poison ivy (we are still waiting to see just how allergic we are to it) and walked the mile and a half to Mountain Momma's, the only nearby restaurant. There, we each ordered the hikers special - Huge Cheeseburger - with a side of fries
- not bad except for all the grease that our stomachs aren't used to anymore.
The hike through the stretch of woods preceding the Pigeon River was cool; a tiny spring grew into a small roaring stream that emptied into the Pigeon River. Where the woods ended, a Trail Angel had posted a note that congratulated us on making it this far and indicated they left BEER in the river along with some other items. We searched the river for the secret stash, but I think other hikers before us enjoyed the magic.
We finally made it to Standing Bear Farms around 3:30 and settled in. They had a bunkhouse and a cabin that straddled a brook - very cute. Curtis and Marie own the place and made us feel at home. My shower was sans hot water because I couldn't figure out how to light the pilot light on the water heater, however it still felt great to be clean again. In the evening Curtis took us to a minimart gas station so we could resupply for the next few days... interesting ride... the more twisty-curvy the roads are, the faster you seem to travel. The marshmallow goo deposited on the van window by his 3-year old daughter was also interesting...
Curtis had a stockroom full of snack food and a freezer full with Digiorno Pizzas and cokes in the fridge. Everything is honor system - you keep track of what you take and pay up in an envelope upon your departure. He also has a pizza oven, which works pretty well. The only thing missing were napkins. While the pizza baked, Stephan sketched an image of the Mt. Cammerer lookout tower in chalk pastels in a sketchpad that Curtis leaves out for his hiker guests.
Okay, thats it for today. Tomorrow we are planning a big day - 18.5 miles. Maybe we'll get out of camp early again...
Steph
www.hikingat.com
-- Stats from day 23 --
Beginning Point: Pecks Corner Shelter
Ending Point: Cosby Knob Shelter
Daily Mileage: 13.1 miles
Total Mileage: 227.1 miles
Weather: A glorious day! Not too hot, not too cold, no rain, and only brief fog.
There is quite a rivalry going on amongst the thru hikers in the shelter tonight. Lets see, who's here... There's Whittler, two section hikers from Cincinnati named Sean and Casey, Alex (Le Buick) from Montreal, Bud, and of course the three of us. The mock insults are flying high tonight. Most of these guys camped together last night so they have lots of fodder for the insults. The guys are giving Buick an especially difficult time because he met 2 cute French Canadian ladies - from his hometown even - and only chatted with them for a few minutes.
All I have to say is that these guys have some smelly feet! The air is dead and the odor of smelly wet boot permeates the shelter. Most of these fellas did 20 miles today; we thought we did well with our 13 miles. At least we made good time. I think we are ready to kick it up a notch and up our average mileage.
We also have a fellow named Gray squirrel who's camping out in his Hennessy hammock... This guy is 67 and hiked 20 miles today. Someone said that Gray Squirrel's base weight is 13 lbs and with 10 days food his pack weighs 25 lbs. That is definitely ultra-light backpacking.
We are all looking forward to eating cheeseburgers at Mountain Mommas tomorrow; then onto Standing Bear Farm for a hostel stay. And 2 nights after that we'll be in Hot Springs!
Stats from day 22
Beginning Point: Mt Collins Shelter
Ending Point: Pecks Corner
Daily Mileage: 15.8 miles
Total mileage: 214.6 miles
Weather: glorious - no only a few raindrops today, a little sunny but not enough to fry you.
The Smokies is a park you need to experience first hand. Today we had some awesome views of all these mountains... There are just too many to count. The highlight of the day was Charlie's Bunion - a rocky outcropping that offered great views of TN. We even managed a technical scramble up to the top - sans packs - and got some photos. Most of our hike today was on ridgelines so the ups and downs were not too strenuous. The caveat here is that the ground was still very soggy from all the rains yesterday and I took 3 spills - but no damage done. Dan had one too; the good thing about all of these little tumbles is that the muddy ground cushioned our falls. And the muddy trail is much more comfortable than rocks to hike on. Lots of the trail was broken shale today - pretty tough on the toes.
Speaking of toes, my previous aches and pains have all subsided (with occasional regular knee pains associated with rain) with the exception of my feet. I've developed some small blisters on each heal - no big deal. By the afternoon however, my feet swell and there not much room in the toebox. I think I have some pinched nerves happening on both my big toes because they seem to go numb by mid-day. A guy who worked at the NOC told me that he had the same thing happen to him and not to worry because the feeling came back after a few months! We'll see... no big deal though.
We've been lucky to meet up with really great people in the shelters. Last night we shared Mt. Collins shelter with a group from TN - Matt, his dad Steve, April and Brian, and another lady whose name I can't recall - very nice folks. Matt and his dad had us laughing from stories of previous hikes. Hi guys!
Tonight we met a fellow named Christian. He works with an outdoors program for kids at risk and showed us how to start a fire using the bow. It looks like a lot of work for something that only takes a minute or two to do. It was pretty awesome (and I snapped a picture).
We saw lots of Trout Lilies, Spring Beauties, and several trillium species today. In some areas they sprawl over the entire hillside. There's one trillium that I favor the most for its delicate beauty - the painted trillium. Its white with a deep maroon line around its center. I also got a photo of the junco nest in the side of the trail.
I'm turning Stephan and Dan into naturalists slowly but surely. When I recognize bird calls or plants, I show them and they are getting pretty good at it. Especially because most of the time we can't see the birds calling.
Okay, quiet snores have begun in the shelter so I think its time to say goodnight for now.
Steph
--Stats from Day 21--
Beginning Point: Derricks Knob
Ending Point: Mt. Collins Shelter
Daily Mileage: 13.8 miles
Total Mileage: 199.8 miles
Weather: Cool, windy, foggy, rainy, and misty.
Today's hike was a little chilly but overall not bad. We missed a lot of great views (I think) because of the fog - its hard to tell. There were lots of vistas and rocky outcroppings but all I saw was white and gray air with a few apparitions that took the shape of trees. Overall, today was either drippy or soggy, including my nose, the ground, the trees, the sky, and my boots, among others.
Yesterday I told you that the Juncos were scaring the poop out of me... Now I know why I keep flushing them up - they are nesting in the slopes of the trail. Today one flushed a half foot from my boot and after regaining my composure, I lifted the grass from that spot to find a tidy little nest with four neatly placed light blue eggs with gray speckles. I wish I'd taken a picture but I thought it would be better to move on as soon as possible so momma could get back to her nest.
After leaving the shelter this morning, the forest composition changed from cherry trees and beech/birch areas to frazier firs and small beeches. They smelled so good -just like Christmas, and that guided our conversations for awhile. The firs really only appeared as we gained altitude, and this area must get a lot of moisture because they looked like an enchanted (or haunted) forest. Everything is covered in moss; moss and clubmoss line the forest floor and the edges of the trail. Again, I wanted to take so many pictures, but the rain and mist made me think twice. I managed a few photos today though.
We made it to Clingman's Dome around 4 this afternoon and it was a little anticlimactic because we couldn't see it from below and when we got to the top, there was a road and a giant cement observation tower. I guess this tower would be awesome on a clear day for the views from it, but as you will see in my summit photos, all we could see was a bunch of white fog. Oh well, perhaps another time.
Today we met about 4 people who work in the field of yoga - must be a hiking thing (guess I should learn some!). Some real nice folks we met in last nights shelter are going to be yoga instructors at a buddist retreat in Colorado for the summer. At a water break this afternoon we ran into a woman who runs a yoga studio in Columbus, OH (home of my college alma mater - Go Buckeyes).
During the day, we often go for long stretches of time without talking - sometimes you are just breathing to hard to carry a conversation. Other times we laugh so hard we can't hike uphill. My sisters will find it quite amusing that Dan and Stephan think I am The Hiking Nazi. Dan has been lamenting that Stephan and I make him hike more than he wants to. He is forever requesting zero days (essentially town visits where you make no forward AT progress) when we pass through towns and we always convince him otherwise. He thinks that if he can convince Stephan to "switch" teams that they will take control of our hiking schedule and have fewer hard days on the trail. Those 2 were even referring to me as the Emperor of the Dark Side (Star Wars reference) today! Well, no more rest breaks for those guys, and now we'll hike through lunch. Maybe I'll even cancel second breakfast! Ha! On second thought, I really like lunch and second breakfast so I might have to devise another plan.
We are all looking forward to Hot Springs. They have a pub and hot tubs, and a massage therapist, and cabins, and a pub... mmm, beer. Just about every thruhiker I know is planning a zero day there - even if its only half as good as we've built it up to be, it will certainly be like the Garden of Eden.
Okay, 9:15 and time for bed. Its another cold and windy night in the Smokies. Hopefully the fog will blow off tomorrow and we can have some good views of the mountains.
Take care you guys!
Steph
Stats from Day 20
Beginning Point: Mollies Ridge Shelter
Ending Point: Derrick Knob Shelter
Daily Mileage: 11.7 miles
Total Mileage: 185.8 miles
Weather: sunny and warm; lots of black flies in late afternoon.
Wow, the Smokies are beautiful! We had some serious altitude today; We hit 5,527 feet at Thunderhead Peak. Tomorrow we reach Clingman's Dome after 10 miles of hiking; then we have 3 more miles to get to the next shelter.
Aside from some awesome scenery, today was about 2 things - steep climbs/descents and eating. I was so hungry today... I started with poptarts and coffee at the shelter (my first trailside coffee - thanks Mom!). We finally left camp around 9:30 and couldn't even wait for an hour for second breakfast. We basically stopped every 1.5 - 2 hours to snack on foods like triscuits (which hold up really well) and cheese and peanut butter, then beef jerky and more cheese, then some gorp, oh, and a cliff bar, and skittles. Our last eating opportunity occurred around 2 pm and I didn't eat again until dinner - 3.5 hours is too long to wait for dinner!
Frequently we find that one dinner is not enough so we prepare 2 dinners, like tonight. This evening we feasted on chicken with couscous and vegetables, followed by second dinner which consisted of black bean chicken chili and mushroom flavored ramen noodles. In regular life I wouldn't buy ramen, however they are inexpensive and filling and pair well with my various soup recipes. We finished dinner with chocolate pudding and cocoa for dessert. I was still a little hungry afterwards so I ate half of a Baby Ruth (we were talking about the movie Goonies, Kara, and when I saw the baby ruth, I couldn't resist). You'd think I'd be huge eating like I've been, however, I am happy to report that my hipbelt is almost at the lowest setting and I will soon need a smaller belt. And my butt is starting to look good if I do say so myself!
Here are some wildlife observations... I always knew that Juncos liked to forage on the ground, but these little guys are taking things to the extreme. I've kicked so many up from the side of the trail, and they usually don't flush until you get within 3 feet of their hiding spot. They scare the poop out of me when they flush! They are prety cute litle guys. I also saw my first spring beauties today - some areas we passed today are just like a postcard with cherry trees in bloom in the canopy and spring beauties or bluetts on the forest floor.
Well, that's all to report for now. If you have any questions about this whole trail experience, drop me a line!
Cheers,
Stephanie
Beginning Point: Fontana Inn and Resort
Ending Point: Mollies Ridge Shelter
Daily mileage: 12.7 miles
Total Mileage: 174.1 miles
Weather: sunny and warm in AM turning to threatening showers in PM. Cold winds at the shelter which is located on a hilltop.
Today was another glorious day... We had breakfast at the inn, we were shuttled from the Inn to the visitors center where we dropped off our packs and then were dropped off where we originally left the trail to catch the shuttle in the first place. That was the nicest mile we had on the trail thus far (sans packs).
I should back up and let you know that yesterday we picked up another hiker into our little troop - Kevin, formerly from Key West - who goes by Kev-Dog. He, Dan, Stephan and I split a room at the Fontana Inn after an enormous dinner. I managed to out-eat the boys with a full rack of ribs, baked potato, carrots, salad and bread. A girl needs to eat to keep up with all these tall fellas.
Ginger and Mercury were staying there as well - so nice to see them again. Ginger keeps me in stitches.
At any rate, yesterday was a resupply day for everyone. We all need to carry enough food to get us through the Smokies so that adds another 10 pounds to your pack weight (less if you plan well). The extra weight really makes a huge difference, you wouldn't believe it. Everyone had something to say about it...
The original plan was to get mail, do laundry, take the free (and cold) shower at the Fontana Inn and grab dinner, and then head to the "fontana hilton" a.k.a. the shelter just before the dam for the night. However, after the filling dinner and lounging that followed and the extremely low hiker rate, we decided to stay there instead. Plus, they shuttle you around. Great folks there!
So, we got a late start today. We lollygagged at the visitors center, ate some gorp found in a hiker box, walked across the dam, and stumbled upon Trail Magic just after our entry into the park - Dr. Pepper, Hersheys chocolate, regular snack items found in brown paper bag lunches, and jello pudding. We had a small feast and managed to leave some for the next hiker. Thanks Trail Angels!
As good as it tasted, the next 2.5 miles were pretty steep and I thoguht I might be seeing that food a second time, but I managed to keep it all down and was surprised to find myself hungry in the next few hours.
Today was great for wildlife viewing - first we saw a huge fat american toad, then a baby toad. Then we saw 3 bear - mom and 2 cubs. We slowly backed up, but the cubs bolted from the tree they were in and mom stuck around long enough to make sure we weren't travelling in the same direction. Really, all I saw were 3 black blurs and heard lots of noise. We were lucky to see them because they don't often spend time on the ridge tops where the AT tends to travel. After that we saw a luna moth - they are so lovely. I picked it up to show everyone and it left lots of little hairs on my fingers.
We finally made it to shelter and were greeted by Goofy (formerly Pat), Shivers (formerly Chris), Bryan who is planning on producing a publication after the hike (see his webpage at www.atthruhiker.org), and Yogi from the last several shelters. There were 2 other fellas, Mac who plays saxaphone in Key West and the recorder while on the trail, and Wayne the ridgerunner. Bear activity must be pretty high in this area because he asked that we hang our packs with the food and all smelly items, on the bear cables. Goofy turns 21 tomorrow so Happy Birthday Pat!
Well, tomorrow might be a big mile day - I'd like to see sunrise from Clingmans Dome ad the nearest shelter to it is 18+ miles from here. Theres one thats 15.5 also, that might be a better option but we'll se what we can do. I'm so looking forward to Hot Springs - a bunch of us are planning a zero day there. I think its the first place along the trail that's not in a dry county, so we are all having visions of tall frosty mugs of adult beverages... "Mmmmm, Beer..." in the immortal words of Homer Simpson.
Goodnight,
Steph
www.hikingat.com
Stats
Beginning Point: Sassafrass Gap shelter
Ending point: Brown Gap shelter
Daily Mileage: 9.1 miles
Total Mileage: 150.1 miles
Yesterday and today kicked my butt and I'm tired. We had lots of climbs - tons of uphills, and I was pretty tired from the climb out of the NOC - Or maybe it was all the shivering near the top of the mountain.
I don't have too much to say today; I was too tired and had to convince myself to go over those hills. Hence the shorter hike day. It was about 4 pm when we arrived at the shelter; the reasons were several including sore feet, ache-y muscles, and the looming threat of repeat thunderstorms (that never panned - we had a nice sunset).
You might be amused by my dinner selections... They have become bizarre. Last night we mixed a batch of black bean chile with some ramen noodles and I fried up some biscuits, followed by hot cocoa for dessert - okay, last night's dinner wasn't as bizarre as other nights.
Well, early to bed, early to rise or so the saying goes. We have an 11 or 12 mile day into Fontana Dam, then we have to go to the post office, get showers, do laundry, and purchase fresh goods. There is also an outfitters so perhaps more gear shopping wil occur.
One more thing... I would like to digress and talk about farts before I sign off. I'm not sure if its because we are eating more, or more often, or because we have pack belts cinched tight around the waist or what, but everyone has the farts. Its gotten to the point where a hiker will excuse himself just prior to passing gas and everyone who can hear (or worse) still giggles. It has become a very acceptable thing to do because it is unavoidable I think.
Alright, time for bed.
Steph
Okay, so we finally left Wesser, NC at 3:45 pm. This was a late and ominous start because not only did we have 6.5 miles of straight uphill to climb, the skies were darkening and threatening to rain. 'We' consisted of Stephan, Dan, Chris, Pat and myself. I saw some good plants along the way including Indian Paintbrush and Lily of the Valley; some areas of the trail were so lush and green, they look to be straight out of a painting. About halfway up, thunder started rumbling and some rain - very cold rain - began to fall, however this shower was brief and welcome because of the heat of the day. We continued on for about another 30 minutes when the thunder began in earnest and lightning started flashing. We thought we were close to the bald and tried to beat the storm, however we were no match for it. We were in a fairly exposed area when a bolt of lightning came a little too close for comfort. We decided to backtrack a little and spread out so as to not attract lightning. Then the rain fell harder and it brough the hail. At least 3 storm cells pushed through before we could move from our 'shelter', and I put that word in quotations because we were freezing cold. The downpour was so strong that if you tried to open your pack, everything would get soaked. We probably sat through the rain and hail for about 30 minutes. Being that wet and cold makes your skin look as if rigormortis has set in. We decided to move for the next shelter because we were risking hypothermia if we stayed put much longer. The last cell was still pushing through when we started moving, but it felt so good to get the blood flowing again. Soon the rain ceased and we were at Sassafrass Shelter; fortunatley it was one of the larger shelters that sleeps 14 people so there was plenty of room for us and our wet gear.
Dinner tasted delicious, but I'm sure you won't think it possible when I tell you what it was: Vegetable-barley soup with tuna and mashed potatoes. It was either a goulash or a gruel, but was very tasty and filling.
The morning brought some trail magic our way; the folks in the shelter when we arrived got up early to cook pancakes with syrup and extras to spare so we all had a pancake to start the day. People along the trail are so nice! Hopefully I can continue the trail magic one of these days.
Stephanie
Stats from May 8,
Beginning Point: Wesser Bald firetower
Ending Point: Sassafrass Gap Shelter
Daily Mileage: 13.4 miles
Total Mileage: 141.0 miles
Weather: beautiful, sunny and warm in am; showers, hail, lightning and thunder in pm.
Today was one heck of a day. The sunrise on Wesser Bald was really awesome, I can't really describe it. We had a 6+ mile hike down into Wesser for another shopping adventure... We started at 4,627 ft at the bald and hiked down to the Nantahala River at 1,740 ft. Some of that was pretty steep, but we made good time. Upon arrival in Wesser, we made haste for the nearest restaurant. We placed bets on our arrival time into town, which Dan won (he guessed 11:21 am and we arrived just before that) so Stephan and I were going to have to buy the beer, however, (surprise!) they don't sell liquor in Wesser so we settled for lemonades and cokes. Lunch was good, but then it was time to shop at the NOC (Nantahala Outdoor Center).
While there, we ran into lots of folks, including ARGO, Tray, Mercury, Pat (who now is going by Goofy) and Chris (Shiver Me Timbers). ARGO seemed to be up on all the hiker gossip. One hiker had a bacterial infection and vomited 2 pints of blood. I guess it was very acute and is over it now (he resisted a hospital stay); another hiker was having some other intestinal problems and went to an Atlanta hospital. Most folks are having issues with their knees or blisters, that sort of thing.
Stephan checked out a sleeping bag, but it wasn't roomy enough (he's 6' 4"); he and Dan both purchased gaitors. Dan looked at trekking poles but they were too expensive. I found some capiline underwear that were so comfortable - I wish I'd bought 2 more pairs (I've been having some bunching issues). So Mom, don't be surprised at whats in the box next time I send stuff home.
Okay, enough about town. I have to continue the afternoon in another journal entry so I don't overload this thing.
BTW, I recently added some folks to my family mailing list. I'm really sorry that I didn't have you on the original listserve, but this thing will only send a limited number of addresses at one time and it takes between 5 and 10 minutes on the phone to transmit and receive. So please accept my apologies and send me messages of encouragement - I'd love to hear from you. And if you haven't been checking the website, its
www.hikingat.com
steph
No stats yet. The five of us spent the night on the deck of the firetower so we have excellent views in every direction. It's dawn and all the birds are singing; lots of towees around, and woodpeckers are drilling nearby. The sun hasn't broken the horizon yet at 6:27 am, but the horizon is amber above the mountains shaded in various hues of blue and gray. The low-lying towns of Franklin and Fontana are shrouded in fog.
I snapped off a few photos to share with you, hope you enjoy them.
More later,
Butterfinger
Day 15
Begining point: Wine Spring
Ending point: Wesser Bald
Daily Mileage: 12.6 miles
Total Mileage: 127.6 miles
Weather: Cool in the morning but warm in the afternoon with blue skies and light breeze (it was a 1, Pat!)
Right now, I'm standing on the observation deck at Wesser Bald with Stephan, Dan, Pat and Chris and it one of the coolest things I've seen on the trip. The panoramic views are incredible and completely justify all the huffing and puffing I did today. Yesterday I ran up the mountains, today my buns of bagel dough (not yet buns of steel) were letting me know that they weren't happy with me.
We ran into the Super Troopers again today at Wayah Bald - there were great views there as well. William Bartram described that area as being "mountains piled upon mountains" or something to that effect. I took some photos and hopefully they render a good depiction of the area.
I've noticed that I'm getting much stronger. I can climb hills and only have to stop when the climb lasts more than 20 minutes or it gets *really* steep. You know you are doing well when you can pass people on an uphill climb. Makes you feel good!
Dan, Stephan and I stopped for second lunch at Cold Spring Shelter. While debating whether or not to continue on a few miles down the trail, a hiker and his saddlebagged canine companion walked down the trail and stopped for some water. He looked a little odd because he was wearing a ball cap that read 'Peace Knows' and a red clown nose. I thought, uh oh, this guy has an agenda; don't ask about the nose. Stephan on the other hand was curious and inquired. First came the 40 plus photos of various people wearing the nose, then came the anti-war rally talk, then came the web site plugs. He said he was the sad-faced clown guy who waves the 'war no more' flag at protests. His dog was awfully cute.
We were all pretty sore from the previous days hike and thought we would just move a few miles down the trail near the next spring; however when we arrived we found some folks had already set up camp and there weren't really any good sites left (and it seemed their tents had a good slant to them). So we filled up with water - which weighs about 2 lbs per liter - and moved on. Earlier in the day we ran into Pat and Chris who mentioned that they were headed to Wesser Bald for the night. We thought we would camp at the first level ground we could find, but as luck would have it, the only level spot we found was about 15 minutes from the bald so we decided we could hike a little further. I'm really glad we pushed on, despite my aches and pains. Tomorrow we are stopping at the Nantahala Outdoor Center to do some final gear shopping. Dan needs trekking poles, Stephan wants to ditch his 0-degree bag in favor of a 30-degree bag - or he might wit until after the smokies which are coming up. I think we'll be in Fontana in 3 or 4 days, then comes the Smokies.
That's it for today!
Butterfinger
Beginning Point: Rock Gap via Rainbow Springs Campground
Ending Point: Wine Creek Gap
Daily Mileage: 11.9 miles
Total mileage: 115 miles
Weather: sunny and warm - lots of sweating going on!
I don't know if I described the yurt, the hut we stayed in last night. It's a giant round structure with a wooden floor, a door, and an opening in the ceiling. The bunks were interesting, They were called disco-beds, but they weren't very groovey. I slept fine in them, however they squeek when you move. Really loud squeeks. If you are tired enough, it doesn't really matter. Last night Slim Jim was pretty salty about spending $6 on internetting (it was 35 cents per minute). The hot shower was nice; so was the lift back to the trail.
Today was another glorious day for hiking. We began our trip at Rock Gap where we mistakenly left the trail early and it was well worth the .6 miles... Lots of lush woods and wildflowers out.
Dan, Stephan and I continued down the trail and around 11 am we stumbled onto some more trail magic: some trail angel left water, lays potato chips, capri suns, ritz crackers and beer - the champagne of beers! There was only one left when we found the stash; another couple we met yesterday, Roy and Jennifer, declined on the beer, so I opened the beer and took a hearty swig since its 5:00 somewhere in the world. A short while later we stopped for another snack at a stream crossing. Slim Jim was there and he seemed to be in a sour mood. He mentioned he was having an off morning and said he'd taken a spill. Then I added insult to injury when I asked him if he had any beer from the trail magic stash and he about jumped of the log - "there wasn't any beer there, I looked!" he cried out. I assured him there was one and that the three of us had shared it and he still refused to believe me. You have to understand, gentle reader, that many counties in the south are dry and don't sell beer. It's a travesty, really.
We ran into Slim Jim a few hours later and he only looked worse... he was noticing some sunburn on his arms but wasn't carrying any sunscreen so he used some mud on his arms instead. I guess that works... do what you have to do. Besides, pretty soon here we won't have to worry about sunburn once all the trees leaf out.
I had a great hike today and my spirits were probably the highest they've been so far. Stephan and Dan however felt that today's hike was one of the hardest for them. It was warm out, and we had a lot of steep climbs today,... but the worst energy grabber was probably lack of water. Both the guys ran out of water about 2 hours before we made it to our destination and I could tell their moods took a downturn. Plus, it didn't help that the last 2 miles were all uphill either. One climb went uphill without change in direction for nearly half a mile - this doesn't seem like much, but strap 30 or 40 lbs to your back and start hiking and you'll know what I mean.
Oh, that's another thing. The campground had a scale to weigh your packs... mine came in at 29 lbs with my water but not my camera (add another 1.5 lbs) after we resupplied, so I am pretty happy with myself. Dan and Stephan were between 35 and 37 lbs.
We finnally rached our destination- Wine Creek. We had hoped that some lovely trail angel might have left some wine up there, but all there was to be found was a nice grass campsite and lots of black flies - the first of the season. Fortunately these flies didn't really bite much, but they were very competant at swarming. Everyone in camp got their own swarm. Thankfully, they don't fly at night.
I finally started the book I brought - Zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance - a great book for this trip. It's kind of difficult to make time for reading after spending so much time with the journal (tiny keyboards and lots of typos), but I think I can manage 10 pages - or at least 10 minutes of reading each night.
Okay, enough for now, my book beckons.
Butterfinger
Okay, part 1 was mostly about the previous day, this entry will be about today.
Hiked up Mount Albert - very steep! Met up with a trail maintenance crew, very odd sight. First they stripped the bark from the tree, (they didn't see me coming and almost threw a 30-ft section of bark on me!) and then they cut it down to make the steps in steep areas. And we did not lack for those on the way up Mt. Albert.
The view from the summit was definitely something to behold. The hillside is punctuated by peaks and valleys and everything is green. Very few roads seem to occur in this reach of NC; only every now and then do you catch glimpses of farms or roadways. A view like this is why people climb mountains. Had lunch (second breakfast) with Dan and Stephan at the summit and met a cool Aussie named Dave. He had all this great dehydrated organic fruit and vegetables from a farm in Maine. He shared some kickin' tomatoes with us but wouldn't part with any blueberries. Don't blame him, either.
Below the summit on the other side were more rhodee forests and tunnels - they make a nice archway over the trail - and in another stretch the forest floor was bathed in sunlight and draped in mayapple and white trillium. Sights like these are breathtaking and make you glad to be outside.
finding rainbow springs
financial opportunities vs trail magic
hoot owl calling outside the yurt
passing the 100-mile mark
3 showers in 100 miles
ginger and mercury return
Starting point: Betty Gap Creek
Ending point: Rainbow Springs Campground
Daily Mileage: 9.1 miles
Total Mileage: 103.7 miles
Stephan and I hiked together again. We played "tag" with Slim Jim and Dan on Tuesday... we all met up for a late lunch/snack at Carter Gap shelter. Actually, two shelters exist in Carter Gap - one that looks like something from the movie Deliverence and the other is new, built in the Nantahala fashion (the roof extends over the eating/food prep area). These are generally much nicer than the older shelters.
One thing about the last few days in NC is the lack of privies and bear cables at shelters. The boys generally love (read hate) heaving rocks over limbs in order to hang the food bags for the night. Sometimes this takes only one or two throws, but it has also taken as long as a half hour (!). This is a definate art because you have to find the perfect rock which is dependent upon the height of the tree limb. Too light and you will forever miss the limb by a few inches - too heavy and you'll injure yourself before it goes over. And then there are the misfires... so many times the rock goes slightly askew and you end up wrestling with the parachute cord to get your rock back. It can be quite entertaining if you aren't the one throwing the rock! Stephan is becoming quite proficient in this skill; Pat and Chris even asked for advice the other night... But I digress... As for the lack of privies, well, as gross as they are, I like the privies. Perhaps I haven't mastered the art of "How to shit in the Woods" (a title of an outdoors book), but it takes a lengthy amount of time. My thighs get sore from all the squatting. Perhaps I've already revealed too much. The great thing about the privy though is the view. I can't think of any other bathroom or bathhouse I've been in that offers such a fantastic view of wild outdoors. The newer composting privies are the nicest because they don't even smell. Just toss in a handfull of woodchips to keep the composting worms happy and you're good to go!
Okay, enough about privies and bear cables. After Carter Gap, we decided to push on a few more miles so the trip into Rainbow Springs the next day wasn't so long, and it turned out to be an easy hike. The four of us made it into Betty Creek Gap in record time and set up camp in another rhodadendron grove by a small spring. Dinner was a priority for the evening's agenda and I was quite hungry and had several dinners to eat. One of my dinner consists of bisquits and soup, however the biscuits take a little more time and fuel to prepare so I don't always make them. Anyway, I had extra so I made some to share with everyone. Then I mixed my vegetable-barley soup with my chicken-vegetable-rice soup and added a packet of tuna for extra protein. Normaly, this combination of foods would totally gross me out, however, I found it quite tasty and filling. And even after eating all that, I still had room for half a snickers bar that Dan offered. Mmm, mmm snickers. I think I am going to have to purchase more snack foods like that. We had another cold night, but this time I slept through the night.
------Stats from 5/4/04-----
Beginning Point: Standing Indian Shelter
Ending Point: Betty Gap Creek campsite
Daily mileage: 11.3 miles
Total mileage: 94.6 miles
Today was a great day for a hike! With so many days of cold and/or rain, the sunshine seemed like visual gold. I've been neglecting my journal these past few days. The hike to Plumorchard Shelter on Sunday was all in the rain. My gear stayed dry, but my boots were beginning to feel a litle damp inside. This particular shelter is rather large and sleeps 14 people in three sleeping tiers. Dan was there having lunch when Stephan and I arrived. The three of us debated about whether or not to continue on as planned to the next shelter... We decided that if the rain let up before 3:00 we would set out. However, by the time 3 rolled around - and the rain had stopped - we were quite comfortable where we were and decided that the next shelter would be too full to accomodate any of us. This rationalization turned out to be a correct assumption verified by a SOBO (south-bounder) we passed the next day.
As usual, we had a good crew of hikers in the shelter that night. Mercury and Ginger, Shellfish and Sunpig, a group of women from Tennessee, and Katrina, Chris, and Pat. The rain kind of hurried the day along; folks were making dinner by 5, cleaning up by 6, and in bed by 7. I rarely move along at that rate, but there really wasn't much more to do after playing cards for about an hour. We had lengthy debates about the correct way to play Spades so instead we played Hearts since we could agree on those rules.
I had a pretty cold night and had to wear my hat all night. My toes were cold all night long and I found cold spots if I slept on my side - really the only warm position was mummy style, but I can't sleep on my back like that (and I apparently snore when I do!). The next day seemed promising with sunshine in the morning.
The exciting thing about Monday morning's hike was crossing my first state line from GA into NC. Got some photos from the actual line as well as the traditional boundary marker in the books - a gnarley old tree in the middle of the trail. During the trek to the state line, I saw my first trout lily - love those guys - right next to the trail as well as my first jack-in-the-pulpit and took some photos of pink lady slippers. It seemed as soon as we crossed the state line, the skies drew dark, the winds began to howl, the fog blew in, the trail became vertical, and the previously green lush mountains turned brown. We're not in Kansas anymore, Toto!
The hike wasn't bad; weather was kind of weird because one minute I was hot, the next I was freezing. I knew the next shelter was near, but I couldn't wait for lunch so we lunched under a rhodee to get out of the wind. We met up with Mercury and Ginger at Muskrat Creek Shelter where a crazy squirrel tried to get in our packs in search of food. We stayed long enough to be social and write an entry in the shelter log. Oh, and Sunpig was right about the black centipedes with yellow banding patterns - when you shake them in your hand, they really do smell like black cherry cola!
It was very cold at camp; Pat, Chris and Katrina made a fire to dry out their socks and boots - which had been wet since Thursday! Poor things. It was so nice to have a campfire when the temps were hovering around freezing (I'm carrying a centigrade thermometer and at 9pm it read 3d C). We stayed up late putting off the inevitable.
There were lots of warnings about bears being sensitized to human presence - and we wondered why the problem bear hadn't been removed- the warnings also said the bear was known to take packs. We made sure to have our smelly stuff in bear bags and hung the packs in the shelter. While sitting around the campfire we cracked plenty of bear jokes; perhaps the bear was intimidated by our perceived lack of fear! Ha. I think it was too cold for any bear to be out last night - seems like good hibernation weather to me. No one got out of bed before 9 am anyway.
Poor Ginger strained her achilles during yesterday's hike and hobbled into camp. The pain didn't diminish any with rest and she thinks she may have torn a ligament. She and Mercury are on the second week of their honeymoon, so this is pretty early in the game for them to leave the trail. They are going to stay in some cabins nearby and rest up for a while and see a doc. I hope it's nothing serious, Ginger.
Okay, time for bed. Another cold night out here, my fingers are numb! I plan on writing more about how various aspects of my daily life have changed, in installments of course. Hopefully you will find these entertaining.
Bye for now,
Butterfinger
----Stats from 5/3/04-------
Beginning Point: Plumorchard Shelter
Ending Point: Standing Indian Shelter
Daily mileage: 12.2 miles
Total mileage: 83.3 miles
----Stats from 5/2/04-------
Beginning Point: Dicks Creek Gap
Ending Point: Plumorchard Shelter
Daily mileage: 4.3 miles
Total mileage: 71.1 miles
Beginning Point: Deep Gap Shelter
Ending Point: Hiawasse Inn
Daily mileage: 3.5 miles
Total miles: 66.8 miles
Wow, am I wracking up the miles! Ha! Well, rains made the decision to head to Hiawassee for the night very easy.
Mice did a little damage last night. Stephan found nibble marks on his pack towel. Sticks discovered chew marks on his bearbag - which he hung from the cables - and was elated to find his beef jerky intact.
Today's hike ended at Dick's Creek at the highway. I lost a bet to Stephan about hitch-hiking. He bet that we would have a ride within 30 seconds and I didn't believe him. Wouldn't you know it; a van pulled up within 30 seconds and a bunch of hikers piled out - some folks I knew too, including Real World and ARGO. Ron the driver was from the Hiawasee Inn - real nice guy. We decided to stay there for the night and take in the sights of Hiawassee.
Beginning Point: Cheese Factory Site
Ending Point: Deep Gap Shelter
Dailey Mileage: 9 miles
Total Mileage: 63.3 miles
Today was very foggy all day long; kind of cool, but kind of creepy, too. It's difficult to tell what time of day it is because morning looks like lunchtime, which looks like dinnertime... definitely need a watch in this environment.
As far as wildlife viewing goes, I haven't seen anything besides birds and spring flowers. This morning I saw a pair of indigo buntings through the drizzle and fog - beautiful birds. All the rain has really brought the greenery out; everything is verdant, fresh and new. Smells good.
Rain was intermittent all day long. I felt like Goldilocks from the nursery rhyme... too hot, too cold, too sweaty, never just right. I had my raincoat on/off/on/off (repeat ad nauseum). Despite the weather, it was a nice day for hiking, although I was pretty tired towards the end. The last couple of miles to the shelter were tough; had a steep 1000 ft climb, then a steep descent into the shelter. The worst part about it was the fog - you could only see about 50 feet in front of you so you couldn't see where the uphill ended and the downhill began.
We arrived at the shelter somewhat early in the evening and secured shelter space. Shelters always fill up early in poor weather. The Super Troopers were there; I think they are all retired military guys - such nice people! There were about 6 in total at Neel's Gap, but different paces are separating them. I hope to continue playing "tag" with them.
I was the only woman in the shelter last night. It's funny, I always thought that I wouldn't sleep well in the shelters with folks who snore (and aparently I am in that crowd -- uh-oh!), but it really doesn't bother me. Sometimes a rhythm develops without effort - it makes me giggle. I heard some nocturnal rodent chewing sounds last night, but my stuff fared okay.
One more funny thing and then I'm done with this entry. I mentioned Messy Garage in my last post... We left the cheese factory site in the rain and Messy hadn't left his tent yet. When we arrived at Deep Gap shelter, he already had his tent up and was taking a rest before dinner - it was as if he teletransported from there to here. He must have passed us when we stopped for lunch at Tray Mountain Shelter... he claimed to have only set up his tent 3 minutes before we stumbled into camp.
I camped at the Cheese Factory site last night and set up my silshelter. I woke up to the pitter-patter of raindrops -- something that wasn't supposed to happen until tomorrow. I had to jump up and find my pack in the dark and pull on the rain fly to keep it dry. Fortunately I had the sense to pull out my rain gear then so I didn't have to run out in the rain in the morning.
Yesterday's hike stats are as follows...
Starting point: Low Gap shelter
Ending Point: Cheese Factory campsite
Dailey Mileage: 13 miles
Total Miles: 54.3 miles
Met a guy named Messy Garage... His wife made him a button to carry on his pack that reads, "My wife told me to clean the garage or take a hike!" We played hopscotch for awhile. I think he's a little jealous of all the folks he's met who've lightened their pack weights into the 30+ lb range; I think he said he carries about 56 lbs.
We also met up with Data and Molly McButter who started out at Neel's Gap on Monday. Data said that she was preparing to meet her demons in Chatahooche Gap. She camped there around this time last year... a bear raided her camp in the middle of the night. The bear climbed the tree that she hung her food in and snapped the branch. Here's the crazy part - she said she jumped out of her tent to get the food first! She said she tripped and sprained an ankle and had some good scratches. I think the bear went away after that, but she was pretty freaked out. She said she wanted to touch the tree where she hung her food last year.
Towards the end of the hike we came into Unicoi Gap and stumbled upon some trail magic - OJ and apples, left by a trail angel named Who Att. Thanks, man! That's where Tom from Maine left us to hitch into Hiawassee to head for the Blueberry Patch, a hostel and organic farm. He spent a cold night on top of a mountain without his tent - forgotten at Neel's Gap - so he was hoping to get it sent back to him.
We hiked some wicked hills yesterday, 1000 ft descent followed by a 1000 ft climb, followed by another 1000 ft descent. I felt great yesterday, but today I'm paying for it.
to be continued...
***A note from the webmaster for those of you wondering about Steph's knee...the doctor told her that it's a bit overworked, but doing well. She also visited with a hike-specialist of sorts who helped her lighten the load--literally. He weeded through her supplies and pulled out a few unneccessary items. I'm not sure of her current pack weight.**
Today felt good to move; the knee was good for most of the day but I need to remember to take my advil 3x daily to control the joint pain. I'm going to try to set up a standard heading that tracks forward progress, so here goes (let me know if I should add anything).
Starting point: Neel's Gap
Ending point: Low Gap Shelter
Todays mileage: 10.6 mi
Total mileage: 41.3 mi
Note: my sister Stacy gave me some monster vitamins to take while I'm hiking, and I really appreciate it because I know they are good stuff, however, I am going to reserve one complaint. They make me toot. Not just in the morning after I take them, no, I toot all day long straight into the night. And not little cute girl toots, these scare me! Well, as long as they keep me healthy, I guess I will continue to take them. I just feel bad for my neighbors in the shelters!
Walked the ridge for most of today- got some good photos of the hills and valleys. Oh, and stuff I called bellwort on day one was actually solamons seal - it's blooming now, and so is nodding bellwort.
Trail life is a little different than regular life, but not by much. I still get up, use the bathroom, wash up, I eat breakfast on a regular basis now, and then I go to "work", I mean start hiking.