26 de abril

Ahh that sweet night's sleep in Spence Field. The next morning we hiked past "Rocky Top" which is the name of a peak in the Smokies but apparently not the namesake of the song (apparently there are two or three "rocky tops" in Tennessee). I was incredibly disappointed at this. Anyway the Smokies were surprisingly easy hiking. The path is so well-defined (namely I think because it's so old) and you're already so high up on the ridge that there isn't a whole lot of elevation change. We also had completely clear weather which was amazing. The whole forest floor was covered in wildflowers. The ones in the picture were called "spring beauties." Basically hiked on through to Clingman's Dome today. We met Hatchet a few miles before reaching Clingman's. He was stopped trying to catch a wild turkey on video.

Clingman's dome is kind of an odd place. It's the highest point on the AT but they built this weird 70's-style overlook tower thinger on top and you can practically drive up the mountain. There were a lot of babies up there. It was bring your baby to clingman's dome day. We had decided earlier we were going to go into Gatlinburg so we hiked down to the parking lot to try to catch a ride. It definitely took a few minutes. We tried to talk a Canadian couple into taking us but they said they weren't heading to Gatlinburg. Finally this nice guy from St. Louis on a roadtrip with his girlfriend and his buddy said we could catch a ride with him if we were interested in checking out Cherokee, NC and Mingo Falls first. Not a bad deal.

So we started down mountain the back of this guy's pick up truck. That was a gorgeous drive. We finally get down into the valley and I accidentally dropped my camera into a hole in the bed of his truck. It must've bounced off something under there and off to the side of the road. When we told him at the gas station we stopped there it was super nice of him to drive us back to look for it. A couple miles later there it was on the side of the road - and not broken! I decided at that moment that odd lucky things like that just happen on the trail. It was just that kind of place. We finally got to the waterfall when I realized I had actually been there when I was 12 on the middle school orchestra trip. Weird flashback. Nice waterfall.

We had to drive up and over the Smokies again to get back to Gatlinburg. They dropped us off on the main drag and we walked to the motel we had heard about in our guidebook. Can't remember the name :( Got some beer, went to dinner at the grill on the corner. Had a super weird sketchy waiter who mentioned drugs, probation, hookers and strippers before even taking our drink order. He was either super sketchy or just making anything up. Either way it was entertaining. Then we had to figure out what the Gatlinburg nightlife situation is on a Sunday. Took a few tries but we finally found Puckers, which is where everybody that works in town goes after getting off their shift. Good time. Did "Dixieland Delight" on kareoke and made some friends. All fun and games until hatchet starts asking Green Lite repeatedly if he 'has his back." ALways a good sign. Managed to skip out before hatchet caused any real trouble. Those Gatlinburg nights.

April 25

Today woke up right off the trail in the Smokies to a deer walking by on the trail. Started hiking, climbed the rickety firetower on top of Shuckstack Mtn and took some pictures. About a half mile later was heading through a gap when I saw kinda dark shapes maybe 30 yds to my left. Took a few seconds to sort out that it was a family of bears. Sorta tweaked, turned around and walked quickly back the way I came. I think I waited 10min or so thinking what the hell does one do here. Went back to see if they were still there. They were. Entirely unphased by my presence. Finally a hiker named Too-Bob came along and actually seemed as freaked out as I was. So once Smiling Bandit came along we decided to walk by them with safety in numbers. The walk-by went off without a hitch though I think my heart was racing. I finally started to come to terms with bears that day.

Came up on the first shelter. The shelters in the Smokies used to be caged in to protect from the bears until hikers started feeding bears through the cages, which only encouraged the bears to hang around the shelters more. Cages are gone but they're pretty old stone shelters and sleep a lot of people. The black flies in the smokies were awful though. You couldn't really sit still. That much I remember very well. That day we hiked on to Spence Field shelter where we spent the night. Smiling Bandit, Forest, Willow, Gaucha and some weekend hikers were there. Some nice woman from South Carolia (Georgia?) gave us a muscle relaxant to split and it was the BEST night's sleep I had had in weeks. I literally was out like a light in a shelter full of smelly, snoring people. The smokies are beautiful.

April 24

Woke up at Fontana Village the next morning and Georgia Pine, Hustler & Brian were all gone :( The way of the trail I suppose. I'll stop here to note that Fontana Village was actually built in the 40s when construction of the dam began to house the workers. On our way into Fontana Village the night before we met a random group of folks from Alabama who Georgia Pine struck up a conversation with. Turns out they were "dam children." Their parents (well, fathers I s'pose) had been dam construction workers for the TVA and they had grown up together. They were back for a dam children reunion.

Aanyway. Got up. Couldn't even sleep in really. Took advantage of some lodge amenities (sauna). Got brunch in the main dining room (buffet!). Checked out of the room. Shipped Chad's pack with some other stuff in it back to DC at the post office down the hill. Hit up the general store briefly and then caught a shuttle back to the lake. I remember we were in the shuttle with Forest and Willow. Willow lives not too far from me now near Kent, CT. Then it was pretty much back to the marina for the day for another round of high life. It was beautiful out there. We had been trying to angle our way into a boat ride when Greenlite ran up the dock to help some people with their luggage that were heading for a houseboat. Next thing I know we're invited along to have lunch on their houseboat. They were all from Greenville, SC and kind of hilarious. Can't remember the details but I remember one guy particularly enjoying telling the story of his wife disembarking from a plane down those stairs onto the tarmac when she stumbled and took out one of the poor airline workers that tried to break her fall. She retaliated with some other absurd story about him I can't remember. I think it involved falling off a boat somehow. Aaaanyway they were so nice to us and we had quite the lunch.

We eventually got a boatride back to the marina where Greenlite's friends from Clemson were hanging out on the dock. We were probably there for 4 or 5 hrs or so when we finally decided to pack up and head towards the "Fontana Hilton" as the shelter near the dam is so named (apparently it has a shower). So we all started hiking the mile towards the dam and Greenlite and I decided we'd just keep going and head into the Smokies. It was pretty cool walking over the dam - I have a strange thing for the TVA. It just seems so old school, old America, New Deal, all that jazz. Thankfully the terrorist alert levels were low so we were allowed to walk across. I was maybe a third of the way across when two guys on motorcycles cruised by us. I started running after one of them, really wanted a ride across Fontana at sunset. He slowed down and I hopped on. Not one of my safest moments in life I suppose but oohhhhhhh was it nice. On the other side he slowed and I was able to hop off.

They kept on going but then turned around five minutes later or so and came back to see more of the dam. We got a few pictures with them. My ride was a nice man from Eastern KY named Jim. They were probably hitting up the tail of the dragon. He kept saying "I don't know why y'all want pictures with strangers but ooookay." So we pushed on from there and entered Great Smoky Mountain National Park. We hiked a mile or two in, gaining some elevation and we could look back down on the dam, glowing from lights as it got dark. So cool. Cowboy camped that night right off the trail. That was a good day.

Sweet Sweet Fontana

Got up and out of Locust Grove Gap fairly early and made a break for Fontana! I was a little behind Greenlite and Brian. I caught up to them for a minute because they had stopped to chat with this guy who was kind of incoherent. Pretty much had a ridiculously stereotypical hillbilly look going on. I'm sure he was a fine fellow. Stopped at Cable Gap shelter for lunch where we met Wis-pee for the first time. I remember introducing myself and we were all talking and then a few minutes later he subconsciously started whistling the song Blue Sky. This is the desired effect. Hustler caught up to us somewhere around here.

Not far after that shelter you come up on a ridge where you can see Fontana Lake. Then you look beyond Fontana Lake and there they are...the Smokies. It was pretty awe-inspiring actually. You've heard SO much about them in the beginning of your trip. You just can't wait to see this mystical mountain land of bears, park rangers, shelters with cages, and sometimes snow in April. It was definitely one of those times though where you see where you think you're heading, think you're practically almost there, but then turns out you have 3mi left of following the lake to the dam of an absurd amount of up and down. That was a hellish few miles if I can recall. I would make headway on the downhills and then wheeze through the climbs. BUT it was all worth. We came out of the woods to the lake right where there's a sizeable marina. It was kind of a hot day so Greenlite & I just made a break for the docks and a cannonball later discovered the water was 52 degrees. Jeeesus cristo it was cold. So the swimming thing was short lived but we discovered shortly thereafter that the tackle shop at the end of the marina sold beer. It was very nice to be motionless, very nice to be in the sun, very nice to be next to a lake, and very nice to have a case of high life.

Then Greenlite's dad showed up! He's quite the funny one. I believe his trailname became Georgia Pine. The guys hopped in the back of his truck and I got in the cab. He was listening to the radio and a good tune came on and he out of nowhere asked me what it was and lo and behold (thanks Dad!) I knew it was Tighten Up by Archie Bell and the Drells. Think I surprised him a bit. He took us all to Fontana Village where there's a old lodge. I think the CCC built it...oh the history. We showered up and had dinner in the main dining room...some sort of chicken & pasta dish. God it was good. We all did laundry. Spent some time on some rocking chairs out on the porch. Met Tweak for the first time outside near the pool on a rocker. Then came the big shakedown of my pack that I knew Greenlite, Brian & Hustler were all waiting in eager anticipation for. Being lightweight freaks and all. Greenlite had his Dad bring me up his old pack which was much lighter and fit me way better than the one I had been using. He also gave me his down sleeping bag which packed down much smaller than mine because he was switching out to his summer bag. Hustler gave me his stove. They talked me into throwing out my Nalgene's and replacing them with Gatorade bottles. Made me mail home some extra lithium batteries. Greenlite even told me to throw out the case to my dental floss...which turned out to be a horrible decision. Do you know how hard it is to find the end of the dental floss on a role when you want to use it? And then have to get out your knife to cut it? Stupid. Keep the plastic container.

They all tried to get me to send home my pepper spray but I had PROMISED Mama Kath I would carry it so carry it I would. Even if it sat useless buried in my pack. And then it was time for bed. The last night with Brian and Hustler :( They would take off with Greenlite's Dad in the morning back for Atlanta. Brian's knee had been hurting him (plus he was only planning on being out for a couple weeks anyway) and Hustler got a call from his boss that his plant was reopening. So it was a bummer to say goodbye to them. But slept mighty well in a bed for once.

Actually we fell asleep to the sound of sports cars riding the tail of the dragon.

"Crossing Deals Gap at the Tennessee/North Carolina state line, the Dragon is considered by many as one of the world's best motorcycling and sports car roads. Anyone looking for an exciting highway will enjoy this stretch of US129.

The road is desolate and can be a real adventure in the winter months. We've had to deal with bears, turkeys, deer, and wild boars in the road, trees down, ice/snow, and tractor-trailers taking-up both lanes in the curves. It is not a road for the squeamish, but if you're looking for a little excitement don't miss this one."

Apparently they "lose a couple every year" when drivers take turns too hard and go off the side of the mountain. There was a big gathering at Fontana at the time to ride the Tail of the Dragon. Had forgotten about that.

Mighty Nantahala

Woke up the next morning on top of the ridge above double spring with my water frozen. Cold as balls out. But I managed to pull myself out of the sleeping bag and pack up the tent because I knew we were gonna hit the NOC that day! I think we were maybe 8mi out from the Nantahala Outdoor Center on the Nantahala River in Wesser, NC. They run rafting and canoe trips outta there, have an outfitter, a hostel, a general store, a few restaurants, so on and so forth. Hauled ass there just to stay warm but oh it is a lovely sight to turn a corner in the woods and see a whole complex next to a river where you know you can get a burger and fries and there are an absurd amount of hikers hanging around. Apparently it's some pretty solid white water around there. The river was definitely moving. Saw Wheeler again upon arrival who had *shockingly* caught a ride from Franklin...but whatever floats his boat. I got a burger and fries at the restaurant...it was heavenly. Got a few clif bars from the outfitter. Then poked around the general store and got a carton o'red wine to hike out with. I remember I was on the phone with Raina for the first time since I started and heard "heads up" and turned around in time to catch a PBR from Brian. Life was good just then.

and OH the hike out. Most people were just staying there at the hostel but we were on schedule to meet Greenlite's dad in Fontana the next day so we were pushing on. It was a 3000ft climb over a mile or two out of the NOC and I tried to keep up with Brian and Greenlite for a bit. Definitely ended up having to stop and suck wind on multiple occasions. I thought I was in shape but really I had only been out there for a week and a few days so not so much. We stopped at the first shelter and hung out for a bit meeting some hikers. We had finally caught up with Greenlite's friends from South Carolina who had started a week or two before him. Slapshot and some other names I can't remember. Miss Janet had cut his hair into a mullet in Franklin and named him Slapshot in honor of Wayne Gretzky. It fit. Hiked on from there, the climb was over at least, 5 more miles or so to Locust Grove Gap where there were some good tent sites.

I can't remember the names of the people we met there but they were good folk. It was a group of 4 or 5, a few older couples that were section hiking. We'd run into them again in the Smokies. We made a fire for the first time in awhile and hung around digging into the wine and the PBR. Greenlite had some tunes on his iPhone. Quite the lovely eve actually despite the brutal ascent out of NOC. Good sleep that night.

April 21

We woke up at the Woodwards to PAANCAAKES!!! Holy crap they were amazing. So was the tea they had. And the pancakes. That was flippin' awesome. Doug also gave me a short story to read he had written after we had told him about a bear encounter. His was about a new-agey woman who moves to a Western NC mountain town and is shunned by the local community until a notorious bear incident. They had had bears around their house on numerous occasions. Da bears. We all piled into Dougs car and headed back for the trail, stopping in Franklin for a mini-resupply first. I got an avocado!! Woot. Starting again was hard but it wasn't a bad day. Went over Wesser and Wayah Bald which were both breathtaking. It actually snowed at one point too on top of Wayah, where we met some more thru-hikers. I remember meeting Pheonix up there.

Then got some trail magic! Some trail club had sent up a random tent in the middle of the woods with clementines and a cooler full of soda. It was wonderful. Ah met Iceman there too because I remember we talked college hockey - his son was playing at UVM. He really hauled ass. We pushed onto Double Spring Shelter and camped up on the ridge above it. It definitely got pretty cold but the sunset was beautiful. That was the first night in my tent alone. I think I wrote in my journal a bit. Hustler let me use his stove that night for tea I recall which is when I first fell in love with his stove. Would turn out to be the coldest night on the trail but life went on. Hustler also revealed that he sleeps naked. Can't remember the logic behind that one.

Onto Winding Stair Gap

Woke up. Went outside the shelter, saw a surprising patch of blue sky and said "blue sky!" to all those stirring. Then Bandit or Wheeler, still not entirely sure on who, said that I should take that as a name...sooo I did. Kinda cheesy but it's my favorite Allman Brothers Song so I stuck with it. Cooked up some oatmeal and coffee and was maybe the 3rd person out or so behind Greenlite & Hustler. I think I found acorns in my pack too - good oooold shelter mice. I think I knocked out some serious miles pretty early on. Hiked with Brian for a bit. Climbed Mt Albert which is the most elevation gain in the shortest distance on the trail (600ft in 1/4mi or something?). I remember going by a few hikers on the climb who said the weather was supposed to get real nice for the foreseeable future and I very much enjoyed their info. Couldn't see a damn thing from the top of Mt Albert so didn't climb the fire tower.

Stopped for lunch at a shelter where I ran back into Greenlite, Hustler & Brian and I believe a guy named HOI (Hog On Ice) was there who once squealed like a pig when he slipped on ice in Shenandoah National Park back in the day and acquired a name. Greenlite invited us all to his friend's house in Franklin if we wanted to push it Winding Stair Gap making it 25mi day. The thought of another bed and real food in town made a 25mi day seem very feasible, though it was a push. So we all pushed on. That was a real odd weather day. Must've rained, then the sun came out, then rained, ad infinitum. We were going through a rain forest actually if I remember correctly. It was beautiful. We stopped at one last shelter before Winding Stair Gap where we met a former hiker named Nightstalker who was kind of a character albeit his name was kinda sketch. We got to Winding Stair Gap around 4-5? and finally managed to hitch a ride with a guy driving a small truck that delivers oxygen tanks to nursing homes. We all squeezed into the front somehow. Another rather ridiculous character. The ride down-mountain into Franklin was real pretty.

We got dropped off at the Shoney's, got blizzards at dairy queen, then a pan-normous pizza at pizza hut (the first of many) where we got picked up by two of the Woodwards, Autumn and Canyon. I rode with Canyon back to their place - I think he was in high school, funny kid. Greenlite knew them from trips he took to Cumberland Island, GA. The father, Doug Woodward, had been a pioneering whitewater kayaker in the '70s and the stunt double for Ned Beatty in Deliverance. They were really wonderful, real interesting people with a beautiful place on a mountain near the edge of Franklin.

We chatted with them until we couldn't stay awake any longer and crashed in the basement. Wonderful sleep.