Week 3: Moving On

Day 15

The day we dreaded had finally come; we had to get back on trail without Steve. I slowly crawled out of my bunk and loosely organized my things before heading to the Baptist church van at the end of the driveway. Same routine, pancakes and bacon but no egg casserole. Letters and pictures. We got back to the hostel and lounged around waiting for Steve to pickup the rental at 10:30. We watched all the other hikers leave and eventually it was just us baby momma who was cleaning up the place. She too left when she was done. Newfound and Steve came back with his big ford truck rental and after Joey packed and repacked we got loaded up. I stopped to admire the wind chimes moving in the gentle wind. I wanted to remember their melodies. We had to stop at the outdoor store one more time so they could return the water bottle holders and ship some stuff home. I talked to this guys drifter who was sitting outside on the old ski lift bench. He said it takes the stars to align to finish this trail. He’d done it in 21’ and was again this year but his hiking buddy bailed and he also lost interest. I didn’t get to ask why because he was too focused on trying to find a ride home. On the way to the trail head we made a last minute decision to stop at McDonald’s for a quick lunch. It was already 1pm. We scarfed down food while Steve drove up the windy mountain road until our ears popped. We took one last picture with Steve and we started walking. I didn’t go far before my claves starting burning. As we made our way up the mountain we passed some familiar faces including Tiffany. We made it to the first shelter pretty quick and we decided to push on to the next so we could get a view from the next firetower in the morning. Most of the evening was spent walking through the clouds and fog so we didn’t have any views. Down at camp it was packed and it took a while to find a spot for the night. We went up to the shelter to make dinner and everyone in there was asleep before the sunset. As we were making dinner and cutting up a summer sausage I noticed the hat hanging above one sleeping bag was badger’s. He got up to use the privy and said “I kept hearing you guys talking about this sausage I had to see what you were on about.” We made a loose plan for tomorrow and the next few days to try and avoid the Tuesday storm and went to bed.

Day 16

After the sun was up we ran back a mile to the wayah firetower to see the incredible view. We hangout there for a good bit and a lovely diker hiker, eclipse, gave us oranges and Oreos. Spence and I researched places to stay near the NOC while Joey talked to his wife. We even saw a bald eagle slope soaring above the mountains. Tiffany showed up along with the older couple Mac and Moc. We all decided to rent a tiny house together for a really good price to avoid the storm. When we got back down to our stuff it was nearly 1:30, we just steer later and later. It was a pretty nice hike with some rocks and mud here and there. I could feel the pain in my feet growing throughout the day. I took a break before the climb to the second fire tower at Wesser bald to eat some jerky and rest a bit. We had dinner at the top of the fire tower, tonight was chicken pho with a side of salt and vinegar chips. The 0.8mi hike down to the hurt even more. I could feel more blisters forming and my thighs rubbing raw. We find a spot where Joey and I share a tree with our hammocks and Spence is right between us because it’s so hilly. I’m glad we’re taking a rest at the NOC because I accidentally popped a blister and I’m not looking forward to hiking with that. To get out of the NOC will be a 8 mile hike with 2,600ft of elevation gain.

Day 17

There’s always a high after a low. Today was another cold and cloudy morning. The wind was howling all night long. You could hear it build up from the valley and whoosh down overtop of us shaking our hammocks and tents. I got up to pee and I’m glad I did because I caught the last bit of sunrise with highlights of pink over the mountain tops before I went back to sleep. I awoke to some movement around 10 and decided that was probably late enough to get up. Spence and I went over to the shelter to eat and this weird lady we’d seen that day we helped Marie was here. She was on the phone having a smoke inside the shelter. When she got off she asked if we knew who took her 6 days worth of masala. Then she accused the other Joey who slept in the shelter who’d already left. When she finally left we had a laugh about the whole thing it was so odd, and it was the butt of all our jokes. It hurt more today than it did yesterday. It’s not the knee anymore now it’s new blisters that are forming on the insides of my heel. I got those injini socks but I don’t think they’re thick enough to prevent my feet from sliding. Unfortunately for my feet, today was nothing but downhill for 2,300+ ft (which means a lot of sliding). The views were amazing to start but every step hurt so bad and the last thing I wanted was for them to pop. I went slow and eventually the pain became numb to me and I just kept taking another step. I took a couple pauses to eat a bar and check my location. After walking for hours it still felt so far away.

Eventually I turned a corner and could hear the river and the cars driving along. Each few steps it got louder and then I could see it! After a few switchbacks I crossed the street and I was at the Nantahala Outdoor Center (NOC) 137 mile marker. I saw the my guys and some of the other guys outside with their packs. Spence was digging through his resupply package while Joey and I went in to buy our Smoky mountain permits (you have to print them out so that’s why we got them here). The NOC is actually a really nice place and I asked about my blisters and the lady Rachel recommended I just get another pair of socks to keep my feet as dry and clean as I can. It’s hard when the people I hike with don’t have the same problem and don’t stop for breaks but I need to let it go our I won’t be out here much longer. I followed her advice and go the socks and some blister pads (thanks Kris for the gift card!!). Then I decided to get a couple beers for the calories thanks to Dylan and Izzy for the donation :) Joey also found me some gloves in the hiker box so hopefully those will hold up through the smokies. As of now the weather is looking very good so we’ll keep our fingers crossed. We charged our things and hung out a bit longer long after the other guys had left. Cartoon pot was still there and was hoping to catch the guys 8 miles up but we advised him to not go that far.

We moseyed on over to the restaurant and had a fantastic dinner. Joey got the chicken sandwich (the best dam chicken sandwich), side salad, Mac and cheese and a cup of soup. Spence and I just got the sandwich and a side. I know I’m biased but that was a dam good chicken sandwich. Just before we finished a nice guy named jack who we saw at the firetower yesterday evening decided to pay for our dinner! We hardly said more than 5 words to the guy yesterday as we made dinner on that tower. We all sat there speechless for a moment after thanking him. I had to glance at Joey and Spence a few times to make sure I wasn’t dreaming. The trail provided. It breaks you down and lifts you back up. Still I can’t believe these things sometimes. When we came out of the restaurant I laid eyes on a kingfisher as it sung trills over the river. We hiked back up to the previous shelter to spend the night, we hoped to be in the shelter but it was full when we arrived. It took a while to find some trees and even longer to hang out bear bags. It slowly got darker as the guys missed a couple throws and broke a branch or two. Joey got it over one and Spence thought it was strong enough to hold but when we pulled it up the branch broke and our bags went rolling down the hill and mine nearly went in the water. We had some hikers heckling from below before Spence threw the rock bag so hard he fell backwards but it successfully went over the branch untangled. Now we sleep expecting to wake up to rain but knowing we’ll have a warm place to sleep tomorrow night.

Thanks again to everyone that’s supported me thus far no matter what form. It really takes a village to do something like this.

Day 18: rainy rafting and hot tubs

I got all snuggled up in my hammock and was awoken by the wind whipping my rainy fly and pulling a stake out of the ground. I got it back in then woke up a few hours later to the rainy pitter patter on my fly. Around 8 I decided to get up and I was greeted by Joey handing me my bear bag. The rain had sided down while we packed up and headed back down to the NOC. We didn’t realize that Tiffany, Mac, and Moc were at the campsite last night and they had a laugh at us struggling with our bear bags last night. It was a cloudy and wet day at the NOC, polar opposite to yesterday. The boys got coffees and we hung around outside before we realized we were waiting for one of us to ask about the rafting. So we went over the bridge to schedule a time and we decided to do an unguided tour, I’d be a guide and we’d have our own personal raft. Once we got back over we saw Chad and his son again all fitted in their person dry suits ready to go rafting. We got lunch/breakfast at the restaurant then got into our wetsuits and watched the safety briefing video that was probably filmed in the 80s. We got our PFDs and paddles and headed into the big blue bus with our rafts ontop. Will, the bus driver, took us 8 miles up river and reminded us of the spots to avoid and lookout for. We got to the top, he unloaded the rafts for us and we walked them down to the waters edge. I reminded the guys of a few things and we hopped in and floated along the river. It was a great day to be on the river with the clouds and the rain, we were happy to be here and not hiking. We took a couple breaks to have some drinks and chat and the whole river ended up taking over 3 hours. The very last rapid, Nantahala falls was a class 3 but it wasn’t a big deal at all. As soon as we got out of the boat we realized how cold we were and rushed to the bathrooms to change and dry off. We ended up getting dinner at the restaurant again with Chad and a couple of section hikers that were in his raft. I ate that whole chicken sandwich again and half a pizza while Chad told us about his rafting, kayaking, rock climbing, caving and repelling experience (he’s a real Chad). He also drove us to our cabin for free so we didn’t have to pay for a shuttle. It’s a nice little cabin with three rooms, one being a bunk room with bunks that are definitely not made for adults. All of our camping gear is spread out over the doors and floors. We jump into the hot tub and Tiffany joins us. She said she’s gonna take the trail name I gave her, pubcrawl, and it fits because she’s hammered after getting drinks from the brewery in town. After a few hours in the hot tub we get out to shower and settle down before bed.

Day 19: The Trumpet Hiker

I was falling asleep on the couch as we watched South Park. After a hot coco and some left over pizza I called it a night. The 68 degrees felt so warm I slept on top of the sheets and I was out like a light. I got up to use a the bathroom and shook the hell out of the bunk bed that was definitely meant for kids. Spence said he woke up in the middle of the night and bonked his head (it was like a foot and a half of clearance between the beds). Tiffany, Mac and Moc were all out of the house by the time we got moving. I repacked and stretched while I overheard the boys making breakfast with the left over veggie pizza, summer sausage, and local chicken eggs we got from the caretaker. I helped myself to some when Joey said they were ready and I did the dishes. Spence came back inside and said he told them we were running late and he asked for 15 minutes; sure enough i checked my watch and it was already the time we were supposed to leave. I got all my things packed up and ready to go when Adam the shuttle driver arrived. For some reason Joey thought it was smart to use those 15 minutes to shower instead of pack. I start chatting but mainly listening to Adam talk about his flock of 19 chickens to keep him distracted from the fact that Joey was running late. They did a few walk throughs to make sure we didn’t forget anything then we headed out. I made to sure to leave a good review like 5star told me to. When we got to the NOC Joey and I decided to last minute purchase some gloves Incase the weather turned on us in the smokies. Chad also walked by and wished us luck on our journey before he left to go kayak with his son. A couple Waldo and Tennessee stopped by as well and were talking to this guy hydro. Waldo was finishing up a section to Fontana dam and his wife Tennessee who had finish section hiking was joining him. They were both asking hydro who had thru-hiked in 19’ about rain gear and all that. I asked him for advice and he said cowboy camp and night hiking, I’ll take that with a grain of salt. We got moving and I felt great today, the sun was shining and my music was playing. I took my slower pace and the boys pushed out of sight but I didn’t mind; I was taking my baby steps and enjoying it. Some walks along the ridge I had to stop and enjoy the view of mountains and trees as far as I could see. I got up to a good water source and took a lunch break. I sat there for a good bit and didn’t see anyone else. Farther up the trail I ran into Boss and Sunshine who are volunteers for the ATC doing maintenance on the trail. I thanked them both for their services and Boss, who was wielding a chainsaw, smiled and thanked me for hiking the trail so he has a job. I kept walking through rhododendron tunnels to the top of today’s peak and down to the shelter. Down there I met Jake and Bard from Boston. They didn’t start together but they have been hiking together for the past 4 days. I mainly talked to Bard, he’s still in college and has a very relaxed vibe. Jake was more reserved and kept to himself unless spoken to. I ate a second lunch, four cheese risotto and Bard pulled out a pocket trumpet and went down to the water to practice. The mountain filled with a sound as warm as the sun; It continued for several hours as we ate and talked amongst ourselves. It was the first time we got to camp early so not long after six we went to our tents/hammocks to rest. While the temperature drops I write and slowly zip my sleeping bag up more and more to keep my hands from getting too cold. Joey wants to push 15 miles tomorrow and I’m weary but I think if we get out of bed early enough and take breaks it’ll be manageable. It was hard getting up the mountain today but I didn’t have much pain. None of the blisters have popped thanks to these pads and my knee isn’t aching. It’s just exhausting to keep moving up. I had to take my sunglasses off because they kept fogging from all the sweat.

Day 20: A long 15.4 mile day

It’s always hard to take the first step anywhere in life; To get out of your warm comfort zone and step into the cold world. After twenty days of waking up to near freezing temperatures, it’s still not easy but I have to at some point or I’m not going anywhere. I go fetch my bear hang that was definitely not the best and then I find my sunglasses on the ground where I left them and forgot to grab them. I decided to grab Spence’s bag too since it was right next to mine and had to pull so hard I broke the branch and the bag came hurtling toward the ground. That was easy, but then I was left with a knotted mess of rope. I dropped it off outside his tent and didn’t even hear a rustle. I packed up and cleaned my feet causing them to go numb before I put my shoes on and packed up. While I ate my breakfast cliff bar Spence talked to this guy Matthew who didn’t say a word last night. They call him starboy because of his interest in space and so I asked his favorite fact. He said with the new James Webb telescope they’ve discovered a planet made entirely of diamond. He was heading back to the NOC to get back in time for his Dad’s wedding. Soon after he left so did Spence and I while Joey had a last minute run to the privy. After few miles later I see Spence talking to sunny. She was coming south bound after taking a couple days off to recover from shoe-borne knee injury (0 drop shoes aren’t the best idea if you’re not accustomed to them). We took a brief snack break while I called the post office in Fontana to move my package to a nearby location because their hours are only 11:45-3:45 M-F. I didn’t want to miss that window and be stuck without my package. Since today was a long day, probably our longest yet, I decided to start listening to Born to Run on audio like 5star recommend. She was right, it’s been a great listen so far. We got to stecoah gap and had a feast of a lunch. Some nice construction workers gave us some water and snacks too. Then,  in the midst of our lunch, another worker close to retirement, Kenny, came over and told us about a FKT attempter he met in this same spot who got there from Georgia in 3 days (This was the 150.5 mile marker). He also pointed out clingmans done which was just a bit closer than before, 50 more miles of trail to get there. Joey finished half of his olive oil in one gulp and we were back in trail. My head is always down looking no more than a few feet in from of me. If I want to look at the views around me I have to stop or slow down so I don’t trip or twist and ankle or rocks and roots. There were some steep climbs that felt never ending and then windy trails around the edges of the mountain. They go around in an S like pattern at the same elevation and it feels like the same one just before it. I walked over big boulders with gaps big enough for me to fit inside, mud puddles at the base of springs that could engulf my shoes and across a couple paved roads before I got to our final destination for the night. The shelter is only a few feet off the trail and multiple streams run right next to the tent spots. I see familiar and new faces as I set up camp and eat my spicy ramen dinner with chicken. When I get into my camp shoes I look at my blisters which have nearly doubled in size. I talk to bard about why we’re on trail and what lessons we’ll take and try to bring back to “real life.” The stars are out in full view and I’m ready to close my eyes and float amongst them.

Day 21: bed and breakfast

Some days it feels like nothing really happens and then there are days like today that are so jam packed with memories and tidbits it feels like trying to grab water with your bare hands. We woke up to a near empty camp and while we were making lunch and filtering water the last people to leave be for us where James and his father Nick (the English guys from bath). It’s funny when you get to camp as late as we do sometimes you don’t realize who else is around until you’re packing up in the morning. I told them my knee was doing very well now because of his knee brace and it’s mainly just blisters causing me issues. After they went on their way we weren’t too long after. We fell into our paces and once we got up on the ridge line again we could see Fontana lake. As I descended down the other side I was struck many these beautiful flowers getting ready to bloom. They lined the sides of the trail with their leaves of three and moss carpets covered the Forrest floor. Not long after that we reached the Fontana Marino. There was a AT hiker signage poster and we saw some familiar names including pigpen, Pete, and Badger. We ran into James and Nick there as well waiting for a shuttle. We decided to push on the extra two miles to the dam to have an easier start the next day. Sometimes I feel like when I know it’s only a mile or two it feels way longer than a day spent hiking 10 or 12. I can get lost in the trail moving beneath me and the miles seem to fly by whereas when I expect something in a mile or two it feels like they’re the longest miles of my life. So we finally make it to the picnic area near the shelter and start walking along the road down towards the dam. There’s a water fountain with a white blaze on it so of course we take pictures and fill up there. I see a menu for the village restaurant and I’m thinking about having a nice big meal because we didn’t stop for lunch. I’m walking down with Spence and joeys a couple hundred yards behind when Spence says “man I could really go for some trail magic right now, that would hit the spot.” No shit like 30 seconds later an orange jeep comes out from behind us and pulls up and parks right in front of us. “Would you guys like some snacks and sandwiches.” So Chris starts pulling out a big box of variety packages of chips, Gatorade, pickles, pecans, apples, honey buns while Jessica open the back and starts making us ham and turkey sandwiches. “Honestly take as much as you want, we’ll keep making sandwiches if you’ll eat them and we’ll pack them to go too.” It’s just another one of those ‘I can’t believe this is happening’ moments when Spence and I look at each other before digging in. There was nobody else around besides us and we ate as much food as we could for the next 20 minutes or so and took some To-go. It’s like someone showing up to your house with the thing you always wanted but on a random Tuesday. It’s like someone showing up to clean your house for free and ask nothing in return. I still feel a little guilt in taking things for free but these people literally go buy things for you to have just because you decided to do this really hard thing that not a lot of people do. We haven’t had a lot of trail magic but I swear things just happen at the perfect time. I couldn’t make this up if I tried. Then they were gone and we perused the gift shop waiting for our shuttle to the bed and breakfast we’d be staying at tonight. Cynthia picks us up in her small red Volkswagen and takes us down windy roads to the post office. I pick up my resupply package that my mother had sent to me a few days ago so I wouldn’t have good food in the smokies. We ran into Mac and Moc there and started chatting before we remembered Cynthia was waiting on us. After many more miles up and down easy roads through the country we arrived. This was the most beautiful cabin ever. It was a 30 year old cabin on 21 acres of land and a beautiful creek flowing just several feet in front. The two other hikers there I’d briefly met the day before another Nick and Lauren. The back deck had a hot tub and a grill and a down past was a walkway and a bridge over the creek. It was so beautiful I thought I was dreaming, I couldn’t stop saying wow. By the time we got inside Cynthia had sold us on staying inside rather than camping. We unpacked, organized our food and headed to another ingles to resupply and get food for dinner. On the way we passed a couple gaps that we’d gone through yesterday that too just minutes to drive to. At ingles there was good service and because they bed snd breakfast was so remote there wasn’t service and you have to pay for WiFi ( I’m not paying for that). So we stood in the store looking at our phones trying to send messages and read messages  as quick as possible while shopping. We got back and we got into our provides robes while they did our laundry. Even though I’m the youngest i ended up cooking the entire meal of spaghetti and handmade meatballs (all in my robe). After a few plates of pasta it was hot tub time! We turned off the lights to stare at the stars. By the time we showed and repacked our things it was passed 1am.

Week 4 coming soon...