Decided to push into Elk Park tonight for a good dinner today after 23 miles in the woods. Signs abound advertising the "King of the road" steakhouse, but what those signs forgot to mention was that the restaurant wont be open until April 5th. Sat down in their parking lot deciding what to do, and made the call to push on another 1.7 into town for a diner.
Haphazardly threw out the hitchhikers thumb a few times with little luck, until a sweet lady cleaning out her car asked me where I was going. When I told her just up to the diner she quickly offered me a ride, dropping me off right in front of Betty's place, home of some killer hamburgers. How great. But making my day wasn't enough for her.
On the car ride into town I asked about the Upholstery shop adjacent to her house, wondering if it was hers, just to make conversation. She told me that it was and within the same sentence she had offered me the use of the couch within, her shower and the computer for the night. What a nice person.
She has asked to remain anonymous but I just wanted to give an enormous thank you the woman who saved the end of a very long day.
Saturday, March 31, 2012
3-16-12
It was hard leaving the Fontana Hilton this morning, but I did find some granola and mashed potato mix. We planned on a 11 mile day today for our first foray into the smokies. Stopped off at an observation tower and got on the roof of that for pictures, it was great. I left my gold pole for Far East Const and Ryan to see as a signal to take the side trail that way. Great Views.
The trail today was incredibly buggy. Swarms of flies flying around anytime I wasn't moving, so breaks were missed.
Last night I tried to get Seth, from the "triplets", to hide a bottle of rocks in his sisters pack that she had actually filled up herself. It was not there this morning so I'm assuming he did it.
I made it to the Mollies Bridge shelter a little after 4:00pm and sat and rubbed my feet for a bit, they keep getting pretty sore. Made dinner and ate just before a thunderstorm rolled in. Crazy rain so I stayed in the shelter and waited it out before hanging my bear bag.
Forgot to write last night that the front part of my liner sock had a hole worn in it, and today the heel of my sock got a hole in it! But still not a single blister, I'm happy about that.
2 more days and a morning till Gatlinburg so I might replace them there, or maybe i'll just make them my sleeping socks and switch them out, we'll see.
The trail today was incredibly buggy. Swarms of flies flying around anytime I wasn't moving, so breaks were missed.
Last night I tried to get Seth, from the "triplets", to hide a bottle of rocks in his sisters pack that she had actually filled up herself. It was not there this morning so I'm assuming he did it.
I made it to the Mollies Bridge shelter a little after 4:00pm and sat and rubbed my feet for a bit, they keep getting pretty sore. Made dinner and ate just before a thunderstorm rolled in. Crazy rain so I stayed in the shelter and waited it out before hanging my bear bag.
Forgot to write last night that the front part of my liner sock had a hole worn in it, and today the heel of my sock got a hole in it! But still not a single blister, I'm happy about that.
2 more days and a morning till Gatlinburg so I might replace them there, or maybe i'll just make them my sleeping socks and switch them out, we'll see.
Friday, March 30, 2012
3-15-12
Fontana Shelter tonight under an awesome elecrical storm. We made it into Fontana village today. Nothing at all in the hicker box, so I had to buy food. Got a hot lunch at the pit stop gas station and a sprite, my first soda this whole trip. I may have made a miscalculation and bought fewer breakfasts than I need but with what was left over in my food bag I should be o.k. if I portion it out right.
But we did make sure to get the important stuff. BEER. 48oz a piece of Miller Light, being saved of course, for St. Patrics day in 2 days.
I found a morel mushroom on the trail today and picket it and added it to my dinner suprisingly good. I inspired Four Spoke to pick wild onions for his dinner. He's another Floridian, (?) but slower than I so we probably wont see each other much more.
The "triplets" are here too, and this is the most I've talked to them thus far, even though they are quiet and keep to themselves, I like them, they're an interesting bunch.
When I picked the mushroom earlier I left my knife laying there, whooops. Luckily when I got to the shelter today Gur Spoke gave me one he found along the way. Nothing fancy, but still just as good.
We found a spectacular rock to jump from about 15' high into Fontana lake, our first swim on the AT. COLD water but too much fun to resist. Got pictures and videos of that.
Definitely needed this short day. Felt good, even though we walked the 2 miles into Fontana village, we got a $13 shuttle out.
The past few night I've been sweating in my sleeping bag, so tonight I'm going to just throw it over my feet, and not be inside it at all. Last night I left it open but it didn't really do anything. It's relatively warm out despite the storms passing through. The trees are howling in the woods.
I also spent the last of my first $200 that I started off with today. I'm doing o.k. at stayinng on the cheap side but could be better. Still way, way, way under budget though (??) good.
But we did make sure to get the important stuff. BEER. 48oz a piece of Miller Light, being saved of course, for St. Patrics day in 2 days.
I found a morel mushroom on the trail today and picket it and added it to my dinner suprisingly good. I inspired Four Spoke to pick wild onions for his dinner. He's another Floridian, (?) but slower than I so we probably wont see each other much more.
The "triplets" are here too, and this is the most I've talked to them thus far, even though they are quiet and keep to themselves, I like them, they're an interesting bunch.
When I picked the mushroom earlier I left my knife laying there, whooops. Luckily when I got to the shelter today Gur Spoke gave me one he found along the way. Nothing fancy, but still just as good.
We found a spectacular rock to jump from about 15' high into Fontana lake, our first swim on the AT. COLD water but too much fun to resist. Got pictures and videos of that.
Definitely needed this short day. Felt good, even though we walked the 2 miles into Fontana village, we got a $13 shuttle out.
The past few night I've been sweating in my sleeping bag, so tonight I'm going to just throw it over my feet, and not be inside it at all. Last night I left it open but it didn't really do anything. It's relatively warm out despite the storms passing through. The trees are howling in the woods.
I also spent the last of my first $200 that I started off with today. I'm doing o.k. at stayinng on the cheap side but could be better. Still way, way, way under budget though (??) good.
3-14-12
Pi day! but no pie for me. Instead we did our second 15.2 mile day. It was a long day, we used most of the daylight. Finally pulled into the shelter around 6:30. There was a section called "Jacobs Ladder" and it was a climb straight up the side of the mountain with no switchbacks, it really slowed me down but I was still flying compared to Victor and Achiles. My feet hurt a lot after today, and my appetite is negligible. I forced one pot of food own for dinner but I'm really just too worn out to eat. Not tired neccessarily, just achey. We were expecting to find City and Andy at this shelter but at their pace I'm sure they pushed on the 6.6 miles more to Fontana Dam where I'll be headed tomorrow.I'm looking forward to a short day tomorrow. We just did some planing for the Smokey Mountains. Trying to decide what shelters to stay at and whatnot. But, the best laid plans of mice and man often go awry.
I'm currently laying in the Bable Gap shelter listening to an owl coo, hoping that it will scare the mice into submission tonight. They were all over the shelter last night. A second owl just started in on the conversation, tried to record it but it did'nt work so well. They got pretty close.
While we were sitting having lunch earlier rusty, the dog, from last night showed up so we waited around for his owner, Titanium, to show up. Its been a long day but still feels good to be out here.
I'm currently laying in the Bable Gap shelter listening to an owl coo, hoping that it will scare the mice into submission tonight. They were all over the shelter last night. A second owl just started in on the conversation, tried to record it but it did'nt work so well. They got pretty close.
While we were sitting having lunch earlier rusty, the dog, from last night showed up so we waited around for his owner, Titanium, to show up. Its been a long day but still feels good to be out here.
3-12-12
Two weeks! Today is my 2 week mark of being on the trail. I finally got my trail name today- "Tommy Lee Jones". Thanks to Skittles. I bent my hiking pole when I fell yesterday, and the outfitter at the NOC replaced it for me this morning, only problem is that it has a shock absorber in it so now one is shock absorbing and the other isn't. It's kind of anoying, but at least its straight. We had breakfast at "the rivers end" restaurant, and I finally mailed out the first installment of this journal.
We left the NOC knowing full well that the entire hike today was uphill, but I don't think that any of us were prepared for the steepness of what we encountered today. It was wild. 50-60 degree climbs with no switchbacks. Boulder trails with no solid footing, so the rocks I was walking on would suddenly shift and tilt. It was THRILLING! and the views at the NOC gorge were great from "the Jump-Up" - basically a rock cleared of trees high enough to allow a good view. Somehow we managed to forget to stop for lunch. So even though it was only 6 miles today, we were feeling pretty weak. Tried to cook some angel hair pasta, but that went to hell in a handbasket. I ended up with a solid brick of noodles, so I mixed in butter (from the restaurant this morning) and crushed up some cheese crackers to make it, well, barely palatable. Worst meal I've had thus far. I cooked Roman just so I could eat comething less awful. It's 9:10pm and I'm about to go to sleep here at the split-level Sassafras Gap shelter.
We left the NOC knowing full well that the entire hike today was uphill, but I don't think that any of us were prepared for the steepness of what we encountered today. It was wild. 50-60 degree climbs with no switchbacks. Boulder trails with no solid footing, so the rocks I was walking on would suddenly shift and tilt. It was THRILLING! and the views at the NOC gorge were great from "the Jump-Up" - basically a rock cleared of trees high enough to allow a good view. Somehow we managed to forget to stop for lunch. So even though it was only 6 miles today, we were feeling pretty weak. Tried to cook some angel hair pasta, but that went to hell in a handbasket. I ended up with a solid brick of noodles, so I mixed in butter (from the restaurant this morning) and crushed up some cheese crackers to make it, well, barely palatable. Worst meal I've had thus far. I cooked Roman just so I could eat comething less awful. It's 9:10pm and I'm about to go to sleep here at the split-level Sassafras Gap shelter.
Monday, March 26, 2012
3-12-12
Today was unexpected. Woke up with the sun and Flip pulls up to the shelter for a late breakfast. After we ate while packing up, Victor and I realized he left his only insulated jacket at the shelter, so we spent the first part of the day trying to catch him while I was carrying it up the trail for him, seems to be a patern here. Got to the top of our first climb 5 miles up trail and went up another observation tower, kind of foggy but still cool. Saw "the triplets" not really triplets but siblings from Utah, Seth, Jenny and Matt. Kept going after "lunch" found Flip near the shelter, gave him his jacket back and he said he would buy me a beer. Decided to push the extra mile and go to the Nantahala Outdoor Center, where I currently am. They (Victor, Flip and Ryan) got a hotel room. So on top of the free beer I got a free bed. We went and showered and got dinner. An entree as an apppetizer, a cheeseburger and tater tots for dinner and chocolate cake for dessert. $33.00 well spent. hiker box in the outfitter store yielded breakfast for this stretch, homemade granola bag, spaghetti and trail mix. good stuff. Did laundry, going to buy a few things tomorrow then a short 6 mile hike straight up. Should be fun. I fell down for the first and second times today. The first time my back hit a rock and that hurt, but the second time was worse because as I was walking the trail crumbled under me and I ended up bending a hiking pole, going to try to get that fixed/replaced tomorrow.
3-11-12
11.6 miles today. Spending the night at Cold Spring shelter. small ? group ?, some are asleep, its 7:50pm. About an hour after we started walking, two men were doing trail magic, cooking hot dogs and chilli, with beer or soda. It was great! Chatted with them for a bit, met Andy from Switzerland, he's FAST. The time change messed w/us, Victor has never heard of such a thing. GREAT weather today. I seem to have gotten a little sun, my face feels hot. Experienced a stone loukout tower today too and had lunch at the top. I need to sharpen my pencil, I keep putting it off. Daylight is fading and I'm not getting out my light so.....bedtime
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