Grassy Gap Campsite - Hot Springs, NC (Days 22-38)

**Sorry for the exceptionally long post.  We're learning to work with technology in the back country!

 

Day 22; Grassy Gap Campsite to Sassafras Gap Shelter

We wound up with a great campsite last night with Sweet Tea, Morning Glory, Frozen, and Rock found his way in just before bed time. We really like Sweet Tea and Morning Glory.

We woke knowing that today held rain, and we weren't looking forward to it. It started raining shortly after we started walking, and continued for the rest of our walk. The mountain... didn't end. We'd get to the top, the lightening would flash and thinner would rumble, and we'd turn the bend only to find that the damned mountain just kept climbing. I was a little afraid being on one of the tallest peaks around for an entire storm. We finally came to the shelter with the storm still in full force and officially decided we're finished for the day. We only walked four miles, but we were wet and cold and looked forward to stopping.

So we're sheltered at a big shelter (holds 14), with 12 other people, plus tenters, and a trail dog. There are wet clothes hanging from the rafters, literally. And there are more cigarette smoking hikers than I imagined existed. But we're warming up...just in time to do it again tomorrow.

Day 23; Sassafras Gap Shelter to Brown Fork Shelter

We have created a scoring system of our days out here. The day can be bad, OK, or great. An OK day is one that is uneventful. Maybe it went as planned, maybe it didn't. A great day is one that usually brought with it beautiful weather, good people, and all around good hiking. A bad day needs no explanation, only to say how bad and why. Today was an OK day. We expected rain and cold, and instead began hiking in snow. The snow lasted pretty much all day, turning into a "wintery mix" on and off. Let us say that we certainly prefer snow over rain (Sharon, you're so right), though today's was very cold! We had hoped for shelter space as it's dry and, in bad weather, can be warmer than your tent as the walls block some of the wind. A few hikers we know stayed hunkered down today and called it a zero in in the shelter at which we've just arrived on account of the weather, so we're currently in our tent, grateful that were dry and I (Sari/Fresh) have finally warmed up a bit. It takes me about 2 hours to feel comfortable after changing out of wet clothes on a day like today. Thanks, dad, for instilling the value of dry camp stuff in me from a very early age. Anyhow, like I said, not terribly eventful. A good bit of up hill climbs today. Some of them just stupid in angle/grade. We were glad to find camp when we did and get the tent up. Tonight was a cook in the vestibule kind of night as it's frigid outside. A big group we sheltered with last night went into town as have many others. They may be quite wise. Tomorrow is supposed to be sunny and dry, so here's hoping one more night of cold will pay off in the morning.

Day 24; Brown Fork Gap Shelter to Cable Gap Shelter

Wow, what a beautiful day! Still pretty darn cold and windy, but with sun and easier hiking. We finally got a view today after days in fog, rain, and snow, and remembered the answer to the often asked, "why do you do this?"

It was so gorgeous, we considered making it a 12 mile day to get us to Fontana Hilton Shelter, but cut it in half in preparation for The Smokies coming up in two days. When hiking in the Smokies, you're only allowed to camp in designated camp sites which invariably are either 4 miles apart or 12 miles apart. In most of the other areas of the trail, you can camp in many places with few restrictions. The Smokies are supposed to be beautiful, though, and the forecast looks perfect! So Fontana tomorrow and into town to pick up our mail drop and eat lunch, and then a relaxing evening before launching into The Great Smoky Mountains. This will include a shower at the Fontana "Hilton," a shelter with bear cables, electronics chargers, and a shower. 

We're camped tonight with Honey Bee and T-Squared, among with new faces Sunshine and Pogo. It's s great group and looks like we'll spend some time together over the next week. 

Day 25; Cable Gap Shelter to Fontana Hilton

What a nice day of largely downhill. There were a few boulder fields, but overall it was smooth going.  We arrived at the parking lot to pick up the shuttle into Fontana Village at about 11:30 am, and took the short ride to the resort there where we'd sent a package of resupply (food). We had lunch at the grill there which was pretty good, and found all of the staff to be friendly and helpful. It was an absolutely beautiful day and we were in no hurry, so we dumped our resupply out on the grass and started dividing it all out. We also hit the general store on the property for a few miscellaneous items. We'd read that the store is sparse and overpriced.  We found it to be pretty well stocked with all the typical hiker essentials. It was a bit pricier than the grocery might be, but you save yourself the cost and hassle of mailing a box, so we really feel that the extra cost evens out.

Then... We printed our Smokies permits! We're officially slated for back country data in the Great Smoky Mountains! By the time we arrived at The Fontana Hilton, it was time to throw up the tent and take FREE showers (with warm water, flushing toilets, and sinks)! We enjoyed the rest of the evening with Pogo, Sweet T, Raid, and some new faces.

Day 26; Fontana Hilton to __ Campsite

The Smokies! But oh my gosh the up hill into the renowned park! We stopped short of our original plan as Erik was ready to call it a day. We were a little bummed to not catch up with Taylor and Curt (they're back out today and on par with us), but we have to listen to our bodies. At one point on our relentless up hill, we came to a junction that has a view point and an observation tower. Erik calls the tower "sketchy," as it is 4+ stories tall with open stairs, and it moves with the wind. I made it to the first observation deck and sat down to scoot back down the precarious steps; Erik only made it to the second platform. It was a little much. We came to our campsite about a mile later and made the decision to stay instead of pushing on another 5 miles today. We've net some nice people including the section's Ridge Runner, Nick ("Master Splinter"), and excited chatting for a while. It's now past hiker midnight and time for sleep.

Day 27; __ Campsite to Spence Field Shelter

Today was a great day! The weather was gorgeous, and our walk moderate. As we began our walk, Erik and I agreed that the forest is alive. We heard birds and owls, woodpeckers in the distance on a "very hollow tree" (according to Erik), and we saw these beautiful would be meadows were it not for the forest. Tiny little flowers covered the floor in every direction and it was so picturesque. It looked like a painting, or something out of a story book.

We spent most of the day hiking with Sweet T which was a nice change. Erik Hikers so much faster than I do, and Sweet T and I have very similar paces. So we walked and talked all day, catching Erik for a little while before he'd wander off ahead again. The shelter is full, but not over full with a good group tonight, including a few people we don't know. We still haven't caught Taylor and Colonel (Curt), and I imagine they're now a full day ahead of us. We hope to see them in Hot Springs in a few days.

Another 11+ mile day tomorrow. The Smokies have lived up to the hype so far, so we'll see what the rest of the week holds.

Day 28; Spence Field Shelter to Siler Shelter

The day started beautifully with one of the best views yet atop ____! We were afforded 360 degrees of spectacular! We moved on to see flowers all day with some moderate ups and downs. I took a few photos, but none if them really do the scenes justice. While stopped for lunch with Sweet T, another hiker stopped to say hello. He's from very near where Sweet Tea lives, so they chatted for a minute, and it if nowhere, a young buck with brand new antler buds walked out of the woods and across the trail. He was not 20 feet from us, and was absolutely beautiful! A while later, we ran into Erik (who hikes very quickly) making turkey calls at a wild turkey. He even got the tom to call back once. Pretty darn neat if you ask us! I'm currently listening to an owl coo as I write.

We walked the same distance today as we did yesterday, but it took us nearly 2 hours longer to walk it today, and this caused a bit of stress. The Smokies have been challenging and beautiful. Tomorrow we'll climb Clingman's Dome which is the highs point in the AT. We expect a hard day, but we've also planned to make it a short day, so hopefully we'll get to enjoy some time with a view from up top.

Day 29; Siler Shelter to Mt. Collins Shelter

Let us tell you about today... We started the day as any other and the scenery was the same. Until it wasn't. Because we walked from a southern Georgia/North Carolina first, into a Spruce forest similar to something you might see in the Pacific North West. The transformation took place almost immediately and was so incredible! It smells like a Christmas Tree. The sun shines through the trees to the forest floor covered in pine needles and more types of moss than I think either of us has ever seen. It looks like something straight out of a book! Today's walk was definitely Sari's favorite so far! Other milestones today: We hit our 200 mile mark, Visited Clingman's Dome (the highest point on the AT), and we're half way through the Smokies. The view from Clingman's went on forever on the clear day. We've also become a bit of a spectacle out here. Erik was talking with a couple about the trail and what were doing, and they were flabbergasted. At the end of the discussion, she asked if she could take our photo. The only other this has happened to me was in India. Erik and Sweet Tea (who we've officially adopted as our "tramily") have never experienced this before. Our photo was taken by another woman as well before we left Clingman's. 

Tomorrow will be another short day, only about 7.5 miles. We're all looking forward to it as we're tired and hurting a little after today's rocks and downs. A big Happy Birthday to my mom who I didn't get to talk to today. I'm sorry for the lack of service in the back country. I love you and I hope you're day was fantastic!

Day 30; Mt. Collins Shelter to Ice Water Spring Shelter

We found Taylor ("U-Turn") and Colonel!!! Now our tramily is complete! Today was a pretty great day. We walked a pretty easy 7.5 miles, and found trail magic only about 1.5 miles in. Some sweet ladies who enjoy hiking bring it out for us. They had sweets and peanut butter, crackers, fruit, juice, and soda! We ran into some friends while resting and snacking, and then took off for what we were told was an easy .5 miles up before 1.5 down into Newfound Gap. 

During those two miles we came across a Beech Forest, which happened to be smack in the middle of the Spruce Forest I've loved so much. The space is protected from wild hogs with stile-like barriers. Apparently they destroy the area.

The ladies were right, though, and a little while later we arrived at a large parking lot with LOTS of people. And trail magic! Cookies, fruit, more soda, and jelly beans to go. All this trail magic served two purposes: 1. We are concerned with our peanut butter supply to get us to Davenport which we didn't open today, and 2. It was very tasty and made the day!

While enjoying our snacks at The Gap, we were something of a spectacle. At Clingman's, many people asked questions and we're interested in the hike. Today, people just gawked. One man even tried to slyly take a photo of a bunch of us hanging out taking a break. I know we look like hiker trash, but I didn't know we were photo worthy.

After a while we made our way up the hill to the shelter where Taylor/U-Turn and Colonel had already arrived! We're so glad to be back with them! We caught up some and will do more tomorrow. It'll be a bigger day at about 12 miles, but the terrain looks manageable. We're going to get an early start with the sunrise in the morning.

Day 31; Ice Water Spring Shelter to Tri Corner Shelter

Oh, what a day! We started the day with an early wake up to see the sun rise. It was so beautiful and I'm glad we woke to see it. Very shortly after our start this morning we came upon"Charlie's Bunion" which is a large outcropping of rocks overlooking forever. We were told the view is spectacular, and it most certainly didn't disappoint! We had our biggest mileage day yet (12 miles), and Sweet Tea and I (Sari) had a GREAT hiking day! We pushed on without breaking most of the day, and there were a number of ups! We finished the 12 in about 7.5 hours which is a pretty big deal for us! We're very proud of our accomplishment and are loving looking at where we started and how far we've come. We're also very excited to see how we'll continue to improve. The walk afforded some truly spectacular views today, and we all marveled at how amazing it is that were out here to see it all. Our bodies ache and we're very ready for a break in Hot Springs, but we're really enjoying ourselves! A short day tomorrow at under 8 miles, so we're looking forward to getting it done early and having the afternoon to relax. Only 2 more days in the Smokies. We can't believe how fast this week has gone, but The Smokies are a big accomplishment for us and we're excited to have them under our belts. We hear that about half of the drop outs will have occurred by now, as these days are hard. By Hot Springs (about 6 days away), we'll lose the majority of those who'll throw in the towel in these beginning weeks. Here's to hoping we can manage to accomplish this goal without injury or illness!

Day 32; Tri Corner Shelter to Cosby Knob Shelter

A short day was so very needed! We arrived at camp early and have really just been hanging out. And then...40 people showed up at camp. Thankfully they're mostly thru Hikers, though two were sectioners and knocked the last two arrivals it of the shelter. Unfortunately, there are very few good tent sites here. It's been fun to meet new people and see some we lost when they went into Gatlinburg resupply. 

I was supposed to write something about Little Foot and U-Turn, but I can't remember what it was now. It was very funny a few minutes ago. 

Fortunately, there's not a lot to write today. I'd love to have great stories every day, but sometimes no news is good news. We're out of The Smokies tomorrow, and have a reservation for a room in Hot Springs for the 20th. We're super excited!!

Day 33; Cosby Knob Shelter to State  Line Branch

We finished The Smokies! This is a big accomplishment for thru hikers! We understand that half of all attempts will we've in failure in Hot Springs, which we'll reach in 4 days. We're so excited to enjoy a day off the trail there. 

Today was a good day. We hiked about 10 miles and find our campsite beside a stream. As we came down out of the elevation of The Smokies, we walked into Spring green and amazing flowers and ferns, many of which I've never seen before. 

We made a stop early in the day which was 0.6 miles off the trail to a lookout tower with a fantastic view around the valley. 

Tonight has been a quiet one with our little tramily. We received some sausage and Parmesan cheese today from a section hiker, and U-Turn and Colonel sliced and heated then as an appetizer. It was so amazing! We're really hurting for something different than our normal meals. Tomorrow we'll pick up a short resupply early before heading on. It looks like rain is possible, but we're hoping for sunshine. Three days until a nearo into Hot Springs!

Day 34, Monday 4/17; State Line Branch to Groundhog Creek Shelter (Deep Gap, mile 247, camping just before shelter)

Today was largely uneventful. We walked about a mile this morning before hitting or resupply at Standing Bear Farm. The farm is a hiker hostel and is very interesting visit. They have a bunk room which is a bunch of bunks in a cabin-like building. A hiker kitchen with a small fridge, sink, and a gas camp stove, and of course a pizza oven to cook the frozen pizzas their patrons buy. Attached to the table in the kitchen are a bunch of power strips for charging of electronics (these guys know what Hikers are looking for!). They also have a small store for resupply with most of the hiker essentials including junk and soda. The store works on the honor system and you write what you buy, how much it costs, and the total cost on an envelope, which you then take to a staffer to check you out. The costs are a little higher than a grocery, but similarly to Fontana's General Store, sending a package would cost the same difference so it evens out. It was a quaint visit to a little mini village farm. 

While I was adding the total on our resupply, a duck wandered by. Her name is Chi-Chi and she follows her person around. It's pretty darn cute! She waddles after him quacking her little heart out as if to tell him, "Wait, you're going to fast! Come back!" There are two little Boston Terriers on site. One is very young, the other older, and I don't know their names. The younger one has been trained to drop a stick at hikers' feet--over and over and over. We briefly saw chickens, another dog (a hound, which apparently chases/assaults the duck), and a cat, which we didn't see. 

Other than this stop, there isn't much to speak of. My feet are terribly achy today, and I've got a blister on each heel. Erik feels pretty well over all, but he's as ready as I am for a day off. Tomorrow we're shooting for 13 miles which is our biggest day yet. We really need to hit it to make our Thursday reservation. And I'm super excited to post all this on Thursday for you all to catch up!

Day 35, Tues 4/18; Groundhog Creek Shelter (Deep Gap, mile 247, camping just before shelter) to Walnut Mountain Shelter

A mix of emotions tonight. Today was our biggest day yet at about 13 miles. The terrain was pretty easy and we finished the day in about 8 hours. We had some rain last night, just a little, and woke to fog and clouds and hopes of it clearing for lunch on Max Patch. Since we started learning about The AT, we've dreamed Of Max Patch's sun and bald top with grass all around. We were very unlucky today and the sky opened up as we started for the summit. I was pretty bummed, not gonna lie. We hurried off the bald on search of shelter from the wind and rain, and pushed on to the next shelter for our lunch break. The last 4.8 miles for the day were mostly easy going and flat, though we climbed the last mile in good time. Our campsite tonight is OK, even though we set up in the rain and wind. We're dry now and in our tent, hopeful that tomorrow's weather is better. Moods tend to flare with stressors like bad weather, and I fell down the muddy hill to the water source tonight. Tears ensued, along with a fierce desire to just go home where it's warm and dry, and life is predictable. Erik have me a big hug and reminded me that we don't quit on bad days, and we went back to camp to make dinner and hunker down. Now to make my feet feel better before sleep. Two more wake -ups and we'll be in Hot Springs for a day off our feet and lots of rest. Looking so forward to that soon! 

Day 36, Wed 4/19; Walnut Mountain Shelter to Deer Park Mountain Shelter

The rain continued on and off last night and we woke to cold and windy conditions. Erik let me sleep a little longer than usual and it made for a nice morning. The hiking today was pretty great with mostly good grading and relatively flat terrain. We stopped for an early lunch and were graced by a couple of guys day hiking. They were celebrating one of their birthdays, and were giving trail magic including beer and candy bars. Yum and happy birthday to him!!!  We've been pacing well and continued today with 10 miles in about 5 hours. We'd talked about walking the last 3 miles into town tonight in order to get two full zero days, and we were going to go for it until we started feeling drops again. We opted to stay put and get the tent up rather than walking in the rain to tent one more night in town before our reservation tomorrow. We are currently in our tent, on our sleep mats hoping the lake outside, stays outside. But we're mostly dry, and we really enjoyed dinner and conversation with our tramily, Little Foot, and a couple of new friends who all seem super great! Giggles is British and so sweet. She was zipping her tent and feel backwards onto her rump. Most everyone laughed, but I felt her pain. I think my pants are permanently stained. Many Miles and Blaze Berry also joined us.

Tomorrow...HOT SPRINGS! We've informed Sweet Tea (who, if it's possible, is even less a morning person than I) that we're getting up early and if he wants to eat a hiker skillet at the diner with the tramily in the morning, he better get up and get going! He gave me permission to wake him so he won't miss this. We have absolutely no idea what's in the hiker skillet.

 

Day 37 & 38, Thurs/Fri 4/20 & 4/21; HOT SPRINGS!

We arrived in Hot Springs yesterday and have very much enjoyed our time here!  We considered pushing out the last three miles into town on Wednesday afternoon as we'd made great time to camp and had plenty of daylight left.  But the rain started moving in and we decided to get the tent up instead.  Turns out it worked perfectly!!  We were up early on Thursday and made great time into town, arriving before 9 AM, and in perfect time to hit the Smoky Mountain Diner up for breakfast.  You really have no idea how amazing "town food" is until you haven't been in town for over 2 weeks!  We are staying at a little hostel called the Hostel at Laughing Heart Lodge, and it is just perfect!  We have a private room (with a BED!), and a shared bathroom (with a SHOWER!).  At the time of arrival, it had been 20 days since our last laundry day, and 14 since the last shower.  We STUNK!!  Any of you who come out and visit, know before you arrive that we will smell very terrible!  Consider yourselves warned.

 

Anyhow, the hostel owner made dinner last night.  Never has a taco tasted so good! There's a "Hiker Fest" going on this weekend here, and we are excited to join an all you can eat spaghetti dinner tonight with many trail friends.

 

Bluff Mountain Outfitter has been very kind to us here and carries a full resupply including many foods and necessary gear!  This includes our new water filter (more on that in another post).  The people are fantastic and eager to help!

We visited the hot spring last night with U-Turn, and enjoyed some time relaxing in the mineral-rich warm spring water!  Roy Family, thank you for the splurge!!  What an amazing surprise to receive your card and gift!  The springs are located at the local Resort and Spa, and the people there were kind and friendly.

We're currently typing at the local library, which invites hikers to use their facility for only a donation to the library itself.  Which is no problem here as I'm a total book worm and love supporting a local library grow!

We'll sign off for now and continue doing as we've been.  Hopefully the next post wont cover so many days and you'll be more easily caught up.  Until then...Thank you for your love and support!  Your patience means the world as we navigate this new life and figure out how to get around tech and connectivity barriers.  Love and Hugs to you all!!  XOXO

Left to Right:  Little Foot, Colonel, Bean (Erik), Fresh (Sari), U-Turn

SPRING!

Mt. Cammerer

Smoky Mountains Back Country Shelter

Smoky Mountains Back Country Shelter

Smoky Mountains Back Country Shelter

Charlie's Bunion

Charlie's Bunion

Charlie's Bunion; Bean and Sweet Tea

Sunrise in the Smokies!

Clingman's Dome (the highest point on the AT!)

Clingman's Dome (the highest point on the AT!)

Fontana Dam before entering the Smokies-there were about two miles of road walking this day

Fontana Village Resupply

Our first view in days was GORGEOUS!!

Rain before snow!  There were at least 18 of us in a 14 person shelter.  Everything was SOAKED!

Baby it's cold outside!  We walked through snow and sleet, and when we arrived at camp, spent the rest of the night in the tent in sleeping bags trying to warm up!!

First campsite out of The NOC was so neat!