Spring 2017 AT hike, day #11

Tuesday, May 23, 2017
Start: Standing Indian Shelter
End: Dicks Gap/Top of Georgia hostel
Miles: 16.7

I woke up this morning around 5:45am due to the rude section hiker who got up, using his cell phone flashlight to take his pack down and start cooking. He made no effort to avoid shining the light in everyone's eyes. I got up earlier than I wanted and was on trail by 7am.

From the shelter (4742'), I descended to Deep Gap (4341') and then climbed to ~4800'. I descended to Wateroak Gap (4490'), stopped in for a quick stop at Muskrat Creek Shelter (4562'), descended to Sassafras Gap (4300'), and climbed to Couthouse Bald (4708'). From the bald, I passed by the NC-GA state line, and then descended to Blue Ridge Gap (3090'), climbed to As Knob (3144'), passed by Plumorchard Gap Shelter (3144'), climbed up to Buzzard Knob (3679'), and then descended to Cowart Gap (2900'). From there, I climbed to ~3300' and then descended to Dicks Creek Gap (2675'). I arrived at the gap by 1:45pm.

When I arrived at the gap, a shuttle for the Top of Georgia hostel was in the parking area. They took me to the hostel and greeted me with the choice of free beverage. The folks who run the hostel are nice people, which is saying something given that they've dealt with 10,000 hikers over the past 3 years. The young puppies here don't appreciate what they have in this hostel. They chafe under the basic hostel rules and complain about it constantly.

The pouring rain all day today provided ample encouragement to keep moving. It's supposed to rain all day tomorrow too, but at least it'll be a slack packing day. With all I can eat cereal in the morning too!

Spring 2017 AT hike, day #10

Monday, May 22, 2017
Start: Rock Gap
End: Standing Indian Shelter
Miles: 19.8

This morning, I was up at 6:45am, since I'd arranged for a 7:30am shuttle. The hostel owner, Zen/Collin, wasn't ready until around 7:45-8am. He needed coffee so we stopped at a local coffee shop and I got some medium roast coffee with soy milk to start my day. Me and Collin had some great conversations on the way to the trail, talking about politics and different shitty/scary hostels along the trail. We were at Rock Gap (3732') by 8:30am and I hit the trail.

I climbed past Rock Gap Shelter (3772') and Long Branch Shelter (4479') on my way up to Albert Mountain (5250') and the fire tower there. This was my 2,000 mile marker - I've officially hiked 2000 miles of the AT!

From Albert Mountain, I headed down to Betty Creek Gap (4300'), back up to 4921', and stopped at Carter Gal Shelter (4528') for water. I met a NOBO thru hiker from Washington state, and we had good conversations about the current political climate and what it's been like to hike in a much more conservative area than where we live. She was super nice and I gave her some heads up about various hostels where I didn't feel safe. It was a pleasant surprise to have such a nice chat while filtering water.

From the shelter, I descended to Coleman Gap (4221') and then climbed to the top of Standing Indian Mountain (5435'). I arrived at the Standing Indian Shelter (4742') at 4:30pm.

I must have my trail legs because I averaged 2.5 MPH over the course of the day. I was encouraged to hoof it hard for the last 3 or 4 miles due to the number of people I was passing, including a large group of high school seniors. I wanted a spot in the shelter. I got the last space in the shelter that comfortable fits 6; in a dire situation, we could fit maybe 8 horizontal bodies. We've seen one bold mouse running around the shelter area; it sucks at climbing walls - we've watched it try to poorly climb walls and fall. The mouse even barn-door'd (climbing term). The large group of high school seniors ended up tenting here at the shelter and are loudly talking while eating food. I'm bad - I didn't hang a bear bag tonight: it's going to rain, they're waterproof airtight bags, and the kids are making a mess of their food... if there are any bears, they will go for the kids. Or the trash pile by the privy. This privy is hands down the nastiest privy I've seen so far; even the stinky one in the backwoods of Maine.

I was able to get a few bars of Verizon service and called ahead to the Top of Georgia hostel to reserve a bunk for tomorrow and Wednesday nights. I've heard nothing but good things about this hostel and I'm looking forward to it. It'll be a light day miles-wise tomorrow, which is good because it might be raining. I could hear thunder off and on all day, though it rained only a tiny bit today.

Overall, it was a good day. My IT band was well controlled by the strap for most of the day, though towards the end of the day it started hurting a decent bit. I'm currently addressing it by taking NSAIDs, using the brace, and using the rx pain cream twice a day. It only has to make it to Sunday!

Spring 2017 AT hike, day #9

Sunday, May 21, 2017
Start: Tellico Gap
End: Rock Gap
Miles: 23.1

I was up this morning at 6:10am and ready to leave by 7am. Unfortunately, due to some confusion around shuttling this morning, I didn't get to Tellico Gap until around 8:45am. It started raining last night and then poured rain until around 2pm today. Despite the rain, I managed to make some quick miles.

I started at Tellico Gap (3850') and climbed to Rocky Bald (5030') and Copper Ridge Bald (5080'). I then descended to Burningtown Gap (4236'), hiked up to Wayah Bald (5342'), down to Wayah Gap (4180'), up to Siler Bald (5001'), and then down to Winding Stair Gap (3690'). Since I got there at 3:30-ish, I decided to push onward to the next gap. I climbed up to ~4400 and then descended to Rock Gap (3732').

I got to the gap by 4:45pm. Unfortunately, there was intermittent horrible cell service. I did manage to get out a text to the hostel owner around 5:15pm, asking if he was available for a shuttle. I tried to hitch for 1.25 hours before someone stopped for me. Just as we started to pull away, the hostel owner showed up so I jumped out. His dogs were with him and he has taken them out for a walk. Perhaps I should have taken the hitch... in any case, I do have a ride back to town.

Spring 2017 AT hike, day #8

Saturday, May 20, 2017
Start: Sassafras Gap Shelter
End: Tellico Gap
Miles: 14.8

It rained a bit during the night so I packed up a wet tent in the morning. I didn't sleep very well and woke up in a grumpy mood. At least the bugs weren't as evil in the morning. I was up at 6am and on trail by 7am. It quickly got hot and humid.

From the shelter (4391'), I climbed to Swim Bald (4710') and then descended to US 19/74 and Nantahala Outdoor Center (1732'). I ended up going to the outfitter and the general store there and hanging out for a while (fine, it was over an hour!). Turns out, they have a special IT band strap, which is magic. It cut my pain by at least 60%. It allowed me to walk normally again. I had the full use of both my legs again; my body and soul rejoiced. They also loved the three cold drinks, egg sandwich, and assorted other snacks we ate.

From the NOC, I bounded up the never ending mountain. I went past the Jumpoff (3940') and then summited Wesser Bald (4627'), climbing to the top of the observational tower. I hung out there for maybe half an hour, calling hostels to figure out a way to get me more contact lense eye drops, as I'd run out this morning. After figuring it out, I descended to Tellico Gap (3850'), arriving by 3:45, where my shuttle picked me up and took me to Franklin.

I deeply enjoyed showering, getting groceries, eating in town, and running my laundry. Tomorrow, I have a 7am shuttle back to Tellico Gap, where I'll hike back towards Franklin. If I must hike in the rain, slack packing is the way to do it.

Spring 2017 AT hike, day #7

Friday, May 19, 2017
Start: Fontana Dam shelter
End: Sassafras Gap Shelter
Miles: 21.9

Today I woke up around 6:10am and headed out by 6:55am.

I climbed from the shelter (1853') up to ~3800' and then descended down to Cable Gap Shelter (2878'). I climbed up to Brushnell knob (3928'), past Brown Fork Gap Shelter (3813'), up to ~4000, and then down to Stecoah Gap (3165') (my original destination). I then climbed up to Cheoah Bald (5062'), and then down to Sassafras Gap Shelter (4391').

My IT band started giving me a lot of trouble today. I spent most of the day keeping my right leg as straight as possible, with lots of immediate feedback about my technique. It was also hot and humid, making it very hard to keep up with water needs of the body.

I arrived at Sassafras Gap Shelter around 6:45pm. I was going to stay in the shelter but there are four men there already and the bugs are awful. I set up my tent and didn't open the door until bugs had settled down a bit. I ate dinner and got myself settled by around 8:45pm. Tomorrow will be a lighter day in terms of miles, which I appreciate.

Spring 2017 AT hike, day #5

Wednesday, May 17, 2017
Start: Newfound Gap/Gatlinburg
End: Derrick Knob shelter
Miles: 17.8

After a nice evening in town, I got to bed around 10pm. I was up this morning at 6am and my shuttle picked me up at 7am. I was on trail by 7:30am.

From Newfound Gap (5045'), I climbed past Mt Collins (6187'), descended to Collins Gap (5750'), and then up to Clingmans Dome and observation tower (6667') which is the highest point on the AT. I passed by Mt Buckley (6590'), down past Double Spring gap shelter (5510'), and over Silers Bald (5607'). From there, I went down to Buckeye Gap (4817'), up to Cold Spring Knob (5203'), and then descended to the shelter (4882').

I arrived at 4pm and settled in; there were already two people there, one of them a ridge runner (Morgan from Nashville). A group of 4 section hikers came in around 5pm and 4 thru hikers (B squared, Magic Mike, Bushman) arrived around 6:45pm. Looks like the shelter will be fairly full tonight. Here's to hoping things will be quiet-ish tonight; I bought some earplugs in town. Tomorrow I have a long day planned to get down to Fontana Dam Shelter.

Spring 2017 AT hike, day #4

Tuesday, May 16, 2017
Start: Tri-Corner Shelter
End: Newfound Gap/Gatlinburg, TH
Miles: 15.1 (+~3 miles in town)

Surprisingly, I got a mostly decent night's sleep. People settled down by ~8:45pm. I was up by 6:10am, and on trail by 7am.

I climbed up Mt Chapman (6216'), dipped down to ~5800', skirted the summit of Mt Sequoyah (5945'), and descended to Copper Gap (5514'). I then climbed to Eagle Rocks (5834'), went by Bradleys View (5476'), descended to Porters Gap (5364'), passed by Charlies Bunion (5522'), and stopped for a quick break at Icewater Spring Shelter (5935'). I climbed to Mt Kephart (6036'), and then descended to Newfound Gap/US 441 (5045').

I arrived at ~2pm. It took me another 45 minutes to catch a hitch down to Gatlinburg, despite the constant stream of tourists. Finally, a lovely family (grandparents and grandson and his girlfriend) in a pickup truck came by specifically to be kind and take me to town.

Once I got to town, I had to do some searching to locate a place to do laundry, as no motels here it. I managed to find a long term motel/room rental place right near the motel I'm staying at that will let me use their laundry. I did my resupply shopping close to the motel, rather than try to get to the actual grocery store outside of town. I paid more, by a long shot, but it was less stressful. I located a number of shuttle/taxi services, though few offered what I need, and arranged for a shuttle back to the trail tomorrow morning. I'm currently enjoying the ministrations of Mellow Mushroom's vegan Thai Dye... sooo good it will be breakfast too!

Spring 2017 AT hike, day #3

Monday, May 15, 2017
Start: Stateline Branch 
End: Tri-Corner Knob Shelter
Miles: 16.8

I had a great night sleep in my tent, waking up at 6:30am feeling good. I packed up and headed out by 7:30am.

I climbed slow and steady from Stateline Branch (1698') up to the GSMNP boundary (1975') and then past Davenport Gap Shelter (2591'). From there, I kept climbing, up to Mt Cammerer (4950'), and then descended to Low Gap (4242'), climbed past Cosby Knob shelter (4766'), up to maybe 5200', and down to Camel Gap (4674'). I climbed past Yellow Creek Gap (5902') and Deer Creek Gap (6054'), up to Guyot Spring (6302'), and then headed down to Tri-Corner Knob shelter. I got there by 4:45pm.

At the very start of my hike this morning, I had a massive nosebleed. I got it under control but my handkerchief took a hit. I rinsed it out mid morning and hung it on the back of my pack and it was dry by lunchtime.

So tonight has been less than optimal. The shelter is full up with thru hikers. So many of them are loud, obnoxious, and won't stop talking. It's 8:30pm and people are still arriving. There were very few camp sites and they were taken early, with the assumption the shelter would fill up (which it did). I doubt I'll sleep well tonight. *sigh* It might be satisfying to wake people up tomorrow morning... but we'll see. I have a light day tomorrow that will get me into Gatlinburg, where they have a Mellow Mushroom!!

Spring 2017 AT hike, day #2

Sunday, May 14, 2017
Start: Roaring Fork Shelter
End: Stateline branch
Miles: 16.8

I was up this morning at 6:15am after a less than restful sleep. The rodents in the shelter were quite active for most of the night, chewing on anything and everything. I spent much of the night tossing and turning, hoping they weren't eating my bag (even though all my food/ smellables were hanging from the bear cables anyway). Also turns out Parkour giggles in his sleep. It was a bit chilly this morning so I got a slower start than usual. I got my stuff together and headed out by 7:30am.

I climbed from the shelter (4019') up to Max Patch (4629') for 360 degree views (there was also call service!). From there I descended to Brown Gap (3500'), up to 3853', then down to Deep Gap (2911'). I then climbed up to Snowbird Mountain (4263'), where there was some lovely trail magic with cold drinks, cake, sandwiches, banana pudding, resupply snacks, and some personal item resupply. And chairs! I hung out there for probably half an hour, enjoying the food and chatting with people. I met Popsicle, who is a section hiker and a Smithie who graduated in 1996; she's currently traveling all around the world adventuring on her savings.

From there, I descended all the way to Green Corner Rd (1788'), which Sitting Bear hostel is located 0.2mi off the trail. I hiked to the hostel around 3:45, recharged my devices, had some snacks, bought a camp dinner, reapplied my KT tape, and headed back out by 5pm. While Standing Bear isn't quite 4 Pines in VA, it's perhaps best compared to Uncle Johnny's in TN. It's dirty, full of bugs, and everyone is drinking beer and smoking everywhere (both cigarettes and pot). It was full of people looking to get shuttles to Trail Days in Damascus.

I pushed on, descending under I-40 and going over Pigeon River Bridge (1373'), and then climbed up to Stateline Branch (1698'), setting up camp by the creek at the last campsite between here and the start of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in 1.1 miles. Despite there being space here for at least 6 tents, no one else is here as of yet. The creak is lovely white noise (which is good because I can vaguely hear the highway) and considering where it is, the bugs are light. I did an extra 1.6 miles today, which is that many less I have to do tomorrow. Tomorrow is going to be perpetual climbing, going from 1698' up to 4950' within ~6 miles.

Spring 2017 AT hike, day #1

Saturday May 13, 2017
Start: Hot Springs, NC
End: Roaring Brook Shelter
Miles: 17.9

Last night, my connecting flight to Asheville was delayed by more than an hour with mechanical trouble. I didn't arrive at the hostel until 10pm. I walked into to a completely quiet house, with a note on the door saying "full." I noted my name was on their calendar though no location or room number was noted. I quietly poked around, going upstairs. I found an open door with a bed made with no one staying in it. I decided it was probably mine so I got settled and went to sleep. I got up this morning around 6:15am, did my morning routine, and was downstairs by 6:45am. No one else was up. I found my package on the front porch and integrated it into my pack. I left money and a note on the desk and headed to the diner. I grabbed a veggie breakfast wrap with some sweet tea, hitting the trail by 7:30am.

Leaving from Hot Springs (1326'), I climbed up to Deer Park Mountain (2571'), and then eventually climbed up Bluff Mountain (4686'). From there, I descended to Kale Gap (3700') and then climbed up Walnut Mountain (4293'). The trail then went down to (3455'), and then climbed up to get to Roaring Fork Shelter (4019). I arrived right at 4pm.

While I could have kept going, I have a light day tomorrow already anyway. The next place to camp out is Max Patch which is a bald mountain around 4600'; it's accessible by road, it's Saturday night, and I saw a group of 6+ locals headed to camp out on Max Patch with their carful of beer. It sounds cold and rather crowded. I'd rather pass through first thing in the morning, as the new light hits it (and after it has time to dry out from days of rain).

It didn't really rain today but it was extremely foggy and humid and the trees were enthusiastically dripping alllll day. Water has been, of course, plentiful, which is a nice comparison to the last trip. Loon and Parcour are sharing the shelter with me; I'm delighted to find some quiet, given how many people I've seen today. Loon is from Minneapolis and just got her PhD on Sunday from Auburn in Alabama in animal nutrition, specializing in poultry nutrition. We had lovely chats about the Minneapolis' theater scene, academia, and the struggles of being in more conservative spaces.

Fall AT section hike, day #6

Thursday, September 29, 2016
Start: Hughes Gap/TN 1330
End: US 19E/Mountain Harbour hiker hostel
Miles: 21.4

This morning, Mike dropped me off to Hughes Gap (4040') around 7:30am. I started up the trail and climbed up to Toll House Gap (6212') and walked past the side trail for Roan High Knob Shelter (6193'). From there, I went down to Carvers Gap/TN 143/NC 261 (5512'). I made amazing time and arrived around 10:15am. I tried to call Towanda to let her know I was there early but I couldn't get enough service to call so I waited until she arrived at 10:45am.

We started up the trail by ~11:15am. We climbed Round Bald (5813') and Jane Bald (5790') and then descended past Stan Murray and Overmountain Shelters (5045' & 4657'). From there, we climbed up Little Hump Mountain (5459'), down to Bradley Gap (4950'), and then up to Hump Mountain (5587'). On our way up Hump Mountain, we had a little bit of rain and a lot of fog and wind. After we summitted and started to go down, the wind blew the storm away and gave us some nice views. We then proceeded to race the storm to the hostel. We descended past Doll Flats and the NC/TN border (4600'), and down to US 19E (2895'). From there, we walked the 0.3 miles to the hostel, arriving at 6pm.

We snagged 2 of the remaining 3 hostel spaces. Towanda managed to convince someone at the hostel to drive us into town to get pizza, and let everyone order something if they wanted to. I took care of the money details and figuring out who owed how much. I was able to shower and do a load of laundry. I checked on my food supply and I have enough to get me to Damascus, provided I either get some snacks for the last day at a campground on my last night before town or pay a hostel in town to bring me to town a day early and then slackpack me. We shall see how I feel! Currently have lovely weather outlooks and I'm feeling pretty solid. Towanda will hike with me for a few miles in the morning tomorrow before heading back to US 19E to get a ride back to her car at Carver Gap.

Fall AT section hike, day #5

Wednesday, September 28, 2016
Start: Hughes Gap/TN 1330 (Cantarroso Farm)
End: Indian Grave Gap / TN 395
Miles: 21.2 (+0.3 for water, +0.8 for going the wrong way at Hughes Gap)

This morning, Mike gave me a 6:30am shuttle up to Hughes Gap, a solid hour out of town. On the way, we stopped at Hardee's and I got an egg and cheese biscuit. At the Gap, we were hard pressed to figure out which way was NOBO and which was SOBO. We ended up picking wrong, as I discovered 0.4 miles later when I hit a NOBO landmark and had to turn around. As it happens, the SOBO section there is direct compass north. So I was on trail and headed south by 8am. I made amazing time and arrived at my final destination by 4:30pm.

I climbed from Hughes Gap (4040') up to Little Rock Knob (4918') where the view were still restricted by clouds and mist that hadn't cleared at that point. I passed by Clyde Smith shelter (4496'), a campsite (4134'), and Greasy Creek Gap (4034'), before climbing Rock Pillar (4434'). I descended to Iron Mountain Gap/TN 107/NC 226 (3723') and then climbed to Little Bald Knob (4337'). I passed by Cherry Gap shelter (3988') and Low Gap (3900') before climbing Unaka Mountain (5180'). Unaka's peak was entirely dense evergreen forest; it was beautiful. From there, I descended to a piled spring and USFS 230 (4115') and then hiked through the Beauty Spot Gap (4323'). The Beauty Spot was amazing - the views were spectacular.

From there, the ~3.5 miles to Indian Grave Gap/TN 395 (3350') were all downhill and smooth sailing. My ride into town, Peggy, picked me up at 4:45pm, a good 45 minutes before I anticipated being picked up. She graciously dropped me into town and went back to the mountain to go out for a 45 minute hike like she'd originally planned.

Tomorrow, I'm currently planning a ~20 mile day, meeting up with Towanda by Roan High Knob, at Carver Gap, and then hiking the rest of the day together and staying at a hostel for the night. It'll be a brutal 4 mile climb in the morning but after that, it should be relatively easy!

Fall AT section hike, day #4

Tuesday, September 27, 2016
Start: No Business Knob Shelter
End: Indian Grave Gap, TN 395
Miles: 14.6 (+0.5 around town)

This morning, I woke up around 6:45am and was on trail by 7:30-ish. It poured rain for most of the night and into the early morning, pounding on the roof of the shelter. This shelter, like many others in this area, doesn't have a privy. To me, this is both irritating and time consuming, in addition to making it harder to Leave No Trace.

As I hiked towards Erwin, TN, it began to rain again. I was soaked by the time I hit River Rd in Erwin. I swung by Uncle Johnnys and was NOT impressed. On a nice day, I'd say that a shelter would be an improvement. The dogs had fleas, the bunk room was dirty and smelled, the shower room had little privacy. The entire place seemed held together by spit, dirt, tar, and wire. They were also very expensive, if you wanted to resupply at the hostel. I grabbed a few things, ate a snack, charged my phone a bit, and headed out without laundry or shower. Honestly, I didn't feel safe there.

Hiking in stinky, wet clothes in overcast conditions while climbing uphill does little for moral. The chafing on my feet and groin was also making me an unhappy hiker. I found myself headed towards the train of thought that desires to stop and go home. So when I arrived at Indian Grave Gap/TN 395 and found a trail angel stationed there, I was exhaustedly delighted. Brother Tom gave me some sweet tea and chatted with me for a while. He played the sensible, self-care focused side, while I struggled to make decisions I was happy with while also being dehydrated and anxious about miles. Brother Tom kindly offered to give me a ride to town. After much debate, I finally settled on heading to Cantarroso Farm; I called and they had space and were willing to drive me back to the trail in the morning.

After getting here, meeting Mike, seeing the cabin, showering, getting clean laundry, and having dinner in town, I feel much better and I'm happy with my choice. At Mike's offer/suggestion, I'm going to slackpack tomorrow. It'll give me a day to just make miles without a pack; it'll be easier on my body and spirit. And I'll have a lovely cabin to come back to!

Fall AT section hike, day #3

Monday, September 26, 2016
Start: Beyond Rice Gap
End: No Business Knob Shelter
Miles: 21.9 (+1.3 for water) (~4,000 ft of elevation gain)

I woke up around 6:15am and was on trail an hour later. I stopped by Hogback Ridge shelter to get water; that was a round trip of 0.6 miles and took me around an hour, after filtering my water and chatting with some SOBOs. Last night, I had no idea where I'd stopped to camp and so I didn't know that I'd overshot, rather than undershot, my goal. Arriving at the shelter so early in my day encouraged me, in that yesterday felt totally insurmountable and unusually difficult.

Down at Sam's Gap, I met Rob, a guy with a Casper van labeled "The AT friendly van." He gave me free soda, snacks, and a place to dump my trash. It was a much needed pick me up; for whatever reason (probably dehydration), I'd been feeling sick to my stomach and the cola helped it settle down. Which was good because I then needed to climb A LOT.

Today, I climbed up to the top of Big Bald (5516'), which was the culmination of 14 miles of climbing. It began raining around 2pm on my way down Big Bald and stormed off and on all afternoon. It soaked me thoroughly, causing substantial chaffing on my feet and groin areas. There was some lightening going on while I was hiking but thankfully the trail at that point was very tree covered and not a high point.

I arrived at No Business Knob Shelter by 6pm and found two SOBO hikers, Cuffs and Omega, already camped out in the shelter. They were friendly and we amicably chatted for a while. Tomorrow, I head into Erwin, TN to resupply, shower, and do laundry before heading on to a campsite. I feel like I'm slowly getting my trail legs.

Fall AT section hike, day #2

Sunday, September 25th, 2016
Start: Hemlock Hollow hostel
End: beyond Rice Gap
Miles: 24 (+0.4 for water) (~5,000 ft of elevation gain)

[Yesterday, when I pulled off the trail at 7:45pm after dark to set up camp, I didn't have the energy to do anything other than cook food and go to sleep.]

I started out from Hemlock Hollow hostel by 7am, on trail by 7:15am. I climbed from Log Cabin Rd (2371') up to Jones Meadow (4750'), down to Firescald bypass (4182'), up to Big Butt Mountain (4812'), down to Flint Gap (3449'), up to Flint Mountain (3557'), down to Rector Laurel Rd (2938'), and then up to Lick Rock (4541'). That final climb nearly did me in. I stumbled along in the near dark and missed the campsite at Big Flat (4267'). I ended up camping out somewhere beyond Rice Gap.

My cooking didn't work out quite right and therefore, I had crunchy rice... At least I had a few bars of cell service, though I totally passed out while texting at 9pm and woke up at midnight with my phone on my chest.

Fall AT section hike, day #1

Saturday, September 24, 2016
Start: Hot Springs, NC
End: Log Cabin Dr/Hemlock Hollow hostel
Miles: 16.3 (+0.4 for side trail to fire tower, +0.7 for road walk to hostel) (best guestimate - 3500-4000 ft of elevation gain)

Last night, my flights from Bradley went fairly smoothly. Both of them were delayed but it ended up that I was only ~20 minutes later to Asheville than anticipated. My shuttle had trouble finding the hostel once we got to Hot Springs. After wandering around for a bit, we managed to find it by around 10:30pm. I settled my bill with the hostel before going to bed so I could head out as early as I wanted.

This morning, I was up at 6:30am and out by 7. I stopped by the Smoky Mountain Diner for breakfast before I headed out of town around 8am. The diner gave me a LOT of food, though down south it seems like vegetarians are a foreign concept. Their idea of a "sauté veggie skillet" involved bitter green peppers,  onions, canned mushrooms, potatoes, and a lot of cheese. I also had a fresh hot cinnamon bun and sweet tea both of which were amazing. I made a semi intelligent choice and stopped eating when I thought I was getting towards uncomfortably full. It was a good call to stop when I did but I should have planned on eating even less since I had to climb more than 1,000' out of Hot Springs (1326'). I nearly puked on trail but managed to keep everything where it should be.

I climbed up Lovers Leap (1686'), an unnamed mountain (~2400'), Rich Mountain (3532'), and Spring Mountain (3538'). There were a few large elevation changes but also a lot of smaller ones throughout the day. It was a rough day on the body, particularly because of elevation gain and water being hard to come by. A lot of sources that are marked as steady were bone dry. I encountered water sources with enough to filter only twice. One of those sources was highly sulfuric and therefore difficult to keep down. Unfortunately, the hostel's water has both iron and sulfur; it's making it hard for me to stay hydrated because it tastes nasty. Had I realized the well water was like that, I might have tried filtering the water out of the creek on the property earlier to see if it's any better.

Halfway through my day, I took a break for about a hour at Rich Mountain's fire tower. It was sunny and breezy; it was nice to relax. Over the course of my day, I saw 3 day hikers, 4 weekend hikers, and 2 SOBOs.

I made it to Hemlock Hollow by around 4:45pm. They had basic resupply and some dinner things for sale. But they didn't have any fuel canisters. I nearly cried and swore a lot and looked despondent. The lady who works here said they'd been trying to get them for a while but the distributor the old owners used wouldn't deliver to the new owners. She then went and called around the local stores and found one 40 minutes away that sold Coleman canisters. She offered to, and then did, go to the store and buy a bunch of fuel canisters and sold me one at price. It really made my night; I'd started planning what I could do if I couldn't get a stove tonight and it was stressful. It involved some shenanigans tomorrow to get to another hostel that had fuel, or buy potatoes here and eat those for 2 dinners until I get to another hostel that sells fuel. I'm so glad I didn't have to deal with that.

Tomorrow, I'll have another two big climbs: one first thing in the morning, the second at the end of my day. A slackpacker here at the hostel said the water sources are poor, with only two flowing that he saw. So I'm going to load up on the nasty water here and hope for the best. I'll be back on the trail by 7:15am tomorrow morning and hiking slowly towards easier trail.