4-13-15 Good ol' Erwin

Today I went to town with the hostel's morning shuttle and had breakfast and got back on the trail around 11 am. I was feeling good, I had fully recovered from my brush with sickness and I had no trouble making some good miles. There were several uphill climbs and it rained around 2 pm. but my spirits were high . I even took a break and started to practice on the harmonica a bit .... I wish I had some musical ability. I made it to a shelter and there were lots of people there in tents but there was a spot available in the shelter itself. I claimed the spot simply because I knew it was going to rain and I didn't want to pack my tent wet in the morning and carry the extra weight. One of my water bags broke and now I'm down to 1 liter capacity which is not good especially when water sources are far apart. I checked the map and there does not seem to be a place to get a new container for 30 miles so I will just have to be careful not to pass any water sources until I can replace it. I sat with some other hikers at the fire and caught up on trail news before going to bed for the night. It rained hard enough to wake me up in the middle of the night as it slowed the tap tap tap on the tin roof lulled me back to sleep.

Erwin earned some notoriety in 1916 when the only known public execution of an elephant in Tennessee occurred in the community. Mary, the elephant, had killed her handler, Walter Eldridge, in nearby Kingsport. As home to the region's largest railway yard, Erwin was the only community with the means to carry out the death sentence. An estimated 2,500 people turned out at the local railway yard to see Mary hoisted by a crane and hanged by a chain around her neck. The first chain snapped, but a larger one was found and the peculiar task completed - she was hanged for half an hour before being declared dead.

Only in the south .......

4-12-15 Uncle Johnny's Hostel

When I woke up this morning I felt much better, I was able to eat some oatmeal and rehydrate. I was stiff from the hard sleeping surface but my stomach was not so queasy. I made a fire and did some stretching to relieve the pain and stiffness in my back and knees. I soaked my feet and applied some blister patches to my heels where my boots are starting to rub and got ready for the 18 mile push to Erwin Tenn. The maps told me there was a couple more miles of uphill and then it was mostly downhill to Erwin. The winds were around 30-40 mph and it was about 55 deg. until noon . as I went down in elevation and the wind died down it turned out to be a nice day, about 70 deg. and sunny. I passed over a few brooks and rivers and then as I started seeing Erwin in the distance there were several switchbacks heading down the last mile or so. When I got to the hostel I rented a private cabin and bought a folding sleeping mat (I wasn't taking any chances on an air mattress). The owner offers a shuttle for guests in to town and a few of us went out to dinner at a Mexican restaurant, we all sat at the same table and told trail stories and had a great time. After dinner I went to Wal-mart and bought a plastic tub and some epsom salts to soak my feet and some food. Back at the hostel I watched a movie from the archaic VHS collection and slept in a real bed for the first time in weeks, what a luxury!

4-11-15 NORO virus

I got up this morning and I was sick to my stomach so I broke down camp and started my day hoping it would pass. I made it to the highway crossing at Sam's Gap and saw a small sign that read "go up hill for breakfast". I thought maybe some food would help my stomach and went to check it out . At the top of the hill there was an elderly man of about 70 who had set up a propane skillet on a table and a few chairs , when he saw me he said " have a seat ,would you like eggs and hash browns?" I said " yes sir please" and he cooked them for me, he also offered me oranges, soda and homemade pistachio muffins which I gladly accepted. I sat and watched the sunrise with him and he told me he was a trail maintainer for the 40 mile section I just hiked through. After some interesting conversation and thanking him for breakfast as well as his service on the trail I continued on my journey. After the highway the trail went up in elevation for several miles and my stomach got worse as the morning wore on. Several time I was forced to stop and sit for a while and let the pain pass and I wasn't making much headway. It seemed the food I ate would not go down and I couldn't drink much water, at that point I realized I had gotten the NORO virus and I started looking for a spot to sleep it off. The virus causes inflammation of the intestines, vomiting, diarrhea and stomach pain. I was able to keep from vomiting but I could not hike very far. Fortunately I found a flat spot on a side trail with a small spring and a fire ring with stacked dry fire wood nearby. My air mattress had gotten a pin hole in it and I slept on the hard ground for 12 hours tossing and turning ... I lost enough weight during the trip that my hips and lower back are uncomfortable on a hard surface. Maybe Tomorrow will be a better day....... 

4-10-15 laurel hostel

Today I started hiking at about 8 am and it rained until noon when I stopped for a snack at a shelter. I was joined by 2 other hikers and I asked if they knew of any resupply up ahead. They told me there was a road crossing 2 miles up and a hostel 1.8 east. So I hiked off trail and found the laurel hostel. The owner was a big guy with a holstered gun on his hip and an easy smile. I ordered a Philly cheese steak, took a needed shower and washed my laundry. The bunks were in a small out building with satellite TV , the shower was in the store's bathroom and they had a small selection  of goods for sale. Business was very slow only 2 locals came in during the 2 hours I was there. I sat down at a table in the store and ate lunch  talked guns and made friends with the owner. I decided it was too early to stop for the day and he offered to give me a ride back to the trail (saved me a 1.8 mile uphill walk). I made it to a shelter an hour before dark and made dinner and found 2 people were sick so I decided to move on in the dark. within an hour I felt sick to my stomach and I made camp at sams gap which is a highway crossing.

4-9-15 mountain top camp

Today was a long haul, when I was in hot springs a fellow hiker told me some friends planning to do some trail magic at a road crossing and I met him here today. I was given a ham sandwich , 2 cokes and a bag of cookies ! Score. I camped on top of a hill near a shelter because I had phone service and a water source. There was plenty of dry wood and a fire ring. And the sunset was amazing it gave everything a red glow.

4-8-15 back to the wilderness

It's aboud 80° today which I'm told is a record here, the lizards are out and the birds are singing... what a beautiful day to be alive. I only hiked about 10 miles today because I found an awesome spot on top of a hill I just couldn't pass up. I was able to make calls but not able to update the blog. When the sun went down I could see the lights in a town nearby. I went to sleep listening to the owls calling to each other.

4-7-15 long trek

So I made it to hot springs North Carolina, I put in a 27 mile day in a rain storm to get here. I rented a room at a hostel and stopped at a local pub that is rumored to have the legendary AT burger. I was told to ask for it although its not on the menu. When I asked the server smiled and said do you think your up to it? And I asked why suspiciously, she told me it is 18 oz. of burger, bacon, lettuce, tomato and onion rings on  it with a special garlic mayonnaise.  After my long day it sounded like just what I needed. After a good nights sleep I went to the equally legendary spa where they get natural mineral water from the hot springs the town is named for and soaked in a hot tub for an hour. This place is heavenly I would recommend it as a vacation , the people are warm and friendly and its inexpensive. Oh and if you can't tell from the picture I've lost around 25 lbs. so far.

4-6-15 Standing bear

Today I stopped at standing bear hostel for resupply and laundry, this place is great! Very rustic and old fashioned, the proprietor goes by the name of Lumpy. The water wasn't working when I got there so I hauled some water from the brook so I could wash my clothes. I also bought some food and ate a good meal before moving on. You hand wash your clothes and he has a modern dryer. The commissary has just about any backpacking food imaginable. Lumpy gives you an envelope and has you write down what you take and you pay when your ready to leave, very laid back.

4-5-15 last day in the smoky mountain national park

Today I made my way out of the smoky mountains, I enjoyed the views but the trails were basically river beds. I was walking down the trail and I kept seeing deer tracks and all of a sudden there was a huge buck on the trail ahead of me, he looked back at me dipped his head and jumped off the trail disappearing in to the woods. This gave me the energy to make it over the next hill. I look forward to the lower elevation for a bit, the freezing temps in the 5000'+ smokeys is punishing as I like to move at sunrise and its typically still below freezing that early.

4-4-15 Clingmans dome

So I am having trouble uploading to the blog so for the time being I will only be posting one photo for each post. When I left Gatlinburg I hitch hiked back to Clingmans Dome and it was 30 deg. at noon ! the trees were covered in frost and the trails glazed with ice 6643' elevation is rough. I hiked back down to about 4300' which took until about an hour after dark. I was lucky and there was a spot available in a shelter so I didn't need to set up my tent.

4-2-15 and 4-3-15 Gatlinburg Tennessee

This place is a tourist trap, neon lights , moonshine and Ripleys Believe it or Not seems to be the theme here. I have an  ankle injury so I took a day off here,  cant wait to get back on the mountain. To get here I walked around 5 miles down an access road and several cars went by but nobody would pick me up. I didn't have cell service to call a shuttle and the sun was setting. The fog was so thick that I knew I wouldn't find a ride after dark. The temperature was around 40 deg. and I was soaked through from the rain and gale winds. Finally a german family on vacation offered to get me to the Gatlinburg visitors center which was only a mile or so from town.

4-1-15 The Great Smoky Mountains

The hike in to the Smokey Mountain back country was difficult, 85 degrees , uphill for 11 miles and high humidity. We started hiking at noon after we went to the resort to print out back country permits. You can only camp in shelters in the smokies unless they are full. Only thru-hikers are allowed to tent in the event the shelters are completely full. The smokies have fewer water sources as well so you need to "camel up"  by drinking more at sources and filling your storage to max (I carry 3 litres now). There is no place to resupply unless you go way off trail, So I have a good 8 days of food. The problem is that it is a lot of weight and its hard on your body especially in high elevation. I got to a shelter at about 13 miles (3000' elev. gain), and it was full. I set up my tent at dark and the temperature dropped rapidly and a strong wind came in. I saw lots of signs of bear , and 2 deer on the hike in.

3-31-15 The Fontana Hilton

The Fontana Dam is closed this time of the year to tourism but thru-hikers are always welcome. The shelter is called the Fontana Hilton because it actually has a shower and electric. The bunks sleep 24 and there is a huge fire pit and a little park to put tents in. The village of Fontana has a postal code but in fact just an overgrown resort. I was told there are only 13 year round residents. After the trail crosses the dam you are officially in the smoky mountains, home to about 1500 black bears which is roughly 2 per square mile. All the hikers had a fun night we swapped stories and news around the fire pit.  I met new people because I am starting to make good miles and all the people I started with are days behind me.

3-30-15 late start

I did laundry in the morning and got some energy bars at the outfitter, I have been having battery problems with my phone so I couldn't post to the blog. There is very little internet connection in the southern back country, the towns are small and sparse. I had a late breakfast and hit the trail around noon. The NOC is at 1723' elev. the first mountain of the day was at 5026' elev. In about 8 mi. What a climb! I got to a shelter just after dark, it was full so I went back down the trail and set up my tent, it was a beautiful clear night the stars and the moon were amazing.

3-29-15 Nantahala outdoor center

I hiked 22 miles to the NOC (Nantahala outdoor center) where I rented a bunk for the night to avoid a nasty storm system rolling thru the area. It rained hard all night with lots of lightning. The NOC is geared towards tourists and rafting but it has a good outfitter, showers, laundry etc. The food is overpriced but it is in the middle of nowhere. I needed a good rest and took full advantage. The people coming through were asking thru-hikers so many questions (its obvious we are thru-hiking). A hiker told me the difference between thru-hikers and homeless people is goretex.

great view from the lookout.

3-28-15 deep freeze

So we catch a shuttle back to deep gap at 11am. and hit the trail. Everything is now covered in snow I decided not to hike through a low valley because it has heavy snow and wind. So I make camp on a ridge with lots of dead wood and less wind. That night it dropped to around 18 degrees,  we slept with our water bottles and our filters to keep them from freezing. Needless to say we were in sleeping bags by dark.