Nan's 2014 Appalachian Trail Journal

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April 23, 2014

4/12 Caught the 9:00 shuttle to Rock Gap where we got off the trail yesterday. Trail Magic at the trail head yesterday morning and again today. The shuttle driver said that the man is there every morning thru the hiking season. Lots of fresh fruit, hot coffee, O.J., and homemade peanut butter cookies. He must spend a fortune on the trail magic but he makes a lot of hikers happy. Spent yesterday in Franklin. Freckles got a new pair of boots. Her feet were hurting in the ones that she had been wearing. We ate, showered, did laundry, and got a good night's sleep.

Today we did 11 miles crossing Siler Bald, 4,786 msl and Wayak Bald, 5,342 msl. Clear day and great view. We could see Standing Indian Mtn and Mt. Albert which we crossed two day ago in the south and Clingman's Dome, 26 crow miles to the north. It is 80 hiking miles! We should be there this time next week.

4/13 In tonight at Wesser Shelter. Today was a great hiking day. Starting to hear more song birds. Sunny and clear, great views from the tower on Wesser Bald. We have hiked 131.4 miles so far averaging 8.7 miles per day. Getting in shape and should soon be able to hike more miles each day. We have been trying to keep our packs fairly light, resupplying every three days. I also sent some of my warmer clothes ahead to Fontana Dam but the packs will get heavy again when we hike thru Great Smokey Mountain National Park. I'll be picking up the bounce box and we will be carrying six days of food thru the Smokies. Some hikers get a shuttle at Newfound Gap into either Gatlinburg or Cherokee to resupply but we decided to hike straight thru. T&T are still hiking close to us and camping here but Hydro decided to slack pack for a few days so he is now ahead of us. Slack packing is where you basically day hike. The hiker gets dropped at a trail head and hikes without carrying a pack. Hiker is then picked up at another trail head to return to the hostel. No camping or carrying a heavy pack. It's a good way to hike the trail if you cannot or don't want to carry a heavy pack or camp. For me the fun is in the camping and the comradery at the camping areas.

Tomorrow we have 6+ miles to get into NOC.

4/14 Up at 5:00 and on the trail by 6:00. We want to beat the rain that is predicted. Everyone is looking at their iPhones and getting weather forecasts. In at Nantahala Outdoor Center by 9:00 and got a bunk in the base camp. Had a good breakfast burrito at the Riversend Café and a pizza for dinner. Freckles ate a half-pound burger. Did the usual laundry and shower routine.

4/15 It did rain a lot yesterday and this morning but seemed to be tapering off so Freckles and I decided to push ahead. Sitting around a little bunk room didn't seem like much fun so we hit the trail about 9:30 in a light rain. We started up the long hill out of NOC, 1,749 msl to Sassafras Gap Shelter at 4,400 msl. It got alot colder as we climbed. The rain turned to sleet and freezing rain with gusty winds. The trees were covered in ice! We got to Sassafras Shelter about 2:00-Freckles could not feel her fingers anymore-and decided to hunker down for a cold night. It got into the 20?s overnight but we made a party of it in the loft of the shelter. Cadi and Trillium came in for the night and also Fozzy (sp?). Fozzy is from Florida and has never seen snow so he was rooting for enough snow to make a snowman or, at least, a snowball. It was a very cold night with not much sleep but lot of laughing. Fozzy had a big 10'x12' tarp that he uses over his hammock. He hung it over the shelter opening and it helped some but below freezing is damn cold. I was glad for my 15? sleeping bag.

4/16 Today we had another big climb up to Cheoah Bald at 5,062 msl. The weather has cleared and the temperatures have warmed so it was a great hiking day. Made 15.2 miles to Cable Gap Shelter where we found T&T, Oregon, and Little Bit (they are two ex airborne), Happy Moose (another hiking German). Lots of people on the trail from Germany. We met another fellow while hiking who talked to Freckles and I for a while and wanted to take our picture. I asked if he was from Germany and he asked, "How did I know? From his nose?" I said, "No, from your accent." He seemed surprised. I guess that he thought he spoke perfect English. Today was also a climb called "Jacob's Ladder". It's a climb of 600' in 0.6 of a mile. Boy, were my muscles screaming. Into Fontana tomorrow.

4/17 In at Fontana mile mark 164.7. We decided to splurge and get a room at the lodge. Special hike rate of $66. Pretty good deal. Hoping to get some cell phone service and maybe check email. We have not been anywhere with email since Franklin and cell service has been spotty. Had resupply boxes waiting so our packs will be really heavy again when we set off tomorrow. Six days of food for the trip thru Smokey Mtn NP.

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