Edited
I was again anticipating the 2013 biennial conference but not obsessively so, as in 2011. The conference was held in Cullowhee, North Carolina on the campus of Western Carolina University. The dates for the conference were July 19-26. The planned hikes were extensive including 100 AT miles. Only about 10 of those miles were in Smoky Mountain National Park from Clingmans Dome to Newfound Gap. The logistics for the rest of the park did not suit day hikes. I planned for 67 miles south of the park from Fontana Dam to Albert Mountain. I was not able to get on all the hikes initially, but as is usually the case, people drop out and openings occur.
I took two days to drive the 650 miles, since check in at the conference on Friday was at mid to late afternoon. I stayed in my favorite motel in Erwin, Tennessee on Thursday night and continued on Friday morning, scouting out Hot Springs again and then out of my way past Davenport Gap, through Gatlinburg and up to Newfound Gap where I stopped to take some photos. It was a cloudy day and I thought about driving the 8 miles up to Clingmans Dome, but I suspected it would be socked in fog, so I did not.
I arrived at the Western Carolina University Campus, and found the registration area with little difficulty. There were many signs pointing in the right direction. On my way from registration, I ran into Ed from York who I had become acquainted with at the past two conferences. We made arrangements to meet for dinner in the dining hall.
It took some effort to drag all my stuff into my dorm room in Balsam Residence Hall. Western Carolina University had a beautiful campus. Many of the buildings seemed new within ten years although the University itself was founded in 1889. It is the home to 10,000 students during the regular academic year. Somehow parking seemed to be a problem even in the summer. That seems to be true on all college campuses. There was beautiful dining hall right next to my large dorm. Both were on the quad of the campus which was lovely.
I met Ed in the dining hall and we soon got reacquainted with Holt from Raleigh who had been at the Virginia conference two years earlier. Holt had come with a Raleigh hiking friend, Jon. The four of us became fast friends, were on many of the same hikes and ate most meals in the dining hall together. There was a social hour (with dessert) and a welcoming meeting that evening. At the social hour I met Karen from Harrisburg and we reminisced about our chance meeting at a trailhead in New Hampshire a few years earlier and Mark, a hike leader at the Virginia conference who worked for the Tennessee Parks Department.
The next morning our hike was from Yellow Creek Gap to the Tennessee River at Fontana Dam. This is the first section south of Smoky Mountain National Park. It was listed as a ìmoderateî hike and was only 8.2 miles. We dropped half of our cars at Fontana Dam and then backtracked to Yellow Creek Gap. Rosa from Georgia was the hike leader and her young son Bobby acted as co leader and sweep.
The large group of 13 started out. Holt and Jon from Raleigh were on the hike so I was getting re-acquainted with them. Though I had met Holt briefly in Virginia we did not know each other very well. The pace was very slow. Phil and Pat from Kentucky were not experienced hikers and after less than 2 miles of easy climbing, they headed back to their car at Yellow Creek Gap. The pace was still slow but not very slow. Since I had been on conference hikes before, I knew it was always a possibility that the group might only move as fast as the slowest member of the group. I was accepting of it. Rosa was a good leader.
During the hikes, I try to make it a point to talk to everyone to hear their story of hiking, particularly what parts of the AT they have done.
Holt was living in Raleigh but lived most of his life in Roanoke, Virginia and had hiked a lot of the AT in Virginia with the Boy Scouts and on his own. Holt was a CPA, still working and was about 10 years younger than me. Holt had done about 600 miles of the AT and completing it had become a goal. Holtís friend Jon was a very experienced and strong hiker and led hikes in the Raleigh area. He had hiked a lot of the AT, but completing is was not necessarily his goal.
Beth from Connecticut was on the hike. Beth was a new board member of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy. She was a Penn State graduate and an attorney. Beth was an experienced hiker, AT volunteer and would have about 300 miles to complete the AT between Fontana Dam and Damascus after this week. Holt and Beth were on most of the weekís hikes with me.
Ray from Buxton Maine had done about 400 AT miles. Howard from Virginia had completed section hiking the AT. Howard was funny since he often talked to himself or sang or hummed as he hiked along. Pat from New England had also completed section hiking the trail.
There was Debbie from Atlanta and Ellen from Reading PA. Barb from Maryland was not experienced and decided to stop with about 1.5 miles to go at a place we could pick her up on the way back.
Once we reached the three mile mark it would be down 2000 ft over the next four miles. The trail was easy although a little rain overnight had made it a little slippery. Coming down, there were some limited views of Fontana Lake. We crossed NC 28 and then came to the Fontana Village Marina. Barb decided to wait for us there. We entered the woods again and finally came to a road that followed along the lake and down to the Dam. We must have passed the ìFontana Hiltonî the nearby shelter but I never actually saw it.
Fontana Dam is 480 feet high and the highest east of the Rockies. There is a small visitorís center but more importantly, a snack shop where we could get ice cream. We were back to campus in time for dinner.
That evening (Saturday) was the annual meeting of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy. It was the usual business of reports, elections, and awards. What is most amazing is the length of service to the trail that many of these volunteers had. Since I still had not volunteered for anything and done no trail maintenance, I walked back to my dorm with my tail between my legs.
I was surprised to learn that the ATC had a new executive director. Mark Wenger, who I had gotten to know a little at the previous conference,who had gotten the position a year earlier, had resigned. I suspect that there was a clash of philosophies with the board or staff or both.
The next dayís hike was the contiguous section south of the previous day. The hike was from Yellow Creek Gap (NC 1242) to Stecoah Gap (NC 143). Both of the trailheads were easily accessed from NC 28 and the shuttle was not long.
It was a smaller group and only a 7.6 mile hike. Malcolm, an attorney from Virginia Beach was the hike leader and took a group photo. Louisa was from Downingtown, Pennsylvania and a computer programmer was the co leader. Louisa was Rosaís sister. The hike also included Svetlana, Malcolmís significant other, Fran who was retired from Atlanta, John, an Electronics worker from Vermont and Holt and Jon from Raleigh.
The last member of the group was Tom a retired truck driver from Reading PA. I spent a lot of the day talking to Tom. Tom was an experienced hiker and a person who was very self aware. He could be self deprecating, without need, because he was a smart guy. His family owned a trucking business, but he decided early on in his life that owning and running it was not for him. He was content to drive and did well for himself in that. He married later in life and took significant responsibility for children who were not his. He was careful with money, a trait I respect in people. Tom was a great guy and I enjoyed him very much.
The hike from Yellow Creek Gap started out uphill. We took our time but everyone could keep up. We encountered a cute box turtle, sunning on the trail. A sign at Hog Back Gap on a tree had been partially enveloped by the growth of the tree. I wonder how long that took. The hike continued to be easy and no one in the group was stressed. After lunch we arrived at a high point along a ridge crest where there were views to the west, though it was a hazy summer day. There were large sections of beautiful summer flowers.
We arrived at Stecoah Gap, shuttled cars and headed back to campus. The short day, gave Holt, John and Ed and I time for a quiet happy hour.
After dinner, the eveningís entertainment was a presentation by Jennifer Pharr Davis. Jennifer is most well known for her 2011 record breaking AT hike. She completed it in 46 days averaging 47 miles a day. The record is for a man or a woman. She previously held the womanís record that she set in 2008. Much of her presentation was about that effort which was fully supported by her husband Brew Davis. She did it North to South and one of the memorable times was the physical difficulties she had crossing the ridge from Mount Lafayette in the White Mountains.
Jennifer has a long resume of hiking all over the world beginning with her 2003 traditional northbound thru hike as a college graduate. She was struck by lightning changing clothes behind a shelter in a rain storm. She has hiked Kilimanjaro, Machu Picchu, Australia, The Pacific Crest Trail, Vermontís Long Trail (womanís record), The Colorado Trail and many others. She has logged 12,000 hiking miles since 2003.
She and Brew have written several books on their hiking experiences. They own the Blue Ridge Hiking Company out of Ashville, NC, and have a cute little girl who was a baby at the Conference. By chance I would meet them at a trailhead one year later.
Jenniferís record breaking hike is not without controversy she said. Many are critical saying the AT is not for speed records or supported hikes. In fact, it was never really intended to be thru hiked in one year. I believe it should be for everyone, who should hike it as they choose. I am trying to do it without sleeping on the ground. Everyone always says, ìHike your own hike.î Do they mean it?
Mondayís hike would be tough one and was rated strenuous. It was the next contiguous section to the south from Stecoah Gap to the Nantahala River and totaled 13.6 miles.
Ned from Virginia Beach was the hike leader. Ned had been the Chair of the Virginia conference in 2011. He was a retired naval officer in his early 70ís. Ned however was in tremendous shape, not tall and slight of build. I donít know that there was an ounce of fat on him. As he organized this strenuous hike he was not shy about making sure the prospective hikers were up to the dayís hike. This is a good thing. A married couple dropped out.
Kathy from Whitehall, PA had met Ned years earlier at a New Jersey conference and Kathy had become Nedís co leader on many hikes at subsequent conferences. Kathy is a young technology teacher and lived near my home in Allentown. We had met at the Virginia conference.
Holt and Beth from CT were on the hike along with Howard from previous days. George and Susan a retired married couple from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania were on the hike. Susan had attempted a thru hike in 2012, but had to abandon it due to physical difficulties. She said that she just hiked herself into the ground trying to keep up with the younger kids. Undaunted, she planned to attempt again in 2014. Susan wanted the thru hike experience but George planned to follow along in their camper and provide magic for Susan and those around her. Susan was a CPA and spent her career in corporate tax. George was retired military, a recruiter I believe. George and Susan lived near the AT on Peters Mountain just north of Duncannon.
The hike also included a group of four friends from Maryland including Henry, Mary, Mark and Dave. Henry was older and a riot. Mark and Dave were younger and strong hikers. Mary kept them in check. Kathy from CT was on the hike. I had met her at the Virginia conference and she had hiked a lot of the trail in day hikes including the 100 mile wilderness in Maine. Charles from Florida who always wore black was along as was Kathryn from Washington DC. Kathryn was originally from Pennsburg, PA which was only about 45 minutes from my home.
At lunch later in the day, as I was writing down the names of those on the hike, I made a stupid joke about needing it for my research into their lives since I worked for the National Security Agency. The NSA was very much in the news just then regarding cell phone and other data being captured to prevent terrorism. Some in the group did not seem to appreciate the joke. I would learn why later that week. Oops.
From Stecoah Gap it was a 1900 foot climb over 5.5 miles. The trail was not difficult but it was still strong climbing especially as we approached the top at Cheoah Bald where we had lunch. I can tell when I am tested when I have few pictures on a climb. I donít remember anyone in the group falling behind or having difficulty. The first photos I had were at lunch. It was another cloudy hazy day but from the Bald you could still see some down into the Nantahala River Valley. Cheoah Bald was the northern terminus of the 78 mile Bartram Trail which runs down into Georgia.
As we packed up from lunch at Cheoah Bald, there was a brief shower. From Cheoah Bald it would be a 3400 foot descent over 8 miles to the Nantahala River. It was easy trail on the gradual, almost perfect (easy grade) descent. We made good time but it was still becoming a long day. This would be my longest hike of the week. After passing Swim Bald, at the ìjump offî there were great views down into the Nantahala Gorge. We passed through a beautiful hardwood cove, past a plaque for Wade A Sutton, a forest service ranger who lost his life suppressing a forest fire nearby, and finally reached the Nantahala River.
At the river the AT passes directly through the Nantahala Outdoor Center (NOC), a happening place. It is a mecca for whitewater rafters and tubers. It includes restaurants, laundry, convenience stores and lodging for the hiker. It would be a nice respite for the weary hiker. We headed back to campus. Meals in the campus dining hall were great with many healthy choices. Ed, Holt, Jon and I ate together most evenings. Healthy as the eating was it was still hard not to overeat. I was in danger of putting on the freshman 15. Bag lunches were provided each day.
A day or so earlier, Jon had an experience with a group that was difficult for the hike leaders. One of the group members was not up to a difficult hike that some of us would do on Friday. The member who I believe was a woman fell far behind on the first part of the hike. One of the hike leaders will always be last in line (called the sweep) to assure that all on the hike are accounted for. This days hike had a particularly steep (for North Carolina) decline heading toward the Nantahala River from the south. Apparently she was terrified of the descent and was extremely slow. Jon who had driven, volunteered to wait with one of the leaders, Karen from Harrisburg, at the NOC. The rest of the group headed back to campus. The woman and the leader arrived three hours after the rest of the group, taking almost 8 hours to do a nine mile hike. They all missed dinner at the dining hall. It is always a challenge for hike leaders who get very inexperienced hikers at the conferences. They generally handle the situation well.
Tuesdayís hike was the most southern that I would hike this week. There would be long drives. There were many hikers who I had not met before. On the drive out to Albert Mountain, I got to get acquainted with Chris from Abington Virginia, Gail from Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania and Paulette from Bristol Tennessee. Gail was a long time section hiker of the trail. She had a story about getting a rental car stuck in a ditch at a remote trailhead and getting a local farmer to pull her out with his tractor. Paulette was a recently retired teacher who was new to hiking, and had thrown herself into both hiking and camping despite doubters at home. She planned to show the doubters that she could do it, and I became sure she would.
Our ten mile hike would be from Winding Stair Gap to Albert Mountain. I started the hike at the back of the pack and hiked with Fred from western PA. Fred was extremely slow and we quickly fell behind on the initial easy grade up to Rocky Cove Knob. The co leader and sweep, Rich from Waynesville, NC who had thru hiked the AT a few years earlier when he retired was patient with us. Fred was planning a thru hike in 2015. He had a plan, but he would need to lose some weight if he would have any success. Rich did not seem to think I would have any possibility of hiking the AT without sleeping on the ground. Fortunately the grade leveled out and continued down to Rock Gap where the group was waiting for us. We were only about four miles into the hike. They may have been waiting for half an hour.
I always try to talk to as many people as possible so I left with the main group and felt bad about leaving Fred and Rich behind. I never saw them again. I got to talk to Jim the hike leader from Enola, Pennsylvania. Jim was very involved as a volunteer with the relatively new AT Museum at Pine Grove Furnace State Park which opened in 2010. The Museum is in its infancy but includes a trail shelter that was built by AT legend Earl Shaffer and other trail artifacts. The last time I was at Pine Grove Furnace was in 2003. Jim was also called by some as the founder of the AT Hall of Fame. I made a note to get back there after I was done with my AT section hike. Who knows when that might be.
Also on the hike were Bruce and Marcia from Texas who had thru hiked the trail in 2009. Bruce was a retired Texas State Trooper. Bruce and Marcia seemed young to be retired. I guess that is what hiking can do for you. I got to meet Rich and Brenda from Harris Tennessee and Mike OíConnor from Maryland who was still working for the Social Security Administration. Mark, part of the group from Maryland, was along.
The hike was a gradual uphill for most of the rest of the day. It was through a pretty area with some of those Rhododendron tunnels. At the end of the day, there was a minor steep graded climb that was rocky up, to the summit of Albert Mountain and its fire tower. The views to the east were great from Albert Mountain despite the cloudy hazy day. I only got up one flight of steps on the tower before getting sweaty palms. We lingered at the summit a while before back tracking the two tenths of a mile down to the half mile access trail to the parking lot. I checked with Jim the leader, if it was ok for us to leave. They would have a long wait for Fred and Rich to arrive. Chris, Paulette, Gail and I packed up and headed back to campus. That evening there was a blue grass band for the evening entertainment.
Wednesdayís ten mile hike would be from Wayah Bald to Winding Stair Gap. The hike included Ed, Holt and Beth from CT, and Gail from Harrisburg from previous days along with Ned and Kathy who were the leaders. Tom from Reading and his hiking partner Brenda, Heather from Tennessee who I had hiked with at two previous conferences, Phil from Wisconsin who I did not know before, and Pat and Valorie, younger new enthusiastic hikers were along.
I also got to know Ann, seventy seven years young from Abington PA but formerly from Pennsburg PA near Allentown. Ann was a retired nurse and camping during the conference. As I talked to her throughout the day, I realized that she and Kathryn from Washington DC but formerly from Pennsburg might be contemporaries of each other. Throughout the rest of the week, I tried to get them together because both seemed interested and seemed to know of each other. I did finally give one the phone number of the other, but am not sure if they ever connected. I never saw them together. Maybe they were the same person.
We had done a key swap with another group so I drove someone elseís car to where we began our hike at Wayah Bald. We spent some time at the twenty five foot stone observation tower. Ned kept his usual strong pace but the hiking was not difficult during the descent to Wayah Gap. I was impressed with Ann who did not hold up the group. Shortly past Wayah Gap, we had lunch before our 900 foot climb up to Siler Bald. It was a great group to spend the day with. At the trailhead up the half mile to Siler Bald, Kathy asked me to hike with Ann down the mountain so that she, Heather and Beth could hike up to the Bald for the views. The three of them were gamers and more than willing to add an additional mile to the day. The rest of the group did not and was ahead of us. I was pleased to do it and get to know Ann. I was impressed with her balance as she rock hopped a small stream. She said she did Yoga to keep up her strength and balance. Just when I think I am hot sh__, I meet people who put me to shame.
Kathy, Beth and Heather caught up to us with about a mile to go and we continued on to Winding Stair Gap where my car was waiting and then back to campus. Holt, Ed, Jon and I enjoyed happy hour before dinner. Jon had been on a long hike in the Smokies up to Mount Lecont. Jon was younger and a very strong hiker. That evening there was a presentation by a local Cherokee Indian talking about the tribeís culture and history in the area just east of the Smoky Mountains.
The week was flying by. Thursdayís hike would be key swap. I drove the Maryland groupís car to Tellico Gap and they drove mine to Wayah Bald. I was signed up to hike the easier descent from Wayah Bald but switched to the harder uphill to accommodate someone from the other group. The downhill group included Holt, the Maryland crew and Tom and Brenda from Reading. Their hike leaders were from a nearby outfitter. For no reason, but to the leaders from the other group, we drove past Wayah Bald on our way to our trailhead, miles out of our way.
Our uphill group included Ned and Kathy as the leaders, Ed, Beth from CT, and Howard from Virginia who I knew. I did not know Bob from Maryland, Kathy and her friend Carol from Harrisburg, or Liz from North Carolina. Howard continued to hum, laugh and talk to himself throughout the day. It was fun to kid him about it and he was a good sport. Bob was an experienced (1,000 miles a year he claimed) hiker in his early seventies. Kathy was a recently retired teacher and Michigan alum. Smart.
Ned started out the steep ascent with his usual strong pace up from Tellico Gap. The group was strung out but I was determined to keep up with Ed as a challenge. Everyone else was left in the dust. Finally I could no longer keep Nedís pace and slowed to a stop and we waited for everyone else to catch up. Ned was just a very strong hiker still at the age of seventy four. It was great to get to know Ned as I gasped for air. The previous evening Holt Ed and I watched Ned walk at a sprint across the quad on campus. He never went anywhere slow. Ned had thru hiked a few years earlier and I would learn later that year that Barry from my home town of Boyertown actually hiked with Ned a while before Barry discontinued his hike at Fontana Dam. Ned finished his hike. The AT community can be small sometimes.
The trail leveled out some, but Ned and I would continue to wait for the others. Eventually I would move to the back of the pack to talk to others in the group. At Rocky Bald a few of us took the short side trail to the view point. It was not far and worth it. The sky was a hazy blue. We reached the high point at Cooper Ridge Bald, hiked down to the Cold Spring Shelter for lunch. We were starting to wonder why we had not met our opposite downhill group for the key swap. We passed the road at Burningtown Gap and started up a grade toward Licking Gap.
Finally our opposite group came by and we could do our key swap. They were seriously behind schedule. Their hike leaders had started the hike in the wrong direction on the wrong trail. No one noticed the absence of white blazes. They hiked a mile and a half downhill before they realized the error and then had to climb back up. On the way back up they ran into a hornetís nest and one of the leaders and others got stung multiple times. The group was not happy but was trying to be good sports. The casual attitudes of the hike leaders were not endearing. I might have been in the group had I not switched earlier that morning.
We continued on to Licklog Gap where we took a break. Ed had determined that Licklog Gap marked his completion of 500 AT miles. He shared his news. Liz broke into in the old Peter Paul and Mary song, 500 miles so Ed had a serenade from all of us.
We started our assault of Wayah Bald and the Tower where we stopped to relish the feeling of accomplishment of a strong hike well done. It was a short walk down the paved path to our cars and back to campus.
It took Holt a long time to get back from his hike. He almost missed happy hour but we waited. It was our last evening so we spent the hours after dinner packing cars and saying goodbyes.
Friday morning involved an early breakfast and checking out of our dorm rooms, before heading to the hike departure area. Our hike would be from Tellico Gap to the Nantahala Outdoor Center, 7.9 miles. We took a lot of cars since it was a big group and many were leaving from the trailhead. We all drove to the NOC and then four of us drove the large group up to Tellico Gap. At Tellico Gap there was a stray dog looking for attention. Since he had a radio collar, we were assured that his owner could find him.
The group leaders were Beth from Florida and Janet from Asheville, but a former Hoosier. I had not met them before. They were strong organized leaders. Beth supplied dark chocolate treats at our afternoon break.
I had hiked with many of the group earlier in the week, including Ed and Holt, Beth from CT, Tom and Brenda from Reading, Mark, Dave, Henry and Mary from Maryland, Kathy and Jane from Harrisburg and Charles from Florida. I had not met Mary Anne from Knoxville, Denise from Maryland, or Marilyn from Ohio. It was a strong group of good hikers and it was great to talk to everyone. Most in the group were motivated section hikers of the AT and were attending the conferences to log as many AT miles as possible
The first part of the hike was the 800 foot climb over 1.4 miles from Tellico Gap to Wesser Bald. Wesser Bald was now overgrown with trees, but there was an observation tower, to get those without the fear of heights, for views (so I am told). It was a warm and hazy day.
After a short break at Wesser Bald we began the 2900 foot descent over 6.5 miles to the NOC. Though an overall gradual grade there were some challenging spots that were more typical of Maine than the south.
During the week some of us had been doing a lot of thinking about the Smoky Mountain National Park and the challenge of day hiking the AT there. Marilyn from Ohio, a very motivated section day hiker like me had hiked the section north of Fontana Dam, by accessing the AT from Cades Cove using a five mile side trail up to the AT ridgeline and then hiking sixteen miles down to Fontana Dam. Marilyn was a strong hiker, but she did the section with two friends who were older than she. She said it took them 12-13 hours but was doable. I could see a plan come together for doing the Smokies in day hikes.
On the way down, several of us were attacked by a swarm of hornets. I and several others got bitten several times.
We reached the NOC and Holt drove the drivers back to Tellico Gap to retrieve our cars. I drove Cathy, Jane and Charles back to campus. I was tired from the week, but made it as far as the Super 8 in Erwin and drove home on Saturday.
It was a fun week, having met many new hiking friends. The next conference in 2015 would be near Winchester Virginia. Even though I had hiked all of that area on the AT, if I attended it could be my chance to volunteer.
