Unedited
Besides the Cullowhee conference I made two other trips south to work on the AT.
In May hiked six days first completing everything to Erwin TN and then heading south using Newport TN as home base and hiking just north of the Smokies and over 2 days hiking from Lemon Gap over Max Patch to Davenport Gap.
John joined me for a time and we also drove up to Newfound Gap in SMNP and hiked the eight miles up to Clingman’s Dome in the fog. This trip totaled 52 AT miles.
After tax season, I came up for air and began to up my time at the gym. It is getting harder. I lost 15 lbs during tax season, but was soon gaining it back.
I completed my book, cutting it off at the end of 2012, and sent it off to an editor.
I had already contacted John, my high school friend now living in Raleigh NC. John was getting into the trail and we agreed to hike again in early May. I wanted to fill in the sections to Erwin and then cherry picked some sections for us to do.
After an early morning business meeting on Friday May 3, I hit the road (Interstate 81- what else) and headed south. Leaving around 10AM was unusual for me since I was normally on the road at 5AM. It worked perfectly however since I had some unfinished business.
In the late afternoon, I reached Staunton, VA and found a motel. After check in, I immediately headed over to Rockfish Gap and south on the Blue Ridge Parkway to the Humpback Rocks Parking area. In 2008, I took 2 different access trails from the parking area to get to the AT and ended up with a gap of 1.7 missed AT miles. I had mostly forgotten about it until I wrote my first book. There is that pledge to “pass every white blaze”.
It was 4:30PM when I rolled in into the parking area. There were no other cars. I started out towards Humpback Rocks. I was dumb and ignored a new sign showing the new way to Humpback Rocks. It looked longer and the old trail was not closed so I humped up the old trail.
I reached Humpback Rocks. It was still as treacherous as I remembered. It was a cloudy day. I wanted to get going. I floundered looking for an access trail east of Humpback Rocks. There was not very good signage to get to the AT, so I headed back down the old trail to access the new one. The new well built beautiful trail was longer but easier to get back to Humpback Rocks. I had just hiked 1½ miles in a circle. The new trail had a sign directing me to the AT which was only another few hundred feet. It was an easy mostly downhill grade on the AT to the Old Howardsville Turnpike trail back to the parking lot. It was still quiet. It was almost 7:30. I headed back to Staunton. It took me about five hours driving and hiking to fill in the 1.7 miles, but my conscience was clear.
The next morning I headed down to the Town of Roan Mountain and Mountain Harbor B&B run by Mary and Terry, transplanted Californians. I arrived in the middle of the afternoon. I drove over to the trailhead and found Jack from Iowa. Jack was retired from the military at the young age of about 50 and decided to hike the AT before looking for another job. I guess his family did not mind. He had called Mountain Harbor, but they were full. He was able to get a bunk in another hostel in town. I was able to give him a lift after sharing my cooler.
Roan Mountain is a small town. End to end takes about 3 minutes. I pulled into Mountain Harbor’s grassy parking area next to a small stream. Mountain Harbor was very busy unlike the previous fall when I had stayed there. Of course it was the height of the north bound thru hiker season. Mountain Harbor is about 400 trail miles from Springer and many people start their northbound thru hikes in March, so early May might put them in Roan Mountain.
Despite about 50 hikers at her facility, Mary did not seem flustered. She just rolled with it. I felt guilty having a B&B room to myself. The other 2 rooms were stuffed with people, the hostel in the barn down below was overflowing and Mary had a tent in her yard, also full.
I met Roger and Ted from Texas who were long time section hikers like me. They had come off Hump Mountain today and were taking a zero the next day before backpacking to Damascus. At about 6PM everyone gathered in the grassy parking lot to head to town for dinner. Terry loaded his pickup and made several trips. Roger, Ted and few others drove with me. In town there was a choice of the Bar-B-Q place or the barbeque place. Both were busy since there was some sort of town hall meeting that night that was attracting a crowd. Roger, Ted and I waited in line to order and then quite a while for our food to be delivered. Barbeque, french fries and slaw(the closest thing to a vegetable) were about the extent of the menu. Roger and Ted were about my age and retired and like me, on a mission of the AT. They were just getting going. It was about their third year, started at Springer and hoped to complete the trail in a few years. They lived near the Woodlands in Texas where John had lived a while. John was meeting me at Mountain Harbor the next evening after my planned hike.
It rained hard overnight and was still raining lightly the next morning. Breakfast at 8 was a mob scene. It was hard to find a seat, but Mary had plenty of gourmet food. Even with hikers unabashedly packing away the calories, she did not run out. I am not sure what she charges, but it is not enough.
I met Paul and Jane and their adorable baby Celeste. Paul and Jane had thru hiked the AT several years before and were now living in Portsmouth New Hampshire on the Atlantic coast. Who knew New Hampshire had an Atlantic coast. They freely admitted they were having trouble adjusting to civilian life(not on the AT), so they closed up their home and started another thru hike with their baby and were planning to hike until their money ran out. They could just not stay away from the AT and its people. I know. It gets in your blood. Hiking with a baby was not easy, so Jane did not hike every day. In fact Paul would hike the next day while she hung out at Mountain Harbor.
Another guest was Clara who was about my age. Clara had been “hiking” the trail for quite a number of years. I think her hikes consisted mostly of staying in hostels, sometimes for extended periods on work for stay and talking about hiking. Her hostel stays were resting and recovering from injury. I think occasionally she actually went out hiking for a few days at a time. I guess I sound judgmental. I’ll try to improve. Clara just loved being around hikers and the trail. Clara was staying in Mary’s tent next to the porch. Clara said she was having difficulty with many of the younger thru hikers, claiming the language was horrible, even among the girls. I can’t say I have found that to be the case. I don’t doubt there is some truth to it especially with the hoards that start out in the south each year. Maybe the A__ holes drop out early. Most of the young people I have met on the trail are quality kids and get along well with the other trail demographic of recently retired.
The stream that ran between the house and the barn was running very strong with the overnight rain.
Shortly after breakfast, Terry shuttled Paul and I to Dennis Cove Road. Paul was hiking the entire 24 miles back to Mountain Harbor. I left my car at Dennis Cove Road and Terry drove me back to Walnut Mountain Road. I was doing only 14 miles having the hiked the other 10 the previous year. The shuttle worked great and since there were 2 of us the cost was split.
It was my first hike of the year, but I felt in good shape. There was a persistent rain most of the day. My rain jacket was on and off. It was very easy trail this day. I was not surprised since Bob People’s hostel was at Dennis Cove Road. Bob is the king of trail maintenance in this area and he and his cadre of workers had relocated the trail on this section making it .6 miles longer (24.4 vs 23.8). It appears that these trail locations often make the grade easier in favor of lengthening the trail. I mistakenly believed that they were trying to make the hiking easier, but in reality it is more for preventing erosion.
On the way, I past Hardcore Cascades, a tribute to Bob Peoples and his Hardcore trail maintenance week that he runs after Trail Days each year.
At about noon, I passed Paul who was moving fast. Even though he was doing 24 miles and I was doing 14, I think I only beat him back to Mountain Harbor by less than an hour. There were few views and those there were, were shrouded in clouds.
AT the Moreland Gap Shelter, I stopped to eat. There were 4 thru hikers there trying to stay dry, which was becoming impossible. A couple from New Jersey was on their cell making a reservation at the Black Bear Resort on Dennis Cove Road six miles up the trail. The other two, one older and one younger were planning a stay at Bob People’s place.
The last six miles dragged with the rain. I was glad to reach my car. There was no one at the trailhead to share my cooler with, so I headed back to Mountain Harbor. John had arrived about half an hour earlier.
It was good to see John again. We headed out to Banner Elk, for dinner. I like Barbeque but not that much. It poured on the drive. The Elk River along the way was overflowing its banks and looked “angry”. I believe we were lucky to not have any non passable roads. Dinner was in a great sports bar and we munched on fish tacos and fortunately some vegetables and a salad. Vegetables had been on short supply the previous few days.
Mountain Harbor was stacking up with people. Many had stayed multiple days trying to stay out of the rain. Breakfast was not as crowed as the previous day, since some, especially the older demographic, like to leave early and don’t want to wait around until the 8AM breakfast hour. Mary’s breakfast, which I bragged about to John, did not disappoint us.
After breakfast, John and I checked out and drove cross country to Erwin. We planned to hike from Indian Grave Gap to the Nolichucky River, only about 8 miles down hill. We pulled into the famous Uncle Johnny’s Hostel. The hostel did not seem that busy, but it was mid morning already. Most of the hikers who would have stayed the night would have left and the new ones were not there yet. We left John’s car at the trailhead and I drove over the bridge and along the River for a while. The Nolichucky was seriously over its banks. John and I wondered if we would have any trouble with stream crossings coming down the mountain, but Uncle Johnny did not think so.
The road along the river on the way to the Nolichucky Gorge Campground became impassable as it crossed under a rail road bridge. The road was totally flooded under perhaps 10 feet of water. Leon, a section hiker from California was floundering along the road. He had missed the trail head back at the other side of the bridge. We drove him back. Leon had just flown into the area and was expecting to complete his AT section hike from Erwin to Damascus which would complete the entire AT for him. Leon was only in his 40’s but on a mission to complete the trail, despite wife and family at home.
We drove up to Indian Grave Gap and started out. The trail was wet but easy. It was mostly downhill to the river. We reached the Curly Maple Gap Shelter and there were quite a few hikers there having lunch. We had not seen many hikers on the first half of our hike since a hiker who had left Erwin first thing in the morning, would not have made it up the hill yet. From the Shelter, we must have crossed paths with thirty or so thru hikers. At this time of year there are maybe 50 hikers a day coming through these southern areas. Not many have quit yet.
The trail continued to be very easy with a few nice bridges and a ford which was not much of a ford at all considering the still strong flowing mountain streams. I was expecting better views of the river on the way down, but they were somewhat limited. We past a side trail leading to the Campground which according to the map must have been isolated since the only road to it was under water.
John and I popped out of the woods right at the bridge over the river. The river was still angry and overflowing. John and I had a quick beer and headed up the mountain to retrieve my car at Indian Grave Gap. We had another beverage at my car. In a few minutes a hiker popped out of the woods and we invited him over. He was thru hiking, but in previous years had done some long distance bicycle riding which intrigued John. John and his wife Kim take bike trips from time to time. A few more hikers came out of the woods and then a few more. Before we knew it, we had about ten hikers gathered around. They stayed until John and I both emptied our coolers. It was fun, an instant party. Most of the hikers were young and from all over the country.
We headed down the hill to the Super 8 in Erwin where we spent the night. Dinner was in Johnson City again, like the previous fall.
The next morning we hit the road again. I had cherry picked some nice sections to do with John. There really are some “not to be missed” AT sections that section hikers might consider if they just do not have the time, energy or resources to hike every section. My “to do list” includes somehow ranking the AT sections in order by my enjoyment.
We stopped briefly in Hot Springs for a pit stop and then on to Max Patch Road. Max Patch road was not easy to find and the road was a little rough going up there. We dropped a car at the trail crossing with Max Patch in sight, and continued on Max Patch Road to Lemon Gap, 6.2 trail miles away. There were a few other cars there. It was another beautiful day.
We started out. We would be climbing 1,000 feet to the summit of Max Patch, but over five miles on easy trail, so not strenuous. About a half a mile in, we passed two female thru hikers, one in her 40’s and the other in her late 70’s. What a gamer the older one was, but I think the younger one was hiking with her to support her. I think they had just met a few days earlier if that. That seems like a responsibility. It can be a tough call sometimes to decide if you need to help someone, especially if they don’t think they need help, but you think they might.
There were some nice bridges across streams in this beautiful area. About half way, we come to a large group. They were an Asheville hiking club out for their annual Max Patch hike. They had key swapped with the other half of the club. We stopped and talked a while. John had a friend in Asheville and some in the club knew the woman. It is a small world.
We continued but soon stopped for a snack. We were more out in the open, and there was a chilly breeze, so we put on a sweater. We were playing leapfrog with some of the Asheville people. Max Patch was coming into view. The trail ran through gorgeous rhododendron and hemlock areas. We headed up the spectacular bald with hikers visible along the route. The summit area was busy. Clearly Max Patch is a destination hike and really only a few mile round trip hike from the parking area.
Max Patch was named for Maximilian, a horse who loved to escape there. At one time a private road went to the summit and the land owners would charge cars and hikers to go up there. Small planes landed at one time.
Max Patch was in its glory on this beautiful day. There were big white clouds all around but somehow at the summit it still seemed bright. There was a slight chill with a light breeze. It was a tough place to leave. It seemed like crowds had gathered but no one wanted to monopolize the summit.
John and I did not even know it at the time, but a few months earlier, ATV riding vandals knocked over some fences and went for a joy ride, carving up parts of the Max Patch Bald. We did not see the damage but I think a lot of it had been repaired by local hiking clubs and the State. The vandals were caught, but the penalty to them was not nearly severe enough (my opinion).
John and I headed down the AT which traverses the southern side. We retrieved the car at Lemon Gap and headed to Davenport Gap. Lemon Gap to Max Patch Road was only 6 miles, so it was still early. We decided to do a little 2 mile section from Davenport Gap down to Interstate 40. Two days later I was planning to hike from Match Patch Road to Davenport Gap, but that was 15 miles. I could do 2 of those miles this day since we had the time. We dropped a car along Green Corner Road near the Interstate and drove up to Davenport Gap. There was only parking for about 3 cars.
The trail crossing at Davenport Gap is the beginning (or end) of the AT in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. For the 2 mile downhill hike, we did not bother with packs. It was very pleasant and cool in the late afternoon. We popped out of the woods on Waterville Road, crossed the Pigeon River and under Interstate 40.
John’s cooler was waiting. We had replenished in Erwin that morning, since our coolers were emptied by the party the previous day. A thru hiker came down from Davenport Gap a few minutes behind us. She was “Heads” and was accompanied by her sweet dog “Tails.” Heads and Tails were on their third leg of the Triple Crown of Hiking. She had previously done the Pacific Crest Trail (2,654 miles) and the Continental Divide Trail (3,100 miles). I understand the AT (at 2,184) miles is the toughest.
The youngest person to complete the Triple Crown was a 13 year old girl who did it with her father in three years, finishing in 2013. A man from Northern Ireland hiked them back to back in 239 days in 2005. Now wait a minute, that’s 33 miles a day. Could that be right?
Heads and Tails had a soda and water with us. Since I knew dogs were not allowed in GSMNP, I asked Heads about that. It was clear Heads was not a rule follower, but a free spirit. If she had been asked about Tails by a ranger, she would have would have claimed that Tails was a service dog. Anyway, they made it through. Heads put on Tails’ backpack. Tails was very cooperative. It was clear they had hiked a lot of miles together. Then she put on her own and headed up the rock stair case with a metal railing on her way to the close by hostel.
We realized later that Heads left her maps in our trunk. We mailed them to Hot Springs as General Delivery that night (addressed to Heads and Tails). I wonder if she got them?
John and I retrieved our car and then on to our Newport Tennessee motel. We found an OK place to eat after a shower.
The next morning our planned hike was up to Clingman’s Dome in GSMNP. We took our two cars up to Newfound Gap which it the busy main viewing area for any non hikers. US 441 goes East to West through the park from Cherokee, North Carolina to Gatlinburg, Tennessee. It is the sole main highway through the park. That became a major problem since a landslide had taken out a few hundred feet of the road on the eastern side of the mountain in January. I am sure this proved to be very inconvenient for the locals, but would have been a disaster for the tourist season should the road not be open, especially for the Cherokee side. Somehow, the park bureaucracy got it done, with incentive laden private contracts, and the road reopened in April, a month ahead of schedule.
We drove up to the Clingman’s Dome parking area, left a car and then back down to Newfound Gap to begin our hike. It would be 8 miles up hill to Clingman’s Dome. It was a damp raw day. This is an often hiked section and the trail was almost a foot deep trench with rocks on the bottom of this well worn trail. Views were limited. There were some thru hikers but we were now only 200 miles from Springer and it was May, so many of the thru hikers, even the slow ones were past this point.
We did meet a ridge runner and a thru hiker from England along the way. There were a few fences with iron grated elevated treads which were designed to keep the wild boar contained within a certain area. The viewpoints were shrouded in clouds. Compared to the climbing New Hampshire and Maine, it was not that difficult. John always sets a good pace. I might hike faster but would have to stop and catch my breath.
We reached Clingman’s Dome which is the highest point on the entire AT at 6,643 ft. Mount Washington is 6,288 ft. There is a tower at the summit of Clingman’s Dome. Even though I usually don’t do heights, we walked up the circular wheelchair accessible tread way to the top. It was eerie and fogged in. There were few people around. We spent only a minute on the top, since we could not see a darn thing and headed down and followed the paved half mile steep path down to the parking area and our car.
We retrieved our second car and headed to Gatlinburg. How do you describe Gatlinburg? A close friend hated it. He described it as tacky. I guess everyone might have their own take on it. Parking was horrible for a weekday in May, we thought. It was busy. The five blocks on the main street were hopping with people. There were wax museums, rides, towers, every type of eating establishment imaginable, every type of souvenir shop imaginable, dinner theaters, clubs, and ice cream and fudge shops. It was kind of like a boardwalk at the Jersey shore, but with a Tennessee slant. Throw in a little Disney land just for good measure. Thousands of motel rooms are close by.
We found a place to eat outdoors, so we did not have to smell ourselves too much. We had cleaned up as best we could. There was still a chill in the air. After dinner we walked the streets of Gatlinburg gawking at the goings on. It was a trip.
Then we headed back to our Newport motel.
John was headed home the next morning, but kindly agreed to shuttle me up to Max Patch Road. I left my car at Green Corner Road near the trail crossing at Interstate 40. I would hike the 13 trail miles back to my car. It was a long rough road that John would have to negotiate twice.
As we approached the trailhead, I noticed a van pulling out. Soon after I started the hike I met a female through hiker and she asked me if I was with the two guys that she had talked to just me a few minutes before. I figured they were doing the same hike as me, but it would me later in the day until I would catch them.
The trail was easy and pleasant. No rocks and roots here. At this higher elevation, the full green of summer had not yet exploded. A few miles in, I met Ringmaster. Ringmaster was probably in his 70’s. He was on his third thru hike having done a traditional northbound thru hike in 2007 and a southbound hike in 2009. Ringmaster had a very light small duffle that he had slung over one arm. There was an umbrella attached. Ok, that is the second umbrella I have witnessed a thru hiker carry.
Ringmaster showed me the magic trick that gave him his trail name. It was the classic ring on the chain which seemed to defy logic. He gave me his blog which I would check later. He made it as far as northern Virginia when knee issues made it too unbearable to continue.
At Brown Gap, I met a guy with a dog resting. He had picked up his dog at hostel near the Interstate. They are kennels who will pick up a thru hikers dog at Fontana Dam (the southern end of the Smokies) and deliver them at Interstate 40 after the hiker had traversed the 71 AT miles in the Smokies. He had met Heads and Tails at the hostel. She was ahead of him, but I told him if he saw her in Hot Springs, to tell her about us mailing the maps.
A large woman with a large pack and two medium sized dogs (with packs) went by. She was moving very slowly. I am not sure where she was headed, but I don’t think Katahdin was in the cards.
From the side trail to Groundhog Creek Shelter, it was 2 ½ mile climb up to Snowbird Mountain. I was glad to reach the top, knowing there were no more significant ups to negotiate. I met Wolfwoman on the way up.
At the bald summit of Snowbird Mountain there were two thru hikers resting. They asked me where they were which I thought was curious since the FAA tower was only one hundred yards away. Maybe they did not have a book or detailed trail descriptions. The young man and woman were not at all talkative and almost ignored me. They were sullen and I think were near abandoning their thru hike. When they got up to leave, the man was limping badly. He was using a staff with feathers attached at the top of it. They still had thirty miles to get to Hot Springs. It would be tough and take a long time at the pace they were moving.
I started down from Snowbird and encountered a late forties husband and wife followed by their father (in law). They were Asian, perhaps Chinese. The wife asked if that was the “top”, pointing to the FAA tower. I said it was. She had a large pack and seemed exhausted. She did not speak much English, but I think they were actually on some sort of long distance hike. They could rest at the top.
In another few minutes, I finally caught the two men who were dropped off just minutes before me at Max Patch Road. They were Happy Trails (Bob) and Bulging Groin (Kent) from Cleveland Ohio. I think I heard the story of how Bulging Groin got his trail name, but promptly forgot it.
They seemed to be barely aware of the three Cleveland women who had just days earlier, escaped from a house where they had been held after being abducted some ten years earlier. The trail can put you out of touch with the news, which can be a good thing.
Bob and Kent were both early 60 something early retirees from a utility company. Happy trails had been section hiking the AT for a number of years with a gradually diminishing group from Cleveland. He had done about 2000 miles now and was nearing completion. Bulging Groin had done about 900 miles. As it turned out, they were staying in Newport too, so we made arrangements to have dinner that night at the steakhouse.
Bob and Kent finished their sandwich and I asked if I could join them. Happy trails led out in a full sprint (hiking). At that pace, I wondered how I ever caught them, but Kent admitted that he (Kent) really slowed down on the ups. Bob was a very strong hiker. The five mile, 2500 ft. descent from Snowbird Mountain was on very easy graded trail using switchbacks. It made the fast pace doable. In less than 2 hours we were crossing Waterville School Road. The minor up on the other side did slow Kent down a bit, but I did not pass him. I was glad for the break and slowed my pace to allow the two friends to finish together. The long rock staircase with the metal railing took us down to gravel Waterville Road near the Interstate and my waiting car. I got a picture of the very weathered sign at the bottom of the steps.
My cooler was ready. Bob and Kent were happy for a cold soda. They had parked their car at the Big Creek Ranger Station a few miles away. I drove them to their car and we all headed to Newport and met for dinner at the steakhouse. They were enjoyable company as we swapped trail stories. I drove home the next day.
Over the summer, Lebron James won his first NBA title, Phil Michelson won the British Open golf tournament after barely missing out at the US Open. A dysfunctional government website for the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) was launched.
I made two trips north in June and August, finishing New Hampshire and continuing into Maine. Progress in the North is slow.
I participated in the Appalachian Trail Conservancy’s biennial conference in July. I also did two more triathlons making it three for the year, enabling me to get my national ranking back. Cool. I never said it was a high ranking in my age group (412 out of 427). Oh well, a national ranking is a national ranking.
Over the summer, my high school class had a reunion and I got reacquainted with Barry. Barry was a school principal and between assignments had started an AT thru hike a few years earlier. He got as far as Fontana Dam when foot problems required him to abandon his hike. Barry was interested in my day hiking strategy and would join John and me for a few days in the fall.
Our plan was to hike a few days south of Erwin and then hike out of Hot Springs a few days. On Sunday October 6, I drove down to Erwin and the friendly Super 8. Barry decided to stay at Uncle Johnny’s Hostel. At dinner we planned the next few days. John would meet us at our finish on Tuesday.
Our Monday hike was the 11 miles from Spivey Gap back to the Nolichucky River. I had arranged for a shuttle from Uncle Johnny before Barry committed and felt obligated. Since we had two cars we would have not needed a shuttle. One of Uncle Johnny’s men took Barry and I out to Spivey Gap. It was only about 20 miles and took 30 minutes on curvy but good roads. US 19W was once a main road from Erwin to Asheville.
Barry and I started out from Spivey Gap. Barry was not fast but could hold a steady pace. The trail was easy and the grades not difficult. Our hike started in North Carolina but crossed into Tennessee at Devils Creek Gap. This section did not follow the TN/NC border as much of the trail does in this area.
It was fun to get to know Barry. We had not seen each other graduating from Boyertown PA High School in 1965. There was a short lived weekly network TV show about (whatever happened to) The Class of ’65 that ran in 1977-1978. Barry and I were not featured. Barry and I played football in high school but never together. Barry played in Junior High and as a senior. I played in 10th and 11th grades. My football days were not very successful. I ran cross country as a senior and was worse at that if that seems possible.
Barry did not have the resources to go to college after high school so joined the Army. He was an MP and fortunately never had to go to Vietnam. After the Army, Barry got married and went to college. Barry is very personable and people naturally took a liking to him and helped him along the way. He got his degree in education and did graduate work in Florida, eventually getting his PHD. He served as school principals and eventually became a school superintendent in Florida and then later back in Pennsylvania. He and his wife had four children, many of whom became educators.
In the small world department, Barry had a cabin down near the Appalachian Trail between Pine Grove Furnace and New Caledonia State Parks in southern Pennsylvania. One of his neighbors there is Bob Freeman, who had shuttled me for all of 2003. Bob was still active with the trail and was now a ridge runner for the ATC. Bob’s passion for the trail had infected Barry which is why Barry started a thru hike. It is a small world, but the AT community is far reaching. I learn that almost every week.
While taking a break at Temple Hill Gap, two female south bound thru hikers stopped to talk. There were a few easy bumps, but it was mostly downhill to the Nolichucky. The views of the river from the ridge were very good in spots. John and I had hiked down to the river from the north in the spring when the views were not as good. The leaves were just starting to turn at higher elevations. It was an overcast day but not cool so T shirts were fine. The last three miles were downhill and we popped out of the woods by mid afternoon.
Since we had done Italian the night before, we settled on Mexican (the other choice) for dinner where we planned our next day.
The next morning we needed an early start since it would be a tougher hike of 13 plus miles with significant climbs. We took both our cars to Spivey Gap and were on the trail by 8AM. We started climbing right away and I was unfairly pushing the pace. Our plan was to meet John at Sam’s Gap at 3PM and I don’t like to be late for anything. Barry fell behind but never stopped. I hike at pace that I cannot maintain at times. I just waited at the tops of the climbs. We did not take the short trail up to High Rocks missing the views. I was in too much of a darn hurry. Maybe by the time I finish the trail, I will fix that. Even though we had a big breakfast in Erwin, we were ready for a snack at the wooded summit of Little Bald after climbing 1300 feet in two miles. Barry and I were both getting tired.
We had more climbing but not as steep to a fragile partially open summit where there was a large school group enjoying some nature activities. We tried to be quiet as we passed. As we exited the area, we started an open field descent to Big Stamp, a saddle with Big Bald imposing on the other side. It was a beautiful area. An overcast sky had yielded to a bright blue with wispy clouds. The scene was beautiful. There was a cool breeze.
We arrived at Big Stamp. “Stamp” is derived from an area severely trodden by cattle or horses, my guidebook said. There were about forty small packs lined up at the dirt road at the col which was Big Stamp. The area seemed accessible from the east somehow. The school children were now following us down from the ridge. They looked like a row of ants from a half mile away. Barry and I continued on to Big Bald. There were some straggly trees and a deep trench for the trail up t the summit. It was a nice climb and well worth the effort. It was beautiful with 360 degree views. One can pick out the Smokies, Unaka Mountain and Mt Mitchell (the tallest mountain in North Carolina). Big Bald is one of the highlights of the entire AT. I was disappointed for John that he would miss it.
“Old Hog Greer” lived as a hermit off and on at the summit of Big Bald for thirty years in the early 1800’s after being spurned by his sweetheart. He lived in a dugout room under a rock with a moat to keep his livestock in. He was killed in an argument.
I called John from the summit and he was running a little late as we were, so it seemed like it would work out. Barry and I headed down from the summit. I hated to leave. Barry led the way. At a rise before Low Gap we looked back over our shoulder at Big Bald. It was a spectacular sight and looked to be a long way even though it was less than three miles.
Climbing up from Street Gap, it seemed evident that the trail had been relocated with easier trail using switchbacks up the rise. This added mileage but made the climbs easier. Barry was hanging tough despite the long day. The last two miles were downhill on easy trail. We rolled into Sam’s Gap and the beautiful parking lot. John had arrived there a few minutes before.
John had not seen Barry since High School either, but they knew each other well. John was an offensive lineman on the football team and Barry was a defensive lineman. They often squared off against each other in practices. I offered to use my whistle if they wanted to relive the glory days that evening in Hot Springs and go one on one. They declined.
John took us to retrieve our cars at Spivey Gap and it was on to Hot Springs. We stayed at the Laughing Heart B&B and hostel and had dinner in town. Breakfasts were at the Smoky Mountain Diner where you have to be careful not to overeat. Avoid the skillet breakfast. It is just too much food, not to mention the calorie count.
The next morning we had arranged for a shuttle from the outfitter in town to take us up to Lemon Gap and we would hike the 14 miles back to Hot Springs. The shuttle van was full with the three of us and Wrong Way and Payday from Cullowhee. Wrong Way and Payday were academics at Western Carolina University where I had just been in July at the AT biennial conference. They had planned a hike in the Smokies for this week but the sequester, which had been announced a few days earlier, the Smokies were now closed. They changed their plan to an overnight from Lemon Gap to Davenport Gap. The three of us were also planning a day hike in the Smokies from Cosby Campground to Davenport Gap, but we had to change our plans as well with the government shut down.
From Lemon Gap heading north, we were on a stiff climb of 700 ft to the Walnut Mountain Shelter. After a short down to Gale Gap, we started our assault of Bluff Mountain. I am not remembering it being very tough, but that is always the case once it is done and beyond memory. As we reached the summit, we encountered a group of four young women who had just arrived ahead of us. They were doing a three day back pack from Max Patch Road and having a ball. We swapped cameras for a photo op at the small Bluff Mountain sign.
The long easy four miles down 2200 ft to Garenflo Gap seemed to fly by. After that we were all getting weary and by the time we reached the Deer Park Mountain Shelter we needed a good rest and a snack. It had gotten late in the day since our morning shuttle was delayed what seemed like an hour with a road paving project. We still had three miles to go.
Fortunately, after a brief climb to the high point on Deer Park Mountain, it was downhill most of the way to Hot Springs. We popped out of the woods and had a street walk through town to the outfitter where we parked our car. It was dusk as we enjoyed a beer on the porch at Laughing Heart B&B. Dinner was at the sports bar which was busy with locals. I was not feeling that well having picked up a bug and ended up contaminating Spring Creek.
Barry decided the next day would be his last. He really seemed to enjoy this day hiking thing but had family to visit near Roan Mountain. After breakfast (a light one for me) we took our three cars over to Devils Fork Gap at the Tennessee/North Carolina line. The AT actually follows the Tennessee/ North Carolina border from Little Bald, all the way through most of the Smokies, well over 150 miles. We drove my car over to Sams Gap next to Interstate 26 to begin our 8.5 mile hike.
We proceeded under the Interstate for a brief road walk on US 23, until we turned up the hill and into the woods. Sams Gap is at 3760 ft and we proceeded up from there. A shuttle driver out of Erwin, had tacked some business cards to a tree. I took one thinking I might call later for some information about Big Bald. I struggled on the hills this day. John was setting his usual good pace, but I was breathing hard to keep up. Barry was right with us. The bug I had was making the hike difficult and I was not at my best.
One the way to High Rock we had nice view of the mountains across the Interstate Valley. It was October 10 and the leaves were just beginning to turn. It was a very nice day with a clear blue sky and wispy white clouds. We took our time on this day and our short hike took us close to five hours. After Lick Rock it was mostly downhill. Just before Rector Laurel Road we seemed to lose the trail more than once as it left an old woods road. It was easy to get back, but I am not sure why it was not clear. The last bump over a small ridge seemed to slow me down more. Finally we hiked down though a field and our cars.
Barry said goodbye and was off. John and I drove over to retrieve my car at Sam’s Gap. On the way, I called the shuttle driver whose business card I had picked up and left a message. I was trying to figure out a way to get John up to Big Bald. John and I drove over to the Wolf Laurel Ski Community. It is a private community with gated access. It appeared from the map that Big Bald could be accessed from the community. We were turned away at the gate.
Later that evening the shuttle driver called me back. I inquired about any way to get up to Big Bald. He had a way and one call later we had a plan for the following day. We ate on the porch at Spring Creek restaurant. The pork chops were dry. John and I declined to enter the karaoke competition. A mother daughter team gave a great rendition of “Red Neck Woman”.
Having struggled the previous day, I decided to cut our hike for Friday short. We had planned to hike the fourteen miles from Allen Gap back to Hot Springs but settled on the six miles from Tanyard Gap down to town. We could do that in the morning and try to get John up to Big Bald in the afternoon. It was a cloudy and chilly day.
The trail crosses US 25 on a concrete overpass with a road going to something called Mill Creek. Access was easy via a dirt road with some parking. After the overpass the trail followed some old roads and then through some fields to a pond with a dam. It started to warm up so I could shed my wool shirt. We stopped for a break and a 40ish athletic couple from Tennessee came by and we spoke a while. They were avid hikers and were visiting Hot Springs this week. John and I continued on to the descent to town. The trail was full of leaves. We arrived at Lover’s Leap Rock which was very overgrown limiting the views. It looked somewhat treacherous. The trail down was somewhat challenging in parts, steep and rocky. There were nice views down into the French Broad River Valley. The last mile along the river was very pleasant. We crossed the bridge and in to town.
We had a quick lunch retrieved our car at Tanyard Gap and headed back to the gate at Wolf Laurel Ski area, where thanks to the people to the AT helping each other, we were able to get through the gate and drive to the almost full parking lot which was less than a mile from the summit of Big Bald. Big Bald really is a gem with its 360 degree views. There were several groups up there. Almost all were homeowners in the private community who visited often. It had turned into a beautiful day with clear views of all the surrounding mountain ranges. Big Bald itself is not private, but access is limited to the private community or those who have the ability to hike quite a distance. John loved it as I knew he would and I was glad we figured out a way to get up there.
We were back at The Iron Horse for dinner, by far the best place to eat in town. We skipped breakfast and both hit the road early the next morning.
For the year I totaled 235 AT miles, 63 miles in eight days in New Hampshire and Maine and 172 miles in 18 days in Tennessee and North Carolina. I was now at 1,772 miles with 408 to go. I was over 80%. Could that be done in two more years? Maine is tough. How am I going to do the Smokies without sleeping on the ground? We will see.
The United States ended its sixteen day partial shutdown. The Boston Red Sox won the World Series. Whitey Bulger was sentenced to two life terms plus five years. Mary Barra of General Motors became the first female CEO of a major automotive company.
Exciting family news is on the horizon.
