April 29, 2021

Taking a zero day today in Erwin, TN at the Super 8 motel.

Legs and knees need a break.  Hobbled to get dinner last night but legs are feeling better this morning.  Got laundry done and walked maybe a half mile into the center of Erwin.

It is a small town right off interstate 26, nestled in a valley among the mountains along the Nolichucky River.  Population is around 6,000.  It has a comfy, relaxed, pleasant small town feel to me.  There is also a CSX railroad yard here.  I have heard a couple trains pass through since I’ve been here.  Very friendly people.  

From my hotel I walk under the interstate and then a few blocks into town.  My location is great as a big supermarket (Food City), Walgreens and a small outfitter are in walking distance so resupply is convenient.

It has a small but nice little Main Street.

I got my supplies, made arrangements to get shuttled back to the trail in the morning and decided to rest legs back at the hotel.  Keeping an eye on the weather forecast as there could be thunderstorms in a few days.  Shuttle comes at 7:30 in the morning to get going early. Tomorrow’s hike is going to be a climb back up into the mountains.

April 28, 2021

Didn’t leave camp until a little after 8:30 as I took my time making breakfast and breaking camp.  Said goodbye to Tobasco and wished her well and started off for Erwin and a zero day tomorrow.

There have been more hikers this year than two years ago.  I suspect that last year’s group got pushed into this year because of COVID.  This year’s group is more predominantly in their twenties.  No international folks like last time.

A very friendly and helpful group with interesting backgrounds and interests from mostly the Eastern US.

I have not seen any wildlife to speak of.  Maybe the larger group of hikers is keeping them away from the trail.  One hiker did report encountering a rattle snake 🐍 when I stopped for lunch at No Business Knob Shelter.  Chatted with a woman from Pittsburgh.  Our conversation turned to biking the Allegany Gap which Deirdra and I plan to do.  She has done the Gap and the C&O canal.  We biked the C&O canal a couple years ago.  She stayed at the same hostel and ate at Buddy Lou’s in Hancock, MD that we did.  Small world.  As I was finishing up, “Clingy” showed up.  I offered him my spot at the picnic table and hurried on my way.

Much of this day was walking along the side of the mountain along a narrow path.  Just need to be sure not to step to far to the side or you would end up going down a steep hill.  There were of course the obligatory peaks to climb and then the last few miles down into town.

Another good weather day.  Except for the one day of rain and wind the weather has been very cooperative.

The views were great today.

Coming into Erwin:

Made it to Erwin.  The Trail literally passes right by Uncle Johnny’s hostel.  Many of the hikers are staying there, particularly the younger ones, but I’m not.  Had a drink on the porch waiting for my ride.  Just as “Clingy” showed up my ride came.  I think he was going to stay there.

I took a shuttle to the Super 8 hotel which is closer to shopping and resupply.  Time for a long shower, food and sleep 🛌.

I am taking a day off tomorrow to rest.  The knee has been holding up fairly well.  It’s been my right foot that’s been bugging me.

Completed about 11 miles and elevation of  2.000 feet.  We descended down from the mountains into Erwin so the total decent from the gap to Erwin was over 5,000 feet.

April 27, 2021

I got the early shuttle back to the trail at 8am.  Just me and a couple from Framingham, MA. Everyone else would be catching a 9am shuttle.  Nice people I would guess in their late fifties maybe 60ish.  They have been section hiking the trail.  They have already completed from PA to Gorham, Maine.  I started up the trail while they adjusted some equipment.  They would eventually catch up and pass me about mid afternoon.

I was glad I got the early shuttle for two reasons.  First to be able to start hiking in the cooler morning hours and second to escape a hiker who had joined me hiking yesterday but was getting to clingy.

Today’s biggest challenge is Big Bald Mountain.  I feel a lot of energy today and the climb, while long, was more gradual until closer to the top.  Saw an old structure out in the middle of nowhere long since abandoned.  These make me wonder about their history and purpose.

Big Bald Mountain stands 5,516 feet tall.

It’s a bald so it’s pretty much grass at the top.  The view was great.

This is lookin down at Little Bald and I will be hiking the path you can see cross over it.

As is usual, the day involved several climbs of differing elevation gains.  I usually note the highest or biggest elevation climb.  In this case, Big Bald.  An interesting afternoon climb at High Rocks was steeper and much narrower and rockier than the balds I crossed.

Today’s plan was to hike to at least Spivey Gap and camp there and that is what I did.  This left me with about an eleven mile hike tomorrow into Erwin, TN.

Late in the afternoon a woman hiker popped out of a camp area next to the trail where she had been resting and joined me for a while.  Trail name is Tobasco.  She is late 20’s I would guess.  She has dual citizenship of US and Israel and said she had lived in Israel for a while and served 3 years in their army.  She moved back to the US a couple of years ago and now lives in Maine.  

Late in the afternoon I found a spot to camp just off the trail at the gap.  Set up my tent and started dinner.   Tobasco showed up and decided to camp there as well.  I think she was looking to be around someone where she was camping that night.  It was a pretty remote section of the trail.  As she was walking in I noticed she was pregnant.  What in the world is someone doing hiking like this while pregnant?  I admire her determination but worry about her health.   She said she was taking her time and doing fine.  Based on how she was showing I guess maybe 4 months pregnant.  Never thought I would see this on the trail.

After dinner I tied my Ursack food bag to a tree about 40 yards from tent and helped Tobasco hang her bear bag.  Then I was off to bed.  It was hard to sleep because it had gotten warmer and the humidity had gone up.

Completed about 13.4 miles and climbed around 3,500 feet.

April 26, 2021

Today’s plan is to hike 12 miles to Sam’s Gap and stay at Nature’s Inn Hostel.  The next camp after that looks to be a little to much of a stretch for me besides I desperately need a shower and washed clothes.  The stench is growing.  It has been warm enough to generate a lot of perspiration on the climbs and when it’s been colder and rainy, wearing the rain gear makes you sweat as well since while it keeps rain out it also traps heat in.

Weather is sunny and a little warm but overall pretty good.  Views were great.

This family donated a lot of land to be used as parkland.  I’m walking through it today.  I’ll have to look into it a little more.

Got to Sam’s Gap as planned and shuttled to the hostel.  

There are a group of buildings.  The above has a small sitting area, a kitchen with some food to cook and a few tables to eat by.

I opted for a private cabin.  Had room for two with no plumbing.  Roof over your head and a space heater if needed.  It was right next to a creek so it was relaxing to hear the water flowing by.  There are 4 cabins.  This one was mine.

The bathrooms and laundry were close by. They were very clean and well maintained in this building.  Washing machine and dryer in the back.

The cheaper option was to stay in the bunkhouse for 30 dollars.

There are a fair number of hikers here.  They had a small kitchen and dining area.  You could buy a frozen pizza and they had some limited supplies for sale.  I bought a pizza.  One group of hikers knew local people and they came by with a huge platter of sushi. Whaaat!  I traded some pizza for sushi. Loved it.  And boy was it good to get a shower.

It is a really nice hostel operated by very helpful and friendly people.  Good choice to stay there.

Completed about 12 miles and elevation of about 3,200 feet.

April 25, 2021

The rain has mostly stopped and everyone is heading out from the shelter.  I’m hoping to do about 14 miles to Flint Mountain Shelter.  While the rain has stopped, everything is damp and there is a heavy fog which lasted until nearly two in the afternoon which obscured most of the views.

Too bad because there are some great views when the weather is good.  Still there are interesting features along the way.

Passed by the Shelton Graves site on the way down Big Butt Mountain.  These are the burial sites for two Union soldiers from the South killed by Confederates.  They were uncle and nephew.  From what I read the story may be a little more involved but it is a reminder of the awful struggle between friends, family and neighbors back then.

It did eventually clear in the afternoon exposing some great views.

Made it to the Flint Mountain shelter and set up my tent, made dinner and hung the bear bag.  Sorry Yogi, no food here for you.

Did approximately 14 miles and elevation of around 3,400 feet.

Time for sleep.

April 24, 2021

Up at daylight to get started before the rain. It wasn’t long before it started as a gentle rain but soon became steady.  Cold Wind picked up to about 20 mph.  That plus tired legs pushed me to shorten today’s hike; only 7 miles.  The combination of cold and rain are hiker crypto nite. My extra couple miles yesterday put me out in front of those hiking from the last shelter which turned out to be fortuitous as I was able to snag the last spot  in Little Laurel Shelter.  A quick change into dry clothes and into the sleeping bag to get warm.  Didn’t have to set up my tent in rain and wind.   There are strong, cold wind gusts.  So there are six of us staying warm in our sleeping bags waiting out  the storm today in the shelter.  About 8 hikers are sheltering in their tents nearby to survive the storm.

Rain should end overnight and winds diminish over the day tomorrow.  Forecast says we should get sun tomorrow afternoon.😊

April 23, 2021

Up and out to breakfast at the Diner at 7:15.  A little later than I hoped but not bad.  Then off on the trail which goes right through the town, over the railroad tracks across the French Broad River and then up into the mountains.  There will be three climbs today amounting to about 4000 feet.  My goal is Spring Mountain Shelter about 11 miles.  Should be a good day today but rain on Saturday.

Walking along the French Broad River.

Views along the trek up into the mountains.

I came across two memorials during the day.  These were deep in the mountains along the trail.  So interesting to find these in what to me seem to be remote areas in the mountains.  I’ll have to see if I can find more about these. (I learned that Rex Pulford died of a heart attack during a thru hike attempt in 1983.)

Weather was pretty good today but trees partially hid some of the views.  

When I got to the shelter it was full.  Normally I would tent by the shelter but this is high up on a ridge and the weather prediction is for strong winds.  I ended up stealth camping alone down the mountain about 2 miles further.

Hope to get an early start to get to the next shelter before the rain and winds which are expected tomorrow. Total miles logged today was nearly 13 with appropriate elevation gain of 4,000 feet.

Legs are tired.  

April. 22, 2021

Flew out of Boston and through Charlotte to Asheville this morning on American Airlines.  For a change everything went on schedule.  I was picked up at airport by Harry’s car service.  What a character.  I got a ride from Harry himself.  According to him he was in army special services and fought in all the combats since the Viet Nam war.  Shot at many times and jumped from many an airborne vehicle.  Says he was a bad boy in the service but since he was a friend of  four star General Abrams he wasn’t disciplined much.  Stayed in the service a long time even though money was not good because he wanted to take care of his troops.  Now he consults to DOD for good money and they don’t want him to retire.  Has a fleet of cars for his shuttle service and employs about a dozen vets.  It went on and on.  I got most of his life story.  Single now, two kids, one grandchild and just turned 72.  I could hardly get a word in the whole hour drive.  I like stories.

I will say his car was very clean and nice, his service was excellent and I’d recommend him.

I got to Hot Springs in time to go to the post office to mail my duffel bag home and to get a gas canister for my stove from the local outfitter, Buff Mountain.  Hot Springs hasn’t changed much but I heard there is a new restaurant in town.

I am gold blazing tonight.  Staying at the Laughing Heart Lodge.  It’s affiliated with the hostel of the same name where I stayed in 2019 only much nicer.  It was built by a family here back in the day when the mineral springs in town were considered medicinal.  Their daughter was seriously ill. Later the jesuits bought it and erected a small chapel which is still on the grounds.  Now it’s owned in trust and it’s income is used to support a paralyzed person.  Anyway as you can see it’s quite nice.  Two beautiful stone fireplaces.  Very quaint.

I have a private room and bath.

Walked a short distance into town for dinner at the Smokey Mountain Diner and then back to room for final backpack check and sleep.  Tomorrow I hike into the mountains.