Day 15 - Reflection

Miles Today - 0

I stayed in Gatlinburg all day, doing chores, eating food, and lounging around the motel with the other hikers.

Today I just wanted to briefly write about where I am mentally with this trip. I set out intent to reach Maine before the term began, but I've begun to rethink the objective. For one, I no longer feel much of a desire to complete the trail. For another, while the pace I set would be doable, it wouldn't be much fun to rush rush rush my way to the north.

So I've decided to walk till I feel like stopping. Hiking has always been about accomplishment for me, and having my only goal be Maine makes it harder to feel good about each day. So I'm setting smaller goals. Next stop is Hot Springs, and I'll plan from there. This is all to say that I may be out here for another week, another month, or maybe the whole summer after all. We'll see.

So far though, I've been having a hell of a good time on the trail. If you ever are having doubts about the goodness of people, take a walk on the AT. The kindness shown by people on and off the trail is staggering. The strong sense of community among long distance hikers is evident each day on the trail, each night at a shelter, and in towns when two of you pass, poles click clacking on the cement.

It's a wonderful place, and I'm having a wonderful time. How much longer I'll be out here is something I still have to figure out, but I'll continue living it up until then. Cheers.

Day 14 - Perfection

Miles Today - 12.5

Yesterday was terrible, no denying it. At every turn something seemed to go wrong. Today was perfect. I guess the trail balances itself out, sometimes in extreme ways.

I woke early and broke camp as the light trickled onto the ridge. Persistence sauntered over to me as I was getting out my remaining food (a Snickers and a Cliff bar) and said "205." I nodded, a little grimly. That was 4 miles past Clingam's Dome, the highest point on the AT. I'd have to make my food last.

They lasted an hour. It was chilly, but bright and warming quickly. The ground was slick with mud and puddles from the day before. I quickly pulled into the next shelter, and debated poking around to see if Rose was still there, but judging from the snores coming from within I'd be disturbing a lot of people if I did.

The trek to the Dome felt fast and easy. The weather had reached a perfectly warm point, and the trail felt greener than ever before. I ascended the curving observation tower to be immediately swarmed with what seemed like hundreds of purple shirted middle schoolers, who made taking clear pictures mostly impossible. I descended, doing my best not to bowl over any children who were below my sight line.

"Is there an elevator to that tower?" One of them panted, coming up the road. I giggled.

The path down from the Dome was buzzing with life. Not just was it a solid green tunnel, but it was infested with flies, hovering in swarms over the fetid puddles. Just as I started getting hungry, an older couple passed by. They offered me two apples, and I thought I was about to faint from sheer gratitude. All smiles, we both went our ways.

A mile later I came out to a green field lying below a parking lot. As I came around the bend I saw Persistence's tent drying on the grass. 205. Yes.

I spent a little under an hour there, waiting for Rose. They had a grill going, and bags of chips, cookies, candy, and soda. I kept being encouraged to eat and ended up pitting down 2 burgers, 2 dogs, and more of the others than I could count. It was heaven.

A man in a day pack, named Godspeed, came through, and offered the assembled masses of hikers a shuttle into town from Newfound Gap. Even better! Rose and I picked up and did the fastest 1.7 miles I think I've ever hiked.

At the gap (which hold the North Carolina Tennessee state line, though we've been straddling it for days) Godspeed and his wife, Mountain Momma, had desserts, sodas, and sandwiches for us. They told us about how Godspeed and his son had started a thru hike, only to be stopped when Godspeed caught a bad virus. He told his son to go on without him, but when he hiked the 5 miles to the nearest road his son was there waiting for him. "We started, together, we'll finish together." When they got home they discovered his son, trail name Aslan, had a brain tumor. The doctors said it was inoperable, and gave him only a few months.

Aslan went in for surgery to drill a hole in his skull, to let the brain fluid have a place to drain. His family gathered to pray for mercy, knowing that a brain tumor was a hard way to go. The surgeon went to the waiting room to discuss the procedure with Mountain Momma, and as she was leaving, Momma asked her name so that they could pray for her specifically. The surgeon smiled. "Mercy."

Aslan made a full recovery against the odds, and he and Godspeed finished their hike, together.

Godspeed also warned us that Gatlinburg was like Vegas, only without the gambling. He warned us that he gave out his number so that we could update them on our trip, not to call to ask for bail. I couldn't tell if he was joking.

Gatlinburg is certainly an experience. It's a long strip packed with over the top amusements and restaurants. The streets are packed, with people and cars swarming from attraction to attraction. It's beautiful. It's terrifying. It's a tourist wonderland.

Rose and I are booked at the Grand Prix Motel at the edge of town. We went to a local brewery for dinner, eating with Half Moon, a free lance writer on his third thru hike we had met the day before. I stuffed myself silly while Rose worked hard to convince him to hike the Pacific Crest Trail next.

Beat, I retired to our room and crashed hard. Tomorrow is for shopping, as I need food, and especially some sandals, to wear around camp. There's also a BBQ joint down the street with a highly recommended breakfast buffet. Gatlinburg is certainly crazy, but I look forward to the day off.

Day 8 - Lazy Day

Miles Today - 7.3

I woke at 6:30 to a half lit shelter. Feeling an urge to get to town as quickly as possible, I scampered around the rafters to put my stuff in order, setting out as the rest of the shelter was just stirring.

The short hike was easy and beautiful as the sun poked its head over the mountains. The moment I set foot on the road the shuttle pulled up, and I gladly piled in.

In town I was dropped straight at the motel. My room was still being cleaned so I headed out to McDonalds for breakfast and to post my previous three days. I had wifi, but sadly no reception.

I spent the afternoon lazily watching movies on TV (Forrest Gump and The Last Samurai), waiting for the 4:00 shuttle to the outfitter's/Walmart. As 4 rolled around I went to the parking lot to find that Rose had arrived, but Bear Juice had decided to push on. At the outfitter's I bought a cheap, small, ground mat for when I slept at shelters (which was becoming every night if possible). At Walmart I bought noodles of all kinds, and then a bunch of terrible for me snack foods to keep me happy.

Back at the motel I took a quick walk to Domino's and bought a horrific amount of pizza and cinna-stix, laying on a grassy slope to pig out in the shade. I rolled back to the motel bloated and happy.

I know I will be resting in Gatlinburg, a town another 100 miles away, but I have yet to plan my resupplies along the way. An outfitter/resort sits on the trail about a day away, and my family has mail dropped food there, so that will at least be a stop. Tomorrow my pack will be heavy with food, but I look forward to stretching my legs.

Day 4 - Magic

Miles Today - 15.4

Last night was rough. I did not fully understand how cold it would be. My foot warmers ended up in my food bag, and stumbling around in the arctic temperatures to retrieve them did not seem like a fun prospect. So I curled up and gritted my teeth through the night.

The morning was a bit better. My second pair of socks and bandana had frozen solid. It took a lot of willpower to crawl out of my mummy bag. I packed up quickly and wished my companion good luck. I immediately realized that the last night had left me unprepared for the miles today. I was stiff, sore, and my long toes felt bruised from smashing down hills. I set a slower pace, resting up a lot. The icy temperatures made me stow my poles and shove my hands deep in my pockets.

The trail wasn't that bad, made up of rolling ups and downs. Trees blocked out any views, but by noon it had turned sunny and warm. I continued to start and stop my way along the trail, snacking and meeting a whole bunch of people. A group of Canadians down for 10 days from Alberta, Mad Max, hiking the trail in his year off from studying economics, Fancy Pants, who's section hiking her way through the South.

At Unicoi Gap Fancy Pants offered me and another hiker a ride to Hiawassee. I graciously accepted, excited to stay in a motel and rest up. But first we came across Peaches, who was doing some trail magic at the Gap. I gorged on sodas, chips, and Oreos, feeling beat after a hard day.

At Hiawassee I poked my head into the Budget Inn. The sign had the "no" in "no vacancies" lit up, but it was the cheapest place in town so I wanted to be sure. The manager took one look at me, and decided to give me one of his rooms that someone else had reserved earlier. "You get a feel for people, you know? And I feel this guy isn't gonna show." Charging me only 40 bucks for the 80 dollar room he handed me my key. And gosh what a room. TV, kitchen, fridge, shower and two beds. I feel like I'm in heaven.

After resting up on the couch here I plan to hit the town for supplies and a big ol' dinner at the Chinese restaurant around the corner. But not before a good shower. Tomorrow I plan to take it slow, as I think my feet with still be howling, and stop at a shelter either 8 or 14 miles down the road. The gain tomorrow looks challenging, so tonight's rest will be much appreciated.