After a brief interlude (and a dramatic few weeks you’ll get to read about later), welcome back to my weekly updates! I’ll be playing catch up for a bit, but for now, here’s week three!
Day Fifteen
Waking up on the morning of day 15 was gorgeous. The sun was rising, illuminating Fontana Lake and the view from my sleeping bag put a smile on my face.
As folks around us got ready to keep on hiking, Diva and I haphazardly shoved things into our packs because we were taking our first ever zero day!
With no miles to hike we didn’t need to pack everything in perfectly, or balance where we put what. Our ride to the Hike Inn was picking us up from the Fontana parking lot at 8, which meant we only had to walk a sweet sweet 300 feet to reach our destination.
Tom was waiting for us in the parking lot, and as we loaded our bags into the trunk he handed us each a bottle of chocolate milk. What splendor!! Chocolate milk is kind of a holy grail for hikers as it’s an easy way to get some calories and is also plain delicious!
The drive to the inn was pretty quick, and Tom told us stories of his hiking adventures. We picked up two guys who were heading to Newfound Gap and they rode with us to the inn.
When we got there, Nancy greeted us and gave us a short tour of the place. The Hike Inn only hosts hikers, either thru-hikers, like Diva and I, or section hikers who were doing anywhere from 30 to 100+ miles of trail.
Nancy showed us to our room and brought us bananas and clementines, as well as clean scrubs we could wear while they did our laundry. Often times hostels will have a stache of clean “loaner clothes,” for hiker to wear so they can wash all of their laundry at once, but these scrubs were definitely the coolest laundry day outfit I’d had so far.
After a very hot shower and donning my super cool outfit, I realized how much time a zero day truly allotted. It was 9:30 in the morning! We still had the whole day ahead of us!
My first order of business: phone time. Yes, I love the diminished screen time that comes from being on trail. I really enjoy not being on my phone. However, when unlimited WiFi and charging capability presents itself, I use the time to my advantage. Checking email, catching up on texts, and yes, scrolling on Instagram. I also take this time to download any audiobooks and podcasts for the week, an essential task that will set me up for success when the mental going gets tough.
After I felt successfully reconnected with the world at large, I started the next phase of attack: organizing. I pulled every last piece of gear out of my pack. My sleeping bag was left to air out, I did my dishes in the bathroom sink, I went through all of my food and tried my best to make a list of my needs for our store run later.
Much of the rest of the day went on in this way, a mix of lounging and doing my best to prep for our journey through the Smokies. Soon, it was the afternoon, and afternoon meant a trip into town!
Our gracious hosts met us at the front of the inn and Diva and I got into the car alongside another hiker named Coppertone. We chatted and laughed the entire ride, which was about 30 minutes, and as we approached town Nancy gave us the run down, pointing out to us the Ingles grocery store, the Walgreens, the post office, and most importantly, our lunch spot.
The restaurant was a Mexican and Italian place. Not fusion, just one side of the menu had Mexican food and one side Italian. Figuring it only made sense to try both, I got the mozzarella sticks and a chimichanga. Coppertone, Diva and I ate with fervor, and our plates were clean almost as soon as they were put down! With full bellies we settled up and headed over to the grocery store for our resupply.
I am the worst person in the world to resupply with. I never make a list, and very much shop from the heart, grabbing whatever strikes my fancy. This trip was no different, and I wandered around the store until my basket was full.
Next stop was Walgreens for allergy medicine. Yep, spring allergy season was approaching and I wanted to be ready. After we had all of our supplies, we were picked up in the parking lot and headed back to the inn.
I grabbed some nail polish at Walgreens as well, a little luxury I was missing from home, and Diva, Coppertone and I all sat on the porch of the inn and painted our nails while talking and enjoying the warm sunshine. It was such a lovely way to spend a zero day!
As the sun started to set, I made my way inside. Grease was playing on the TV and after plugging in my various devices for one last charge, I drifted off to sleep.
Day Sixteen
Day 16 dawned with a drizzly sky and a desire to stay in the cozy inn. The sky had opened up into a light but consistent rain, but despite the weather we must trek on. Tom was waiting for us with the trunk popped as we hauled our freshly filled packs to the car. The drive back to Fontana was a quick one, and the grandeur of the Smokies loomed in my mind. All of the talk of awful weather and roaming black bears began to make me nervous. But there was only one thing to do, and that thing was to hike.
As we walked away from the Fontana shelter parking lot, the dam itself opened up in front of us. It was really a cool spectacle, with the blue water on one side and the expanse of rock downhill on the other. After a quick restroom break at the visitors center, we made our way across and road walked to the entrance to Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Diva and I arrived at the little mailbox to drop our backcountry permits, and we began to climb. I was alone almost immediately as Diva is much stronger on the uphills than I am and pulled ahead quickly.
Hiking by myself in the rain on a long uphill wasn’t my ideal way to spend my first few miles in the Smokies. However, I eventually settled into pace and put on some music to distract myself from any spooky thoughts of bears hiding in the mist.
The day went on, and as I climbed higher the sun began to burn off some of the fog. Diva and I weren’t sure how far we were headed that day, but I caught him as he stopped for a coffee break and we decided to push a few miles to the next shelter, Russell Field.
I had KT tape on my knees that I applied the night before, hoping for a relief from some persistent pain. As I started the few mile hike from Mollie’s Ridge Shelter to Russell Field, my pain reached an all time high for my hike. I was practically limping along, and every little trip or stumble sent shocks of pain up the front of my knees. I almost cried multiple times, and eventually stopped right there in the middle of the trail and pulled the KT tape off before hobbling the last bit to the shelter.
Diva seemed relieved when I got there, as a journey that should have taken about an hour had taken me almost double, and I arrived well after him. But I made it, and after I set up camp and sat down the pain in my knees started to ease. Lesson learned, no more KT tape for me!
The evening passed peacefully, with a few other folks at the shelter and an early dinner before getting cozy for the evening. We had survived our first day in the Smokies!
Day Seventeen
The weather on day 17 was already more pleasant when we woke up. It’s hard to motivate yourself out of a cozy stone shelter with a tarp door, but no rain definitely helped make the transition easier!
The sky was clear and any chill in the air was quickly forgotten about as I started hiking up the first ascent of many for the day. Everyone said that after the first climb, the Smokies section was a ridge walk almost the whole way. As I walked across mountaintop after mountaintop, that seemed to be true! The views were gorgeous all day, and the sunshine warmed me up as I passed though patches and hung out at summits.
My knees also felt so so much better than the day before, which was a mood lifter too, so all day I was having a blast and trying to soak in every moment. I met another thru hiker, Medicine Man, and his dog, who literally ran past me a few minutes after I met them and I never saw them again!
I arrived at Double Spring Gap shelter in the early afternoon to a full house! Diva was there along with a bunch of new friendly faces, including Penguin, Sour Patch, Mosey, and Left Field. After refilling my water, I sat to make my dinner and the conversation around the picnic table was delightful! We all talked for quite a while, but eventually the temperature started to fall and bed time was upon us. I settled into my bag and read for a little before falling asleep.
Day Eighteen
I woke up on day 18 to the cold. Frost formed on everything overnight, and, freezing, I hurried through my morning routine so I could get moving!
As I packed and ate breakfast, I had to keep taking breaks to warm my hands up, but eventually I was ready for the day, hauled my pack onto my back, and started my climb up to the main attraction of the day; Kuwohi, also known as Clingmans Dome. The highest point on the AT, Kuwohi promised gorgeous views of the surrounding mountains, and I was hoping to have it pretty much to myself since it was early on a Wednesday.
Pretty much immediately after leaving the shelter, the forest changed. There were gorgeous pine trees and moss covered logs, and the early morning sun shone in distinct rays onto the forest floor. It was stunning. As my elevation increased, the layer of frost got thicker, and it added another level of magic to the whole thing.
It was a quick climb to the summit, and I made it just as the morning clouds were disappearing. I dropped my pack at the base of the observation tower and climbed. The views from the top were clear and gorgeous, and I stayed up there for as long as the chill allowed (which was probably about 5 minutes, it was cold!!) before heading back down, grabbing my pack, and trekking on.
For most of the day I was hiking near Freehands, a thru hiker I met a few days earlier. He was ahead of me for a while after my Kuwohi break, but as noon approached I caught up. A woman hiking southbound passed us and told us there was trail magic at Newfound Gap, and we were suddenly remotivated! Freehands and I made a goal to get there by 1 pm, so we picked up the pace and almost ran to the gap, startling a school group and a young family on the way as we ran down the mountainside.
Fortunately, we made it right on time! We arrived to the incredibly busy Newfound Gap right at 1, and to our luck there was indeed trail magic! An incredibly kind group of women had a table with every snack you could imagine. We were greeted warmly by the trail angels and fellow thru hikers, and snacked while making conversation and trying to stay warm.
It was crazy how busy Newfound Gap is compared to the rest of the Smokies. It was the first time I had to wait in line for a photo of the state line sign, and it was also the first time I felt like people were looking at me because I had this big backpack on and smelled a little stinky. As I was walking into the restroom, a little girl asked me how long I had been hiking.
“A little over two weeks!” I said. She didn’t reply. To be fair, it’s hard to imagine walking for that long if you haven’t done it, so I don’t blame her!
After my restroom break, it was time to continue on. The climb out of Newfound Gap is long, but it wasn’t too steep and I was reinvigorated by the snacks and actual flushing toilets, and the ascent seemed to pass quickly. After passing the first shelter, Icewater Spring, the amount of people reduced dramatically. I guess most folks don’t want to go too far from the parking lot, but just as the number of people declined the views and beauty of the hike increased dramatically.
I thought the southern half of the Smokies was a ridge walk, but it was nothing compared to the ridge in the north. The trial dropped off on both sides and the views were amazing, offering sights of the trees in the valleys below every 5-10 minutes. I was in awe, and spent the afternoon taking tons of photos and enjoying every moment.
I reached the trail junction for Peck’s Corner Shelter in the late afternoon, and spent the entire .4 miles down to the shelter itself thinking about having to climb the .4 miles back up in the morning. But, I also knew my friends were down there, and I’d be able to eat my dinner and eventually get warm and cozy, and those things were motivation enough.
After I got settled at camp, had dinner, and did all of my chores, I got in bed early and hung out for a bit before falling asleep, excited for another day of the Smokies tomorrow.
Day Nineteen
Somehow, day 19 also greeted us with fantastic weather. It was chilly again, but no snow or rain, and that was the best we could ask for! I refilled my water, got my pack down from the bear cables that kept it safe from critters overnight, and made that .4 climb back up to the trail.
The landscapes, right off the bat, were stunning. More ridges, more pine forests, and some points of intrigue including an old helicopter pad and some bits and pieces from an old plane crash that Freehands and I did a mini off-trail search for.
We also went over, under, and around lots of fallen trees, which slowed progress a little and seemed to be the beginning of the damage from Hurricane Helene. Regardless, it was a super fun day with more downhill than uphill.
We stayed at Cosby Knob Shelter that night, and met a ridgerunner who had been clearing blowdowns to the north, making our trail for the next day passable. Thank you ridgerunners everywhere!!
The shelter was full that night, which made for a warm nights sleep with, luckily, no snoring, a rare and welcome treat.
Day Twenty
Day 20 dawned with a gorgeous sunrise that peaked through the tarp across the shelter entrance.
I sat in my sleeping bag and watched for a bit as the sky got lighter and lighter, and eventually decided it was time for a coffee. I got my pack down from the bear cables and chatted with the ridgerunner while I had breakfast and slowly got ready for the day.
It was, quite literally, all downhill from there, as our last day in the Smokies meant climbing down the ridge we’d been walking on all week. I also knew we’d be staying at a hostel that night, which was an extra motivational boost as it meant a shower, clean laundry, and a real bed!
I started hiking by myself that day, a nice way to reflect on the past few days and also a good way to motivate, because I knew Diva and Freehands were both ahead of me, and I wanted to catch up!
I hustled down the hill for quite some time, stopping for some pictures of flowers and awesome views, and to chat with some day hikers who were coming up the other direction. Eventually, the end of the Smokies came, and I caught up with Freehands right at Davenport Gap. I continued on as he took a little break, but he caught up before we reached the highway.
The little stretch of Interstate 40 was the first road walk on a major road that we had, and it felt quite strange after so many days inside the park.
We were so close to our hostel, but still had a few miles, including something called “Long Staircase” and our first real uphill for the day.
“No problem!” we said. But problem it was. “Long Staircase” was exactly that, made of stones and way harder than it looked from the bottom. The elevation after that was unforgiving, but I think that is mostly because we were spoiled by going downhill literally all day.
Freehands and I arrived at Standing Bear Hostel sweaty, tired, but grateful to be there and to be done. It was a super cool hostel, made up of a bunch of little outbuildings and run by the nicest woman. I hadn’t met any of the hiker who were there before, so as I worked on my laundry and other chores I met lot of new faces.
We had an amazing dinner that night, and it was warm and dry inside our room which made for a wonderful night of sleep.
Day Twenty One
We got up early on day 21, as we had an almost 6 mile climb right off the bat up to Snowbird Peak. I was really struggling with a lack of motivation and a strong streak of homesickness, but one of the best parts about hiking the AT is you don’t really have an option other than to do it. So I did it. Step by step, I trudged up that mountain. I would pass a white blaze and set my goal on the next one. And eventually, I was at the peak.
The communication tower at the top of Snowbird was cool enough, but I didn’t stay for long. I ate a snack as I walked, and quickly came across a small group enjoying lunch in a little clearing. Pathfinder and McTwisty Flop were there, and we introduced ourselves to each other. McTwisty Flop pointed over to a mountain range obscured by rain and clouds, saying “Aren’t you glad you’re not there anymore?”
I had gotten out of the Smokies only the day before in gorgeous weather, and now the folks still in the park were facing a nasty rainstorm. “Yes, definitely glad!” I replied. I bade them farewell as I headed downhill for a little, spirits still low but hey, at least I wasn’t in the Smokies in the rain.
I had a second big climb that day, up to Max Patch, a famous bald up on a hill with fantastic views of the surrounding areas. Begrudgingly, I set out uphill again. One step at a time. One blaze at a time. By the time I made it to the road crossing right before Max Patch, I really didn’t want to climb for a mile. Like, really didn’t want to. But, there wasn’t really another option. I couldn’t just stop and sit there on the ground. So I climbed.
Max Patch was a cool spot. There were a few folks there, taking photos and wandering around (off the established trail, which frankly just pissed me off more and pushed my mood down even further). Diva was snacking at the top when I got there, and in another blow I realized I had eaten my allotted snacks for the day. I hung out at the top of Max Patch for a few minutes, and then set out for our shelter for the night a mere 2 miles away.
I finished my last day of week three tired, and a bit sad, but glad to be cozy and dry in the shelter with my friends. There will always be hard days on trail, but all you can do is keep walking. And that’s what I did in week three!
