I've made it from Winding Stair Gap to Newfound Gap and Gatlinburg. The blog posts record the days in detail but check out the video for additional commentary on the trek. https://youtu.be/4r8J6HFwErU
Days 14 – 23 Video
Day 20 – Tennessee!
Really it was mostly an un-interesting day though it did start with a lovely sunrise. So far the Smokies don't look any different the the forest and mountains I've been walking through since the start. There was a bit of a climb leaving the dam but I think I can finally say that the trail... Continue Reading →
Day 19 – Fontana Dam
Relatively short and uncomplicated walk down into Fontana Village, there were some more signs of spring along the trail. I could see the dam from miles away and felt like I walked around the lake a dozen times before I got there. When I finally arrived at the Fontana Dam Shelter, a.k.a. "The Fontana Hilton"... Continue Reading →
Day 18 – Cable Gap Party
I woke up to a warm bed and a homemade hot breakfast of eggs, sausage, fruit, blueberry crumble, home fries, juice and coffee - it really was an amazing spread. I have to say, for an unplanned stop, this cabin in the woods has been fantastic and knowing that it was 18 deg this morning... Continue Reading →
Day 17 – Winter or Spring?
It was great hiking weather in the morning as I climbed out of NOC around 8 am. It rained quite a lot overnight and everything was still wet. The 40-ish deg weather was just right for making the big climb while not overheating in long pants and a light-weight long-sleeved shirt. I did notice that... Continue Reading →
Day 16 – Nero
I'm considering this a "Nero" (near zero mileage day) since it was only a little under six miles from camp to the Nantahala Outdoor Center (NOC). Four of us agreed to split a bunk house for the night, we arrived before noon but couldn't check in until 3 pm. The trail after NOC a monstrous... Continue Reading →
Day 15 – A Warm Breeze
The trail was actually pretty easy for the first part of the day, nicely groomed and relatively flat. I started seeing encouraging signs promising trail magic farther up. What I found in the first big gap that I arrived at was a period re-enactment group from Alabama. They were awesome and had a ton of... Continue Reading →
Day 14 – Blue Skies and Endless Views
In Franklin NC for one month every spring there is a church group that serves a tasty breakfast of pancakes and bacon to thru-hikers. I hate mornings but this was worth waking up early for. Breakfast came with a five minute sermon, while I'm not particularly religious I do appreciate the message of people going... Continue Reading →
Days 8 – 13 Video
I've made it from Unicoi Gap to Winding Stair Gap and Franklin NC where I took my first zero day. The blog posts record the days in detail but check out the video for additional commentary on the trek. https://youtu.be/qR4s1dEAzyk