Date: 2010-04-16
From: Damascus, VA

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Damascus, VA:But first, a brief tidbit about the Smokies... a bit after the fact...The drama surrounding the Smokies began a least two weeks before I arrive at Fontana Dam, on the southern end of the park. The comments ranged from "Little Buddha said it was the toughest miles he's hiked" to "They aren't even giving out permits." For reference, Little Buddha is hiking from Florida to Quebec. However, the people he said these things had never met little Buddha, and nobody really seemed to know what was fact or fiction. I was also told that they were impassible. I, myself, decided to look into shuttle service around the park, knowing that I would be quite cold and wet with all the snow at the higher elevations. The prices ranged from 150-250 dollars so I decided to bag that plan. So, I decided to just go for it, knowing that my mom would be sending warmer clothes and new raingear to a town half way through the range. Little did I know what was to come...I am able to look back at that first half of the Smokies and realize that I was quite lucky. Yes, it rained, froze, sleeted, snowed, blew like the dickens, and was quite honestly some of the worst weather I have ever encountered. (Yes. I would prefer to be in a blizzard or ice storm in Maine). The trail had about 4-5 feet of snow in places and was often hard to follow. Lucky for me, I could follow other's footsteps. The fog cleared the day I hiked up to Clingman's and I was able to get into town that day to dry out all of my soaked/frozen gear, but many people were not quite so lucky. I have heard multipled stories of people getting lost around Clingmans and hiking at least a mile off the trail before realizing it. So, like I said, I consider myself lucky. The weather cleared up and warmed up for the second half of my hike through the park, and although postholing up to your waist with a pack on your back breaks your pace and sometimes your spirit, I can now say that I hiked through the smokies after their worst winter in over three decades. I hiked in snow and mud and water in the trail, through pea-soup fog and crystal clear days, and saw my fair share of the different forms of precipitation.OK. And now onto the last few days of hiking. I left Erwin, TN around 5:00 pm, leaving enough time to get up to the first shelter out of town before dark. I swear at least 30 people were at Uncle Johnny's, the hostel right of the trail, but only the three guys I walked into town with (Uncle J-Bird, Scout, & Fish) and Gumby and I walked out the same day we walked in. It was definitely a bit of a surprise to have the shelter to ourselves.I knew I had to put in some serious miles to meet my friend, Meredith, in Damascus by the sixteenth but tried not to think about it. My first full day out of town I put in 22 miles, leading me away from the group I'd been hiking with. 18 miles a day is pretty doable, but those 22 miles were a bit of a killer. I met Gravy (Crockett), Blue, Shawn, and Sheryl & Diesel- all people I had never met bud read their trail journal entries. The following day I decided to take it easy, doing a mere 13 miles up and over Roan Mountain. It, too, had gotten a lot of talk, as it is the last tall mountain (over 5,000?) until you get to Mt. Washington. Yes, it still had some snow on it, but No, it was not a bad climb... until you got to the top and there was NO VIEW! The balds you hiked over after it were way cooler in my opinion. I decided to cut my day a bit short in order to stay at the Overmountain Shelter, an old barn converted to a shelter with an amazing view. The guys I'd been hiking with caught up and there was a great fire, but I knew I had to put in big miles the next day and went to bed early. Got up in time to be out and hiking by 7:30 (usually it's at least 8:30 by the time I'm hiking). I knew I had to do at least 20 miles, but was planning on around 26. I was just grooving by the time I reached that shelter 26 miles in, and decided to do another six in order to stay at a hostel just off the trail. It was my one month anniversary on the trail, and I just kept going and going and going. My feet hurt, my knees hurt, I was tired and hungry and thirsty, but I knew I could do the 30+ miles. I made it off the mountain just as dark was setting in, and had the hostel to myself. Stupid with exhaustion, I finished my longest day yet- 32.5 miles. The following day was a struggle- only 18 miles, but my legs didn't want to move... anywhere... especially not up a hill/mountain. It took a lot of will to keep going that day. And yesterday was another 23 miles.   But it all paid off today. I hiked 10 miles into Damascus this morning, and made it here before noon. Just got back from Pizza Plus, an AYCE (all you can eat) pizza and salad bar. Feeling Good!These last few days, between Erwin and Damascus have been some of the hardest yet. I put in some long days, and ran (too) low on food. I hit this strange bubble where there weren't any thru-hikers- spent three nights in a row alone in shelters and only passed by a (very) small handful of section hikers. At times the aloneness was terrifying and at others, refreshing. A lot of times I felt like sitting down and just sleeping where I was, but I knew that would accomplish nothing. It was interesting and educating. I don't really know how to explain it. My friend arrives some time later tonight, and will hike with me for about two weeks. I'm ready to slow down and have a hiking buddy! I'm looking forward to this. And I'm going to make sure I have plenty of food too before I head out.Lastly, a brief glimpse inside my head:1. What is true simplicity? (from the song "simple things"2. Why am I/Why do people thru-hike? (I don't have an answer, and haven't met somebody who does. Benton MacKaye (the creator of the trail) designed it so that people could walk, see, and see what they see.)3. the song Homeward, These Shoes by Iron & WineLife is good. I am fed.