Date: 2005-05-28
From: No Business Knob Shelter

To: Ms Janet's - Erwin, Tennesee
Miles today: 6.7

I was the first one up this morning, and managed to get my earliest start hiking yet - about 6:30. It was less than 7 miles into town, and I was hoping to get there in time to get my photo cards put on disc and then to the post office to mail them off.The trail was almost all down hill. We were going from yesterday's 5,500 ft. high Big Bald to the town of Erwin at 1,700 ft. Isn't it amazing how deep a gorge or gap a river can carve out, given enough time. I can only imagine what tommorrow's climb up the other side will be like....The weather was cloudy and threatened rain as I set off down the trail. The highlight of the trail was the gorgeous display of mountain laurel that was in full display in dense areas near the top of the cliffs above the river. Their pink and white blossoms were even more enchanting close up. Hope my photos were able to capture their beauty.I made relatively god time (for me and my knees), and with my early start, was the second hiker from the shelter to reach Ms. Janet's. The trail gets within 4 miles of town, but I was hoping for a quick and easy hitch, as I had things to do.I had no sooner reached the bridge into town and stuck out my thumb when a pickup truck pulled up and the driver rolled down his window. I said I was trying to get to Ms. Janet's house. There was a Jeep behind him, and he said to let him get his truck parked, and he'd take me there! The wonder did not stop there. I got in the Jeep when they returned, a younger women driving, a beautiful baby girl in the back seat watching a Barney video, and a guy and his wife who looked vaguely familiar. wW soon discovered that we were all M Company - it was Footloose and Fancy Free, through hikers I met the first night out of Springer Mountain at the Hawk Mountain shelter!They said they had left the trail, and were now doing section hikes. They also said that they loved this area so much they had decided to stay, and had bought a place a few miles out of town. It was a short but wonderful reunion, and great to see them again. They delivered me to Ms. Janet's and we wished each other well. I suspect we'll we meet again in due course. Thanks for the ride, guys!I got settled in at the hostel, and got a shuttle to a drug store where I got my disc done. I missed the post office, but did get a shower and laundry done, along with getting lunch and supplies reorganized.I'm debating as to whether or not I should do some slack-packing tomorrow and possibly Monday - where you are shuttled north with just a day pack, and hike south back to town. It's tempting, but the options are either too long (920 miles) or too short (9) to be right for me. I'd love to do twenty miles with a day pack, but with my knees, I'm too slow to do it without an early start, and the shuttle isn't available until 10:30 or later. I may just decide to head out with a full pack. It's 70 miles to the next resupply point - the Kinkora Hostel (another really special one, I hear) - so I'm allowing six days to get there. I hope to do it in five, but can't count on that, so I'll carry six day's food making for an unfortunately heavy pack. C'est la vie. The important thing is that I am still out here moving north.Today's hike is dedicated to Ms. Janet for her warmth, hospitality, great food, and penchant for going the extra mile for her guests. Thanks, Ms. J.Stay tuned, Longhaul------------------------------Sent via PocketMailEmail Anywherewww.pocketmail.com