Date: 2019-05-15
From: Wayah Bald

To: Albert Mountain
Miles today: 19.4

I still haven't written about yesterday, so here it goes - as best I can remember:We startd off from Wayah Bald at 8:05. There is something to be said for sleeping where you're going to start hiking. After about 1/4 mile, we encountered two hikers heading toward us. I asked if they were SOBOs, and they said that they were NOBOs. After some confusion, we all agreed that Count and I were going in the correct direction. We passed them and had a gorgeous hiking morning. The trails were at low grades and the sky was blue, except it was chilly. After a small ascent I was getting warm and decided to remove my outer layer. There were two NOBOs out at a little view, so I walked over to them to see out. One of them said to me, "The trail is that way," and pointed in the direction of the trail. It took a lot to stop myself saying "No s---, Sherlock." I didn't. It felt so rude to me that #1 there was the assumption that I didn't know where the trail went (Sorry, guys. I've only hiked 2,000 miles of this trail. Please help me figure it out because I'm a silly girl and have no idea what I'm doing.) and #2 we obviously weren't welcome to join fellow hikers at an outlook. I said, "I was just peeking out at the view." I threw down my poles and took off my outer layer as one of them complained about the cold temperature. Count and I went on. We took a short break at Cold Spring Shelter where we met Matt. He's from Nashville and seemed like a nice guy. He asked us about trail towns and hostels. He liked the cold and was hanging out in a t-shirt. We moved on, but first the four others we had met that day passed us. We had lunch at Rocky Bald, where Matt showed up, so we talked a bit more. We offered him mustard. He considered and took it, putting it on his buffalo flavored tuna. We knew we had a big downhill, but I was surprised when we got to it. The top was fairly treacherous with drop-offs on either side. We made our way carefully down through the rocks and burnt trees. We were very exposed, so I was wearing my sunhat and arm sleeves to prevent sunburn. We renamed our forearms as "Popeye parts." We reached the NOC and got sodas in the General Store and filled up our waters. We drove back to Wayah Bald to get our camping gear and decied to try to get a tent site at Standing Indian Campground - which we did. Site 50. Count went to pay while I set up the still wet tent. I let the fly air out while I cooked dinner. It was late, but it was a good choice to not sleep on the probably icy cold Albert Mountain. This morning I woke to the sound of a thrush. Count was sleeping deeply - so much that I wasn't sure he was alive!! He was. Phew! We had breakfast at our cement and wood picnic table and drove to Albert Mountain... though there was some issue due to poor cell reception and Google Mas. Also known as bad planning, but between the two of us and our North Carolina atlas in the car we figured it out. It was pretty darn cold up there at 5,000 feet, so I started at a quick pace. The hiking was more like an easy walk, and in only 2 hours we were at Rock Gap Shelter. I stopped on some rocks to have a snack while Count made use of the facilities.We kept on, a bit slower going up after Wallace Gap and had lunch a few miles later at Winding Stair Gap. The NOC bus had dropped off a load of hikers who soon set off with full packs... one of whom was wearing skinny jeans. To each their own!At Siler Bald we contemplated going the extra 0.2 to the summit, but didn't. We met a woman on the way down who said it was her favorite view in the whole area. I asked if she had been to Wayah Bald. She had, and she liked Siler better - so much so that she wants her ashes scattered there. We now live with the regret of not summiting. When we reached Wayah Gap, the same group of guys that we saw start at Winding Stair Gap was hanging out. They were kind of annoying, throwing rocks at the street signs and such. Anyway, just after we passed them and started up out of the gap they started singing the theme song to Jurassic Park. You know, in the original movie when they first see the dinosaurs and the ones that really catch your attention first are the brachiosauruses. So, because I'm me, I assume they're making a very subtle dig at my weight. Well, whatever, dudes. I'm hiking nearly 20 miles today and you only hiked seven.I was tired and hiking up to Wayah was hard and unrelenting. I sat on a rock to rest about 3/4 of the way up the first part and along came those guys. Panting and dripping sweat. I high-fived them all as they went past. Count and I stopped for a snack because I felt light headed and after another 2 hours reached the point where we started yesterday!I decided to go up to the tower once more and saw some guys in jeans and nice gray vests. They were joking about being a barber shop quartet and wondered what song they all knew. One guy started singing Happy Birthday and they all chuckled. Another started singing "If You Wanna Be My Lover" and I couldn't help myself - I totally burst out laughing which made them all laugh. It was a feel good moment. When I reached the tower I saw the five guys who were singing Jurassic park and I felt like saying, "Who's the brontosaurus now, bitches??" HAHA I know it is brachiosaurus, but childhood lessons are etched deeply. It felt good.As we were driving away we saw THE BRIDE!!! No wonder those guys were in matching vests. The path up to the tower was her aisle. Awesome. We drove into Franklin to resupply and we also got McDonalds for dinner. I had a quarter pounder and small fries. Count had 2 Big Macs, a Fillet o'Fish and a few of my fries. And now, after about an hour of writing and my thumb cramping up, I'm saying good night. PS. We have ONE HUNDRED MILES LEFT!!!!!!! (I'm not crying!! You're crying!!!!)