Date: 2015-05-01
From: Doll Flats, NC/TN

To: Stealth Campsite, TN
Miles today: 19.7

To top off the most difficult day on the trail so far, last night sent another blow as the coldest night. Temperatures easily dropped into the 20's, testing the limit of my 20-degree rated sleeping bag, but I did fine with the help of leggings, gloves, and a balaclava. It was difficult to climb out of my tent into the fog-covered woods along the TN/NC border, but I knew that movement would soon bring warmth. I gradually packed my bag for the first hour, retreated behind a rockface for my morning bathroom session, and emptied my one-third filled 2-liter Coke bottle that filled in admirably as my bathroom last night.Moosehead and I were on the trail and officially out of North Carolina for the last time. We covered the first 3 miles to US 19E at a nice pace, talking and catching each other up on the past couple of days apart. We had both experienced the sour weather yesterday and found humor in my balls-to-the-wall attempt to catch up with him yesterday as compared to his leisurely stroll through the same terrain. After a day of only a few exchanged words with other hikers, it was refreshing to be enjoying a conversation again. As we reached US 19E, we shed some of our clothing and even half-attempted to hitchhike a few miles into nearby Elk Park, TN to grab breakfast. No luck after 5 vehicles so we continued on determined to put in another ~20 miles for the day.Compared to yesterday, today would lack in both views and excitement. Our first decent climb took place in a grassy clearing, but with battleship gray skies and muddy conditions the potential beauty in the spot was missed. We continued gradually climbing until we met up with 3 other NoBo hikers we hadn't seen in a while. We exchanged a few comments, but were quickly ahead of them once we continued. We dropped into a small clearing where Isaacs Cemetery, a fence-lined cemetery which the AT skirts along on one end. A weathered stone Jesus statue stood close to the fence line watching over a deceased couple. I said a brief prayer for continued strength and protection as I passed.As Moosehead's distance increased, I returned to my music and sang along to the likes of Jay-Z, Justin Bieber, Stevie Wonder, Taylor Swift, Zac Brown Band, and The Tallest Man on Earth. We dropped into a valley and spent close to half a mile walking along the banks of Elk River. A group of ~7-10 weekend campers passed us heading south, the majority adults and a couple young kids. We noticed that the man in the back of the line had a toilet seat hanging from the back of his pack, giving away his status as a weekend hiker. As much as comfort and need are struggled and debated over by many aspiring thru-hikers leading up to their departure, this is obviously not one of their obvious battles.We continued our pace until we reached Mountaineer Falls, a waterfall that poured over a flat rock face from some unseen source. It will most definitely provide a nice retreat to tired hikers as the weather grows warmer. We sat among the strewn boulders below the falls and enjoyed a quick lunch. In the process of taking a few pictures, Moosehead shot a video of me nearly eating it on wet rocks. He then changed the video into slow motion and I'm pretty sure he'd like to put it with some Michael Jackson music to accompany my nifty foot moves. It was at theae falls that we realized we were already 2.5 beyond the 400-milevmark. As nice as it'd be for every 100-mile mark to come with some kind of congratulatory plaque, scenic view, or even a high school band, most are nothing more than a carving on a piece of wood, sticks on the ground, or, as in this case, unmarked altogether. No celebratory picture this time, but definitely awesome nonetheless to know I've reached the ~20% completion mark. After we lunch we continued a little distance up the trail and stopped in at Mountaineer Shelter, a relatively new shelter constructed in 2006. Sitting next to the entrance is a solid wood carving of a bear which gives this particular shelter a little character that most others lack.After lunch we pumped the breaks a bit and continued at a more leisurely pace since we had over half our mileage goal complete. We rounded a corner and, sitting on a random bench along the trail overlooking a small valley, is none other than Rock Boat. He had been posted up for some time chatting with his wife on the phone before we showed up. Moosehead and I quickly dropped our packs and joined him on the bench for the next ~30 minutes, chatting and catching up. We eventually forced ourselves to get up and cover the final ~4.5 miles to our current campsite. Fortunately Rock Boat was setting the pace and, having an inseam in the neighborhood of my own, thecpace was very doable to end another ~20 mile day. We crossed over and walked along both the Upper Laurel Fork and Harscore Cascasdes in this final stretch. Both were scenic bodies of water in their own right, but on a cold late afternoon like today, we passed them by without much thought.Tonight we're camping in a general campsite about ~18 miles shy of our meeting point on Sunday just outside of Hampton, TN. As a way to reward myself for ~44 miles over the past 2 days, I will be coasting into Hampton over the next 2 days by doing roughly half tomorrow and half on Sunday. My body will thank me, I'm sure. Earlier, as Moosehead, Rock Boat, and I were sitting and eating our respected dinners (lukewarm mashed potatoes with mixed-in salmon for me,) we heard a familiar voice singing as they neared our campsite. Good 'ole Tick Tock, who we thought was at least a day or two ahead of us, had actually been behind for she had taken a couple days off herself. It was nice to have her around again for another evening because she's meshed well with our group from the start and is a genuinely nice person. The more people around that can take burns as well as dish them out, the better.In the process of writing this entry, Rock Boat jumped the gun and said my "G'night, Neverland" comment. We're currently not on speaking terms until the morning. He knows the line he crossed, and I'm thinking if he treats me to a Coke at McDonald's tomorrow, I'll find it in my heart to forgive him.Speaking of which, I found out from Moosehead today that Hobble's mother hid me a Coke at Carter's Gap yesterday. However, due to a lack of communication on who exactly was supposed to tell me it was there, it went unfound. Maybe it's still there or perhaps another hiker has or will stumble upon it. I just wanted to throw out a thank you in her direction regardless. That makes you a gem in my eyes and I really appreciate the thought. When I visit McDonald's tomorrow and make them wish they didn't allow free, unlimited refills, I'll have a drink in your honor. Too kind.Tomorrow, the first Saturday in May, is the Kentucky Derby - not something you forget simply by being on the trail. I won't be able to watch this year, but here's to everyone back home able to enjoy the event. Good luck picking your winner, eh. For now, I hope sleep finds me soon and takes me away to some place as beautiful as the area I've been trekking through lately.