Date: 2013-05-11
From: Overmountain Shelter (The Barn)

To: US 19 Elk Park - Newland, NC
Miles today: 9.3

We woke up early today, but not on our own accord. Though the barn was cool, some hikers forgot their manners and decided to have a loud conversation at the crack of daylight. We tend to sleep a little longer than that so weren't real happy about being woken for no good reason. That's one of the problems with sleeping in shelters, and why I prefer to camp. Most hikers are respectful, but when you have a large group, it's more likely you'll run into rude idiots.While we were eating breakfast, mine consisted of Reese's peanut butter and chocolate cereal with powdered milk (delicious), we could see hikers on top of the mountain which were tiny dots so far away. I knew we had a long climb awaiting us. The climb turned into hiking up a huge, I mean huge, bald. It was a beautiful hike and I wanted pictures, but my battery in my camera died so I figured I would dig a battery out of my pack once I got to the top. Problem was when I got to the top a cloud came over us which cut the view. This was one of the prettiest hikes yet, so I was really disappointed. I've missed so many great views and picture opportunities because of fog it's not even funny.I heard there was a cheap hostel in the town a few miles away, so we all decided it would be a good opportunity to get out of the rain. Did I mention it continued to rain and I was pretty sick of hiking and camping in it? Anyway, I could also get a shower and some real food at the Subway nearby. Everyone was excited about that (Subway) more than anything. When we were getting near the road we ran into Moonshine who we saw at Sam's Gap when we were sick. He told us he was also sick with the NORO virus that has stricken so many hikers this year. Just as we were approaching the road, Moonshine spotted a cooler. Seems we happened upon some trail magic again. We opened it and found cold drinks and chips a trail angel left for hikers. It's amazing how many nice people support the hiking community like this. Some are former hikers and some are just people who give their time and efforts to help. There is nothing more fulfilling than to come upon trail magic, because the support is so nice and because nothing tastes better than a cold drink after hiking 10 miles or more. I carry drink mix that I flavor water with occasionally, but it's not ice cold or carbonated, which really makes a difference.We finish our drinks and chips and get to the road where we hike another .4 mikes to the hostel only to find it is full. The only choice at this point is to pitch a tent in the hostel yard for $8, which even though it includes a shower is not inviting. Half the reason I came there was to avoid tenting in the rain again, and I was going to pay for that? Not happening.Our other option was to see if we could find a hotel. We called around and found one in Newland, NC that would come get us, so we accepted. When we got to the hotel, we found it was the nicest one yet at a bargain price. We've stayed in some real rat holes, so it was nice to get a decent deal on one. That night we went out to a BBQ place with live music played by the town doctor. It was entertaining and the food was delicious. We washed clothes at the local laundromat and went ro the grocery store for food resupply. The highlight of that trip was getting cheap wine in a small box, perfect for hiking it to camp. Some things are worth carrying the extra weight.