Date: 2017-06-04
From: Carnegie Hotel, Johnson City, Tennessee 

To: Carnegie Hotel, Johnson City, Tennessee
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

6/4Carnegie Hotel, Johnson City, TennesseeMiles: 0Total miles:  702.4We had another beautiful.day for the conclusion of the convention.  I said goodbye to Sharon and to Sandy this morning. It was so good to see Sandy, and I so loved her surprise appearance.  It reminded me what a special woman she is that she supports me on this six-month adventure I am on. I love you, Sandy! The convention continued with our annual train trip up the Doe River Gorge.  We met at 9:45.  Unlike the last few years, the weather cooperated, and we enjoyed a sunny but cool trip. The jouney began as the train traversed one tunnel, travelled atop some long fills, and then wenr through a second tunnel.  The little diesel locomotive then worked its way up  the grade to near Pardee Point. I will never tire of beholding the sheer size and beauty of the Doe River Gorge.  The rock faces tower over us and our train.  The model of the Gorge in my basement nearly reaches the ceiling, but if I could truly build it to scale, the top would be in the attic. Somehow, I doubt Sandy would approve. Due to rail conditions, we switched to the little speeder locomotive at Pardee Point to continue up to the bridges.  Some of us opted to walk this section.  Jane, Patricia, Fred, and I walked, and Fred  was able to call our attention to different types of birds by the calls we could hear.  There are many types of warblers in the Gorge, and they all have their own, distinctive voice.  We reached the east end of the steel deck truss, which is the present-day end of the line.  I have modeled this bridge, and I always enjoy seeing it again.  Just past it, the railroad used to immediately enter a tunnel and then crossed the Doe River again on a steel thru truss.  All of this within a few hundred yards. Once, years ago, I crossed the bridge to walk through the tunnel and view the other bridge.  This is not allowed today and, considering the condition of the bridge, I was more than happy to comply.  If we could cross it and the other bridge, there is then one other tunnel (partially collapsed), another thru truss bridge (still used for car traffic), a few miles of narrow road through some dramatic rock cuts, and we would be at the Doe River Hiker Rest Hostel.  Instead, we spent some time at the bridge before making the return trip to Hampton.  After the trip, some goodbyes were said before a group of us went for our final activity of the convention, a walk on the Tweetsie Trail.  The section of the ET&WNC from Johnson City to Elizabethtown survived as the standard gauge East Tennessee Railway until the late 1990s.  When it ended operation, the roadbed was converted into a walking and biking trail called the Tweetsie Trail.  It is a beautiful effort and runs nearly ten miles.  We walked along the section that passes the old limestone quarry (mostly filled with water) and where students used to disembark to attend Milligan College. Numerous historical markers have recently been added thanks in large part to Fred and ETSU.  We discussed having our society sponsor additional markers.  After our walk, Patricia and I drove back to Johnson City so I could see the old train depot there.  For many years after the narrow gauge ended, the depot housed a tire dealership and was altered so its railroad heritage was scarcely noticeable.  A few years ago it was purchased by the Yee Haw Brewery, who restored it to its original look.  Now housing the brewery and the White Duck Taco Shop, the depot is a distinctive and beautiful structure.  The Clinchfield depot across the street has also be converted into a restaurant and work has begun to restore the old railroad hotel into office space.  From there, we returned to the hotel where I worked on packing and took a short, although hard, nap.  Later, I went to dinner with Patricia, Chris, Denise, Fred, and Joel and discussed the convention and plans for the future.  As I write this in the hotel early the next morning, I am hours away from getting back on the trail. I have enjoyed the convention immensely, and I have really enjoyed seeing old friends and making new ones.  Seeing Sandy was one of the greatest surprises I have had in a long time.  I am now four days behind the people I have been seeing on the trail, but I look forward to meeting new hikers.  Gravity also took a few days off last week, and I will be meeting him in Catawba.  Full of happy memories of the convention, as well as full of all of the banquet and restaurant food I have been eating, I'm back on the trail today.