Date: 2005-04-15
From: Nolichucky River (Erwin TN)

To: Indian Grave Gap (TN Route395/NC Route 197)
Miles today: 8.3
Weather: clear sky

DAY 35Our group of ¢old guys¢ is going its separate ways. Larry and Matt are going home, and Jersey Jones is resuming his hike at the Nolichucky River. Jersey Judge and Acronym are jumping ahead on the Trail to Damascus, Virginia. After a great continental breakfast, with some hot food, I was able to contact Miss Janet by phone. She soon arrived at the hotel to pick me up in a battered old van that must have hauled many a hiker. She suggested that I slack pack today, starting at Indian Grave Gap, and head south back to the Nolichucky River. Initially I was taken aback at the idea of hiking south, instead of north. Then I thought, ¢Why not?¢Miss Janet will be taking my back pack with her and place it on a bunk in her hostel to reserve me a bed for tonight. We agreed on a designated time when she will pick me up at the Nolichucky River, where I left off yesterday. I suggested that I call her from Uncle Johnny¢s when I reach the River at the end of my 8.3 mile hike. However, she did not want to pick me up at Uncle Johnny¢s or have me call from there. I gather there is some animosity between her and Uncle Johnny. Okay, so be it. I will be there at the appointed time.The weather was great again as I started today¢s hike at Indian Grave Gap and headed south. I had no back pack to slow me down. I have water, food, map, etc. in my vest. There is a drop of 1700 feet from Indian Grave Gap to the Nolichucky River. As a result I made great time today. However the steady downhills have pounded my legs, which were sore enough from yesterday¢s mostly downhill hike. As I hiked southward, I met many hikers who were struggling uphill with packs on: Spartacus and his wife Rainbow, Jersey Jones, Red, the Foursome, and ¢Quinn¢. Quinn is a tiny, early twenty-something girl whom I have not met before. I arrived at the Nolichucky River long before Miss Janet was supposed to pick me up. Eventually she arrived at the appointed time and we drove to her hostel in the middle of a residential neighborhood in Erwin, Tennessee. In the van with her was a strange character, ¢Bramble¢ and his dog ¢Chase¢. Bramble is a large and powerful looking man, with whom I do not wish to tangle. He has a checkered background as I have discovered today. He is ex-military, although I wonder what the nature of his discharge was. He apparently has been involved with illegal substances. As we drove back to Miss Janet¢s House, he told me he was going to be on the TV show ¢Survivor¢. I asked if he had already been accepted for the show, and he answered ¢no¢. Then I asked if he had applied yet. He responded ¢no¢ again. He also isn¢t the brightest bulb in the chandelier.At Miss Janet¢s House my pack was on a bunk already. The only other hiker in the room when I arrived was ¢Beartracks¢. Miss Janet is indeed a wonderful person. She is well deserving of the love that hikers have for her. Her hostel, however, is a bit of a mad house. It is kind of a cross between a fraternity house (think of the movie ¢Animal House¢) and a home for the homeless. It is terribly disorganized and I suspect many of the hikers staying here do not pay the small fee Miss Janet asks for. She is not around much as she must spend most of her time shuttling hikers, whether they stay here or not. The kitchen is a mess and the large rear yard is a bunch of piles of disorganized ¢stuff¢. In the front yard old boots are partially buried in the lawn, if you want to call it that. Disheveled looking hikers were hanging around the front porch. I suspect the neighbors are not happy about having a hostel in their midst. However, I would not have missed staying at Miss Janet¢s House for the world. I especially love the sign in my bunk room: ¢If you are smoking in bed, you had better be on fire¢. At least I haven¢t seen any smoking in bed today. Dinner tonight was at a little restaurant a few blocks away from Miss Janet¢s. I have plenty of food left in my food bag, but I can¢t imagine cooking a meal in Miss Janet¢s kitchen. It is now well after ten o¢clock and I am about to go to bed. However the TV is going full blast in the adjacent living room, well after the ten o¢clock Quiet Time posted rather prominently. I just got up and gently asked the individuals watching TV, which includes Bramble, if they could lower the volume as it is well past Quite Time. Bramble¢s response was, ¢But we¢re watching this movie!¢ Okay, he¢s a lot bigger than me and that ends that conversation. If I ever pass through Erwin again, I will stay at Miss Janet¢s House again, without hesitation. My right shin is still aching from the day¢s downhill hiking.