Date: 2013-10-04
From: Gorenflo Gap

To: Max Patch
Miles today: 13.9
Weather: broken clouds

Today started with a ride up to Max Patch, where I began my hike. The road became rocky and washed out, and the further we headed into the mountains, the fewer road signs we saw. A truck drove up behind us, and when I pulled aside to let him pass, he asked if we were lost. I asked if he was heading up to where the trail crossed - he said he was, so I ended up going with him. Grandma Lucy later told me she couldn't believe how quick I asked for a ride and jumped into his car! He was heading up to see his mother, and actually drove out of the way to take me to the trail. We talked about hunting on the way. I though hunting season had opened two days ago; he seemed confused at first, then realized I was talking about deer season. "Oh no, I hunt bear!"As I got closer to the top of Max Patch, I saw a hiker in the distance that I recognized! Righteous had taken a zero in Hot Springs on Tuesday and did a shorter day yesterday. The topic of conversation was the Smokies, and how we would handle going through. I told him that, based on what I had heard in town and with the news saying the shutdown would last more than a couple days, I was planning on heading to Springer this afternoon and hiking north. There are a couple of pros to this approach:-I will get to see thru hikers I know who are ahead of me, and most likely meet more who are ahead and behind. -I won't have to wait at the base of the Smokies while Washington sorts itself out, and I won't have to risk the unknown of heading into the Smokies while they are closed, especially without a permit. If the Smokies are still closed when I arrive from the south, I'll be able to use suggestions from SOBOs to determine if I should try to go in.-I'll get to hike from Springer in the same direction my NOBO friends did, though I hope I have much less snow than they had when they passed through!-There are three "Brightsides" or "Breitsides" on the trail this year; one was NOBO, one is SOBO, and I am the flip flopper. I didn't start at either Springer or Katahdin, so I don't think finishing my hike at one of those places is as important to me as it might be for someone who hikes continuously in one direction. A second flip is not only exciting, it is fitting!As I considered these pros, I tried to think of reasons I SHOULDN'T flip down to Springer. I thought of how I would feel if the shutdown ended tomorrow morning and I had jumped the gun, or how I would feel as SOBOs who passed through without incident told me I had worried about nothing. Standing on top of Max Patch, with 360 degree views of the Smokies, Tennessee and North Carolina, with the awesome trail town of Hot Springs only a few miles away, there was no doubt in my mind that this is where I will finish my thru hike. The next time I stand on Max Patch and take in that view, I will have completed the trail - how exhilarating! With that thought in my mind, I hiked back to Gorenflo Gap to meet Grandma Lucy and to head to Springer.On the way down, we crossed the trail twice that I noticed. One of those times was at Mountain Crossing Outfitter, where I will be in a day and a half. Being down here in areas that my NOBO friends have been reminiscing about for so many months has me excited - I almost feel as if I'm beginning the trail at Springer myself, an experience I didn't ever think I would have! Further, after a week of slack packing, town food, and comfy beds, I am like a new person, going out for a short, two week hike. I feel fantastic, and I'm ready to hike north!