Date: 2018-04-10
From: Unaka Mountain Tent Site

To: Greedy Creek Hostel
Miles today: 11.6

Woke up to an icy tent and frigid temperatures, our favorite!! NOT!!! But one of the reasons we started our thru hike so early was to avoid as many hot days as possible, so we¢re not complaining. Ok, we¢re barely complaining. We didn¢t want to get out of the warm sleeping bag, but knew we were going to be in a hostel tonight. It was going to be about an 11.5 mile day, so we had a ¢gotta get after it¢ approach to the day. As soon as we started, we had about a .5 mile hike up Unaka Mountain. But the sun immediately popped out, so we were already feeling much better than we did on Mundane Monday. We had only been hiking for a few miles and my phone rang. Uh. Oh. Forgot to put it on Airplane Mode. But I was very thankful I forgot because it was our son, Patrick. Unfortunately, he was battling a little stomach bug, but any day I get to talk to my kiddos on the phone is TERRIFIC!!! We chatted with him a bit and then got back to our hike. It was very cool all day, but even with the wind, we were comfortable because of the warming sunshine. It was one of those days where you put on your buff and roll down your sleeves to hike down the mountains and then take off your buff and put up your sleeves as soon as your start uphill. But you never realize just how cool it is until you stop hiking for a few minutes. We got to the first shelter, Cherry Gap Shelter, about 4.5 miles in and while Next Step was getting water, I made our pb&j sandwiches that we would have for lunch a little later in the day. We always try to make each stop count and get as much done as we can so as to minimize our stops, especially when it¢s so chilly. We decided to wait until the trail crossed the next road before stopping for lunch (JUST IN CASE there was some trail magic). So glad we made that call!!! Just as we pulled out our sandwiches, a white van pulled up that had Casper painted on it and under Casper it said ¢The AT friendly van.¢ Now that could only mean one thing¢¦Trail Magic!! And it is Terrific Tuesday, so why not?!?! He had cold sodas and a variety of Little Debbie cakes and pies. ¢That will go perfectly with our sandwiches, thank you!¢ Rob, the trail angel, was super nice and we enjoyed chatting with him as we ate. Apparently he drives his van all the way to Massachusetts and makes lots of stops along the way. Fortunately, I am sure we¢ll be seeing more of Rob and Casper. We had about 5 miles to go before arriving at a side trail, then another .6 mile hike to the hostel. ¢It better be worth it!¢We had several climbs, but mostly downhills, so we made good time to the side trail. As we were hiking down, we passed several hikers on their way back up. They had heard they could get a cheeseburger at the hostel. However, if Connie, the owner, is not in, there are no cheeseburgers getting served. And much to their dismay, Connie had gone to town for resupply items. But fortunately for us, she would be back in a few hours and we would get our cheeseburgers!! They all also mentioned that ¢There are LOTS of rules!!¢ That¢s ok, I like rules too. We showed up and Connie¢s husband was letting us know the Standing Operating Procedures at the Greasy Creek Hostile. As long as I get my cheeseburger, I¢ll be glad to follow all the rules!! We sorted thru our food bags to see what we needed for resupply. My phone rang again, and this time it was our daughter, Holly. We got to talk with her for about 30 minutes as well. At this point, I really don¢t think this Tuesday can be any more terrific! But we¢re heading out in about 20 minutes to pick up the cheeseburgers and chocolate milkshakes, so I¢m thinking maybe it can!!Hugs,                                                                                                                                       Which WayElevation Data:                  Weather:Ascent ~ 2,260                    Day ¢ 47 degrees / Partly SunnyDescent ~ 3,220                  Night ¢ 31 degrees / Partly CloudyGrade ~ 9.0Over the Horizon: Roan Mountain