Date: 2009-04-07
From: No Business Knob Shelter

To: Best Southern Motel, Erwin, TN
Miles today: 6.3
Weather: light rain

Tue Apr 7, Day 28: Yippee!! It snowed two to four inches last night. The shelter was breezy with snow and sleet blowing in all night. The virgin snow was so cool to look at. I just sat up in my sleeping bag and peered out. The shelter was full with three section hikers and three thru's. Nice people. Waking up to snow at the No Business Shelter, click on picture to see full size. Food bags in the snow Snowy morningTrump left out first and blazed the trail. All I had to do was follow his boot prints. I was very surprised that hiking wasn¢t more slippery on the trail. The snow provided a little bit of extra traction for the boots which was a good thing. Hiking in the snow on the way to Erwin, TNWe hiked six miles into Erwin, no huge climbs, ending with a nice 1,800' descent during the last two miles. The Erwin area is where Davy Crockett and Andrew Jackson are known to have attended frontier gatherings along the Nolichucky River, I forgot to pack my coonskin cap!Stopped at Uncle Johnny¢s Nolichuicky Hostel, which is where I was going to stay but found out that the hostel was completely full. It¢s because of the weather. All these thru-hikers are just hanging over and laying low. We asked Johnny what we could do and he shuttled us to the Best Southern Motel.Trump, Phoenix, and I are sharing a room. Turned out to be a good alternative for lodging, the motel is located near a breakfast place, an all-you-can-eat pizzeria, a Dollar Store, and White's Supermarket. What else could you want?Refueled at the all-you-can-eat pizza place, I¢m full as a tick as they say in the South. My shopping is finished - I'm resupplied for the next leg on to the Kincora Hiker's Hostel, about 73 miles away, perhaps five days of hiking. The long hot shower was awesome! Definitely a good thing. Then I can settle in for the night. I'll repack the bag (of course) so in the morning I'll be ready to roll out and catch the shuttle back to the trailhead. Not sure of the forecast but I'm headed out in the morning. I should be in Damascus, VA within a week.Tidbits and Observations:T&O One:There are two groups on the trail: The Tent People and the Shelter People. The Tent People are more introverted but nice. The Shelter People are more extroverted and into the communal scene. I am a Shelter Person. We share great conversations iinside the shelter ranging from What's for dinner? to Why are you on the AT? and subjects like that. Lots of diversity inside. T&O Two: I carry a Vinyl Wal-Mart Table Place Mat that I purchased for $2.50 to use as a sitting pad. Everyone just goes crazy over it. It's light, cheap, and easy to carry.T&O Three: I've created the Ramen Peanut Butter Sandwich. I pop the Ramen Noodles apart like an oyster and smear peanut butter on one side and top with raisins or honey (or both). It's a great easy lunch that you'd have to fight Elvis over and better than any Rachel Rea 30 Minute Meal. Oh - the flavor packet from the Ramen Noodles gets used later in the night as I mix it with instant potatoes for an extra chicken flavor kick!T&O Four: My Platypus water bladder bite valve freezes up at cold temperatures. If I eat a Grape Jolly Rancher and get the frozen water to flow it tastes just like a Grape Slurpie! Oh...just a second of bliss.T&O Five: Finally...I drink tea and use the used tea bags to clean out my pot or flexi-bowl after eating. Nothing goes to waste on the AT!I finally figured out how to check the guest book from my cell phone. Wow, what a great thing to do to see everybody¢s messages. Thanks to all of you for taking the time to sign the Guest Book, sure lifts my spirits to read your nessages and know you are following along. Click here for audio journal