Date: 2008-04-01
From: Fontana Dam Shelter

To: Fontana Village - "Zero" Day
Miles today: 0.0

Hey everybody. Finally made it to a computer here at Fontana Village, one of the gateways to the Smokey Mountains. Again, things have been going well, almost too well. I still seem to be waiting for the other shoe to drop. In my last e-mail, I was in Franklin, N.C. I got a ride back to the shelter I was going to stay at. For those not familiar with the Trail, I am what is considered to be a "white blazer." This is someone who follows all of the 6-inch by 2-inch white blazes painted on trees and rocks along the Trail. Some people are considered "blue blazers," hikers who skip parts of the white-blaze trail by taking blue-blaze trails. Some would say that the blue-blaze trail is a shortbut, because it can save lots of time and walking. The other type of hiking is called "yellow blazing," which involves some hiking but also the use of a car following yellow stripes. I have met people who are doing each typing of hiking. I choose to do it the white-blaze way because I want the sense of satisfaction of knowing that I did all of it. I do not have a problem with the others, this is just the way I want to do it. This is known as HYOH (Hike Your Own Hike). I made it to the Nantahala Outdoor Center last Friday. My girlfriend Holly called and asked if she could come down and spend the weekend. After thinking about this for about one second, I agreed. She left Cincinnati around 5 oclock P.M. and did not get there till about 3 oclock A.M. The roads are alot more winding than they looked on the map. We got spend Saturday together. We drove up here to Fontana Dam and picked up my mail drop sent to me by my friend Jo Johnson (Thanks, Jo!). I sent some of it back with Holly, and the rest of it I put in a box and mailed it to myself at the same post office, knowing that I would be back in 2-3 days. Would you believe I had to pay shipping just to have the post office keep a package, without sending it anywhere? Oh well. I left the N.O.C. Sunday morning after a tearful goodbye, and hiked up and out for 16 miles. That was my longest day so far. It was also the biggest climb, with about a mile rise in elevation. I had planned on taking three days to get to Fontana, but it only took two, so I am taking another zero (zero miles) day. All the people I have been hiking with are doing the same. There is a 90% chance of rain and thunderstorms, along with the possibility of 3/4 inch hail. Seemed like a good idea. The forcast is not much better for the rest of the week - looks like a 50%chance of rain through Friday. Oh well. My personal opinion is that I will not be considered a real hiker until I have spent a week the rain. I talked to my mentor Saturday, Uncle Tom (not my real uncle), and he reminded me that when he hiked through the Smokies last year during the second week in April, it snowed so hard that the rangers had to force everyone off the mountains and into Gatlinburg. If you would like to read about his exploits, go to trailjournals.com, hit the journals link, go to 2007, and scroll down to Uncle Tom. He has a fascinating and well-told tale of the trail, with lots of pictures. I met him down in Damascus, VA, last year during Traildays in May. I have gotten a lot of good advice and great gear suggestions from him. Thanks again, Uncle Tom. Moss is still in it. He now has new donated shoes, but got rid of his tent. He must stay in shelters now. He is very fast, partly due to the fact that he is carrying 15 pounds on his back and he is young. But don't forget, old age and trechery beats youth and skill everytime. :o) Gotta go, someone is waiting for the computer. Again, I appreciate all the e-mails - they mean so much. Talk to you after the Smokies, Troutbum - Troutbum's g.f.