Date: 2016-04-03
From: NOC

To: Stecoah Gap
Miles today: 13.4
Weather: clear sky

When we left our room at the Bryson City Fryemont Inn at about 6:30 am, it was cold and dark. By the time we reached our starting point at Stecoah Gap, it was colder but lighter, with the sun lurking just below the horizon and a very clear sky. This section between the NOC and Stecoah is a long, tough climb from either end. But we picked the easier end and hiked SoBo together. It¢s easier because Stecoah Gap is 1,432 ft higher than NOC, although the Cheowah Bald in between is over 5,000 ft, so both directions involve significant climbs and descents. The temp dropped as we climbed and the wind picked up near the top. The rhododendron leaves were starting to curl, an indication of the freezing point. My wool mittens weren¢t quite enough to keep my fingers warm and eventually I had to pull my arm warmers down over them. It took us nearly half the hike to get to Cheowah Bald and by then the sun was beaming and it was considerably warmer, perhaps mid-40¢s. The first hiker we met was The Spaniard. Yesterday, Princess recovered his ground cloth and returned it to him. Today he had it stowed securely inside his backpack, no chance of losing it again. We really like him and hope to see him again, but he¢s moving quickly and we¢re jumping around so it may not happen. After that we saw dozens of hikers since almost everyone is headed NoBo at this point. The climbs today were very tiring. We have lightweight slack-packs (essentially day-packs), while the backpackers are heavily loaded with 25 to 30 lbs on their backs. The difference is pronounced as they struggle to keep moving up. Hiker etiquette suggests that when hikers meet on the trail, the climbing hiker has priority and the descending hiker should step to the side. But almost every climbing hiker we met waved us on and took advantage of the opportunity to catch their breath.Further along in the hike, we saw Shaggy again. His parents are friends of ours back in Norfolk, so we always try to get a pic when we see him, and I've included his pic. He was moving pretty well today. He camped about a half-mile above NOC last night in a rocky area where there was protection from the wind, and he said he could hear the water rushing down the Nantahala Gorge not far below. He plans to be in Fontana tomorrow, so we may see him there. But we are rearranging our plans, so we may not see him beyond that point. We also saw Scooter again near the top of her climb. She was moving well too, it seems that her New Hampshire experience is serving her well in these mountains.While the uphill hike was tiring for us, the downhill side had some tricky spots. It was mostly dry, but with occasional rock outcroppings and roots that complicated the steep slope. There were also several sections through rockfalls. I haven¢t heard that term before, but I don¢t know a better way to describe them other than maybe a rockslide. It¢s like someone poured a whole lot of big rocks onto the hillside and they flowed down and covered the trail. The rocks are usually large and generally secure enough to walk on without shifting, but they¢re also at random angles and random sizes so it can be hard to find good footing and stay balanced. Hiking poles can be more of a hindrance than a help, and I¢ve snapped carbon fiber poles in these rock fields. Wallace (NC) may be able to provide more info about them, but regardless of what they¢re called they can be a problem to walk across. All things considered, we were satisfied with our pace today. We did the 13.4 miles in just over 5 hours. When we reached the NOC, we had some time to kill until Wiggy picked us up and we sat outside in the sun and people-watched for a while. The NOC was a beehive of activity. Hikers, kayakers, rafters, all sorts of people were milling around. We recognized a few of the hikers from the trail and exchanged greetings. Wiggy arrived on time and drove us back to our car at Stecoah Gap, then we snapped a photo and bid him goodbye. After checking out tomorrow¢s route, we headed back to our room in Bryson City. And tonight we¢re getting ready to depart tomorrow morning and move on to Hot Springs.