Date: 2010-03-26
From: Hot Springs, NC

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

[Sugarbush here at the public library in Hot Springs, NC...]So we've made it 270 miles and it's day 23. We came into Hot Springs this morning, took turns eating massive breakfasts at the Smoky Mountain Diner so that the non-eating person could watch Cole on the porch, and found a reasonable motel that allows dogs to stay too (sorry Elmer and the Sunnybank gang, we'd love to stay but you don't like Cole). After getting our mail (thank you, family and friends) and organizing our things a bit, I ate a pint of Ben & Jerry's and watched MTV while Dethmarch showered. We did some laundry, bought fuel at the outfitter, and ran errands. Life is good in town, but we'll be happy to hit the trail again tomorrow.A little update: Since Franklin (last entry), we had some nice weather and made some big days into the Nantahala Outdoor Center, where we hung with friends and dried out our gear on the sidewalk like proper hiker trash. Drank too many beers as we sat in the sun eating salami and pizza, and after I ran into some kids I went to college with, we hiked (semi-innebriated) a few miles north and found a spot to pitch the tent. A few days into Fontana Dam, where we stayed at the Fontana Hilton, the hands-down nicest shelter on the trail so far, complete with a shower in the bathroom and a paved path to the shelter. We received some trail magic from an A.T. legend (thanks, Methane), cooked bacon and eggs in the morning, and then headed into the Smokies.We made it through the park, obviously, and it went without a hitch. We boarded Cole at Standing Bear Farm in Davenport Gap, the north end of the park, and made it through in four days without stopping at Gatlinburg to resupply. The first two days in the Smokies were sunny and clear, with gorgeous views from Shuckstack tower and the ridges along the way, and then the weather turned and we were in a cloud for the last 40 miles or so. The north side of Clingman's Dome was predictably the worst part, and, as warned, we postholed in 4-5' deep snow all the way down a minimally-packed trail. Dethmarch said to me, "Well, we're either on the A.T. right now, or we're follwing a trail that leads to a pile of dead hikers." Ha, ha. When we opted not to go into Gatlinburg, we did our first 20-mile day as we realized we were running low on food and needed to keep moving to keep warm. Met some cool folks and saw some beautiful sights but all in all, we were glad to be back on bare ground and reunited with our dog at the north end. Almost immediately after the Smokies, we began to see butterflies and even some mosquitoes, and the patches of snow are becoming fewer and fewer.We had an amazing view at Max Patch and slept just north of the summit so that we cook run back up for the sunset. Drank Jameson with a local as we watched the sun go down over the Smokies and looked back. A few days and a few raindrops later, here we are. Safe and sound. No run-ins with bears, no snakes yet, a raccoon last night but Cole had a great time as our guard dog. The last few resupply spots were a bit pricey so we skimped on food and our bellies rumbled down the mountain into town. It felt good to get our bounce box and some lovin' from home, and we don't have to buy much to get us to Erwin, TN, which is our next stop.Thanks for tuning in. Check out the "photo" section of the website (on the left) for pictures from the trip so far.