Date: 2018-04-03
From: Cosby Knob Shelter

To: Standing Bear Hostel
Miles today: 10.7

Day 28Up early to get going, but everyone else had the same idea. When we finally had stuff packed we saw that about half had already scampered out. Mary heard some hikers up and packing around 3:30 in the morning, apparently doing some night hiking. It is a nearly full moon, so I'm sure it worked out fine for them. We got a couple of pictures before we left as we had a really nice sun rise. About a 750 foot climb to start the day, but then a long, long, down hill out of the park. A lot of other hikers were zipping by us, racing to get to Standing Bear. Mary and I were enjoying the day, stopping to have a cup of tea and a snack on the trail once it warmed up. We made our way down slowly on what was fast becoming a warm day. Just about lunch time we arrived at the last shelter in the Smoky Mountains and debated whether to go in for lunch. We decided to go a little further out of the park to the road crossing and eat there. We met the other ridge runner starting her 5 day shift hiking in, she also checked our permits as we chatted. About 15 minutes later we arrived at the gap and saw a car parked, soon we had "Trail Magic", what a delight! Just what we needed on a now hot day. Lawn chairs, turkey, bread, mustard, mayo, chips, sweet tarts, and best of all 2 cases of Ice Cold Sierra Nevada IPA beer. It sure was better than what we had left for lunch, 1 tortilla, 1 pouch of tuna, and 1 pouch of spam. I was planning on eating the spam with no tortilla, and Mary was going to have tuna on the tortilla. "Bagheera", or "Bags" for short, a 2017 thru-hiker had decided to come by to congratulate everyone for finishing the Smoky Mountains and to hear some stories from this years crop of hikers. She also shared some stories from last year. She goes by "Bags" because nobody could remember "Bagheera". Sure lifted our spirits and made for one of the best days yet. "Bags" works for Sierra Nevada giving tours of the brewery in Asheville. We each enjoyed a couple of sandwiches and a couple of beers as well as chips and sweet tarts. Bubbs was there, Irish and Beach Bum soon arrived and then Sassafras came in as well. There was one other hiker, I think he goes by TI84... We all shared many stories and were thankful we didn't rush today and miss this like many of the speedy hikers did. We hated to leave, but we still had three miles to go before Standing Bear. Made for some tough hiking in the heat after the beer and rest, but just before I-40 we came to a nice stream that we soaked our feet in and splashed water on the rest of our bodies to cool off. I had been in touch with my parents who are returning from Florida, and hopefully will meet us tonight at the hostel. When we made Standing Bear we were ready to be done for the night. Showered, claimed two of the last bunks (both top bunks of course), and cooked a frozen pizza for dinner. Soon my parents arrived and we had a nice long chat before they had to leave to find a place of their own to stay for the night. Washed my shirt on the old laundry board and hung it in a tree to dry. Off to bed on a tiring but over all good day. Bubbs tented at Standing Bear, Irish and Beach Bum went down the trail a little further to tent. Flo-bo was at Standing Bear as was Sha ling (not sure of spelling), Hannah, Sourpatch, Ulysses from NH, as well as Wicked who is from NH, and many others we have been hiking the trail with recently.