Date: 2015-04-30
From: Uncle Johnny's Nolichucky Hostel

To: Uncle Johnny's Nolichucky Hostel
Miles today: 20.1
Weather: light rain

I was up early and had my pack stowed while I carried only my fanny pack with my days worth of food, 2x 20oz bottles of Emergency drink mix (electrolytes) my Sawyer mini & squeeze bag, TP and iPod. I ate breakfast while waiting to be picked up. The shuttle picked me up first and then went to the Hotel where Coed and his partner were waiting. Right before we pulled into the hotel we were almost caught in a head on collision as the driver in the other lane swerved into our lane and we just narrowly avoided getting hit! It sure got our hearts going and was one heck of a way to start the day! We picked them up and after a short but interesting drive down some narrow scenic roads, we were soon at the Iron Mountain Gap and hiking at 8:15 back to the hostel. The day was full of beautiful views and practical jokes. I was going south and would stop and look confused at north bounders and say "I thought that you were northbound? Why are you going south?" Some weren't buying it at all while others would bite for a few seconds before catching on while others who were zombie walking would stop and make a big O with their mouth and wonder where they had gotten turned around. I would then let the cat out of the bag and got some good laughs and good natured ribbing. I loved beauty spot and it was nice to finally have a view and be able to enjoy it. Someone had camped there as there was the smoldering remains of a campfire which I threw dirt on to finish the fire. For a good while now, it had seemed that at every bald or view I came across it was either raining, foggy or I was in the clouds with -0- visibility. The descent into Erwin was very pleasant from both sides and it was nice not to have to climb up out of town. The views along the river were beautiful and the act of having to cross a rail road track was neat though there weren't any trains passing at the time. Back at the hostel I felt tired but good as I had arrived at 2:45 meaning I had hiked 20.1 miles in 8.5 hours! Eating more was definitely helping me to keep my energy level up. I ate and rested on the porch before turning in early as I had to arrange another shuttle to take me back to the Iron Mountain Gap at 7:00 in the morning. Coed had wanted to slackpack again but it would have cost too much, so I passed. My stay had been a pleasant one and I had a great time at Uncle Johnny's hostel again and recommend it to future hikers. (I had stayed there during my previous thru-hike attempt back in 2013.) I hung out on the porch and by the fire pit out back making sure to stay safe when needed. I talked to Quahog for awhile and he shared a little about his experiences so far. He wrote about meeting me along the way in a journal entry. - "Hi Squarepeg. I have to say you were one of the memorable characters during my thru-hike last year. I'm amazed you got as far as you did. The first time I met you was at a shelter down south with Co-Ed. You were always up and out of the shelter by 5 am but you fell way behind our bubble. You and Co-Ed did a lot of southbound slack packs. If you recall, I didn't bite on your skit about hiking the wrong way around Max Patch. Last time I recall seeing you was at Uncle Johnny's in Erwin, doing work for stay cutting bushes. Best of luck for the future. Quahog." I did my audio book and then relaxed to Howard Shores Lord of the Rings Soundtracks as I unwound and went to sleep.