Date: 2016-03-12
From: Rufus Morgan Shelter

To: NOC
Miles today: 0.8
Weather: overcast clouds

March 10 I take my time packing up in the morning considering the NOC doesn't open until 8am and I am only a mile away. I get into town and eat a nice breakfast and drink hot coffee. I am meeting my wife on Saturday (today is Thursday)and I am staying put until then. Since I got into the NOC earlier than expected I will be taking a 1 mile nero and 2 zeros. I don't need this much time off but I want to see my wife badly. I got a 2 bunk cabin with Mud Puppy and the rest of the group gets an 8 person cabin. The bunks are rustic, but I like them. They remind me of summer camp back when I was a kid. I shower for about 45 minutes. Then I meet the group for dinner. By now we all have huge appetites and can eat massive amounts of food. After dinner we all hang out on the porch until about 10:30 when we go back to our rooms to sleep. I sleep incredibly well this night now that I am not relying on leaves as my source of comfort.March 11 I wake up feeling refreshed and rejuvenated. Today will be my first official zero and marks 2 weeks on the trail. When I tell you it feels more like 2 months, I'm not exaggerating. Time does a weird thing on the trail that is hard to explain. Even though the days go by quickly, events seem so far apart. Like I said, it is hard to explain. I eat breakfast and drink 5 cups of coffee with lots of sugar and creamer. Back home I always drank my coffee black and didn't like to drink calories. Things have changed! Every cup of coffee is like a sweet caffeinated dessert. Delicious! I have also tried every Fanta flavor and countless combinations of flavors. I highly recommend 1 part pineapple and 1 part strawberry with a splash of grape. After breakfast I go to the outfitter to pickup a package, a new air pad and register for the Smokies. The rest of the day is spent lounging by the river soaking my feet in the cold water. The NOC is a great place to take a zero. The place has great energy and the summer camp feel which reminds me of being a kid with no worries in the world. The whole day is sunny and in the low 70's. Is this really March? I go through phases where I feel like I am dreaming. This lifestyle is intoxicating and I think I am becoming addicted to it. We stay up late and sleep well.March 12 I awake today excited because I am going to see my wife and spend the whole day and night with her. When she arrives, I introduce her to everyone and we hang out by the river talking. There is trail magic going on and new thru-hiker faces keep coming down the mountain. Everyone keeps talking about the horde and how they want to get ahead of it. I guess a lot of people started this past weekend and it is referred to by hikers ahead as the horde-like a zombie horde from the Walking Dead :-) To me it just seems like spurts of hikers here and there. My wife and I drive to our hotel room and hang out and have a great time! We decide that I will slack pack from the NOC to Yellow Creek Mountain Road tomorrow where my wife will meet me with my pack. This will be a 21 mile day including the climb up to Cheoah Bald and Jacob's Ladder. With all the rest and without my pack I should be able to pull it off. We will see.