Date: 2003-04-15
From: Nantahala River - Fontana Dam

To: Nantahala River - Fontana Dam
Miles today: 27.7
Weather: scattered clouds

Nantahala River - Fontana Dam27.7 miles (161.7 total miles)It was a lot of fun lounging around NOC on day 13. Stir Crazy and I met up with a bunch of hikers for AYCE breakfast. Most were suprised to see me, as I had been so far behind them. Then I made some phone calls, sent some email, bought some camp shoes at the outfitter, and waded in the chilly Nantahala River. Lunch was chili dogs, chips, soda, and ice cream. It was hard when it came time to leave, especially as many of the friends I had left behind started rolling in. I loved it at NOC. It was the perfect hiker hangout. But at about 3:00 I decided it was time to move on.It was a very hot afternoon, and a very long climb out of NOC. My plan was to stay at a camping spot 2.5 miles away. But as I stopped and the weather got cooler, my energy level went up. I decided to press on, and see how far I could get. As the evening went on, I just kept hiking stonger. At 8.2 miles, I pulled up to Cheoah Bald. There were about 6 other hikers there, and the view was fabulous! We watched the sun set over the Smokies, and the lights from towns twinkling below. Way in the distance we could see Fontana Lake, our next destination. I thought about how lucky I am, and how many people in the world will never experience such a beautiful sight. I pulled out a bottle of soda that I brought up from NOC for the occasion, and we all shared it. That night several of us decided not to even pitch our tents. I set my sleeping bag on the side of the mountain, and fell asleep staring up at the stars and the almost-full moon.Day 14 was tough. I was up and out early, as usual. And not 20 minutes into the day I had already stripped down to the bare minimum of clothing. I usually like to hike a few miles before breakfast, and there was a picnic area at 5.5 miles. I learned that was really too far to go without anything to eat, and I got fairly weak. I crashed for a while at the picnic area, got water, and ate breakfast. A bus full of 12 year old girls pulled up. We gave them stories about hiking, and they gave us lollipops.From there it looked like an easy 2.5 miles to the next shelter for lunch. But the trail took a turn up the most insanely steep half mile I have seen. It took me an hour to hike this half mile. I stopped for 2 water breaks, and about 30 catch-your-breath breaks. Finally I pulled into the shelter, and just laid there for a couple hours. I was hot and drained. Shankadelic showed up, and I traded him a Snickers bar for some Tang, which turned out to be a good deal for both sides. About another hour down the trail, I took a break and fell asleep for a half hour. I am getting a reputation for dozing on the trail. I pulled into a shelter for dinner about 5.5 miles from Fontana Dam. I was very tempted to stay, but I wanted a full easy day at Fontana, so I pushed on another 3 miles. There were some people tenting by a stream, so I joined them. Once again, I just threw my sleeping bag on the side of the hill. I fell asleep instantly.I was up and out early on day 15, eager for breakfast. A bunch of us got to the marina early, only to wait around for the first shuttle at about 9:30. I got an excellent private room at the resort and headed for the breakfast buffet. The Fontana Dam resort is very nice, and they treat their thru-hikers well. I cleaned up and headed for the post office for my mail drop. Whew, it was a heavy one. Am I really going to carry all that weight on my back? It looks like I have some rationing to do.The best surprise of all was waiting in my mail drop. I got letters from the Larkspur Elementary School 1st and 4th grade classes! I laid in my nice cozy bed and read them all twice. Then I headed down to the laundromat, which was buzzing with thru-hikers. As I was doing my laundry, I showed all the hikers my letters. Everyone loved them! We read them aloud, and laughed, and enjoyed all the pictures. So, THANK YOU very much to the Larkspur Elementary School. I hope when I get back to Colorado that I can meet you all and tell you all about my adventures.Tomorrow I will be entering Great Smoky Mountains National Park. From what I hear, it is a tough climb out of Fontana, but then the trail mostly follows a ridge, so it is (relatively) easy. We'll see. It's 70 miles from one end to the other, with a possible stop-off in Gatlinburg. I am going to try not to stop, but I'll see how I am feeling. The weather calls for possible showers on Thursday, then again on Monday. I am looking forward to the Smokies. From what I could see from the marina, it looks like beautiful country.