Date: 2013-04-21
From: Nantahala Outdoor Center

To: Nantahala Outdoor Center
Miles today: 0.0

Yes, another zero day. I would be frustrated with my lack of progress, except that I now have a schedule to get me to Clingman's Dome by April 29, to hike the Smokies with Mike. I am so excited about that! I could have left here today, but tonight is supposed to be cold, and I have plenty of time to make it to Clingman's Dome by the time Mike will be able to get there. So, another night here in a warm bunkroom. I have so far spent many more nights in hostels than I have in my hammock, which is not the way I wanted to hike my hike, but my next nine days are ALL HIKING! No zeros, no hostels, just me walking and sleeping in the great outdoors. I am ready!So with the decision made to take another day here, I set about finding how I could make it to mass in the nearest town, Bryson City. It is about 13 miles away. First I tried to get a shuttle. No luck. So I decided to try to hitchhike, which all hikers do, and they say is easy in hiker towns. I had decided that I would never hitchhike alone, but here I was already breaking that resolution. I have never hitchhiked before, and I was a bit nervous about it. But I said a prayer, asked for protection, and stuck my thumb out. I started walking down the curvy highway toward Bryson City. A few cars passed, giving no indication of stopping. It is very humbling. Time was running short, and I only had a few more minutes to find a ride if I hoped to make it before mass started. I decided to give it five more minutes, and kept walking, thumb out. At the very last moment, just before I gave up and turned around to head back to the NOC, a truck pulled over. The driver was Jess, a previous AT hiker, who was just passing through the area. Jess had not planned to go as far as Bryson City, but we got to talking trail talk, and Jess was nice enough to depart from the planned route and drop me off right in downtown Bryson City. What a nice person! I knew the church was on Main St., but I didn't have a street number, and I only had a few minutes. I took off walking down Main in what looked like the most promising direction, and soon became convinced that I was going the wrong way, as I was heading into tiny little downtown storefronts, and away from where a reasonable sized church would most likely be, on the edge of town. I was ready, again, to admit defeat, and looked up, and there was St. Joseph church, sitting incongruously next to a fruit market! It was one minute before mass started. I went inside and sat down, terribly aware of my dirty hiking pants, my colorful socks, and my crocs. But I was grateful to be there. Afterward, the problem became how to get back to the NOC? Should I try to hitch again? I sat on the steps going down to the street, and called the shuttle driver again. Again, no answer. Before I hung up, a woman coming out of the church says to me, "Would you like a ride to the gorge? I can take you, if you don't mind a stop at the grocery store first." Wow! I was trying to figure out how to get to a grocery store to resupply for the next leg of my trip! It turns out her husband works at the NOC, and was a previous AT hiker. He had told her to never pick up a hitchhiker, but apparently I look harmless. Trail magic today for sure, a ride to mass, in time, a stop at the store, and a ride back here, and no one would accept any money from me! Trail magic, or answered prayer, as I think of it. Maybe all trail magic is answered prayer.Next topic: Will I Make It To Maine?I never say I am walking to Maine. When hikers meet, they always ask each other how far they are going. I never say Maine, it seems presumptuous. Depending on which set of figures you read, only 10-20% of hikers make it all the way. What makes me think I can be a part of that small percentage? So I always just say I am going as far as I can. As far as my knees will take me. If that is Maine, that would be awesome. If I fall short, it will still be a great experience for me. I don't even think in terms of hiking to Maine. That sounds about as likely as hiking to Mars, at this point. I break my hike down into small sections, and don't really think beyond each section. First, I was doing a 5 day slackpack. Once I finished that, I wanted to get to Dick's Creek Gap, to the Blueberry Patch Hostel, and to Hiawasee. Then it was Franklin. Then the NOC, where I am now. My next goal is Fontana Dam, and after that, the Smokies. I haven't planned beyond that. Logistics are against me, too. To make it from Springer to Katahdin in six months, which is the amount of time I allotted myself, you need to average 15 mile days. I haven't walked a single 15 mile day yet. I know I will hike longer days as I get stronger, as the terrain gets easier, as the weather gets better, and as the days get longer, all of which is going to happen in the next month or so. It is still a tight schedule. The problem is that there is a deadline for an AT hiker going north. The northern end of the trail is atop Mt. Katahdin, Maine, which closes to hikers on Oct. 15 because of the treacherous winter weather, and sometimes closes earlier than that if winter comes early. I do have a loophole I can jump through, though, if I am lucky enough to continue hiking into fall, but it looks like I won't make it all the way to Katahdin by Oct. 15. That is the flip-flop hike. If I find myself still hiking by the end of September but not close enough to make it to Maine, I can get off the trail and get a ride up to Maine, climb Katahdin and back down, and hike the AT southbound, back to wherever I was when I got off the trail. That completes a thruhike. It wouldn't be the big dramatic finish of climbing Mt. Katahdin, and posing with the famous sign on the top, but so be it. It would seem a little anti-climactic to finish my hike at a small town in Connecticut or New Jersey instead of on top of the iconic Katahdin. But if I get that close, I will do it. OK, back to the present. One more night in my grim little bunkroom here at the NOC, then tomorrow, off on a nine day epic solo hike to Clingman's Dome, no hostels, no zero days, just me hiking, hiking, hiking. Yay!