Date: 2015-10-28
From: Hampton, TN

To: Erwin, TN
Miles today: 75.6
Weather: moderate rain

10/25 Day 145:   15.9 miles M1786.6Mountaineer ShelterAfter a 32.1 mile day yesterday, I took some much needed rest this morning at Black Bear Resort, updated this journal, took inventory and resupplied, then hiked the 1/2 mile back to the AT where it took me a while to determine which trail was the AT, but found it at 1:15pm and began another hiking day. Easy trail today, fast hiking all day. A couple of nice views and colorful fall foliage. Hiked in to Mountaineer Shelter for a 1/2 hour by headlamp tonight and found Earp, Stank, Oil Can, and Side Show. Nice to see them again. Cloudy but no rain today.10/26 Day 146: 18.0 miles M1804.6Overmountain ShelterHiked out by headlamp @ 7am Cloudy and Fog all day. Would have been great views across Hump and Little Hump Mountains, but instead was cold, very windy, and foggy. I met three SOBOs hiking NOBO who had slack-packed this section (Slider and Jack Rabbit). By 3pm today, I'd hiked 18 miles and decided to stay in this converted barn (now an AT shelter) -- a bit breezy but definitely better than nothing. Once I put on my base layer and jacket, I warmed up nicely. Ate delicious Thai Yellow Curry, Starbucks instant coffee hit the spot, too. In bed early to stay warm. Changing clothes, I sat on my glasses, 1800 miles and no problem until today. Will need to get them repaired. 10/27 Day 147: 17.4 miles M1822.0Greasy Creek Friendly.Loved the barn overnight (Overmountain Shelter). Was WINDY, rain and fog all night and into the morning as I hiked out and stayed that way all day long. On Roan Mountain, hiking over the grassy bald, the wind gusts were around 60mph by my estimates blowing me off trail, sleet too. Reminded me of Bigalow Mountains in Maine back in June, except the trail here is actually fairly easy. Another day that would have been spectacular views had visibility of about 100'. The hostel at Greasy Creek Gap is full tonight with hikers looking for relief from the weather. Wasn't easy finding the way down to the hostel, but we all seemed to find it.10/28 Day 148: 24.3 miles M1846.3Uncle Johnny's Nolichucky HostelMade my way back up the 1/2 mile to Greasy Creek Gap by headlamp (most days start with nighttime hiking lately) and hiked on four miles to Iron Mountain Gap. I have been hiking the AT for 16 years now and until this year had hiked only in the south. Except for 5 miles over Standing Indian Mountain, I have hiked all the section of the AT from Springer Mountain to this point (Iron Mountain Gap). Thus, I have essentially completed a lifetime section hike of the AT. Doesn't mean too much really, except that I look for milestones every chance I get to help propel me forward. I didn't recognize much of the next twenty miles of trail, though, as I suspect many parts have been rerouted since I last hiked this area. Also, today's weather was, again, very cloudy, rain and fog. Some interesting breaks in the clouds occasionally allowed me to see some amazing contrasts of black mountains and white clouds. Today, we also had a little sun in the afternoon with a surprising rise in temperature and then what seemed to be a summer shower, very odd. Uncle Johnny's is very full, too. Seems there are many hikers coalescing, must be a dozen southbound thru-hikers at Uncle Johnny's tonight, with a few more right behind us.