Date: 2015-04-24
From: Flint Gap,NC

To: Sams Gap, NC/TN
Miles today: 12.1

With a last-minute plan, Hobble was able to land us a free ride into Asheville, NC if we were able to get to Sams Gap by 1:00pm. We had 12.1 miles to go. It took a while to get going due to morning temperatures in the upper 20's, but by 8:00am Burnsides and I were on the trail to hit our mark. We covered the first mile to Flint Shelter in no time for the goal was to hike as quickly as possible in order to get blood moving and warm up. We stopped at the water source where I quickly drank 1.5 liters and was content from not having any water the night before. With fingers frozen and hurting, we continues on the trail at a good pace until the sun's warmth finally kicked in after a few miles and we were able to shed some clothing.Even with temperatures in the low-to-mid 30's, hiking is plenty comfortable in shortsleeves as long as there is little wind. We reached Devil Fork Gap, a scenic little valley where the trail crosses NC 212 and runs through green pastures for the next quarter mile before returning you into the woods. Burnsides and I paused here for a few minutes with 2 other thru-hikers, downed a snack, snapped some pictures, said hello to 2 local dogs, Jake and his female companion, as they flirted and chased one another though the pasture.Through the pasture and back into the woods, we soon began our hardest stretch of the day between Sugarloaf Gap and Frozen Knob. During this stretch of roughly ~3 miles, the trail ran along flowing cascades, crossing over them several times, as we zigzagged our way up the mountain. Unlike the previous day, my body felt strong and I set the pace for the day. We were up the mountain in good time where we rewarded ourselves with a quick water break, a Snickers, and some trail mix before continuing on. The next several miles would pass by pretty uneventful as our goal was set and we were determined to meet it. So long Lick Rock, Big Flat, and Rice Gap. We reached Hogback Ridge Shelter where we took a quick break to check the guidebook - good, only 2.4 miles left and exactly an hour to get it done.Feeling confident, we slowed our pace a little during this last stretch and even took a detour off the trail to enjoy a sweeping vista near High Rock. No longer could we see an expanse of flat ground to the west, for the trail had returned us deeper into the mountains. Blue skies, tree-blooming mountains, a few houses dotting the lush, green valley below, and even a sliver of I-26, our destination.After a few remaining climbs of no more than ~100-200ft each, the remaining mile or so was downhill Intl Sams Gap. Upon exiting the woods along I-26, we found a box of cookies and oranges sitting below a sign on the trail. Normally you'd be hesistant to consume any unpackaged food, but we saw a lady returning to her truck at the bottom of the hill we stood on, assuring us of its freshness. The lady drove down the road, turned around, and drove by as she returned to the interstate exit a half mile to the west. We waved our arms in thanks, mouths already full with homemade cookies.We continued down the hill and met Coyote sitting next to an overpass where we were supposed to be picked up soon. Burnsides and I clocked 12.1 miles in just under 4.5 hours so we immediately threw off our bags, and laid in the sun along the road. Through talking with Coyote, who would be joining us in Asheville, we learned that he put in 27 miles the past 2 days trying to catch up with us. We also learned that he unknowingly camped within 100ft of us last night, but was unaware of us nearby due to how late and early he arrived and hit the trail in his attempt to catch us. So is life on the trail.Moosehead and Hobble would join us along the interstate an hour later where we'd discover our rush today was of little importance since Hobble's friend wouldn't be picking us up for at least another hour. We nothing to do and in a poor location to be picked up, we decided to walk half a mile west to a scenic overlook accessible from the interstate, making it an ideal spot. I'm sure passing motorists had their stares as 5 grungy hikers limped along the interstate. When we reached the overlook, we simply threw our gear down, talked, and basked in the sunlight which is, for the most part, kept at a minimum while on the trail due to towering trees. An hour or so later, Hobble's friend arrived and we crambed in. I'm unaware of the open container laws in TN and NC, but beers were quickly handed out and enjoyed as we were whisked east on I-26 into Asheville, NC.On the agenda for the evening was eating, relaxing, and catching a local concert. We first went to Wicked Weed, a local brewery/eatery. It was packed with hipsters, the atmosphere was chill, solid local beer selection, and decent food to boot. While there a little more trail magic was bestowed upon us as we were offered to pitch our tents in an empty lot in a neighborhood overlooking the downtown as well as the towering mountains beyond. With tents pitched, we were offered to come inside the house of Sam and Dan who let us shower and relax while we waited for the concert at 9:00pm. Shower concluded and feeling good, we were serenaded by Moosehead as he shared a poem he wrote for Haley, Sam, and Dan in order to show thanks. Laughs, applause, and cheers.At 8:45pm we began the walk into downtown to the Orange Peel, a local music venue and revolving door of both local and major musicians, comedians, etc. I noticed both Jerry Seinfeld and the band The Tallest Man on Earth will be entertaining in the upcoming weeks. Super cool to have such talent roll through a small city such as Asheville. I could get use to this kinda place. We were here to see the Dave Rawlings Machine - an awesome bluegrass/folk band. In a standing room only setting, we were treated to over 2 hours of music complete with guitars, banjos, harmonicas, a standing bass, and some beautiful vocals. I highly suggest the songs "Keep It Clean" and "Sweet Tooth" if you'd like to get a feel for the music. Near 11-11:30pm, the majority of our group wandered out because our feet simply couldn't take any more abuse - normally we would be asleep or at least off our feet for hours by this time of night. We wandered down the bustling street to Barley's Pizzeria and Tavern for dinner #2. I got my share of Coke as well as a chicken parm and Philly cheese steak sub that I split wit Burnsides.With stomachs filled beyond capacity, we waddled back to our vacant lot, our tents, and were soon slumbering soundly. The night would bring a light rain, but there were few things that could ruin this evening.