Date: 2007-05-18
From: Fontana Day

To: View Entry
Miles today: 33.0

Yea, now I have a little more time to relax and write a real entry in this journal. We're staying at the Hike Inn in Fontana Dam, NC tonight and it's really nice... I mean, there's a TV with satellite channels! We're so not used to watching TV that when we got in our room all we could handle was some Tom & Jerry and Yogi Bear cartoons in the background.We've been making really good time, we started out the afternoon of May 9 and 10 days later we're at about mile 166. That also includes two easy 9 milers into the NOC and here in Fontana Dam. We're trying to have some pseudo-zero days if possible here and there. Our first official zero day is planned for Hot Springs which actually isn't too far off from now... I can't wait, I am sooo getting inches of my hair chopped off!Let's see, what eventful things are there to write about?? The days are starting to meld into eachother, pretty much the same ol' routine every day of waking up, hiking, eating, hiking, eating, hiking, etc, pitching a tent, eating, and reading Oh yea, and lots of sightseeing and overlooking in between! We haven't seen any crazy critters yet, just a few non-threating snakes, a really cool colorful turtle, and a yellow lady's slipper (not a critter but a really pretty and, I later found out, rare wildflower). The weather's been on our side so far. We got dumped on ("the bottom fell out" as Wrong Turn would say) for a couple hours our third day hiking and rained a couple nights but nothing too crazy. My feet are killing me, some mean blisters starting forming my second day out but I've been keeping good care of them and mole-skinning them up so they're starting to toughen up and not hurt so bad. My pinkie toes are permanant hot spots so I have a feeling they'll just be duct-taped all summer My knees are starting to hurt and I'm going to decided whether or not to purchase some trekking poles when I reach Hot Springs... I have a sneaking suspicion that I'll break down and spend the money.We met a guy named Tater in Dicks Creek Gap. He an older man who hiked the trail in 2000. Anyways, we were fixin' to stay at the Hiawassee Inn that night (unfortunately, Cloud 9 closed for the season 3 days before!) but he offered us a free stay in the basement of his cabin which was amazing. We got cleaned up, did our laundry, I even soaked my sore feet in his bathtub! After we showered he took us into town to an all-you-can-eat buffet which was deeeelicious. I had mashed potatoes, sweet corn, brussel sprouts, black eyed peas, corn bread, salad...I could go on and on, it was our first real meal on the trail! That night we looked through his old photo albums and chatted about the trail...the next morning he even cooked us some breakfast and drove us back to the trail! People around here are so nice, that was our first real taste of Trail Magic. He's definately getting a few postcards along the way!We stayed a night at the N.O.C. which ended up being a blast. Good food, beer, and people...although the town of Bryson City didn't treat us too well! First the 10 minutes of library time, then the digital camera machine at the drug store was broken, and then I bought a crossword puzzle book which ended up having every mind puzzle but the crosswords... waste of $3.99! Anyways, we had a blast at the Paddler's Pub that night. We met a lot of cool cats that were also thru-hiking or hiking all summer long. (So far we haven't met too many fellow thru-hikers just because we've started so late in the season). We spent most of the night with Squirrel, Mismatch, Highlife, and Longtha (?...I can't remember her name, it means "waterfall" in a different language, I just started calling her Flinstone Feet because she's hiking the trail barefoot, crazy, huh?!) Yesterday we left the NOC with Squirrel at our side, she's really cool and lives in Ireland so she has lots of interesting stories to tell. It was funny because Wrong Turn was up ahead all day which we just chatted it up and took our sweet ol' time behind him. We ran into Mismatch at the end of our hike and he camped with us, we all had a great fire going all night. Yesterday's hike out of the NOC was definately the toughtest day yet, not our longest hike but it felt like it was uphill all the way. The trek up Cheoah Bald was 9 miles steady up, not as bad as I expected, but after that the ascent up to Brown Fork Shelter was killlller, soooo steep and towards the end of the day. My legs are hurtin'. We stayed at Cody Gap a few miles past that shelter so it was a nice hike to the Dam today.Tomorrow we're entering Great Smokey Mountain National Park and I can't wait! We'll be through there in 3 to 4 days and then the next big stop is our free day in Hot Springs -mons