Date: 2017-03-18
From: Winding Stair Gap

To: Cold Spring Shelter, NC
Miles today: 15.8
Weather: clear sky

Day 11: Winding Stair Gap, NC to Cold Spring Shelter, NC - 15.8 miles:I ended last night watching the last half hour or so of Varsity Blues. A classic. We all know the two words used to describe Coach Kilmer in the final halftime speech. I think I'm going to refer to every mountain as Kilmer from now on. Though I'd toss and turn like usual, I actually enjoyed a decent night's sleep until my alarm sounded at 7am.At 7:15am sharp, the local First Baptist Church dropped by in a white van, corralled a handful of hungry hikers in, and deposited us at their church doors a few blocks away. Having experienced this process before, I knew what to expect, and enjoyed watching the new hikers being greeted by friendly faces and offered their share of all-you-can-eat pancakes, bacon, strawberries, grapes, coffee, and OJ. We were specifically told that "If we left hungry, it was our own faults." Toepick and I sat at a table with some of the hosts and chatted about the trail. They took a picture of us, asked us to write a brief message with it, and will mail it to whoever we chose so a loved one knew we were doing well at the ~110-mile mark. In between downing 5 pancakes and two handfuls of bacon, I was able to find my name on the Class of 2015 banner hanging on a nearby wall. No more than a gut-busting hour later, we were wished well and returned to our motel.With the first shuttle returning to the trail at 9am, we had no desire to quickly pack, and instead lounged around until 11am digesting our breakfast and mindlessly watching TV. Toepick returned with a go-box stuffed with pancakes, bacon, and hard-boiled eggs for Odin, but we were disappointed when he seemed to be above such a meal. After downing the bacon and a couple small bites of pancakes, the rest would remain sitting on the floor until we threw it away as we were leaving. I'm sure he regrets not having those extra pancakes and eggs now.After being dropped off at Winding Stair Gap, we had nothing else to do but return upwards into the mountains above. The positive was the highs reached into the 50s and, despite a brisk wind all day, it was rather comfortable. As we climbed ~1,300ft in five miles, the first thing I noticed was the lack of snow. Aside from a few small pockets on the northern slopes of the mountains, the past two days all but erased what we had been pushing through over the past few days. We had returned to a different world once again.After reaching Snowbird Gap, I remembered being there two years ago with General Burnsides and Moosehead, the three of us running up the steep bald to look for a view that's never come due to the fog. Instead we took a picture that would make a legit album cover, if only any of us could really sing. With blue skies today, I was eager to run back up and see what I had missed out on. As Toepick sunbathed in a patch of grass below, Odin and I were off to the races, quickly making our way up a few hundred feet in the span of ~200 yards. The view from atop Siler Bald was one of the best so far, offering a killer 360-degree view of mountains in all directions. The colors ranged from a darker blue to lighter blue the closer they got to the horizon. It eventually got to a point where it was difficult to determine where the mountains ended and the sky began. I grabbed a few pictures, including a couple of Odin, lying on his tummy looking into the distance, that just might prove animals do enjoy views as humans do.After sprinting back down the bald into Snowbird Gap, getting completely crushed in my footrace with Odin, Toepick and I ended up lounging in the grass for nearly an hour until gray clouds rolled in, blocking the sun and bringing with it a cold breeze. Using it as a sign to get moving, we were back at it just before 2pm. We only went a few hundred yards when Toepick had to pull off dormant emergency bathroom break. With my legs chomping at the bit, I told her I was going to go at my pace and I'd see her at some point later in the day. I made sure she kept Odin so he wouldn't follow me down the mountain. That'd be the last time I saw them for the day as the terrain became pretty tough, though I managed to average close to 3mph for the remainder of the day.As I pressed on, my legs pumping like pistons for the first time, I passed eight hikers that had passed us during our lunch break in Snowbird Gap. Once I passed Namaste, a girl who I can tell already puts in higher mileages than some guys at this point, I knew I'd be solo hiking the remainder of the day. When you know the time of day and distance to next shelter(s), it can be easy to know if many, or any, hikers will still be out. I reached Wayah Bald at 3:45pm and, had it not been for the stone tower sitting atop the summit, I would've thought it was a totally different place. Walking down a road that leads to the tower, an avenue of burnt, destroyed trees lined both sides. Where normally trees might obscure views to the valleys below, they were now easy to see through the skeleton-like remnants left behind. I remember enjoying trail magic inside the tower two years ago - hot dogs and fruit, to be exact - now, just a puddle of standing water covers the floor; a spray painting of "Jesus saves" adorns one wall. During the same fogged-in day that prevented the views at Siler Bald, I was now able to climb the stone steps and enjoy yet another breathtaking 360-degree view. I was able to see Standing Indian Mountain, where I stood three mornings ago in single digit temps, now 10 miles away as the crow flies. I was able to see a small sliver of Franklin, nestled in the valley several miles away. Towards the northwest, I was able to see the faint outline of the Smokies as they rose into and became part of the clouds above, now only ~40 trail miles away at my current location.After leaving Wayah Bald, I descended easily just over a mile to Wayah Bald Shelter. With it only being 4:30pm and the shelter and campsites nearly full, I decided to push on. With my legs still pushing me along strongly, I rode the wave until I'd covered five more miles and had reached Cold Spring Shelter. A few older gentlemen already filled the shelter, but were enjoying a large fire as I arrived. I quickly dropped my pack and made my way to the nearby privy. Priorities. I then limped another hundred yards up the trail until I reached a ridge sitting just above the trail. I remember staying here with General Burnsides, Moosehead, Rock Boat, and Tick Tock - all of our friendships still in their infancy stages at the time. Although the wind is rushing up and over the mountain behind me and blowing off into the nothingness of the dropoff ~20ft from my tent, it's worth the chillier night to be able to experience an excellent sunrise tomorrow, if the weather is nice.I quickly set up my tent, fighting the wind in the process, and crawled in to escape it. A quick dinner of crackers, an oatmeal cream pie, and a stick of jerky, and my day was complete. Tomorrow brings an 11.7-mile day, dominantly downhill into the Nontahala Outdoor Center (NOC), ending with a 2,500ft descent in the final five miles. I hope to make it by early afternoon and then be able to enjoy a relaxing evening by a campsite along some rushing rapids. The next day will be a nearly mirror image of tomorrow, only ascending out of the NOC instead, the first extended climb of the trail. After that, it's only a couple more days until I reach Fontana Dam and the gateway to the Smokies.