Date: 2016-04-19
From: Mile 118 campsite 

To: Weseer Bald 
Miles today: 13.4

4/19 - Day ThirteenWe rolled out of our tents about 7:30. As always I like to piddle a bit and soon Tracie, then Pending were off. The hikers in the tent below us moved on. They were a thru-hiker couple named Eric and Sparkles (I have not met them up until this morning). So after everyone hiked on I had the campsite to myself. I spent a little time reorganizing my blue brick (way to heavy food bag). I found a dehydrated Apple Cobbler in the blue brick last night. It was a hiker box score. Apple Cobbler!!! I don't ever eat that shit, but since I hauled it out I damn sure was going to try. So I ate Apple Cobbler for breakfast.... And it was damn good.With an attempt to decrease the obnoxious weight of the blue brick and to fill my stomachs I ate s Cliff Bar and s half of ziplock bag of GORP. That crap is heavy and the left overs went to the squirrels. When breakfast was all said and done the blue brick was then a reasonable heft.I was in the trail by 10 pm. It was odd as I walked a while without seeing anyone. My first live sighting of a human was a hiker named Random up at Wayah Bald stone tower. There was another hiker there who said he camped there and then Magic Man appeared.Magic Man informed me that the bulk of the crew stayed at Siler Bald Shelter. As it turns out Tracie, Pending and I were the only extra achievers who did not stop there. As we were admiring the stone tower the hiker that slept there mentioned this was his second thru-hike (his first was 1980). I instantly realized he was a blogger called Rainbow Express. I told him I was blogging under the name of Jakethefake and Random (who is sectioning thru the Smokies) immediately said that he was following my blog!Random and I headed down the trail and stopped at a good water source. Rainbow Express came up behind us a shared with us 1980 thru-hike stories as we filled our water bottles.Throughout the day the Siler Bald crew were catching up as Random (who also slept at Siler Bald) and I hiked on and enjoyed good conversation. We stopped at a water source were a small group was gathered to fill bottles and kick it. I met Ghost and Cinderella there and Syracuse Dave showed up. As we hiked away from the steam I took the lead and laying in the trail was a big black snake. It looked to be a Black Racer (not poisonous) and I gave him a gentle nug with my hiking stick and he slithered off the trail. I don't kill snakes, poisonous or not.We hiked on to the Cold Spring Shelter. Many of the Silber Bald hikers were calling it quits for the day. Hula Bear was there and she was on the fence about another 6 miles to the Wesser Bald Shelter. I was unable to convince her. I was glad the Random was ready for the hike as there were very few water sources between shelters and I knew with the big climb at the end I would get to Wesser Bald late.So Hula Bear asked me to tell everyone she would haul ass in the am and catch up for the NOC, then Random and I lit out.The hike took us way down into Telico Gap and then a big elevation climb up to Wesser Bsld. I had to make a call at the bottom of Telico Gap so Random continued on.The climb up to Wesser Bald was tough. If it was a week early it would have made some hikers quit, but I plowed through. At the top of the mountain was a fire tower and much to my surprise Magic Man and Pending were having "date night" at the top (cooking dinner). They saw me a called me up to see the view.The view at the top of the fire tower was amazing. As we took pictures and chatted we heard others climbing the stairs and Feel Good and Trek the Savage Rabi made the scene.We left Magic Man and Pending and "date night" and headed down the last mile to the Wesser Bald Shelter. On the way down I got to know Trek a little better.Arriving at the Wesser Bald after a 13.4 mile hike my bones were beat. Tracie, Shawn, Trek and I are sharing the shelter. Others are here in tents including Feel Good, Frolic, Lee, Random and a few others.I am glad I pushed it as the hike to the Nantahala Outdoor Center (NOC) will be a breeze in the morning where we will celebrate with food and spirits.