Date: 2008-03-24
From: Wesser Bald

To: Nantahala River
Miles today: 5.7

Spent our first night in a shelter, invited in by a pleasant crowd, and we gave our sleeping bags a real test as the temperature slid down into the thirties, twenties and probably leveled out in the high teens. Water bottles that were left out were frozen solid this morning, but larger quantities only froze partway, so everyone managed okay.I enjoyed the air mattress very much, lying on the wooden floor of the shelter from sundown to sunup, about 12 hours now. Its insulation works very well, and I've been warm so far. Which is particularly good since the dear thing weighs 2 significant pounds, a major amount as backpacking items go, and I keep wondering whether I should switch it to a lighter one. But so far, it gives a really good night's sleep, which matters a lot to me right now.Anyway, I was ready a little before A.M. was, and it was too cold to sit around, so I headed out - today's hike was just 5-ish miles, down (way down) to the Nantahala Outdoor Center. Tiny snowflakes drifted through the air, again looking like a cold, cloudy day, but it turned out fairly sunny as the morning wore on. Still very cool air,though, but fine for hiking.The trail followed a ridgeline with steep drop-offs from both sides for quite a ways. North Carolina is not the place to hike if this sort of thing bothers you, that's for sure!But the views were astonishing.Some birds sang out today, nuthatch (yank,yank) and vireo (here I am, way up high, where are you?) but not the rapid, incessant way they sing in summer. A large woodpecker drummed on a nearby tree while I was negotiating some sort-of-scarey rocks, which reminded me of hiking with friends from home - we thought of woodpeckers as the gong or bell in meditation, that calls you to the present moment. Not a bad idea under the circumstances!Before noon I was down to the river, and checking us in to the only lodging available - a bunk room on a distant hillside, no problem with a car, but fairly challenging on foot, after climbing down from Wesser Bald.I promptly showered (showers and toilets are in another building) and made the long trek back down to the restaurant to have a long-anticipated cheeseburger and a glass of ale. Auntie Mame, Bananas, Barley and Rain all wandered in and it was very pleasant.As town stops go, this one is ironically convenient in that the trail goes right thru the complex, but it is remarkably difficult to do even the simplest task - shower (must get towel from front office way down the hill), laundry (must get change & soap powder from front office way down the hill), resupply food (exceedingly limited selection), etc. We have seen how establishments CAN address these relatively simple needs, and can only conclude that the two-month flow of thru-hiker traffic is not at all a priority at the NOC. Which is certainly their right - they are aimed at water sports patrons, and must be doing fine with that focus.We had a good dinner at the restaurant, and now are finishing packing up to hike out in the morning. We are glad for the heated room, since it is supposed to be even colder tonight. The rest of the week looks pretty good, and our next stop is in Fontana Dam, some four days away.