Date: 2016-04-07
From: I-40 Underpass

To: Brown Gap
Miles today: 10.6

Today was the first day that our shuttle arrangements didn¢t go exactly as planned. Everything eventually worked out, but our driver overslept and we started hiking an hour later than planned. We woke up an hour earlier than usual and left the motel in our car at 5:15 am. Based on advice, we took the long route to the Standing Bear Hostel, using NC 25 to Newport, TN and then I-40 east to Green Corner Road. The advice was worthwhile and it took us much less time than the shorter, more direct route using mountain roads. So we arrived at the hostel 15 min before we were scheduled to leave at 6:30 and it was a long wait until we finally left at 7:30 headed for Brown Gap. We had a short hike over average terrain and the weather was fine, so there was really no impact, except that we finished an hour later than we had expected. The most notable feature of the hike was Snowbird Mountain. There is a grassy bald at the top, and an FAA station off to one side. Later we saw large collections of trout lilies along the trail on the southern exposures. Spring is awakening.We did meet more hikers on the trail this morning. We were hiking SoBo again, so we passed all the NoBos. And it was a new group of hikers since we¢ve jumped ahead about a week by postponing our hike through the Smokys. While we were waiting on the driver at the hostel, we talked with Joker. He¢s a little concerned about the weather this weekend: cold (as in 20¢s) and high winds are predicted, and he doesn¢t have a sleeping bg. Later on the trail we met Terrible Lizard crossing Snowbird bald. She had just finished the tough climb up the mountain and was enduring the fierce wind on the top, but she was taking it all in stride and moving well. I wish I could remember all the other hikers we met, but I usually have to hear the trail names a couple of times to remember them.   Newport is a larger town than Hot Springs, so we stopped in Newport on the way home to stock up on groceries and gas, and to wash the car. And when we got back to Hot Springs we had our requisite lunch at the Smoky Mountain Diner. Then we did our chores with cleanup, laundry and gear. We entertained the possibility of a soak in the hot springs here in town. But the clock caught up with us, so we¢ll do that tomorrow. Plus we¢ve learned that Grasshopper, who we met in 2014 plans to meet us here in Hot Springs and to hike with us tomorrow. He is getting into shape for his PCT next month.We headed next door to the tavern where I started writing this journal entry (perhaps that explains how disjointed it is). The Spring Creek Tavern is fabulous, it must have a dozen IPAs, many of them on tap. I¢ve been trying to check out the locally-brewed IPAs, but I¢ve learned that¢s a big job that may require several days. Sure enough, about an hour into my sampling, Grasshopper appeared, and that was the end of my creativity until now, much later when everyone else is asleep.So we¢re hiking tomorrow with Grasshopper. If the weather holds out, Dan is going to shuttle us to Allen Gap, drop us off there and we will all hike back into Hot Springs. Its about 15 miles, so it will be longer than today and yesterday. There may be some rain overnight and when we start, but it should end mid-morning and we should be in the clear for the rest of the hike.