Date: 2022-04-13
To: View Entry
Miles today: 8.2
Weather: overcast clouds

It¢s been a great day. I slept in until 8am. The group took our time getting packed up and ready to go. We then wondered the one mile into the Nantahala Outdoor Center. I got some food and purchased my Smoky Mountains thru hiker permit, which the NOC prints free of charge for thru hikers. We were waiting for the restaurant to open at 11am. While waiting so many people that I have met over the first two weeks of this adventure came into the NOC. Almost and Gluebert, who I thought were a day or so ahead of me came in. It was cool to see them. I told them I was a hugger and they accepted hugs. I haven¢t seen them in a week, I think. The interaction has had me thinking about how quickly people can get attached to others. It makes me think of my time at camp. Counselors would build such incredible connections in the matter of days. In camp we kinda forced them to by designing training to push people toward each other. But it was always a small groups that you would never have guessed that connected. Out here though it¢s all organic. People are just looking to make connections. I spend a decent portion of my day alone. I can find people if I want and I generally know who is behind me and in front of me. How far they are is a different story. Everyone has a different speed they want to move at and what views they want to stop and spend time looking at. So we all walk the same trail but we each have a different experience. That makes me think of a book I have read titled Deep Nature Play. It¢s about how we can deeper connect to others and nature through taking the time to walk in the woods. It expands on a lot and goes into Flow Theory. It¢s really cool to be able to continue to think through and build on my knowledge of people and how we connect as people.While at the NOC I got to FaceTime with my mom and see Will and Marissa¢s kids doing an egg hunt. It was nice to catch up with her and say hello to the kiddos. I also talked to my dad for a few minutes right before I started hiking again. There is a train that comes right by the NOC and stops to let the riders get off and see and buy things at the NOC. So when we left we had to walk all the way down and around the train rather than just getting to cross the tracks. Which was annoying but only a minor inconvenience.Anyways, I had a local caught trout patty on a bun to eat. It was so good! We then headed out and up. The climb out of the NOC was extreme. The incline stayed between a 45 to 60 degree most of the time for 7 miles or so. Other times it either flattened out at a false summit or it went to a rock scramble to get up and over. It was a really challenge and while it exhausted me it was so amazing at the same time.On the way up I came across a level space just under a ridge. In the side of the ridge these huge rock face was jutting out. There was a guy sitting next to the trail sipping water. He told me there was a water source just down from the trail. I had plenty so I was just going to pass by but then he said ¢doesn¢t it look like there is a troll hole up there in those rocks?¢ I had to admit that I was just thinking the same thing. Like something out of the Lord of the Rings. He agreed and we ended up standing there talking about the LOTR for 10 minutes. Turns out he is a huge fan as well. He then introduced himself as ¢Chief¢. He got his name because he was the assistant chief at his fire department and he rides an Indian Motor cycle. He asked for my name and I didn¢t know what to tell him. So I told him the whole story of Fat Pony and Precious Bunny, to the newest thing of Canary which started because I whistle. He just laughed and said none of those fit me. He said that because of my knowledge of LOTR I should get a character out of the books. He thought about it a second and said that I looked like Faramir. He is the younger brother to Boromir. Faramir is the one who was able to resist the draw of the ring. I told him that and he said that it was a very key difference. I like the name a lot. I think it¢s really cool. I thanked him for it. We spoke for a little while longer before I said I would see him up at the shelter.The shelter is packed tonight and there are tents set up everywhere. I got here in time to claim a spot in the shelter if I wanted it but with it sleeping 14 I didn¢t want to take the chance with people who snore. So I found a somewhat flat spot and set my tent up. It¢s been a chill evening. I got to make a short phone call out to Will and catch up with him. I tried a mushroom risotto dinner tonight. It tasted fine but it¢s not sitting well. I¢m hoping I make it through the night without having to get up and go to the privy. The wind is really blowing hard tonight. So going to the privy would not be fun.