Date: 2006-03-31
From: Stecoah Gap, NC

To: Fontana Visitor's Cener, NC
Miles today: 15.4

15.4 miles todayFontana Visitor's Center, NC Today started off when I heard the coffee grinder at Pike's cabin start grinding the morning's Starbuck's. Nothing makes me want to get up and start the day more than the thought of coffee. :-))) Shortcut was having knee and Achilles pains from yesterday's walk. We talked about it and decided that it would be best if she didn't walk through the mountains today. I should have known better than to let her do 13 miles on her first day of walking the hills. That's a long way when you are used to the flat ground on the Florida Trail. Pike had to take me to Fontana anyway because my truck was still up at Stecoah Gap, so the three of us headed off down the mountain. We stopped at NOC to have breakfast on the way. I had a very good spinach and swiss cheese omelet and more coffee while we watched the water flowing down the Nantahala River next to the restaurant. Tybee Pete was there having breakfast with another guy, but I can't remember his name. We talked a while and I told him about the trail magic that Hopeful '03 was doing at Stecoah Gap tomorrow, just in case he could make it. I was going to walk from Rt 28 at Fontana, but since Shortcut wasn't going today, I had Pike drop me off a little farther at the Visitor's Center right next to the dam. I was really pleased with the way my arm felt after yesterday's walk. I can't put any pressure on it, but just the motion of swinging the hiking pole along seems to loosen it up some. I headed up towards the shelter area and saw two hikers going through their packs. One was Pie, but I don't remember the girl's name. We talked a short while and I found out the I had met Pie at the SoRuck earlier this year. I headed up the small hill back towards Rt 28 and saw a bloodhound coming north on the trail with a handler behind him. They were on a training exercise trying to locate two "lost" hikers. I ran into Morning Fit and Outbreak shortly after that, then saw Figgy Newton near Rt 28 waiting on a shuttle to Fontana Village. Since I had run into them yesterday, we had to talk a little more today. :-))) I headed up to Walker Gap from there and got to look at lots of trilliums coming up out of the ground. Some were just starting to get their purple flowery leaves on them. There were some other smaller flowers starting to come up too. I guess spring really is here. I stopped and talked to Lonesome Pole Cat on the way there, then ran into Merlin, Sir Lansalot The Brave and two others that I couldn't remember their names. They were all excited about getting to Fontana Village and spending some time resting and eating before hitting the Smokies. I ran into the two "lost" hikers and we talked a while. I told them that the bloodhound was going the wrong way. I also told them where I had seen the dog and hopefully they could stay "lost" for a while and enjoy the forest. :-))) I was enjoying the view of Fontana Lake from the mountains most of the morning. I saw it a few times on the way up the first mountain, then I watched it for quite a while on the next few ridges. I ran into a thru hiker by the name of Dan just before I got to Cable Gap Shelter. He had a way too heavy pack and was laboring quite a bit. While we were talking, he kept adjusting the pack and I could see it was really bothering him. Hope he gets rid of some stuff soon. I got to the shelter all ready to use up some smiley face stickers in the register, but there wasn't one, so I walked on. I saw two cops walking north on the trail and I could see they were carrying a register. We stopped and talked a while. They were part of the team trying to locate the "lost" hikers. I asked if I could sign the register they were taking back to the shelter. The one cop held the register for me while I wrote in it and used my smiley face stickers. (I didn't tell them were the "lost" hikers were.) Ha!!! I ran into Longshanks, then Marcus Solo, then Car Bomb and Elsbeth.....and had to talk to each of them for a while. It was a beautiful day with just a little humidity, but it was supposed to rain later, so I never talked more than about 5 minutes. I wanted to make it back to my truck before the rain got here. I stopped and talked to 64 who wasn't having a very good day. He was talking about leaving the trail. I told him that if he took a couple days at Fontana Village to rest that he might just feel better and change his mind. I sure hope that works for him. I was getting close to Cody Gap when I saw Red and the always happy Andy DuFrain. They were ahead of schedule and planning on making Fontana today. I told them about the buffet that was there in past years and they picked up their pace a little. :-))) I saw Just Joan next, than stopped and talked to Labdad and Bluebelt for about 25 minutes. They are walking to their wedding near Harper's Ferry on June 2nd. I walked through Hogback Gap, then on to Brown Fork Gap. I had to slow down in some sections because they were so rocky with some very slippery wet areas. I am being very deliberate with my footsteps. I don't want to do anything to jeopardize the rest of my walk this year. I saw Handlebar, then Otter and Coheeba just before I walked by the side trail to Brown Fork Gap Shelter without stopping. I had a nice climb out of the shelter area, then the really steep down which I took nice and slow. I made sure I didn't slip on any of the loose rocks or leaves on the trail. I saw Sleeper and Chewy coming up the hill, but just said hello and kept going.....I was starting to get hungry and I had just run out of water. I knew I had a coke in the truck and that Robbinsville was just down the hill from Stecoah Gap. I got to the truck and headed down the mountain to McDonalds for just a quick snack of two double cheese burgers and a hot fudge sundae. I knew Pike, Shortcut and I were heading out to Murphy for a fine Chinese buffet later :-))) I had just enough time to get back to the cabin, get a shower and head out to dinner. We met Cary and his wife Sandra there. I ate like a thru hiker again. :-))) I felt better than yesterday, but even this short day kind of tired me out. When we got back to the cabin, I headed right off for bed. The arm is feeling a little better each day. I'm running out of time for all the things I had planned in the next week, so I'm not sure how much. if any of the Smokies I'll get done before I get back on the trail for good on the 9th of this month. At least I know I can still walk!!! :-)))