Date: 2014-04-20
From: Newfound Gap

To: Pecks Corner Shelter
Miles today: 10.4
Weather: clear sky

Today was awesome but I definitely need to take it easy off the night hiking for awhile. I have night hiked at least 1 hour every night in the Smokies which I do not advise for a variety of reasons. One that I did not account for was walking through 450+ spider webs. Beyond the spider webs, night hiking alone is just sketchy to say the least. You don't know what's out there and you can assume that there's no one else out on the trail behind you that'll be hiking up. The bears are not really a big issue in my opinion. Well, they are big. That's about all they have going for them though besides claws and gnashing teeth. It's just that the wild hogs are definitely a concern. But about those spider webs... when I finally got into my tent around midnight and started writing, I glanced to my right and there was a brown recluse chilling on my tent fly staring right back at me as if it was saying "you destroyed my home and kidnapped me 7 human miles into your land of nonsense. I will wait until you fall asleep and kill you." Finally put my Smoky Mtns permit to use and tore a piece of paper off to smashed the spider. Even got out of my cozy tent to burn it.As for getting out of Gatlinberg, a young married couple spotted me as I was getting some fuel. They are going to attempt a southbound thru hike this May so they hooked me up with a ride back to the trail picking my brain along the way. So there's a chance I may run into them again in a few months. That would be pretty cool. In the meantime, you can check them out at opalandwonder.blogspot.com TAnother noteworthy event was trail magic at Newfound Gap as soon as I got back. Randy and Connie Payne do a unbelievable amount of trail magic and seriously take trail magic up to a whole new level.On the other hand, one hour back into my hike resulted in some pounding headaches. Didn't take long to realize I was hungover. Which I have never experienced happening in the middle of the day. All of that sugary moonshine from Gatlinberg is dangerous. Joke of the day: accidentally buying heroin. Don't ask. I had some profound moments by myself as the sun went down today. I went from surrounded by people in a bustling mini Vegas-like environment this morning to surrounded by AT enthusiasts/hikers all day. Everything seems to stop by sunset though. Hikers all around punch the clock basically. I walked through the tent city that sprang up at the first designated campsite after NewFound Gap saying hello to familiar faces and waving at others with a "see you later" kind of vibe since it's kind of a small world out here. People are still kind of surprised that I am willing to keep going. As a solo thru hiker and a person who opts for a few extra hours into the evening, for this section at least, I found myself catching a piece of the world all to just myself. I sat at the Charles Bunion scenic view point to indulge in the last rays of sun light before the night took over with an alien like energy. Those few minutes produced all kinds of emotion ranging from excitement, anticipation of danger, the shock of beauty, a tinge of loneliness, a burst of energy, and a can of badassery holding fear on a short leash. There are many hours of daytime but a few minutes into the night can seem like an eternity. You can say I grow a little more every time I go on a solo night hike through places I've never been before.