Date: 2020-06-23
From: Hogback Ridge Shelter

To: Nolichucky River (Erwin)
Miles today: 26.9

I never drank my Budweiser last night. Carried them six miles up a mountain, gave one to Sunshine last night. Gave Kansas boy Bearfoot the other to pack out today. I'm more of a Coke than a Bud guy, especially when hiking.The morning was bright and clear. I managed to get up right around sunup, even though the sun wouldn't be visible over the trees for awhile. I had firm purpose today: Erwin was only 27 miles away. Town food was within reach. So off I set with a determined pace, Sunshine in tow.At Sam's Gap Interstate 26 runs over the trail. Waved to some dayhikers getting out of their car. A few miles later a friendly collie came up to us. She belonged to the same hikers, now coming from the other direction. They had put a car at Sam's Gap and started at another trailhead further north. They were curious how we planned to get to Maine in time. We climbed and climbed steadily up to Big Bald's open summit. The wind picked up nicely at I left treeline and evaporated the sweat. On a colder day it would have dangerously cooled me. But today it was like stepping into air conditioning.A couple young families hiked up to visit the bald from some unseen parking lot. The full circle view included Erwin, 18 trail miles away, as well as far off Unaka mountain and the imposing Roan Highlands, nearly as high as the Smokies with summits hidden by clouds. I'll tackle those after Erwin.As I descended Big Bald I spooked some whitetail deer. Four times they let out a cry halfway between a rusty door hinge and a high-pitched growl. There were three of them, so it seemed to be a warning to the others. Each time they would bound off 10 or 20 yards further down the trail only to repeat the cry and flight as I approached. I don't believe I've ever heard a deer vocalize any sound. It was quite surprising, yet distinct and unmistakable.Many miles later near Devil's Creek Gap a turkey hen ambled near the trail, much smaller than the three males I saw in the Smokies, clucking or gobbling to herself. Perhaps tut-tutting my presence. Well, at least she didn't charge at me!After twenty-one miles we stopped at No Business Knob shelter for a snack. It was already a long day, and it was only 3. A gregarious dad and his two teenaged boys were taking a break, having just started a week-long trip south from Erwin. He was very friendly with a kind of nervous energy and had lots of questions for us, including the ubiquitous "Isn't it getting late in the season?" For a moment he entertained heading for our last campsite by tomorrow night. When told it was over twenty miles away he thought better of it. Said they were carrying too much food - 7 days. But that's probably what they'll need to get the 70 miles to Hot Springs. Our 2-3 days' rations only works because we're moving quickly.My feet and quads continued to take a pounding on miles of downhill. At one point I said this continuous descent on narrow sidehill trail was getting monotonous. God fixed that problem for me right away. The skies opened up and it poured on us for an hour, and the trail turned sharply upward for what seemed like almost as long. It was, at any rate, going uphill far longer than the map seemed to allow for. I was happy to see the sun pop out once again as we entered the final couple of miles of downhill to the Nolichucky River.A hostel called Uncle Johnny's is right at the trailhead. We got a cabin (with air conditioning!) and showers, and Charlotte, Uncle Johnny's widow, drove us into Erwin to hit up the Bojangles and Taco Bell for dinner. Relaxed and ate on the open air deck as the long evening fell.