Date: 2008-03-01
From: Siler Bald Shelter

To: Wesser Bald Shelter
Miles today: 17.9
Weather: clear sky

First of all, since it is the first day of March I want to say Happy Birthday to my mom, dad, and my little brother Tyler, all of whom have birthdays this month. Happy Birthday!!Today was a spectacular day! I woke up around 4 AM to find that the snow had turned into rain. I quickly dozed back off to that glorious sound of rain on a shelter's tin roof. We woke up around 7 AM, packed up, and headed out to the slushy trail around 8 AM. The climb up to Siler Bald was brutal. The snow was deep and wet making every step more laborious than it otherwise would have been. As usual, we reached the top in the clouds with no good view; we pressed on. We had been following dog-like prints in the snow for quite sometime. They weren't abnormally large, but they weren't small either. There were also enough prints that multiple animals must have been present. Since we were hiking down to Wayah (wolf) gap, the thought did cross my mind. What does a wolf print look like. Are there still wolves in the area? I figured the prints were from some lost hunting dogs, but who knows. I also seem to remember the forest service transporting and releasing a pack of wolves in the Appalachian mountains a long time ago. Any one have more info on this? Please feel free to comment on this journal entry.Anyway, we hiked down to Wayah Gap and then climbed all the way up back up to Wayah Bald. There is an observation tower at the top. By the time we reached the top the skies had cleared. We climbed the tower to see our best view thus far. While near the top, we met Mike and his wife. They were very nice and seemed interested in our hike. Mike also seemed interested in my astronomy background, so I pounced on the opportunity and talked astronomy for a little while (probably boring him to death in the process). It was great though!We began our descent from the bald by basically sliding down the other side in the snow. The terrain was much easier than it had been earlier that day. We were feeling good so we decided to attempt a new mileage record. Our target was Wesser Bald Shelter. Only 3 miles to go and our feet/knees were killing us and our spirits were pretty low. We stumbled down into Tellico Gap and that's when it happened.For those of you who are still skeptical about trail magic, definitely read this next part closely. Amanda and I were in a good bit of pain and we knew that, in order to make our goal, we had another long climb after Tellico Gap. I reached the gap ahead of Amanda, dropped my pack, and sat down to take a break.There was country music emanating from a parked black truck. Three ladies were sitting on the tailgate one of the ladies asked if I wanted a snack. I said "That would be great!" As she walked over she said, "Oh, and would you like a beer?" Right then, a beam of light shone down through the clouds and illuminated that truck and those three women. That's when I realized that these were no normal women, these were trail angels.Amanda and I both had a snack and a Corona with a lime (yes, they even had a lime!) I want to sincerely thank you all for that beer and snack. It was the best beer of my life. That act of kindness completely turned the day around. We flew up the other side of the gap, reached the observation tower, and witnessed one of the most beautiful flourescent pink sunsets I have ever seen. The view from that tower tops any view I have ever seen from any other mountain top. You could see Fontana, Newfound Gap. You could see where we came from and where we were going. We continued on through the twilight to reach the shelter where I currently sit. It's not too cold tonight, but after 17.9 miles I am exhausted. Amanda is snoring pretty loudly.A day of records:1. Most miles hiked thus far2. Best view from any mountain top ever3. Best beer everBy the way, I learned that one beer can nearly do Amanda in if all she has had to eat all day is a little trail mix and a bagel. She had the giggles all the way up the other side of the gap.-Josh