Date: 2009-04-30
From: Newfound Gap

To: Peck's Corner Shelter
Miles today: 10.4
Weather: overcast clouds

Struggling to pull our bodies from the wonderful mattresses of the Grand Prix Motel, we had a late start to the morning. Time to head back to the trail¢¦woohoo!!!For breakfast, we went out with the Beldster and Princess Leia Indy ¢Kara¢ Carrie for what might be the last time. They would be staying in Gatlinburg, as Belding¢s wife, mom, and sister would be coming to town to meet up with them. They are some of the nicest, most sincere people I have ever met and we¢ll be sorry not to have them out on the trail. But, maybe they¢ll start again in Gettysburg???The most interesting thing of the morning was watching Chicago Bear jump into a river for what he told us was to be searching for his disposable camera that he had inadvertently dropped. I don¢t ever remember seeing him have one. Later on, he also showed me and Indy a ¢map¢ of the Appalachian Trail on his legs with various points of interest that were actually really disgusting bug bites. This is also the guy that was able to get to ¢second base¢ with Pilgrim¢s dog, Jack, by tongue kissing him. I¢ve really enjoyed Chicago Bear¢s spirit, but I do hope that he gets well sometime soon. After packing up our stuff, we took our ¢Newfound Gap Please¢ sign and headed off to the edge of town to catch a hitch. It is definitely a skill. We just stand there with the sign out, sticking our thumbs in the direction to which we wanted to go, while displaying the largest smiles possible on our faces. Each car that passes by, we definitely have some harsh words to say¢¦After just a few minutes, we managed to catch a hitch ¢ but only two miles up the way ¢ not the 15 miles necessary to take us all of the way up to the Gap. We were at a welcome center but everyone seemed to be tourists and no one really wanted to give us a lift. To be honest, though, I wouldn¢t want to take three smelly disgusting hikers. Well, that was before I started hiking the Appalachian Trail. Pass it forward, no?30 minutes after waiting at the welcome center did we finally catch a hitch with two nice old ladies from Gatlinburg. They were telling us how much of a shame it was that no one wanted to pick us up, even though they were going to the same place. The one women told us all about the trees and plants in the area and how the two of them used to be trail angels for the thru-hikers until the park officials stopped it. She continued on about the bears in the area and how the problem is the people, not the bears ¢ most likely a true statement. After they dropped us off at the Gap, we gave them both big hugs and we were then off to hike. It was a little bit of a tease, but there was a mileage sign with Mt. Katahdin on it listed at 1,900 miles away. Looks like we have a long ways to go¢¦We were already climbing at an altitude at 5,300 ft. so the ups and downs were much more gradual than at the beginning. I know that I said it a few days ago, but today was the most beautiful day so far on the trail. We were walking on a ridgeline across several mountains ¢ all between 5,500 ft. and 6,500 ft. that yielded some of the most spectacular vistas I have ever seen. We were literally walking on a ridgeline with jagged cliffs immediately below. A few days back, we learned of Recom a thru-hiker who was hiking along the edge of a trail on a high cliff when it just gave way and he fell down 20 feet before a tree caught him. He was all cut up but the tree truly saved his fall as there was a hundred foot drop right beneath the tree. Back to the views ¢ they were so impressive. The color contrast of each section of dark ominous clouds and the luscious verdant green valley below made it very appealing, indeed. We arrived for dinner early, even though Ninja had wanted to hike on to the next shelter. Pilgrim and I were just happy to rest our weary feet. As always, new hikers quickly became close friends and we all enjoyed listening to one another¢s endless tales of life and the Appalachian Trail. TwoBob was a guy from Ohio, who I had just met in the shelter. He returned from his stint with the Peace Corps in Mali just a few months before starting the AT. His name ¢TwoBob¢ actually comes from the Mali language of ¢white boy¢. Very fitting for the AT, hehe. Mali is most commonly known for its historic gold-trading city of Timbuktu. While in Mali, TwoBob (said in a nasally voice) helped his village construct seven solid wells to ensure that water was fresh, clean, and readily available. I also met Willow, Forest, Recom, and Moonlight and was very surprised to see Pussyfoot and Ketchup again so soon. They are absolute troopers, as they decided to brave the drizzle and head out to night-hike 5 more miles to the next shelter. We hope to see them again in Hot Springs!In two more days, we will be out of the Smokies ¢ maybe even less if we can pull off a 20-miler tomorrow. I am enjoying the lower mileage as my feet are slightly sore with all of the loose rocks and boulders on the trail; I¢m thinking about getting some new Superfeet in Asheville, when we visit Pilgrim¢s sister. Anyway, it¢s cold and dark out here as I write this journal entry and I still need to brush my teeth and hang up my bear bag. Everyone inside the shelter have been asleep for two hours now and I¢m sitting out here on the bench writing postcards and writing in my journal underneath the spotlight of my handy headlamp. Can¢t wait for anther day in the Smokies!