Date: 2008-04-09
From: Fontana Village, Great Smoky Mountains NP

To: Damascus, Virginia
Miles today: 297.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Wow! It's been a long time since I've used a computer. Aaron and I have hiked a lot of miles since Fontana Dam and we can't wait to take a zero here in Damascus. We have made it to Virginia! Tomorrow we will have been out on the trail for one month. Yesterday we broke our record mileage for the trip, being 30.5 miles, which makes thirty miles on our thirtieth day on the trail! We were planning on doing just 21, but we arrived at the shelter at 4:30 and thought we could walk another five miles to a spring and be just that much closer to Damascus and some food. When we got there we thought if we walked three more miles we would be at the next shelter and be just that much closer to Damascus and some ice cream. When we got there we thought if we walk just another ten or fifteen minutes we will have walked another half a mile and will hit thirty miles for the day so we just kept on walking. Kinda sounds like Forrest Gump when he runs across the country and back. We just felt like walking. So we did. The terrain has been extra easy for us and reminded us of the PCT. We had a rigorous day a few days ago going up and over little hump, big hump, and that huge mountainous thing that goes up into the Spruce/fir forest and has the highest shelter on the trail. With the mist and wind that day was brutal, but it made the next few flat days even easier. The Smokies were great. It was cold the first day but rain-free. The second day it was piddly/misty and I was really cranky. Later I heard other hikers were cranky too because they were hungry. Maybe that was it. The third day was beautiful with full sunshine and a full day of walking through the spruce/fir forest. The fourth day we walked into Standing Bear Farm and took a wonderful shower and camped in their front lawn where we were dumped on by rain with thunder and lightning. Good thing we got down from the Smokies. We each had an entire Digiorno pizza (they had a vegetarian one, the last one!) and we hung out with a handful of hikers there. It was a nice relaxing atmosphere for a hostel.Then we took a couple days getting into Hot Springs. I must mention our first night in the shelter. Just as Aaron and the guy we shared the shelter with had warned me, a mouse ran right over my head as I was laying in my sleeping bag. Didn't bother me like I thought it would though. Gloworm who did the AT in '06 and is training for the PCT this year is a vegetarian and told me about Elmer's hostel in Hot Springs. I day dreamed about this place all the way from Standing Bear to Hot Springs thinking about the vegetarian gourmet meal he cooks and the vegetarian breakfast. It is a huge Victorian house filled with anti-Bush stickers in the kitchen. The rest of the house is pretty much a library of all kinds of old interesting books. There is a music room filled with instruments and a living room with a wood stove. Very neat house with a lot of history going back to WWII. Unfortunately I was informed upon arrival that Elmer was taking the day off from cooking. But, we had the breakfast and it was delicious! The next day I had problems with the bank receiving my deposit refund check from our apartment, but good thing because that meant we had to wait around for the West Coast banks to open up before calling them so we took an hour long soak in the hot springs jacuzzi along the creek.Then on our way to Bob People's place. We hiked 11 miles to the first shelter where we shared the shelter with Tenderfoot. The next morning we hiked a few miles to a road where a sign was posted for trail magic. We with FreeBird followed the directions to a log cabin up on the hill where a couple met us and invited us in for lots and lots and lots of food. First we started with Pecan waffles with maple syrup, oh and coffee and a list of juices of course. Then the meat eaters had pork stew and I had a spicy black bean with rice dish. Then we had our choice of dessert. Aaron had a berry cobbler, FreeBird had the brownie a la mode, and I had the banana split all with whipped cream and fudge and caramel. I didn't think I could eat it all but I did. Then they gave us a choice of books to take with us about the Christian faith. I decided to take "More than a Carpenter" which I am now about half way through. This was the best trail magic yet. What a treat!We made it to Uncle Johnny's as it was raining and resupplied out of there which was a bit difficult. Four days of food consisting of his 40 cent Snickers bars, a couple Lipton's and a Butterfinger, Crunch bar and whatever food we had left from the last leg. Luckily we had pushed on four miles to the next shelter (after having a beautiful shower at Johnny's) and shared a shelter with a section southbounder. He was a great guy to talk to and was ending his journey so he gave us some of his food.Two days later we met our first slackpackers. These are hikers who pay someone to drop tham off at the trail and hike with just the necessities for the day and then have someone pick them up at the end of the day. Aaron and I think that is kinda cheating but I suppose everyone is hiking for different reasons. We had thunderstorms come through again and spent another night at a shelter and the next morning is when we crossed one of the roads that doubles as a dump sight. As I was walking and listening to the hounds barking in the background that we had been hearing for days now, I saw a skeleton on the side of the trail. I came closer and saw it looked like the ribcage of a dog, then saw the skull and thought definitely dog, then I saw a bright orange collar around the neck and said "It's a dog!!!" Then I saw the tan/brown fur and intact back paw pads and the size of the dog with the orange collar looked like a hunting dog. Just dumped on the side of the trail just up from the road. Did it get hit? Who knows. The night before the section hiker we camped with told us how hunting dogs cost thousands of dollars yet they look like they aren't fed. Soon we were at Bob's place. He has a cute white cat that is a bit too playful and as I was setting up the tent he was attacking it, chewing the velcro and stakes, chasing the guy lines, actually running under the vestibule and onto the netting and rolling around, puncturing a hole in it. The hole isn't in a bad spot though. I still like that cat. Bob is the friendliest most giving guy I think I've ever met. He offers an entire cabin with bunks for hikers, a hot shower WITH soap and towel, flush toilets, a ride into town for re-supply, a kitchen, tent spots, and all he asks for is a four dollar donation. I hope most hikers put in a little more than that.Next we were on our mission to Damascus which I mentioned up at the top. Aaron is doing well. Just some tight muscles but nothing major. I have a little blood blister from a pebble in my shoe yesterday that I was too stubborn to remove, and sore muscles as well. Now for some rest. Until next time...