Date: 2008-01-14
From: North of Wesser Bald Shelter

To: NOC, Wesser, NC 
Miles today: 5.2
Weather: clear sky

I'll start today's entry off with the air mat I was talking about. I've sent in a picture of what it looked like this morning with a Stumpknocker sleeping on it. I don't have a clue who took the picture. :-)Look at that baby though....3 1/2 inches of pure comfort and warmth!I also lay a 1/4 inch hammock pad under it as a security against a puncture. That pad is the lightest pad I've ever felt. It almost feels weightless when you pick it up. I use it for sitting on when I'm eating lunch or taking a break.I don't know what it's called, but I got it from Speer Hammocks. OK....on to today....I woke up sometime in the middle of the night when I heard snow pellets hitting the silnylon of my tent and rolling down it.That's why I was surprised when I woke up at 7am and looked at my thermometer and it read 15 degrees.I figured it would stay around freezing because of the cloud cover, but the skies cleared sometime overnight and the temperature dropped.I stayed toasty warm all night with my sleeping bag unzipped and on top of me like a quilt.I didn't protect my water bottles because I didn't think it would be that chilly, so I had ice chunks in them when I went to make my coffee.I did get enough water out to make 23 ounces of Starbucks. ;-)I had the last ten chocolate mini donuts and the last four powdered donuts for breakfast.I got packed up and was walking by 8:40am. There was still some ice on my tent when I packed it up, so I'll dry that off at NOC tonight.It was full sun this morning and light winds, so even though it was 15 degrees, I was still very comfortable wearing my winter walking shorts. ;-)I got to a point on the ridge where I could see the Smokies to the north. It looks like they got more snow up that way...the mountain tops were white.Oh crap! I just realized its Monday. Guess I have to go.....for a walk! :-) What a great feeling that is!!The reason I left just a left just a little earlier than I've been starting is just so I could get to NOC BEFORE they start grilling hamburgers. I found out 2 years ago just how dangerous it is when the smell of grilling burgers wafts gently up the mountainside. Ha! :-)I got to the Jump Up Overlook and took a few pictures and even one self portrait. It is an absolutely gorgeous day out here! What a fantastic place to be!I went to get some water to drink out of my bottle, but it had frozen up again, so I stuck it inside my jacket. That's a good way to thaw water and cool your body temp down a little too :-)I had to walk a bit slower on some of the steeper descents because of all the leaves in the Trail. They made it very slippery and I sure didn't need to go into NOC with any broken bones again!I stopped by Rufus Morgan Shelter to sign the register. I see that three sobos had come through on the 10th...Missing Link, John and Torque.I must have missed them when I was in Franklin. I also found out that the backpacker that walked by me last night just after I got into my tent was a sobo by the name of Smiles.If anyone reading my journal has any contact with any of those sobos, please tell them I said congratulations on their long walks! (I know they're seeing my smiley faces in the registers now) :-)I walked on the last little bit to NOC, only stopping for a second or two at the spot where I fell and broke my arm on my '06 walk. (Dang hamburgers!)I got to NOC and secured a room for the night. I walked up the hill and dropped my stuff off and went back to the restaurant and ordered a big bowl of chili with cheese and blue corn tortillas, a Wesser burger all the way and some fries. Umm, ummm! :-)I picked up my bounce box and an envelope from Amoeba at the outfitters and went back up the hill to my room.Amoeba has done a cross word puzzle of Mrs Gorp and my adventures from last year.Amoeba does that every year for me....the sad part is that it's always a cross word puzzle about my life.....MY LIFE!!...and I can never solve them. :-)The parts that I can solve though sure bring back lots of good memories. Thanks loads Amoeba!! :-)I went through my bounce box and took some items I needed....mostly food. I had so much food when I started this walk that I decided to use it up on the first part of the walk rather than put it in storage.I spent some time answering emails and people who signed my guestbook.I have to thank everyone for all the emails and everyone who signed my guestbook again! That really does make me feel great when I get those....and with this new phone, I get them while I'm on the Trail.I don't know where the afternoon went, but when I looked at my watch, it was dinner time.I have never missed a feeding, so I walked back down to the restaurant and had a very good salad with lots of different greens and a vegetable pizza which was surprisingly good.I took a picture of the foot bridge that crosses the Nantahala River. It was dark out and there are lights on it.It is actually part of the AT.I decided it was time to take a shower and....Mrs Gorp will be very proud of me for this....I washed my clothes for the second time in just 3 or 4 days! :-)It started getting late, so I figured I better journal about the 5.2 miles I walked today. :-)How can one person be so long winded about a 5.2 mile walk? ;-)Another great day on the Appalachian Trail! :-)