Date: 2015-04-08
From: small campsite just south of Wesser Bald

To: NOC
Miles today: 7.1
Weather: overcast clouds

I woke up today feeling really refreshed. I was so exhausted from my late evening climb to get up the mountain and away from the road that I slept soundly for about 10 hours. Nothing propels you up a mountain like sheer terror, and I was terrified of hiking alone up a steep path in the dark. When I woke up I broke camp and ate some cereal while looking at my book to see the day ahead. I was going to hike to the NOC, a real milestone for NOBO hikers. Word was that there was a restaurant with an incredible cheeseburger at NOC, and that is all the carrot I need.. I had booked a bunk space so I was looking forward to shower, laundry, cheeseburger. The hike looked downhill all the way- so I was glad to have the tough Wesser Mountain climb in my rear view mirror. It was a pleasant hike, I ran in to a few folks who had camped at the shelter just about a half mile beyond my sweet little solo campsite. The trail became steeper and steeper and there were several rock scrambles. In some parts of the trail, it was as though it was a creek. Water flowed down until it hit the run offs created by the trail maintainers. What a fabulous job they do. The trail is truly remarkable- blown down trees are cut through so hikers can pass, log steps are created where the trail is just too steep, and the trail is mostly pristine. The trail maintainers also pick up any litter they come across. I feel taken care of by these quiet men and women who volunteer their time so that thousands can experience the outdoors. I hope to be able to give back in this way someday.I met Seneca on the trail, a Native American reference, not the roman stoic ( or was he Greek?) we had a nice conversation down the mountain. When we finally arrived at the NOC- I was SO ready for that shower. This is a special kind of stank folks. 3 days and nights in the same clothes, the odor is a pungent mixture of sweat, dirt, campfire smoke, and wafting odors from the region Katwalk calls the nether-yea-ah. Deodorant does nothing. I sent mine home two weeks ago. And as the weather gets warmer, this stank will get worse and worse. Nothing to do except embrace it as the new normal.At the NOC I had a fabulous shower- hot steaming and with tremendous water pressure. I put my stuff on a bunk in a room I shared with 3 others. Then I made a beeline for the cheeseburger. I met Ice Fire on the way down- and amazingly, he was waiting for Gorp Gobbler who was getting back on the trail. The story is, Gorp became deathly ill a week earlier. So violent was his illness that he had to be rescued from the mountain. None of his gear was able to be salvaged, it was all contaminated. He spent 4 or 5 days in the hospital and 4 of his rescuers also became ill. One had to be hospitalized. After his release, he bought all new gear, rested a couple of days, and was about to arrive at the NOC. He was among the first to welcome me to the trail journals community so I was really excited to meet him. Ice, Gorp and I ate cheeseburgers and drank beer. I am so impressed that he came back. Seashell and Dino joined us and then Katwalk came down the mountain too. It was a nice night.Later, I walked to the river edge and put my feet in the water. It was icy cold and felt wonderful. I watched the kayakers and thought about Brian. He died in a whitewater kayaking accident nearly 25 years ago when our son was only 9 months old. A charismatic adrenaline junkie, he would have loved it here. Grateful for this journey, grateful for my wonderful family and friends, and today especially grateful for Jennifer who is keeping my store running so I can have this special time.