Date: 2018-11-22
From: Beauty Spot

To: No Business Knob Shelter, TN
Miles today: 16.4

Happy Thanksgiving! Not sure how I did it but I was up quickly again today. It was cold and the inside of my tent sparkled with frost. But definitely not as cold as yesterday being 1,000' lower in elevation. On the trail at 5:23. The trail sparkled also with the frost like a thousand white miniature lights. After crossing a road in the dark I heard a spooky animal call in the woods. Then it made its normal call and I recognized it as a Barred Owl. Only an hour in the dark this morning. Looked like a promising good weather day. I thought I haven't heard a train horn today then within 10 seconds I hear the horns. I stopped at Curley Maple Shelter for a break. Not sure if Curley Maple is someone's name or if there is a curley maple nearby. Anyway I needed to shave and wash my hair. Need that fluff because it's a town day. It was cold there but I have to look presentable. I headed out continuing all morning hiking through thick Rhododendron groves. Several bridges over Jones Creek. A fat pit bull looking dog came around the corner at me. It was playful. I moved back and forth in sudden motions and the dog did too. Then I chased it and it ran. Then a white big dog came by and I was a bit more careful. Two ladies came running apologizing. I said nothing to apologize for because I love dogs. Then a guy came by holding back a barking German shepherd. The women warned me it was kind of out of control. I came to the Chestoa Pike, the road into Erwin, Tennessee, at 11 a.m. I hoped to blitz into Dollar General and be out by 1 p.m. Just as I was getting to a railroad crossing the crossing lights lit up and the bells began ringing. A train came by and it blasted its horn twice real close to me. I knew I should have plugged my ears. But I love the train horns. Seems hiking I frequently hear them at a distance. Here's one real close.I continued on the road into town. I remembered on this road back in 2012 an old school bus used by a hostel went by. Sterling, the other guy doing the Eastern Continental Trail that year, was on the bus and he saw me. Then the bus stopped. Sterling stopped the bus to get off and walk with me to the store. What a great act of kindness and friendship. We went to the store and he walked back to the AT with me. Today it was getting warm. After a mile an old Toyota pickup truck went by, turned around and passed me, then turned around again and offered me a ride. The older gentleman"s southern accent was hard to understand. He took me right to Dollar General. I thanked him and shook his hand. I indeed was grateful for the ride. Walking on pavement hurts my knee. I purchased four days worth of food. No Spam for my Thanksgiving day dinner plan; Spam and stuffing. I was so disappointed I forgot the stuffing. Instead I bought four individual frozen hamburgers complete with cheese and bun. I went back a different way going the Jackson Highway. There I was walking down the road in the strong sun munching on two frozen hamburgers. Life is good! I turned onto Temple Hill Road then River Road which took me back to the AT. Just before the AT is Nolichucky Hostel. I stopped for AquaMira but they had only the big bottles so I didn't buy any. They had Drumsticks there and I bought two. How appropriate for Thanksgiving. I went to pay but she didn't have enough change. So I bought a bunch of Nature's Way Protein bars and paid via credit card. I went out in a picnic table to eat my Drumsticks. The Drumsticks were actually ice cream. I crossed the road and began climbing the mountain. It was just after 1 p.m. The trail climbed on countless switchbacks for about two hours. They were easy but endless. I remember coming down them before and I felt the same. But many great views of the mountains, Erwin and the Nolichucky River. The trail was good as it traveled again through thick Rhododendrons. A few short ups and downs then a good graded old fire tower road for a distance before returning to regular trail. I misread the distance and thought it was longer time-wise than I planned. I thought I might have missed the shelter as I daydreamed while hiking. Then I saw the shelter. No one was there. I went a few hundred feet beyond the shelter then stopped. It was 5:17. A good day. A warmer day. Looks like I might make Hot Springs, North Carolina Sunday before dark.