Date: 2007-03-25
From: Best Western, Elk Park NC

To: Moreland Gap Shelter, TN
Miles today: 17.5
Weather: clear sky

Woke up around 9:30am with a dream about a disturbing movie I saw called SILENT HILL. Freak me out, man. I woke up disappointed that for the cost of lodging there was not a continental breakfeast! I ate a bunch of granola and begin "psyching" myself up for getting a ride to the trail It was about 15 miles back and this was an odd little resort town with a small exclusive liberal arts college, snow ski slopes, Grandfather Mtn, lodges, resort communities, etc. I pleaded with the manager "Candy" who said that she would take me back to the trail after her shift around 2pm. I was very happy. She dropped me off around 3pm. I decided that I was going all out today. With "CP" no longer coming to see me, I could hike without care. Somehow like "throwing yourself into your work". This section is so much better since Bob Peoples took over the trail maintenance in this area. It used to go down roads where the people were very unfriendly in the mildest cases. This section of the trail from here to Damascus has a hundred puds. Until Bob Peoples took over trail maintenance, this was a hike that would go over about 20 ridges. It is still tough; but it is well maintained and graded. The land in this area was also taken by Eminent domain and the local people still resent this. There is a community called Buck Mountain in this section. There are facts like the 4 female hikers raped in the early 1980's; the woman murdered in the Vandeventer shelter; trash thrown on the trail from vehicles(bags and bags of household trash); erasing white blazes to confuse hikers; chopping down trees to impede a hikers progress. There is also the legend of the fish hooks hung across the trail at eye level. Bob has made recent trail re-routes that take the trail away from the worst problem areas and a hike that used to take you down Buck Mountain road where I had obscenities shouted at me from porches here back in 1990. Anyway I started hiking from 19E really "jacked" up on coffee. It was very hot. It was around 85 degrees. There is not much elevation in this area; so, it was a difficult walk. One nice addition in this area is the walk along the Elk River. There are alot of ferral Daffodils and the water was just right for Red Eye Bass fishing. I felt like jumping in the water; but, I wanted to make some miles today and try to get to Kincora(Bob's hostel). I tried to drink water at every spring and eat something everytime I felt a little lack of energy approaching. I followed the trail to the new Mountaineer Shelter. In this section there are dozens of side trails from very old roads and tracks. When I got to the shelter there were alot of thru-hikers here "Fed-Ex, Kentucky Blue(female), Tao(female), Osprey, Guthook, and Coughdrop". We all talked while I was making and eating dinner. This was the most hikers I had seen since Miss Janet's. Bob Peoples and his Hardcore crew built this shelter last year in 2 days. Bob will get about 100 hikers from Damascus Trail Days and bringthem back to his hostel to do trail work. In turn he will take them back to where they are currently hiking on the AT. It was an awesome structure with 3 levels. The Mountaineer Falls can also make a good shower. After dinner, I told the thru-hikers that I was going to try to get all the way to Kincora. So I left. The sun was down now; but, I could see very well. The moon was waxing and over 1/2 full. I walked about 2-3 miles before I lit my headlamp. The trail is so well graded here: I did not have the usual night hike "pitfalls" of kicking rocks and stumps. I made it to the Moreland Gap shelter and decided to stop here. I guess it was around 1 or 2 in the morning. It was an awesome night hike.