Date: 2018-04-03
From: Log Cabin Road - Hemlcok Hollow Inn

To: JerryÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs Cabin Shelter
Miles today: 10.5

The tiny cabin was dark, the mattress was firm, and the stream just below us provided perfect natural background noise. All of this resulted in us sleeping a little later than usual. We enjoyed cold cereal from our little abode before packing up and heading to the camp store for a lift back to the trail. I had picked up some dried kiwi from the Hillbilly Market back in Hot Springs and decided to give them a try with my breakfast. I had barely bit through the first piece of kiwi before the awful flavor invaded my taste buds. ¢This tastes like fish!¢ I exclaimed to Which Way.Diane gave us a ride back to the trail, dropping us off at 10:00. We did a little dynamic (vs static) stretching and started the 2,500¢ ascent that would span the first five miles of our hike. The first few miles were relatively easy and Which Way was feeling none of the pain that dogged her the day before. We stopped at the Little Laurel Shelter to get some water and use the privy. It had to be the most pathetic privy we have come across (see pic), but at least it didn¢t smell too bad. There were about half a dozen other hikers at the shelter who were also refueling. This was my big chance to drop the last pound of Easter snacks in my food bag. ¢Does anyone want any Snicker Eggs?¢ All hands went up. ¢How about some Reese¢s Cups?¢ Score! Really feeling lucky now, I pulled out the bag with what remained of the dried kiwi. Holding the bag up, I said, ¢I really don¢t like these, but if anyone else is interested.¢ The hiker next to me took me up on my offer. As he was putting it in his mouth, I said, ¢It tastes like...¢ ¢Fish,¢ he said, finishing my thought. To my surprise, and delight, the next hiker in line said, ¢I¢ll try one.¢ Immediately after chomping down, he muttered, ¢This is awful!¢ Remarkably, two more hikers tried it, the last one offering the most accurate review, ¢This is the worst thing I¢ve tasted on the trail!¢  Our fellow hikers were still gagging on the aftertaste of the fish fruit when we walked away from the shelter. The remaining ascent was fairly steep and seemed more difficult than usual under the warm sun. Having sucked down our water pretty quickly we stopped to refill from a pipe spring just beyond the crest of the mountain. From there it was a short, albeit rocky hike to Whiterock Cliff, where we stopped for lunch. Perched atop the massive rock wall (elev. 4,444¢) and looking south, we counted eight layers of mountain ranges. It was a beautiful sight and a satisfying feeling to think that we had hiked over a good portion of the terrain in our gaze. The elevation profile depicted on the Guthook App and on AWOLs AT Guide looked pretty tame for the remainder of the hike. But, the absence of huge ascents and descents does not necessarily equal easy hiking. For instance, the profile does not account for the type of trail surface or repeating near verticals ups and downs of 5-20 feet. So, what looked like an easy mile over Firescald Knob, ended up being our longest mile on the trail thus far. We worked our way up and over jagged boulders and through rock crevices as we navigated along a narrow ridge line. This section of the trail resembled Bear Fence Mountain, a short rock scramble in the Shenandoah National Park. The difference is that the Bear fence Mountain Trail is a blue-blazed side path, not on the AT. Although working through the maze of boulders with full packs was arduous, it was a lot of fun and offered some amazing views. We were literally skirting the NC-TN border and had grand views of both states on parts of Firescald. It was one of several elements that made this a great day.Soon after exiting the labyrinth of rocks and boulders the trail softened, with grass lining the edges, and meandered along gentle rolling terrain. This is the type of terrain we relish every step of, always knowing that it won¢t last long. Nearly lulled to sleep by the meandering path, we almost missed the 300 mile mark. Wow, have we really come that far? A short distance ahead stood Jerry¢s Cabin Shelter, where we would tent for the night. It was a little before 5PM when we arrived. We found a good spot to set up camp about 150 meters beyond the shelter. I counted about a half dozen hikers in the shelter and about a dozen tents in the area. So far, we have managed to stay ahead of the big bubble of hikers that clogs the trail behind us. Let¢s hope it stays that way. After all the chores and evening stretching were complete we cooked up a yummy batch of rigatoni, salami, sun dried tomatoes, basil and olive oil. It was the first dish we cooked from scratch. Life Alert happened by and we shared some extra salami slices with her. I had no more fish fruit to offer. She left happy. Although our bodies and feet were tired from a strenuous hike, all in all, it was a good day. It appears that it will take a few miles before we adjust to our trail running shoes that we switched to in Hot Springs. Until then, we will just have to take it easy. The best news from a great day, Which Way did not suffer any knee pain. Prayers answered!  --Next Step Elevation Data:                    Weather:Ascent ~ 3,170                    Day ¢ 70 degrees / Mostly SunnyDescent ~ 1,430                  Night ¢ 45 degrees / ThunderstormsGrade ~ 8.2 Over the Horizon: Roan Mountain