Max Patch

Max Patch is one the biggest highlights for hikers on the trail.  It is a bald mountain with a complete 360 view of the mountains around.   We were blessed with a beautiful day and amazing sunset.  It is so hard to pick a picture to post because thy are all so good.  We caught up with Laura and Caterpillar up there as well as hiked up to the top with Mohawk,  so it was a great crew to enjoy the sunset with.  The night was a beautiful clear night so Kris was able to get some spectacular shots of the stars.  Sorry y'all can't see them yet.  
Sadly,  the bald is having to be renourished since four wheelers left the road and trail and rutted up the hill face a few months back.  It is a shame that people choose to ignore and disrespect such beauty, but the mountain will heal and we will learn from their mistakes.

Hiker Trash invade Damascus, VA

Any one who hikes often, reads backpacker magazine, or has been on the trail this season knows that Appalachian Trail Days is the party to attend.  This is a festival hosted by the city of Damascus, VA that welcomes hikers and vendors to enjoy the outdoors and adventure stories for an entire weekend.  Vendoirs set up as well as tenters throughout the town.  An area known as "tent city" is set up as a base camp, and a vendor area is set up downtown.  Weary hikers can set up and then explore to find hair cuts, medical exams, foot exams, even pet exams, free food, sales of the season, and lots of giveaways. 
So, finally, we have arrived... and so has the rain.  The rain will not rain on our parade.  Well, literally it might, but we will enjoy walking in this rain as long as it isn't cold and we can dry out afterwards. 

The Great Smoky Mountains have been an adventure.  And Gatlinburg was truely a tourist trap!  As all hikers have said, and many have ignored... hikers; do not enter Gatlinburg.  The chances that you will never leave, or leave broke are extremly high. 

But now that we have a weekend with some signal and places to charge our phones, multiple updates are soon to appear.  Stay tuned!  But for now, I am going to snag some free food and maybe some free booty.

A minor bump in the road

   We left the Nantahala Outdoor Center on Thursday.  It was a six mile climb that never seemed to end.  Evey time you came around a corner there was another hill to climb.  The spot known as the Jump Up is a rock outcrop with an incredible view, but is still not the end of the climb.  This climb was a true test of ones use of momentum.  Stopping to catch ones breath or readjust a pack strap, only makes the next three steps that much harder and more painful to get moving.  If that is what getting old feels like, no thank you. 
   That night wasn't much easier.  The Sassafras Gap shelter did not really have any good spots for a tent so we slept on a slope with the wind coming straight up the hillside and under the rain fly.  What's better is that Kris and I both got a bit of a head and chest cold.  Needless to say, the next day hiking was a bit tough and unfavourable weather was on its way in so we decided that a day off the trail was in order. 
   Donna from Cabin in the Woods picked us up at Stecoah Gap.  Her loft cabin was cozy, dry, and affordable.   It gave us a chance to recoup. She even gave us a ride into town to get some juice and cold medicine.   The weather only got worse while we were there, and with poor sleep because of the colds we stayed a couple of nights. 
Monday we had to get to Fontana Dam to pick up our packages that Momma Jane sent for us.  Our ride up there was a little later than we had hoped but we got to the Fontana Village and kind of fell in love with the place.  It is gorgeous.  The lodge gives awesome views of the smokeys.  The campus is huge.  There are rooms and cabins all different sizes.  Multiple swimming pools and playgrounds.  Hill billy putt putt and a full disc golf course.  Not to mention tons of hiking and outdoor recreation.  Since it was too late to get to the trail and we still had stuff to do, we decided to stay.  They gave us the thru-hiker rate, which was the deal of the century for this place. 
   The restaurant was a little pricey but man, did we eat.  2 appetizers,  2 entrees,  dessert, and drinks.  That food never stood a chance. 
So today we enter the Smokeys.  It will be a little while before I can update again.  Bringing up the rear for the Lollygaggers, we may see some of them again at Trail Days in Damascus.  We are planning on a mail drop in Gatlinburg, which unfortunately means we have to go into the tourist town, but I have been challenged in a hot sauce challenge, and the challenge has been accepted.  I just have to hike the 45 miles from the Dam to the road access to get there. 
   Check back in in about a week.  From Fontana Dam, the Great Smokey Mountain National Park Clingman Dome Lookout, and the Pepper Palace Nasal Napalm Challenge, there will be pictures. 

Photos below of wild flowers, a sweet rock outcrop from the climb out of the NOC, the view from the Fontana Lodge restaurant,  and a photo of Momma Jane at a waterfall on the AT during her visit. 

Wild flowers

One mile took me almost an hour today.  The wildflower explosion was almost over night. 
This is just a couple of my favorites so far :-)

Until next time!

Happy hikers

The Nantahala Cener gives hikers a chance for clean faces and full bellies. 
Ring Master
Kitty
Springbok
Iris
Mohawk

Photos

Cookeh climbing Siler Bald

Lollygaggers at the top of Siler Bald elev. 5,216

Trail magic

After a long and hard climb we found some trail magic.  Sandwiches and cold soda.  Even somewhere to wash our hands!  The trail angel was Kicho.