Days 33-36

May 5-8

Groundhog Creek Shelter 

to Spring Mountain Shelter

VIDEO HIGHLIGHT

Commando has posted Episode 6 of his Five Million Steps series, covering the 70 miles hiked through the Smokies.  It is so fun to watch and often shows Titanium and Rocky.  A couple of  Commando's friends back home told him that it is their favorite new reality series, and we agree!  Here is the link:

https://youtu.be/Zc-4ZimmDGs?si=rwzy1u1W-4-CGUXD

Thank you, Commando!

Commando on the Trail

Day 33

Groundhog Creek Shelter to Roaring Fork Shelter

I woke up to a salamander in my tent.  I don't know how it got in, but it sure wanted out.  I was surprised at how fast it was.

I prefer visiting the bushes in the morning, but there was poison ivy everywhere.  The one advantage to this outhouse was that it had a fantastic view.

There was a lot of steep uphill climbing today, but it was warm with a slight breeze, and it rained off and on all day.  Instead of donning rain gear, I let the warm breeze dry me off between rainstorms.  

Pink Lady Slipper

I met an interesting person from Maine, trail name K1tch3n Sink (pronounced "Kitchen Sink").  He has hiked multiple sections of the AT since he started in 2020.  He stated that he had wanted to make the trek since he was 14 years old.  K1tch3n Sink lost his position with LL Bean and subsequently lost his place, possessions, and girlfriend.  He decided the best way to get his head together was by hiking the AT.  He started his hike in March and has been working in hostels and doing trail-related work along the way.  He's planning on jumping forward to Damascus for Trail Days, then hiking forward from there.  He previously hiked this section and sees no reason to repeat it.

K1tch3n Sink

I appreciate his advice.  I told him that I may need to flip-flop (skip ahead to the northernmost part of the trail and then return to finish the middle).  He said to do it, make the decision earlier rather than later to avoid the cold weather in the White Mountains and that it will take twice as long to get through because of tough terrain.

We crossed over Match Patch Bald today.  It was nice to be able to see a 360-degree view.

Views from Max Patch Bald

Day 33 Trail Profile

We made camp for the night at Roaring Fork Shelter, where Rocky made more friends.

Roaring Fork Shelter

Day 34

Roaring Fork Shelter to Hot Springs, NC

The word for today is rain.  It was raining this morning when I woke up and pretty much rained all day.  There's nothing like packing up a wet tent in the morning with the anticipation of putting that wet tent up in the rain at the end of the day.  Rocky really hates the rain.

The good thing about today's hike is that the trail was relatively free of rocks and roots, which made hiking faster than normal.  

We did get a two-hour break from the rain before the thunderstorms began.

I encountered some wildlife on the trail, a six-inch long millipede that was making its way across the trail and an orange salamander that was hiding in some leaves beside the trail.  Both were welcome distractions.

Our intent was to camp at the Deer Park Mountain Shelter.  When Commando, Rocky, and I arrived there, the shelter was occupied, and the tent sites were mud holes.  Hot Springs, North Carolina, was 3.2 miles, and it was 6:30 p.m., so it was an easy decision to head to town and stay at a hostel.

Deer Park Mountain Shelter

Day 34 Trail Profile

The AT actually runs through Hot Springs.  There are several hostels in town.  We quickly discovered that they were all filled with AT hikers seeking refuge from the rain who were faster than us.

A hostel owner suggested a hotel in town.  Commando made reservations, and we headed to our accommodations.  It was 8:30 p.m. when we headed to our hotel.  The town was pretty much shut down with the exception of a restaurant that was closing in 15 minutes.

We were very hungry, so we ventured inside:  two soaking wet backpackers with packs and a thoroughly wet dog carrying his pack.  The usual "is that a service dog" question was asked, and then Rocky was allowed to enter.  Of course, Rocky took that opportunity to shake.  We ordered burgers to go and were on our way to the hotel.

When we were leaving the restaurant, we asked for directions.  We were on foot, in the dark, in a major thunderstorm, in a strange town.  The hotel was a couple of blocks away.  Interestingly, there are no front offices for the hotels in town; everything is done remotely, and you are given a key code for a lock box.

We arrived at our hotel, and we initially couldn't find the room.  Once we did locate the room, the key code didn't work.  At this point, none of us was happy, especially not Rocky.  We found a covered patio and ate our dinner while Commando contacted the hotel owner.

Come to find out, we were at the wrong hotel.  Apparently, the hotel names are very similar, and they are located two blocks apart.  Once we got to the correct hotel, everything worked perfectly, and Rocky was happy to be out of the rain.

I'm somewhat surprised that we didn't have the police called on us.  Here we were, 9:30 p.m., in the hard rain, running around with headlamps, turning doorknobs, looking in windows, and messing with lock boxes.

Day 35

Zero Day in Hot Springs, NC

We took a zero in Hot Springs, NC, to dodge rain, dry out gear, get provisions for the next leg of our hike, and make equipment repairs and changes.

Commando & Rocky

Hot Springs is an interesting little town.  There are several little towns near the AT in North Carolina, but Hot Springs is the only one with the AT running right through the middle.  Then again, the main part of town is only four blocks long.  It is definitely a tourist town that is based on the hot springs and the hikers.

It took a while to get everything dry.  I hung my gear out between thunderstorms.  We resupplied for the next trail section based on what we could find at the Dollar General and mini-market, the only food stores in town.

I must say that for a small town, the restaurants here are fantastic.  Last night we had dinner at a brew pub and taqueria where the hostess provided Rocky with a bowl of chicken.  She told me that dogs eat for free.  This morning we had a killer breakfast at the diner.

This morning we ran into Hi Five.  She is the only remaining person from a group of five women hiking together.  We haven't seen her in three weeks.

In Hot Springs, AT symbols on the sidewalk mark the way.

Day 36

Hot Springs, NC, to Spring Mountain Shelter

Today was really wet and muddy.  We started the day with a substantial and rocky climb out of Hot Springs.  The National Weather Service sent out a severe thunderstorm alert.  At this point, it was raining lightly.

About an hour into today's hike, the Weather Service predictions came true.  The sky was lit with almost continuous flashes of lightning.  The sound of thunder was incredibly loud.  Then the wind and rain began in earnest.  It rained horizontally.  We passed by an old mill pond that looked like it might be a good place to fish.

I don't mind hiking in the rain.  I have the gear for it.  These conditions were not fun to hike in, and I was getting wet.  Rocky and I dropped over to the leeward side of the mountain and took refuge behind a large tree to escape the wind and rain.  We were there for 45 minutes before the storm passed.  I did utilize this time to eat a leftover breakfast biscuit and a banana.

There was a memorial for Rex R. Pulford along the trail.  Hikers have placed coins and stones beside the marker to pay homage and show respect.  I left a piece of white quartz.  The website, WhiteBlaze.com, says that Mr. Pulford died of a heart attack in 1983 while on a thru-hike of the AT.

It continued to rain and thunder until 4:30 p.m. when the sun came out.  The trails were extremely muddy and slippery, which made hiking slow. 

Mountain Laurel

The AT passed over a highway.  It seemed kind-of strange to see the cars rushing below us.

I arrived at the Spring Mountain Shelter around 7:15 p.m.  The place was packed, but I was able to find a spot to pitch my tent next to the shelter.  We're expecting thunderstorms to commence again tonight around 11:00 p.m.

Day 36 Trail Profile

Spring Mountain Shelter (285.9 miles in)

Now, if you were a hungry bear . . .

Note from Sally:

The thunderstorms did indeed hit again.  Titanium (Dan) texted me as a storm was raging about 11:00 p.m. so that I could hear it.  The storms were actually raging outside the windows here in Oak Ridge too, well into this morning (May 8th) with some destructive weather nearby.  Titanium texted me again this morning to let me know that their tent held up (although a fellow hiker's tent blew away) and that they are fine.  Rocky might like to stay in the tent a while longer.