My Trails

4/18/12 – 9.5 miles
It rained all night long, sometimes lightly and sometimes at a downpour. Rain spoils everything. I found out my tent has a hole in it someplace. I seam-sealed it before I left but there must be a small pinhole someplace. The inside of my tent is wet along with part of my sleeping bag. I’m thinking about getting a new tent and sending this one home.

I hiked all day with a water laden pack and off and on rain prevented me from getting anything dry, so tonight I am staying in a shelter. I told everyone that I snore and they don’t seem to care. They may not be so forgiving in the morning.

Tomorrow I will hike 13 miles to Fontana Dam and the entry point to the Great Smoky Mountain NP. I may take a day off before I start the park. I need a little rest.

4/17/12. 7 miles-
The NOC is quite a complex. There are cabins, restaurants, stores, an outfitter, and kayak rentals. I took a shower and washed my clothes, picked up supplies, and had a half-pound cheesburger, then headed out of town. Hikers refer to places like these as blackholes. Once you get in them, you have a hard time getting out.

The climb out of the NOC was really hard. You start out at 1300 feet and climb to over 5000 in six miles. It’s one of those mountain that have several false tops. Every time you think you’ve reached the top, just out of site is more mountain, and then at the top of that is more mountain, until at last you come to what your sure is the top, but no, there is still more to climb.

I spent the night camped by a lofty shelter made for 14 people, but tonight because of rain packed with about 18. I am tenting and hope to stay dry.

4/16/12. 16 miles –
Today was another big Milage day. I didn’t start out to do such a big day, but I felt realty good when I reached the place I planned to stop – it was only 3 pm – and decided to continue on. Now I’m not sure it was such a good idea – I’m really beat.

Tonight I’m camped with four other hikers, only a mile away from the Nantahalia Outdoor Center, a river rafting adventure complex on the Nantahalia river. I will resupply and clean up but move on before afternoon. Most of my fellow hikers are renting rooms for the night.

I met a couple of young guys that use hammocks to sleep in. They are really nice kids, both Eagle Scouts, having a great time hiking. There trailnames are Wrench and Pocahontas.

Today I am at Hiawassee, GA, a town 11miles north of the trail. Several of us camped at Deep Gap shelter, 3 miles south of the road crossing and got up early to meet the shuttle to town. The Budget Inn runs hikers to and from the trail for free as long as you stay at there motel. I will resupply and rest for today, get something to eat at a restaurant, then after sleeping in a real bed, shuttle back to the trail tomorrow.

So far I have walked 72 miles. In another 10 miles I will reach the North Carolina border, marking a significant milestone and a record of sorts for me.

Oh, the trailname came about when Karen said my hat on my backpack reminded her of Wilson, a vollyball that became constant companion of Tom Hanks, the lone survivor in the movie Castaway. In the movie Hanks talks to Wilson like he is a real person, but I’m not going to admit to that yet.