This post is out of order. Sorry! 4/15/12 – 11 miles – The shuttle picked us up at the motel this morning and took us back to the trail. It took almost an hour by the time the elderly driver rounded up passengers at two motels and stopped at two gas stations to get twenty dollars of gas. The first station was closed and it took the driver several minutes to walk into the second store. He shuffled like the old man character that Tim Conway played. One of the hikers jumped out to pump gas or we would still be there.
The hiking was fairly easy most of the day. There was a lot of uphill to start but it was graded well. Once the trail reached the mountain ridges, we had views for miles in all directions. The weather has been great for views. We have been lucky so far.
After a particularly hard climb over 5000 feet, we came to a stone tower on top of Wayah Bald built by the CCC in 1938. It was used as a fire tower for years, and then in 1983, it was renovated into a tourist attraction. On one of the placues that outlined distant mountains, it showed Clingmans Dome in the Smokys 26 miles away. It will take us 80 miles to reach it by trail.
Tonight I am camped with two hikers my age. They are called Saturday (because she thinks every day on the trail is like Saturday) and Beatnik, a retired teacher.
I know, Wilson, it’s time for bed.