Day 32

What an INCREDIBLE day today was. I got a ride back to trail pretty early. I was back at Newfound Gap at 7:50am and, boy, was it cold! Actually, it’s been cold and gusty all day. Only a few times during the day and at certain sections where I was out of the wind and the sun could be see was it above freezing. For at least the first 3 or so hours, the temp was 24 to 28 degrees. The trail was covered in hard frost. It looked like someone dumped styrofoam beads everywhere… or white Dip’n Dots ice cream. It’s the first day I hiked over 10 miles with my Melanzana micro-fleece AND my rain jacket just as a wind barrier. The gloves and rain mitts stayed on too. Makes it difficult to take pictures but every time I took those off to take a pic, my fingers would go numb. The first major climb and then descent from Newfound Gap heading north rarely ever gets sunlight and always has water trickling down the trail. On a day like today, that meant the trail was all ice. It was a day I was glad to have micro spikes!

What will always stick in my mind about today was my emotions finally hitting me at one spot where you could see mountains as far as the eye could see. The tears came. No picture or video can do what seeing that landscape and having hiked so far to do it can do to you. This view hit me right after meeting “Tree Line”, the Smokies ridge runner I got a picture. The ridge runners are just amazing people and always helpful.

I got to Peck’s Corner Shelter early enough to have lunch but I ate big and set up my tent to stay for the night. Shelter filled up quickly after that. I prefer my tent anyway. I am bundled up, getting all warm and have hand warmers at the ready. Tonight will be the coldest night I’ve been in yet. It’s listed to be 20 F or maybe even a little lower, especially with all the wind. I am as ready for it as I’ll ever be and we’ll see how I do. I have a little over 13 miles planned for tomorrow leaving only one-half of a day to exit the Smokies and reach I-40. I need to figure out tomorrow what I want to do. I hear conflicting information about Standing Bear Hostel but all agree the resupply options are limited. There’s a new hostel I may try if it’s not already booked up. Otherwise, I’m really thinking of just a shuttle to Newport for a hotel night, restaurant and grocery store resupply. Hopefully I figure it out tomorrow. The logistics has been my biggest headache. I hate making plans and out here it requires knowing when you’ll get out of the woods and where. I’m always afraid I’m not planning well and either pushing myself too far too early or shorting my distance just to make sure I make it to my next appointment on time. I think that’s why hotels, while more expensive, are more appealing to me. Oh, one last thing. I guess I might as well admit it. I had my first “fall with injury” today. I was just thinking to take off my micro spikes when my foot caught a rock on a decline section and I went down hard on the rocks. I chipped a piece of cork off of a trekking pole handle and removed some skin from my right knee. Got a bit of blood soaked into my base layer bottoms but other that, only my ego is bruised. I’m sure it won’t be my last injury on trail. Let’s just hope they don’t get any worse than that.