Day 13

19 miles

That was our first shelter experience. We’ve made it almost two weeks without using one and I’ve got to be honest it was pretty shitty. Every time someone rolls over or shifts slightly you can hear the sound of their sleeping bags which if you’re not familiar sounds like someone is laying on a bag of balloons. Between that and the howling wind and snoring And the cold and the mice running by your head it was a doomed night of sleep.

We got up and out of bed about 7:10 and we gone and hiking by 7:30 because the only way to warm back up was to start hiking. Nice ups and downs today. We arrive at The Nantahala Outdoor Center around 1 where their is a place to resupply, grab a bite to eat, or kayak or rafting. It is located along side the Nantahala River. Anyways we go in, get a pizza and beer and relax in the sun along the river while our stomachs settle and try to warm up before we head in out.

There is a 7 mile climb coming out of the NOC. It has about 3.5k of elevation gain as well. It was long and grinding but we’ve reached the Sassafras Gap Shelter for tonight. The camp spots are horribly angled so Max and I opt to give the shelter another go. This one is nicer than the last. Less people but I got my earplugs out anyways.