I am glad to walk in good company, especially today on the slopes of Max Patch. We paused to relax for hours and met a true vagabond and former thru-hiker named Jeff or Phoenix. The afternoon was near perfect.
However, there are many pretentious people on the trail. These insecure old men all treat the wilderness like on of their glorious competitions. I am glad to travel with fresh minds.
After a triumphant and hasty procession out of the Smokies, I paused with my band of friends at Standing Bear Hostel for resupply. Aside from buffering my body with massive amounts of fat and carbohydrates, I had the opportunity to meet up with old lost friends. Handyman, Longstep, TLC and POW all congregated at the hostel to tell stories of friends far and fading. This hiker community is lone large roving band of nomadic people all seeking company.
Afterwards we were challenged with a climb harder than the entrance to the Smokies, barraged with rain and mist. It was haunting and frustrating at first to climb an endless hill shrouded in mist and bleak trees. But upon reaching the top, Furniture and I were rewarded with an amazing summit view as the mist cleared. We are pushing onwards to Hot Springs in the next few days.
It has been a crucible of a day, both a strain of my hiking endurance and faith in the trail. But so many amazing things happened in such a short time. Beginning with a 4:30am rise I set out with the three F’s (Fish, Furniture and Free Hugs) to witness a glorious sunrise from Clingman’s Dome—the highest point on the entire AT. Instead, after 3 miles of hiking in the dark we were greeted with frigid windy conditions and overcast skies. However the triumph was still alive being at the literal top of this journey.
After more miles of hiking through Evergreen forests we stopped out of exhaustion at Indian Road Gap. It was barren and magic-less, but I salvaged good cream cheese from the trash—an act of desperation. Furniture and I pushed on with fortune at our heels and Fish and Free Hugs stayed behind haplessly to miss our upcoming break.
Newfound Gap was tense with the tourist dregs, but not without generous trail magic. A kind thru-hiker from 2006 spoiled us with chips, dip, beer and hot dogs. I chose salmon and bagels instead out of vegetarian principle. Coincidentally, another hiker from 2006 arrived with a van laden with fried chicken, cupcakes, cookies, crackers and fresh fruit! Steak n’ Shake, Rabbit’s Foot, Beavis and Dog all joined later to partake in the Trail Magic, but Free Hugs and Fish sadly pushed on to the next shelter without respite.
After all joining together again we took a brave plunge to the next shelter—7.5miles after an already long 15-mile day. The mileage was tantalizing and harsh, but not without spectacular views and a rewarding shelter to reach.
Being alone to confront the odds against oneself makes one grateful for the joys of company, both simple and subtle.
Perhaps it is my excessive food weight and perhaps it is the terrain, but the Smokies have been easily fatiguing. Tomorrow we plan on leaving early enough to see the sunrise on Clingman’s Dome. This requires battling steep terrain in icy darkness. Hopefully it will be a life-redeeming moment.
I am anxiously stationed on the edge of the Smokies, bidding me time against the weather. It is certainly below freezing because it has been snowing sporadically all day. After a pampered morning resupplying at Fontana Village, I set out with Fish, Furniture and Free Hugs as well as Beavis and Dog to eliminate the possibility of a zero day. Since about 2:00pm we have been pent up in the spacious Fontana “Hilton” shelter crowded around a campfire and devouring camp provisions.
I am ready to finally enter the Smokies, the greatest crucible of this hike, and end all the awkward tension circulating around the nature of the terrain. The community is obviously growing stronger, but frays in integrity develop at the edges, just as in any group, and people are prone to dishonesty. Regardless, I am ready to cross Fontana Dam.
