Our first day out of Erwin was beautiful - the sun was out but it was cool and Avocado, Rocket and I cruised up the mountain back into the swing of things. Most people that day stopped just after Beauty Spot but the three of us opted to make our way up Unaka Mountain, about a 1000 foot climb into a dense spruce forest. When we got to the top the sky was completely shielded from view by the massive trees and the floor of the forest was flat and spongy and covered in sappy pine needles. It was, by far, the most beautiful campsite that we have stayed in yet. Water was scarce but we had loaded up and the bottom of the mountain before heading up and we immediately started, what turned into, a 6 foot bonfire out of wood that was still mostly damp from the previous evening.
Still a little unsure of how to properly assemble my tent, I had Avocado give me a tutorial. With the rain fly pulled taught and close to the ground it didn't flap in the wind and allowed me to get my best night sleep in my tent so far out here.
The morning was brutally cold and begged us to stay in our sleeping bags and I wasn't arguing. We started another fire and finally got moving a little after 10am. The day was more difficult than expected with lots of dips that kept slowing us down. My Achilles acted up to so when we arrived at Greasy Creek Gap around 2pm (11miles into the day) I was thrilled with the prospect of heading down to the hostel down the way to grab a sandwich and some ice.
The hostel was just a small house with a converted barn that acts as the bunkhouse directly adjacent but CC, the owner, is a dream. She runs the hostel alone but makes sandwiches to order and sells you "stickers" at $2 a can (I'll let you guess what a "sticker" really is). You can get a smiley face "sticker" or a y "sticker" and both will do the trick to cure what ails you. Her neighbor was a crotchety old man with a jerk of a dog that barks at hikers. He has been known to put up signs on the trail saying that her hostel is closed and take down her signs from the trail. Apparently he went so far as to take out part of her water pipe which left her without water to her house for a day.
After a "sticker", plus a few to go, we headed back up to the gap which was now overrun with tents pitched all over the place. We joined tent city at the upper campsite and got a fire going. With about 10 of us around the fire we talked and laughed and ate until about 10pm (way past hiker bedtime) and retired.
This morning we have tackled some major mountains in the spirit of Earth Day (what says "earth day" better than a cat hole, starting a fire before 8am, walking everywhere and packing out your trash?). We are lying on the top of the false summit before Roan Mountain soaking up the sun. It is beautiful and life is good. Less than 9 more miles to Overmountain Shelter and then we are just two easy days from Hampton, TN. Bring. It. On.
Quote of this section:
"The Appalachian Trail: the most fun you'll ever have interrupted by long walks in the woods."
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