Week Five, 2022

Saturday

March 26

Continued

I just wanted to add that when Skip returned us to Hot Springs, he not only bought our breakfast, he bought our resupply as well. This man had known us for less than 24 hours and we were treated like family. Once again my faith in the goodness of regular people has been bolstered. I asked Skip to let me pay for my own resupply and he said, "we only pass through this world once. I like to make people feel happy." A pretty simple concept that is often hard to practice. Here was another lesson of which I was reminded in a simple but very effective manner. 

On a completely unrelated but interesting note, Hot Springs was used as a German interment camp during World War One. The sight is now the fairgrounds in the middle of town.

Sunday

March 27

This Lord's day dawned cold and clear at Spring Mountain Shelter. Eli and I need to be in Erwin on Wednesday. To get there on time we have some pretty high mileage days just ahead. We started out just after eight at a pretty fast clip to try to get warm. The temperature was in the twenties and the windchill was brutal. We hiked about an hour when we encountered another Trai Angel! He had fruit, honeybuns, soda and juice. Eli and I spoke to him while we ate. He had been a through hiker in 2009 and now he just wanted to give some back. He had camped right beside me trail so he could see everyone. We finished, thanked him and started off again. In another mile, there was a small table with huge homemade cookies on it. We both got one for a snack and kept moving. We had a lot of uphill climbing today an we wanted to get through it. At noon we stopped at the Little Laurel shelter for lunch. Curiously, we had cell service at the shelter so I answered texts and we were then again on our way up. In about two more miles, we were walking along a ridge literally at the edge of the mountain range. On one side, there were endless mountain peaks. On the other the mountains ended and the terrain was as flat as a table. We did not stay long because the wind was still howling and the rocky trail was hard to negotiate. We finally started down again and continued the descent for about six miles to the Jerry's Cabin shelter for the night. During that trek, we officially crossed the 300 mile mark.The total mileage for today was 15.9. Our cumulative total is 301.8.

Monday 

March 28

We walked 15.5 miles today. It was a nice day for hiking. It was a little cold to start, but it warmed by lunchtime.

I want to list things of interest on the trail today.

1. We crossed Big Butt mountain. I don't know who named it or when, and I don't see the connection. I bet whoever named it was funny.

2. A memorial to Howard Basset. He walked the AT in 1968. There is a marker on Big Butt to him.

3. Shelton Gravesite. This is an actual gravesite for two Union soldiers who were killed while visiting family in the area. They are still buried there.

4. Laurel Hostel. A guy named Tim has built a six bunk hostel in his front yard and rents the bunks for $20 per night. Apparently there is a steady customer stream. We stopped and ate lunch there. Tim also sells food and soft drinks. We loaded up our stomachs because the next five miles of the trail is uphill.

5. Ramps. If you do not know what a ramp is, it is a wild plant that is basically a cross between garlic and wild onions. They are everywhere this time of year. Eli has been gathering them and putting them in his soup. I warned him that if you eat a lot of them people will smell you coming.

We are staying tonight at the Hogback Ridge shelter. Our total mileage is 317.3.

Tuesday

March 29

We left the shelter at 07:40 this morning because our plan is to complete 20 miles today. That will allow us to get to Erwin tomorrow by about noon. Both Eli and I need a large resupply for food. This morning we passed a very large granite marker that told of a family's gift of the land around to the National Park Service. Not a mile farther we encountered a man providing trail magic!

Trail Magic #1 A man by himself was serving hikers scrambled eggs and hashbrowns along with drinks. He had been a through hiker in 2009 and just wanted to give back. We at his fare and thanked him as we moved on. Not 250 yards on the other side of I 26 was trail magic #2. There was a camper and two cars with tables that held all types of pastries, cookies cocoa, coffee, soft drinks and fruit. There were three men and a lady running the show. The best I could tell was that there were two of them that were possible through hikers and they were there just to give back as well. I think it speaks well of people who do that just for the joy of giving out treats. We ate with them too.

Full of calories, Eli and I started the climb out of Sam's Gap and up the next mountain. It was about a two mile climb up to the top where we did a bit of ridge walking. We kept on until we started up again for the top of Big Bald Mountain. This mountain has no trees on its summit, only grass. It is 5515 feet at its summit. As we were coming down off the bald, Eli slipped a little in some mud. He did not fall. As I was saying be careful, I fell flat. It is kind of funny and kind of embarrassing at the same time. Nothing was hurt except my pride. We ate lunch at the Big Bald shelter and moved on. Up and down all afternoon and passing and then being passed by the same people who were all headed to the No Business shelter. Everyone was pushing for that shelter because everyone is going to Erwin, TN tomorrow for a resupply and stay at Uncle Johnny's Hostel. All in we put in 20.7 miles today. It is our first 20 miler. We have decided to do one 20 per week to start and see how we feel. Now that the days are getting longer we want to take advantage of the daylight. 

Wednesday

March 30

This morning the whole shelter was up and moving at daylight. Six miles ahead was Erwin, TN, Uncle Johnny's hostel, a shower, laundry, and TOWN FOOD! Eli and I covered the six miles in two hours and forty minutes. Uncle Johnny's is literally at the bottom of the mountain. They take you to town for free and the laundry and showers iare included in the price. The weather is supposed to become rainy and very windy this evening. I am looking forward to staying in.

Thursday 

March 31

Today started out with rain. When I woke up, there was wind and rain pounding on the hostel roof. Eli and I had decided to wait for the rain to stop and then begin the day's walk about eleven. At about 08:30, the weather broke and the sun began to shine. We grabbed our gear and started off. We picked up a third member to our merry band this morning as well. Another hiker with the trail name of Grumpy asked if he could trail along with us. He had started in late February and then had to make a trip home to Boston for a couple of weeks. His hiking partners were now way ahead and he was hiking alone. We had seen and spoken to him for a few days lately. We said sure and he fell in line. Grumpy is a retired police officer who is hiking the trail at 61 years old. 

We left Uncle Johnny's and started up the trail beside a creek for a couple of miles. After those miles, the trail turned upward and we started to regain the altitude lost on the way down to Erwin. That climb made us all sweat. We gained 1,500 feet at that point. A few miles later we topped Unaka mountain at about 5,000 feet. The top was covered in spruce and hemlock. The ground was covered in moss and it was dark and cool under the thick canopy. Down the other side and up another mountain and we needed water. The electronic map said there was a weak spring nearby. We all stopped and went down the hill. There was a piped spring that was literally running full. We filled up quickly and moved on. By about five p.m. we rolled into the Cherry Gap shelter. Today's hike total mileage was 17.0. Our total mileage is currently 361.4.

Friday

April 1

We have been on the trail a month today. It does not really seem that long. I have learned a lot in that month. I have learned that day to day worries still exist. You still care about the health and well-being of friends and loved ones and you still pray for them, I find I pray for them now more than ever. A lot of my day is consumed with just walking and praying.

It snowed overnight last night. The temperature went from over 70 degrees yesterday to about 25 this morning. There was not a lot, but it has been cold all day. Today was another seventeen mile day. We climbed up to 6,200 feet to the Roan High Knob shelter. This is the highest shelter on the AT. Along the way I saw an intact chimney in the middle of the woods. I guess there had been a cabin there a long time ago. Near the top of the mountain we saw the foundation of an old hotel that had been a vacation spot during the 19th century. We received some more trail magic this morning as well. This lady was just doing it because she loved helping hikers. It was a hard hike, but it was a good day to be doing it. We got to the shelter at about five thirty and I was glad to rest inside. The shelter is old but it is fully enclosed and pretty warm.

Saturday

April 2

Eli, Grumpy and I left the shelter at about 08:30 and started out on our seventeen mile hike for the day. We started off the frozen Roan High Knob mountain through the evergreen forest. After about a mile we crossed a county road and started up to the Roan Highlands. The Roan Highlands are a series of round topped mountains with grass and rock outcroppings and great views. Almost immediately we met two girls in flowing white dresses coming off the first hill. Apparently they were taking pictures on the top so the wind would blow their clothes. As we walked up the next small mountain it occurred to me this would be a fine place to graze sheep.

Over one more hill an we started up Little Hump Mountain. This mountain looked like the others, but significantly higher. We sweated up that one. At the top we could see the next mountain called, wait for it, Big Hump. Big Hump was huge. It also has a lot of false summits. A false summit is an optical illusion that you see when you are looking up at the top of the mountain from the bottom. It is called a false summit because when you reach it, there is yet more mountain above waiting to be climbed. The trail went almost straight up the side of the mountain and it was muddy. We finally made it up to the true summit after about an hour.

It is at this point I want to tell you that on the way up Big Hump I had some pain in my chest. Since I have a large family history of heart problems, I am getting off the trail tomorrow and going to get it checked out.

If I never get to return to this hike, I cannot complain. I got to spend a month walking on this fine planet with good, friendly people who basically were doing the same thing. Thank you for spending the month with me. I appreciate your coming along.

John Walls

April 2, 2022