Trail Journal, 5/8/2012
From Nantahala Outdoor Center, NC
James and I made it to the Nantahala Outdoor Center, about 30 miles from Fontana Dam.
Last night, we camped out on the Nantahala River with a bunch of friends we have met on the Trail - Crazy Beard, Low Profile, Too Tall & Blue. Have been walking every day on a high ankle sprain. Just hoping that will heal soon.
Crazy Beard has a banjo so every night we camp with the "posse," or what I like to call the Wolfpack, and play music around the fire. With every day the hiking gets easier. I am loving everything about this experience.
The sheer vastness and beauty from the mountain tops, the strenuous and exhausting climbs, the simplicity of food and life on the Trail. Most of all, I enjoy the good people that we have met.
Our friends on the Trail so far: Crazy Beard, Low Profile, Too Tall, Blue, Pac-Man, Gunny & Wooly, Mr. Coffee, Eagle Eye, Take 5, Sandals.
James is now J-Bird. I'm still trying to figure out a good name.
James and I have been getting earlier starts and hiking more miles daily. We saw Fontana Dam and Clingman's Dome from an observation tower a few miles ago. It was great to see a different perspective of what we're about to climb.
A few more days now and we'll be at the base of the Smokies.
Click here to see their location as of 8:40pm this evening. Looks as if they've made it to Fontana Dam, meaning they've hiked the 30 miles in the past two days. They're definitely picking up pace and covering more ground now than they were a few weeks ago! I can only imagine the view from camp tonight...
James called from Fontana dam late on May 10th. Everything is going well. He picked up a bunch of hotdogs, chili and cheese in town and was headed back to the shelter to treat the assembled with something different than freeze-dried trail food.
ReplyDeleteThey were taking a "zero" day to rest, as in zero miles, while at Fontana. It's a long trek to Clingman's dome from Fontana, about 34 miles with a constant rising elevation of about 4,700 to the peak at 6,558. They will also enter the Smokey Mountains National Park about two miles after they leave Fontana.