There's an Ewok in Erwin

J-Bird and Ewok have successfully made it to Erwin, Tennessee. A late night phone call last night offered my first opportunity to catch up with Matt in person over the past couple of weeks. Our conversation was quick and scattered, but I hung up feeling confident in their ability to continue in the weeks ahead.

After hiking with James and Matt for about a week, Gil Fuqua left the boys a few days ago. They wished to thank him for his company on the Trail and hope he isn't too sore. Click here to check out Gil's photos from the Trail. Thank you so much for passing these along!

Matt and James were sitting down at a Huddle House for a late dinner when we spoke last night. Food was definitely a topic of conversation. Matt explained that they've been eating everything as a burrito or covered in nutella. The goal is to create a high caloric meal with limited supplies each time they eat. They have also planned to create a "Hiker Cookbook" after they finish their journey, compiling a list of their favorite burrito-based concoctions. We'll see how they feel about this idea once they've returned to civilization...

Matt also explained how they've been creating potluck meals over the past couple of weeks. Because they are traveling with a number of other hikers, they've adopted a system where each hiker contributes one item of food into a pot. The complete contents are then wrapped into burritos for what Matt called a "feast." When I asked for an example, he said, "usually it's mashed potatoes and ramen as your staples, mixed with mac & cheese, taco seasoning and hot sauce... delicious!"

Finally, he talked about creating iced honey bun sandwiches with nutella and cookie crumbs in the middle. That's more my style. A few additional notes from our conversation:

• Morale remains very high on the Trail despite seeing a number of hikers drop out through the Smokies. Ewok and J-Bird are traveling with Houdini, Crazy Beard, Too Tall and Low Profile. Despite lightning and hail storms, muggier weather and increased temperatures, Matt attributes music, his passion for CZC and the camaraderie of the group as the cause of his buoyant spirits.
• Aside from hiking, eating and sleeping, the group plays music and cards to pass the time. They build fires when possible and take solace in each other's company.
• Life gets simpler and simpler the longer he hikes. His pack is down to 30-35 pounds now as he continues to consolidate and learn about long distance hiking. They are hiking roughly 15 miles per day.
• When asked what the most exciting moment has been, he said that he got close to a 3-4 foot rattlesnake a week or so ago. In his words, "it was pretty neat, the snake let's you know you're getting too close."

Their next stop will be Roan Mountain, approximately 33 miles from their current location. Roan Mountain will be the last time the Trail climbs above 6,000 feet until they make it to Mt. Washington in New Hampshire. This site also offers some gorgeous rhododendron gardens which should be approaching peak blooming time in the next couple of weeks. More to come later this week...