The NOC (Nantahala Outdoor Center)

My first day out of Unicoi, the weather was a bit nippy but perfect for climbing. This was a good thing because I did Kelly Knob on this day, and that mountain is queen of the fakey tops. It goes on and on. I ended the day tenting at Deep Gap Shelter with two groups of section hikers who were all very pleasant.

Second day out had me starting a little later. I hiked out of the shelter at 8:30. This was due mostly to how cold I was the night before. Luckily, someone left a bag full of individually wrapped brownies and cookies at Dick's Creek Gap. I took a brownie. Then I fretted over whether I should eat baked goods with no name attached that were left at a gap. I'm not used to unsigned trail magic. Then I sat down, broke the brownie in half, and I smelled it. These actions led to me compulsively shoving it in my mouth, gobbling it down, and continuing to fret only about the fact that I didn't have another.

I moved along pretty well on the second day until near Bly Gap and the state line. Goodbye Georgia. I was having various pains at this point but it appeared that no hikers were camping there, so I pushed on and up the next two hills which are completely lacking switchbacks. Actually, they give ya one at the very top. So sweet of North Cackalacka! I ended the day tenting at Muskrat Creek Shelter with Ron and Currahee who are senior thru-hikers and Holly and her dog Dori who are section hikers. I was glad to camp with thru-hikers but I knew that this may be the last time I camp with these guys as they had a more relaxed hiking agenda.

Next day out, the weather continued to be pleasant. Perfect almost. The terrain was great, and I had less pain. I leap-frogged with some hikers from North Carolina, and I camped at Carter Gap Shelter again with mostly section hikers. I tented right near Walking Man, a former thru-hiker in his 60's who's trekking to Pennsylvania this time. I love the retired people out here. So many of them are kicking the butts of not only people like me but even the youngins out here. At this point, I started getting lonely for more thru-hikers. I was wondering where the heck they all were.

Fourth day out of Unicoi, the weather was beautiful...AGAIN. Couldn't believe it. The terrain was very pleasant on this day with many rhododendron tunnels that, of course, aren't blooming yet but are very nice to hike through. This day did include a serious climb up Albert Mountain. The last part of this climb looks more like the rocky ones you find up North. I am happy to report that I enjoyed it. The views from the top tower were spectacular. I had planned to stay at Rock Gap Shelter but I arrived early and it was deserted, near a road, and lacked tenting. I pushed on, but I wasn't sure I could make it to the next shelter which would put me at 19 miles. I was hoping to find people to camp with before then, and luckily I ran into 3 guys from Ohio State who let me tent near them at Panther Gap which was just a couple miles from the next shelter.  I was glad to meet new people, yet again, but I was still yearning to hike with people going thru.

Next day, you won't believe it, great weather. This has to be a record for me. I just kept waiting for it to rain and it didn't. I woke up early and started hiking at 7:30 am but second guessed myself because I started heading downhill when I was expecting to go immediately up. I walked about a quarter mile back and tried to ask the Ohio State boys but they weren't awake yet. I finally just decided on the direction that I originally chose but this was foreshadowing for what became one of the craziest mistake filled days I have ever had on the AT.

As the day went on, I came across 3 thru-hikers at different times: Crankdaddy, Rambler, and Charlie Brown. They all seemed cool and they were all pushing on to Wesser Bald Shelter. I decided that even though it would be near 20 miles for me that I had to camp with these guys, so I got to stepping. I was making great time, and when I got to Wesser Tower, it looked like I was on track to complete the 19.6 miles by 5:40 pm. This would give me plenty of daylight to make camp. It sure would have. I felt great and accomplished once I got to the top of the tower and I took some beautiful panoramic shots from the top, and I climbed down the stairs and I headed right in the direction of an old forest service road. Not the trail. Somehow, I forgot that I had to walk off the trail to get to the tower. As I descended the mountain down the wrong path, I backtracked a bit because I didn't see any white blazes, but then I told myself that surely I was going in the right direction as it was the opposite of the way I came up to the tower. Big mistake. I ended up walking back down to Tellico Gap. The gap before Wesser. Wrong direction. Once I realized this, it was past the time I was supposed to get to the shelter. I was running out of daylight and energy, but I had to power back up the mountain. When I got to the top, I ended up pulling out maps and guidebook. It was the guidebook that set me straight "40 yards to observation tower" Right. Not on the trail.

This should have been the point where all was righted, but I then did something I shouldn't even admit. Once I realized that I had to go back out to the AT, I chose the path...that led....back to Tellico Gap. As I happily bounced down the trail knowing that I finally was on the way to the shelter, I ran into people who were wearing jeans and had no poles and smelled really really clean. With a face struck with horror, I demanded to know where they just came from, and they told me..."the parking lot." The woman said, "Are you going to Maine or Georgia? Maine is that way," and she pointed in the opposite direction. I almost cried. Ok, I was kinda crying but covering it up, but at least now I knew there was only one possible path left. I went back up Wesser and finally descended again down the correct path and made it to the shelter at around 7:20pm. This is what I get for making fun of people who get lost on the AT.

There is a happy ending, though. Once I got to the shelter it was packed with thru-hikers: Shoefly, Nero, Battlecat, OTT, Charlie Brown, Shephard, and  Crankdaddy. They even had a fire going and a place for me in the shelter. Even though I'm a tenting kinda gal, I decided to take them up on it. It was late, after all, and the 19.6 mile day had turned into around 23 plus miles. Jeesh. So much for taking it easy.

The following day's miles were low but rough. All downhill. I have never done well with the descent into the NOC. My knees were screaming, but I'll recover with a zero day.