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AT Blog: 10 and 11
Ill have a number 9, a number 9 large, a number 6 with extra dip..
Day 10:
Time for an early morning! Today’s plan is to pack up and hike 3.7 miles to Winding Gap and get a shuttle into Franklin NC. While packing up, I unfortunately lost my bear hanging kit, so I’ll have to pick up a new one in town.
We wait for the 9:30 Shuttle into town. Usually Franklin runs a bunch of shuttles but today they are doing training in preparing for the busy season, so only one ride bus today. Eventually they arrive and we set off!
After dropping a few folks off at hotels and hostels, Jack and I get dropped off at the outfitters 76. I’m able to grab another camp meal and new reflective rope for hanging. We run into Auggie and Tigger in the stores bar and hang out with them. We all drop our packs at the store which watches them with a security camera.
The four of us decide to head to the Motor Company Grill, a 1950s themed American restaurant. I’ll tell you after days of hiking, that restaurant was the bomb. We all ordered milkshakes, I shared onion rings with Jack. Got a burger with 2 thick patties and fries and stuffed myself. The milkshake was great too, they give you the cup and the extra in the container.
Of course I got a chocolate milkshake and a coke. It felt great after such a long time in the woods.
We met Lobster and Taxi on our way back to the outfitters, and we all signed the town banner for this year’s class.
Afterwards Tigger MD and I picked our stuff up and called a private shuttle to take us back to trail. It was twice the price of the town transport, but hey it’s operating.
I get dropped off first as Tigger got off trail sooner than I did. Fortunately I just have a 4 mile hike to the shelter. Not too bad, just slow as I was digesting the meal.
Siler bald Campsite (mile 113) was interesting? Part of an old logging clearing the shelter was nice, next to a lightly brushed clearing with some flat spaces for tents. There used to be bear cables there, but decades of use has left only the wire between two trees intact. So I had to use my new rope.
Out of nowhere, Waywalker makes it to camp! She didn’t stop in town so she caught up. Tigger MD eventually made it to camp, and we had a good time catching back up.
Day 11
Big day today. Yesterday Tigger, Waywalker and I decided our best option was to hike 18 miles to allow ourselves plenty of time in Natahala the next day. That puts us at Wesser Bald shelter, near the top of the mountain overlooking the NOC facility we would be staying at.
Tigger and Waywalker leave 20 and 10 minutes earlier than I do. Leaving the shelter was confusing as it was poorly marked and the multiple old logging roads made it difficult to tell where the trail was. Eventually I make it back and hike 6 miles to Wayah bald observation tower. A beautiful old stone tower meant to look for fires, renovated for public use. It was a good spot to see the Natahala forest and barely see the mountains of Georgia still. I dump my trash at a trash can there and keep moving.
Great views of the mountain range.
Like most of North Carolina so far the trail is poorly marked, with a sign not even mentioning the AT trail, just the local small ones, eventually I set off and hike another few hours past Licklog gap and run into Tigger and Waywalker again. I took a quick lunch with them met a few new people h8king in called Quince and Chef. Tigger MD wants to call me Buzzkill cause i mentioned how he will always remember his bad day by looking at his mismatched shoes.
We soon push off again, and I start to pull away going foward. Some good views and up and down hills for most of the day. The last gap before the climb to the shelter, Jessica Gap had trail magic! Buncha folks from the area were giving cold drinks and good snacks. I grabbed myself a dr pepper and crackers and chowed down. They had all worked with NOC in the past and started doing this for weary hikers. Buncha other hikers eventually catch up with me and we all relax before our last 2 miles.
The last 2 miles were pretty much all uphill, but it ended with the Wesser Bald firetower, which had a view of the smokies, the next big hurdle. Tigger MD and I met some very loud day hikers there, then moved on.
There was a small downhill section before the shelter and we finally made it. 18 miles was exhausting, but worth it. Also for the first time in NC, the shelter had functional bear cables, so no bear hang tonight!
We had some great conversations while eating dinner at camp, learned about Maine from a couple from there. We chatted about culture shock, coca cola vs Pepsi, trail names and more.
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