WhimsySeasons: 2.21.13

From the NOC to Stecoah Gap, NC 143
Miles: 13.6
Weather: Sunny then cloudy then rain. About 45 all day. Slight wind.

This morning I woke up early at Nantahala, ready to go on down the trail. The sun rises at 7:15 or so, so by 7:30 I was on my way after eating breakfast with Larry, who has decided to stay at the NOC for a few more days, and after meeting Martijn, a Dutch man who is here to hike for a few weeks. I was feeling good and arrived at the shelter by 2:00. Since I had only hiked 6.9 miles I thought I would continue on to the next road crossing 6.7 miles away and make camp there. Or call the nearby hostel and stay there for the night. (You know how I love a hostel!)

As I left the shelter I met Martijn on his way in. We were both tired because although we had hiked only 7 miles today, alllll of it was UP HILL. He told me that today he had watched a family of wild Boar as he ate his lunch, then had scared up a grouse off the trail. I told him that today I had seen one squirrel, three deer, and two wild turkeys, but nothing as unusual as a wild boar. We swapped stories about mice in shelters, and he told me that one night in Georgia he shared a shelter with a racoon. He decided to stay and make camp and I decided to press on.

You can see in the pictures below that some parts of the trail were dry and clear and easy hiking. Other parts were covered in ice or snow and were trecherous at best. At a mountain top I used my phone to check the weather and saw that it called for 22 degrees tonight and rain. I'm not sure how, but that was the forecast. I called the hostel and the woman told me that they would not be open for another three weeks, but that the Microtel in town was nice, and if I could hitch-hike into town and stay there she heard they gave a hiker rate. I decided to aim for that.

I'm not sure why, but I am finding myself feeling off balance this time. I feel like I'm having a little more difficulty finding my rythym of hiking than I did last July or December. I feel unsettled that I skipped the first 24 miles of trail I had hoped to hike. I feel unsettled that I had a zero day because the hostel's truck was in the shop, not because I needed to zero for the weather or my body. I feel uneasy being out here in this cold with so few hikers on the trail. On the other hand, I feel good. I feel strong and steady on my feet and capable of making good decisions. But I feel more unsure this time around than I did before. I'm not sure why. But I have lots of time to think, so I'm sure I'll figure it out. (Editor's note-if you can write a paragraph that uses the word 'sure' more than I just did, retake that English course, you failed.)

Anyway, so at 5:30, just an hour before sunset, I was at Locust Cove, a beautiful open place where camping would have been easy and with a wonderful water source nearby. But I was uneasy about making camp by myself in the cold with wild boar on the hillsides. Now, I've done this before and had no problems. But for some reason tonight I felt queasy about it. So I hiked on. That was a mistake.

At 6:30 it got dark. (Does this sound familiar yet?) I pulled out both headlamps. Neither one worked. Even though I had checked them at the hostel. I searched through my pack for new batteries, using my phone for a light, but couldn't find them. I was very frustrated that I thought I had safeguarded against this earlier this week and was in the same dangerous situation again. The problem was that this time there was no moonlight because it was covered by the clouds. One of the lights would work for about three steps and go off. Then if I waited about three steps I could turn it on again. Repeat....

I knew that I was only two miles from the road. But I also knew that it would be a steep, rocky descent to the road. At 7:00 it started raining, adding to the places that were alternately muddy, dry and covered in leaves, snowy, or icy. I was afraid. I called the hostel again. I told the man that I knew I was my own responsibility, however, I was afraid in the ice and rain with no light that I was in danger. In danger of falling, or in danger of walking off the trail because I couldn't see the white blazes to follow and getting lost. I asked him if he could alert someone if I didn't come down off the mountain in about three or four hours. He said that he wished he could do more, but he is on vacation in FL right now and I had reached him on his cell phone. We agreed that I would call him about every half hour when I could get cell phone reception and let him know when I got off the mountain. I thanked him, as talking with someone else had enormously calmed me down.

At 8:15 I reached the road and called the hostel owner to let him know I was safe. It was cold. It was raining. I put the light on my cell phone and stood by the road waving my arms with my trekking poles in one hand and my cell phone light in the other hand. The first driver pulled over. I explained to him what had happened and asked if he could take me to the Microtell Hotel. He said his cousin owned the place and would be happy to give me a ride, even though he hadn't planned to go all the way into town. I checked into a beautiful room. I'm frustrated that the lights didn't work again. I know that is very dangerous, and it is a problem that I have to fix before I can be safe hiking miles that might take me after dark. I think tomorrow I will sleep in, take a short 8 mile day, then another 8 mile on Saturday to get to Fontana Dam.

And if you read all of that text, bless you. I'm sorry it is so long.

This plaque says "On December 9, 1968

786 Feet Southwest from this point
WADE A. SUTTON

North Carolina Forest Service Ranger gave his life suppressing a

forest fire, that you might more fully enjoy your hike along this trail"