Day 10-21: Franklin, NC to Hot Springs, NC (through the Smokies!)
Hello from what feels like the most comfortable bed I have ever slept in on this Wednesday morning in Hot Springs. It’s possible that, with the exception of eating and going to go the bathroom, I might not leave this bed at all today. I’m taking a zero here after about 160 miles of hiking since Franklin, and my body is definitely appreciative. These past 10 days have been absolutely amazing and jam-packed with excitement: snow, gorgeous views, and trail magic.
The Smokies are Cold!
Definitely the most exciting part of this stretch of trail has been hiking through Great Smoky Mountains National Park—a 70 mile stretch that took me 5 days and 4 nights. The Smokies are thought of as a big first hurdle to get through on the trail because of how cold they get, since the park is home to the highest elevations on the trail. I might have been slightly disappointed if I had been able to skirt through the Smokies with beautiful weather but luckily I didn’t have to worry about that—about 1pm on my second day in the Park it started to snow, and several inches accumulated that day and overnight. I spent much of the rest of my time in the park hiking through snow, slush, and ice. It definitely made for some really cold nights (I felt super grateful to have my 0-degree sleeping bag) and some sketchy hiking conditions (I may or may not have fallen on my butt several times), but it also made for some gorgeous views of frost-covered trees and snow capped peaks, and made me feel like kind of a badass for pushing through.
I was the first person to Clingman’s Dome, the highest point on the AT in the snow the morning of the 22nd-not an incredible view but it was super cool to get to lay the tracks for all the other hikers in the fresh snow! I also made a snow angel on the top of the peak (the picture didn’t come out super well but it’s in the collage below!)
Sunrise Hunting
I’ve been waking up pretty early to get my miles in early, because I’m most alert and appreciative in the mornings, I like to not feel rushed on my walk, and I like to get to camp early to have time to get myself organized and relax. As a result, I’ve gotten to see lots of incredible sunrises during this stretch of trail.
Probably my favorite sunrise moment so far came on Sunday. I had 18 miles to hike and the weather predictions were reporting rain later on in the day so I started hiking around 6:30 am to try to make as many miles I could while I was dry. I hiked up in the dark, and just as I was summiting Snowbird Peak, the sun was rising over the bald, grassy peak. That moment was awe-striking.
I’ve talked with my trail friends about how thru-hiking, compared with day hiking, is a lot less about getting great views, and more about the daily experience of being on trail. I think that this is true: it’s not about getting to that one lookout or seeing that one specific vista. But being on trail every day means that I get the opportunity to stumble upon so many beautiful and special scenes.
Apples for Apple
On the summit of Max Patch, a famous bald summit halfway between the end of the Smokies and Hot Springs I met a group of 8 day hikers. They were so excited when I told them that I was hiking the whole trail that they offered me some food—2 apples and a clementine. It made my day.
Some fun nature!
I’ve been really appreciating all of the cool little natural phenomena that I’ve been seeing along the trail, like trees that you can crawl inside, or cool ice formations. Polly, an 18-year-old boy hiking with his friend Yo-Yo, explained to me that the ice forms like this because water freezes as it’s evaporating during the night.
Being Social
I’ve been making lots of friends on trail! As I’ve found my rhythm, I’ve been falling into step with other hikers. The fact that the AT has so many shelters means that people are drawn to the same spots for camping each night, so usually I’ll hike by myself during the day, but by the evening I’ll see most of the same people come rolling in. Some people I’ve been camping alongside for weeks, and some I’ll see for a couple of days before one of us will surge ahead. It’s fun to know that there are lots of people I know around, who I may bump into on any given night. For those of you who are amused by trail names, here’s a selection of the people in these pictures: Shaggy, Avo, Yo-Yo, Polly, Upstate, Little One, Yoni (not his trail name, he still needs one), Black Beard, Billy Goat, Root, and Flashdance.
As I mentioned, now I’m in Hot Springs, staying at a Bungalow that I rented with Little One, Yoni, Black Beard, Brick, and Dan (recently dubbed The Officers). After my zero today I’m looking forward to trying to increase my miles a bit—hiking 18-20 mile days more consistently as I head to Erwin, TN and then the Roan Highlands!
In closing, an image of my favorite moment of the past week: eating Sour Patch Watermelon after hiking my first 20-mile day.
