Hiawassee, GA to Nantahala Outdoor Center

March 7 - 11
"Whoa", I hesitated thinking I heard a voice but dismissed it. "Hey Bucko! I said Whoa"! I stopped realizing it was my body. "When are you gonna give it a break"?

Over the last several years I have learned to listen to my body when it speaks so I decided today was the day to "give it a rest".

Let me recap the events since Hiawassee. On Sunday morning around 9:30 I crossed into North Carolina. From my previous hike I knew what was in store for me shortly after crossing the border, the climb out of Bly's Gap. It is and wasn't a picnic. NC wants to make sure you don't think you're hot stuff for finishing Georgia so it humbles you quickly. What I had forgotten were the next two climbs. NC likes to send you straight up the mountain. Why waste trail with switchbacks when it can send you straight up!

It was early afternoon when I finished the climb up Standing Indian Mtn. and I was thinking that all was good because the climbs were over for the day. Haha jokes on you! What i hadn't thought of was the snow, lots and lots of snow, three to four feet of snow, all along the ridgeline which is where I was going. Normally the ridge walk along Standing Indian is a nice enjoyable hike. That day it was like I was being led to a Siberian labor camp.... Step, step, posthole, posthole, step, three more postholes, some of which were thigh high.

I had thought of going to Carter Gap Shelter but when I hit Beech Gap where there was water and a place to set up the tent I called it quits. It was the longest and hardest day up to this point. Needless to say I slept well that night!

The next day wasn't quite so bad. I ran into Brian and Peter about mid morning and we flip flopped around one another all day. We climbed Albert Mtn. which was the steepest climb up to this point. The three of us ended up staying at Rock Gap Shelter that night. The good thing about this is the weather has been sunny and warm though there was a chance of rain coming in the next couple of days.

The next morning I said my see you laters because they were heading into Franklin and I was pushing past. It was overcast but not cold and the ups and downs continued. Around noon I reached the Siler Bald Shelter split off and that is where I stopped for lunch. Good thing because things went downhill in a hurry after that.

If I thought the ridgeline after Standing Indian was bad I was not expecting the Bataan Death March that I hit on this afternoon. It was, by far, the most grueling and strenous 4.5 hours of hiking (if you can even call it hiking) I have ever done. Postholing ever other step, trying to figure where you can step without postholing then postholing to the thigh and then down to the knees with a double posthole. It did not seem it would ever end!

I finally reached the Wayah Bald Shelter. My feet, ankles, and knees were screaming at me and I was exhausted. I had never sworn at an inanimate object as much as I did that afternoon!. Three others came into the shelter that night and they also expressed the same feeling I had about the day.

So, here it is, the 11th of March. Yesterday there were only a couple of hours worth of postholing and then I could actually "hike". What a unique concept..walking without sinking to your knees.. It's almost enjoyable. At this moment I am at the NOC, Nantahala Outdoor Center, sitting in a bunkroom, out of the rain (and it is raining hard!), listening to my body. I have also made another decision for various reasons. I am going to cut my Smokies hike in half.

I am out here to have fun and hike until I have to go back to the Whites. During those long hours of postholing I kept thinking about how this was what I was going through when I blew out my knee it '08 on the PCT. There are far greater stakes this time, based on future plans, and I would be sorely pissed if something were to happen while I am doing something that really wasn't on the agenda in the first place. If I did tweak a knee it would put a huge cramp on the plans for the PCT/NZ adventure so I am going to get back on at Newfound Gap and do the last half of the Smokies.

That's it for now ... be well all