Keep going. You didn’t come this far to come only this far.
April 21, 2023
Ascent: 2934’
Descent: 2779’
Weather: clear, sunny, and mid-60’s — perfect hiking weather.
High points: it’s great to be back on the trail again. And since it’s spring, the wildflowers are amazing!
Today I began a seven-day section hike from Deep Gap to Fontana Dam with some backpacking friends of mine from Richmond. They had already hiked the first day, so I came down a day early and hiked the first day alone. I will meet up with them tomorrow.
Yesterday I drove from Williamsburg to Fontana Dam in the Smoky Mountain National Park. Driving there took about 9 hours, but I recovered with a wonderful meal and a relaxing evening at the Fontana Lodge.
The only shuttle that I could find to get me to Deep Gap, where I stopped when I section-hiked Georgia, involved a 4 AM pickup! So I got off to a very early start this morning. It was still dark when I was dropped off at Deep Gap. Night hiking scares me silly, but I really didn’t want to just sit around in the cold and the dark dark for an hour, so I used my headlamp and hiked about a mile to a shelter, where I had a snack and waited for the sun to rise. Night hiking that mile alone wasn’t nearly as scary as I thought it would be!
Standing Indian Mountain (5498’) is the first mountain over 5000’ as you head north on the Appalachian Trail. I thought it would be a difficult climb, but the footing was easy and the trail was gentle. Unfortunately, there were no views at the top.
In this area the Appalachian Trail makes a huge U, so northbound hikers hike 6 miles south, and then another 6 miles north just to get back to the latitude where they started. On the AT I am used to checking which direction I am going by tracking where the sun is. It was really bizarre to be going northbound with the sun on my left side in the morning! (My track is the wiggly blue U).
I had been planning on stopping after 12 miles, since I was supposed to meet my fellow hikers at Betty Creek Gap. However, there were signs all over the place saying that if you don’t have a hard-shell bear canister, you probably should not stay here. Apparently bears in this area have been very clever about finding ways to steal food from humans. Since I have an Ursack, I decided that I would hike an additional 5 miles along the trail to a shelter that is supposedly not bothered by bears. So I hiked 17 miles on the first day! My feet are not happy about this mileage!
Extending my hike by 5 miles meant that I needed to hike up the second 5000+’ mountain going northbound on the Appalachian Trail — Albert Mountain (5035’). It was a ridiculously steep climb. I am out of shape from the winter, so I had to stop frequently, but the views were amazing.
Albert Mountain has one of the earliest fire towers that is now being maintained by some historical preservation society. Before today, I have avoided climbing any of the fire towers I have hiked by — the height scares me — but today I figured that if I can night hike, I can also climb fire towers. So I climbed my first fire tower on the AT!
The spring wildflowers on the trail are just amazing. I have walked by bluets and trillium and yellow violets, and birdfoot violets and blood root and lots of other flowers that I have identified in the past but forget the names of. I do love the southern Appalachians in the spring!
Today is a great day for a long walk in the woods!
Glad you’re back on the trail, Gwen.
The views, flowers and plants you shared are stunning!
Hope the weather cooperated all week for you — but I have
a feeling you ran into significant rain at one point!! Ah, Spring!
Glad you’re back on the trail, Gwen.
The views, flowers and plants you shared are stunning!
Hope the weather cooperated all week for you — but I have
a feeling you ran into significant rain at one point!! Ah, Spring!
We just keep walking!