Home sweet Hot Springs

I finished my 2nd complete AT hike yesterday, returning to Hot Springs. Another cold wet day, with ice mist above 3,000ft, but then all downhill and into town by 3:30pm.



Confirmed my shuttle to the bus station, stopped at the library to buy and print my Greyhound and Amtrak tickets, and checked into Elmer's. Then Clam, Bug, Moxie (some of the young soboers I've been camping and sheltering with since Damascus) and I went to the "world famous hot springs." Had a fun hour sitting in a hot tub drinking beer and watching the river rush by below. Not really that hot (102 degrees) or minerally, but very relaxing even if the air temperature was close to freezing.



Enjoyed this morning's breakfast at Elmer's, but bittersweet since all the others are pushing on into the frigid air and the Smokies.



Glad to be done, happy not to be freezing, sad to see the others leave to keep hiking for another 3 weeks to Springer.

Shelton gravesite, Laurel NC

The last two days were cold and foggy, and we were glad to stay in a bunkhouse at Hemlock Hollow Inn Wed. night. We happily kept the woodstove glowing.

Went past these lonely graves in the mist, 2 local brothers serving in the Union Army, apparently home on leave to visit surviving members of their family in this remote area. In January 1863 Unionist supporters had raided and looted their Confederate supporting neighbors, and a punitive expedition massacred 5 Shelton family members in retaliation, after first torturing several women relatives to reveal their location. These two brothers and their 13 year old cousin were killed in July of that year, as this civil war within the larger Civil War was fought in far western and mountainous NC. We shouldn't forget our own Balkans/Middle Eastern-like past of savage revenge killings.

Big Bald, 5,516ft.

Stayed in shelter just below summit, glorious views this morning.

Erwin TN

Tented 2 nights ago just below the Beauty Spot, an open field with great views. Sunset wasn't spectacular, nor sunrise, and too cold to linger since I was out of food and eager to get to town.



In Erwin I stayed at Uncle Johnny's hostel, another legendary place on the trail, open since 1997. Closest hostel to the trail, right across the street.



Went out to dinner with the legend himself, and had a great calzone.

Just 4 more days to Hot Springs and I'm done.

Greasy Creek Friendly hostel

"Greasy" refers to the high mineral content of the water hereabouts. This hostel is off the AT 0.6 miles, way down a faint jeep trace, a leap of faith as it gets dark and you have no idea where in the wilds of deepest Appalachia you'll end up. But then the unfriendly neighbor's dogs start barking in their compound, and you finally see the hostel. Connie runs a fun as well as friendly place, particularly as she observes the sabbath at Friday sundown, as a Messianic Jew, with wine and Hebrew music. She doesn't "sell" beer in this dry county, but you can buy a "smiley face" and get a beer anyway. Also here are Inchworm doing AT #2 northbound, and Worldly, flipflop Soboer.

Roan High Knob shelter, 6,194ft.

In 2000 I hiked this section, finishing the last pieces of the trail I hadn't done since 1982. My friend Sunnie had dropped me off south of here so I could walk back to Kincora hostel, and then return north. I walked up Roan Mt. from the south, encountering a family who had taken the wrong trail back to their car. The husband with baby on his back had turned around to climb back up Roan and return with their car to rescue the wife and 3 other kids. I got to the top without seeing the husband, and borrowed a phone to call the local sheriff to check up on the family to make sure they were picked up, since the sun had set. I went on to this shelter, the former fire warden hut, as the full harvest moon rose, blood red.



As I approach shelters I always call out a hello, to avoid surprising anyone. I went into the cabin, and was looking out this window when I saw Rodney appear in the dusk.




Sunny had found Rodney at a hostel in Hot Spring after dropping me off, this three years after he disappeared in 1997, told him where I was and that she was going to make sure we reconnected, and driven him to Roan.

Today I spread the last of his ashes near this shelter where I saw him through the window in 2000.

Hump Mt. to Jane Bald

Quite a contrast over the last two days. Morning rain and humidity yesterday turned quickly to clear sky, then giving way to clouds and cold wind in the afternoon, climbing Hump Mt.






Last night I was in Overmountain shelter, elevation 4,654ft., actually just an old barn. Saw the full moon rise, but then everything was engulfed in clouds. Wind roared all night, with freezing temps, and 2 inches of snow. Snow mist blew in through the walls, coating everything. Water bottles were iced up by morning, so it was a slow start getting moving in the bitter cold. Then up to the ridge through hoar frost and ice, over Jane Bald this morning.