Downtime

I'm still hoarse from this lingering summer cold so no rafting or other adventures for now, before I leave for Asheville on Friday. Instead I've read several books, one a novel about Hot Springs during WWI, when the Mountain Park Hotel (the spa built near the hot springs) served as an internment camp for 2,700 German sailors from vessels docked at American ports that were seized when the US declared war.
I did go to see the springs, really just hot tubs on the grounds where the huge hotel had stood. Rather than mere soaking I decided to splurge on a massage and it was terrific.

Another book I read was a new biography of Grandma Gatewod, the first woman to thruhike the Trail, doing it alone at age 67 in 1955 after reading about it in National Geographic. She went on to hike it 2 more times, each time in tennis shoes with just a simple sack over her shoulder, no guidebook or tent or sleeping bag or the rest of the fancy gear carried now. She had a shower curtain to keep the rain off, and little else--the first ultra light hiker as well.
Of course Bill Bryson made fun of her, calling her "eccentric, poorly equipped, and a danger to herself. (She was forever getting lost.)" She also hiked the complete trail 3 times, roughing it, while Bryson barely did a little more than a third of it.
But she hiked because she wanted to, on her own, long after her 11 children were grown and she had finally escaped an abusive husband. A true folk hero of the trail.

Sunnybank, Hot Springs NC

This old inn dates back to 1840. In 1875 the old building was expanded and rebuilt in the ornate Italianate style, serving as a summer home. It later became a boarding house, and was owned by the Gentry family for over fifty years. Jane Gentry was a musician and folklorist, who taught the visiting Cecil Sharpe many old ballads for his book English Folk Songs of the Southern Appalachians.
Earl Shaffer, the first thruhiker, stayed here in 1948. Thousands of hikers followed, including Elmer Hall, who bought it in 1978 and has run it ever since, as a combined hostel, B&B, and Buddhist retreat.

Hot Springs NC

Easy 13 mostly downhill miles into town yesterday, staying at Elmer's Sunnybank  vegetarian B&B, where Rodney and I stayed in 1982. Still have big old clawfoot bathtubs. Checked out the actual hot springs, really just hot tubs, 102 degrees, not all that minerally so decided to spend the money on a massage and then just take a hot bath. I'm nursing a sudden onset summer cold with Emergenc, before beer. Hot Springs is like Heaven, in terms of the people you meet. I ran into many of the young folks I've hiked with the last few weeks, most taking zero days in this neat little town.
I also finally met the family I've heard about: Mother Bear (45lb. pack), her 10 yr. old son Spicy Guy (20lb. pack), and her 4yr. old twins (5lb. packs) Strong Guy and Little Butt. They've hiked from Springer averaging 10 miles/day, going to Harpers Ferry. Amazing. But happy, healthy, and having fun eating their favorite snack foods. Entering the Smokies we met a ridge runner who was quite worried about them, asking us to look out for them. The joke was that 4yr. olds would look like a Twinkie to a hungry bear.

Max Patch bald

Yesterday I hiked 20 miles, an early steep climb in the cool breezy morning followed by a long gradual ascent up to Max Patch. This is one of the most picturesque balds the AT goes over, big 360 vista across the grassy summit. A little cloudy and hazy, so not the best views but still wonderful.
Later in the afternoon the trail followed or crossed lots of shaded streams. As I walked quickly on the winding path I came to steps down along the next stream. And relaxing in the one sunny spot on the middle step was this copperhead. I had to nudge it several times to get it to move off. It finally did, getting little traction in the mud on the way to the stream where it slithered down toward the water and disappeared.

Standing Bear Farm

Very fun and funky place 200 yds off the trail, deep in a hollow, cats and chickens and raucous roosters wandering through the bunkhouse. Reasonable prices on food, even got a banana to help restore all the electrolytes I sweated out to get here. And they sell beer, so easy decision to stop midday and stay.
And the last shelter I passed in the Smokies still had the chain link fencing in front of it, as all the shelters did in 1982. That was to keep bears and hogs out and the people in, but also made you think you were the animals in the zoo.