It’s April 22 and I’m at mile 164.7. I’m currently taking a “Nero” (a short distance day of hiking followed by rest, hiker chores, and a lot of eating) at Fontana Dam Lodge located at the southern border of the Smoky Mountains. Since you last heard from me many exciting things have happened! And some not so exciting things as well.
On April 15th I reached the North Carolina border! It was an awesome early milestone to reach and let me tell you, North Carolina welcomed us with a beast of a climb. It was by far the most challenging I’d faced so far, but I did it and in true AT style- in the rain. On April 17th I hit 100 (AT) miles!
At mile 100.1 to be exact, we reached Albert Mountain Fire Tower where beautiful views could be seen all around- if it had been a clear day haha! But that did not spoil our excitement. We celebrated there on the top of Albert Mountain in true hiker fashion in the midst of the fog, guzzling water and eating snacks. Two days later, we hiked all the way to the top of Siler Bald and for the first time in what may as well have been an eternity, there was no rain falling from the clouds. There was an amazing 360 view of the mountains. Looking out in every direction and seeing nothing but peaks and valleys, and green mountains and blue skies was truly incredible. Gazing out over the vast mountains makes you realize how tiny you really are. (And how awesome you are for climbing all the way up there!)
The day got even better when we summited another mountain to reach Wayah Bald Tower. The huge stone tower stood atop a beautiful stone patio and overlooked the mountains that we had traversed over the past few days. Way off in the distance, we could just barely make out the Albert Mountain Fire Tower and seeing how far we had hiked in only two days was an amazing feeling. It was incredibly hard to believe that it was even possible to walk that far in such a short time, but we did!
The first climb in NC was just the beginning. The next big climb to reach the top of Albert Mountain was the first that required what can surely be considered [beginner] rock climbing. The trekking poles were useless as it was necessary to use both hands to make it up the steep, rocky mountainside. “Jacobs Ladder” was next on the list of big climbs and it had a reputation for being fierce with talk spreading at least three shelters ahead of it. I was bracing myself for this one.
We were greeted with trail magic consisting if bananas and apples just before the climb and we were so thankful. Fresh fruit is not a part of our regular diet out here. (“Trail magic: the term coined by long-distance hikers to describe an unexpected occurrence that lifts a hiker’s spirits and inspires awe or gratitude. Trail magic may be as simple as being offered a candy bar by a passing hiker or spotting an elusive species of wildlife.”)
Finally, I began the infamous “Jacob’s Ladder”. About halfway up, another hiker and I stopped for a rest and asked each other, “Is this it? Is this the ladder?” It wasn’t nearly as difficult as it’s reputation led on. Or maybe we were just getting stronger. Either way, we all had a good laugh about it at the shelter around a fire that evening.
The forest floors are covered in bright, green seedling carpets and saplings are emerging. Trillium and dogwood flowers are in bloom adding pockets of white among all the green. The echoes of woodpeckers can be heard throughout the woods. During rains the trail seems ominous in the fog. Sunny days have been rare lately and are purely glorious from the mountain tops where butterflies gather and float from flower to flower. The forests are coming to life all around me more and more each day.
So, let’s talk about the rain. It’s not that I don’t like it. I mean, it’s really nice when you need to cool off. I had prepared myself as much as possible for hiking in the rain. I’m from Maryland so I’m well aware that it can often rain for several days at a time with no sign of letting up. But until you actually experience being outside in the rain for several days- 24 hours a day, there’s no understanding just how… uncomfortable… it can be. It’s not the actual getting rained on that’s so bad or the deep mud that the rain creates. It’s the next morning that’s uncomfortable. Putting on cold, wet, muddy clothes, socks, boots, and the rain jacket that you wonder if it’s even worth putting on again- ever, takes some serious inner strength to say the least. I can assure you that NOTHING IS WATERPROOF. NOTHING. Your waterproof boots- full of water. Your rain jacket- holding the water in your shirt and making sure no evaporation takes place. Your pack? Nope. It’s now at least 4 lbs heavier. When it rains you get wet and wearing your wet, muddy clothes the next day is the only way to make sure you will have dry clothes come nightfall and to keep your pack from feeling like a sack of bricks; because wet clothes are heavy. Even if you have a spare set, you can’t wear them because then you just have two sets of wet clothes. And as I mentioned, wet clothes are heavy. So you put them on and immediately hit the trail to warm up. When you are lucky enough to be greeted with sunshine again, your wet clothes will dry as you hike in them and I can promise you that dry clothes are the best feeling on earth after several days of being wet from head to toe. But a little bit of water, or a lot, doesn’t stop us from hiking. It’s rain or shine. 🙂
Everyone was so quick to ask about bears and snakes; which I still have yet to see by the way. But I assure you that mice are the real terror. They are little jerks. They will climb over your tent at night so when you look up you see the silhouette of that little vermin right above you on the mesh netting. They infest the shelters, crawling all around your sleeping bag, or if you’re really lucky, right on top of you. They are the real reason hikers hang their food bags. They want nothing more than to contaminate your food supply, chew through your wool top, or in my case my “Darn Tough” brand socks. Yes, my cherished pair of socks were destroyed by one of those little jerks. So next time you go camping, don’t fear bears or snakes, fear the real animal of the woods, the mice.
Despite the menacing mice and the long string of rain days, I cannot tell you how great of a time I’m having. My favorite moments are the hours during the day when it’s just me and the trail and I get to look around and see the most amazing views and know that I worked hard to get there and see it. I cannot tell you how great this life is. I get to hike all day, meet awesome people from all over the world everyday, and not have to answer to anyone but myself and the mountains.
I can’t encourage you enough to do what makes you happy, not tomorrow, but today.
See you on the other side of the Smokies!
Happy trails,
Nicole
