Week 2

Last week when I arrived to Asheville, I went directly to a Dickey's barbeque. Before walking in, however, I took off my soaking wet socks and shoes, slipped on my Crocs, and basically wobbled indoors. I sat inside for a few hours, mostly sipping on glasses and glasses of lemonade, but also messaging family from back home, and eating a few of the sides that were on my plate. 

My hope was to get in touch with the trail angles I met back when I was lost in the Middle Prong Wilderness; they offered me a place in their home upon my arrival to the city. Unfortunately, I was unable to get a response, so I Expedia-d a hotel, picked up some groceries from the Walmart next door, then had an Uber drop me off at my place of residence for the evening. 

As I walked in the hotel, heels blistered to the Bone (at least that's how it felt), with a pack full of wet supplies and gear, two grocery bags in my hand, and a take home cup of lemonade, I told the lady at the front desk, autumn, that I had found a deal online. She said I've got something even better and gave me a room for 12 bucks cheaper! What a deal! 

As soon as I got in the room, I stripped and made my way to the bathtub. At this time, I realized just how bad my feet really were. It was hard to even bend the back of my left heel (the skin was burning super bad). I slowly inched my feet, then body in the tub. It was at this moment, that I decided I was not going to go back out on the trail and I would be taking an unplanned zero day. 

Soon after, I got a response from my trail angels and we made plans for me to come to their house the next afternoon and stay the night. 

I cannot even start to explain how welcome and at home Steven, Rachel, and Ridge made me feel! I could and should just write a blog post about how overly awesome they are as people and how well rested I was from my day off and visit at their home. . . That will be for another day when I'm not typing on a cell phone. 

The day after being off was so easy! I had so much energy. I felt like it was my first day on the trail again. It was awesome, but since I have been tired most days. 

I have now finished segments 3 and 4 of the trail.  According the the guidebook - segment 3 consists of 67.7 miles that are strenuous with significant​ elevation changes involving steep climbs and descents and difficult trail thread. The highlights include: views atop of Mt. Mitchell, the highest peak west of the Mississippi, following the shut-in trail which follows the old carriage road from the Biltmore House to George Vanderbilt's hunting lodge on mount Pisgah, the blue ridge parkway visitor center and headquarters, the ruins of rattlesnake lodge, a summer lodge built in 1903-4 by Asheville physician Chase Ambler,  and the Craggy Gardens. Segment 4 consists of 75.2 miles with moderate to very difficult terrain - the section from Linville gorge is strenuous.  The highlights include: views of Linville gorge, which drops 2000ft into the valley below the ridges with views of Lake James, Lake Tahoma, and the Pisgah National Forest, impressive promontories such as Dobson and Bald Knobs, the Pinnacle, the Chimneys, Shortoff Mountain, Table Rock, and Hawksbill, several waterfalls including Steele Creek, South Harper Creek, Harper Creek, Hunt Fish, and Gragg Prong Falls. 

Well what a week! These sections we're much more difficult than the last two. I feel like I was walking uphill most of the time! Craggy Gardens was a tough day, but then I met a trail maintainer named Blueberry Bob. He made my day! Well, he made my day before I even met him. I was so impressed with how well maintained this section of the trail. I was actually thinking about who I could contact to say, "Job well done!" To whomever is maintaining this trail, then I ran across this man with a weed eater! I thanked him over and over again for making the trail pleasurable to walk. He was just as impressed with me for thru-hiking the MST. He said in all his years doing this he's never seen an MST hiker, but hundreds of AT hikers on another area that he maintains! 

Next, I went through a spruce Forest. I've come to realize that this is why I like New England so much, because of the spruce Forest. Mt. Mitchell was awesome! I don't have much to say about the mountain itself, but it was beautiful and I can't wait to take Zachary to it! 

Since then, I have just been afraid to enter into the Linville gorge! Something about the word gorge just intimidates me, but then add a special consideration in the guide book that states: "be able to identify copperheads and rattle snakes" and "Linville gorge river, 60 yards wide, knee deep" and I was absolutely terrified to go down and across.

Well, I knew I'd like it. I knew the book and my fears and worries were irrational. This was my favorite part of the trail this far. It was a different world. I am quite impressed with North Carolina and all it has to offer right now! 

Once I got to the bottom, I forded across the river, the celebrated with some fruit snacks and a span wrapped tortilla! Now that may not sound like much to the average person, but it was like a 5star restaurant out on the trail. 

I then climbed my way out of the gorge. What a climb! I was fully exposed to the sun and drank 2L of water within the 2 miles up and out! This area of the trail is very dry with lots of fire remains. It is quite unreal actually! 

Once you come up and out of the gorge, whoah, the views are the best on the trail. I trekked across the Chimneys and Table Rock, 2 areas that I did not know I was coming across and what a beauty they were. 

Along the way, I've run into some pretty cool folks. Some who look at me like I'm crazy, others who have offered me a night at camp with water and food, and one guy who Hi-Fived me and told me he was proud of me for how far I've come - probably the most passionate and encouraging dude I've met on the trail. 

The last section of trail I encountered was quite different than the rest since Mt. Mitchell. Where it has been quite dry the last few days, yesterday was nothing but water. I probably crossed the water at least 50 times. In the morning, I was careful to take off my shoes and socks, cross, dry off, then put them back on, but around 2pm, the thunder that had been roaring for hours finally struck down with hours of heavy rain. I decided to walk through the storm. I was hot and the rain felt amazing. Additionally, it kept the bugs way! They were so bad yesterday that I wore my bug mask for most of the morning. To explain how hot it's been out here, once the rain stopped, I was almost completely dry by the time I got to camp! My feet weren't though, I got tired of taking off my shoes, my socks, drying my feet, putting them back on. It's a nuisance. So my feet suffered for a while, but nothing like before I got into Asheville. They are in excellent shape at the moment! :)

Well, I'm sure there is more to tell, but I've got to get to going now. Pictures should be posted soon. 

Things to come/looking forward to: Zack will be joining again in the short future and I will be able to bike a huge section of the road section which will help my mileage and my joints :)

Happy trails y'all 

<3 Moxie