April 30 (Day 44) - Nero to Erwin, TN

Shortly after I began hiking, both Crashua and Jackalope caught up with me on the ridge line.  We hiked to Uncle Johnny's, the outfitter/hostel near the trailhead.  I picked up my mail drops, and we headed into town.

After securing rooms at the Super 8 motel, the three of us headed to an all-you-can-eat buffet at KFC.  And, later in the evening, we indulged in some pizza and beers.  (I'd not recommend ordering from Pizza Plus in Erwin, as it took an hour and fifty minutes for our pizza to arrive...cold.)

I spent the remainder of the night cleaning my gear and talking on the phone with my friend, Abbie.

April 29 (Day 43) - Bald Mountain Shelter to Random Campsite

I hiked slowly, hoping that Crashua and Jackalope would catch up.  However, it grew late and I camped on a ridge just shy of Erwin, TN.

April 28 (Day 42) - Flint Mountain Shelter to Bald Mountain Shelter

It was another dismal day, fraught with rain and chilling temperatures.  Though we all set out to hike together, YOLO caught a shuttle from the road about two miles into the day's hike and went to Erwin, TN; he was not inclined to walk in such inclement weather.  Crashua and Jackalope also stopped early, preferring to stay at the Hogback Ridge Shelter for the night.  I, however, pushed on to Bald Mountain Shelter by myself.

April 27 (Day 41) - Little Laurel Shelter to Flint Mountain Shelter

It was a short day, as I only hiked about 13 miles.  Crashua, Jackalope, YOLO, and I came upon Flint Mountain Shelter and spent time talking to Joe Cool and Plan B, who had stopped to eat.  Given the dismal weather, we decided to stay.  Though, Joe Cool and Plan B hiked onward, pushing toward Erwin, TN. 

April 26 (Day 40) - Hot Springs to Little Laurel Shelter

This morning, I decided to enjoy one last hot meal, before leaving the comfort of town.  At the market/diner near the campground, I ordered a Southwestern omelette and ate at a leisurely pace.  I love the trail, but I seem to be developing an insatiable appetite.

Along the trail, I played leapfrog, so to speak, with Crashua and Jackalope.  It was a fun little game, and it kept the hike interesting.  And, further down the trail, I passed Ducky and Alaska, stopping for a moment to converse.  We all stopped at Spring Mountain Shelter to eat and met up with Dark Age, Smalls, Nomad, and Mountain Man, who were already there.  I also met a section hiker by the name of YOLO, who asked if he could travel with me for a while.

Crashua, Jackalope, YOLO and I outpaced the others and made it to Little Laurel Shelter, shortly after dark.  We made camp for the night, and I spent time talking to my brother, Dan, on the phone...feeling a bit homesick.

April 25 (Day 39) - Zero Day in Hot Springs

I carefully packed everything into my new Arc'teryx Altra 65 and set out to complete some errands.  At Bluff Mountain Outfitters, I returned my old pack via UPS.  Then, I met Noodles for breakfast at the diner.

After breakfast, I spent some time at the Hiker's Ridge Ministries Center, waiting for the post office to reopen.  And, once I had mailed my excess gear home, I headed to the spa with Noodles, Hawaii, and The Dude.

Yes.  The spa...where we soaked in a jacuzzi full of hot mineral water.  Trail life is so hard.  *smirk*

Noodles, Hawaii, The Dude, and I spent the night in a cabin at the local campground.  We were joined by Sycamore and had much fun socializing with other hikers around the various campfires.

April 24 (Day 38) - Hot Springs

I'm not certain of what to call today, whether it was a nero or a zero.  After arriving in Hot Springs at 10:30 AM, I encountered Noodles at the Hiker's Ridge Ministries Center.  He helped give me a lay of the land.

I hobbled to Iron Horse Station, a hotel and restaurant in the middle of town, and secured a room for the night.  Then, I ventured to Bluff Mountain Outfitters to retrieve my packages.  My new pack from Arc'teryx hadn't arrived but was slated to be delivered sometime in the afternoon via UPS.

Noodles and I grabbed burgers (which were scrumptious) at the local diner.  Soon thereafter, I volunteered to do the laundry and made periodic trips to the nearby laundromat.  Otherwise, we relaxed in the common area of Iron Horse Station and enjoyed cold beers.

Later in the evening, Hawaii joined us, and the three of us slept the night in my hotel room.

April 23 (Day 37) - Standing Bear Farm to Hot Springs

Not long into today's hike, I happened upon the first bears I've seen on the trail.  A female and her cub were meandering about the hillside.  She glanced at me momentarily, as I approached, but observing that I wasn't a threat, the two continued to tarry in the brush.  Soon thereafter, Hammy arrived, and we were able to snap some photos, before the bears departed.

At Groundhog Creek Shelter, Hammy and I decided to part ways.  She camped with Some Peach and two other hikers, while I opted to hike through the night to Hot Springs.

April 22 (Day 36) - Cosby Knob Shelter to Standing Bear Farm

Our last day in the Smokies was amazing.  The views were gorgeous, and the weather was perfect, sunny and warm with clear skies.  Hammy and I ventured to Standing Bear Farm, where we retrieved mail and secured bunks for the night.

April 21 (Day 35) - Peck's Corner Shelter to Cosby Knob Shelter

Since we had arrived at Peck's Corner after dark, Hammy and I took our time departing in the morning.  (Of course, we both have some issue with moving quickly in the morning, so we "take our time" everyday.)  After some coffee, a light breakfast, and hygiene, we set off.

Upon reaching our destination, Cosby Knob Shelter, we met up with G-Man, Indiana, Knut, and Thistle.  Tent pads were scarce, so Thistle offered us space by her tent.  After we were settled, we all ate dinner and conversed around the campfire.

April 20 (Day 34) - New Found Gap to Peck's Corner Shelter

We said goodbye to the Grand Prix Motel and Gatlinburg, hitching a ride to the Sugarlands Visitor Center and, then, another on to New Found Gap.  Not far down the trail, we encounter some trail magic, mini sodas left by a trail angel.  Hammy and I drank a Mountain Dew and continued on our way.

The two of us spent some time at Charlies Bunion, admiring the views.  Then, we moved on to camp at Peck's Corner Shelter.
 

April 19 (Day 33) - Zero Day in Gatlinburg, TN

Hammy experienced severe lower back pains, and we were concerned that the infection had affected her kidneys.  As such, we ventured to the urgent care clinic, once again.  The combination of fresh air, an antibiotic booster, and an analgesic had Hammy feeling remarkably better.

April 18 (Day 32) - Zero Day in Gatlinburg, TN

Hammy's health improved dramatically.  Although her temperature continued to fluctuate, it appeared to be dropping toward normal.  We spent most of the day in the room, but we did venture out to get some fresh air.

April 17 (Day 31) - Zero Day in Gatlinburg, TN

As Hammy continued to be ill, I forced her to travel to an urgent care facility with me.  Despite her initial reluctance, the fresh air improved her spirits, and hopefully, the course of prescribed antibiotics will serve to improve her health.

April 16 (Day 30) - Zero Day in Gatlinburg, TN

Hammy remained ill, so we decided to take another zero day in Gatlinburg.  Packrat departed early, wishing us well and saying that he hoped to see us further down the trail.