The Smokies.

The Great Smoky Mountains.

What to say, what to say. The general consensus among my fellow thruhikers is that everyone is happy to be out of the park. For good reason, the weather is harsh & unpredictable (snow, ice, fog, rain, below freezing weather). Also the Smokies are the only place where paid permits are required &
the $20 permits don't seem to benefit the hikers, overnighter are given priority and everyone's on edge about getting harassed by rangers & written tickets for one of the dozen rules set in place.

That being said I personally enjoyed the smokies! The weather was great compared to what it could've been! I was lucky enough to get a handful of clear views, even through the snow covered terrain! And I will always remember the smokies with a smile.

Pre-Smokies:

I spent the weekend before going into the smokies at Tramps (previously Noah) grandparents house! Me, Tramp, Paperclip & Michelle got to lounge around, eat some wonderful homemade meals with good people! It was nice to rest our blistered & sore feet. Michelle was a godsend & took me to REI. I bought an Osprey Aura and I sold my ULA Catalyst (which I hate. The pack is aweful & square, and the company is not accommodating when I called them to ask about an exchange or return) to an angel on Reddit. I've been hiking with my new pack for over a week and can say I am happy with my purchase!

Smokies:

So many things happened in the Smokies. In order to illustrate I'm going to type some of my journal entries.

I like walking. I like having my life on my back. Walking up and down mountains breaks me down and builds me back up. Over. And over again. I am learning what I personally need to lead afullfilling life. I like the minimalism of fitting everything I need into a pack, of being nomadic. I like the people and the values they stand for out here. I like the disconnect from the screen and the reconnect with human contact. The wanderlust I've had in me has grown exponentially. Im inspired to put my hands into the land, to grow things and be self sustaining. I will continue to travel, to see lands, far & near. I know that it's possible. I I can walk to maine. I can walk through countries. The world is my oyster.

On top of a really tall, seemingly unstable firetower during some wicked wind.

March 30th
We night hiked into Mollies Ridge, arriving around 10pm. The moon was bright enough to walk a ways without headlamps. Got in and it twas cold. I'm warm when I'm moving but not when I'm stopped. The air is already frigid here and it's only day one in the Great Smokies.

March 31st
Sleeping inside the shelter tonight. Shelter culture is weird. There's a father & son section hiker. As well as some new faces. Lots of snoring. Everyone is in everyone's space without actually being in each other's space. sore muscles. I'm happy that I sent home my MSR Pump and got a Sawyer Mini, it makes getting water less of a chore. Woke up to find some bear scat on the side of the shelter. Hmmm.

April 1st
Today was rather interesting. I hiked my longest hike yet today. 13.8 miles. Me & Tramp spent the day hiking together. He told me he's getting off the trail the next day & that it's wasn't an April Fools. Things change so fast out here. He has some dirty laundry back at home he needs to finish & doesn't feel right skipping out on his commitments, which is extremely honorable. (I've talked to him since he left, he is doing wonderfully, misses the trail & the people but is doing what he needs to do!)

April 2nd.
Tramp is gone. The hike up to Clingmans dome was cold, wet & extremely foggy. I had snot yoyoing from my nose. Gatlinburg. the Grand Prix motel. Scout, Hay, Patches, So Crates, Paperclip. Mellowmushroom. My first bite of a mcdonalds hamburger. Scout hating the damn trolly ride & the characters who piggybacked their old drunk father down the strip. Beth & Bernie, aka the honeybun cafe, are beautiful souls that do trail magic every year on their anniversary at newfound gap and helped us out numerous times over the weekend. Photo booth conffesionals. Gatlinburg being a weird cross section of America. People watching. Laundry at 1am.

April 3rd
Gatlinburg was a weird town, it treated me very well, but it was definitally a tortist trap & great for people watching. Continued into the smokies with paperclip. We did a short day into a shelter, dropped our packs and went on an adventure to go see "The Jumpoff". The Jumpoff is where Aaron, Eli & Kat took me last summer, that was the trip that inspired me to hike the Appalachian Trail in the first place. Im happy i got to expirence that view once again!
A group of 9 college kids, all wearing cotton, came in before dark, forcing 9 of the thruhikers to set up outside before a rough storm. Poor Yogi got flooded, but woke up smiling anyways.

April 4th
Monte Python.

April 5th & 6th
Walked to Standing Bear Farm, which is an adorable rustic place away from all the hustle & bustle. Resuplied. Found out that my tooth was absessed. Ms.Mary (Curtis's mother) was kind enough to drive me to some get amaxacillin, gave me some homemade milk Keifer & espon salts.