Tuesday, March 7, 2017
There are no two words more likely to get a hiker's attention than the words "trail magic". Just the possibility of free food on the trail can lift spirits and restore energy.
A wonderful spread of trail magic food gave me a big boost yesterday after I had been feeling sorry for myself. Today I returned to the trail at Sam's Gap, and as luck would have it, there was another trail magic spread of food.
I could get used to this.
| Weather | Clear to mostly sunny, with temperatures in the low 50s to low 60s |
| Trail Conditions | A few muddy spots, but most easy hiking on well-maintained trail |
| Today's Miles | 13.5 miles |
| Trip Miles | 331.6 miles |
There are downsides to trail magic, though. For one, hiker feeds can take the edge off hiking. They make it a little too easy to become comfortable and complacent, and make you less interested in hiking.
Sure, everyone wants to be comfortable and complacent now and then, but as the saying goes, Maine isn't going to walk to me. I can only be comfortable and complacent for a short time before I need to get moving.
Staying in motels can make a hiker soft too, though you could hardly call the Super 8 Motel in Erwin luxurious. Still, staying here last night allowed me to wash clothing and dry out gear. Also, the free breakfast gave me an adequate start for a big day of hiking.
I had plenty of time to eat a big meal and get packed. Skittles had arranged for the same shuttle driver we used yesterday to pick us up, but the earliest she could do that was 10:30.
Tentpole didn't want to go with us. I wasn't sure of his plans, but I knew hiking was not going to be a high priority for him. When I left our room to wait for the shuttle, he was still in bed.
As soon as we arrived back at Sam's Gap, big smiles broke out on our faces. We saw that trail magic was once again here for us.
We found pulled pork, potato salad, broccoli salad, bean salad, and other tasty items, which were all homemade.
After a 30-minute feeding frenzy I decided I get off the gravy train and get hiking. A big climb was ahead of me.
Before I left I thanked Jeff and Skittles again for including me yesterday in their impromptu trip into town.
The trail that climbed out of Sam's Gap was smooth and easy to hike. Before long the noise of Interstate 26 faded away.
Bright sunshine and cool temperatures made for pleasant hiking. That was a big change from the last couple days and helped me walk at a good pace.
After going over a ridge, the trail descended to an open field. This provided a wide view of the big climb of the day, Big Bald. From here I could see the top of the mountain and remnants of yesterday's snowfall. About two inches had accumulated, but it was melting quickly in today's sun.
As I crossed the field I met some scouts from Troop 737 in Columbia, S.C. They told me they had camped last night on top of Big Bald in "blizzard conditions".
I smiled and acted impressed.
Hiking a short distance farther I met Rocco, a trail maintainer with Carolina Mountain Club. His section of trail was superb, some of the best-maintained trail I had come across so far.
It was easy to see that Rocco took great pride in his work, and put much time and effort into it. The pathway was clear of rocks and other obstacles. Rocks that had been removed were piled neatly along the side.
As the trail began to climb again it didn't get much more difficult. The elevation change was made easier by switchbacks.
For part of the climb I hiked with some section hikers.
By the time I arrived near the summit of Big Bald I found that most of the snow was already melted. All that remained was found in a few shaded spots.
The rest of the way up was completely open. This mountain was definitely a bald and it was big.
Reaching the top I chatted with a couple day hikers. Apparently there was a road nearby, which allowed them to drive most of the way up, with only a short walk to the summit.
On the other side of the mountain the trail continued in the open for a long stretch. The views were outstanding on this mostly sunny day.
As I looked far to the north I thought perhaps I could see Roan Mountain, about 50 miles away, but I wasn't sure.
After the trail returned to the forest Skittles and Jeff caught up to me. We hiked together for a while.
I had initially hoped today I could reach No Business Shelter. That would have been just over 18 miles for the day, but a late start made that unrealistic. Still, the trail was so easy and I felt so good I decided to keep going for as long as I had daylight.
Shortly after 5:30 p.m. I reached a side trail that led to a viewpoint at High Rocks. That was late enough to think I should keep on walking to reach a camping spot soon, but I decided to take this short side trip to the top of the rocky spot. It was a nice but narrow view.
From High Rocks the trail made a steady 1000-foot descent in about a mile and a half to Spivey Gap. A large area for camping was located here with several nice spots to pitch a tent. I found a place that was not far from Skittles and Jeff, nestled in among rhododendron.
A flowing stream was nearby. As I filtered water there I met a hiker named Roller Derby. He told me his hiker name came from the way he normally dressed on the trail, which he admitted made him look like a Roller Derby team member.
Come in here, dear boy, have a cigar
You're gonna go far
You're gonna fly high
You're never gonna die
You're gonna make it if you try
They're gonna love you
I've always had a deep respect and I mean that most sincere
The band is just fantastic, that is really what I think
Oh, by the way, which one's Pink?
And did we tell you the name of the game, boy?
We call it "riding the gravy train"
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