Views upon Views upon Views (Day 23)

My alarm starts going off at 6:50 am and for a split second, I’m back home and it’s a work day. Once that unwanted confusion disappears, I start preparing to get back on the trail. As I pack my backpack, I face the truth I’ve been avoiding for the past 24 hours. I bought a lot of food and my backpack is now too heavy.

Full package, full stomach

The church shuttle picks us up at the Gatlinburg NOC and takes us back to Newfound Gap via a scenic drive through the Smoky Mountains. They once again have their magic trail established in the gap, but I hesitate to take food as I desperately need to eat some of the weight already inside my backpack. I can’t say no to a root beer, though, and between sips I reconnect with some hiking friends I haven’t seen in a few days.

I only planned to walk about 11 miles today. But while the terrain and elevation seem pretty easy, I feel like I have a bowling ball on my back the entire way. Since I packed less food on my last resupply, I definitely think I overdid it this time. My backpack feels heavier than ever and I pay the price with sore feet all day.

mountain beauty

But not even my new status as a Sherpa can distract me from the beautiful weather and stunning views we experienced on the trail today. The sky was clear and bright and we walked along the ridge all day. There we were greeted by a panoramic view of the surrounding mountains. The highlight was definitely a side trail to Charlie’s Bunion, a picturesque cliff. Our small group took some great photos on the rocks. And as I promised my family, I didn’t go anywhere near the limit!

Marketplace of ideas

I close the night at another lodge in the Smoky Mountains. There is a fairly large group here tonight, made up of both hikers and sections. At dinner, there is a hypothetical discussion about how many college students it would take to defeat a grizzly bear. The debate is lively and never resolved. The weather has warmed up significantly and today was our nicest day of hiking since we started the AT. Just four days ago there was ice on the ground and now everything has changed.

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