A Siler sunset – The walk

Honestly, leaving Franklin was a little heartbreaking. We kept it a short day due to (possible) tendonitis in Jessie’s feet. 7 miles to Siler Bald was what we decided on.

In the section between Rock Gap and Winding Stair, the tendons at the top of Jessie’s feet really started to malfunction. It really started to weaken morale, but it was nothing that a long soak in a cold stream and some painkillers couldn’t fix.

We progressed for a few hours and finally reached the base of a steep climb to Siler Bald. We crawled up to it for one of the best views of the trail yet.

We met a guy named Jacob at the summit who was very knowledgeable about the area and was identifying all the surrounding peaks. He also regaled us with stories of his adventures in Appalachia.

The bald provided a beautiful sunset that I tried to capture on my phone. It was an absolutely beautiful afternoon with great company. Being bombarded with spectacular scenery made me anticipate a great sunrise.

The next morning absolutely delivered. I got up and walked to the top while Jessie slept and chatted with Jacob for a while longer.

I said goodbye and woke Jessie up for a semi-early start. Today we were very slow. It took us most of the day to cover 11 miles.

Of course, at Wayah Bald we were stopped by some trail magic that was too good to pass up. An incredibly nice guy from Atlanta named Paul brought almost everything you could need and more.

It was a full buffet of hot dogs, lobster mac and cheese, barbecue sandwiches, cookies, fries, and about 15 varieties of drinks. Paul was the damn man.

We were able to enjoy the view of the bald men with a very full stomach. The rest of the walk was very slow after that, as Jessie’s feet began to bother her again.

We finally made it 11 miles to Cold Spring Shelter and decided to call it a night. We ended up enjoying a nice dinner with a view and went to bed while the sun was still shining.

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