Appalachian Trail Summary: From Zero to Hero Pt. 2

One broken computer later, we’re finishing these blogs by any means necessary!

After my time volunteering in Hot Springs, I took a double zero to meet up with some family and friends in Asheville. He knew that a significant portion of the damage caused by Hurricane Helene was yet to come, and the morale boost proved essential. Additionally, I was now several days late on my tram and walking alone, which didn’t make processing the changed landscapes any easier. These were areas I knew and already had good memories of, but it was difficult to register as a place I had been before.

Luckily, I was approaching the town of Erwin, Tennessee. Erwin is home to one of the greatest manifestations of post-Helene resilience: Uncle Johnny’s, the famous lodge along the Nolichucky River, which had been almost completely rebuilt in the months since the storm washed out a bridge that forms the Trail. Instead, the local rafting outpost transported hikers one by one across the river. The pirate flag atop the raft reminded us of the feeling: we were vagabonds, but as a crew we would find a way to make it work. A sign hanging on one of Uncle Johnny’s buildings said it best: «adventures are forever.»

I woke up at Uncle Johnny’s house on Easter Sunday and planned to spend the rest of my day helping with some recovery efforts in the aptly named Volunteer State. I spent about an hour picking up trash along the Nolichucky, and in that time I found everything from antique glass medicine bottles to porcelain cats that had miraculously survived the wash.

Feline porcelain delicacy survives

As I sat on the banks of the Nolichucky, my attention turned to what my next section of hiking would look like. There was one last detour towards the Roan Highlands. That night, I broke down and called my friend Fun Facts (class of 2018). It was that call that inspired me to skip my first section of the Trail. While the goal of my hike was to connect with the Appalachian Mountains, I felt satisfied with the pre-existing connection I had to this corner of the world. When the Road was repaired, he would return.

From Uncle Johnny’s, legendary tracker angel Miss Janet took me around the closing, straight to another institution still in the process of recovery. The Mountain Harbor Bed & Breakfast used to have hikers walking right next to the trail. That road had been washed out and I spent the day separating small pieces of wood and clearing a path for reconstruction. In any way I could, no matter how small, I was happy to be able to take this time to get to know these communities more. Places like these gave us hikers a lot and were an integral part of the very nature of the Appalachian Trail. No time would be enough to express my gratitude.

Trail Mix at Mountain Harbor and Miss Janet who provided the ride there!

I couldn’t stop thinking about the sign I saw at Uncle Johnny’s house. Adventure can change in the face of adversity. But that adaptation is part of the adventure itself.

In my phone call with Fun Facts, I lamented stretches of trail that looked more like lumber warehouses thanks to the blowdowns. I told them how exhausted I was with normally reliable water sources drying up. They reminded me of a vital part of nature’s healing process. I was told to sit, look at the landscape as it was, imagine what had been there and what might grow back in its place. This land was not forsaken; rather, it was returning to a natural cycle of rebirth from decay that it has known for millions (even billions!) of years.

From this point on, we would grow together.

Day 38: Spring Mountain Tent Site (NOBO Mile 286.2)

Day 39: Dispersed Camp (308)

Day 40: Bald Mountain Refuge (327.7)

Day 41: Uncle Johnny’s House (344.5)

Day 42: Mountain pass (395.5)

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