Day 1 – NOC
I woke up at Wesser Bald Shelter and descended almost 3,000 feet over six miles to the Nantahala Outdoor Center (NOC). I arrived right when they opened and bought two days worth of snacks from the general store. Just enough to get to the Fontana Dam.
My friends and I threw our clothes in the laundry and made do with what we had. I borrowed a rain jacket from the hiker’s box and paired it with a towel as a skirt. Haute couture, I know. We each paid $13 for the showers and took our time removing the layers of grime. I personally focused most of my effort on my dirty feet.
Feeling cleaner, we had lunch and a few beers to enjoy by the river. We charged our phones, called our loved ones, and chatted until our clothes were dry. It felt good to be clean, but even better to be back on the road.
Now back in the mountains, we ascended about 2,700 feet in five miles to reach our campground for the night. My clothes quickly returned to their smelly state, but the brief moment in civilization felt surreal.
Day 2: Climb Cheoah Bald to Cable Gap Shelter
I woke up around midnight to the sound of heavy rain. Hit my rain like bullets. Even with his eyes closed, lightning sliced through the darkness. One, two, three… I could hear loud thunder overhead, and the sounds echoed for several seconds. The drops grew stronger, the wind pushed against my hammock, and suddenly it was quiet again. My first storm on the AT. And I’m proud to report that my hammock stayed dry.
Last night’s storm became the talk of the road as I made my way toward Cheoah Bald and then Stecoah Gap. I headed into the steepest terrain on the AT yet, called the «Jacobs Ladder» by some FarOut reviews. Covering about 17.5 miles and lots of ups and downs, I was excited to arrive at my campsite at Cable Gap Shelter.
That night, I cooked a Knorr rice with Cajun chicken and hung out with familiar and new faces. We stayed up well past hiker midnight, watching for stars and fireflies.
Day 3 – Fontana Dam
Fontana Marina was only 5.5 miles away, mostly downhill. We headed directly to the shelter to find a place. Known as the «Fontana Hilton,» it’s one of the nicest lodges on the AT, with electricity, running water, flushing toilets, and even showers. I made the most of it.
Later, I took a free hiker shuttle into town. I picked up my resupply box at the post office (thanks, Scatter!) and met up with my friends for lunch. It turned out that there was a Volkswagen car rally going on at the resort and the madness felt a little overwhelming after a week and a half in the woods.
Back at camp, I spent the rest of the day relaxing, chatting with friends, drinking beers, and getting organized for the next leg of my trip.
Rose, Thorn, Bud
Pink
A hot shower at the Fontana shelter
Thorn
Mediocre and expensive food at Fontana Resort
Outbreak
Cooler weather in the Smokies. It’s been hot!
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