Miles: 165.5 | A dark, chilly start out of Stecoah Gap turns into one of my strongest days yet. Without a full pack, I fly over Jacob’s Ladder, think deeply about who I want to be on this trail, and start making peace with hiking on my own terms. By early afternoon I’m in Fontana — picking up my new tent, swapping stories with other hikers, and setting up fresh gear back at the hostel. With hard conversations behind me and the Smokies ahead, I finally feel steady again.
I got up at 6:30am and all of us got ready to go. Because the other hikers were going back to the trail, I got to move to a bed in my own room! We headed out to the truck and I got dropped off at Stecoah Gap. Forgetting that sunrise was later due to Daylight Saving Time, I started out in the dark. It was a chilly day but the forecast looked good.
I started walking up the steep slope out of the gap. The sun began to rise slowly and I put on an episode of the Moth again. This one was a tribute to Bokara Legendre, an incredible woman who grew up in what seems like a whole other America. Listen to it if you get the chance!
I walked fast that day. Without 40lbs on my back I was cruising at a good 3-3.5mph. I conquered Jacob's Ladder quickly and started shedding my long sleeve layers. The sun rose beautifully. I spent the day thinking about the Smokies, the trail, who I want to be and who I want to hike with in the future, and really learning to be at peace with myself. I thought about how I could Hike My Own Hike for real now.
In the afternoon I got some good service on a ridge and received a text from Dragon. She finally found out why her ankles were hurting so badly. We chatted for a good 45 minutes about what we've missed in each other's hikes over the last couple of weeks and her plans for the future of her hike.
I kept hiking and made it to Fontana Dam around 1:30pm. I got a shuttle from the Fontana 'Hilton' (the nicest shelter on the AT complete with a shower, filtered water, and power outlet) up to the post office to get my new tent! After the post office I called Lonnie. He was on his way to pick someone up but he could be in Fontana around 4 to pick someone else up as well.
I didn't mind waiting so I went to the lodge (Fontana Dam is essentially a very small resort town with a general store, post office, and lodge that has a restaurant) to get lunch. When I arrived there were a few other hikers there that let me join them! I met Jackelope, Megan, Ripple, and someone who had thru-hiked last year.
We ate lunch and talked about our plans for the Smokies. Apparently there was a severe storm warning out for the next week out there. But the Hiker from last year said there is almost always a severe storm warning out during this time of year for the Smokes. We'd be fine, he said.
Lonnie showed up right on time after lunch and helped me carry all of my packages to the car.
The packages were a little excessive... but what did I know? When we got back to the hostel I went outside and Lonnie set me up in the back yard with a beer to try out my new tent. I'd never used a tarp tent before but it only took me about 15 minutes to figure out how to get it up the first time. I watched a few videos of how to set it up well for the rain. Lonnie's adorable cat helped me out a bit:
After setting up my tent I got in touch with my counselor. I told her about my mental breakdowns and the random panic attacks I was having. We talked through my plan for the next couple of weeks mentally. And I told her everything that had happened since we last spoke. It always seems like it's been months since our last session even though it was really just a week. We decided it'd be best for me to stay at the hostel for the next couple of nights until I would be able to get that sleeping bag from the post office.
That night I talked to Michelin. He finally got a verdict from his doctor. The doctor gave him the option of trying cortisone injections instead of surgery so that he could continue his hike. He was considering taking that route.
Around 8pm Donna showed up at the hostel. She was renting the other room in the trailer. Donna used to own the Cabin in the Woods hostel and was just back in town to visit and pick up some stuff from her storage unit. She was friends with Lonnie. We talked for a few hours about her old hostel and the crazy incidents that happened with hikers in her day. Including the time she accidentally helped a fugitive! It was an interesting night.