Getting underway was 10 minutes more efficient than testerday… 1h40m from alarm to hitting rhe trail. Seems like I should be able to get this to under an hour but it will take tome to figure out where things are inefficient.
Atlas and Tori were still asleep by the time my tent was packed, but Atlas was up as I ate my breakfast, which so far has always been a cup of cold instant coffee and a cup of granola with powdered coconut milk and water.
The weather was overcast so not the greatest views. At first I moved quickly, practically running up hills and slalomming down them. By about 1 pm I started to feel chafing on the toes of my right foot so had to slow down. Plus going uphill so fast wiped me, I’m not twenty-something like many others on the trail (incidentally I haven’t noticed crowds of retired guys since resuming, seems the demographic skews younger now, so either the old guys are ahead or they gave up!).
I got to Fontana Dam around 1:15. There is a very overpriced resupply option at the general store but I decided to skip it. I still have 6 dinners (not counting tonight’s, a repeat of coconut lentil curry) and enough lunches. I’m a bit short on granola but have extra nuts and wraps (and leftover curry for tomorrow’s breakfast) so hopefully I can make it through tge Smokies without starving (I can always get a ride to a town partway along).
I walked along the trail to the Fontana “Hilton” which is a shelter with running water and a charger for phones. There wer two bananas, an apple, and a bag of clementines left on a picnic table. A French Canadian hiker arrived at the same time I did. He lent me a USB A to C adapter since the charging station was really outdated. I tried charging my big power bank but it was a slow charge so I doubt it dud mych. Ate lunch along with a banana, three clementines and the apple.
The walk out of Fontana is on roads, across tge dam, and up to the start of the park. A school or church group had just returned from an overnight hike and were sitting on the ground eating lunch, we chatted briefly and one of them lent me a pen so I could write the date on my Smokies permit before dropping it in tge permit box.
A lot of climbing! I made it up to Shuckstak fire tower for some great and very windy views.
Another three miles to a campsite where I thought I was all alone, but slowly others materialized and two people are walking up even now. (I’m up at the thru trail for cell reception so am the local Welcome Wagon representative!) I ate with a young couple, he is thru hiking and she is spending four days on trail with him.
I’m feeling pretty good although today felt like a bit of a slog and there just weren’t many people on trail to talk to. Glad some people came down to the fire ring to join me for dinner.
Mile 156.2 to 162.6 so 16.4 miles.
hi Robin, looks like you are making good progress!