Spivey Gap 1861.2 to Sam’s Gap 1874.6 (13.4 miles, 1874.6 total miles)
Thursday was a very enjoyable and relaxing zero day, while Homework and Heat Lightning returned to Spivey Gap to hike south. Miss Janet was gone most of the day, but urged me to make myself at home and relax.
I slept in, watched Netflix, did laundry, had a last minute therapy session I was able to attend over video, washed dishes, swept the floor, and ate plenty of food.
Later in the day, Iroh let me know he’d hiked into town. Miss Janet returned to Erwin with Heat Lightning, who’d decided to stay one more night, and kindly drove me to Uncle Johnny’s Hostel in town to hang out with Iroh.
I met some new hikers there, including a man who had just completed his Triple Crown by hiking his last remaining section of the AT, a SOBO named Sparrow, and a few others who were new to me.
Iroh and I borrowed bikes from the hostel and rode half a mile to a Mexican restaurant attached to a gas station with rather good food. We made plans to meet up again in Hot Springs on Halloween and reserved a spot at Laughing Heart Hostel there.
Back at Miss Janet’s, everyone turned in early and we were up by 8AM getting ready to drive to Sam’s Gap, where Miss J had picked up Heat Lightning the evening before.
The Gap was right next to a busy highway overpass, and we saw four or five people hike by southbound while we were getting situated. Heat Lightning and Miss Janet shared a hug before he hiked out with his full pack southbound once more.
I was on my last day of slackpacking, and grabbed a handful of Halloween candy from the bucket that had been full a few days ago, but was now almost empty thanks to us hikers, before I departed. It was a few minutes after 10AM when I began ascending from the road back into the forest.
I could tell my zero day and all the sleep I’d gotten the last few nights had restored me, as I felt strong and happy to be on trail again. The day was mild and partly cloudy, with an expected high of 60 degrees. In other words, perfect hiking weather, and I knew I’d be hitting Big Bald today and had heard great things about it.
As I was climbing up to my first view a couple miles in, I saw Swift with another hiker descending toward me. I was going northbound again today, because logistically it was easier, and I stopped for several minutes to chat.
Swift had been there the night of my asthma attack in Damascus, and had been the one to give me several tips to get my breathing back under control. I talked with her and Cheerio, a young man she was with, about the Smokies coming up.
We were now within about five days of Smoky Mountain National Park, and there was a similar feeling to approaching the Whites going northbound. Everyone was discussing logistics, expectations, and time frames.
Resupply before SMNP had been a topic of conversation, and Miss Janet had said she would give me the contact info for a trail angel down that way. When I asked Swift for her number so I could pass it on, I was surprised when she began with “860”.
I had found a fellow Connecticut resident, which hadn’t been a common occurrence on this hike. We said we’d definitely have to hang out when we were both back home, and I continued on feeling cheered knowing there would be another trail friend in the area.
I also saw and said hi to Sasquatch, Gnarly, and a couple other hikers when we crossed paths. At the view, I said hello to a trail maintainer building a couple benches out of logs, and was treated to a nice view of Big Bald 4.6 miles ahead. It towered over me, seeming so far away.
It had been hitting me more and more lately for some reason how far my legs were taking me on a day to day basis. It seemed impossible that by putting one foot in front of the other and focusing on the ground beneath me, I was traversing these enormous mountain ranges that seemed so distant at the various vantage points the trail afforded.
I descended a bit, then began the 4 mile climb of 1,700 feet to Big Bald. I traveled through a forest of bare trees, the sky varying shades of blue to my left, covered in clouds to my right. The incline was gradual and extremely pleasant, and I spent the miles deep in thought on a walking meditation.
Around 12:30 I came out of the trees toward Big Bald, and reapplied sunblock before being totally exposed to the bright sun overhead. The view was spectacular and immense, and I stopped several times to admire it on the way to the top.
On Big Bald itself I had a complete 360 degrees of visibility, on my very favorite view in Tennessee so far. I was quite certain I could see the hazy Smoky Mountains in the distance, while the nearer ridges still showed burnt orange waves of foliage. It was quiet and serene as I took several minutes to soak it all in, watching large birds coast on air currents above.
I descended down from the bald, switchbacked through a bit of trees, then had another grassy bald to walk over, though most of the views were hidden behind Big Bald now. I saw signs about migratory bird capture and release, and walked by several traps. I’d been seeing little blue birds around the trail today, with sharp beaks and curious dispositions.
I followed the downhill to Bald Mountain Shelter, the shortest .1 off trail I could remember. It was a nice, two story shelter with – incredibly – a privy. The first one I’d seen since Virginia, and perfect timing for me to visit.
I perused the logbook while eating tuna wraps for lunch. I was quite pleased to see when Heat Lightning had come through yesterday he’d written that he’d had an amazing time slackpacking for a couple days, and his spirits were much higher. I felt very fulfilled that I’d been able to contribute to that, in a way I couldn’t explain even to myself.
After a nice lunch break, I continued on the downslope, then began a short climb up to Little Bald, which was not, in fact, a bald at all. I skipped the short side trail to an overgrown view, then began descending a couple miles.
I stopped several times, unsure if I was on the right trail because the white blazes had suddenly disappeared. The GPS on my guide seemed to suggest I was on the right path, but it was a few tenths of a mile before I finally spotted a blaze several switchbacks below me.
Listening to Order of the Phoenix since lunchtime, I made it through a few chapters as I kept climbing down from the ridge. My last little climb brought me to High Rocks, and this time I did take the blue blaze up to the summit and very nice view, where I accidentally startled a day hiker who was up top when I arrived.
The rest of the way was 1.7 down past large, mossy rocks, over a multicolored bed of leaves that rested on the trail, and around the curvature of the mountain as I took my time getting to the bottom. I got back to Spivey Gap at 4:13, and sat down to wait for Miss J. I didn’t have cell service, but knew she’d be there for me when she could, as I’d finished about 45 minutes earlier than expected.
While I was entertaining myself writing, an older brother and sister pair pulled up in a Camry. The tall, thin man was trail named Towee, and he was a trail maintainer, angel, and avid birder. He asked if I needed a ride, but when I told him I was waiting for Miss Janet said he’d love to stay and meet her.
Towee told me all about birds in the area and sampled some bird calls for me. Miss Janet pulled up with Dexter around 5:00, and chatted with Towee. I hadn’t minded waiting, the weather was nice and I had good company.
After a bit, we headed back to town for, what else, Food City and Pal’s. Miss Janet was taking her van to Roan Mountain to camp in for the evening, as she had an early shuttle from 19E in the morning. I had the house to myself for the night, and settled in to relax and enjoy my final evening in Erwin.