Guru Hikes

The Smokies

Entering Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Scuba, Wildcard, and I climbed and climbed and climbed. The Smokies are home to the highest point on the Appalachian Trail: Clingman’s Dome at 6,643 ft. (2025 m), and the elevation brought frigid temperatures in November. Reaching Tri-Corner Knob Shelter, the wind picked up and the temperatures dropped. I experienced the coldest night on the trail so far. Wildcard tried in vain to get a fire started in the fireplace. The tarps in place at the shelter entrance at leasted worked as a nice wind block. Two weekend warriors even brought a bottle of whiskey that they shared around the shelter to warm our bones!

After a very cold night, we woke up to another hoarfrost on the trail. We kept moving to keep warm in the morning and decided we would spend only one more night in the Smokies. We made quick stops at Charlie’s Bunion and Climgmans Dome, but the rest of the day was dedicated to hiking. Even with the days shortening as winter approached, we hiked twenty-seven miles before sunset.

When we approached Siler’s Bald Shelter, we were greeted by a large fire and a pair of weekenders. They brought a large cooler with them up the mountain and handed out beers as we arrived. The cold beers around a warm fire were quite refreshing, and we were glad to have the company.

The next day, we headed down to Fontana Dam with a stop at the Shuckstack fire tower on the way. At the parking lot before the Fontana Dam Shelter, a couple was doing Trail Magic, and we chatted with them as they provided us with a large hot meal. Also, my mom visited me at the shelter and drove me to Robbinsville for my final time shopping for a resupply!

Moving on Through

At Fontana, I realized that I was very close to the four-month deadline I had originally wanted to finish the trail in. I said my goodbyes to Scuba and Wildcard the next morning, and on that same day, I hiked thirty miles to the Nantahala Outdoor Center (NOC). I arrived in the rain just after dark, with about a mile to go to the next shelter. As I crossed the bridge over the Nantahala River, I realized the restaurant on the other side was closing. I knocked on the door and asked the woman who answered if I could just buy a hot soup and eat it outside. She turned me away empty-handed, but I noticed another waitress give me the “one minute” sign. So I sat and waited on a bench in the rain.

About five minutes later, the angel of a waitress brought me a bowl of hot soup and told me they leave the whitewater office open overnight for sad souls like me who show up on rainy nights. I thanked her profusely and headed to the office, a little warmer and with full stomach. The whitewater office had a sofa to sleep on and an electric heater! I cranked up the heat to dry out and had the best and most appreciative sleep on the entire Trail.

The next few days were a blur as I hiked 30+ mile days down into Georgia. When I saw my brother in Asheville, I made plans to finish the hike with him. We planned to meet at Unicoi Gap, and he decided to bring me a full final resupply! When I met him at the Gap, he handed me the most appropriate Trail Magic beer:

Finishing With Family

Despite having already hiked twenty-two miles to the Unicoi Gap, I hiked with my brother another nine miles to Low Gap Shelter. The next day we hiked to Neels Gap and saw the famous Shoe Tree before hiking over Blood Mountain. After almost a week of 30+ mile days, I naively thought a 27.5-mile day wouldn’t be that hard. And it wasn’t for me. I did not, however, take into account that I had been hiking for four months straight and that my brother was just accustomed to day hiking. To his credit, I don’t think that many people would be able to go straight from the couch to hiking almost thirty miles in a day. When we arrived at Gooch Mountain Shelter he lay on the hard wood floor for about 30 minutes, and when I coaxed him up to eat dinner and get sleeping gear ready he said, “I don’t think I’ve ever been this worn out in my entire life.”

The next day was the final day on the Appalachian Trail, and my brother woke up to a chipmunk blessing. I was very jealous. In the Fall, chipmunks store acorns in as many cavities as they can find…including hiker’s shoes! I had seen it happen to hikers twice so far, and on my brother’s second day on the Trail, I woke up to him quizzically dumping out a shoe filled to the brim with acorns. I went the entire Trail without it ever happening to me.

With only sixteen miles left for the day, we took our time and stopped at a few waterfalls on the way. The last five miles of the Trail were beautiful. Rhododendrons brought color to the otherwise dreary late fall landscape, and we crossed multiple crystal clear streams. The climb up Springer Mountain was gentle, and the last mile felt like it went by in an instant. Then around the corner, there was a rock. And on the rock, a plaque. And on a tree a little further, a blue blaze. Not a white blaze. The last white blaze sat beside the plaque on the rock. I was done.

I will not try to explain the mix of emotions as I stood above the plaque, but there were many. In just under four months I completed the Appalachian Trail. I lost one of the most important people in the world to me. I made new friends. I walked through the mountains from Maine to Georgia. And now I was done.

After writing in the final logbook, and taking many photos at the top of the mountain, we hiked a mile back to the Springer Trailhead where my dad and his partner were waiting. After a few hugs, we packed into my dad’s truck and went to the nearest Taco Bell, where I order the largest meal fast food meal I had ever eaten. Then we headed to a cabin my dad rented for the night, where I was surprised with an ice cream cake celebrating my achievement.

My story of the AT did not end at Springer Mountain. Hiking the Appalachian Trail taught me about making connections, trusting others, and accepting help. It inspired me to get out of my comfort zone, embrace loss, love myself, and appreciate the amazing things we all are capable of. What I learned there, I carry with me today, and it will forever be a part of who I am.

Bonus: Body Transformation

I was one of the few people I know that actually gained weight on the AT:

What’s Next?

That’s all folks! Thanks to everyone who stuck around ’till the end! Words can’t express how grateful I am to those who donated to keep this site up and running!

I will be gearing up for the Continental Divide over the next few months, and I will be writing about the preparation as well as writing gear reviews! Hope you’ll stick around to see what’s next!

-guru