6/11-19/20 78.7 miles

Wow, calculating that mileage emphasizes what I already know—I gotta hike bigger miles.

I got dropped off back at Carver’s Gap and headed SOBO. As predicted, it started raining. No biggie. I camped and a couple of guys and their beautiful Aussiedoodle, Murphy, camped next to me. It rained all night and I was dry except it’s so warm and humid, the condensation built up. I packed up a damp sleeping bag and soaking wet tent. I wanted to hike 17 miles and get picked up and taken to Uncle Johnny’s Hostel but Unicoi Shuttle (the same great people that got me from the airport to Damascus!) were a tad busy so I got picked up a few miles earlier. No worries! I stayed in Cabin 3, facing away from the fire pit and outdoor speakers, quiet and super comfy. Just a little walk in the middle of the night to the bathroom/shower room. 2 more easy days of slackpacking and I had to pack 4 nights of food for the stretch to Hot Springs, NC.

So I’m hanging around on the covered deck with some hikers and one starts talking about meeting a Triple Crowner a couple days before, south of Uncle Johnny’s. “He was wearing a garbage bag! And doing big miles just for fun!” I had just read the Ravens latest update about what all 4 of them were up to. “Was his name Bling?” I asked. “Yes! Look at this photo! And he even autographed Elvis’ pack!” “I know him!” And told the story of meeting the whole family on the PCT in 2015 when Whisper was 9 and Bling 13. And hiking a bunch of the CDT with them in 2017. These hikers were so impressed and so excited that they’d met a Triple Crowner and that he was so friendly, cool and young! I texted Bling’s photo to Papa and Mama Raven. They texted Bling where I was and then Bling started planning how to meet me from Chattanooga where he’s visiting friends and climbing. He just hiked a 100 miles or so for fun!

So I headed out and camped at a lovely quiet site, no bear sign, no people, no problem. I do like having a bear canister so they can’t get my food and turn into habituated problem bears.

The next night, again a campsite to myself, all quiet until a couple of coyotes separated by a mile or two started howling at each other at 4:30 am. Took them a while to reunite I guess.

I’m seeing about 20 NOBOs a day, hiking sections of the AT.

There is a stretch of trail ahead closed to camping because of bear activity. USFS doesn’t want to have to kill any more bear because we humans can’t keep our food safely hung or contained away from their prying claws. The problem is the wording of the notice confused me. Fortunately I camped by a shelter and the hiker there, Meatball, heading in the opposite direction of me, had also been confused and called the agency. My plan now has to change because I can’t camp in a 13.5 stretch. My choice for camping tomorrow is to hike 7.3 miles or 21 and camp next to a busy road and then hike 5 into Hot Springs. Or…

I called Jason for a pickup from Allen Gap in 12.3 miles and a night in Laughing Heart Hostel. It worked! Platinum blazing is the best.

Got a ride back to Allen Gap in the morning for a lovely (only rained 3 hours) 14.6 miles back to town. Within the first 20” of the hike I saw a healthy black bear munching her lush vegetarian breakfast next to the trail. She didn’t notice me until I greeted her calmly. “Hey bear” and she skedaddled downhill from me. “Good bear!”

Bling and his friend Darby drove 150 miles from Chattanooga to see me. It made me so happy. We ate lunch and talked hiking and family and reminisced. I sent this photo to Mama and Papa Raven!