Erwin, TN - Trip Miles 339.8

Nolichucky River


View of East side of mountain coming down to Erwin, TN

Crazy Lady on Nolichucky River Bridge - Erwin, TN


Hiking into Erwin, TN

We made it!!!! Lots of rain last night. Spirits tent leaked - she moved into shelter. As we came into town we noticed the tree leaves are bright green with new life. Hitch hiked into town - 3 1/2 miles - got a ride with nice young man (Thank you), he carried us to Super 8. Tax in hotels is a rip off, but it is dry, clean & HOT water!!! Hiked into town to eat Mexican (very nice). Crazy Lady doing laundry (all 3 wore rain gear while washing was done, so everything could be clean and dry) while Patches & Chipmunk shops for food for next 5-6 days to Elk. Today Crazy Lady misses her job and her sweet patients..... As we walked into Erwin the houses and elder people and even dogs remind me of my patients. There are a few new plowed gardens - the dogwoods, tulips & pansies are in bloom. Erwin is a very pretty little town - has a big river - heard a train last night and again early this morning - it is also a very active & growing town. We have decided we are attending AT College - Crazy Lady has- Bear Bag 101 - Hiking 103 - she can eat hike & drink (multitask) after few weeks - Tent 104 (pitch & take down, if no rain) Patches & Chipmunk has most of the classes at 102, 103 - 104. Crazy Lady needs Stove 101 class - cannot even use lighter yet! At the laundromat a nice older gentlemen showed Crazy Lady how to use matches and gave her 6 1/4 tsp of trail magic. This gentlemen had a stroke one year ago - this town is full of patients for Crazy Lady - all very nice & kind.

Bald Mountain - Trip miles 322.9 - Elev 5100

View of Big Bald Mtn from Little Bald Mtn


East View of Big Bald Mtn


View of Little Bald Mtn From Big Bald Mtn

West side view from top of Big Bald Mtn

9 am (early for us).....Got up & knew it was going to "RAIN" - just didn't know when. Managed to pack up & get going before rain started. Went up Bald Mt & Little Bald Mt today. Stopped for lunch at Bald Mt shelter, and then hiked 10 miles none stop. Came into camp @ 5PM....Cold, wet & hungry. Patches cooked - Chipmunk started the bear bagging...then all 3 tried... to laugh & get warm. 7 PM Crazy Lady in bed, trying to get warm. Poppins arrived in camp, have not saw him for a few days. The woods smell so good - pine needles & rain. Spirit hiked with us today - she slipped a few times - but is OK. Hoping to get up and leave early for Erwin, TN tomorrow...

Low Gap - Trip miles 318.9 - Elev 4300

Tents and green background with new spring growth


Patches making campfire

Today was a real spring day.....we could smell, hear, taste, see, feel spring. To Crazy Lady it was like spring Renaissance Festival. "Guitar Man" played guitar while we set up camp. Had lunch at Hogback Ridge Shelter.

Patches hangs his hammock and takes Siesta.....

Chipmunk eating trail mix..........................
(Now we know how she got her trail name)

Crazy Lady knitted. Today the crows woke us up, woodpeckers, pecking away & (real) chipmunks all over. The hills are covered in "spring beauty" with budded flowers. "May apple" leaves has no flowers yet, Trillium's full in bloom with "blood root". Hiked 11-12 miles today. Owls are in the woods. Suppose to rain tonight & tomorrow. Camped with Spirit, Change and 3 new male hikers we met today. Bill Sr & Jr went off trail for a few day to see about Bill Sr tooth which has been very painful to him. Still hoping to make it to Erwin, TN by Monday mid day, so..... tomorrow means we must do a lot of miles..........

Blackstack Cliffs - Trip Miles 294.4 - Elev 4420

Way up & down to Blackstack Cliffs

Greenville, TN view

Greenville, TN to west of Black Stack Cliffs


East View from Black Stack Cliffs

Perfect hiking day - 13 miles - sunny (2nd day in a row). Cannot believe how fast the last 100 miles has gone. (140 more miles and we will be in Virginia) Hiked over boulders....around boulders today. At the top we saw Greenville, TN - wonderful view. NC lack white paint - very few and far between blazes.


Hiked on service rd for miles with very few or no white blazes.

I felt like the old lady that did not know if she was coming or going. Saw a lot of real chipmunks today. Met few new hikers (young boys/men) that started after us, but hiked 15-20 miles a day.
Enjoy the hike today! Still hiking on ridge with some severe down hill. Did not see many wild flowers.


Saw a grave stone of a thru hiker in 1968 (past away 20 years later @ age 80) Saw grave yard of civil war soldiers (Very Impressive!)

Went over Big Butt Mt - NC has funny names for Gaps & MTS - Pump Gap, Lemon Gap, Little Bottom Branch Gap, Chunky Gal Trail.

Chipmunk cooked for us tonight. Very nice!

Patches made fire

Chipmunk cooking-

"nice bonnet"

April 16 - 11.6 miles

Minature Blue Iris ..................................................................................................?????

Camp in woods next to trail with Spirit. Nice fire - had tortillas and 96. Woke with Mr Woodpecker - pecking away - other birds singing & chirping. Very Pretty! We know it is a sunny day & a beautiful day for hike. 1st sunshine in a week (I think). Pretty level today - stayed on ridge with up/down hike - like a roller coaster. Saw some small wild Iris and other wild flowers, along with a bunny & deer.

Patches uses his $20 hammock to relax and read, while Chipmunk & Crazy Lady prepares lunch.

Hot Springs - Trip Miles 271.7 - Elev 1326

Monday, April 13th got to Hot Springs - ate breakfast at the diner. What a treat...our first real food in 11 days. We chose the skillet breakfast (a feast) - eggs with toast or biscuit with big skillet with onions, green peppers, mushrooms, bacon & tons of cheese - IT WAS WONDERFUL! Crazy Lady & Chipmunk needed a to go box. The Laundrymat was rotten.... nothing worked. Chipmunk's sleeping bag got torn up, Bill Sr shirt got torn - Crazy Lady repaired both. Poppins backpack tore (Crazy Lady & her duck tape repaired it), hopefully outfitters in Erwin, TN will be able to help Poppins with his backpack. Crazy Lady's hike pole broke downhill - lucky it was the pole not her leg. (Outfitters replaced with new one-lifetime warranty).

Tuesday, April 14. Had 0 day today in Hot Springs - very small town (hikers town). All of us that were together in the Smokies, were here together. We stayed at hikers hostel. The house was built 1840 - added to in 1870 - no changes since then, except maintenance. Elmer is an older man has thru hiked AT a few times and runs Elmers Sunnybank Inn since 1970 - serve gourmet vegetarian meals (beautiful salads). We had supper & breakfast here - had table to seat 14 people. Crazy Lady had soup, salad & desert (you can get 2nd, 3rd of everything) for only $10. the home is a historic monument.

I shared room with "Spirit" (Lady in 60's hiking trail for th 2nd time).

"Spirit"

Elmer had a music room & library - Patches played guitar - very nice.

We left this morning after wonderful breakfast - 11 miles up hill back in to the mountains, cloudy & cold - but good view.

Wednesday, April 15 - 2nd day of 2nd Mtn. Nice to be back on trail...we are between Hot Springs & Erwin, TN - hope to march into Erwin, TN Sunday. All of hikers hope for same - sunshine & warm.

Easter Sunday

Poppins finds Easter eggs - then juggles them

Woke up to a very pretty "SUNNY day with colorful Easter eggs at campsite. Easter bunny even visited us. Very nice day!

To wash hair.....................

1st Day of week #5

Probably my most bombing day - did 13 miles (did not see anything) - heavy fog, wind and rain (on and off). Nox patches can be very pretty (but no view). Still some snow on Nox patch. Feels like we are walking in circles and might get lost.....Hope for sunshine tomorrow (or soon) - We have nothing dry - everything is wet and dirty.

Painter Branch - Trip miles 240.6 - Elev 3100

6th day Smokie Hike became a 8 day hike due to snow. Today we had a real thunderstorm and even saw the smoke rise from the Valley (very pretty). Hiked 13 miles today, camped at Painter Branch - had to resupply for 4 days- 3 days to Hot Springs due to extended hike in snow in the Smokies. Re-supplied at Standing Bear Farm, had Hostel for hikers. Poppins, Patches, Chipmunk & Crazy Lady headed on to Painter Branch - Lovely campsite between to creeks. Managed to start fire, just before thunderstorm - cooked hotdogs with cheese ( got cheese from trail Angel )

Crazy Lady's Snow Hike

Then the SNOW!!!!!!!!!!

Chipmunk & Patches hiking in snow

SNOW - +/- 3 ft

Poppins brithday - 6:45 PM - Shelter full - already in tent(toes dead & burning) - all tents in few feet of snow. Hiked today in snow mostly knee deep - (1 hr, 1 mile) very narrow ridge. Hot Pants, Patches, Drange, Poppins, Chipmunk & Crazy Lady hiked together ( stayed together) - 7 miles, 7 hours - 3 more days of hiking in mts.