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    TallPaul's Avatar
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    NC - Newfound Gap to Hot Springs

    I have wanted to hike the AT through GSMNP and after doing roughly half of it last year, I wanted to finish the other half.

    Another big motivation - hammocks were allowed near the shelter due to the social distancing rules so I got to avoid sleeping on the hard wooden floors with the mice - whoop whoop.

    I started with the day hikers at Newfound Gap. The crowd thinned as I neared Charlie’s Bunion. The views here were great - I’d never been so I stopped and enjoyed lunch.






    After Charlies Bunion, I only saw overnight backpackers and some thru hikers.

    I spent the first night at Pecks Corner - .4 mile off the AT but not a bad option. I’m not in great shape so going to the next shelter (Tricorner Knob) would have been too far. There was a father and 3 teens plus a couple others at the shelter.

    I slept in my new Dreamhammock Darien. Slept great. I got this to shave some weight vs my double layer Warbonnet XLC - and let’s be honest who has enough hammocks. I got the “ready to ship” version of the hammock, which meant I didn’t have to wait for it long.




    The next day was a great ridge hike though what seemed like old forest. I think I read the trail goes something like 30 miles above 5000’. That night I stayed at Cosby Knob shelter. After arriving around 3:30, I setup the hammock and tarp as clouds were moving in and it felt like rain. After eating an early dinner, I retired to the hammock at 4:30 and it started to sprinkle. I enjoyed porch mode while thinking of those poor tenters surrounded by 4 walls and no views. It wasn’t much later that a front moved in and pounded us with rain all night. Kind of nice to listen to but I wish I’d taken down porch mode cause I got stuck with the wind coming up the valley blowing right into my hammock. Only got a bit wet though.








    The next morning as I broke down my tarp I turned and saw the butt end of a black bear run away into the woods - I’d say only 8-10’ from me. I didn’t even have time to be shocked it happened so fast.

    I hiked up Mt Cammerer then it was down to Standing Bear hostel and my car for a resupply. I originally wasn’t sure if I would continue to Hot Springs but decided I would. After laying out clothes to dry, eating lunch and drinking a beer and gatorade, I plied myself away from the hostel and landed that night at Painters Creek. It’s listed as a water source in Guthooks but the notes mentioned a number of campsites. Beautiful spot. First night by myself.




    Next day was a slog and the crux of this section - a 4000’ cumulative gain. The humidity had my shirt soaked as climbed up Snowbird Mtn and Max Patch. I’ve been to Max Patch a handful of times and the views were again beautiful. It was a Saturday night and it was like a mini Woodstock up there. People hauled up campfire wood, coolers, air mattresses, full bottles of Barcadi... but they were a good crowd (for the most part). I camped north of the bald in the trees.






    Crazy thing - at 3:16am (I checked my watch) I heard the distinct jangle of my cook set, which had been up in a bear bag hung from a tree. Then I heard voices. And I realized somebody had taken down my bear bag and was rifling through my stuff. I got out of the hammock and went to talk to these folks - they claimed they thought the bag was abandoned. Nothing was taken or damaged so I didn’t give them too hard of a time. And I re-learned the lesson of camping less than a mile from a parking lot - never know who will show up.

    With 20 miles till Hot Springs I planned to break it up in 13 & 7 mile days with my daughter picking me up to shuttle me back to my car. We planned to camp out a night.

    Well, that was the plan till I got cell service - the first thing my daughter said was “Did you get my texts?” No. Followed by “Everybody is ok”. Well not exactly. My wife was bitten on the hand by a dog our family was fostering. They went to the ER and had a visit scheduled with a surgeon the next day. So I changed plans and hiked 16 miles to Deer Park shelter that night and caught an 8 am shuttle the following morning. I made it home for the visit with the surgeon.


    The only thing of interest the last couple days was I’m pretty sure the camp near Deer Park shelter was haunted - or there was something in the trees that night. Had a laugh to myself how ridiculous I felt throwing rocks into the woods at 1 am to make whatever it was go away. Found the 2 tombstones nearby the next day.







    The new Darien slept great. I did miss the shelf of the WB XLC but getting older this was some easy weight to jettison. I also took a smaller battery pack (10k mAh instead of 20k). Both helped reduce a pound and were appreciated.

    And as for my wife... she is a trooper. The dog bite mangled the finger tip and bone on her left index finger so much she unfortunately needed surgery to remove the tip. She’s on the mend and feeling better every day. Though she keeps flipping me the bird.





    Day 1: 10.9 mi Newfound Gap to Pecks Corner
    Day 2: 13.3 mi Pecks Corner to Cosby Knob 231.1
    Day 3: 13.8 mi Cosby Knob to Painter Branch 243.7 + 1.2 M Cammerer
    Day 4: 11.4 mi Painter Branch 243.7 to Max Patch 255.1
    Day 5: 16.6 mi Max Patch to Deer Park shelter 271.7
    Day 6 :3.2 mi Deer Park to Hot Springs


    Video: https://youtu.be/0ti6ZcbvD5M
    Last edited by TallPaul; 09-11-2020 at 23:23.

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