{"id":151,"date":"2023-04-10T15:11:55","date_gmt":"2023-04-10T22:11:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/maxheap.net\/at2023\/?p=151"},"modified":"2023-04-10T17:30:33","modified_gmt":"2023-04-11T00:30:33","slug":"through-the-smokies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/maxheap.net\/at2023\/through-the-smokies\/","title":{"rendered":"Through the Smokies"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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“…in the mountains the sun sets up in ribbons so high, I don’t never wanna get old, don’t ever wanna die.” (Ray LaMontagne)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Loads of these walk bridges<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Visions of childhood fables <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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In the tent: upper me<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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In the tent: lower me<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

My last post was from the Nantahala Outdoor Center, just prior to entering the nation’s most visited national park, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park<\/a>. I spent a few days hiking through the park and am now about 40 miles beyond the northern boundary, spending the night at the Laughing Heart Hostel<\/a> in Hot Springs, North Carolina<\/a>. I got into town early for a massive breakfast (eggs, bacon, hash browns and pancakes) at the Smoky Mountain Diner (same place I visited as a south-bounder back in 2015), did my resupply, shower, tent-drying and laundry chores and still have a few hours before turning in for the night so I’m here at the Hot Springs Public Library using their computer to write up this post. I’ll hike out again early tomorrow morning and I think my next stop will be Erwin, Tennessee, possibly to stay at Uncle Johnny’s Hostel<\/a> near there. I’ve also uploaded a number of new videos to my YouTube channel<\/a> (see videos 11-21) so feel free to check those if you’re interested.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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This nice, large shelter at Fontana Dam is known as the “Fontana Hilton”<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Fontana Dam: dry side<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Fontana dam: lake side<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Woods: light<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Woos: dark<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Selfie for no reason<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Green forests, blue ridges<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Standing at Clingmans dome<\/a>, the highest point on the entire Appalachian Trail<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

A couple of items to note since my last post. I’m now about 275 miles into the hike and my feet are doing great- no significant pain, no blisters. Given that we’ve been hiking in steady, cold rain the past few days I’m quite happy my feet are responding so well. My right knee has bothered me a bit so I’ve continued to wear the knee brace I pinched from Wendy and it seems to be helping in a preventative way providing needed stability. A couple of nights ago I was escaping the rain staying at the Standing Bear Farm Hikers’ Hostel<\/a> (I stayed in the bunkhouse pictured in the link) and around 5:30 p.m. someone opened the bunkhouse door asking “Is there a Maxheap in here?” to which I responded and in bounded Chickenfat, one of my hiker family from the Continental Divide Trail in 2019! He’s also a triple crown hiker and was hiking nearby, having earlier the same day set the new FKT<\/a> (fastest known time) for the Benton MacKaye trail<\/a>. He had heard some day hikers describing someone they’d met on trail named Max and he realized it was me so he got them to drive to Standing Bear to see if I had stopped there! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Me and Chickenfat, my CDT brother and the new unsupported FKT (fastest known time) holder for the Benton MacKaye trail!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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“…when you get back, you better butter my bread!” (Robert Hunter)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Some days ago I took my first “zero” of this hike, a day with no hiking (thus, zero miles). I spent the zero in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. In my estimation, Gatlinburg has to be in the running for the strangest trail town<\/em> on any of the triple crown trails. Given that it is accessible from Newfound Gap- an approximate mid-point of the walk through the Smokies- it is a natural resupply and rest point for many hikers, as the Smokies present an early challenge before many hikers have developed their “trail legs.” But unlike other towns frequented by hikers, Gatlinburg mainly serves a very different clientele. The town is a throwback to the old school big-tourism destination with all of the attendant unique attractions, brightly colored snacks and souvenir bric-a-brac. The streets of the small town pulsate with sticky-handed masses who browse overtly christian shops and queue up in long lines in front of the various pancake houses in town each morning. The quality of people-watching is on par with my personal gold standard: the Minnesota State Fair. Needless to say, for hikers adjusting to the rhythms of life in the woods, it presents weird.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Just another white blaze<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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This blaze is harder to see: on the rock face to the right of the tree on trail right<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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This explanation of hog invasions preceded the gate in the next photo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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I’ve heard swine are smart, but apparently they can’t defeat this ramp.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Shelter filling up as the rain begins<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Someone eager to celebrate 250 miles completed<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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For some reason, foliage tunnels like this call to my mind Peter Rabbit<\/a> escaping Mr. McGregor’s garden<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Well, I think that about covers it for now. Thanks for following along and I’ll post again soon. Love and best wishes, Max <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

My last post was from the Nantahala Outdoor Center, just prior to entering the nation’s most visited national park, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. I spent a few days hiking through the park and am now about 40 miles beyond the northern boundary, spending the night at the Laughing Heart Hostel in Hot Springs,
+ Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-151","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-north-carolina"],"yoast_head":"\nThrough the Smokies - 2023 AT Nobo<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/maxheap.net\/at2023\/through-the-smokies\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Through the Smokies - 2023 AT Nobo\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"My last post was from the Nantahala Outdoor Center, just prior to entering the nation’s most visited national park, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. 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