It’s been OVER A YEAR since we last hiked, which is probably an all time record. Two years of college followed by a cancer diagnosis and surgery left us with very little hiking and no backpacking this summer. But we’re back in the Asheville area, and have decided to start a new project: the Smokies 900. The idea, if you haven’t already guessed, is to hike all the trails in Great Lakes National Park. Smoky Mountains, of which there are more than 800 miles. It certainly takes over 900 miles to hike them all, as many of them need to be hiked both ways or multiple times to access other trails.
With the start of this project, we were excited to try out some new hiking pants provided by Kuhl! Dormouse really likes her Freeflex roll-up pants (and was surprised that they fit her, as usual, that NEVER happens when she gets pants online without trying them on!), and Dirt Stew (which has no difficulty fitting into things) thought his new Renegade Cargo Convertible pants seemed very durable.
Since it’s October and camping reservations are scarce, I chose a somewhat random loop to begin this project in earnest. We invited our partner in crime, “Donner” (Rob), who in turn invited his friend “Peach” (Emily).
Day 1:
We rushed out Friday afternoon after a full week of work to meet Donner and Peach at the trailhead at Deep Creek. We got stuck in Bryson City with the train closing the road in front of us followed by construction, making passage virtually impossible. Eventually we arrived at the trailhead where Donner and Peach were waiting for us. We hoisted our backpacks onto our backs and headed down the busy Deep Creek Trail. We passed a yellow wasp nest that had been marked off. I was kind of hoping that yellow jacket season was over given that there were frost warnings for this weekend, but notice many of the insects were still buzzing in and out of the hole. Less than a kilometer later, I had to think twice when I saw a lady walk past us, holding two cockatoos. I tried to take a sneaky photo, but she noticed me gawking at her and asked if I wanted to hold them. Of course I did! She kindly took my photo.
The trail changed from a gravel road to a single track trail and the crowds disappeared. We’re having a good time, especially since Dirt Stew is leading the way. “Be careful, there’s a nest of yellow vests right there! » he shouts from the front, pointing to a large hole in a washout between roots in the middle of the path. “They are calm since it is cold – you just have to step over them quietly,” he suggested…
If you know anything about me, it’s that I always seem to be overtaken by the yellow jackets – and even though I was tiptoeing to the roots, one yellow jacket saw fit to sting me up to the butt! I screamed and rushed forward. Somehow Peach didn’t get stung, but stirred up the nest enough that Donner decided to find a way around the nest rather than trying to climb over it.
Before arriving at our campsite, we pass a log covered in chicken of the woods – a delight in the fungal world. Only one of us brought a stove: Peach; so we encourage him to gather a few pieces to add to his dinner.
(an orange-colored mushroom)
We arrive at our campsite by the creek as night falls. We decide to look for salamanders in the creek, and find that it is absolutely teeming with adorable amphibians. Two salamanders lined up alongside dark salamanders which curiously poke their heads out from under the rocks. A light drizzle finally encourages us to go to bed.
Day 2:
In the morning, we learn from Peach that the mushrooms didn’t suit her and that she had vomited right outside her tent in the middle of the night. We all agreed that there was no way we had misidentified them, but there was a good chance they hadn’t been cooked enough before she ate them, and that was probably that’s the problem. Luckily, Peach felt fine after getting them out of her system, so she slept well after that and was ready to go hiking in the morning. However, we all felt bad for encouraging her to consume them.
The stream we camped near was the last water source for a while, so we “cameled” (drank lots of water) and collected what we thought we would need to get us through most of the day . It was cold and climbing was good for getting the blood circulating. We hit the road and decided to have lunch in a sunny spot to dry some of our equipment (“hiker garage sale”) while enjoying the sun.
We knew it would only get colder – so we took every opportunity to stop in the sun. At another sunny road junction we found an interesting bird and studied it during our second lunch – maybe a snipe or an American woodcock, we couldn’t tell, but it was hanging out in a grassy area at the side of the road, and we took turns trying. to watch it. Tonight there were freeze warnings for Asheville, so it was definitely cold at the busy Keppart shelter at about 3,300 feet.
Day 3:
It’s very cold in the morning, so we quickly pack up and hit the trail wearing all our layers. Luckily the climb gets our blood flowing and we slowly shed a few layers. After climbing a few thousand feet, we almost immediately went back down a few thousand feet. Amazing. We are in the mountains. At the bottom we reach a frontcountry campground called Smokemont. We were hoping to find a camp store or at least a vending machine since we were running low on snacks. I fantasized about chips…which probably meant we didn’t have enough salty food. Alas, no store or vending machine. There was a bathroom, so we took turns using it while we hung out on the grass in the sun. As we sat there we looked at the three separate maps we had all brought and tried to figure out where our next water source was. Each map was different – Donner’s showed no creek crossings to where we were going to camp at Newton Bald. Our map showed two stream crossings and Peach’s showed no fewer than four. Donner decided to be bold and not carry water. The rest of us carried at least a liter.
As we climbed, Donner kept looking into each ravine we passed to see if there was a water source. Time passed and we finally passed a ravine with a small trickle of water. Donner, desperate, decides to dig a hole to collect water. The rest of us continued on, trusting the more detailed maps. Just around the next corner there was a real stream, and we laughed about how Donner was probably still 5 minutes late trying to get a trickle into his water bottle. He finally caught up and decided to fill his water bottle from the stream, apologizing for making us feel like he desperately needed water when he could have gone even further without her…or so he claimed. Dirt Stew and I generally find it a little safer at the expense of the slightly higher weight.
We then soon had to continue the climb to Newton, and the trail continued…moving on…. up… It was the longest day in terms of mileage, and my poor legs were totally out of shape. The last few miles were real pain (maybe just for me), and I had to remind myself of what my legs had been capable of in the past. I already did a 40 mile day – in the Smokies anyway! I did five 30 mile days in a row! How come a 16 or 17 mile day absolutely KILLS me? It’s amazing how much physical fitness you can gain or lose…
Eventually we arrived at the windy and freezing campsite near Newton Bald. I put on all my clothes and collapsed on a log hoping someone else would do my chores for me. Luckily for me, Dirt Stew was willing to fetch water from a spring that required a bit of a hike, and all I had to do was make a dinner of cold soaked ramen noodles. We decided to pitch our tent right next to a rhododendron bush, the only form of protection from the piercing wind.
Day 4:
We only had to go down the hill on our last day, but we had several different trail options to get back to the car. The original plan did not include any water sources along the route, and after our water adventures yesterday, we thought it was probably best to choose a route crossing a few streams. However, given the cold, we didn’t drink our water between breakfast and the end of the hike. Maybe it would have been a good day to do the dry road after all. On the road we took we saw a couple on horseback. Many trails in the park are open to horses (but not other pets!).
Once we got back to the cars, we decided to find a place for lunch in Bryson City. We opted for a restaurant as there would probably be something for everyone, but once we got to the door we discovered there was a 45 minute wait. Peach (Emily) gave her name to the host for the waiting list and we wandered around looking for alternatives. We found an Italian restaurant down the street and were immediately drawn to the prospect of carb-heavy plates. An hour later, we came out drunk. As we were walking down the street, we heard the restaurant host shout “Emily!” Emily is about to get hungry!!
We left the man screaming as we parted ways, heading home to a hot shower and a soft bed.