Day 61 Newfound Gap to Icewater Spring Shelter – 3.1 miles.
This morning, we got ready and started to head towards the trail. I was going back to Newfound Gap and Nooner was going back to Clingman’s Dome. We planned to meet up at Icewater Spring Shelter tonight.
We decided to hitch hike up to the trail, so we walked just past the Gatlinburg city limit and I stuck out my thumb. It didn’t take long for us to get a ride from a guy coming into Gatlinburg from Cherokee. (He wasn’t going our direction, but was willing to get us farther up the mountain.)
He told us to put our packs in the trunk of his SUV, so Nooner loaded our packs and we pulled off. However, as we took off, so did our packs… out the back of the SUV!… and nearly into traffic!
Either Nooner forgot to close the trunk door or he didn’t latch it well. I’m pretty positive it was the latter.
Anyway, we had to turn around and get our packs back.
After the incident, the guy giving us a hitch decided he was only going to take us a couple of miles… as opposed to the entire way as before… I can’t blame him, haha!
After he dropped us off, two men (I want to say we’re brothers) picked up us and took us all the way. As they were taking us up, we even got to see a bear and her 2 cubs!
They dropped us off, and I set northbound!
I got some nice pictures today from the views at the Jumpoff.
Nooner did not end up catching up with me tonight (as I later found out he only hiked Clingman’s to Newfound Gap and hitched a ride back to Cherokee for the night).
Thanks for joining me on Expedition Elizabeth!
Expedition Elizabeth 