Day 69 went from Garenflo Gap to Hot Springs – 6.6 miles.
Thanks for joining me on Expedition Elizabeth!
Day 69 went from Garenflo Gap to Hot Springs – 6.6 miles.
Thanks for joining me on Expedition Elizabeth!
Day 68 Zero’d at Laughing Heart Hostel with Nooner.
We went to the hot springs and soaked too!
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Day 67 slackpacked from Brown Gap to Garenflo Gap – 16.7 miles.
Stayed at Laughing Heart Hostel in Hot Springs, NC.
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Day 66 slackpacked from Davenport Gap to Brown Gap with Standing Bear Hostel – 12.5 miles.
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Day 65 Zero’d in Asheville with Nooner!
We went to the movies and saw Black Panther, and started a darts game!
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Day 64 Zero’d in Newport with Nooner and celebrated Boss’s birthday!
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Day 63 went from Tri-Corner Knob Shelter to Davenport Gap – 15.7 miles.
Smokies officially done!
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Day 62 went from Icewater Spring Shelter to Tri-Corner Knob Shelter – 12.6 miles.
The morning began with Charlie’s Bunion!
Later in the day, I was knocked out by a tree. I was wearing a ball cap, and the tree was just out of my view. I hit the tree so hard that my head bounced back off the tree and I landed on my back.
These are some pictures post run in with the tree.
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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).
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Day 60 Zero’d in Gatlinburg WITH NOONER!
This morning, I got up early to go to the laundry mat to get my clothes clean from yesterday’s mud pit and then I was going to get back on trail, but on my way back, I got a phone call from Nooner!! 😊
He hitched from Cherokee where he had been for about 7 days to Gatlinburg for me!
This was a complete surprise for me! I was so happy to be with him again!
I can’t even remember what we did today because I just remember how happy I was to see him.
Thanks for joining me on Expedition Elizabeth!