All done. Time for a shower at the hostel.  Heading home. Hauled balls for the last 11.7 miles.

Happy Towel Day

Views of the river and town of Erwin.

"You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy. We must be cautious..."

Day 5 - 5/25/12 - Spivey Gap to Nolichucky River

A second beautiful day ahead.

Snack at No Business Knob Shelter.

http://web.eecs.utk.edu/~dunigan/at/m.php?wpt=NoBusines

Reached campsite near Spivey Gap for a 12.2 mile day.  Dry and Clear and Warm.

And encountered our first Trail Magic... chilled Cokes, Diet Coke and Sprite.

Rest and lunch at Bald Mtn Shelter.

http://web.eecs.utk.edu/~dunigan/at/m.php?wpt=BaldMtn

Passed a cool rock formation called High Rocks...



Top of Big Bald 5516'

Day 4 - 5/24/12 - Bald Mtn to Spivey Gap

Starting out in sunshine at last. About to climb Bald Mtn. 7:30 am  Wet ground but clear skies.

Passed Sam's Gap at I23, constant thunder so we try to get as far as we can for the day.

Had to rapidly put up the tents in an improvised spot less than a mile past Sam's Gap. Pouring buckets. If it stops we'll make dinner.  No pictures of the campsite.  About 11 miles for the day.

Nice waterfalls...

That's I23 in the distance...

Afternoon rain starts again so we wait it out and have lunch at Hogback Ridge Shelter.  Sorry no picture of it.

http://web.eecs.utk.edu/~dunigan/at/m.php?wpt=HogbackR

Day 3 - 5/23/12 - Devil Fork Gap to Sam's Gap

Trail passes through a pasture and we see three cows grazing.

Poured from early morning, stopped at 7:30, packed up wet. Walking to Devil Fork Gap.

Reached campsite at 10.6 mile mark. Salamander swimming in the watering hole. He pees elsewhere right?

Sky clear...a beautiful night ahead... we thought.

Hiding from a heavy rainstorm in Flint Mtn shelter. Walked in rain with rain gear for 30 min.  Trying to make the decision to stay in the dry shelter overnight or add some miles and camp in the open.  Rain stops so we press on.

http://web.eecs.utk.edu/~dunigan/at/m.php?wpt=FlintMtn

Here's a bunch of tadpoles in a puddle...

Reached the meadows at Big Butt.  4,750'

Taking a rest at Jerry Cabin Shelter

http://web.eecs.utk.edu/~dunigan/at/m.php?wpt=JerryCabi

Day 2 - 5/22/12 - Up and Down

Early morning views from Big Firescald Knob

Thunder in the distance.  About 8 of us in the campsite.  No rain overnight.  Mice chewed my packstraps.  Cool night so in the sleeping bag.

Reached campsite after a lot of climbing, 7.9 miles for the day. Good water supply.

Met many thru-hikers on the trip.  That was Padre - an Episcopal Priest from Florida and 74 years old. 

Taking a rest at Little Laurel Shelter. 2:15pm

http://web.eecs.utk.edu/~dunigan/at/m.php?wpt=LittleLrl

Day 1 - 5/21/12 - Allen Gap and north

Shuttle dropped us at Allen Gap at 11:30am. Shuttle drivers first day and she got us lost.  In the midst of a 2000+ ft climb.

Azaleas were a bit past peak but still present, lots of Mountain Laurel and Rhododendron ...

Trip Plan for May 2012

Allen Gap, NC to Nolichucky River-Erwin, TN 53.4 miles

Park car here and shuttle to Allen Gap for $55 – Grim Uncle Johnny's 151 River Road, Erwin, Tennessee, 37650 423-735-0548 unclejohnnys2000@yahoo.com

Trail Notes:

Allen Gap—Paint Creek is 350 yards west, but water quality is questionable.

Little Laurel Shelter (1967)—Sleeps 5. Privy. Water source is 100 yards down a blueblazed trail behind the shelter.

Jerry Cabin Shelter (1968)—Sleeps 6. Privy. Water source is on a small knoll, up a path found on the opposite side of the A.T. CMC member and honorary ALDHA life member Sam Waddle was the caretaker of this shelter and 2.9 miles of the Trail, from Round Knob to Big Butt, for 26 years until his death February 1, 2005. Sam had a good sense of humor and was responsible for a light bulb and telephone installed on the shelter wall. Sam’s volunteer efforts transformed this shelter from “the dirtiest shelter on the entire Trail to one of the cleanest,” according to Ed Garvey, by hauling out an estimated 20 bushels of litter. He was devoted to the A.T. and an inspiration to all volunteers who share the commitment it takes to make a difference. The electric outlet and telephone may be gone, but Sam’s legacy will live forever.

Flint Mountain Shelter (1988)—Sleeps 8. Privy. Site of one of the more unusual animal encounters in Trail history. In 1994, a sleeping thru-hiker was bitten on the hand by a fox in the middle of the night, despite the presence of other hikers and two dogs. Water source is on the A.T. north of the shelter.

Hogback Ridge Shelter (1986)—Sleeps 6. Privy. Water source is a spring 0.3 mile on a side trail near the shelter.

Big Bald—True to its name, Big Bald offers 360-degree views at an elevation of 5,516 feet. From 1802 to 1834, the bald was inhabited by a cantankerous hermit named David Greer. Spurned by a woman, he retreated to the mountaintop where he lived in a small, cave-like structure (no longer visible). He declared himself sovereign of the mountain and eventually killed a man, only to be acquitted on grounds of insanity. The life of “Hog Greer,” called so by the neighbors because he lived like one, ended when a local blacksmith shot him in the back; the blacksmith was never charged. Greer Bald eventually became known as Big Bald. A golf and ski resort, Wolf Laurel, is clearly visible from the summit of Big Bald. A spring and campsite can be found by following the A.T. 0.2 mile north of the summit to a dirt road and then walking west 0.3 mile down the dirt road.

Bald Mountain Shelter (1988)—Sleeps 10. Privy. This shelter is one of the highest on the A.T. (5,100 feet), and the area surrounding the shelter is too fragile for tenting. Water source is a spring located on the side trail to the shelter.

No Business Knob Shelter (1963)—Sleeps 6. No privy. Surrounded by large Fraser magnolias and mammoth hemlocks, this concrete-block shelter was built by the Forest Service. Reliable water is found 0.2 mile south of the shelter on the A.T.


Daily Plan:
Allen Gap to Spring 7.9 miles (Day 1) *climb*
To Campsite 10.6 miles (Day 2)
To Low Gap 14 miles (Day 3)
To Campsite 9.2 miles (Day 4) *climb*  *perhaps go a bit more to shorten Day 5*
Option for morning pickup at Spivey Gap
To Erwin 11.7 miles – Option for pickup at Chestoa Bridge, Nolichucky River (Day 5) *descent*

Day 3 - 10 miles - pickup at I40 and Pigeon River

Day 3 - lunch at Davenport Gap Shelter

Day 2 - 13 miles - camping at Cosby Knob Shelter

Day 2 - warmer as we hike down