Project Eveningland

3/18/2023 Saturday

I changed my mind and decided to catch a shuttle to Devil’s Fork Gap, then hike to Sam’s Gap (the main pickup point for the same hostel). It was a slack pack because I left my tent, sleeping bag, and other equipment right in the same room where I’ll be sleeping tonight. It took a while to get things going in the morning but Betsy—who I’m told should actually be called Bessie—is up and running and taking hikers where they need to go.

I hiked for a bit with a tramily I really like. It’s Apple, a young woman whom I haven’t talked to much; Spring Break, a young man who graduated high school early and is hiking the AT before college; Vegas, who I think repairs utility lines and is very friendly and genuine (he is the “glue” that holds the tramily together, according to Apple); Rafiki, a serious long distance hiker and photographer; Frodo, who seems very fast so I’m not sure if he’s with them for just a while; and Oz, a redhead former Marine who has a great mustache and is a very enjoyable conversationalist (I think Oz was actually ahead today—he wasn’t with them). Or maybe I’ve conflated tramilies. They’re doing too many miles, too fast, with too few breaks for me to be able to join them. As they moved away from me, slowly outpacing me, I had a harder time breathing and talking and keeping up. “Wait!” I wanted to shout, “I have more cultural critique to share!” Alas. They have such a nice dynamic. Such warmth.

The scenery, though, had the opposite of warmth: coldth. The hoarfrost gave the trees a crystalline glow in the morning light, and the tops of the higher mountains had just the gentlest dusting of snow, so delicate that it must be powdered sugar. Despite the low temps, the sun and blue skies seemed to buoy everyone. We climbed past a waterfall and then stayed with the creek for a large part of a miles-long ascent. The muddy patches were still frozen firm for much of the day. I enjoyed having a very very light pack.

I stopped for lunch in a low spot where Trip and I stopped in 2021 to eat a hurried, desperate (for me anyway) dinner before pushing on to Hogback Ridge shelter. In 2023, things aren’t desperate. I’m in the middle of listening to Leviathan Wakes, and the descriptions of cramped rooms on ships and space stations sound very cozy to me.

I think I need to fold more “fun” foods in with my staples. I took some salt and vinegar chips from the little shop at the hostel, and two packs of chocolate covered mini donuts. The thought of these alongside my normal fare (nuts, seeds, peanut butter) made lunch more appealing. I ate a bunch of sour, sugar covered gummy “straws” that the trail angels gave me yesterday. Blue raspberry is the kind of flavor that makes me think of riding my bike to what we called “the Drive Thru” (a drive-in beer and liquor store in my hometown which also sold a shit ton of candy).

I reached Sam’s Gap and got a ride back to the hostel, and my cozy windowless little sleepin’ cabin, after 2PM. Wedge and Lost-and-Found had just arrived. We booked the same shuttle into Unicoi for dinner (alas, we only had 45 mins before the shuttle came back to the restaurant and the service at the restaurant was too slow to leave any time for a run to Walmart). I had a pepperoni roll and walked away with a piece of Oreo cheesecake for later.

On the way into town (before dinner) we saw a highway sign for an “Andrew Johnson Historical Site.” The commentary-center in my brain fired right up to say, “you know, Andrew Johnson was a real piece of shi—”No, Doug, stay silent; no political commentary on the shuttle! I settled for pursing my lips.

I’m taking a day off tomorrow and Wedge and L&F (I can’t keep typing “Lost and Found”) are gonna do what I did today: walk the nine-ish miles from Devils Fork Gap to Sam’s Gap and then stay here tomorrow night to get out of the cold. There’s a good chance I’m gonna walk out with Wedge and Lost-and-Found on Monday morning. I think I talked them down from a 24 mile slack pack straight to Erwin. It’s too early for that—the days aren’t long enough to make that humane. Wedge and L&F really know how to bust my chops. It’s endearing and, sigh, I deserve it after all my smart-assery over the years.

Back at the hostel I rented sheets (an extra $5) since I’m spending two more nights on that mattress. Putting the bed together with chemically white sheets… oh, it made me feel like a person. I also borrowed a vacuum and cleaned the worn utility rug—I’d dumped a lot of needles on the floor when I got out my tent to block the draft under the door last night.

I’ll attach some pictures since the cell service seems better today. I am gonna do everything I can to sleep in. Can I sleep in until nine?! Watch this space!