June 21st: Best lunch spot yet and arriving at Uncle Johnny's Hostel

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Longest Day of the Year/First Day of Summer, Greatest Lunch Spot Yet, New Distance Record, Uncle Johnny's Hostel.

A quiet night in the nylon house. There was one nocturnal visitor that CC heard
breaking a twig or two. I don't remember hearing anything, but I did smell a
visitor I believe was a bear. I have not told CC about what I think as she would
not sleep for the next week. Morning brought a warm orange glow to the inside of
the tent as the sun climbed higher in the sky. Breakfast was pleasant and not
rushed, packs were loaded and trekking poles in hand we headed south. Our plan
was to make the next shelter at Curly Maple Gap, 12.2 miles. Spend the night
there then walk the 4.2 miles to town, collect our re-supply box, spend the night
at the hostel and do the clean up tasks.
CC set a fine pace as she has been since coming back from Matt and Tammi's. We
had two mountains to climb then mostly down hill. There were few hikers on the
trail today. We made "Beauty Spot" just after noon and stopped for lunch. The sky
was almost totally clear. To the east, near where the cities are, was some smog. We
had a 360 degree view on Tennessee and North Carolina. No money could buy a view like this, but
just do a bit of walking and bring a lunch. The pictures will come later.
Curley Maple Gap Shelter was not a welcoming place. A small slow moving creek
ran almost right in front of the shelter, and a tree had fallen and clipped a
corner of the structure. We decided to have an early supper then head for town.
The shelter journal had a few comments about bears in the area settling any
idea of staying there.
We finished super and had everything cleaned and stowed by 5PM. The book said
everything was down hill to town. My map did not show this part as we had walked
off my last map five miles ago. We made our normal two miles an hour average
into town. There was one last hill we had to climb before dropping into town. We
are staying at Uncle Johnny's Hostel, a legend on the AT. I will talk about it
more later. We made 16.4 miles today a new record. I got a few days behind on my
journaling while helping Earl. I have caught up while here at the hostel. Getting
late and need to get to bed.

Patrick, Deborah Mooney aka OD & CC
All Who Wander Are Not Lost

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Comments

[Go State]

Hello from Hogback Ridge Shelter
Hello OD and CC! This is Eric (Go State); we met in the rain at Hogback Ridge Shelter. Hope your walk has been continuing well! We made it to Erwin and are having a great time at Uncle Johnny's. Thanks for the tip on the pizza buffet! Have a great trip! -Eric (hike.menendezfamily.com)