Standing Bear to Hot Springs

April 25th, 26th and 27th
The past three days have been very eventful! We hiked out of the Smokies and to Standing Bear Farm, which is a hostel. The hike was very beautiful! It had many springs and bridges; something we hadn't seen in the Smokies very much. We were walking down the trail and we saw a butterfly on a step. It had an injured wing! Max moved it on the trail onto some leaves. All day we saw butterflies. Then we reached Standing Bear Farm. What a sad place. It had great facilities but the employees (we never met the owners) were not so great. They made us feel uncomfortable. They were very womanizing and crass with their guests. I would not recommend staying there at all! We unfortunately did.

Th next day we left as soon as we could. Making sure to say goodbye to our friend's dog! We hiked ten miles into a gap where a man approached us with some deviled eggs! There was trail magic! It was a bunch of people cooking up breakfast, lunch and dinner! There must've been at least 15 thru-hikers staying there that night and we did as well. One of the volunteers played his guitar next to the fire that night and it was a real thru-hiker family experience. We had ham, chicken, and salmon with some sweet potatoes for dinner and we ate sausage eggs and bacon for breakfast there! It was so delicious and made up for our not so great stay at the Standing Bear. When we decided to leave the next day we were one of the first to go. Before we left one of the volunteers gave us a box of Samoas!

That morning after breakfast we left. With Hot Springs only 23 miles away we wanted to at least make it to the shelter 10 miles away. As we walked we were surprised yet again by more trail magic! We ate second breakfast there consisting of hard boiled eggs sausage and pancakes! We even got a shot of whiskey and some chocolate milk! With all this new energy we suddenly wanted to go more miles. Before we knew it we were heading to Hot Springs. We hiked in the rain up and over 3 mountains for 23 miles! It took us about nine and a half agonizing hours but we made it! We made it to Hot Springs! We met up with our friends Why Not and Rammy and got some dinner. It has been a very rewarding day for us! Now we are really sore and tired and its time for bed!
With love,
Comrade and Sara

P.S. Max got his trail name today!

Pecks Corner to Cosby Knob Shelter

13 miles of the Smokies today! Our last night in the Smoky Mountains. So far they have been my favorite part of the trail. It's a little upsetting to leave. Especially now that spring is in full swing and all the greens are beginning to fill and flowers starting to bloom! Tomorrow we are going to stay at a hostel for Sara's birthday so I'm looking forward to a nice shower, warm food, and if we can find it ice cream or cake!
With Love,
Max and Sara

Gatlinburg to Peck Corner Shelter

April 22nd and 23rd
Yesterday we went into the Tourist town of Gatlinburg, TN. We had a 5 mile day and got a ride from a NOC shuttle. Gatlinburg is pretty much one road that's filled with shops, restaurant, and resorts. It was a huge culture shock walking on the strip. Sara and I treated ourselves to some custard and a buffet. We were pretty happy to get back on the trail the next day. Gatlinburg isn't our kind of place. We didn't take any pictures because its the kind of place you have to see for yourself or never see at all. We got back on the trail today. Everyday on the trail gets better and better! Especially in the Smoky Mountains. Today we traveled all across the mountaintops and saw some amazing views! We climbed on Charles Bunion, a rocky outcrop where you can see for miles across the Smokys. It truly is the life up here. The challenge of day to day, hiking up and down mountains, the constant strain on our bodies it's all worth it when you get to the top and see the view or stumble upon a spring coming out of rock, or you look around and all you see is made naturally, hasn't been placed there, or manipulated. It's all spontaneous growth thriving in a place untouched and un-maimed by man. Being here truly allows you to see the difference between theses two worlds. The Smokies definitely are inspiring and I have never been more happy to be on the trail!
With Love,
Max and Sara

Mollies Ridge to Derrick Knob to Mt Collins Shelter

April 20th and the 21st
The past two days have been Max's and my favorite of the hike. While the terrain has been challenging the hiking has been extremely rewarding. The Smokies are beautiful, more lush and varied than the hiking before this. There are meadows and views from most every mountain top. Spence Field was one such meadow, with waving yellow grass. As Max and I traverse the beautiful landscape we happened upon a horse and three mules grazing. Max eagerly jumped at the opportunity to pet them as we made small talk with the two cowboy-like owners. And while Spence Field was amazing, personally my favorite part of the Smokies so far are the old growth forests. While the bright open fields and mountain tops are beautiful in their own way, there is something about the deep, dark beauty of the pine forests. The rich greens and reddish-brown earth tones create a majestic, almost magical, feeling. They truly are something to behold.

On a different note, today we reached the highest point on the AT, Clingman's Dome. We also reached our 200 mile mark! Today was a really great day, but we are excited for showers and resupply at Gatlinburg tomorrow. Hopefully the beautiful weather will continue on!

Much Love,
Sara

The Fontana Hilton to Mollies Ridge Shelter

April 19th (because we aren't able to post everyday, we'll put the date at the beginning each post from now on)
Yesterday we decided to stay at the Fontana Hilton Shelter and take a zero day. It was nice, we went down to the Dam and had ice cream. But today, today was wet. We got an early start and spent our entire 11 mile hike soaked. The only thing that kept me going were the dry change of clothes in my pack. My waterproof shoes proved to be less than waterproof, and wringing the dirty water out of my socks at the shelter was not so fun. At least this shelter has a fireplace to dry them by! Today was our first day in the Great Smoky National Park, and the trail is beautifully maintained, and I can't wait to see what it's like not encompassed in a fog. Tomorrow looks sunny so we'll dry ourselves out and have a better day.

It's getting dark outside so that means bedtime.

Goodnight,
Sara

Fontana Dam

Last night we stayed at Fontana lodge. We split the price of the room with our friend Nate! It's really quite beautiful here. The food the serve in the bistro is amazing! I had the pulled pork plate which was delicious! Our waitress was very friendly and actually posed for a picture after the bistro closed for the night. The lodge itself is decked out with all sorts of wilderness and wildlife decor. The beds are super comfy and was just a great place to spend the night! Now it's off to the Smokey Mountains!
With love,
Max and Sara

Sassafras Shelter to Brown Shelter

We decided to take it easy today. We hike around 9 miles up and down mountains. We had to climb one section called Jacobs Ladder which was probably the worst part of today. It's almost a straight vertical climb for about a mile and a half! We were blessed with some trail magic today! This guy He Who brought us candy and Gatorade. He also was kind enough to drive us in and out of town for some McDonald's. I had McDonald's for the first time in at least 3 years and I'm fine with not having it ever again. It tasted fine but sat in my stomach like a bunch of rocks, Never again!
With love,
Mac and Sara

Wesser Shelter to Sassafras Gap Shelter

It took us two days to go the 13 miles through the NOC. Basically it's a 3000 feet decline into the gorge, and then a climb up 3000 feet on the other side. Yesterday we climbed down into the Nantahala Outdoor Center to resupply. When we got there we were amazed by the rapids, restaurant, and people that were all there. As soon as we arrived we ran into some of our trail buddies who are backpacking the AT under Big Agnes. They offered us a place to stay and at first we weren't sure if we wanted to press on or stay at NOC. After we ate at the delicious River's End restaurant we decided to stay! We had a pretty fun night with the sponsored crew drinking and playing games. However we woke up with just the worst fatigue and morale deflation. We hit the trail by 10. We hike 7 miles all uphill! It took us 6 hours! It was really rough and one of the hardest days so far, mainly because we just weren't at our best. We still managed to see some beautiful view and some cool rock faces. Somehow I always manage to keep my excitement and playfulness at 100%.
With love,
Max and Sara

Panoramic from Wesser Bald

Meadow to Wesser Shelter

Really tacking on the miles! Today we hiked 13 miles over 3 mountains! My body feels great, my legs are strong, my lungs catching up, my mind is in the exact right place, but my feet!.. My feet are killing me! The only thing holding us back is our feet. They are really taking a beating on the downhill portions of our hike. All our weight coming down on our heels and transferring to our toes it's starting to takes it toll. At one point it really felt like I couldn't go on. I was taking such small steps and it was hurting so bad. Then something came over me and I started going faster. It almost seemed like the faster I went the less it hurt. Then when we got to the top of the mountain and got to see the view it really just reminded me of why we do this! Also we got our water today from a really beautiful spring fed stone cistern. Even with all the hardship that comes with the trail we still try to have fun everyday. If you're not having fun or enjoying yourself then why do it at all!
With love,
Max and Sara