NOC to the Smokies

Last time I posted was the day before heading into Wesser (the area is also just referred to as NOC, Nantahala Oudoor Center, an outfitter where you can get new gear and resupply). It was a short day's hike into Wesser. When we got there, we rented a cabin, took showers, and did laundry. Then we went to a restaurant along the Nantahal river. 

In the morning, we bought food enough to get us to Gatlinburg, TN, which is where we plan to take our next zero day. We hit the trail by 11. We had to climb 3000ft in 7 miles to get to our next campsite. It was brutal. We were tired by the end of the day despite the low mileage. 

The next day we hiked 12 miles to get to the next campsite. One interesting feature was called Jacobs ladder, which is a very steep incline up to the summit. 

Today, we hiked 9 miles to get to Fontana Dam shelter, also known as the Fontana Hilton (this is the first shelter with a shower and a proper bathroom). A bubble of hikers is here, so we had a campfire and I got to meet a lot more awesome hikers. We also got to eat at a restaurant in Fontana Village. We also hung at at the general store for a while to let our phones charge. On the shuttle back to the shelter, we crammed into a van with a total of 8 hikers (not including the driver). It was actually kind of fun, despite having multiple backpacks laying on me. 

We also ran across a rat snake today. It was up in a tree and I would have walked right by it if it wasn't for Louisa's keen eye. We haven't seen much besides a few squirrels. That might change tomorrow since we are entering the Smokies, which is a bear sanctuary. 

We are definitely looking forward to seeing another national park, but not as excited about the rules and restrictions. You must tent at a shelter, and if it's full, you must hike onto the next one, which could be 10 miles away, even if it's raining or storming. I will try to remember to post again once we get to gatlinburg, which should be 4 days from now.