Today I started on another fresh section of trail that looked like it was built/cut just a few days earlier.
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Have a seat.
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Cherry Gap Shelter
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Today's big climb was making my way to the top of Unaka Mountain.
As I neared the top I met Chief and White Wolf.
Chief has been section hiking the A.T. for sixteen years. He's real close to completion, just 50 miles left. I continued on to the viewless 5180' summit of Unaka Mountain. I stopped to take a break for a few minutes before continuing. Here's a defunct style. There's no fence there anymore, and you can walk right by it.
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Looking back to Unaka Mountain
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I was taking a picture of these trilliums and caught this butterfly by accident.
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Today's best view was at the 4437' summit of Beauty Spot.
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Another look back to Unaka Mountain
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Here's a 180° video clip from Beauty Spot.
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After lightening my pack by a grapefruit, it was time to get moving.
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I've run into this several times before. One side of the trail had recently had a fire as a result of a 'prescribed burn'. I'm amazed how one side can be burned without the fire 'jumping' to the other side.
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Here's a partial view from some powerlines. Some complain about powerlines on the A.T. I try to look at the positive. It provides a view where there otherwise would not have been a view.
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Flame Azaleas
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Rhododendrons
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Next up was Curley Maple Gap Shelter. I found this old foundation and thought that maybe the shelter didn't exist any longer.
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Then I found it.
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Over a bridge
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I never saw this type of construction before, a bridge made of dimension lumber was secured around a couple of rough cut logs.
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My map showed the trail following the river for a mile or so. I thought I was in for a nice easy walk, but the trail went up, up, and up. I was soon looking way down to the river. The trail finally dropped down near the river. I heard the sound of a train. Over the course of the AT, I've had to cross railroad tracks many, many times, but this was the first time a train actually went by when I was about to cross. I guess I need to wait a few minutes.
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Coming out of the woods.
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This wasn't the first vehicle I expected to see after being in the woods all day.
I felt like I had been in a time warp.
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Across the bridge
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The Nolichucky River
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I met Lynn at Uncle Johnny's Nolichucky Hostel and Outfitters.
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Uncle Johnny's would have been a great place to stay, but we couldn't get out of our current reservations without paying for a night.
