Tenth.

The day out of Gatlinburg started early. Creek, Critter, and I were looking for a hitch out of town. We couldn’t have had our thumbs out for more than 10 minutes when a woman from the nearby general store poked her head out. “Where are you guys headed?” We told her up to Newfound Gap, and she told us to wait five minutes. Before we knew it, we were loaded into her car, driving up Highway 441.

Her name was Jana, and she provided the best hitch ever. Her Grand Mountaineer had heated seats, and we jammed out the whole way up to the gap. Pearl Jam, 4 Non Blondes, Sublime, and The Offspring put us in great spirits to get back on the trail.

The hike out of Newfound Gap was a chore—a few miles straight uphill. My pack was probably the heaviest it had ever been. I had calculated a five-day supply of food, but I had essentially doubled all meal sizes in anticipation of my metabolism going into overdrive. I think I have way too much food, but I guess I’ll find out.

About five miles in, we came across Charlie’s Bunion, a unique rock formation atop a mountain that provided spectacular views. We spent a good amount of time there, soaking in the views, taking pictures, and talking to a local trail hiker named Gary. The day was absolutely spectacular.

That night, it was time to get creative with some cooking. I had heard about a “Snoop Dogg” ramen recipe that sounded like perfect hiker food: beef ramen, beef jerky, American cheese, topped off with Dorritos. I had been given a full package of jerky from some trail magic, so I figured I’d just pick up the rest of the ingredients at my last resupply. I cooked it up and it turned out way better than I expected. I’m looking forward to trying out more trail recipes as I hear about them.

The next day was my earliest start yet. There was a chance of storms later in the day, and the idea of doing all my hiking before they hit sounded appealing. I’ve been hiking with Creek and Critter, and they are super early risers. They are usually on the trail between 5 and 6 AM. This day I decided to join them, but I still started a half hour behind. Starting a hike before the sun comes out is a unique experience and a pretty calming way to start the day.

We still got rained on, and it turned out to be a wet morning. It did eventually clear up, and I was done hiking 15 miles by 1:15 p.m.

The shelter at which we stayed that night was unique. There were no bear cables or bear boxes; instead, the shelter had a chain-link enclosure on the open side. The idea was that we could stay inside and sleep with our food while also making it bear-proof. We called it “The Lunchbox.”

The great thing about finishing early was that we had the rest of the afternoon to relax, eat, and enjoy each other’s company. We were pleasantly surprised to see Ketchup roll into camp, as we had been separated for the entire time in the Smokies. Ketchup had finally caught up with us. Upon his arrival, he immediately managed to somehow uproot a large tree stump and get it into the fireplace within the lunchbox. It was great having the gang back together, and we exchanged stories over the past week while enjoying the nice, cozy fire.

I am currently at mile marker 241 of the Appalachian Trail, and I am finishing up the post at the Standing Bear Hostel as I take a brief pit stop. The plan is to reach the town of Hot Springs, NC by Friday morning.