Y'all ready for this?!

What's up everyone! Nate and Jim here--finally with internet access. We just finished the Smokies today, and what a crazy adventure they have been. We had possibly the best weather we could have asked for--blue skies, 70 degree weather, and no rain. The views were fantastic almost the entire time, with the only exception being Clingman's Dome. Since it's the highest point on the AT, the fog and mist never seem to leave...and we figured out pretty quickly why they call them the Smokies.

Pause. REWIND. After getting separated from the group and pushing several big days, Nate caught up to Jim just before the road to Franklin, where a group of Ohio Wesleyan University students had set up a huge, trail magic feast of chicken, donuts, pizza, fruit, chips, pretzels, sandwiches, candy bars, drinks and much more! After stuffing our faces, we pushed on with our good friend Spam to a beautiful campsite next to a creek. Two days later we stopped at NOC for a warm meal. We said our goodbyes to Spam, and hitched into Bryson City for a recovery day. Back on the trail, our next big stop was the Fontana Hilton, the shelter right before the Smokies...but it was no ordinary shelter--hot showers, flushing toilets, and running water! While Fontana Shelter was amazing, the "town" itself lacked anything resembling a town. No grocery store, no outfitter (closed for winter); only the "Pit Stop," a deserted gas station with one lonely, overpriced, mini jar of Jiff peanut butter. We got a ride into the next town over, Robinsville, and resupplied and pigged out. The next day, with heavy, full packs, we headed over the Fontana Dam and into the crazy, up-and-down wilderness of the Great Smokey Mountains.

 After a disappointing view from Clingman's Dome we decided to lift our morale by hitching into Gatlinburg, TN to order up some massive 18" pizzas!

We hurried to NewFound Gap so we could have sufficient time indulging in real food and make it back to the trail before dark. All the locals and tourists of Gatlinburg wanted to know if two teenagers were actually hiking the ENTIRE Appalachian Trail--why wouldn't we be? They were stunned and treated us like national heroes. 

Our biggest adventure so far took place our last night in the Smokies. When we arrived at Tri-Corner Gap Shelter and checked the hiker log we saw a notice from a ranger that said there was a missing hiker, and to call if we knew anything. We skipped on signing the log because really...who wants to be the guy who follows up the missing hiker alert with a "WHAT A BEAUTIFUL DAY OF HIKING IN THE SMOKIES!" We figured someone would sign before us and then we would be in the clear. So later that night in the shelter, with Pa Bert and Hap (two older dudes), we were all journaling about our normal day of hiking, when suddenly we hear someone yell "Hello?!" from a little ways away. We yelled back and the voice quickly responded with a cry for help. We all jumped out of our bags and sprung into action. The missing hiker had stumbled across the AT and found his way to our shelter. He told us he hadn't eaten for 4 days--just some maggots, worms, and ferns, and had drank melted snow-water our of his boot. We made him some food and gave him some water and he filled us in on his story. Apparently he had planned to do some backcountry bushwacking and had gotten lost along the way. He had ditched his pack in a confused, mad dash for safety and ended up stranded without any gear. He told us that he was a Wilderness First Responder and that he was usually the one coming out to rescue people in his very situation. He told us about his injuries, the worst of which was a deep cut on his left tricep and wrist--exposed fat and ligaments--from falling down a mountain. He had puncture wounds in his neck and on the back of his skull. Jim and Pa headed South down the AT to get cell service and contact a rescue team, while Nate and Hap kept him company and got him warmed up and comfortable. Jim and Pa returned over an hour later with news that a team  en route and his family had been notified. It was a long, sleepless night waiting for the medical crew to arrive. We were at least15 miles from any access road, so it wasn't until a little after 2:30 in the morning that help arrived: a team of 3 medic/park rangers. They worked throughout the morning patching him up and stabilizing his condition, waiting for daybreak to bring him to a hospital. With all the excitement, everyone got an early start to their day. About an hour down the trail we all had to stop while a helicopter attempted to land in a small clearing on a mountaintop, however the high winds made it too risky. We said our goodbyes, good lucks, and get wells.

We pushed on because we had a big day ahead of us, hiking 18 miles to Standing Bear Farm Hiker Hostel.

 

P.S. We got our trail names! Nate is Johnny Appleseed and Jim is Mango ;)