Nolichucky River wth Yeti
M=15.8;C=336.6
So we escape from Erwin, TN. Awesome hike yesterday coming into town. Yeti and Fox met up with me on the bridge. We were passed by three kids on bikes. Locals. They had spent the afternoon catching helgamites to sell -- going price: $3.50/dozen! Wow. They told us there was a restaurant a half mile up the Chestoa Pike. We were waiting for Babbles, Tired Dogs and Jack/Wayward Traveler to come down the hill. I volunteered to go for some Mtn Dews and a phone to check in with my brother while Fox and Yeti hung back at the bridge.
A mile+ of road, two angry dogs, and lots of litter later (no restaurant!), I stuck out my thumb and hitched. Some folks pull up, jerk a thumb over their shoulder and I scramble into the bed of a pickup. 'I'm just going up to use the phone.' 'We know where you're heading.' And with that, my ride took my clean through Erwin to the east side to the old YMCA and a closed Dairy Queen with a phone. An out-of-order phone. Hmmm. Beggers can't be choosers.
So I walked into the Y. A couple of gals there let me use the phone. Talked with my brother Skip -- we set up a meet Monday 4 to 5 at the P.O. in Elk Park. That's four days off and only 40 miles up trail. Heh -- only 40. I've been on Trail only a month. Seemed a lot longer, and three weeks ago, I would have giving anything to be able to do ten a day without crying in pain.
Now, I had a LOT of time. So I started off for the ATM, as advertised in the Companion. Not! The machine is not networked -- this bank only. OK. I had mailed back that first section guide in Hot Springs, and I didn't think it had anything about TN in it anyway. No map of town. I knew which way we had come (not by road, but the setting sun was kind of a clue). What the hell, I can wing it.
Heading back and trying to recall the way back to the bridge, I found/encountered the Featherpack brothers. They talked me into seeing a movie. OK. Now, we're heading back into town, and a prestine Lincoln pulls aside. Two older ladies ask us if we need a ride. Nice. We pile in, packs in the trunk and get dropped by the theater. 'Ducks 2' is playing. Walk right in with full pack and stick. It's a trail town. The locals are accustomed to the odd ways of, um, hikers.
After the movie, we made our way to the Erwin Hotel, room 3. Showered, shaved my neck [I have a vicious neckbeard], and after a bag of cheeseburgers and grub, crashed. Slept SO well.
Tried to escape Erwin this a.m. Ended up downtown again, got $ and breakfast. Hung out, shopped and wrote cards for the P.O. Escaped at 2:30! Made trail at 3. Radio weather calling for boomers but it was beautiful weather. Came up to Curly Maple Gap. Met Buzz (Chris, a C.E. student and fellow Hokie). Promised to catch up with him in Damascus. He's on a tight timeline and I have time to kill before Elk Park. Babbles made it in and Traveling Jack/Wanderer. A 4.2 mile day, but simply lovely.