Big Miles: Fontana

With 150 miles behind them everyone is getting their hiking legs.  Many hikers now match my pace, so I get more frequent conversations while hiking. I'd been hiking alone so far, so some company is nice. Their daily miles are growing as they also are starting on the trail earlier each day. Perhaps soon I'll be seeing familiar faces for multiple days or weeks instead of just passing them once.

Tomorrow I'll visit Wildcat, a hiking buddy from the Continental Divide Trail. I'm really looking forward to it. A few days ago I hoped I'd reach Fontana late Saturday so I could take a full zero on Sunday, but abbreviated miles on Thursday in anticipation of the thunderstorm leaves 47.3 miles, just too many miles for the remaining two days. Or is two 24s just barely possible?  

Then on Friday slow muddy trails and an afternoon break to dry gear leaves 27.3 miles to Fontana today. Too many miles. Way too many. Almost certainly. Almost. 

The miles out of NOC are not easy. The trail climbs 2961 feet in 5.8 miles (10%), then grants a short breather before climbing Cheoah Bald, another 662 feet in 1.2 miles.  I still can't quite give up on reaching Fontana today, but after lunch I still have 19.4 miles to go!  These are the biggest hill climbs yet. Big miles too? Crazy! I do the math and estimate an arrival time of 10-11pm. I decide to push and see how it develops. 

At Stecoah Gap a previous hiker is celebrating his birthday by providing a huge feast for thru hikers. The good food and comradery is too much to pass up. Time ticks away while I eat and chat. I leave at 4 pm with 13.9 miles to go. No way to reach Fontana now. But there are only a couple more climbs and then maybe I can kick a super fast pace the rest of the way? 

I maintain 2 mph climbing Jacob's ladder, ascending 618 feet in just 0.6 miles. I feel good. I change my socks and bandage a sore shin. I getting ready for a long night. At 5 pm 11.5 miles remain. And I think I can somehow add that to the 16 miles I've already done today? 

I want to use all of the daylight I can. I am flying at 3 mph. Then lousy footing and rubble conspire to slow me to a crawl. 

Dark sets in and I have 4 miles to go. Should I make camp? It takes an hour to cook, eat, pitch the tent and hang the bear bag. In only two hours I could be in Fontana. There is no moon. I am very dependent on my flashlight but I have backup. I keep going. 

The trail is generally easy to follow in the dark. I think to myself that navigating the Appalachian Trail at night is about as hard as navigating the Continental Divide Trail during the day. Then I encounter rocky outcroppings and have to search hard for the trail. Time ticks on. 

The miles count down. A trail crossing at 2.6. A foot bridge at 2.0. The final stretch of switchbacks descending to the highway take forever. 

At 10 pm I arrive in Fontana. But Spirit is not at the highway crossing. With no cell phone signal I have to assume she is at the dam. Another 1.4 miles. My feet hurt but I take off again. A few tenths of a mile before the dam we meet up when the trail parallels the road and she is driving by looking for me. 

It's over. I'm here. 28.4 miles. Whew. Long day. Tomorrow I get a full zero with Wildcat. 

When I come back to the trail on Monday I should see familiar faces to hike with. And no more crazy 28 mile days. Promise.