one (August 5)

The Newfound Start

Billy’s alarm went off at 4 this morning. By 4:02, we were well into the morning routine. I was making coffee; Billy was getting dressed. Karl got up, as he always does, about 10 minutes after we did.

Senior came to pick up the boys at 5:00. (Billy’s running the first 34-mile leg with Karl today.) They were out the door at 5:30. There’s a half hour drive back up to the trailhead at Newfound. Karl will at least run from Newfound to NC 28 at Fontana Lake today (42.1 miles), but there’s a good chance he’ll continue on another 6.4 miles to Yellow Creek Mountain Road. He’s setting himself up for a strong finish.

Davenport to Newfound and the end of the day

Senior and Pam drove down from New Hampshire so they have a car here. They also are not staying with us in The Rig, but in hotels in nearby towns.

The Meltzers shuttled Karl from Newfound Gap back to our campsite in Great Smoky Mountain National Park at the end of the day yesterday. He finished running at about 6:50 p.m. and showed up at the Rig about 7:30. Over dinner, he told us about the trail along the ridge between Davenport and Newfound. On the ridgeline top, the trail is built up with stone “walls” or berms on both sides, shaped into a grassy, single-tracked snaky platform runway (or hikeway), with views that left even our man-with-a-plan breathless and awed. He said also that the trail on the north side of the ridge was different from the trail on the south. On the north side, the trail was carpeted with pine needles, making it soft, cushy and forgiving. His tired and achey feet and knees appreciated the softness. The south side was rougher, harder, less bouncy.

Beasts of the forest and some good runnin'

Last night at Lemon Gap, after Karl was already in bed, as I was stepping out of the rig, I heard a rustling and a growl in the trees just across the dirt road - only about five feet from me. Scary! One foot hit the ground and I bounced right back inside, slamming the door behind me and locking it. Not that locking it would help, but it made me feel better. There was something out there. I didn't have a headlamp on, so I didn't see eyes, but it was there. We shut off all the lights in the rig and shined a lamp out the windows looking for the visiting predator, but we saw nothing. I probably scared it away with my scaredy girl reaction.

So this morning, Karl was planning on starting out at 5 a.m. and Billy and I were going to meet up with him at Max Patch, where I'd join him for the next 15.2 miles to Davenport Gap. But while we were having breakfast, Karl said, "You wanna do the first section with me too?"

"What?" I asked. "Did I scare you last night?"

"Hell yes!"

He had seen a lot of bear scat coming into the area yesterday, and signs, dated in May, that warned of heavy bear activity. Bears were on his mind anyway, and my little freak out didn't help. Company was probably a good idea.

"Besides," he said, "mindless chatter is just the ticket..."

Ha! So, what he was saying is that it would be good to have me along.

We got gas.

We pulled up to the gas station at the NC/TN state line shortly after I posted from Hot Springs yesterday and the guy inside said: "Boy, I bet you're glad to see me!"

Billy laughed and said, "Not at $4.59 a gallon I'm not!" (Which is more ironic than it comes across here, since Billy's a strong proponent of high gas prices in the hopes that they will persuade people to use alternate means of transportation... just an aside...)

The guy shook his head.

Into the Great Smokey Mountains

After running 50 miles yesterday, Karl started this morning with a 21 mile run to the Davenport Gap, Marit kept him company for this segment.  At the Davenport Gap, Karl refueled and got on his way for a 31 mile run through the Great Smokey Mountains National Park, while Marit hope into the full RV with Billy, Karl Sr., and Karl’s mom.  The RV is currently on its way to Gatlinburg, for some grocery shopping and clothe laundering (if I was with them we would have to stop by Ripley’s Believe It or Not, which has burned down once and had two fires due to faulty light fixtures, believe it or not?!?).   Marit will do a full post when they arrive there.

.j.

In Hot Springs, but we're on E

Yeah! Today is a MUCH better day than yesterday. MUCH. Karl is trucking along and feeling great. He passed through Hot Springs about an hour ago, drank a chocolate milk shake, doused himself in cold water, and set off again, walking through this charming AT town with his dad.

That's right. Senior's back. He and Pam drove down from N.H. and met us in Hot Springs.

Now we have to go find gas. Apparently, there's a gasoline shortage in the county. There's no gas in Asheville, let alone the small towns around here. Obviously, this is a big deal. Hopefully, this won't stop us, and Karl, in our tracks.

Wish us luck.

SPOT on!

The back-up SPOT is now on Karl as he makes his way through the beautiful North Carolina countryside, and the map has been switched over to follow the new unit.  Ping away little SPOT, run on Karl!

.j.

On NC2570, without SPOT

Billy and Marit are on NC2570 waiting for Karl to come on through for a refill of fluids and a bite to eat.  Earlier in the day Billy ran 20 miles in about 5 hrs with Karl and keeps mentioning how gorgeous the trail was and that he has never ran through an area so beautiful.  Marit sounded a bit jealous as she told me this over the phone.

A big black cloud in running shoes

It's 6:30 a.m. I am in the Rig, in the parking lot of Erwin's Food Lion, waiting for it to open so I can buy ice and some food. Hopefully, the Radio Shack next door will open before I have to go crew so I can get a memory card for the camera I bought yesterday. You know, morning errands.

Billy is running with Karl this morning. They are logging in 20 miles first off. We were up at 4 and, after the morning routine, they were out the door at 5. Hopefully today will be better than yesterday.

Forgot a day - set up for the Smokies

I'm tired too, and you're right, I spaced a day. We'll be at the Smokies tomorrow. The relatively "easy" 40-ish mile days that Karl's been logging are intentional to set him up at the gateway to the Smoky Mountains. He will run them in two days. Two very big, hard days.