Day 9 Getting to the NOC

Writing from a motel in Bryson City after having slept for 9 hours in a real bed.


Yesterday was every bit the slog down hill through rain and sleet that we expected. I slept pretty well in the shelter, only really waking up when it started pouring rain at 5 AM. After that I slept on and off until around 7. We ate breakfast in the shelter and prepared to go out in the rain.


It was 40 degrees, raining and foggy. We only needed to ascend Wesser Bald, then drop 4,000 feet into the NOC. We put our heads down and crushed the 16 miles for the day between 8AM and 2PM. 




By the time we made it down to the NOC we were all feeling pretty beat up my ankle is slightly swollen and slightly bruised. I’m not sure what is going on with it. We were soaked from head to toe. We decided that we would take the next day as our first zero - a day where we don’t make any progress on the AT. This should let us recovery and get ready for the Smoky Mountains, the tallest mountains on the trail. 


After arriving at the NOC we sat down and ate a huge meal. We split a pizza between the three of us. I also had a half pound burger and fries. The food was awesome. 


After eating we went to the room where we expected to spend the night. When we got there we realized that it was just a bunk room. No sheets or blankets, we had to pay extra for towels to use in a communal shower, and the power was out. It would not have provided the accommodation or rest we were looking for. So we decided to cut our losses and shuttle into town. We will likely be able to get a refund on the room at the NOC since the power was out but that’s a problem for latter. We ended up getting a shuttle from an incredibly nice lady Patrice. She recommended a motel and a breakfast place in Bryson City. And everything so far has worked out wonderfully. 


After spending a few hours resting, showering, and talking on the phone with Ashley and my parents I very easily fell asleep around 9PM. I slept incredibly well, only just waking up at 6:30. 


Today we will take a zero, rest, eat, and hang out. The rest should let our bodies recover and prepare for more hiking in the days to come. 


For those interested, I went back and updated the blogs for days 6 and 8 with pictures, if you want to go back and see those.


Good morning 


Walker 


If you want to follow Tyler or Spencer, here are their logs as well:


Tyler: https://tylerat2024.blogspot.com/?m=1


Spencer: https://www.instagram.com/baxter.bound?utm_source=qr&igsh=MWx4MzRqa3M4dGk3Mw==

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