Day 92 - Tuesday, June 15, 2021

We spent the night at the Tri-Corner Knob Shelter with several other hikers and there were 4 other tents and 2 hammocks set up in the campsite area. You meet a lot of interesting people, everyone telling you a segment of their lives and why they are hiking the AT. It’s almost like a living Facebook page 🙄 as I’m sure some are embellishing just a little bit. 

Take this one gentleman we met- he’s a Physician and works for the State of Virginia Correctional System. He talked all about what he did during the pandemic and some typical inmate injuries he has treated over the years (stabbings, beatings, broken bones - your typical day to day treatments 😂). Then he starts talking about his martial arts background and how he has trained in multiple styles (never mentioning any level or rank he acquired) and how versed he is and how now he has focused all his attention on Aikido and why. Turtle Power looks at me as if he expected me to rattle off my martial arts credentials as I just smiled, imitated a “Danielson” wax on-wax off gesture and let “Bruce Lee” continue. There’s a saying… “ people may think you’re dumb; open your mouth and remove all doubt!” 🙄

So anyways we later ate a delicious dehydrated meal, which aren’t that bad (just goes to show that you will eat anything when you’re hungry and have no other choices), resupplied our water and got ready for bed. One thing most hikers do have in common is going to bed early as you are usually exhausted  from hiking.

We were up at first light, had breakfast, finished packing our packs and were boots on the ground around 7:30 am. It was a little chilly as the temperature was 53° when we began hiking.

Today we are completing the second leg of our Great Smoky Mountain segment continuing from the Tri-Corner Knob Shelter (223.4 NoBo) to Newfound Gap, US 441 (207.7 NoBo) equaling another 15.7 miles as the shelter was incidentally the 1/2 way point. 



Not looking too shabby for not showering but I did wash up as best I could and brushed my teeth!



It started off cloudy and foggy as the day before… but it soon cleared revealing some beautiful amazing views!











USGS survey marker with elevation. My smartwatch’s altimeter checked within 6 feet of the elevation on the survey marker which I thought was good as I didn’t  know how accurate the elevation is. Typically, this type of survey doesn’t close that precise. 









It turned out to be a beautiful day… a light breeze was blowing most of the day with no humidity and the high for the day was 72°. 

We finish hiking around 4:45 pm and then had to drive back to Newport to get Turtle Power’s truck at the Standing Bear Hostel. 

We are going off trail for a few days as Turtle Power has a wedding to attend in Philadelphia. I am returning to NY to see Jean before she leaves for Peru and Machu Picchu on a trip with her sons Nick & Patrick. This also gives us the opportunity to resupply and rest 😉.

When we return we will wrap up the southern portion of the Great Smoky Mountains and the 15.3 mile segment we missed in Pearisburg, Va due to it being closed when we hiked through this part of the trail in April. Then we flip returning north to hike New Hampshire and Maine to Katahdin.  It’s good to have a plan…


Till next time... Happy Hiking  🥾 

😋


“You gotta have passion for life and passion for something that you're going to get up and do,".    

                                Meredith “Sunny” Eberhart  

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