BMT Days 9 & 10: Bust & Bail, Then Back on Trail

Thursday, May 9th, 2024, 0700-1830
Hitch to Robinsville
6 mile road walk on the Cherohala Skyway

The weather forecasters weren’t kidding when they posted multiple warnings for the night: severe thunderstorms, flooding and a tornado watch. Check, check and check. The thunderstorms hit just before midnight and lasted through dawn. There were multiple confirmed tornadoes that touched down in Tennessee, west of where I was. Rainfall was reported to be 5 to 9 inches throughout the area. The good news was that my miraculous site next to the skyway bridge proved to be a winner. Only a few of the strongest gusts of wind reached me, as opposed to if I’d camped on the bald, where I probably would have gotten destroyed by the wind, if not also hit by lightning.

The bad news was that my Zpacks Plexamid tent started leaking halfway through the night. Despite all the commotion, I actually slept well through the storms and didn’t really wake to full consciousness until right before dawn. So I was surprised to discover a soggy bottom…right where the peak of the tent was dripping onto me and my quilt. I’d always feared that leaks might develop around the frame when I first got the tent. Sure enough, the pressure from the metal stays seems to have been too much for the DCF material to withstand. Zpacks in fact discontinued the design after only a few years, due to the defect. But that was either in 2021/22, so my tent was both way past warranty and way past when they last made the design. But everything else about the tent was still in perfect condition, including a very watertight floor (which had collected all the leaking water at my feet, thanks to my carefully crafted pitch).

I babied this tent more than any other piece of gear, expecting it to last for over 10,000 miles like my Solplex did. But a leaking canopy was a pretty critical blow. My best recourse was to remove the metal stays, apply lots of tape around the peak, and resume pitching it without the frame. This resulted in a floppy pitch and with less headroom than before, but I hoped this would at least stop the leak. (Update: Jamie at Zpacks did in fact later hook me up with a like-new Plex Solo, which was very nice of them!)

Regardless of the storms and my gear hick-ups, I was ready to knock out just 16 miles to the Tapoco lodge, using it as a refuge to dry my quilt and tent. But then I started reading FarOut comments about the route, where multiple people stated that it was by far the hardest and slowest couple of miles on the BMT. There were several remarks about not wanting to do the section if it was wet or raining and about how hikers had fallen multiple times going down steep slopes. Other comments likened it to the NH\ME section of the AT. This comment in particular made me laugh, but also heed the warning: “this section will shove you to the ground, steal your lunch money, and spit on you.” I figured the blowdowns were likely to be severe after the storm, plus it sounded like the trail was already suffering from a lack of regular maintenance. I also didn’t know if there were any major stream crossings that could be dangerous from the flooding. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that it was wise to quit while I was ahead. All the while, the rain continued to pour and there were rumbles of thunder as I packed. I moved to finish packing under the nearby bridge, just to find some peace for a bit.

Luckily the Skyway provided a somewhat easy means of escape, but maybe only in the form of self rescue. I walked half a mile to a rest area to hang out in the privy, trying to get cell service, but found nothing. I could have tried texting shuttle drivers or hostels using my ZOLEO device, but most of my notes for nearby places said “no texts”. At least I was able to text relatives that I was ok. No vehicles came by in 2 hours so I started walking the Skyway east, prepared to walk all the way to Robbinsville NC if I had to. If I could make it there, I could get a pick-up from one of several nearby AT hostels. As always, I relished the protection of my umbrella and actually enjoyed the 5 mile road walk on the scenic hwy. I had it to myself, after all. Plus it was kind of amazing to see how much water was gushing down the sides of the road. I could have counted over a million little millipedes that had crawled onto the pavement, seeking refuge from the flooding, I guess. They all appeared to be dead, but it was hard to say. What carnage though…it made me feel pretty lucky for being a large mammal and escaping the storm rather unscathed.

Finally, a dude in a truck came by and picked me up… there’s always a dude in a truck to the rescue. The poor guy was so confused…why was there someone walking the road in the bad weather? He thought I’d broken down and asked me where my car was. I’m just hiking, I explained…sort of. I was indeed an oddity, even though the AT wasn’t that far away. Once in town, it was easy to book a night at the Creekside Paradise on the AT. What a fantastic place this turned out to be. For a very reasonable rate, I got my own room, laundry, a hot shower, dog cuddles, breakfast, and use of the outside hot tub. Jeff and Cynthia, the proprietors, were very nice and accommodating. They included the pick-up from town in the room price and then charged a very fair rate to shuttle me to the Tapoco lodge the next morning. I was most grateful for the break from trail, but wouldn’t you know it, the weather turned beautiful again in the late afternoon. Still, it was a good decision to avoid the bad section of trail, especially after I heard the reports from other BMT hikers, days later. The blowdowns were indeed terrible and the trail a mess.

I of course thought about trying to get a ride back to where I’d gotten off trail, but it seemed too complicated. Jeff was already shuttling someone to Fontana in the morning, and the Tapoco lodge wasn’t that much further from there. It would have been a much farther drive to shuttle back to Stratton Ridge on the Cherohala Skyway. Plus, I needed to stick to my schedule so that I met my Smokies permit, which started on Saturday. I no longer had the time to hike the 16 mile section, plus another 14 miles to the Fontana Hilton, gateway to the Smokies, all in one day…especially factoring in the shuttle and my resupply at Fontana Village. I figured I could always come back to hike the section after AT Trail Days and if not, no big loss.

Friday, May 10th, 2024, 0930-1830
Tapoco Lodge to Fontana Hilton, mm 195.8
14 miles, Gain: 3890′, Loss: 3240′, elevation 1800′

Waking in a bed to the smells of breakfast wasn’t a bad way to start the day. What an unexpected treat, to stay in a real bed and breakfast! Cynthia and Jeff laid out an amazing spread and were such gracious hosts. I just wished I was more hungry. I had to pass on too many things. The 5 AT hikers that I shared the meal with were pretty ravenous, though, making up for my meager efforts. It was fun to be back in the presence of hikers. The BMT was pretty lonely in the first week and a half. Jeff shuttled me and another hiker, Google, to Fontana right after breakfast, which proved to be one of the worst car rides ever, only because the windy mountain roads made me so car sick. But at least I got to ditch the majority of my gear at the check-in counter, turning this day into a proper slack pack. For the rest of the drive, Jeff was great about telling me the history of the region, keeping me distracted from my urge to puke. Along the way, there were several downed trees on the road and Fontana Village was still without power. The more I saw and heard about the storm, the more I realized how lucky I’d been to get out with only a leaky tent.

I was so relieved when we got to the lodge, ready to get back to my slow pace. But Jeff couldn’t resist being a tour guide and showing me the dam just a little down the river, where the Little Tennessee and Cheoah river met. The rivers were raging, reminding me of all the incredible rapids I ran down the Grand Canyon. I couldn’t help but scout the rapids on the Cheoah, picking the line I would run in a ducky. It looked like tons of fun but perhaps too much excitement.

Thankfully the ridge between Tapoco and Fontana Village was pretty chill, with not too many blowdowns. I did get 3 ticks going through some overgrown grass, but evicted them quickly. After only a few miles, I ran into Just Jess and Jekyl, the 2 badass lady hikers that I met 3 days prior near Unicoi gap. They were so sweet in expressing their concern for me. Their faces lit up with relief as soon as they saw me, since they’d been worried about my safety through the storm. It was nice to know someone was thinking about me and my safety (which was more than I could say about some previous hiking ‘buddies’). I returned the favor by presenting Jekyl’s cherished AT buff that I’d recovered on day 8…freshly laundered even! She was so happy…us lady hikers look out for one another!   

The miles passed by quickly this day, finally matching what my GPS watch logged. I didn’t bother to stop for lunch, imagining the goodies I could buy at the village instead. After about 9 miles, I took a detour from the trail to pick up my gear and resupply box, which my friend Lorraine from Miami kindly dropped off for me weeks before. The general store and reception were still out of power, so I valiantly tried to convince the clerk that they needed to hand out the ice cream to hikers, before it all melted. No dice. But everyone was so friendly and welcoming of hikers. Here I joined the masses of AT hikers that were hanging out, buying junk food and sorting through their boxes before the big push through the Smokies. The BMT joined the AT for a final time for a brief few miles, past the Fontana Hilton shelter and Dam.

After shoving 5 days worth of food into my pack, I walked a block to a gas station that was serving chili dogs and beer on tap. The place was packed with local workers, mostly speaking Spanish. I quickly made friends with a lady that was from Venezuela, but of course her family lived nearby to me in Doral. I enjoyed a quick drink and meal, then walked the rest of the way to the Hilton. It was pretty full and with several dogs staying inside, so I opted to pitch my tent for a rough night too near the bathroom. Even though it had flush toilets, once the wind from the lake died down, I discovered it was putting off a horrific smell. On top of that, it became the hang-out spot once it got too late for the late-night revelers to respectfully do their hanging-out at the shelter. I guess they didn’t notice that my camo tent was nearby. I slept right through all the thunderstorms 2 nights before, but the chatting kept me up. I could still hear them through my earplugs but eventually I drifted off. I had an early morning start planned, and a late night wasn’t a part of it. It took me less than 1 day to miss the peace and tranquility of the BMT. I was definitely looking forward to the remaining 95 miles through the Smokies. Almost done!