Best night of sleep on the trip! I was up by 0600, cleaned up, got breakfast in the hotel (0700) and got on the road. As I departed from Maggie Valley, I noticed that all of the hotels had no vacancy signs (I guess I was lucky to find a place). There were many clues (foggy, damp, puddles) that the forecasted rain had come through overnight - from the news this morning, it looked like I had several hours of dry before another storm was expected (gambling paid off). It took me about an hour (mostly on US-19) to reach the AT Trailhead at Newfound Gap (on US-441 in GSMNP) because of distance, fog and elk on the road (!) but I was all geared up and ready for my last hike of the trip by 0815. Temps were in the low 50s but the dew point was very close - two layers (light jacket) was comfortable. Sadly, this short section wasn’t too exciting (and didn’t have any views, due to the fog) but it was one more link in the long AT section chain I’m building. As it has all week, the trail meandered on both sides of the NC/TN border. During 1.7 miles of climbing today, I passed eight Thru hikers (all 2021) and two LASHers (Smokies only). Talked to most of them and took away lots of good stories of perseverance and determination. One couple (“Rocky” and “Nemesis”) had started hiking in Key West back in October 2020; one solo lady was trying a Thru again after breaking her leg in PA in 2018; a trio of young guys were all charged up after crossing Clingman’s Dome; an older Thru guy joked that it was so hard to see anything near 6K’ that “they might have moved the tower”. Overall, I enjoyed the camaraderie - everyone seems to love sharing their adherence of the Hiker Mantra (“Hike Your Own Hike”)... When I reached the parking area for the Road Prong Trail, I decided to backtrack via the paved road (access to Clingman’s Dome) - the distance was almost the same but it was better for my knees, ankles and feet (including the annoying blister). When I reached US-441 again, I realized why I hadn’t seen any cars for the previous mile - the road was closed (will have you remember to check that next time). Reached my car at around 1000 after around 3.5 miles. Almost all the hikers I’d passed were enjoying some Trail Magic out of that back of a Trail Angel’s truck that was parked right near my car. Seems like that would be a good life - cooking and dispensing joy to hikers... The Park was rapidly filling up with visitors and I gladly vacated the area as fast as I could. On the way, I ate lunch in the car. As I left Great Smoky Mountains National Park (fog on the way, no cell signal until Gatlinburg), there was LOTS of traffic. I had trouble getting through Pigeon Forge, possibly because I followed Google Maps to the northeast - the routing took me past Dollywood and several busy parkways before I got on I-40. I called Brenna and we had a nice chat. The weather kept improving all the way and I decided I'd like to see some more scenery before the end of my day. I had a rough plan in mind but, when I encountered a big traffic jam near Johnson City (TN), it convinced me to leave the Interstate. I managed to get off I-40 at I-26 (squeezed by cars on the shoulder) and drive north. I stopped at a rest area to take care of some emails and calls. Armed with some additional ideas, I decided to visit Natural Tunnel State Park (north of my location). I then took US-23 to US-58 (into Virginia) and headed west. When I reached the park (1330), I was pleasantly surprised to learn that I'd found a really interesting place! From an overlook near the main Visitor Center, it was clear that the Tunnel was a geological marvel. A bunch of walking was required (chairlift closed) but getting a chance to look into the deep tunnel - still used by freight trains - was well worth the effort. And, while it wasn’t directly connected to THE Carter Family of Nashville fame (who originated nearby), a walk through an old cabin of Moseby Carter reminded me how much work it was to tame the land when settlers first traveled the Wilderness Road. Highly recommend this State Park! I departed at 1430 and backtracked to the intersection of US-58 and US-23. From there, I used US-58 and several backroads back into TN and then paralleled TN/VA border until I reached US-11W. Took that road to I-81 and crossed the border into VA immediately afterwards. Made good time to Marion and stopped at the Travel Inn for the night again (1615). Took a nice bath and sorted laundry, repacked bags, cleaned dust off of car. Went to get dinner at Arby's (1750) and got gas at Food City GasNGo (1755). Back in the room, I ate dinner, read, worked on my computer and finalized packing for the next day. Finally went to bed at 2300. It’s been a great week - weather was awesome, hikes were challenging but rewarding, hiker stories were inspiring. I'm already looking forward to my next visit! AT Today = 1.5 miles / G.T. AT = 1797.5 miles / AT Left = 387.8 miles
