I feel like a Thru Hiker

How many miles does it take before you can call yourself a thru hiker? From the beginning of our first day we had to decide the answer to that question when tourist at Amicalola asked “Are you thru hikers?” For some pedantic reason it would have been an easier question if she had asked “Are you thru hiking?” Are we thru hiking? Yes. Are we thru hikers? I don’t know. So when does that switch flip? When are no longer a backpacker but instead a thru hiker? It is hard to pinpoint a time when suddenly that label fits while you are in it, but looking back it the memory is stark to when I could look myself in the mirror and know I AM A THRU HIKER.

We were in Smoky Mountains NP just 3 miles from Clingmans Dome, the highest point on the Appalachian trail. Unlike most hikers we were loving the Smokies. The weather window was perfect, with mostly clear skies and a warm breeze for the season. The only complaint we had was that we were hungry.

At this point we had been on trail about two weeks. In fact we had just crossed the 200 mile marker and the hiker hunger was coming in full force. We had been ambitious to carry 5 days worth of food to avoid having resupply within the park. It was now day 3 and we were both close to eating everything remaining in our food bags.

Speedgoat suggested doing a sunrise hike to Clingmans Dome in the morning. It is a popular right of passage on the AT and might take our minds off our stomachs. When we awoke in the 5 am darkness we were greeted by a lightly frosted ground. This did not bode well for what awaited as ahead. When we got to the Dome it was completely socked in and the wind was fierce. Easily our coldest morning yet.

The wind was too strong to linger at the top, so we huddled in our quilts at the bottom of the tower to make breakfast. Pulling out our depressingly small food bags reminded us that even after this meal we would be hungry. The trail provided in a big way. A lovely former thru hiker by the name of Cricket heard our conversation and generously offered us a ride into Gatlinburg. Even with the promise of a ride we were hemming and hawing. We were not confident on how to get back to trail. We had never hitch hiked before and certainly didn’t know what to do besides the whole ‘stick out your thumb’ thing. Eventually the older sister made the call and decided we would take the chance.

It was still another 8 miles to New Found Gap where Cricket was parked. We started off at a brisk pace now excited at the prospect of food. We were not the only ones. There was another pair of hikers behind making a break for the parking lot. Within a mile or so of the trailhead, we passed a day hiker going southbound. She was familiar with thru hiking culture and said the magic words “there is trail magic in the parking lot.” I cannot remember if we were actually running at that point or not. Either way, we were hustling enough that when the other thru-hiking pair caught us in the parking lot, they commented that they thought something was wrong because we were moving so quickly.

It was still another 8 miles to New Found Gap where Cricket was parked. We started off at a brisk pace now excited at the prospect of food. We were not the only ones. There was another pair of hikers behind making a break for the parking lot. Within a mile or so of the trailhead, we passed a day hiker going southbound. She was familiar with thru hiking culture and said the magic words “there is trail magic in the parking lot.” I cannot remember if we were actually running at that point or not. Either way, we were hustling enough that when the other thru-hiking pair caught us in the parking lot, they commented that they thought something was wrong because we were moving so quickly.

They joined our ride to town with Cricket and our first stop was Cici’s pizza buffet. If you have not been to a Cici’s or even heard of one, let me paint the picture for you. Salad. Breadsticks. Pizza after pizza. Cinnamon sticks. Brownies. All for $10. I don’t need to tell you that we were in heaven at that point.

We knew we needed to augment our resupply so that was the next stop. This involved buying an entire box of Cheese Its and mixing it with a large bag of peanut M&Ms. Real food in the form of Subway subs was also acquired. Footlongs of course.

Gatlinburg was a tourist hellhole and extremely jarring after being in wooded solitude for two weeks. However, there was a slice of hiker life there in the form of the NOC. A massive flagship store that was Christmas morning to any thru hiker. Riveter got a new water filter and a Cotopaxi fanny pack (or as she would call it, her snack sack).

Right…. so now the hard part. Back to trail…

The trail provided again. A NOC employee who was also a former thru hiker quickly picked out the hikers in the store and offered us a ride after her shift. Once back on trail we had less than 3 miles before camp and our subs! Sitting there watching the sunset back in the comfort of the outdoors we reflected on the spontaneity of the day. The course of the day was not at all what we were expecting when took our first steps that morning. From the frost, to the new friends, to the plethora of food. The stunning part - it all turned out not just okay but amazing! We had leaned into the unease of not having a plan and now, now we felt like REAL thru hikers.

You Might Also Like