Day 11- Wayah Shelter to Nantahala Outdoor Center

Totally Miles Hiked 137.1
Miles Hiked Today: 16.3
Start Time: 0845
End Time: 1840

  It was a cold morning and we didn't spring out of bed and hit the trail. Instead, I got up and made ramen for Sage and I. Ramen makes a great breakfast,  it's hot, it's salty, it's and meal and a drink all in one. Sage was warm and comfortable in the shelter under two sleeping bags(she grabbed mine when I got up), so we were a bit slow getting on the trail.

    Our goal for the day was very ambitious, the Nantahala Outdoor Center,  over 16 miles away.  Along the way we had a climb up Wesser Bald, and then a long descent to NOC, going from a height of 5150 ft down to 1726 ft. 

    Trail conditions were excellent,  smooth and a gentle grade so we made great time for the first couple hours. There is a group of thru hikers we have been running with, and initially we led the group up the first climb. But as always occurs,  we fell behind the group a bit with our "foot breaks" every couple hours. We also like to stop at the overlooks and enjoy the view with a snack.

   The view from atop Wesser Bald was pretty impressive. A fellow Hammock camper had the right idea, and hung their hammock at the very top of the observation tower.

Clingmans Dome looms large on the horizon. We will be there in a few days. 

  Coming back down from the towers is always scarier than going up.

    With about 8 miles left to go, I was dragging bad. Both Sage and I had to take more breaks than usual for the last few hours of the day. My stomach was also a bit unsettled, it turns out that eating nothing but candy and little Debbie s is hard on the stomach.

The descent down to Nantahala Outdoor Center was 4 miles of knee busting drops. We were really low on energy, so it seemed like the day would never end.

My stomach felt much better after we ate some dinner at NOC. (Nantahala Outdoor Center)

After a huge dinner, we checked into our "cabin", a little house a few miles from NOC. The price was right, the shower was hot, and we washed all of our laundry. 

NOC is a good place for a "zero" and because the weather forecast for tomorrow is rain, most of our group is hanging out around town tomorrow.  We have decided to press on, there is really nothing to do here but rest and eat. As section hikers...we don't have as much time to burn as thru hikers. I'm also eager to get started on the Smokies.  We may do a shorter day tomorrow since we have to do such an absurd climb out of town.

So tomorrrow....rain or rain...we hit the trail for a big climb.