BMT/AT Figure 8 Day 37: Unconventional Trail Magic and Best Stealth Site EVER!
Day 37, Thursday, October 8, 2020
Stealth Site at Mile 2053.6 to Stealth Site on Rocky Bald, Mile 2065.9
Mile 411.9
Miles Hiked: 12.3
Good things happened at the NOC this morning, and the day just got better and better.
Sadly, the good things didn’t include freshly brewed coffee with real cream or a case of Krispy Kreme donuts. I made do with a package of chocolate covered things labeled “donut” and Bustelo camp coffee I brewed myself while waiting for the outfitter to open at 10, sitting next to the river in an Adirondack chair.
When I got down to the parking lot, I was greeted by three guys who I didn’t recognize but who recognized me.
“There she is,” one of them said.
“Who? Me?”
“We met you on the way up to Shuckstack.”
Oh, yeah…it came back to me in a rush. We’d stopped on the trail and talked for a few minutes, sharing our itineraries. They were hiking from Fontana to Clingman’s Dome and they all wished they had more time to do a bigger hike like mine. The kid, probably 13 years old, told me there were showers at Fontana.
This is one of my favorite things about long distance hiking… sharing a moment with strangers on the trail never expecting to see them again. Then, seeing them again. And feeling like you’re reuniting with a best friend you haven’t seen in years.
We caught up for a few minutes, standing in the parking lot, excited to hear about each other’s adventures. I mentioned my dead headlamp, and the next thing I know, we are at their car and the father is giving me batteries—trail magic. My headlamp is revived and we are on our separate ways.
I went straight to the bathroom to wash my feet and rinse out my undies before settling into another big climb.
I thought I’d hike as far as Wesser Bald, where there is a platform up above the trees with 360 degree views and a few small tent sites in the area.
I got there too early to stop and I had a feeling it would be crowded over night. So I hiked on.
I’d read the fine print again in Guthooks and set my sights on a stealth site on top of Rocky Bald even though I was sort of dreading the climb up.
It was totally worth that second big climb of the day. Just past the last open ledge on top there are a few flat spots nestled in amongst the laurels. Beyond that is a rocky slab, open to the last warm rays of the sun.
This is one of my Top Three Stealth Sites of All Time.
I laid out on the rocky slab, enjoying the warmth before the temperature dropped. I saw a small rainbow hugged by the crystalline clouds overhead.
Then I sat on the ledge with my dinner and watched the last color of the day fade into grays and blacks.
