A Warm Welcome to Erwin

Day 44- 7 Miles today from stealth site to Uncle Johnny’s Nolichucky hostel, 800 Feet Up, 2,200 Feet down, Total 420 AT miles

No NORO Here

We found a cozy little spot directly next to the trail that fit our tent perfectly and was level. We could hear the creek cascading which was the last water source until Erwin. More importantly we were able to avoid the no business knob shelter and it’s noro nightmare. We both slept soundly all night. It was a cool night but not cold.

We had a leisurely morning and hit the trail at 8:30 winding up towards the noro nightmare. I could hear a creek off to my right. It’s a beautiful day with blue sky we hadn’t seen in awhile.

Cinco de Mayo

I didn’t realize it at the time but yesterdayy was Cinco de Mayo and thanks to big red and queen we had tacos quesadillas and I had a margarita! I can’t say enough thanks to those two.

Big red had a whole cooler full of nice beers. He had some fireball mini bottles for people to take with them. The margarita he made me didn’t use cheap tequila. He really went all out help us. The amount of help we get whether it’s Trail magic or Trail maintenance or just something else that happens through serendipity is just amazing on the AT.

We had a small uphill to get to the noro nightmare I mean no business knob shelter. You would not know that the noro nightmare had hit the shelter. It was all cleaned. No bags of clothes or the nightmare that was here before.

Steve with unicoi shuttles hiked up and detailed the place. All the tent sites had been thoroughly washed by several heavy rains. As for the shelter itself so far going northbound it is probably one of the ugliest shelters we have seen even without the noro nightmare.

Helene Hell

We continued to hike on a very pretty trail section with not too many blowdowns from Helene. Then when I came around a bend I could see off in the valley below. In the distance I could see Erwin for the first time.

At the junction of Temple Hill Trail the pretty scene of the woods we were hiking through came to an abrupt end. Helene had blown up through this narrow valley and completely destroyed the entire Forest. Not a tree was left standing all the way through this Gap. The trail wound through this maze of fallen trees as it descended down. The trail maintainers must have spent countless hours here clearing the trail.

Nolichucky Rage

A few more ups and downs then we were on a knife ridge looking down on the Nolichucky river. We continued our descent down into Erwin along a very steep cliff that dropped probably more 600 ft straight down into the nolichucky.

There was raw dirt all around the river where the river had surged during Helene and scoured everything. When we came around the final bend on the trail we could hear the roar of the dump trucks coming and going and all the other construction equipment. They were working away rebuilding this town.

As we departed the woods and started our walk down the paved road, Marquis who is directing truck truck traffic for the construction company gave us a big hoot and holler. Apparently he does that for everyone as they exit the woods. We could hear him randomly during the day hooting and hollering and screaming words of encouragement. It was a  warm welcome to Uncle Johnny’s.