Today was another hot, tough, but really good day. We hiked out of Grassy Gap and continued up the big ascent out of the NOC. We could see the Nantahala Gorge where they do the whitewater rafting from a spot called the Jump-up.

Jump-up. Don't jump off

We kept going up and up to the summit of Cheoah Bald for more great views. North Carolina seems to have a spectacular view every couple miles.

Cheoah Bald

We saw our second one of these guys on the trail in the last 2 days…I guess they are enjoying the warmer weather down here.

Snakessssssss!

After that we got some trail magic (fresh apples) at Stecoah Gap and then had a few tough climbs, notably one called Jacob’s Ladder. We had a little bit of trouble finding a flat spot to camp in the evening. The trail through NC is on so many mountains, ridges, and cliffs that there is very little flat land around it seems. We found a nice little stealth site a couple hundred yards off the trail slightly before Hogback Gap. We hiked about 15 miles today. Continue reading →