Max Patch to Garenflo Gap – Northbound

March 17, 2013
Max Patch to Garenflo Gap – Northbound
14 miles, 9 hours
Moderate

Tigger took this picture of us
at the top of Max Patch

Tigger is hiking with us today, Yay!  Chuck shuttled us out to Max Patch to head north to Garenflo Gap. I would say it was a moderate day today, rising from a low of 3550 to the top of Bluff Mountain at 4686 then back down to Garenflo at 2500. 

It was great fun having another woman to hike with for a change.  Wait-up went on ahead and left us to talk all we wanted to on the trail.  I guess he enjoyed it too, walking at his own pace instead of waiting on Catch-up at the top of every incline.

Wait-up and Catch-up at the top of Max Patch.
 

Along the way, we met Steven, who had twisted his ankle while sliding down an icy patch in the Smokies.  He said he slipped about 30 feet before he was able to stop.  We heard some gruesome stories from several hikers who had come through the Smokies in February with about three feet of snow on the ground.  Steven would not agree to accept a ride at Garenflo with us nor to let Wait-up carry his pack, but insisted on hiking the entire distance to Hot Springs with his pack.   He made it too after dark that night.  Those thru-hikers are some tuff dudes!

Tigger and Catch-up at the top
of Max Patch

As usual, before the end of the hike Tigger and I started dreaming about a burger, so when Chuck picked us up we headed to the diner.  Unfortunately, the diner closes at 4:00 on Sundays, so we went to the Spring Creek Tavern.  They have a good hamburger too and, I understand, they have a live band on many evenings. 

We had another good night’s sleep in the private room at Laughing Heart.

Wait-up at the top of Bluff Mountain.
 

Max Patch to Waterville School Road – Southbound

March 15, 2013
Max Patch to Waterville School Road – Southbound
13.6 miles, 8 hours

Standing Bear Hostel

This morning we left the Smoky Mountain Best Western Hotel in Waynesville, NC to drive to the Standing Bear Hostel at Waterville School Road.  Curtis has agreed to shuttle us up to Max Patch where we will begin our hike southward back to his hostel where we have left the car. At Standing Bear, I understand they have a bunkhouse, a private cabin and tent sites. 

We arrived at Standing Bear Hostel just before 8:00 a.m. where we met Pilgrim who is working for stay at the hostel.  As it turned out, Pilgrim and his hiking buddy, Solo, joined us on the drive up to Max Patch.  They both commented later how Curtis was rude to us when he was collecting our money for the shuttle drive.  Evidently, it bothered them more than it did us. 

 At 9:00 a.m. we climbed to the summit of Max Patch.  Pilgrim and Solo headed north and we headed south.  We saw them several more times throughout our next few days and got to spend time with them at a hostel in Hot Springs. 

Looking up to the top of Max Patch

The trail in this section (Southbound) drops 1530 feet into Deep Gap, then climbs 1413 feet to Snowbird Mountain before descending 2463 feet again to Waterville School Road.  It sounds like we did more downhills than uphills, but the uphills we did were pretty hard for us, it being our first day back on the trail.  The bad thing about section hiking is that you have to start over on your conditioning each time you go out.  Needless to say, I was tired by the end of 8 hours.

Looking down from Max Patch
 



The tower at the top of Snowbird Mountain

 

The trail descends to Waterville School Road just south of the Hostel.  It was a short walk up the gravel road to get to our car at the hostel, and we took off to drive up to Hot Springs to spend the night before heading out from there.

The monument at the entrance of Hot Springs
 

On the drive to Hot Springs though, a wave of nausea hit me like I have never had before.  It felt like a severe case of motion sickness, although I have never had car sickness before.  We had to stop the car and let me get some fresh air.  Then I was hit with a fit needing to find a bathroom very quickly.  Luckily we had stopped right at the Tennessee State Line at the State Line Grill and I was able to use their facilities. 

We finally got back on the road and made it to Hot Springs.  Our first stop, of course was the Smoky Mountain Diner for a hamburger.  Wait-up ordered the 8 ounce burger and I ordered a regular, since I was not sure I would keep it down.  It was good food.  The sweet potato fries were awesome!  Then we checked into the Laughing Heart Hostel and were met by the manager, Chuck Norris himself.  We stayed in one of their several private rooms.  They have a couple of bunkrooms as well, three bathrooms, complimentary coffee, and a fully equipped kitchen and TV room for the quests to use.



The Hostel at Laughing Heart Lodge is located right at the foot of the AT as it comes down the mountain into Hot Springs.  It is the first building you will see on the left side of the trail. From the hostel, you can walk down a set of steps to street level to the little town of Hot Springs.  Most of the town can be found in a two-block area.  Some of the most popular places are the Smoky Mountain Diner, Elmer’s Sunnybank Inn, and the Bluff Mountain Outfitters.  The Hostel at Laughing Heart Lodge will soon become a very popular place because of its location and the hospitality you will find there.  It is a new facility, having only one season under its belt.  It opened for business one year ago on March 23, 2012.  It a beautiful piece of property that includes the lodge, a chapel building, and the hostel.  The lodge was formerly a Jesuit monastery and has been beautifully remodeled into a modern-day place of lodging, retreats, and healing.  And indeed, it was a place of healing for me.  During the night, I was again hit with a bad case of various stomach maladies and had to take the next day off from hiking to recover.  I can’t say enough good things about the hostel at Laughing Heart Lodge, you will have to find out for yourself or visit their webpage at http://www.laughingheartlodge.com/index.php/accommodations/hostel/

Note about Elmer's - I called from the top of Snowbird mountain to book a room there for the night, but found out that they charge more for section hikers than for thru-hikers, so I opted to stay at Laughing Heart.  However, I have read about Elmer's on other blogs and know that it is a very nice place--a historic house with excellent meals and the host has been very gracious to hikers for many years.  His hospitality is appreciated by the thru-hikers.

Elmer's Sunnybank Inn
 

The Smoky Mountain Diner in Hot Springs,
wonderful food and good service