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Onward Thru the (NOC)tch (ECT Day 98)

April 13, 2025

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“In that cool mountain air on an Appalachian trail

Ohh, life is better there”

– “40 Miles From Denver” (1999) – Yonder Mountain String Band

Hiked Today: 23.4 miles
- Appalachian Trail (125.4 – 148.8)

Total Hiked: 2,073.3 miles

Total Paddled: 99.5 miles

Weather: 30 – 60 °F, sunny, some gustyness in the am, clear

Elevation: 1,719 – 5,145 feet

Wowsers, it got cold overnight! I’d been warned, but wasn’t anticipating this significant of a drop. I slept ok, but did wake more than normal trying to get warm. At one point I curled my legs up so that I was in a sort of sideways ball and the then grabbed the bottom of my quilt up too so that all my limbs were condensed rather than spread out. This seemed to work.

Packing up, I realized it had indeed gotten below freezing. My tent fits together in a way that the fly buckles in to the main body of the tent. When trying to break it down, I couldn’t get the buckles apart. The rain had dripped in and then froze, bonding them together. I got one loose and then was able to take the pole system down and I ended up leaving them connected and just stuffed inside my pack.

I utilized most of my layers this morning including my colorful DG sock mitts…

My “Smittens” did the trick this morning!

But the sun was out too and that helps even if it still felt cold, there was warmth there.

Smiles before miles, eh

I kept the trekking poles compact and strapped to my pack. By keeping moving, I kept the body warm and made good pace. Thus, I soon passed Matt and then, Ninja. There was an awesome tower where I stopped for a break. I thought about sitting up top on the cool wooden platform, but the winds were gusty and it still wasn’t warm. At that point, I still had all my layers on and decided to have my second break just below the tower against some rocks in the sun.

A hiker named Bobby (I think) came by and I asked how his hike was going. He explained it’s his first time backpacking and his knees had been hurting, but today he felt good! After talking more, it sounds like Pepper, my fellow ECT’er up ahead, must have bumped into him and given him some tips on wrapping his knee. So that was cool. Hopefully us ECT’ers are collectively building a reputation or being respectful, encouraging, and helpful to those around us, rather than self-absorbed and condescending!

My new heavy breakfast items: honey granola, coconut milk powder (from Neel Gap hiker box), and cherries

Doesn’t win for its beautiful display, but a win in the taste and distinctly different factor and texture.

Next, was a steep downhill to the NOC. You may be wondering, what’s that Stevie? Well, so was I for the last few days whenever I heard hikers mention it. It stands for Nantahala Outdoor Center, but I didn’t put that together until yesterday when I finally spotted it on FarOut. Even so, I still wasn’t sure exactly what to expect. Originally, I just thought people were saying “the notch” due to the very v-shaped pattern of this locations elevation profile!

So a bit of steep down to get there!

The Power of Music

You’ve probably seen my list of songs and albums and podcasts that I listen to at the bottom of each post. It’s an odd thing to do, right? Why do I do it?

Music has power. Much like the art installations I went through with my parents in Montgomery, it can help me connect to underlying emotions that might otherwise stay buried. I’ve also found it can transport me back to places of my past and have had this happen in very specific ways. It might be certain lyrics or even just a series of notes my brain has memorized. Maybe it’s just the mood of the song matching my exact mood at the time. Whatever it is about the music, it triggers a memory or maybe not even a memory, but just a clear image or short replay in my mind’s eye of a span of my life. Typically these are quite clear and my hypothesis is it’s because there’s emotion attached to them. Whether it be sensations of an ecstatic high, wrestling with stress or anxiety, pain, heartbreak…. it might be along any point of the spectrum, but whatever the catalyst is, the feelings are connected to the music as a unit stamped on my being.

My most clear example of this occured in October of 2019 as I was nearing the end of my Pacific Crest Trail thru-hike. Traveling southbound at the time, I was meandering my way through Yosemite National Park about 5 miles before reaching Tioga Road and Tuolumne Meadows. I had set out on the trail 6 months and about 2,500 miles earlier. Just a month before that, my divorce had been finalized.

All this bubbled up in one moment when one song came through my earbuds… Tom Petty’s “I Won’t Back Down,” although it was a cover by Johnnyswim and Drew Holcomb, a much more mellow, acoustic, and somehow subtle and somber version. There wasn’t anything super out of place about this spot. It was certainly stunning. Smooth, mostly treeless, shallow granite slopes to the left of me angling down to meet the Tuolumne River. The river itself was calm at that time of year, almost stagnant seeming which offered up a beautiful reflection of Cathedral Peak far off.

The lyrics hit me hard. At the time, I didn’t comprehend what it was specifically. Maybe just the general idea that I’d made it that far on trail. Somehow, I’d kept moving forward both on trail and in life in general. I sat down and cried… big fat tears kind of crying. There was nobody up there and so it was a great place to let loose. Oddly, after the short break, I just continued trekking.

I bring this up now, because I had an experience today in which music and my surroundings melded together once again. Hiking down from Wesser Bald, the trail meanders along a rocky ridge with stellar views. One of the more outstanding parts or the trail thus far…

I started listening to a Kieth Urban album I had downloaded. I haven’t listened to Kieth in a long time. In fact, all his songs have been on my list to avoid intentionally for the past few years, knowing they would bring up a whole heap of feelings. Somewhat subconsciously, my strategy has been to shut that down.

It’s been about 7 years since shit dramatically hit the fan in my marriage. I’ve come a long way, but apparently there’s some stuff there that still has power over me. It’s an odd thing. I put this album on almost with the purpose of testing myself. This ECT journey, like all my trail journeys, has in part been about learning about myself in a deeper way and looking for insights into how to live life going forward.

The first few songs I was fine, just singing along, but then m one song in particular for going and gutted me. The thing is though, right away afterwards, I quickly moved on and continued to have an awesome day. The feelings of loss and pain didn’t linger like they used to. I didn’t fall into a trap and struggle to get myself out. I don’t have all the takeaways yet, still 4,000 miles to go for pondering this 😅, but I continue onward seeing this happening as a positive.

Back At It… Moving On!

Bet you didn’t expect all that today haha. As I said though, I got right back into happy hiking mode. I’ve noticed that when I hike to lower elevations, everything greens up! It’s very noticeable and a nice feeling, especially this morning seeing as it was finally warming up too…

I’m wondering if these will flower soon!?

Nearing the bottom, switchbacking back and forth, I got my first view of the NOC…

But there was still some fun stuff between me and it…

The Nantahala Outdoor Center

Apparently this is a hub for all things paddlesports. To those that have been on the the journey with me since way back in the Everglades, you may think I hopped in Karl the Kayak and shot the shoots if the mighty Nantahala River, but not this time! Instead, I purchased a peach tea and had my lunch at a little umbrella covered table and chairs adjacent to the river. A few other hikers were around at the restaurant, but knowing a huge climb was ahead I made the call to keep things quick and inexpensive this go around. It was a fun and beautiful spot though!

Up The Other Side

Then, it was up a grueling 3,333 feet to topple Cheoah Bald. I was making a pretty steady pace up the behemoth of a climb when I spotted two hikers ahead of me. I was about to put my earbud in (I usually just do one ear) to listen to some motivational tunes, but figured I’d wait until passing them by. Ch’yeah, that wasn’t happening. Once they saw me getting close, they burned me… just bombed it up the hill. A small competitive side of me wanted to chase after them, but these were super hikers. I’d eventually catch them on the downhill as they were taking a break and we chatted and walked for a bit together. I forgot their names (Free Will and Pack “Something?) but one was a triple crowner and both had hiked the AT several times. This AT journey is in some part to celebrate their 1 year together being married.

The top of Cheoh Bald, probably the toughest climb yet on the Appalachian Trail!

I shook an angry fist at the sign to show my frustrations.

That night, I settled for a not so great spot. It was pretty and had good cell service, but was quite lumpy and right next to trail. My food bag hang was right above the trail, but other than that, my best one yet… way up there

I felt good at the end of the day, but could certainly tell today was a different. The mega climb made it clear that my body is still adjusting to this terrain.