Noland Divide (11.5 miles)

Met Barbara Slover and Gary Niebart at Sugarlands at 7:00 a.m. (Barbara is shooting to complete the 800 next summer—Gary completed the 800 in July and is one with whom I did my early hikes). Noland Divide was the objective; its trail head is 1.5 miles short of Clingmans Dome. Although I had done the first 3.7 miles of it previously, this time we went from trailhead to terminus at Deep Creek. Although it started off cold (I even wore gloves and there were traces of snow around near the Dome), finished in a long sleeve T-shirt. Mike Miller picked us up at Deep Creek; then we preceded through Bryson City and Cherokee in NC, back to the Gap and Noland Divide trailhead. It was a relatively easy hike, only ll.5 miles.