Date: 2003-05-29
From: Cable Gap Shelter

To: Fontana Dam Shelter
Miles today: 6.6
Weather: light rain

It's 7:30. I don't want to get up. Slept from 9:45 to 7:15. I can't seem to sleep enough. I'm still tired every morning.I hear the other hikers down at the shelter; in fact, Barbara just called to me to see if I was awake. I'll pull myself out. I need to get going.I woke up last night at 3:15 to a light shining in my tent window. I thought it was someone with a flashlight -- nope, just a firefly. Then came a big wind, and a lot of rain...It has stopped now though.As usual the day began with what seemed like a stiff climb. Still I made decent time down into Fontana Dam. Conveniently located at the road access was a ¢shuttle phone¢ to call the Fontana Village, which, for a buck, shuttles hikers back and forth over the two miles between trail and basic necessities.I dialed the number and waited about a half hour (probably could have walked the two miles in that time), until a young man in a white van sped up to the curb and stopped.¢You must be the shuttle,¢ I said, and climbed in. He dropped me off at the quaint little strip mall, containing a Laundromat, ice cream shops, general store and post office. Fontana Village is actually somewhat of a resort area. My ears perked up when I heard John say so this morning. The Napa Valley in me wants to be pampered! Maybe in Hot Springs I¢ll get a massage; I understand there are natural hot springs there ¢ hence the town¢s name. My first priority was to pick up my packages. No other hikers in sight, I have to admit my first mail drop was a little anticlimactic. I guess I¢d pictured a group of hikers excitedly pouring over the treasures they¢d forgotten were coming, peeking to see what each other had received, tearing into special treats that couldn¢t be saved.Nope, just me. Not quite sure where to spread out, feeling a little awkward. At last, after pacing up and down the covered porch a time or two, I plopped down on a rocking chair in front of the general store and tore into Bushwhack and Bramble¢s package. I¢ll say it again ¢ these precious people have never met me; Bushwhack and I have chatted a time or two on Trailchat, razzed each other on the forum, and e-mailed some ¢ and they went to the effort to make me homemade cookies! Which I promptly ate, well, ¢several,¢ while reading their witty note. Thank you, thank you, thank you!Next I read the unexpected postcard I¢d received. Or maybe that came before the cookies . . . At any rate I wasn¢t sure what to do with it. But the encouragement coming from someone else who had experienced what I am experiencing was pleasant ¢ and encouraging.Soon enough I was reading my mom¢s note and pawing through what she¢d sent. Seeking a more convenient place to spread out and sort through, I relocated to the end of the porch in front of the post office ¢ where I remained a good three hours or so.Barbara came along, as well as Greg ¢the secretary¢/Trail Angel. Greg had met John and Nichole yesterday and was on the lookout for me.Barbara began sorting through her gear as well. We restocked on food in the store and repacked while Greg chatted. Now this was more like it! Applejack, another hiker who had spent last night at Cable Gap (arriving after I¢d retired to my tent and leaving just as I was getting up this morning) came over and said he¢d seem my journal and that he had one too. Cool! I¢m famous! Hee, hee.I sent a few things home, trying to shave a few ounces ¢ hoping they¢d accumulate into pounds. The biggest thing was the top portion of my pack. I also cut off some straps I¢ve never used, and traded my Nalgene for a liter-sized Dasani bottle (it¢s lighter).And I now have a box for things I seem to use only in towns ¢ deodorant (hee hee), disposable razor, fingernail clippers, tweezers, extra contact solution, as well as extra Ziplocs (can never have enough of these ¢ they¢re great for compartmentalization and organization ¢ use ¢em in all sizes) and PA Plus tablets.Greg, becoming a Trail Angel, bought us all some S¢Mores ingredients and called for the shuttle to take us down to the shelter, affectionately titled the ¢Fontana Hilton¢. The shuttle deposited us in a parking lot on a hill above the shelter, overlooking the lake. The morning started out misty, the sun played peek-a-boo for a while around noon, and by this time (5 pm or so) the sky had settled into the moody gray of an oncoming storm. I had no idea this lake was even here, so the drama of the green treed shoreline, silver waters, and island hills against the backdrop of the mist-shrouded Smokys awaiting us across the dam nearly took my breath away.And the shelter! It is a Hilton (comparatively)! A large opening on both sides allows you to look from one entrance through the other onto the lake beyond. Upper and lower sleeping platforms form the sides of the shelter. Outside, a nicely graveled picnic area and fire pit, trashcans, and running water complete the luxurious accommodations. There are even real bathrooms not far away! I¢m going to get spoiled.My original itinerary scheduled a zero day here on Saturday, my rest and worship day, before I even knew what was here. I¢m a day ahead of schedule, so now I¢ll push into the Smokys before Saturday. I¢m half tempted to stay here longer!But I¢ve arranged with another friend, David, the one who took some photos of me from the first day, to meet Monday past Newfound Gap, and David will hike with me for a few days. I¢m excited about that ¢ it gives me something to look forward to, a goal to keep in mind. And just the right amount of solitude in between!Barbara and I walked the mile over to the Visitor¢s Center to use the phone. I told her to start because I had several calls to make. While she was talking, I scoped out the restrooms and showers. I figured I¢d take advantage of the opportunity to get clean, I spontaneously stripped down and hopped in, first filling my hand as full as possible with soap from the sink. I sensed I was missing something, and thought of it halfway through. I had no towel! No problem ¢ I mopped myself off with paper towels and dressed in my same old clothes. Ah, the life of a transient.After that adventure I caught up on a few phone calls ¢ Mom and Dad are being just great, ¢bricks¢ to use an old-fashioned term! I¢m a big phone person so I talked to them and one of my sisters for a while. Barbara had already headed back to the shelter so I walked back alone, admiring the view, basking in the cool spring evening. When I arrived the fire was going and marshmallows were toasting. Yum. Not a typical eating day at home or on the trip for me: lunch was chocolate chip cookies and a V8; supper, S¢Mores¢¦We chatted about life, the trail community, and myths about the Great Smokys (there are panthers, baboons, and chimps in there?) with Greg and Lewis.Now it¢s bedtime and Barbara and I are alone. This place seems too nice to spend only one night. . .