Date: 2008-01-28
From: Cosby Knob Shelter, GSMNP

To: Standing Bear Farm Hiker Hostel, Hartford, TN
Miles today: 10.4
Weather: broken clouds

I woke up at 6:30am and brewed my morning Starbucks and ate the last eight powdered mini donuts for breakfast.Caveman and Neal both left before I ever got out of my sleeping bag. :-)I knew I only had 10 easy miles to walk today, so I wasn't in any hurry.It was the mildest morning I've had in some time at just 28 degrees....quite balmy I'd say. ;-)It took me a while, but I finally got packed up and started walking north on the Trail at 8:10am.It was a beautiful morning with full sun and hardly any wind.Even though it was the mildest morning in quite some time, it was still cold enough to freeze up the Trail and make it slick.That slipping and sliding only lasted for half a mile or so, then I got onto real dirt and rock Trail! Been a while since I've seen anything other than white stuff in the Trail.There was lots of hoar frost along the side of the Trail. I hadn't been seeing much of that because of all the snow.The views were awesome again today. I got down to Low Gap, then started the 2+ mile climb to Mt Cammerer and started seeing that mountain too.The snow is now all gone on the sunny side of the mountain at this elevation, but there's still a couple inches of the white stuff on the shady sides.I got to the side Trail to Mt Cammerer and checked to see that I was 5,000 feet high.I headed on down the mountain and stopped at a beautiful rocky overlook to take some pictures.A guy walking south came up while I was there and was all excited....he had just started his walk through the Smokies today at Davenport Gap and was headed for Fontana.We talked a while and he took off. I forgot to ask his name because we were talking about what he had coming up in front of him and he walked off in a hurry. :-(I walked on and stopped at another clear spot with a beautiful view and got more pictures.It would be hard for someone to walk through here and not be impressed with the Smokies!I stopped in a sunny spot in the middle of the Trail about 2 miles down the hill from Mt Cammerer and sat on a log step and ate some Thai Chili tuna, Fritos, dried pineapple, some nuts and a dark chocolate bar for lunch.It sure is quiet when you sit and don't move out here!I also had to shed my light jacket there. Even though I'm walking downhill, I still overheated in these warm temperatures.I checked the temperature just before I got to Davenport Gap Shelter and it was all the way up to 50 degrees.I walked by Davenport Gap Shelter. I didn't go to the shelter, but I stopped on the Trail above it and took a picture.I got to Davenport Gap. It was different this time because I always used to stop at Mtn Moma's and get a coupla hamburgers and fries....but she's sold her place and it's a private residence now.It was also kind of sad to be leaving the Smokies behind. I always enjoy the beauty of this place, but I've especially enjoyed my winter walk through it! :-)On the other hand, I can now get back to the way I like to travel through the woods....stopping at some nice spot and stealth tenting away from everything.I like sleeping where no one has before! :-)I headed another 3/4 mile and crossed over State Line Branch, then a short while later I was walking on the bridge over the Pigeon River.I stopped just long enough to take a picture, then walked under I-40 and climbed some steep stone steps leading away from the road.It was a mile up and over that next hill to a gravel road called Green Corner Rd.I crossed a small creek, and then walked up to Standing Bear Farm Hiker Hostel.I was surprised when Curtis wasn't the one who greeted me....it was Rockhound. He said Curtis would be back later in the day.Maria let me use the computer in the house since the hiker computer is down right now.I had heard from a few friends that there was a thread on White Blaze about an abandoned tent....and they said got pretty wild.It started about an abandoned tent I saw and took a couple pictures of after I had checked it out.The thread on White Blaze went wild over nothing. I am always coming across stuff like that....in fact; I've seen four abandoned or vacant tents on this short walk already.People are constantly leaving crap along the Trail or in the shelters. All anyone can do is look to make sure no ones hurt or dead and then move on.I even unzipped that tent and made sure no one was inside.Like I said....it's pretty common. All I can do is check it out, then walk on. I certainly don't need anything else to carry! :-)I'm probably staying here tomorrow because there's an 80% chance of rain during the day and a 90% chance tomorrow night.....and I'm getting soft. 8-)I may talk gear on tomorrow's journal if I do stay. Wish I was more of a gear-head....it would be easier. Can you tell that I keep putting that off? :-)Another great day on the Appalachian Trail! :-)