Date: 2004-05-18
From: Stecoah Gap, NC

To: Fontana Dam, NC
Miles today: 15.4
Weather: overcast clouds

AT Hike ¢ Tuesday, May 18, 2004End ¢ Fontana Dam, NC 163.1Start ¢ Stecoah Gap Hwy 143   147.7Hike distance ¢ 15.4 miles During a trip to Baltimore I found a little time to visit an outfitter¢s store, Hudson Traders, and purchased a few items I needed to improve my hiking equipment. I purchased a waterproof food bag to hang up on the bear cables, a collapsible water bag for cooking chores at night, the convertible pants that act as shorts when the legs are zipped off, and a short sleeve hiking t-shirt with the wicking material. My boots and hiking socks were packed in my bags in case I found time to do some day hiking. Janet and I had planned to drive home from Baltimore to Memphis via Damascus and Hot Springs so I could see those trail towns for the first time. We were in Damascus on Monday, May 17th the day after Trail Days was over. While driving around town, the hiking bug hit me. My food bag, which I had thought could serve as a day pack and be carried over my shoulder, was not in my gear. It had been left at my daughter¢s house in Baltimore. But I did have a ditty bag from L. L. Bean that had a shoulder strap, and it was big enough to carry a bottle of Gatorade, two cans of diet Coke, two candy bars, some crackers, and some fig newtons. This should get me through a day hike. I still needed to complete that hike from Stecoah Gap at Hwy 143 down to Fontana Dam, NC a distance of 15.4 miles. This fit in better to our schedule. My original plans called for me to resume my hike in the Smokies about June 1st. I had planned to add one extra day getting on the trail by taking in this Stecoah Gap hike first. Then the next day go to Cades Cove and hike up the Bote Mountain Trail to Spence Field Shelter and pick up the AT hike. By hiking this on Tuesday, it would free up a day in June which actually would call for a lot of driving getting around the park from the southwest corner at Fontana Dam up to Cades Cove on the northern side. So everything was go for the day hike. I was in a good mood! We spent Monday night at Fontana Village Inn, which has a great hikers deal for $30.99 a night. There were only about three folks spending the night there that night, which made it strange. It is a big place and no one there. We had breakfast Tuesday morning at the AYCE at the Inn. Then out to find the trail. I was to hike during the day. Janet would hang around the Inn and then go to the dam about 3 PM. I figured the hike would be complete somewhere between 3 and 5 PM. At 9:30 AM I started the hike at Stecoah Gap and Hwy 143. The trail was up a gentle grade, and the woods had greened up since the last time I was in them. More flowers were blooming than back in March. It was worth the effort to get this hike in. It was also fun to hike with the light pack instead of the 40 pounds or so on my back. I kept my camera where I could take more pictures this time. About a mile and a half past Brown Fork Gap Shelter I met the first hiker for the day. I stopped at Hogback Gap for a snack and was joined by a thru-hiker, Jeremy. Jeremy was out of water but found a good source down the hill on a blue blaze. Another thru-hiker joined us, and I headed out hiking while they had lunch. Jeremy is a fast hiker, and with backpack and all he passed me when I was about half way to Fontana Dam. There is an area that my Wingfoot handbook calls Unnamed rocky summit (3,720¢) vista that had wonderful views out both sides. Rain came down off and on during the day. Finally, about 5:15 I hiked out at Fontana Dam. Jeremy was there and had just taken a shower. I quickly showered and changed into some clean clothes, and we headed out for Maryville. Jeremy was meeting a friend from Knoxville, and we drove up the road with lots of curves to Alcoa and let Jeremy out at an Appleby¢s to wait for his friend. Then we headed out for Memphis arriving home about midnight. A full day for us. I will be working on getting my pack as light as possible this week and making plans to get back on the trail in June. During this trip, I took along some reading material including Ray Jardine¢s ¢Beyond Backpacking¢. Ray has a chapter called Trail Shock. I had read the book before beginning the hike but had paid no attention to this chapter. Reading it for the second time, it really hit home. Trail shock had hit me, and I had come up short. He says ¢One moment things seem only miserable; the next moment the journey loses every hint of its former luster, and the prospects of continuing can seem utterly impossible. At this point depression sets in.¢ There is much more, but you get the idea. When I resume my hike, it may be for a month or two. Who knows? But I will only stay out there as long as it is still fun. See you on the trail.