Date: 2013-04-23
From: Newfouind Gap

To: Great Bear Hostel, then Groundhog Creek Shelter S
Miles today: 40.9

Newfound Gap to Peck's Corner (10 miles) just beautiful, best hike day so far, Charles Bunion which had a lot of high out croppings and views were spectacular, very difficult climb up but once up I hiked the ridge for the remainder of the day. Second day (12.7 miles) to Cosby shelter was even better for the views, heard the owls, saw no bears (Indy got a video of a bear with 2 cubs but of course I wasn't with him). I hike alone most of the day and today I came around a corner and saw two hiking poles, thinking damn now I have to carry these out for some idiot who left them. So I picked them up and started walking away with them and someone yelled ¢hey¢, it was Indy, and he found an old plane wreck, it is mentioned in some of the hiking books. It looked army green, supposedly from the 80's but will have to look it up online. After Crosby I hiked out of the Smokys, thank god, 11.7 miles, about 2 miles up hill then the rest is all down hill to Standing Bear Hostel. There is the fresh scent of pine. The Smoky's were beautiful, I will admit that but there was so much bad stuff in this park, which is not thru-hiker friendly at all, I think I'll write my State Senator, it was that bad. First it is the only place in 2,173 miles that charges thru-hikers, next the Privy's are scarce and the rules are ridiculous. You have to stay in the shelters which are poorly placed and they are too small so you have to tent but it has to be near the shelters and there is nowhere to tent that is flat you end up on a slope every time, you can not have a fire away from the shelter pit, whose park is this anyway? I thought it was ours, as in yours and mine but it must be the only park that is not under staffed as they run it like a prison camp, do this don't do that can't you read the signs? Another problem with the Great Smoky Mountain Park is that they allow horses on the trail and they shit all over the trail, owners are not required to clean up after them and they tear up the trail, you walk in horse shit, it is disgusting , but you can not bring your dog into the park, really, have you ever seen horse shit compared to dog shit? Standing Bear Hostel is a party, bond fire, horse shoes, food to buy was impressive, honor system, write down what you take a pay when you leave, bunkhouse with foam padding, showers. This morning Morris the Cat and I started walking into town, closest store 7 miles. We saw a Chrysler 300 dropping off a hiker and offered someones grandfather money to take us into town, he refused the money but took us into town. We ate a big breakfast at the the gas station bought a few supplies then lady at the store got us a ride with a Triple Crown hiker turned photographer, we helped him load his equipment and he took us back to Standing Bear and we headed out. Today, 10.1 miles uphill, came across a radar building of some that was humming away, its in the middle of nowhere on a Bald. Pretty up there, laid down and took a nap in the grass for an hour, then hiked down two miles down to the Deep Gap, Groundhog Creek shelter. Tomorrow is another day and my battery is almost dead so will talk at ya'll when I get to Hot Springs, 26 miles, bad storm tomorrow, so we will see.P.S. Scoop on downed army jet: In 1984, an F4 fighter plane crashed into the ridge between Inadu Knob and Old Black. Some of the wreckage from this crash remains scattered about the area, with a number of fragments located in an area along the Appalachian Trail about a quarter-mile west of the trail's junction with the Snake Den Ridge Trail. A short spur trail winds through the wreckage.