Date: 2022-04-19
From: Silers Bald Shelter

To: Icewater Spring Shelter
Miles today: 15.3
Weather: snow

Oh what a day. I woke up at 3:53am with an alarm set for 4am. But I got up and turned my alarm off. So my streak of no alarms continues. The goal was to make it to the top of Clingmans Dome for the sunrise. I started to move but then realized how cold it really was. So I was going to lay back down but I saw Tacocat begin to move. I think he had a similar thought. Was it really worth getting up at 4am to hike in 27 degrees? We both were the push the other needed to do it. So I got up and hiked 5 miles in the dark. When I got to Clingmans Dome it was so cold I made oatmeal and coffee on my stove. The coffee froze solid before I could drink it all. I pulled my sleeping at out and wrapped up in it waiting for the sunrise. It never came. The clouds were so thick and it was snowing lightly. I know I have been colder but I really can¢t remember when. There were 12 hikers up there for the sunrise we were all so disappointed. I then was ready to leave I was going to a trail when some others said it was the wrong way. So I listened and them and walked the half mile down to the Visitor Center. I was pissed when I got to the map and saw I was right about where the trail was. Which was back at the top of the mountain. Rocket had walked down with me and she wasn¢t happy either. We did get to dump our trash though. There was ice from water that had been running across the road and I took a fall on one of them. I mean full on both legs straight out on my back style fall. I had the prescience of mind to not stick my arms back to catch myself. Instead I landed on my pack and mostly on my sleeping bag so I didn¢t get hurt at all. Rocket laughed so hard and was sad she had missed it. So we made it back up the mountain and found the right trail.The crew that had made it to the top of Clingmans made it down safely and then tried to find a shuttle to take us into Gatlinburg. We couldn¢t get one but when we got to Newfound Gap we found Trail Magic from a church group. It was so nice to have a soda and a honey bun. They were closing up about an hour after we got there, about 12:30pm. So they gave us a free ride into town. Rocket and I wanted to get back to the trail while the rest wanted to stay the night. So it was a risk but after the day walking in the rain and getting soaked and then a day of freezing temps I needed a hot meal. We ate at Mellow Mushroom and then I got a coffee at a Starbucks. I even had some pizza that I packed out for dinner. With hitchhiking it is true that people will pick up girls before they will pick up guys. So Rocket told me to go hide by the Great Smoky Mnts. sign. So I did and talked to a couple of families trying to get a ride. The strategy worked and it wasn¢t 20 mins and she had us a ride. It was from a guy who lives in the area and hiked half the trail back in 2018. I was planning to attempt the Smokies challenge but with the double whammy of pouring rain for a night and a day and then freezing temps for most of today. I just couldn¢t push the miles required to do it. I do want to come back and do it some day.Arriving at the shelter there were tents everywhere so I planned on trading my pizza for a place in the shelter. But there was actually space for me, Rocket and Nate (who had slept in and just got to Newfound Gap when we got there). It was an easy hike up to just talk and hike. The view from my spot is really good. It¢s nice to have some views today since I didn¢t get them at Clingmans.I text in to the trail family I was with and they are just one shelter back. So I haven¢t pushed that far front them. Part of me feels bad for having left them and part of me is glad to have found some freedom that I had felt taken when you do join a group. They are good people and I hope to see them further up the trail.Kara is here at the shelter. I met her back when I came up out of the NOC. She works for the federal government doing humanitarian aid. So if the gov. sends aid she is one of the ones who goes. She is really cool. She has a very unique laugh. Something was said and I had a joke in response. She started laughing so hard and then I started laughing because of her laugh. And we just went back and forth so much. It was really cool. I met Homemade and Fox tonight. They spent the night in Gatlinburg last night. They seem really cool.It¢s going to be below freezing again tonight so I¢m sleeping with my water filter and electronics again. Thankfully I don¢t have a specific time I have to get up. I can sleep in.