Date: 2008-05-19
From: Derrick Knob Shelter

To: Newfound Gap
Miles today: 18.0
Weather: scattered clouds

I just wanted to say thanks to all everyone who has signed the guest book! I love being able to look and see who was here and read the comments. THANKS!!! Hi Carter!So today, Monday, we got to see the sun! Whoo hooo!! But boy was it cold first thing in the morning! Yikes. I really had to summon a lot of willpower to actually get out of my sleeping bag, get dressed and eat breakfast. It was cold! But luckily, not raining. I packed up all my stuff, moved it to rest beside the shelter and went to treat some water. In the meantime Doug got up, looked around and thought I had been so cold that I left without even retrieving my food from the bear bag. There were lots of people milling around the shelter, getting ready and fixing breakfast. Doug and I were anxious to eat and go, so as to not freeze to death. But we couldn't help but listen to the guys in the shelter talking. It was a funny discussion, about how we're the only culture that willingly leaves civilization to go trampsing off into the forest to pretend we're homeless, carry all our belongings on our back and lie on the cold hard ground. How true! Doug and I hiked together much of the morning, which was a wonderful change. It makes the time go faster and we have some really good laughs. Belly rolling laughter that doubles you over. The climb up to Clingman's Dome was not bad, certainly not like Bly. But I have finally learned to not get excited and think "Yes, I'm there!" because just when you think you've made it to the top, you turn the curve or crest the hill and there in front of you, you see more trail. I arrived at Clingman's Dome, walked up the winding staircase with Doug and another hiker--Bear Bait. It was so amazing! Especially to look off in the distance at the seemingly very far peaks and know that only days ago, we were there! I cannot believe how far we have come and how many mountains we have already climbed. Clingman's is the highest point on the entire AT, so as Doug says, "It's all downhill from here!" The hike down was loooooonnnnnngggggg with lots and lots and lots of those giant two-foot steps that I love. I don't know whose brillant idea it was to create those, but I would bet lots of money (if I had some) that they have never actually hiked down them with a 35 pound backpack on! My knees were screaming for mercy by the time we reached the bottom.And it was funny because we had originally planned to just hike down and stay at the shelter close to Newfound Gap, then head into town early tomorrow. But after the last few very cold nights and rainy days, we were both anxious for a warm bed and a hot shower. So we pushed on to reach the parking lot. And it was really a push. I was not loving life by the time we reached that parking lot! Spent the last hour of my hike cursing the person who designed the trail and wondering what the heck I am doing out here. It was a miserable last hour or so. But then, we reached a parking lot, and I was like, "Yes!!!! Finally." only to find it was not THE parking lot and that we had to walk another 1.7 miles. I was exhausted and wanted to stop right then, hitch to town from there. But Doug wanted to push on to the other spot. He says, "It should be easy now." I have learned not to believe him!!! It was far from easy! Only 7000 more fun giant steps. But we did make it to the Newfound Gap parking lot. I could have shouted for joy when I crested the rise and saw Doug sitting on the stone wall!!! Talk about glad to be somewhere. We met a nice couple not long after I got there who was willing to drive us into Gatlinburg. Another pair of trail angels! They were so nice, offered us cheese and cracker snacks and dropped us right at the hotel we had chosen. And most of all, they put up with our (well, mostly Doug's) TERRIBLE odor! We (I mean, Doug) smelled BAD. We checked into the hotel and showered, though we had nothing clean to put on. That's the worst part. So Doug wore his rain coat and running shorts to dinner and I wore my cleanest dirty shirt and least smelly shorts. I slept like a baby!