Date: 2013-04-07
From: Derricks Knob Shelter

To: Double Spring Gap Shelter
Miles today: 7.2
Weather: broken clouds

Day 26: (D3 in Smokies) - Lots of wind last night and this morning, we are going for short miles today (7.2 miles). Our goal is to get to Double Springs Shelter which is just before Clingman's Dome. We mostly saw Dixie Grits, Beerdra, Journey, Dreamer (from Lansing, MI), Bantor and Evenbeard (father and son from Florida)today. Beautiful hike through woods and we finally started to come up on spruces and firs. We quickly got to the shelter very early in the afternoon. Alaska, Aquaman and 1-2 were there and later on, Annie and Teddy joined us. We are sleeping in the shelter tonight so we can get an early start up to Clingman's Dome (tallest peak on the AT - 6655 elevation). We are also planning to meet up with Stand Up who has our food for the last half of the Smokies. The communication is very good on the trail. Hikers hear a lot from their friends and families but mostly we hear a lot from other hikers who are ahead of us. There is texting and notes written on the shelter's log books that tell us sometimes what to expect or just a note telling when other hikers were at the shelter and where they're heading to. So with that said, there are a couple of things brewing on the AT. One thing is the ice that is on the north side of the mountain of Clingman's Dome and the other is the Nora Virus that hikers are catching.   About a week or two ago, you remember that big snowstorm that caught us in Frankin, NC? Well there were 3-4 foot snow drifts and ice in the Smokies. We are hearing that there is still a lot of ice for about five miles past Clingman's Dome on the north side of the mountain. When Candu and Y-Not went home, they lent us their ice trax (something you put on your boots so you don't slip on ice). Y-Not gave 1-2 his and Candu gave me hers. So just in the past couple of days, we heard of five injuries all resulting in the hospital i.e. broken arms, dislocation of shoulder, sprains, etc. We decided that we were not going to be making any decisions until we get to the top of Clingman's Dome. Our options are; 1) continue on the trail with either Alex or I wearing the ice trax, 2) one of us continue on the trail while the other bypasses that section, or 3) both of us bypass that section and follow the road that follows the AT. Another thing to consider is that Alex's new health insurance doesn't kick in until April 15 which is another eight days. What would you do?The other bit of information is the Nora Virus. This virus typically can be found in cruise ships and is highly contagious. The concentration of sickness is being found between Hot Springs and Erwin, Tenn however is being found as early as the Natahala Outdoor Center (NOC). We already know of several people getting the virus and being extremely sick. There are articles and warnings out for hikers in this area not to use the shelters and privys during this 70+ mile stretch. Here is an article about this on the whiteblaze website. http://blogs2.citizen-times.com/outdoors/2013/04/09/stomach-virus-hits-appalachian-trail-hikers-near-hot-springs/Oh by the way...we surpassed 200 miles today!Salsa