Date: 2011-04-01
From: Cable Gap Shelter

To: Fontana Dam Shelter
Miles today: 6.6
Weather: scattered clouds

I am off the trail.....april fools. Another super day today. Woke up in the shelter to pretty cold weather and it took a while to get up and going, ate a package of pop tarts and jumped on the trail in shorts and tshirt in freezing weather. About a quarter mile in I hit a ridge line and immediately had to stop and put on my rain gear which doubles as my wind breaker. Later in the day I found out they where taking bets on how long it would take before I put on more layers. As I made the climb of the day I climbed into where it had been snowing that night and the trees had rime ice on the ridges lines. Foreshadowing my previous trip into the smokeys. As I get over the mountain I can see the Smokeys and the tops are a little white, and I can see the dam and lake. About a mile before the shelter I actually start to get dizzy from the lack of food and have to set down and gooble down another pop tart and a tortilla with PB, 4 tablespoons, about another 900 calories to the 400 from breakfast. Eventually make it to the shelter here at the dam, my home for the next two nights. The shelter is nicknamed the Fontana Hilton, sorry Marriott people there isn't one named for you on the trail. But hey the shelter doesnt meet Marriott standards, there are no plush beds just hard wood floors for sleeping on. So this shelter sleeps 20 compared to the normal 6-10. There is also a restroom with hot showers about 50 yrds away, and a big firering area with benches and tables everywhere. So first thing we do is claim a spot and call the shuttle into Fontana Village for $3 dollars each way per person. In town we go to lunch at the bistro and I get my burger and fries, maybe another 1200 calories. We then get our mail drops that I might have over calculated for. Do some laundry and pick up fuel and more water treatment drops. My current bottle busted last night and leaks now. While waiting for laundry I head to the gas station and get and ice cream sandwich a DrPepper and a drink every one said I needed to try, a Cheerwine. It pretty much taste like a sweeter DP. So estimating add another 800 calories. Finish up laundry and head back to the gas station for dinner. We all get a burrito at the general store and microwave them at the gas station. I go first and about 2 minutes in we here a pop. I now have a empty wrapper and a huge mess to clean up. I then opt for nachos with a ton of cheese sauce and chile out of a squirt bottle, and an iced honey bun for dessert. Conservative estimate of 1200 calories. We then shuttle back to the shelter and shower and put on clean clothes. We sit around the campfire and talk a bit and get hungry again, time for a few handfuls of gorp and another Dp. Let's just say another 300. Time for bed and writing my journal here, and as I am writing a can begin hearing the mice beginning to roam around me scavenging for food. Oh so fun to hear. It supposed to be warm the next two days so Sunday we will have good weather to start the Smokeys.But for now with all chores done I get to look forward to lounging around and eating all day tomorrow to get rid of my excessive food supply for a 4 day section. Complete zero tomorrow doing nothing. Oh total today was about 4800 calories and as I lay here writing my stomach is growling. Got to go to sleep so I can wake up and eat haha.