Date: 2009-12-17
To: Gatlinburg to Standing Bear Farm
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

This is a 33 mile section that I do in two somewhat long days. Here again, the key is a reasonably early start out of Gatlinburg. My destination is Tri-Corner Knob Shelter, a distance of about 16.4 miles. The climb out of Newfound Gap is relatively steep, but nothing more than what is encountered out of the NOC or out of Fontana Dam, and by now you¢ll be used to such climbs. There are three interesting features along the way. The first is Charlie¢s Bunion, a short distance off the trail via a blue blazed side trail. It¢s worth the time. The second is called ¢Bradley¢s View¢. This is one of those incredible vistas that demand a photo shoot, not to mention some reflections on life in general. Both times I was struck by the fact that so few people in the world will ever get to see enjoy that view. It makes me feel blessed to be one of those people. The third rather interesting feature is a short section of the trail that is, hmmm, how shall I put this¢¦narrow.   Ok, it¢s a good 18-24 inches, so there¢s plenty of space to plant your boots ¢ providing you pay proper attention. On your left there is a bit of a drop-off. Not more than, oh, say, a few hundred feet. On your RIGHT, however, there¢s this pretty steep drop-off of several hundred feet! Nothing to worry about! Nothing at all. Do I look worried? REALLY?   Dang ¢ I thought I could cover that up. Well, the fact is, I made it through that section twice so far, with no problems at all. I mean, I¢m still here, ain¢t I?   So it¢s definitely doable. Did I mention that one of the things that I love most about the trail is the adventure? There are just certain experiences that make me feel so ALIVE. Facing various challenges is one of those experiences. And the reality is, all joking aside, that the feeling of being so alive is one of the best things about the trail. Says I, sitting here in my nice warm safe cubicle in downtown Washington. The Tri-Corner Knob shelter is a good one, but there isn¢t a lot of camping area around it, so you may want to try to arrive early if you can. The water source is very close by, but creates a ¢seep¢ that generates some mud that you have to walk on stones to get across to get to the Bear Bag hanging lines. The second day is about a 17 hike into Standing Bear Farm Hostel, run by a good ¢ol boy name of Curtis. There are only a couple of good climbs in this section, followed by a 4000 foot down over about 5 miles ¢ into Davenport Gap, the northern boundary of the Park. Two miles beyond that you cross I-40, and less than a mile after that (all uphill, of course) you come to a gravel road. About a third a mile to the left is Standing Bear Farm, which has a cabin that sleeps four and a bunk house that sleeps 15. Once those are filled, you can set up a tent in Curtis¢ barn, or in the field. There is a somewhat primitive shower, and an even more primitive washing ¢machine¢ ¢ consisting (I kid you not) of a wash board in a sink¢¦ There is a phone and an internet connection, both of which generally work. There is also a modest resupply room that will meet most of your needs for the three days it will take you to get to Hot Springs. There is also a small kitchen where you can cook a frozen pizza and make coffee in the morning. The wood stove in the Bunk house is generally most welcome, given the time of year (early April for most of us), but it¢s the fellowship that warms our hearts. Congratulations ¢ you¢ve survived the Smokey¢s!