Date: 2005-04-19
From: Fontana Dam

To: Mollies Ridge Shelter
Miles today: 12.4
Weather: scattered clouds

Up at 7 AM and am waiting for the restaurant at the Inn to open at 7:30. The plan is to go to the Post Office when it opens and send a few things home including the first of my journals and the AT data book (only because the info was to limited). I figured I would send all the journals home periodically. I was using small composition note books. They are light weight with glued pages that way I hope not to loose any of the pages. Plus sending them home periodically protects the info I recorded by the fact that it is not in my back pack (always a chance of being lost, stolen or damaged by the weather). This simple system worked out fine, replacements could be found at the dollar store (inexpensive) and dollar stores were found here and there. Also, Rite Aid stores and those similar, were a good place to find them as well. These two stores also had the small "travel size" items as well. Little things like toothpaste, baby wipes, etc.   I also mailed home a depleted disposable camera. All my photos were taken with disposables. Same thought as the journal books. Loose one and loose just a little information. I thought about taking my digital camera however technology is great as long as it works. Digitals can fail to easily for me (I am rough on my gear), batteries can go dead or the weather gets to the camera as well. Each roll of my disposables were developed with one set of prints and one CD . They came out OK I guess but, they do have limitations. I took a test roll before I left during my training. I wanted to get the feel of the cameras capability, close ups, distance shots, night time flash shots, etc. Adaptability once again.   The weather report said that we were in for good weather for the next three days and then rain. My plan was to take it easy going through the Smokies. I wanted to enjoy it. I was planning on being through it in 5 or 6 days, so I carried 7 days of food. A mistake as I wrote earlier. There was a resupply near the New Found Gap down in the town of Gatlinburg, TN. I was still learning as I went and this turned out to be a good lesson. I finished my mail drop home and got a ride to the trail head from two local hikers. I walked the piece between the Marina and the Dam when all of a sudden Noodle came running by me without his pack. We talked and he said his pack was ahead at the Visitor Center near the Dam. This is when I was introduced to Slack Packing for the first time. It was hard for me to envision doing it myself. Perhaps my old Army days coming back to haunt me, never leave your equipment, a basic survival skill. I think it was more of a way of doing the trail that I had no intention of doing. Nothing wrong with it however, this is when I was born as being a "Purist" on the trail (a true white blazer). I was not an extremist, this is someone who slaps each blaze as they go by it or not taking time off the trail for any reason. I took time off of the trail however, I walked every step of the way on the trail or within site of it (there were times when I went to the left or right do to obstacles but, always near it).      The climb out of Fontana was a long slow uphill because of my heavy load. Once you got to the top the trail took a 90 degree turn to the right. I swear this was one of the most beautiful sites I have seen yet, like night and day, two different worlds. For one thing there were small flowers blooming along at this elevation that made it look like a dusting of snow. I ran into a ridge runner (Trail Volunteer responsible for a section of trail) named Jim and he told me they were called Spring Beauties. Jim was from Bristol, TN and told me these flowers will be in bloom all along the Smokies. I was at the right place at the right time indeed. I ended up at the Mollies Ridge Shelter just before 6 PM. Tal showed up soon after and said he checked us out of the Inn as pre-planned. The Shelter was full so we set up "Cowboy Style" on a level piece of ground. We heard Coyotes that night calling to each other. It reminded me of where I lived in Colorado. They went "at it" through out the night, howling and calling to each other. At one point, I do not know when, I awoke to a noise at my feet. It was a White Tail Deer eating the grasses near the shelter not 5 feet from me, Cool.    Today, along the trail, I met "Crazy Legs Grim" from Syracuse NY. I would bounce into him all along the trail almost to the end. The same went for a hiker named Low Bridge. Others there that evening were OB (John) from NM (class of 2000 I believe). He was definitely a former thru-hiker and planned on walking to Trail Days. Bagel, Red Wolf, and so many more (as I said it was packed). I also met, during today's hike, two southbound section hikers (South Bounders) named Jesse and John. We met at the Birch Spring Gap a few miles back and they told me something to remember, "If you ever section hike the Smokies", they said, " Do it going south because it is easier". Something to make a note about so I did and now I pass it on through this journal.