Date: 2013-05-03
From: Russell Fields Shelter

To: Max Patch service road
Miles today: 74.3

Before you begin reading I want to address another person who saw fit to post in my GuestBook something about the other night when I saw an Older Lady's tatas. Next time leave your e-mail so I can address you. Thanks. To explain further, she is a great Lady and although it was funny if you where there, I will explain further. We were all joking, I know it didn't come out that way on my post but I wasn't the only one who saw and even she laughed. Because of the weather that night we all (for the most part) saw some naked part of each other. So please if you want to comment on something that I post at least be Adult enough to maybe think about the situation we are in on the trail. It's not just a few sentences I write down in Trailjournals. And again to the "Other Old Lady Hiker" who signed my guest book and didn't leave a e-mail. Please at least e-mail me directly next time so I can clarify. In no way are any of my post meant to offend. Thanks!! 4/29/2013 Miles 16.4From Russell Fields Shelter to Double Spring Gap ShelterSo left the shelter today around 7:35 and arrived here at 4:25, very nice day tho. Lots of great Smoky Mountain Views!!! Although day 2 wasn't a great day 3, made up for the rainy one. The trail followed the ridge most of the day which meant very short downs and flat and lots of up. But boy were the ups worth it. You could see for at least 20+miles. With over 5,000 ft peaks today it was def great. The clouds rolled over the mountains like Cotten Candy it looked so yummy!!!! Besides Cotten Candy I really wanted some chocolate milk today!! Bad bad!!! :-)The Mosquitos and nats were out like crazy at Derrick Knob Shelter so I'm so glad I didn't stop there. Also there were two crazy Chipmunks there also. Chip and Dale they will be called. I made it to Silers Bald Shelter ad wrote in the book. BTW Silers Bald Shelter is the first AT shelter I ever saw. Way back in 2002 (I believe) me and the Gals and Michael and my niece Tiffany came up to backpack in the Smokies for a couple days. We went to camp at one of the campsites around 2 miles from Silers Bald and I decided to hike up and see what a shelter was. It was a beautiful day that I'll never forget. So I left Silers and headed the 1.7 miles to Double Spring Gap Shelter. I could tell that this was going to be my stop for the day cause my right Big Toe was saying stop!! Lol so me, Data, and Old Yeller called it a day. Which btw was the best choice. So far today I have seen crazy chipmunks, and very nice baby chipmunk, a really big turkey (which made me want thanksgiving dinner and chocolate milk), and some deer. The turkey wouldn't stop for a pic, but I got some good ones of the deer. Just beautiful. So at the shelter right now are me, Tourist, Shakespeare, Squid, and the German guys (Norbid who is now "Slow Down" and Frank who is "Sleeps Late") great trail names for them!!!! Well I'm out!! Later!!!! 4/30/2013 Miles 21.6FitBit???? Can't find!?? :-( What a day, if someone would have said we are doing a 21+ mile hiking day I would have been like No Way!!!! Not thru the steepest part of the Smokies. Well I did Wow!!! So I started at 6:50am at Double Spring Shelter and headed to only do 15 miles to Icewater Spring shelter but when I reached it, it was 2:30 and I was totally not ready to call it a day, so I filled up on water and headed out. Now about how amazing the day was. Most of the day was spent in beautiful wood and moss then up up then crazy beautiful vistas. I also got an amazing pic of the spot where we had Michaels going home celebration.   I asked that he put in a good word with God so that I could have an awesome day, and it was!!! The weather was wonderful which made for some great views from Clingmans Dome just WOW!!!The trail down to Newfound Gap was difficult but just wonderful at the same time. Reminded me of some fantasy fairytale where magic happens everyday. Newfound Gap was cool cause you would have thought I was a movie star cause at one point I had around 7 people asking about me and the trail and all sorts of questions. Very cool feeling. The hike up to Icewater Spring Shelter was a lot of up also but more great views, and a phone signal so I sent a email out to everyone. Then Kathy and my brother called. It was great talking to Family. Icewater Spring is one of the best views at a shelter I've seen. Just beautiful!!! Because I was still feeling good and it was 2:30 I headed out to Pecks Corner Shelter. Wow wow wow!!! So glad I did this although I think "Data" and "Old Yeller" were not to happy.. LolCharlie's Bunion was one of the most amazing feeling views to date. I kind of felt like I did hiking to Poia Lake in GNP. Just felt close to God and mom. Peace!! I met several thru hikers that are at the shelters tonight. Little Janna, Nibs, 7-up and Lurch, Brother Bear, Sunshine and Smoke Stack. Shakespeare and Squid both showed up here also tonight. Found out Caitlin is a Shelter ahead today, not sure if Daniel is still hiking with her but I'll catch up tomorrow. I'm sure she'll have good journey stories. Well great long day means bed time now. It's 9:26 way past Hikers Mid- Night!! Later!!!! 5/1/2013 20 Miles FitBit (Found) YAY!!! Steps 49,833Floors 373Miles 22.27So last night was the most interesting night. So I feel asleep at 9:30 or so. Deep sleep!!! The at 2:00am I woke up to a symphony of snoring... OMG!! I don't sleep well at all. And as I lay there trying to fall back asleep I could not get the sounds of the drowning, dying, scary sounds coming from these men.. It was awful and I knew there was no way is be able to sleep thru this. So what do I do?? I get all my stuff and head out of the shelter and pitch my tent up the hill on the trail. Just so you know I sleep the rest of the night away like an "Angel"!!! Today was both exciting and Sad. We will start with the Sad, cause its not really. I woke up this morning with the intent on making it to the Hostel (Standing Bear) right past Davenport Gap, but only made it to Davenport Gap Shelter right before the boundary for leaving the Smokies. 20 miles what a bummer of a hiking day.... Lol NOT. So the great parts, well the hike was really the easiest so far or maybe I'm just getting use to it?? Who knows. Although it was a steep up out of Pecks Corner Shelter it was great views again. I just can't get over how beautiful the views are in the smokies. Even if you never hike in the smokies you should come to this park and do the tourist things. Still lots if great views either way (Just make sure it's not raining/ snowing /cloudy).. FYI. So it was 13.1 miles of mostly ups and downs, I did my last 6,000 peak climb today. Made it to Tri-Corner Knob and meet Patches his dog Rasha, and GrillCheese, very nice guys. They said Catlin had just left about an hour earlier as did Daniel and Andrew. The funny thing was that these guys had heard of me as did several hikers today. Seemed like every person who asked my name was, "Oooo your Angel, nice to put face to the name"!So I headed on to Crosby Knob Shelter and guess who is there ummmm yes!!! Caitlin!!! Yay!!! It was great see and hang with her today. We hike together for a little while then I hiked on alone to the shelter. I will say that the Smokies really wanted to send everyone off with a goodby with that last climb. Wow!! Although a hard up, it was defiantly worth the final goodbye. I'm still in the Smokies only for a few more miles. Today was very emotional, I did have someone ask me today why I was doing this, what was the outcome, how was it going to change me? That was a lot to think on for 20 miles. And I'm starting to see some light at the end of the tunnel, already. When I got to the shelter Andrew was here, he's an awesome guy, glad I'm getting to hang with him again. We joked some about him being the only black man on the trail. And when Caitlin made it we all joked about trying to find trail names for both Caitlin and Andrew. At the moment Caitlin has several, non have stuck. Double O (like in 007), Catnis, Bored, and the one we most like is Killer... Lol I'm calling Andrew "Famous" until he finds one he likes. Today = awesome day!!! Tomorrow will be the last of the Smokies. Thank God no more Shelters to have to stay in with Snoring people!! The worst thing about the Smokies for sure. BTW we have a snorer in the shelter tonight as well!!! Everyone is laughing. (Me, Caitlin, Andrew, Sunshine, Smokestack, 7-up, Lurch, another guy, G-Ma is outside in her tent (she does not like nice), and Data (the culprit/snorer!!!) ;-)Later!!! 5/2/2013 Miles 16.1FitBitSteps 39,347Floors 546Miles 17.53From Davenport Gap Shelter to Max Patch Rd N.C. 1182Today is Brought to you by Exhaustion, Snicker Bars, and Trail MagicStarted off yesterday kinda popped. Another night of staying in a shelter with snorers sucked pretty bad. Anyone who knows me knows I don't sleep well, and a second night of mice and people who snore like dying cows just did me in for my ability to hike fast. The only negative about the Smokies is the rule of staying in Shelters. I understand why, just don't like it. Although slow going the day did start off rather beautiful tho. I wish I would have know the trail went by a really nice stream for about 1.5 miles cause I would have hiked a little more and camped by a nice stream. Well I'll know better next time. So I made it to I-40, ready to get some Yoohoo at Standing Bear Hostel. So I keep hiking the AT trail up again, I did see a sign that was Layin on the ground that said "turn back for Standing Bear" but it was written in a pin and On wood and again on the ground... So I thought I haven't gone far enough and I also though it was just a joke. So I keep on hiking up up up some steep mountain side. After about 45 min of this I ran into some guys and their dad (who btw is 73 and had a stroke last year). They said I passed Standing Bear before the sign laying down... Ha!!!! Well no Yoohoo today!!! So I keep hiking up up and up and then made it to this great area I decided to lay down and take a nap will I decided to hike more or not. I really was wiped for the day. After an hour of sleep Caitlin (Killer) and Andrew (Mercury) showed up and chatted and I got up and decided to hike the full 17 miles with them, about 15 min into hiking I asked Killer for a snicker bar cause I was out of snack food and was about to fall out. Exhausted!!!! Wow tho what a Snicker Bar can do!!! We were doing great to make it up and over Max Patch until we made it to the forest service road right before Max Patch Summit was The Ultimate Trail Magic. Thanks to Gumby, Apollo, and Rampage!!! Oreos, Chips, juice, burgers and much more. We decided to stop here. :-)Many showed up an all were happy. It's really nice to just meet people out here and click. Doesn't matter what walk of life your from, you instantly have a connection due to the trail. It's like seeing Family you haven't seen in years. Instant connection and conversation. Later!!!!