Date: 2018-12-01
From: Mollie's Ridge Shelter, TN

To: The Fontana Dam "Hilton" Shelter
Miles today: 11.8

About 1:30 a.m. the winds began to roar. The tarp in front of the shelter was dancing wildly. Rain was pounding the roof. All I could do is hope all would be well by 5 a.m. Before 4 a.m. I started to pack up. Last night, due to that crazy mouse that wouldn't leave me alone, I slid my sleeping bag into the tent. I didn't set it up with the poles I just had the tent screens over me to keep that little pesky bastard off me and my gear. I chased the crummy critter away while I was packing up. All was packed and, after putting on my wet rain gear, socks and shoes, I faced the wild weather outside. As I exited the shelter I saw the moon in its waning crescent stage. Could the rain be over? Before dark last night I went out to make sure I would leave on the right trail. There were the trails in and out, of course. Plus there were three others; one to the spring, one to the bear cables, and one to the poop field. Yes, the poop field because there is no privy here. I knew it would be foggy in the morning so I checked the trail before bedtime. On the trail I did not see any blazes after I started. Again I was worried but pretty confident I was on the trail. Just needed some reassurance. Then, after half an hour, I finally saw one and felt better. The wind was brutal when I hit it head on. I needed to get over two 5,000' mountains. I saw beautiful colors just before sunrise and hoped the day would be good. But at 7:30 the rain started. My hope of a good day blew away with the wind. I struggled to continue both physically and mentally. The fatigue of the journey was catching up fast. Thoughts of people who bug me started bugging me. I think it was at Sassafras Gap that the trail swung away from the dividing line between Tennessee and North Carolina that I straddled for a week or so. Now I am totally in North Carolina until I hit the Georgia state line. After seemingly endless switchbacks, I came to a rectangle brown steel canister that said for thru hikers to deposit their permits in it. I finally found the right place to drop my permit. I came to a well constructed dead end road that the trail followed to Fontana Dam. The road was promised to local towns as compensation for the dam project. But the government only built it so far and quit. At about 11 a.m. I came to Fontana Dam on the Little Tennessee River and crossed over. The rain had stopped but the wind continued. I followed the road until the trail broke off going down a paved path that ended at the Fontana Dam "Hilton" Shelter. The shelter overlooked the lake. It had a solar electronic charger. I looked for the showers but didn't see one. Then I thought it must be at the small public bathrooms up the trail. I went back up expecting the water to be shut off. I was amazed when I went in and turned the shower on. It worked and was hot. I went back to get my soap and towel and took a needed hot shower. That made up for the cold, miserable morning. Back at the shelter I noticed I lost my cellphone waterproof bag. I figured I lost it on the other side of the dam but didn't want to carry my pack all the way over to look for it. I needed to head to the Fontana Village Resort. I had to take my pack with me since there were no bear boxes at the shelter. I left for the resort going two miles on a super curvy road. The rain had started again. As I neared the Fontana Pitstop I saw no vehicles and wondered if it was open. After I came around the front corner of the store it was open and I was happy. Inside I got a delicious BBQ pulled pork sandwich and a Coke. I also got three days of food to get me to Franklin. When I went to pay I couldn't unzip the rain pant's zipper. The sweet lady there even reached over the counter to try to unzip my back pants pocket. I hoped no one was watching! She couldn't get it either. Finally I broke the zipper and I paid my bill. Back out onto the highway and back to the shelter. I considered hiking another hour south on the trail but it wouldn't be worth having a wet tent. I decided I'd go look for the cell phone bag since it was only 2:30. I placed my pack in the bathroom with the shower then headed the mile and a half back across the dam to where I deposited my park permit. That is where I took out my cell phone to get it ready for a picture of the dam. I searched going over and back but I didn't see it. Back at the shelter just as I got in it began to rain hard. It didn't last but I thought if I had hiked on and got hit by that I'd be a very, very unhappy camper. I put up my tent in the shelter. Earlier I had checked my pack twice for the cellphone bag and didn't find it. When I hung my pack up to dry all was out of it. When I dumped out the little bag of dry items, there was the cellphone bag. How it got in there I gave up trying to figure out. I was happy to find it because I hate it when I lose something. Tomorrow is to be a warmer day. Thunder outside now on the first day of December. Glad to be in my tent and dry. Happy New Month!