Date: 2015-04-10
From: Fontana Dam Shelter 

To: Fontana Dam Shelter 
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

It was a rainy day and I didn't sleep well so I decided to zero and garner my strength for the 12 mile uphill climb into the Great Smokies National Forrest up to the first shelter. I am looking forward to seeing the Shuckstack fire tower which offers breathtaking views of the surrounding areas. I had slept pain free and well the night before and I am more confident about taking safety meetings for pain management, but time will tell. Some of the hikers, including Chef had chartered a boat and were on a rip roaring drunk and were tearing around the lake like crazy. I was surprised that there wasn't a patrol and expected at any time for someone to show up with lights and sirens to slow them down. When I reached the parking lot they were shouting at a girl there to come and join them and she, having some common sense declined. I then asked her for directions to the village and started off. My trip to Fontana Village got of to a bad start when I got the wrong directions from that hiker and ended up walking the wrong way to the dam! I turned around and walked a good part of the way to Fontana Village when I saw a black snake slowly cross the road in front of me. I watched helplessly as a car raced around the corner and looked like it hit the snake. The snake coiled and flipped inn the air after the car passed and then stretched out and slowly slithered off the highway and disappeared along the bank. I captured the whole thing on video as soon as I saw the 5' snake on the road. I caught a ride from the shuttle to the village and went to the store. I saw Tex,the Bionic Woman, Mainahh and many more familiar faces to which I cannot put a name to. I headed to the Lodge and work on uploading videos on their wifi. I saw Doc at the Lodge as he had split a room with some other hikers. After I had posted links here from YouTube. I decide to do trail magic at the shelter, being inspired by the random act of trail magic the night before. I bought a 12 pack of Bush Light, a six pack of an intriguing brew called Shiva, 20 ice cream bars and a cooler to keep it all in. The clerk volunteered to give me ziplock bags of ice to keep it all neat and cool. I ran out and tried to grab the first shuttle to the shelter. It was full but when I pleaded that I was carrying perishable trail magic one of the hikers in the front seat gave up his seat and sat on the floor so I could get to the shelter before the ice creams could melt. When I got out of the shuttle one of the hikers looked at me and said "Glamping" in a derisive manner. Not caring, I walked quickly down the road and at the shelter called everyone and gave everyone a brew and an ice cream, much to their surprise and delight. I was asked why and I told the story of the beer the night before that had really made my day, so I wanted to pay it forward. I tried the Shiva and it was very refreshing so I saved one for later. Some of the guys made a huge bonfire in the ravine behind the shelter and I saw flames reaching up about 20' +. Mainaa got creative and had made a "Beer Chandelier" by stringing up beer cans on the strings across the shelter roof. I said that this was cool but that he's have to take it down so that the park staff wouldn't have to do so. I was feeling better after a safety meeting and a call to the wife. I was laying down at 7 and listening to audio books before going to sleep a little after eight.