Date: 2019-04-19
From: Tri-Corner Knob Shelter

To: Davenport Gap/Hot Springs
Miles today: 15.7
Weather: fog

And another long day!! 15.5 miles this time! We woke up to pouring rain, as expected. There was some occasional thunder and lightning too. We cooked in the shelter and some guy came in and scolded us. He was super passive aggressive and said ¢I thought I knew the difference between hikers and tourists¢. *dramatic pause while he walks out of shelter* this is not a movie! This is real life! Haha but seriously... there is a rule about not cooking in the shelters because it attracts bears, but you are allowed to cook 5 feet from the shelter in the open air with wind to carry the scent. If a bear smells food inside the shelter, it¢s also smelling what¢s being cooked outside. It¢s going to come near the shelter regardless. I respect the rules of the Smokey¢s, but it was again packed outside and we were just doing the best we could since it was pouring too. I was very clean about my food and so were Prometheus and Hot Sauce. There were no crumbs or trace of it. That comment definitely got us upset. There are people on this trail that throw trash in the privies and we are not doing that. Someone has to dig through that pile of human waste to pull the trash out. Yeah, it¢s disgusting. And we simply cooked 5 feet from where everyone else was cooking because it was crowded and pouring rain. No trace, no poop digging needed. I recognize that we were not following the rules, but I really stand by our decision and was upset by that comment.We packed up and headed out about 9:30. Hot Sauce and Prometheus were originally going to just hike 7 miles to the next shelter, which was also why I was worried about hiking alone in this weather and trying to meet my parents. They decided this morning to hike the full 15.5 instead all the way down to the gap. They wanted to come into town with me so they could have a shower and a bed and then we would all shuttle back to the same place on Sunday. Almost immediately after we stepped foot on trail, it was like a waterfall. There was a flash flood warning for the area and we were literally in the flood. Water was pouring down the trail. It was not even a trail anymore, just a rushing stream. I was so thankful for my waterproof boots. I was also wearing my rain pants, so before the water got deep, my feet were dry and I was doing well. Today would have been sucky to have those sneakers, although Prometheus and Hot Sauce had them and were doing fine. We actually had a great morning despite the conditions. We played ¢never have I ever¢ and sang a bunch of songs. We told stories and Prometheus said ¢one time at band camp¢ every time and it was so funny. It was really great. It all went downhill when we started to get cold and were not so comfortable anymore in our gear. Everything got soaked, as expected, but it was cold out. Prometheus couldn¢t feel his hands anymore so he stopped using his poles so he could wrap his hands under his sleeves. My gloves are windproof, but not waterproof, so there was no point in wearing them. My hands were cold, but not losing feeling. I wiggled my fingers while using my poles. The chafing of the pole strap on my wet, cold skin actually caused it to bleed, so I stopped using the straps on my poles.Hot Sauce had the same issue as Prometheus with her hands and stopped using her poles too. There was not as much wind today as the last miserable rain day I experienced, so I was happy. I must say, wind is my least favorite form of weather here. It was relentless the other day and was like walking in a hurricane, and every other day, it¢s just been cold. I don¢t like wind! The Smokey¢s certainly had a lot of wind. I was so ready to get out. But today was not too bad wind-wise. We reached the first shelter, which was 7 miles in. Prometheus used his Garmin to text my parents, which was very nice of him. I had no service, as expected, but I was still anxious and worried about keeping them posted. We said we had 8 miles left and would be there around 5, and my mom got the message. Originally, Prometheus wanted to stop at this shelter and dry off. His idea was smart because of the concerns for hypothermia and my feet, but Hot Sauce and my concerns were also valid. We were worried if we stopped and took everything off, it wouldn¢t dry quickly and we¢d get colder standing there, and then end up having to put the still-wet clothes on or stay there. And even if we put dry clothes on underneath, that would be all the dry clothes we had, and that¢s not necessarily safe either. I personally just thought back to the other day. When I arrived at that shelter, I did not get warm until I got in my sleeping bag and full dry gear. It would be the same today, and if I took out my sleeping bag, I would pretty much be staying. And I couldn¢t because I wanted to meet my parents and we had plans. We pushed on from the shelter. My feet were soaked by this point. The water had gotten deep enough that my whole boot had made it under and water found its way in. It was like walking in buckets again, and we were only halfway. I was concerned about my feet, but they weren¢t cold or hurting at this point; just wet. As we hiked on, they got cold. Prometheus was so sweet and asked frequently about my feet to make sure I was doing well. He also hiked behind me and that protective instinct is so great about him. He also helped me pull up my pants. Haha my rain pants are too big on me now... I¢m assuming weight loss, but my pack also pushes my pants down sometimes. It can be annoying because if the skin is exposed, it¢s cold and rubs up against the backpack, causing chafing. He held my pack up and I pulled my pants up all the way to my belly button. They were cold and wet, but it felt good to have my back covered.Hot Sauce was having a hard time and I felt bad for her. I really could relate to it all because I had felt that way. Prometheus and Hot Sauce had helped me so much. I was in such a bad way, having bad days and ¢I want to quit¢ days until I met them. We let her know how amazing she is and how great this journey is that she¢s on. She really is amazing and I¢m so impressed she completed 700 miles last year. I have no doubt she¢ll finish it this year. Having people to get through the shit together really helps, excuse my language. She hiked ahead of us for a bit earlier, and when Prometheus and I were alone, I fell. It was a bad fall. The water rushing down the trail was so deep and muddy that you couldn¢t see the rocks underneath, and I made a big step down into the water and right onto a rock. My ankle gave out and I actually yelled in pain. Prometheus tried to catch my bag to slow my fall, but he caught my rain cover instead. Haha. I actually didn¢t get too wet despite falling in the water, but I needed to get up in case water made its way under my clothes.I stood up and walked on, and Prometheus was very concerned. He told me I¢m stubborn. Haha this is very true. I was determined to keep walking, even though I probably did damage my ankle. It really hurt to step down and have it give out. But I am stubborn! I joked and said it¢s because I¢m a Leo and we¢re basically the most stubborn sign besides Taurus. I know I know, it¢s not real, but I was just joking with him. I kept walking and that¢s when we found Hot Sauce and talked to her. It made her smile to find out I fell on my butt in the water. Fall number two for Debbie! As we continued, the rain let up. We had a mountain to climb before the final descent out of the Smokey¢s. Thankfully it wasn¢t raining for that climb. We stayed together and made it up the mountain. Prometheus stopped for a snack at the top. We didn¢t make time for lunch today with the gross weather, so we just did snacks, but Prometheus was really hungry and food fuels the body! I had service at the top of the mountain, and with little rain, texted my mom that we just had 5.5 miles left and it was all downhill! Yay! We started hiking down and it was the same waterfall we had experienced earlier. But, it was not raining and it was getting warm as we got to lower elevation! Yay! Prometheus was being silly and on his phone behind us, making my giggle his ringtone. Haha if you know me, you know I make a lot of loud, weird sounds. I know, I¢m a loud person. It actually has been a major insecurity for me because I can¢t hear how loud I am, and some people have been very critical of me. It¢s part of who I am. I¢m loud and love to laugh real big! I definitely have learned to filter it when I know it¢s not the right time, but otherwise I am unapologetically myself. Prometheus recorded my laugh and made it his ringtone. It was very funny. Hot Sauce and I were having a fun conversation about proms and formals and planning committees and college. The sun had come out and we were enjoying the warmth and hike down. Unfortunately, after all the water had run down the mountain or off the sides, we were left with mud. So much mud. It was like stepping through quicksand and it almost pulled my boot off several times. My feet were still soaking, but now my shoes were covered in mud too. And I fell again. This time didn¢t hurt. It was just a slip in the mud. Again I didn¢t get any mud on myself, miraculously. I have a talent for slipping in mud and not ending up muddy except for that one time when I purposely sat down to get down a slope and ended up muddy. Haha. Prometheus took a selfie with me on the ground. He really is such a goon. We made it to Davenport Gap Shelter, which is about a mile from the Gap itself and is surrounded by fence to keep the bears out. We kept walking and that last mile felt like forever, as it often does on these long days, but we were all warm and drying up and in good spirits. Hot Sauce was excited because she saw little purple orchids coming up out of the ground.We made our way down and there they were! My goober parents! Haha my mom had her phone out and got a video of me walking down. It was great to see them and I was so relieved it all worked out. Davenport Gap is on a mountain road, and I had warned my parents about that. But they made it and it worked! We all put our packs in the car and it was starting to rain again, so perfect timing! We drove off and my dad showed us where water had come onto the road and said it had been a little treacherous driving up. We made it onto a main road, but could see the river going by us. It was rushing and had risen to the tops of the bridges it flowed under. There wasn¢t flooding on the road, but it was very close to the road. We were all happy to be in a car and were amazed by the water situation. We were literally hiking in this mess! It was about an hour to Hot Springs. When we got there, we dropped Hot Sauce and Prometheus off at a motel and went to our Inn. It was a very nice, homey Inn. It¢s a house, with a rustic, home vibe. We had a suite with two rooms. It had an electric fireplace that was complicated to work, a main sitting room, a bathroom, and two bedrooms. I was freezing. I brought my bag in and my parents went to get their¢s and they came back and I was in the shower! The water pressure was a little hard, but it was still so nice to shower. And to take my boots off! My poor feet. They actually looked okay, despite a 15-mile day in soaking wet boots and an hour drive. I walked around without socks on to let them dry, and then put my dry clothes on to go to dinner.We went to a Tavern and I was starving. I ordered mozzarella sticks (with meat in them, delicious), tator tots, and a burger with fries. My mom got wings and I tried those too. It was all so good. Nothing like fried, greasy food to hit the spot! The waitress recommended a good beer for me and I loved it. I had two. I also ran into so many people! Prometheus and Hot Sauce had met up with a friend Heather, and they were there. And Boulder! Anyone remember him?!? He said he didn¢t recognize me because I¢ve lost so much weight. I guess? It was great to see all the hikers and we had an awesome meal. We came back to the Inn and I totally passed out. I woke up at 1am and brushed my teeth because I¢m anal about that, but fell right back asleep. What a long day! Glad it all worked out and I¢m in a warm bed in a town and my parents and friends are here.Little Debbie