Date: 2003-01-16
From: Cable Gap Shelter

To: Hike Inn -Fontana Dam, NC
Miles today: 6.6
Weather: broken clouds

Well today the weather finally showed up. Chuck again got an early start. I layed around and finally got up and going around 9. Bono was just a few minutes behind but I was on a rockin pace. I coveres 6 miles in just over 2 hours. A 3 mile an hour pace. Not too shabby. I caught up tp Chuck just as we got to Highway 28 at about 1100. I left a note for Bono on a trail sign and continued to the Dam visitor center with Chuck. There we found FREE warm showers and heated restrooms. Chuck took a quick shower and we said our good byes. His nephew picked him up, as this was the end of his section hike. I look forward to meeting up with him later on. I took a quick rinsing- I dont carry any real soap- and called for a shuttle to the Fontana Village. Only one dolar to go anywhere in town.   Well town is small. There is a PO, laundramat, and a high priced general store. That's it. Bono had managed to get on the same shuttle as me so we hit the PO together. We each got our boxes and placed a couple of calls to the Hike Inn. Nobody was around so we decided to go back to the main drag and hitch. (I should let it be known here that hitching on the the Appalachian Trail is quite different than elsewhere in the nation. In these towns, the locals know that hikers come though here and often offer rides. It is not so elsewhere. To the kids who are reading this- it is not safe to hitch hike anymore. It is a thing of the past. Do as I say not as I do. Please dont get the idea that it is safe to hitch hike.)   Anyhow, I waited out front of the only gas station and Bono started walking. Soon someone pulled up asking directions to the trail. I told him I would tell him if he would give me a ride. He agreed and we picked up Bono on the way. By this time, the huge, thick, slick snowflakes had been falling for a good while and had accumulated to a good 3". Bono had gotten in the back of the truck. As we came around a corner at a speed faster than the conditions warranted, the 4WD truck began to fishtail around a car that was stuck in our lane. Bono got a bit scared and almost bailed out as we narrowly missed the steep embankment!  He dropped us at the AT road crossing and was off. We walked up to the road acaught a ride with Ransom-the first truck to drive by. Soon enough we arrived atthe Hoch's place- 6.5 miles from te AT. As we pulled up, Jeff Hoch came out togreet us and how us to our room. We settled in and went through our food again. We have a lot! We also got out our laundry to give to Jeff. He offers athruhiker special- $45 dollars for a double room, a ride to and from the trail,a ride to and from Robinsville (the closest good sized town), 1 load of laundryper hiker, tops off your fuel bottle, and all with a smile. He is a veryaccomadating man. Because the roads are so slick he says he wont be able topget us into Robinsville, so he will give us a price break. We dont know whatkind of cut it will be, but I'm confident that it will be fair. Tonight there is about 5" of snow on the ground. So Bono and I put on oursnowsehoes and took advantage of the white, fluffy photo opportunity. Now we sit in our own comfy beds catching up on our journaling and watchingthe one channel of TV available here. It looks as if this storm was quick andhas almost entirely moved out. We may push into the Smokys tomm, but we'll seehow things pan out. It's nearly 115 so to bed I go.PeaceRon