Date: 2004-06-06
From: Mountain Moma's

To: Mountain Moma's
Miles today: 0.0

How different today is. I have finally gotten out of the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. This completes the second time I have hiked through the entire park and it was a lot tougher this time than it was 20 or so years ago. It still remains a worthwhile experience. Lots of tough mountains to climb. Lots of vistas of mountains, tree covered valleys, mountains in and out of the clouds, clouds moving over the trail making you feel like you are walking in a dense fog only to have the sun break through and warm you up. The ferns beside the trail seem to have a green glow to them.   The nights in the shelters had their own feel about each one. This was created by their physical shape and also by the folks you shared the shelter with. Many of the shelters have been updated and they have extended the roof over the front adding a bench to sit on and a platform to cook you meals on or to use as a desk to write you journals on pocketmail. Just about all of them have bear cables for you to hang your food bags at night so the bears do hot pay you an up close and personal visit. Many shelters have a compost type privy which is a welcomed site.   I have been arriving into the shelter about 5 pm most days. You check out a place to sleep and spread your sleeping pad and sleeping bag out to mark your area. Then begin cooking supper. By the time supper is over there generally is conversation time, swapping trail stories and personal experiences and histories. I have met and talked with many interesting people. Some you just get to know by their trail name. The couple from Indiana I have been hiking with, I have only known by their trail names, Flail and What's That? and only this morning got to know them as Beth and Matt. Bamboo was my cabin mate last night in the small Mountain Moma's Honeymoon Shack. He has fasinated us with stories of living a year in Spain, a sea food restaurant on the beach at Malaga, and playing his penny whistle while sitting on rocks by the stream rushing by the backside of our cabin.    I had many cups of coffee to start this morning. Then two scrambled eggs. They say you can order them any way you want them but you will get them scrambled. Also, toast, jelly, potato cakes, and bacon. I am now enjoying a Diet Coke while composing this journal.    My fellow hikers left about 10 AM to get back on the trail. I am taking a zero day to rest this old body. I would like to be hiking but think it is best to get a day of rest. Tomorrow will be a 16 mile hike which begins with a tough climb up Snowbird Mountain. The trail crosses the Pigeon River at 1,425' and climbs up Snowbird Mountain to 4,265'. Those are always such a relief to have behind you. Having fresh legs tomorrow will make it easier.   Bamboo said there should be a group of hikers in this afternoon spending the night here who are from Fairbanks, Alaska. Since I was there in 1959, I will enjoy chatting with them about the changes that have taken place. At noon today I will have one of Mt. Moma's famous cheeseburgers, then nap, then shower and be ready for supper. They stop serving supper here at 5 PM which seems very strange.   All is will with me this fine Sunday morning. I am enjoying a day of rest and looking forward to getting back on the trail tomorrow.   The big difference tomorrow is that I am out of the park and can pitch my tent anywhere I want to and do not have to hike to the next shelter. I am going to try for Max Patch which is supposted to be a beautiful place to camp. Currently, I am 35 miles from Hot Springs, NC, and would like to be there in two days, but I may take three, probably depends a lot on how tough Snowbird Mountain is.   This is horse riding country and trucks pulling horse trailers are pouring down this road. Enough for today. I will write again tomorrow when I am once again hiking.