Date: 2008-04-19
From: Clingman's Dome, TN

To: Erwin, TN (13 day report)
Miles today: 143.1
Weather: broken clouds

03/19/08   Erwin, TN AT Mile - 339.8   Zero Mile Day   *** Report of 04/07/08 to 04/19/08 ***      04/07/08 - Icewater Spring Shelter (SMNP) (10.9 miles)---------------------------------------------      Sunny - mostly clear views - cool temps.   Before hitting the trail I had to super glue some of the tread back on to my lightweight New Balance trail shoes. Probably need to replace them in the next 100 miles.   Left Clingman's Dome around 1:30 heading down (with serveal ups ???) to Newfound Gap - then on up to Icewater Spring Shelter.   The ups were not too bad and I made it before 6:00pm.   My first several days in the Smoky's were foggy, windy, and wet. Today was clear and mild - much better views.    The trail in the Smoky's is much greener with more pine and fur trees with an occational whif of the sweet smell of balsums than the mostly brown, grey, and bare tree's seen so far. Also there are more grass's, moss's, budding ferns and other green leafy vegitation starting to poke-up from under the brown carpet of leaves.    At the shelter there were mostly hikers that I have not met before. I Trod and HiLo who I met on Springer were the only one's I know.   The shelter was full so I was able to hammock nearby. The ring buckle system that Shadowmoss set-up for me works GREAT. 10 times quicker and easier than the stock webbing. (Thank You - Paula)   The hiking poles also work MUCH better than my trusty staff. It took me about 15 minutes to get used to them.      04/08/08 - Tri-Corner Knob Shelter (12.6 miles)------------------------------------------------   Sunny, Mild, Great Views.   Mostly gently rolling up's and down's along ridge lines with undeveloped mountain vistas on both sides of the trail. Very pleasant hiking.   Saw my first rabbit. There are a growing number of little Junco birds flittering on and near the trail.   Note - the shelters on the northern half of the Smoky's do have privies. No shovels needed.   Again - the shelter was full of hikers that I haven't met before so I was able to hammock nearby without risking a fine.      04/09/08 - Standing Bear Farm - (18.1 miles)-----------------------------------------------   Big miles today to get out of the Smoky's.   Almost everyone is happy to get through there, mostly because of the restrictive rules. Probably more psycological than they really are.      18 miles - Wow - but mostly down hill.   As soon as I left the Smoky's the mostly green foliage turned back to mostly brown and grey with the exception of some beautiful large patches of green leafy plants with tiny white flowers covering the still barren forest floor. I later found out these flowers are called Spring Beauties. Well named.       Standing Bear Farm is simple white clapboard country home with a small cluster of very rustic bunkhouses, shower hut, kitchen/laundry hut, and supply hut arranged around a nice fire pit next to a mountain stream. The little settlement is nesseled in a quiet rural valley. Very comfortable and relaxing. There were a dozon or so hikers there, many I know.   Showered, then washed my clothes in a wash tub with a hand crank ringer.   Set my hammock up in the front camping area next to the stream. Very mild night.       04/10/08 Max Patch (mountain) - (13.6 miles)-------------------------------------------------   Sunny - mild - good visiility.   I resupplied from the store house then packed up early and headed north from Stand Bear Farm.   Mid-morning I hooked up with Brad & Aggie, Sunbeam, and Bus Driver who had camped about a mile beyond the hostel last night.   Hard day of uphill hiking with some nice rewards.   The first was coming across a large white futuristic FAA beacon structure on top of a grassy, treeless Snowbird Mtn. Nice views.   Late in the day we finally arrived at Max Patch (Mtn). This place is Awesome. It is a huge green grass, gently rolling mountain top (4,629 ft) that has to cover 100 acres or more. Excellent 360 degree views.   Brad & Aggie, Sun Beam, Bus Driver, and I had a great time goofing around taking silly pictures as the sun set behind the mountains to the west. A few other hikers were there - one had a small guitar and Bus Driver played a few tunes for us.    That night Bus Driver and I "Cowboy Camped" (sleeping bags only) on top of the mountain. Brad & Aggie tented nearby. It was a mostly clear, breezy night as we watched the stars pass overhead and the sun ever so slowly come up on the other side of the world the next morning. Spectacular.      04/11/08 - Deer Park Mountain Shelter - (16.6 miles)-----------------------------------------------------   Mostly Sunny - Warm.   After soaking in the fansatic sunrise we packed up and headed north.   Another day of long, hard hiking. We had heard that bad weather was moving in this weekend so most hikers were pushing to get to Hot Springs as quickly as possible.   I am starting to pay for the big mile days with my first taste of blisters. Two large ones, one each on side of both my heals. My legs are starting to feel it too.   Late in the evening (16.6 miles) we stopped at Deer Park Mountain Shelter. This is just over 3 miles from Hot Springs.   I came across Brush Stroke (an artist from Wilmington, NC) late in the day and we both set up camp just off the trail away from the shelter. Soon after Inspector Clouseau joined us and the three of us chatted as we each cooked dinner.   It was a very mild night - the first where all I needed was my light sleepng bag in the hammock without the bulky PeaPod bag.      04/12/08 - Hot Springs, NC - (3.2 miles)-------------------------------------------   Cloudy AM - Sunny warm most of the day.      The three of us packed up early and spread out on the trail to town.   The AT passes right down Main Street (100 yrds) then across the French Broad River and back up into the mountains. I hit town about 8:30 am and stopped at the Smoky Mountain Dinner for an huge, excellent french toast breakfast. I ate with Windjammer and Bearpaw88 who I met with Kirby at Amicalola SP on March 1st.   It is a weekend and most of the cheaper lodgings were alredy booked. Inspector Clouseau, Brush Stroke and I split a large suite at the Mountain Magnolia Inn (B&B). This is a beautifully restored and landscaped victorian mansion with 5 or 6 guest accomidations.    After showering and a messy puncturing, cleaning, and dressing of Big Bubba & Little Bubba Blisters - I set off for the laundrymat on Main Street.   There were dozens of hikers in town and on the street, many that I know. Spent most of the afternoon hanging around a picnic table in front of the laundrymat joking around and catching up on trail gossip.   Last week my friend Brad's wife "Through Hikers Wife" (Jennifer) sent me a message saying she planned to see Brad in Hot Springs this weekend and she hoped the we all could get together.    It has been a few days since I saw him - but sure enough about noon he appeared. Sadly - he told me that was getting off the trail for a week. Jennifer arrived a short time later and it was great meeting her. They are a really nice couple. Brad and Jen took a stroll through town then the three of us had a very relaxed lunch on the outside covered deck of the dinner. After saying our goodbye's I walked down to the Buff Mountain Outfitters to pick up food and more mole skin (blister patches) for the five or six day hike to Erwin, TN.   All hikers dread leaving town (usually uphill) with the added weight of a full load of food in your pack. My arm was aching just carring my heavy shopping bag 1/4 mile to the B&B.   That night Inspector Clouseau and I had a burger and beer at the Padder's Pub then called it an early night.      04/13/08 - un-named campsite - (8.2 miles)-----------------------------------------------   Overcast - cold - light snow later in the day.               Stopped at the outfitters first thing this morning for stove fuel and a quick internet update and ran into Cannibal. We gave him and Zak a AT sent-off party on March 1st at Amicaclola SP.   He introduced me to his girl friend Chris "Genuine Draft" Miller who was starting her first day on the AT with him. They hit the trail and I went back to the B&B to finish packing my gear.   Later that morning Brush Stroke and I hit the trail. Inspector Clouseau is nursing a swollen anckle and plans to do a zero day.   It was a beautiful climb up out of Hot Springs with several nice views of the town and river.   Mid day I caught-up with Cannibal and Genuine Draft. GD was struggeling up the hills with a painful hip. I hung back with them while Brush Stroke went on.   Late afternoon the temperature dropped and a light freezing snow started. The three of us made camp along the trail, cooked dinner, and made a fire before calling it a night. Hopefully Chris will feel better in the morning.      04/14/08 - Log Cabin Road (Hemlock Hollow Farm) - (8.1 miles)-------------------------------------------------------------   Dark foggy overcast day - cold - light freezing rain PM   Woke up to a very cold morning with a light dusting of snow. The three of us packed up and statred out about 10:00am. Chris was not feeling much better but she kept pushing on.   The plan was to head for Hemlock Hollow Farm (hostel) about 8 miles away. Late afternoon about 1/2 mile before Log Cabin Road, Chris's hip gave out. Cannibal took her pack weight and I scrambbed up to a high spot on a hill to get a cell phone signal to see if Hemlock Hollow could send someone to pick us up at the road. Fortunatly, I got one bar and they said they would meet us.   Fred picked us up in a cold rain and took us to Hemlock Hollow. We warmed up and bought food at the HH store/cafe for dinner and resupply. Then we rented a couple of heated cabins for the night. Cannibal went into Greeneville with Fred and I showered, rinsed my clothes out in the shower, then hung them over the electric heater in my cabin to dry. I microwaved a couple of frozen BBQ Rib sandwiches for dinner.    Later I visited with Cannibal and Genuine Draft. She really wants to keep going. Cannibal made arrangements for Fred to shuttle her ahead to Erwin in the morning to get a few days rest while he hiked there. Then she will pick up the trail with him again.    04/15/08 - Jerry Cabin Shelter - (10.0 miles)-----------------------------------------------   Sunny and Cool AM - Sunny and mild PM   I hit the trail around 9:00 am while Cannabal waited to see Chris off.   Long day with a lot of tough up-hills as I made the 2,560 ft climb up to 4,750ft. It started out icy then the snow got deeper as I climbed higher into the mountains. Probably 4"-5" of snow at the higher elevations.   The bright sun reflecting off the snow made for a beautiful day. It was very slippery in places and very wet and muddy in others.   There were a lot of steep, rugged, rocky snow covered ups and downs. Sometimes it was difficult to see where the trail was and several hand over hand climbs. The hightlight of the day was cresting the rocky top of Big Firescals Bald. WOW - what a breathtaking 360 view of the far reaching mountain ranges on one side, and a vast flat mountain valley on the other side. I did a short video from the top - still images just can't capture it all. I was the first to reach Jerry Cabin Shelter. Soon I was joined by Cannibal, Walrus, Aries & Red, Pack Animal, Bilge Rat, Pusher & Pyro (18 yr old's), Tree, Moon Pie, Dirty Girl (who is a guy) and others. Fun and educational campfire congragation that night.   Wet socks and blisters are not a good combination. Took some time to clean and dress them. Down to my last pair of clean socks with a couple days till Erwin.   Hung my hammock near the shelter for the night.    04/16/08 - Hogback Ridge Shelter - (14.7 miles)---------------------------------------------------   Sunny and Warm   These past few days it seems like a lot more uphills than down hills with little net gain in elevation.   On Big Butt Mountain I crossed the 300 mile mark.   There was one very difficult - but very pretty climb up a steep mountain rivine. The trail cris-crossed a large tumbing stream with numerous small waterfalls. The rivine was bright green with a wide carpet of vegitation on both sides of the stream. There were also the remains a small settlement with several dismantleted log buildings part way up the rivine.   Canabal was already at the shelter when I rolled in. At the shelter I met Auntie Mame and her sister V8 from Maine and Bananas from NJ. I also caught-up with Brush Stroke, Bilge Rat, Hopper, Pusher, and Pyro there.   Set-up my hammock, ate, and called it an early night.      04/17/08 - Spivy Gap - (15.8 miles)--------------------------------------   Sunny - warm   Another tiring up and down big mile day.    Starting to see more green ground cover. The trees are still bare at higher elevations but starting to see some of the limb tips growing new buds.   Mid afternoon the trail came out of the woods up to a beautiful grassy bald (Big Bald) simlular, but much smaller than Max Patch. I joined Tailgate & AquaMaria, Mango & Canuck, Hopper, and Bilge Rat who were sitting clustered there enjoying the warm sun and views.   Hopper told me that Cannibal called for a ride to Erwin from a road crossing several miles back.          On Big Bald we also met a couple of very nice local women who were enjoying the day on top of the mountain with their dogs. They gave us some hard boilded eggs, nuts and an orange. We took some pictures with them and headed on up the trail.   Late in the afternoon I came up on Auntie Mame and V8 who had passed me on Big Bald. I gave them the orange that I had just recieved. Auntie Mame's face lit up as she told me she had just told her sister how much she was looking forward to eating an orange in Erwin. Trail Magic.   I finally arrived at Spivy Gap campsite about 6:30 pm. Biilge Rat, Pack Anaimal, Pusher, Pyro, and Hopper were already there. Tailgate & AquaMaria, and Mango & Canuck arrived at dusk. We all ate and joked around by the campfire.       04/18/08 - Erwin, TN - (11.2 miles)------------------------------------   I broke camp about 7:00 am and headed up the trail to Erwin.   As I was hiking along about 9:00am I heard someone call my name behind me. I turned to see this girl with a purple hiking skirt and a big grin on her face coming down the trail behind me. It took me a minute to realize it was Genuine Draft - Cannibals girlfriend. She looked Great. Full of life and energy - not the cold, tired, hurting unit that I last saw a couple days before.    She was doing the 11 mile slack pack (light pack) form Spivy Gap to Erwin in prep to keep going on the AT with Cannibal. MOST EXCELLENT !!!   She lead the way to Erwin and did great. Her face was beaming when we arrived at town.   She and Cannibal are staying at a cabin at Uncle Johnny's Hostel. I got a room at the Holiday Inn express so that I can rest my blisters (feeling much better today)   After checking in, shower, and laundry - I got a large A&W double cheesebuger, milk shake, and corn on the cob next door. Really hit the spot.   I ran into Tailgate and AquaMaria (Eric & Kristin from Boston) in the hotel lobby this evening. Everything was booked and they were having trouble finding a place to stay.          Later that evening we pulled the matress off the one king size bed in my very large room making it into two king size beds and they crashed with me. Worked Great - Still plenty of room and much more comfortable than a shelter.    4/19/08 - Erwin, TN - Zero Mile Day--------------------------------------   Cloudy - cool      Had the hotel continental breakfast.       Tailgate and AquaMaria got off the trail at Spivy Gap yesterday so they are doing the 11 mile slack pack back to Erwin today and I am catching up on my trail journals and phone calls.   The plan is to go out to dinner tonight with them, Mango & Canuck, and Mango's mother and aunt who drove down from Indiana forthe weekend.   Went to Smoky Bones for dinner. Tailgate (Eric), Canuck (Kyle), and I had the allyou can eat baby back ribs. Then stopped at a super market for supplies before heading back to the hotel.       My next stop is Damascus, VA about 110 miles. I will try to do a detailed update from there in 7-10 days or so.   The weather looks pretty good for the week or so.   Again - THANK YOU All for your messages of support.   Bye for now.   -Wes-