Date: 2019-03-02
From: Double Springs Shelter 

To: Pecks Corner Shelter 
Miles today: 21.0

Day 14Pecks Corner Shelter: 21 milesThe Smokies was a gift that kept on giving. I didn¢t know it at the time but I was lucky that yesterday was such a slog in the pouring rain.  If it wasn¢t for the truly treacherous conditions and trying to keep myself upright in the mud and slippery rocks I might have hiked past Clingmans Dome and missed the most glorious view of the hike.I got to Clingmans Dome around 8;40 and I had the place all to myself. The morning air was clear of afternoon haze which made for perfect viewing conditions.  The peaks of the mountains were floating in a sea of white clouds. I guess this is why they are called the Smokies. All day I was hiking through a forest of huge ancient conifers. I think they were spruce or fur trees. The forest floor was covered with emerald moss that grew on the downed trees and the soil. I got water from a spring that emptied right out of the mountain. This is what I dreamed the Smokies would be like. I¢m so fortunate to have had this day. The trail by Clingmans Dome has some sections of ice. Other sections were still wet and demanded utmost attention on my part to keep from falling. For me the downhills always seem to be the most treacherous. Today I was chugging up a moderate hill and I stepped on a slick root and fell forward. My left knee hit another root hard. I laid there in pain mad at myself and the roots. I didn¢t want my hike to end this way.  I got up and started hiking. It didn¢t feel too bad. I was thankful that I didn¢t get injured. When I got to camp after my 21 mile day I could feel it stiffening up. Hopefully, it will be fine in the morning. Today was just my lucky day. I got to Newfound Gap around 12:30. There¢s a big parking area for tourists to day hike up to Charlie¢s Bunion. I was dumping my trash when a man came over and asked if I was thru hiking the AT. I said yes and he asked me if I wanted some snacks or something to eat. I said yes but I couldn¢t stay long because I still had a long way to go. He took me over to a van that had a sign ¢Fresh Ground¢s Leapfrog Cafe¢. Well Fresh Ground is one of the most famous Trail Angels on the AT. His friends name was Joker. They started offering me all sorts of snacks and apples. I enjoyed some junk food that I normally would never eat. He then offered to help me get my pack to fit better. He adjusted all manner of straps and duct taped some of the straps so they wouldn¢t move out of adjustment. I¢ve been backpacking for 5 years and I never really understood how to adjust my pack correctly. It was 1:30 when I left and now I was running behind schedule but it was time well spent. Those 2 men were doing all of this for free to help out thru hikers. What a pair of wonderful guys My next stop was Charlie¢s Bunion. It is a pair of rock formations that look like big bumps on the mountainside. The views of the Smokies were just okay because the afternoon haze had settled in I met 3 young men who were out for a weekend backpacking trip  They told me that a ridge runner had told them that part of the trail had just closed due to a landslide. I hadn¢t heard of a closure and had talked to a different ridge runner earlier and he didn¢t mention it. At first I continued north hoping for the best but it was getting late and I was getting bummed out. I didn¢t want to get another 4 miles down the trail and then have to turn back to the previous shelter. So I turned around and headed south. Luckily within a few hundred yards I saw the men again and showed them my Guthook map. They were confused and said it was a different trail that was closed. Relieved that my perfect day wasn¢t spoiled I happily took off for my final destination. I passed the ridge runner on the way. She is also staying at the Peck Corner shelter tonight. There was another hiker at the shelter when I got there at 6:00. It stays light until almost 7 but I hate getting in so late and trying to get organized in the dark. It¢s 9:15 and another hiker just got here The other two hikers were already asleep. I have 23 miles to hike to get to Standing Bear Hostel tomorrow. Then I¢ll make a plan on what to do about the dangerously cold weather coming in 2 days. Single digit temperature aren¢t for me especially combined with wet trail which will turn into ice. I brought my Kathoola ice spikes with me but the trail has been tricky enough dealing with slippery mud slides and slick roots. I am prepared to hike in cold temperatures but my sleep system isn¢t going to keep me warm in single digit temperatures plus wind-chill. Happy hiking, Silver Streak