Date: 2018-04-22
From: Fontana Dam Visitors Center

To: Spence Field Shelter
Miles today: 17.4
Weather: broken clouds

I started this morning with Metric at Fontana Dam. There was about a quarter of a mile walk on the road to get back to the trail. Waiting there for us was a drop box where we each placed the bottom portion of our permits. That¢s it, I¢m in the Smokies and there¢s no turning back!  The first 4 miles or so was up. I¢m back at sloth pace so Metric soon moved on. It took every inch of that 4 miles up for my body to readjust to wearing my big packA few sprinkles came down around 11am. I already had the rain cover on my pack, so I just slipped on a rain poncho and kept moving. The rain really didn¢t come then. It was just a few drops.  I hiked on with nice breezes until 1pm. Still no rain, so I decided to pull up a nice log and eat lunch. First it was off with my boots and socks. This practice is really working for my feet. Just as I started looking through my food bag Awoken Ghost showed up and asked if he could join me. I said ¢mi casa su casa¢ and made room on my log. Just as he pulled out his food the rains came. A torrential downpour right there in my dining room! Very quickly we re-covered our packs, put on our rain gear, and I ate a kind bar. Not much of a lunch.  The rains came and went the rest of the day. Mostly came.  I hiked on alone. There¢s bear warnings all over the trail, so my eyes were on high alert lookout. Suddenly, sitting a good distance down the mountain, there it was, a bear! I was up on the ridge and he would really have to run up to get me, so I kept on going. I watched him like a hawk though. He didn¢t move at all as came up from behind him then had to cross in front of him to go up and away. As I was just coming around the front I was able to get a better look at him, and turns out, it was a broken tree! Not a bear at all.  So I laughed at myself and kept on hiking. I was thinking about how to tell that story in my journal, when for real the largest bear head I¢ve ever seen popped out of the woods about 15 yards in front of me! Then a shoulder and a ginormous paw! My heart fell into my stomach. I stopped dead in my tracks and began walking backwards. He never even looked my way. He just sauntered across the trail and made his way up the other side of the mountain. I fumbled to get my phone for a photo but by the time I was brave enough to inch my way back over there he was gone. I took a moment right then to thank Jesus.  About that time another hiker came up behind me. I was so glad to see someone! I can¢t remember his name. It was something like Chief or Captain. We were 3 miles from the shelter. He slowed for me because he knew I was rattled. He called it slow, but to me it felt like I ran for 3 miles up hill in the rain to get there. He was an experienced outdoorsman and every time we turned a blind corner or were coming into a tight spot he would shout ¢YO¢ very loudly. He says that way the bears know you¢re coming and they move on.  We arrived at the shelter. It was full. I did see my friends Jamz, The Lady, and JRanch! I can¢t believe I passed JRanch! He started yesterday into the Smokies. Anyway, the wind and rain would make setting up a tent difficult to say the least. We were only 3.3 miles from the next shelter. We both grabbed water and he moved on ahead of me to get us a space. I walked the 3.3 miles alone YO-YOing all the way there!  When I arrived at shelter #2, it was full as well. I did not see my new friend. I was hungry, tired, and really felt defeated. Pan-Burger had made tacos. Really it was rice and beans on a tortilla. I think he felt bad for me, because he offered me a taco. I gobbled that thing right up! It was 2.9 miles to the next shelter. It was already 5:30pm and I didn¢t want to hike past dark. But I had no choice. So with a newly fueled body I YO-YOed all the way here to Spence Field Shelter. You won¢t believe it, but it¢s full too!!  Super cool people are here though. They have a nice fire going, and they let me put my bag down on the dirt floor inside the shelter.  The wind is really whipping out there, but I¢ll be ok here on the ground. Now that I¢m safe, I¢m thinking about that bear. I¢ve decided they are truly majestic looking creatures. He was so big but so graceful moving across that path.  Until Next Time Blue Raccoon (2018)