Date: 2009-04-29
From: Double Spring Shelter

To: Newfound Gap
Miles today: 10.8
Weather: broken clouds

Due to the proximity to Clingman¢s Dome, we all woke up at the crack ass of dawn (4:30 am) to hike the few miles to watch the sunrise. It was great fun to night-hike again, especially with One Hand. Everyone else had hiked ahead and we were taking our time enjoying one another¢s company and talking about life, the AT, school, boy scouts, and a host of other topics. It was so quiet hiking in the morning. We could hear each other¢s breaths, along with the awakening and chirping birds as the sky turned from darkness to light. Climbing up the ridge, we could see the crazy city lights of Gatlinburg, which looked like just a little blip in the distance. When we climbed the dome, it wasn¢t as awe-inspiring as we had initially predicted ¢ not so much because of the view, but because the clouds had shielded a view. Clingman¢s Dome was interesting because it is shaped like an alien spaceship. Climbing the foreign structure, we could see that a type of beetle, which came from the European continent, ripped through the trees at the top of the dome. On a good day from the dome, one can see for miles and miles, but we couldn¢t see even 30 ft. in front of us. The clouds were just too thick. Up on the dome, Moe, one of the wildest but friendliest people on the AT, was telling us that she somehow managed to lose her drivers license and credit card, while downing several beers at the Fontana Dam Shelter. We were all very concerned for her, but it seemed as if she had done this before. Actually she had ¢ she lost these two before and her passport. I hope she manages to find it and to re-join us out on the trail. Hiking the trail after Clingman¢s Dome was an absolute treat for me. Pilgrim and Ninja hiked far ahead and I took my time, analyzing and pondering over the various trees that had been uprooted from the recent rainfalls. It was amazing! The roots of these trees would only go maybe one foot beneath the ground surface and then would spread outwards to anchor the tree to the ground. For some reason, many of the trees had been overturned and it literally looked as if a grenade had gone off in the vicinity. You could even climb inside some of them and relax in their cavernous roots. Amidst my sheer enjoyment of inspecting the uprooted trees, I finally found my way to Newfound Gap, where Pilgrim and Ninja were patiently waiting. Newfound Gap is the absolute border point of Tennessee and North Carolina. If you go one way 20 miles, you will find the Cherokee Indian Reservation. If you go 15 miles the other way, you will find yourself entering the extremely tourist town of Gatlinburg. Pilgrim proposed the idea of hitching into town to get a fresh meal, to which I wholeheartedly agreed. My legs were very sore for the day and I was already looking forward to a great meal and some fresh fruit. After trying to catch a hitch for about 45 minutes with elderly tourists, we finally managed to get a ride down into Gatlinburg. The guy who picked us up was Phillip, a medically-discharged Iraqi war veteran, who is now working with the retail of Native American artifacts. He was very generous for picking us up and taking us down into Gatlinburg. On the way down, he told us stories of how bears frequently find themselves in town searching for food. Descending into the town was absolutely phenomenal. The trees were looking so green, fresh, and vibrant. After we binged on burgers at one of the local joints with Rocket and Hardcore, we decided that it was time for a few beers. We had a few pints at the microbrewery, before heading to have a few more at the bar ¢Hogs N¢ Hunnies¢, which was located on the ¢strip¢. Imagine a really tacky Las Vegas mixed with the feel of Mardi Gras in New Orleans and you¢ll have Gatlinburg. Pilgrim was definitely leading the charge with the beers, but it was great just to be able to sit our tired bodies down and not to have to keep on worrying about hiking more miles. While at the pub, we watched the Manchester United vs. Arsenal match and talked to an Australian bloke who tried to convince us that he sailed around the world and that he has a brother who is Keith Urban¢s band. Very interesting guy, even if he was a spoof. Rocket and Hardcore headed back to the trail, but we decided to spend the night in Gatlinburg for some good cooking and some good company. After checking into our hotel and heading back to the strip, we ran into Belding and Indy again! It was wonderful to see them! Totally unexpected. We agreed to meet up in the morning for some breakfast, which would probably be the ultimate time seeing them until Pennsylvania. When we returned to the hotel after having dinner with 501, Trapper, Pilgrim, and Ninja, 501 said that on the way back, he saw a bear just walking down the main strip! I couldn¢t believe that a bear was actually strolling down the busiest thoroughfare of the city. Geez¢¦Before finally heading off to bed, we met up with our long lost friends ¢ Blu-Ray and Frankenfoot who had just arrived into town earlier that day. It was terrific to see them again and I hope that we¢ll all be able to reconnect sometime soon. Sleep time.