Date: 2005-03-17
From: Birch Spring Campsite

To: Gatlinburg, TN
Miles today: 35.1
Weather: light rain

I'm choosing to not write my journal day by day.   There is too much boring information in that.   Instead I'll just do the highlights.   My journal from 2004 bores me to death. That maybe why I am spending my time writting this year's journal instead of going back and editing last year's journal. I still need to do that I'm just not that bored to deal with it yet.   So my point is I'm trying to make this one actually readable.   You know someone wrote me and said they stayed in front of their computer for 20 hours straight to read my 2004 journal straight through. That is Crazy. Your mind will shut down after that!   I promise to do a better job at this year's. That's why I've waitted until August to start writting this one.   I wanted to spend time thinking before writting my thoughts. You all desire at least that. So with that.....I met my first thru hiker on my second day on the trail.   Paladin a nice southern man from AL.   I knew just by the first night we camped out together he would make it to Katahdin.   He already is hiking a good pace.   We spent one night at camp together and planned on meeting at Newfound Gap to head into town together.   I'm a broke hiker if I plan on staying in towns I need to bunk with someone else to afford the hotels along the way.   Besides who wants to spend St. Patrick's Day alone!   That's no fun.   I actually had a great time going through the Smokey's.   I heard the week before me they rescued 4 college guys from the trail. I saw there stuff all over the place between Derrick's knob shelter and Silers Bald Shelter.   They left everything their jackets, sleeping bags extra clothes. Then I heard from Kurtis at the hostel on the northern side of the smokey's that everyone's been held up at fontana and Gatlinburg due to all the snow.   So How much snow is up there?   I was worried about that when I started the other day.   I found the snow to be deep near Clingman's.   My entire afternoon up to Clingman's every college stundent I passed told me I needed to put more clothes on. Stupid people, they needed to take some of that stuff off. All these college kids wearing every piece of clothes they had while hiking!   And then they wonder why they are the ones that need to be rescued while I stay there and watch.   I do not hike in pants unless I have to.   Even in thigh deep snow I prefer my skirt and gators.   I made my way through the snow and passed the stupid people while trying to get to Mtn. Collins before dark.   Yeah my problem is I don't tell time correctly.   I for some reason thought I had plenty of time to make it to mtn. Collins shelter from Double Spring shelter. I was wrong. I made it to Clingman's Dome by the time it was starting to get dark.   I was screwed. I was wet from sweat, the ground was frozen, I was starting to get fogged in and I was tired.   Yeah I looked around the dome for a place to tent but with frozen ground I had no place.   So I found that little room at the base of the tower. You know that nasty little concrete room under the ramp. It was infested with mice and a lot of trash from careless hikers.   I took out my tent and my rope and set up inside this room.   At least I was out of the snow and the wind. I left an offering to the mice, a piece of my bagel, close but not to close to my food bag.   I climbed into my tent and slept.   Hey you do what you have to, right!The next morning I cleaned up the garbage in that room before I took off. I hauled ass through the snow and ice to catch up to Paladin before going into town.   Actually I went right passed him somehow.   I made it to the gap before him by about 10 mintues.   Paladin you too slow!   We hooked up only after I spoke to a Stupid Ridge Runner who told me it was my job to pick up other people's garbage not his!   I hate when ridge runners tell you things like that.   That's why they are out here and that's why they get paid to do such things. I do my part, I do pick up garbage left in camp. We all have to do our part!In town I met Senor and the No Named Newly Weds.   We all spend the night in town together.   Paladin, Senor and I sat in our room drinking beer, it is St. Patrick's day, and watching some TV while getting warm.   The Smokey's have a way of putting a chile right down to your bones that will take days on some island in the caribbean to warm again.   Trust me I know from last year too!   It was a nice night to be in town.   And I've got some great people to hang out with too! Another great adventure on the A.T.