Date: 2003-06-09
From: Tri-Corner Knob Shelter

To: Standing Bear Farm
Miles today: 18.1
Weather: scattered clouds

What a great day! I awoke early in order to get a head start for a long day. I planned originally to hike to Davenport Gap Shelter for the night. Al was going to go further, so he could get to Hot Springs by early Thursday to meet a friend, but his friend could not make it. We decided to stay together and hike to Standing Bear Farm, where I had planned to spend tomorrow night. It was a long day for me, but we did very well and got here about 4:45. This is a really great place for hikers. Very rustic/mountain ¢ ish, and Curtis and Maria are the best. They have a cabin (we are in) plus a bunkhouse, laundry/microwave/internet service area, various porches with picnic tables and benches (covered with a tin roof) plus a place for a bonfire for the evening with rough sawn benches. They have a refrigerator with frozen foods, soft drinks, and various hiker friendly foods to put in your pack (somewhat limited now since most of the thru hikers are north of here). It is a perfect place to come off the trail, clean up, eat, and relax. The young couple in the shelter last night lay in their sleeping bags making small talk for two and a half hours after the rest of us tried to go to sleep. Even his yawn had seven syllables. I had forgotten how many words you could use to say very little of real substance when you are young and in love. It was comical. Al began to stir this morning, before first light really, (I had been awake since 3:30), and immediately yelled out a happy birthday to me VERY loudly. I think that was to make a point about making noise when others are trying to sleep, but it was funny, and no one else complained about his outburst. The young couple woke up with ¢aches and pains¢ complaints and seemed a little indignant. No one complained about their behavior last night, but I bet someone does eventually if they spend many nights in shelters. It was ok with me because I only get 4 or 5 hours sleep each night if I¢m lucky, and I don¢t care that much when I get it. As he cooked breakfast, she busied herself with putting on her makeup. They were hiking south. Today began very much as every day in the Smokies has, very cloudy, misty, and wet. No rain, or a few drops about 4:00 a.m., but the entire Smokey Mountain National Park experience was in a cloud for the most part. We had a few climbs that were pretty tough, and lots of steep, pounding descents into the low elevation Davenport Gap. The clouds broke a few times and the views to the ridges were really beautiful. There were huge patches of rhododendrons scattered over the distant ridges, in full bloom, and they reminded me of the patchwork of aspen in the fall in the Colorado Rockies. Very beautiful patches of the purple flowering shrubs covered many acres across the distant mountainsides, with the normal pines and deciduous trees between the patches. The sky cleared completely in the late afternoon and it became hot. By that time we were in fairly close woods on the descent into Davenport Gap so there were few views. We got to the road ¢ gravel in NC and pavement in TN ¢ in the gap right on the state line, and said goodbye to the SMNP. It was with mixed emotions for me since the park has the restrictions requiring hikers to be in a shelter each night, therefore dictating travel plans for each day. But since I hiked the park, it would have been better if the weather had cooperated a little more and we could have enjoyed the fine views from the many ridges. I experienced lots of rain and clouds, some tough hiking days and cold nights, and finished in five days instead of six. It was a good experience over all, necessary for hiking this section of the Appalachian Trail, and ok with me to be behind me. We had 2.4 miles from Davenport Gap to Waterville School Road. The first part to the I40 bridge underpass had several very steep sections, but much of it followed a mountain stream which tumbled over boulders in a deep, dark, cool ravine ¢ very remote feeling with many, many waterfalls. There was lots of water flowing from recent rains. I would look back and see Al sometimes as a small stick figure, way up on the side of the ravine across the stream, with a steep, treacherous descent ahead of him to get to my position, having to cross the stream many times by hopping on boulders to cover the distance between us. It was a beautiful place. We then crossed the Pigeon River on a bridge and then went under I40 to Waterville School Road. We climbed a high, steep stone stairs, like 50 steps, to take the AT up on a ridge. A little over half a mile of very steep climbing followed by an equally steep, long descent to Waterville School Road again. At the bottom we crossed a stream before getting to the road bank, and on the far side of the stream one of the rocks had a painted bear claw with an arrow pointing left ¢ 200 yards to this hostel (really more like 400 yards!). Arriving here was like heaven. So relaxing and restful. It is dark now, about 9:30 p.m. Al and I are the only two guests tonight, sleeping in a cabin with four beds. It has a deck outside with a boardwalk to the showers, privy and porch. We will sleep tonight lulled by the song of a stream, which passes right under the cabin. I can hear the water tumbling over the rocks as I write. This has been a great day. I¢m glad Al and I can hike together to Hot Springs. We are very compatible in hiking styles and place no requirements on each other. We have lunch together and hike mostly separately, as it seems to work out, and that is just what I prefer. I got my mail drop box here just fine, and with what we each had left over, plus the box, both of us are supplied until Hot Springs. We plan to hike to Max Patch tomorrow and tent on the summit. If it is not raining there will be an awesome view of the sunrise the next morning. So, I am clean, well fed, and ready to enjoy a soft bed tonight. I plan to read in the NT some and have a time of prayer and fellowship with the Lord before bed. If I am still not tired, I will read in my paperback copy of "The Pearl". I really feel good about the progress so far and how I am doing physically. I have put in some relatively long days to make it to the next shelter in the Smokies, but I have been up to it so far. The lighter pack ¢ about 35 pounds versus 52 pounds last year ¢ is really helping. Today¢s downhill miles tended to be hard on my feet, and I have some sores and tender spots on my right toes, plus a certain soreness in my left knee, but so far I don¢t feel any of this is a serious threat to my hike. Roughly 75 miles completed and about 100 miles to go. Very happy with things so far. I tried to email Marlene but am not sure if it got through since the connection was lost when I hit SEND, and it put me through a reconnect sequence, then flashed something about sending momentarily, but I was unable to read it before the screen changed. I called Marlene using Al¢s phone card ¢ no cell phone service here ¢ to tell her about the email attempt so she could be looking for it, but no answer, so I left a message. Just hearing her voice on our phone message service was good. I miss her when we are apart. She is so good to be ok with my doing this hike, and that adds to my experience. Time to read before turning in for the night. Today¢s verses are in Romans 12, verses 1 and 2, plus Colossians chapter 3. Very good to ponder as I walk along. Goodnight Sweetheart. dp PS. Happy birthday to Me. Happy birthday to Me. Happy birthday dear Me-ee. Happy birthday to me. 54 today!