Date: 2005-09-18
From: Tricorner Knob Shelter

To: Waterville School Road
Miles today: 18.1

I slept fitfully with all the dog noises around, even with the earplugs. No one arrived during the night, and I met the pot-bellied hiker as I left the shelter in the morning. He had napped on a log by the side of the trail, then gone the wrong way when he woke up. After reorienting himself, he was too tired to make it to the shelter, so he slept on the trail. He still claims that he got a refreshing 8 hours of sleep; I'm impressed. The dogs, unfortunately, continued to follow me today. One followed so closely that he often clipped my heels or pushed on my side. I eventually met a couple of backpackers going the opposite way; I lost one dog to each encounter and got to hike undisturbed for the whole afternoon. I rushed through the day a bit in an attempt to get to three destinations: 1) the Mt. Cammerer CCC observatory side trail, 2) Mountain Moma's, a hostel a 1.5 mile walk off the trail where I had sent a package, and 3) Standing Bear Farm, where I wanted to stay for the night. Rushing was easy, though, since the path was almost entirely a gentle descent out of the Smokies. In one stretch, the right side of the path afforded unobstructed views of GSMNP, which the other side showed the flattening of the land and the approach of civilization. It was a clear day, and Mt. Cammerer had great views. It was definitely worth the side trip. Some locals up there on a day hike helped me identify landmarks, including the upcoming I-40 trail crossing. On the way down the mountain after that, I met a large crew of AT maintenance workers, about 20 men and women. Almost all of them asked about the score of the Tennessee football game, which of course I didn't know. I asked one of them what he was doing, and he said, "We thought we'd dig a hole and put a big rock in it," which indeed seemed to represent what I observed. The walk down the gravel road to Mountain Moma's Kuntry Store was uneventful except for some directional confusion. I called my parents and asked them to check whether I was going the right way, and apparently I was stuck in a twilight zone. Mountain Moma's has a few possible addresses: for geographic location, for USPS mail, and for UPS maill. It is in Waterville, Waynesville, or Newport; in Tennessee or North Carolina, depending on whom you ask. Even Google Maps seemed confused. But I made it there and got my package anda Snickers ice cream bar without incident. The last 2 miles of the trail today were outside the national park, and the difference was stark. Dead plants everywhere, overgrown paths, noise from the interstate, and almost total desertion. I passed one family doing a day hike by a stream, but no one else. When I got to Standing Bear Farm, it was deserted, but there was a sign directing me to make myself at home. I took the cabin over the creek (first come, first served!) and when I settled in, the day hiking family - the owners - drove up. They kindly took me with them to dinner at a Mexican restaurant that Maria's family owns, the Front Porch. I had a tasty pork burrito with green chile sauce, met the employees, and got back to the cabin very tired and full, ready for almost immediate slumber.