Date: 2017-11-19
To: Gatlinburg
Miles today: 10.3
Weather: broken clouds

11/19Gatlinburg Days Inn10.3 milesLast night was scary. First my stupid brain wouldn't let up about bears. Every time the wind shook the tarp I turned on my headlamp to check. And the tarp shook a LOT. There was a full on storm going on, with roaring wind and pounding rain. I finally managed to fall asleep, and then woke up to a sharp crack. I heard the sound of things breaking, first well away from me and then rapidly approaching. I had enough time to realize a tree was falling in my direction and start saying "no, no, no, no!" And then a "WHUMP" shook the shelter. I turned on my headlamp yet again to look around. I saw nothing. I had one of those just-avoided-a-bad-car-accident feelings. I could have been dead. I could have just had a massive blunt force trauma. I could be pinned in the wreckage of a shelter, dying of exposure. It took a long time for my heart to settle down after that. Given the racket from the storm and the anxiety from the tree falling, I didn't sleep very well. I let myself sleep in a little this morning to make up some of the difference, but I was still up before 7. When I looked out, I saw inches of snow around the shelter. I told myself I better get fully dressed, at least on my bottom half, before I waded out there. Oddly enough, I felt very warm during the night. When I eventually got phone signal, I learned that the day's temperature had actually peaked at midnight, at 40 degrees. After which it snowed. Weather is weird. I found the bear cable snap frozen in place and had to whack it a few times to open it. Then my food bag Velcro was frozen. Never fear, I was able to have poptarts and coffee. Given the ongoing snow, I ate inside the tarped area of the shelter. I figured that hypothermia trumped bears. I packed up and got going. I left a full warm dry layer in the pack. I wore my fleece top today. It was a compromise- a little too warm on uphills, a little too cool on downhills. The first order of business was bushwhacking around the fallen tree. It had fallen crossing the shelter trail about 100 feet from the shelter. The base of it had shattered at ground level. It was impressive, if annoying to walk around. Next was visiting the privy. It had partial walls, which meant I got snowed on as I used it. Actual bathrooms are a thing that I will appreciate when I get home. This time of year, especially. Toilet seats at subfreezing temperatures are pretty special. Given the tree incident, I wondered if I would be climbing over lots of fallen trees today, but that wasn't the case. Mostly it was just careful slogging through a couple of inches of snow. It seemed to take forever. Putting on an audiobook helped until moisture zapped my headphones and I had to take them off. I felt like an amazing badass crossing mountaintops with only my footprints in the snow. Or an idiot. Either way it was pretty stupendous. Near lunchtime I met two dayhikers with a bear dog trailing them. The dog was starving to death. I didn't even know how she was still standing up. I don't think she would survive another night in those conditions. I tried to get her some food from my pack, but she kept trying to eat my gear so it slowed me down. She left to follow the other hikers before I could get the food out. I really hope they were able to get her to her owner. Or at least take her in and feed her. I petted her briefly and the way she closed her eyes and leaned into it just melted my heart. I reached Newfound Gap at 3:30 and was dumbfounded to see it still and empty. The roads weren't snowy. I dug out my down jacket and warm hat, then started making calls. A taxi service said they could be there in an hour. An hour is a long time when it's below freezing and very windy. I started looking for a protected place to wait, but then I heard voices. I'm generally not one to ask strangers for anything, but I needed help. They said they might need to make two trips because they already had five people, but they could take me to town. I was so grateful. I canceled the cab and went to wait in the miraculously open and heated bathrooms. They managed us all in one trip by holding backpacks on laps and putting me in the cargo area. I would happily have held all of the packs on my lap. The road stayed empty, as it was closed! Chelsea had to call and get a ranger to let us out. Once past that barrier, we drove in to Gatlinburg. I had intended to visit the Smoky Mountain Brewery, and they did too. I asked if I could eat with them since I was alone. It was so great to feel like part of their group. I was extra touched when Mousetrap (AT 2013) said they would get my dinner. They dropped me off at a motel and went on their way. Sadly it's not the Grand Prix, which I hear has closed or been sold. But it's clean, it has heat, and it's centrally located. My plan of buying supplies tonight fell through when I immediately got in the bed instead of dutifully trekking out. It occurs to me now that the road may still be closed tomorrow anyway. It's not like anything is going to melt overnight. The trails were dangerously icy for the last few miles into Newfound Gap. I definitely want them to have time to melt. I'm not sure how I avoided falling today. I don't want to press my luck.