Date: 2011-04-05
From: Silers Bald Shelter

To: Newfound Gap
Miles today: 12.5
Weather: scattered clouds

I woke up this morning to the coldest temps I have felt on the trail yet and around three inches of snow on the ground as the wind blew it all over the place. I was out of my sleeping bag and packing my stuff up as fast as possible planning to head out after a few people took off before me. I got my bear bag down and it was frozen solid from the rail, then the snow, and freezing temps. Everyone in the shelter said they were not going anywhere until it cleared up and I looked at the trail and couldn't even see where it went. I ate a quick breakfast and let everyone know I was going to head out and they all looked at me like I was crazy. I talked to my mom last night and she was going to meet me in Gatlinburg for dinner so I wanted to make it to Newfound Gap as soon as possible. My plan was to get to Clingmans Dome and try to hitch a ride into down from there if the road was even open. So, as I set out dressed in every bit of clothing I had looking up a trail which looked untouched. Everyone was wishing me good luck and said they would be a few hours behind me. I couldn't see the white blazes, the ground was frozen solid, and it was still snowing rather hard. I made it to the top of Silers Bald where I saw the trail split and go two ways. The wind was blowing even harder on top of the bald, so I chose one trail and after about a half mile of wiping the snow off the trees to find the white blazes, I remembered reading in my guide it said the trail turns to the east. I hiked back to the bald and finally headed back down the AT. It seemed like ten miles before I hit the next shelter which was only two miles from Silers Bald Shelter. I was slipping all over the trail, and wasn't doing much hiking but more like falling in the northern direction of the trail. When I walked into the shelter I was greeted with blank stares. They couldn't believe I had left the last shelter and hiked in the weather we were encountering. All my water was frozen as soon as I left the shelter I stayed at so I had no water for the last two or so miles. Three out of the five people in the shelter were med students of OSU and they handed me a cigarette and I got some water as I felt very dehydrated. I stayed there with them for thirty or so minutes trying to reason if I had made the wrong decision in trying to summit Clingmans Dome in this weather. As I started to put my pack back on, Blue Stick walked into the shelter and the first thing he said was "if it wasn't for your foot steps in the snow, I would have never made it here." That was great to hear and was a great boost of courage that I could make it to Newfound Gap even if no one else was hiking in front of me that day. I still planned to try and hitch a ride from the tower on top of Clingmans Dome but didn't know if the road was open or not. I took off expecting the worst, and it ended up not being that bad of a climb up the mountain besides the fact every rook looked like a glazed doughnut. The trail looked like a pond one would skate on as a kid growing up in the northern states. I fell more times than I can count before reaching a sing that said "Clingmans Dome Tower Trail." Little did I know that one has to hike .5 miles off the AT to reach the tower or parking lot. I thought the trail crossed both of them, which it did not. I found this out as I kept hiking (more like falling) down the trail as I descended the highest peak on the AT and came across a sign that said Clingmans Dome was 3.4 miles in the opposite direction. I had no water as it was all frozen, I knew I wasn't going to hitch a ride out anytime soon, and decided to hike as fast as possible for the next seven miles to Newfound Gap. There were more times that I can count when I said to myself this is my last day on the trail; I'm done. I was falling and slipping down every rock I came to as they were covered in ice and buried under the snow. I reached Newfound Gap around 3pm and my mind was relieved to see cars all over the place. I knew my mom was in the area, and was trying to find me to pick me up, I just didn't know where and I had no service. I waited in the cold temps and cold wind for twenty or so minutes when a science teacher from Kentucky asked if I was thru hiking and if I needed a ride into town. I said I was waiting on my mom but would take the ride because I had no service and was soaking wet. She was more than a great trail angle to have come upon and I'm very thankful for the ride into town. I got dropped off at a gas station and my mom pulled up ten minutes later after I got a hold of her. She could tell I was down from the rough day and said "I'm taking you home for the night." I couldn't have agreed more. I needed to be at home tonight. I needed my mom. It all worked out perfect. Once it was all said and done, I was glad I made the decision to give it a try and made it without any major problems. I wouldn't quit the trail unless a life threatening illness fell upon me, but certainly had thoughts about why I was out there in such weather. I'm in great spirits tonight after taking a shower, spending some time with my mom, and visiting with Laura. The day went from one of my worst to a great evening. I'm glad it's over. It was one of those days you here previous thru hikers talking about when they say you have to work through the bad days and live for the great ones.