Date: 2017-05-12
From: Clingman's Dome

To: Newfound Gap, US 441
Miles today: 8.4

Today was a busy day but not just with hiking: it was a town day.  This means that we had a short hike followed by doing various chores in town.We started at Clingman's Dome, where we had stealth camped.  The weather was cold and blustery, and I spent the night in the driver's seat of one of the Expedition guests.  I took only my sleeping bag liner rather than my sleeping bag, so I was cold.  I didn't get much sleep.  I was so tired when I got in yesterday that I didn't take any pictures of the fabulous view from the top of the mountain - rank upon rank of mountains and a beautiful  sunset.  This morning it was foggy, so there was not nearly as nice a view.  Our hike was through some distinctly different forest from what we've been hiking in.  Until about the last five miles of yesterday's hike we've been in Southern hardwood forests, with lots of light spilling through the just-budding leaves.  Today we were in evergreen forest that was dark and full of moss-covered downed trees. It reminded me very much of parts of Maine.  The feeling in it is wonderful.  It's quiet and peaceful, and it smells good.  It's nice walking on beds of evergreen needles.  In one place we came to wild boar containment bridges.  These were ramped bridges that allow hikers to cross wire fences designed to exclude wild boars from an Appalachian beech forest. According to the signage, the boar, who are a non-native invasive species, destroy many of the indigenous plants in that environment.I recently turned my right ankle, which I have taped using a figure eight ankle wrap, and have blisters on my right heel and one toe.  So I decided to take an easy day and not try to hurry.  I hiked with Arlene, the slowest person in our group, who is a delightful person.  Yesterday I wrote that she had fallen on some rocks and cut her head.  After finishing her hike she went to the emergency room, where they cleaned her wound and gave her five staples. She didn't get back until 3 AM.  But she was up and ready to hike at the usual time.  Talk about sturdy peasants!After everyone was finished hiking around 12:30, Warren drove us all in the van to do our errands.  We first went to the post office to pick up mail, then to a laundromat to wash clothes, then to an Italian restaurant to load up on carbs for our next few days' hike.  I struck it rich at the post office: I had 5 packages.  I should be the most popular person in the group because I have lots of goodies to share.  My friend Tony sent me my summer clothes, homemade bread with raisins or craisins, his special homemade protein breakfast bar, and delicious chocolate chip oatmeal cookies.  My college roomie Meggie sent her special Meg bars, a purple merino wool beanie to wear to bed at night, and hand and foot warmers.  My friend Sharon sent me my medications and threw in chocolate covered espresso beans and Girl Scout cookies.  And my friend Joan scrounged a variety of conveniently-sized plastic bags at my request.  After our errands, Warren asked whether we wanted to stay in a hotel in town (Gatlinburg, TN) rather than stealth camp in the rain and thunderstorms that were forecast (and happening as we did our errands), and we all agreed immediately.  So now I am well-fed, freshly-showered, wearing clean pjs, and writing from the comfort of a real bed.  I've never been so happy to be staying at a Motel 6.  Life is good.Even though I spend virtually all my time being ravenously hungry, I still could only eat about half of my spaghetti and meatballs at the Italian restaurant.  I brought the remainder back to my hotel room and plan to eat it for breakfast tomorrow.  I also bought a big piece of fried chicken and an avocado to eat for dinner tomorrow night.  Maybe the hiking will go better with some calories in my stomach.  Tomorrow we set off for another two-day backpacking trip to finish the Smokies -- about 15 miles each day.  It is supposed to rain for part of the day tomorrow but clear later.  It's been a huge morale booster to hear from so many readers and friends.  Thanks to you all.  We've now completed 206.8 miles of the trail in the 14 days we've been hiking.  And I feel ready to go on.