Date: 2013-04-14
From: Double Spring Gap Shelter

To: Peck's Corner Shelter
Miles today: 20.9
Weather: light snow

My longest day ... so far. Also my earliest start. I wanted to see the sun rise over Clingmans Dome (Others were trying to see the sunrise FROM Clingmans Dome, but that didn't sound as interesting, picture-wise).So I started out in the dark for a short time, but it got light quickly. NBC passed as we were getting into picture-taking territory. It takes a lot of luck to find a spot where you can see past the trees to get a good view of the Mtn -- actually, it was easier to get good shots of the valleys brightening up as the sun rose. I went up the tower at the top of the highest point on the AT & got good views in all directions. The type of trees makes a difference in visibility -- around Clingmans Dome I began to see more evergreens, especially the Frazer Firs that are a trademark of the Smokies, but also spruce & hemlocks. There were so many cones lying on the ground I thought it must be a squirrels' paradise. The problem is, you can't see very far at all thru the evergreens, compared to bare deciduous trees.I didn't try to stop at Mt Collins shelter because it's more than a half mile off the Trail, but I did meet some South-bound hikers coming from there. I asked them about Kawabunga, She-Beast, & some others I'd thought were staying there last night. They hadn't seen them (I later found out they had found various "stealth camp" spots near the top, so they'd be there for the sunrise).Next was a long down-hill section to Newfound Gap, the only road access to the AT in the middle of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. This year, a landslide had blocked the road South toward Cherokee, NC, but to the North it's still the access to Gatlinburg & other tourist traps. At the parking area there was a couple (previous thru-hikers) providing trail magic to a large group of hikers, some of whom had passed me on the way down. Of course, I joined them. Most of them had previously rejected the idea of getting "caught" in Gatlinburg; yet when they were offered a free ride, most of them went!The only one I knew who continued on was She-Beast. We walked together for a while, but she's faster than I. We met again briefly getting water at Ice Water Springs shelter. I didn't meet very many other thru-hikers on the Trail, but there were lots of day-hikers. Since it was afternoon, they were mostly coming down the Mtn. Among them, was a woman who announced, "I've just dropped off my youngest up at the shelter." Unfortunately, neither of us recognized the other-- it turned out to be Spirit, the thru- hiker who had given me a ride to Andrews the day before Easter. I learned that from the son, Tenderfoot, when I got to the shelter. I felt bad for being so oblivious. There were several other hikers at the shelter whom I hadn't met, including one from my home town of 35 years, Springfield, Ohio, a retired dentist named Molar Man. It turned out we have some friends in common-- strange how that works!After getting water from Ice Water Spring, I continued on toward Peck's Corner shelter. I passed & was passed a number of times by 2 guys, one of whom was slowing the other down. Once it was to fix his pants leg; another time, to update his Facebook! The other one, who took it very patiently, is called Tech because he has a solar collector to power all his gadgets. They will be getting in late, since they were headed for the shelter beyond the one I was going to. It started to rain off-&-on, & it always delays me to put my poncho on; so I was going pretty slow by the time I got to the side trail to Peck's Corner shelter & was reminded that I still had 0.4 miles to go down to the shelter. By then it was just about dark. There were tents set up near the privy, so I assumed the shelter was full & joined them. It rained some more during the night. One of the features of the day was a rock outcropping named Charlie's Bunion. It's an interesting rock with some great views, but not today. I also couldn't get good photos off the knife edge ridge the Trail follows for a while. It's a near-vertical drop on both sides; yet the Trail itself isn't difficult, & the drop-off is somewhat hidden by a hedge of mountain laurel along the edge. A long, hard day!