Date: 2010-04-01
From: Clingmans Dome Dungeon

To: Newfound Gap, Gatlinburg
Miles today: 8.0
Weather: clear sky

Day 26 Its been two days since I have journaled. Gatlinburg is sensory overload. Two many people, too many lights, too many cars, too many buildings, too many colors, too much sound, too much activity, too much speed. Its been awesome. Its funny to think that less than a month ago I could stand in the street with nothing but a traffic cone between me and the traffic flying past without thinking anything about it. But after less than a month in the woods walking no faster than 2-3 MPH and thinking 20 people is a big crowd at the shelter, coming out of the woods at new found gap and seeing hundreds of people milling around the Smokies memorial and cars whipping by and going every which way in the parking lot, I became totally discombobulated. It was the most frightening moment I have had since I've been out here. My brain couldn't process all the movement, and I crossed the parking lot feeling like a long tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs.I was saved by the sight of a blue tarp set up on the grass with Cotton and Mama Cotton waving me over. It was trail magic set up by Will and Way, two fine people who thruhiked last year. They were up from Florida visiting family and taking every chance they could get to set up the tarp, chairs and a cooler full of drinks and yummy snack food at every AT crossing they could find. Awesome people and it felt good to circle up with my herd in the middle of the "chaos" around me. It was a beautiful day. It felt good to drop my pack, kick off my shoes and socks and sink my toes in to the warm soft grass and just soak it all in. Lightening, Ringleader and Ringleaders' brother were there interviewing Will and Way for the documentary they were shooting of there AT hike. Kashmir was also there with his parents who had come to visit for a few days. Not sure what they thought of me in my bare feet, thermal top and bottom covered by a red nylon soccer shorts and s red white and blue footage on my head. I'm sure I looked like a poor homeless whino to them and the horde of tourists. Sorry, but after 5 days in the woods with two of them being nonstop rain days, my night clothes were the cleanest things I had. On town days, I hike in the clothes I wake up in. Mama Cotton rode into Gatlinburg with Kashmir and his parents to book a couple of rooms to pay all of us back for all we supposedly did for her on her first backpacking trip since she was 16 years old. We didn't do much, she did all the hiking herself, but when you are a poor homeless whino you don't look gift horses in the mouth. Cotton and I hung around at the gap for 3 more hours waiting for Qtip and Trinket and when they arrived with Swift we all rode into town.The older couple that drove all of us in to town were fabulous people. Charlie and Lee, "just call us CharLee", kidder around with us during the 15 mile ride into town even though we had to smell like 20 year old carpet left out in the sun and rain for a few weeks. Being on the trail really reinvigorates your faith in humanity. There are so many good people in the world. Thanks, CharLee.Gatlinburg is culture shock. You come out of the Smokies and it hits you like a baseball bat to the face. Trees, trees, trees, trees, trees, ... holy guacamole! MOTELS, MOTELS, MOTELS, SHOPS, PEOPLE, GARRISH SIGNS, MALLS, RIPPLEYS BRLIEVE OR NOT on every corner. It was like someone lifted Myrtle Beach from the sand, restyled the seaside motif to mountains and dropped in a mountain valley. Its taken most of the day for the jitters to stop, but my psyche is still tattered around the edges. A huge cheeseburger, laundry and a shower go a long way towards re-assimilating me into society. I can even cross the street without having a panic attack now .At the recommendation of CharLee, we had dinner at the Smokey Mountain Brewery. Great beer and pizza and a live band playing. Then off to bed to cower under my covers to escape the madhouse.Good night and sweet dreams to every one out there not living the terrifying, psyche ripping Dream.