Date: 2016-04-05
From: Double Spring Gap

To: Newfound Gap
Miles today: 10.4
Weather: clear sky

Double Spring Gap to Newfound Gap4/5/16   Woke up this to probably our coldest, windiest morning so far today. This shelter is at 5510 feet elevation and we never go below 5000 feet today. Snow again this morning. We only go 10.4 miles today, but we cross over the highest elevation on the AT today, Clingman's Dome, at 6667 feet. It's kind of strange to have been on the summit of Katahdin, and in the Presidentials so many times where you're well above tree line and very exposed and then to be on the summit of Clingman's, which is higher than any of those but tree covered and with a touristy observation tower. At any rate, the view from Clingman's is incredible in all directions and don't get me wrong, it was plenty cold and very windy up on that observation tower! We were above the clouds, but the western side of the mountains was all cloud covered and the eastern side was clear and sunny. The trees on the western side were all covered with rime ice, very pretty sight. As we hiked and the temperature warmed, the rime ice was coming off the trees like a snow storm.    We experienced trail magic twice today, once from a couple who were handing out all the treats thru hikers love, and turkey sandwiches. Then about a mile and a half later was more trail magic at Newfound Gap. A church group, the First Baptist Church of Sevierville, was handing out all kinds of good stuff. Thank you to Michael and John who were manning the van.    Newfound Gap was where we were ending our day today, but we still needed a ride the 11 miles into Gatlinburg TN where we needed to spend the night and resupply for the next four days. It just so happened that the church group was about done for the day and had an empty (cargo) van (with no seats) that was headed back to Gatlinburg. What luck! So about nine of us and our packs stuffed ourselves into the back of that van and rode down that (very twisty) mountain road into Gatlinburg. I probably don't need to tell you how that was for someone who is prone to motion sickness, but we made it to Gatlinburg without me loosing my lunch. In town, Kelly and I and Food Bag and Raudir went in together on a motel room at Microtel. It was comfy and clean, great things to thru hikers.    Gatlinburg is a bit of an assault on the senses if you've been in the woods for weeks. It's got everything your hardcore tourist could possibly want. I think we counted at least eight places where you could get your picture taken in sepia tone with old western style clothing on. And then there was the Ripleys Believe It Or Not museum and the Cars of the Stars museum and any kind of themed restaurant you could imagine...you get the picture. Tourist city, USA. We had a Five Guys burger and then went to Ben and Jerry's, at Food Bag's request. After that we all needed to go to a grocery store to resupply and that turned into quite an oddessy in itself. We ended up walking about two and a half miles to the grocery store only to find out when we got there that the town bus could've taken us there for fifty cents! Oh well, we'll know better next time. There's our experience with Gatlinburg, TN in a nutshell.