Date: 2014-03-15
From: Backcountry campsite #34 GSMNP

To: Bear Cub Inn
Miles today: 5.0

I've found that I am in my sleeping bag before the sun goes down and I'm awake & packing before the first rays peak over the nearest easterly ridge. I see no point in being up and about in the dark after a day of hiking. Last night I called Joseph from my tent and discussed my loneliness problem.. It's true that the AT has more people than side trails I've been on lately - but remember the rule in the GSMNP - AT hikers must share/sleep inside shelters. Well, I'd rather be lonely & a little saddened than do that again. And so was my choice. On the phone we decided that my best course would be to hike out of the park at daybreak, then get a motel & shower. I was feeling better fast. My ankle needs a break anyway - little achey.. The trail was indicated by my map to cross 3 creeks in a easterly direction and arrive at Cosby campground in about 4 miles. Then the road hike would be ~2 miles to motel. Immediately after setting off at 8:30 this morning, the trail was wrecked. At first I thought it had been a mudslide, but then I glanced upward to see that all the remaining standing trees were hemlocks, and they had all been killed by the hemlock woolly adelgid. The trees in my path had destroyed the trail and I began to think it hopeless to find it. Then I noticed a surveyors' tape tied to a young hemlock, and a look past it revealed another. I followed and one tape led to another. Could this be the trail? Then I noticed a problem. The night before I had reviewed my map and noted that at no point the following day would I be following a creek - only crossing them. I had been following the same creek since setting off.. Using my compass I determined that I wasn't even on the trail, but north of it. I knew where I was, but how many people take compasses into the backcountry, and for that matter, how many people actually know how to use one? This trail mess seemed more like negligence on the part of the park service than anything. Granted I had noticed that the tape had been placed only on young hemlocks, I decided to go back to the place where I knew the trail was before it was wrecked.. My thinking on this was that perhaps the younger hemlocks had been tagged for scientific research because only mature trees are attacked and killed by the adelgid. Arriving back at the 'trail', I scouted the area for sign of another easterly trail (the way to Cosby & the way the trail should be going), only to find nothing. I turned around, followed the occasional surveyors' tape, and held my compass walking north. The park boundary, according to my map, was about 2 miles north of where I was. When the surveyors' tape stopped, I kept going and found myself on what appeared to be a trail, but the map had no such indication. Shortly thereafter, I was on Laurel Spring Rd, and 3 miles from the hotel. I have never experienced a trail simply vanish, but I did today. I'm glad it was near the park boundary. The Bear Cub Inn rocks. The room has a large fridge, flat tv, microwave, coffee maker, and shower of course - which I have made use of twice for extended periods. I was absolutely filthy upon arrival. Patrick, the owner, offered to take me to have my laundry done & pick me up later, but when he saw how little my stuff sack was containing my clothing he said he would do it in house. I gave him $10. Tomorrow I will be picked up by Melissa Browning who is listed in the AT guidebook for transportation to Davenport Gap. This is where I will pick up the AT once and for all. From there it will be 36 mountainous miles to the next town, Hot Springs, NC. I have made all of my food purchases and have clean clothes! The bad news is that rain is on the docket for tomorrow and Monday. I have some rockin' rain gear though. See y'all later!