Date: 2020-03-26
From: Cable Gap Shelter

To: Fontana Dam Shelter
Miles today: 6.5

Day 16 - Cable Gap Shelter to Fontana Dam ShelterMile 159.2 to 165.7, 6.5 miles, 3:51 hiking time, 1.69 mphMorning temp: 43.7No rain overnight as expected. Got packed up and left camp at 10:46. Said "bye, have a great day" to my campmate, who replied, "You too, Bud."Trail was pretty uneventful although it was an absolutely gorgeous day for hiking. Wish I had a day like today for Cheoah or Wesser Balds. Today's trail really didn't have any good vistas. Always too many trees blocking the view Didn't run into anyone on trail again. The cool part was finally getting a close up look at Fontana Lake and hiking the lakeside trail leading to the shelter.Arrived Fontana Dam Shelter at 2:37. Nobody home except alot of wasps and giant bees. Tried charging phone with charging station, but it didn't seem to work. Checked out concrete tent pads. Probably could pitch on one of them if I had to someday. Bathrooms were locked due to "public safety."Sign on the board had the number for shuttle, so called it to get a ride to Fontana Village to do laundry and resupply. She said meet in parking lot, not at shelter. So, got all packed up and walked to parking area. Finally changed my convertible hiking pants into shorts.Got a ride from lady shuttle driver who loved to say "gotcha" when I answered her question or explained something. She said park was closed and dam road is barricaded. Not sure though if it's just closed to vehicular traffic or also pedestrian traffic. It's like this all over the place. Areas are under lockdown. Not a single motel open in the county for travelers.PitStop gas station/hiker resupply store was closing at 4 so she dropped me off there. Laundromat is just 100 yards up the road. Got a few items to get me through the night (like a beer to drink with dinner) and got $5 in quarters for laundry.Walked up to laundromat, changed into rain pants so I could wash my hiking pants and started wash cycle. Sat down on chair on patio and considered options. My goal is to carry 7-8 days worth of food, try to cross the dam, enter the park and hike the 75 miles through GSMNP without resupply.Still had to be back here tomorrow to resupply so seemed to make sense to find a stealth site near the laundromat/PitStop rather than get a shuttle back to shelter and then another shuttle in the morning. It's 2.8 miles away, so not an easy walk from Fontana Village to Fontana Dam Shelter.So I decided that when I put the clothes in the dryer I would have time to scope out the area to find a stealth site. Fontana Village is a resort, so alot of open space and roads all over the place. Not easy to find a spot where won't be seen from a road. Hiked up trail across road from laundromat that went behind the swimming pool bathhouse. Then the trail continued on up to part of the disc golf course, past a cemetery with a locked gate to keep the dead people in and then it wound back down to the road. There was a nice spot tucked away that would have been perfect, but it was right behind someone's back yard with a golf cart out front. That meant to me probably someone who worked for resort so scratch that spot. Finally decided that right behind swimming pool bathhouse was best spot. There were even a few patio chairs there I could sit on to make/eat dinner.So, went back to laundromat and got my now clean dry clothes all packed up. Also, realized there was a spigot out behind the laundromat, so washed my hair. Haven't had a shower since I was in Hiawassee, but at least I washed my hair at the NOC and again today. Feels good to have clean hair.Walked across the road and up the little trail and I got to my stealth site behind bathhouse. Sat in a chair, boiled water for my Mountain House Beef Stroganoff dinner and washed it down with a good beer.Waited until just before dark to setup tent to make sure nobody was gonna bother me and they didn't.p.s. When I was putting quarters in to start the washer, I must have put a couple of them in too fast because it didn't credit two of the quarters I put in (sign on board said put quarters in slowly). That meant I was $0.50 short for the dryer. A trail angel answered the call. I saw someone pull up and go into the post office, so I wandered over there so I could explain my dire situation and beg for two quarters. The lady was very nice and searched the front and back of her car until she found some change. She actually gave me four quarters. A true angel!!! Trail magic works in so many ways!Fortitudine VincimusHarpo