Date: 2005-04-13
From: Davenport Gap Shelter

To: Brown Gap
Miles today: 13.4

Well we made it out of the Smokies alive. Moose, feelin free, and I hoofed it 1.5 miles down the road at the gap to Mountain Mommas country store. It is a tiny place but the burgers were supposed to be excelent, and they were. I made a few phone calls and she gave us a ride back to the trail. We headed out of the gap and the colors just seemed to come to life. All the flowers were blooming at the lower elevations, so we did not get to see them in the Smokies. We stopped early to filter some water because the water we got at Mountain Mommas tasted like rotton eggs. Shortly after we walked by a gorgeous stream that ran along side the trail. One section had a log that was hollowed out and the water was running through it. I stopped to take a picture of it while Moose and feelin free moved on around the bend. Just as I had snapped the first picture and was moving into position for a second shot I heard this loud cracking sound and then a tremendous thud followed by what sounded like a stampede headed toward me. I looked up and all I saw was a huge tree headed down the mountainside right at me, I dropped my camera bag and just froze like a deer in headlights. I saw my life flash before my eyes as the tree slammed into another tree that had falled crossways on the mountain. the tree came to a stop as it hit and my heart started to beat again. moose and feelin free heard the noise and come back up aroud the bend to see what happened. I informed them that I about died. I picked up my bag, snapped a picture of the almost deadly tree, then another of the water flowing through the log then moved on up the trail. I stopped again to photograph some flowers, since it was the first time I had seen them on the trip. It rained again this afternoon. The rain turned to a downpour and we wee soaked and cold. The climb after Standing Bear hostel was awful and was not any easier in the conditions we were given. we crossed snowbird Mtn., which probably would have been a nice view in a thunderstorm and high winds. We had no clue where we were and no clue how much farther the shelter was so we were looking around every corner with no luck. finally an hour later we get to the shelter which is beyond capacity. feelin free decided to stay and maybe sleep on the ground under the shelter, but Moose and I moved on to Brown gap where we decided to tent so we did not have to make the huge climb and cross max patch in the storm. By the time we got the tent set up and his tarp set up for the gear all out stuff was soaked and covered in mud. I managed to cook a hot meal before we got in the tent. Once we were in the tent it did not get any better, I had no more than fallen asleep when all the condensation from the moisture and humidity woke me. I was cursing the tent manufacturer and the weather and the entire trail. I could be dong so much more with my time and money than suffering. This was the lowest point by far to this point, and I was doing it by choice. what was I thinking. I am ready to go home. forget the trail it is not for me. My sleeping bag is soaked, I am soaked, all my stuff is soaked.