Date: 2006-03-19
From: Fontana Dam

To: Russel Field Shelter
Miles today: 13.8
Weather: overcast clouds

Getting my thoughts together. I compose the day's journal entries while hiking to pass the time. They don't always stick in my head. I'll have a great line or describe a thought just right and its gone when I need it.Right now I need to pee but I'm putting off going outside. I'm in my bag in the shelter, warm enough to take my hat off. I know it's below freezing out there. May even be snowing. Snow for either tonight or tomorrow, I've been told.I crossed Fontana Dam today and am in Smokey Mountain National Park. By park rules we're required to sleep in shelters here, no tenting unless the shelter is full. It is full tonight but so cold that noone would be kicked outside. Tents may be warmer, but no fun to set up or take down with numb fingers. Besides, in the morning you can just down a pop tart and hit the trail, hike to warm up.The dam is impressive. It's 480' high, built by the Tennessee Valley Authority during the Depression. It's part of a network of dams generating power for the Valley. I was dizzy looking down from the railing to the bottom of the dam. I heard water rushing through the spillway but couldn't get close enough to look down the tunnel. There's showers for hikers at the top of the dam, also a pay phone. I called Andrew this morning to ask him to send vitamins and traveller's checks to Hot Springs. He claims he's not at loose ends without me, but I don't believe him. He's reorganized my desktop and closet, alphabetized my books, and refolded all the shirts to put away til I get home. Also called Mark to get news from North Attleboro. Talked to Emily too. She was happy to talk and yelled, "It's Uncle John!" Mark checked my trail journals guestbook for new entries. Message from Dan says he left the trail, he missed home and family too much. Good guy, we've been wondering where he was.That happens out here. You meet people, see their posts in the shelter registries, hear news up and down teh trail grapevine. Dan's the 3rd person I've met to leave the trail. We'll hear about more of them. You hear all different percentages all the time, but a big chunk of hikers will have droppped out by Virginia. New stat I heard today was that only 8% from 2005 finished the trail. Can't verify it. Don't know where that number came from.Couldn't wait. Just went out. Not nearly as cold as I expected, 45 degrees. Some stars, some clouds, easy to believe in snow tomorrow. I expect it sometime in the Smokies.Not my favorite hiking day, cold with slate grey sky. The peaks and ridges in the mountains are impressive so far, but I like the views better on sunny days. Continued shoulder and back pain from my pack. Huge relief each time I took it off. Hope the belt waiting in Gatlinberg is the solution.Highlights of the day. Got to hike on my own today. Most of the group took another zero day. We all plan to get together again in Hot Springs. I told them to save me a spot in the hot tub. Hiked on and off with Tree Frog and Show Me who I met the other night. Nice guys, they're here in the shelter tonight. Hope we stay in range through the park. They both have to leave trail for the month of April to job hunt, so I'll lose them. Hope to run into them again at Trail Days.Took in the view from Shuckstack Mountain. Very impressive, even with grey skies. You can see the mountain and fire tower from the trail head. It looked like quite a climb to get up there, but I made the peak much faster than I expected. Tribute to getting in thru-hiker condition I guess.Everything after the tower was just a trudge. The usual ups and downs but nothing too arduous. There are on days and off days. This was an off one.I met a ridge runner when I reached the first shelter about 10 miles in. He gave me the weather report, trail conditions and number of people heading for various shelters. This one seemed the least crowded, even if not ideal for starting tomorrow's rough day starting with tomorrow's climb up Rocky Top. 500' in a mile. Made hot chocolate and a snack while there. I never take time to light my stove before dinner, but I was really cold. While there Carnival and Thumper pulled in. Seems like they and Tree Girl were the only ones who left Fontana today. Tree Frog and Show Me showed up and we hiked the last 3 miles to Russell Field. There were several weekend hikers here. More thru-hikers came in later, Brave Foot, Tree Girl, Helium. I didn't recognize helium. He'd shaved while off trail to take care of his dog.Early to bed tonight, cold and tired. It's a pretty dank shelter. The ones in the Smokies are all made of stone. They're being rehabbed but not this one yet. It smells musty and is fronted with a chain link fence and a gate to keep out the bears. The fence is draped with old sheets of plastic that block the light and rattle in the wind. I like the wood open face shelters much better, but I may change my tune when it snows. Still, it smells really bad in here, like a wet dog with a bladder infection.To sleep and wake up to a better day.