Date: 2018-03-19
From: Fontana Shelter (ÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂHiltonÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂ)

To: Mollies Ridge Shelter
Miles today: 11.8
Weather: clear sky

There were two options for breakfast. The restaurant in the lodge opened at 0800 and offered a continental style breakfast. Wanting to hit the trail early and always looking to eat our way to a lighter pack, we opted instead to cook up breakfast on the patio of our room. It was the usual grits for Which Way and oatmeal for me. But, we would add a side of pop tarts to our meal. It was a little after 0800 before we made it to the front desk to check out. The shuttle van was in for service today, so the receptionist called one of the maintenance guys to pick us up.  We finally hit the trail about 0845, walking down a road for about a mile before coming to Fontana Dam. The trail crosses over the top of the dam, entering the Great Smoky Mountains on the far side. Fontana Dam was built in the early 1940s in order to generate power for nearby mining operations that supplied metals in support of the war effort. We stopped about half way across the massive structure to shoot a short video. The path continued to follow the park road for another mile before coming to the trailhead. It offered a good place to stop and stretch our muscles for the hike ahead of us. A metal box was posted a few yards into the woods for depositing park passes. A pass is required for all hikers entering the Smokies. We had purchased our passes for $20 in Franklin and printed them in the lodge last night. Two other hikers, Spam Town Rick and Hops were depositing their passes as well. Rick is a retired production manager at a meat processing plant in Austin, Minnesota (a.k.a. Spam Town). Hops, a retired Senior Director at the National Aquarium, resides in the Chesapeake, MD area. We would play leapfrog the rest of the day with Rick, Hops and another hiker, RC from Owensboro, KY.   After we crossed the dam, it was a steady climb up to Shuckstack, Mtn (elevation 3,995¢). A short distance later we paused at a stream to filter enough water to get us to Mollie¢s Ridge Shelter, our destination for the night. The trail surface under our feet had been good all day and it now rolled up and down, progressing toward 4,500 feet.  Just as we paused for lunch a cold rain began falling, making for some soggy P&J wraps. Undeterred, we inhaled the calories and continued hiking. The rain continued to fall for about an hour, but stopped in time for us to dry out before reaching the shelter. Rick, Hops, RC, and two other hikers we remembered from the Siler Bald ¢Breakfast Club¢ were at the shelter when we arrived. The other two hikers continued on to the next shelter, about 3.2 miles up the trail. Following suit were a man and his two teenaged sons and the Crawford family¢a family of eight from Cincinnati (see pic in photo section of journal). The ages of the four girls and two boys ranged from 2 to 15ish. The children, all carrying their own packs, beat their parents to the shelter by 5 minutes. The father was toting the toddler on his back. They put us to shame, as they too continued to the next shelter.Everybody is getting a little antsy about a Winter Storm that might move in tomorrow night. Which Way and I also contemplated hiking on while the weather is still good, but opted to stay put. The 12 mile day was already a 50 percent increase over the daily miles we have been logging lately. Not to mention that our ascent of over 4,000¢ was a first. Finally, our packs are loaded down with four day¢s worth of provisions. We will still have the option to press a little further tomorrow if conditions permit. Either way, we will not be able to make it up and over Clingman¢s Dome before the storm moves in Tuesday night, as forecasted.We were all tucked in our bags inside the shelter before dark. Soon thereafter the wind picked up, blowing hard against the tarp covering the opening in the shelter, and a very thick fog rolled in. When WW and I got up to use the bathroom at 9:30PM, two other hikers from the Siler Bald ¢Breakfast Club¢ were just strolling in. They said they could barely find their way in the fog. I hear thunder now! It could be a long night, but we are warm, dry, and safe. ¢Next StepElevation Data:Ascent - 4,240Descent - 1,450Grade - 9.0Weather:Day - 55 / ShowersNight - 30 / RainOver the Horizon: Clingman¢s Dome