Date: 2013-11-20
From: Tricorner Knob Shelter

To: Davenport Gap
Miles today: 15.7
Weather: scattered clouds

When my then boyfriend, Blueberry, and brother, Strangler, and a group of friends hiked the Smokies one Spring Break with Terry (the Vietnam Vet who inspired us) we had quite an experience. First an unexpected snow storm dumped several feet of snow on the trail. It was beautiful but frightening. None of us were prepared for this kind if weather. Everyone is so high tech now but back then we stuffed our heavy Jansport metal frame packs with Velveeta cheese(cheese like substance), maybe a Coleman sleeping bag and clothes we bought at the Goodwill store. We would try to find the funniest wool pants we could. Being the end of the 70's with the surge of plaid we decked ourselves out real funky. A thrift store wool hat and we were set. We did wear our grandpa's clothes. No wicking, no light weight...I think our packs were 50 to 70 lbs. So we set off into the snow. It was so high we had to take turns breaking the path. Sometimes the blazes were covered and we often lost the path. Blueberry celebrated his 21st birthday up there. He kept saying,"I'm gonna die before I reach 21". It was exhausting and scary because we were out of our element completely. As a fog set in we were getting worried and tired. We began to see pieces of metal. As we walked we realized it was the parts of a military jet. We saw a parachute. I kept telling the guys not to poke around I was so sure we'd find body parts. Of course being guys they were fascinated and had to look. We just couldn't believe it. We walked away and were feeling spooked. It was a sobering realization to know someone had lost their life up here. We then walked a short way and saw footprints leading to a log or rock and then stop. It was weird because the snow towards us hadn't been broken. We were getting unnerved so we hiked out. In town we found out that a young hiker, like we were then, had frozen to death on that log. The towns people said they heard an explosion on the mountain. Later we found out it was a military jet.Okay so nearly 30 years later the girls and I walked up and saw plane pieces still everywhere. I can't believe it but I think it was "our" plane. Also came across the log site. So long ago and so much life I've lived since then that they did not get to. Still sobering and made me contemplate my life all day.Editors Update:We were hiking in Mid March 1984. Two months earlier on January 4, 1984, an F-4 Phantom hit the mountain near the summit of Inadu Knob at 450 mph. The pilot Capt. David F.Greggs 26 of Montgomery, AL and Navigator, Capt. Scott A. Miller 32 of Irving, TX. were killed in the crash. The debris was spread over 20 acres around the A.T. There have been 54 plane crashes in the Great Smoky Mountain National Forest since the advent of the airplane. Hiking To Plane Crash SitesThe girls and I hiked from TriCorner Knob to Davenport Gap where our most splendid and beloved friends picked us up. We went to the Apple Orchard restaurant and had a home style meal. When we asked the waitress if the green beans had ham she said "No....they got pork though". You gotta ask in the South. Usually some pig is mixed in there with those veggies. Gotta flavor it somehow. We hit the candy store, always in search of new candies to keep us going. So nice to come back to Gayle's place to hang out in warmth, shower and sleep in a cozy bed. Gayle and Amanda have spoiled us so much it's going to be hard to hit the trail full time. We have been so blessed to have the support of such great friends and family. We couldn't have done it without all of you wonderful, generous people. Who knew?! It takes a village to hike the AT!