Date: 2012-01-26
From: Derrick Knob Shelter

To: Double Spring Shelter
Miles today: 7.2
Weather: overcast clouds

Then it hit. Rain. Wind. Water in the air. Restless night. Ipod nano 1st time this trip.As planned I was up early and hustled to get ready. At first light I started off from the shelter. With the rain coming I hurried as fast as I could, hoping to get in dry. Unfortunately the cold rain started hours earlier than forecast.I continued on, but by the time I got to Siler Bald Shelter I was shivering. Wet and shivering is a bad combination, and this was ideal hypothermia weather. I stopped at the shelter and settled myself in as if for the night. I got enough water to cook with and made myself some hot soup, changed into dry clothes, and climbed into my sleeping bag. When I was still shivering after several minutes I broke out one of my emergency body warmers. Clutching that I finally warmed up some and even dozed off for half an hour or so.When I woke up I listened to the rain patter on the shelter roof and the wind blow through the trees. I debated with myself. Stay here for the night or go on? It would be nice to get the extra miles to Double Spring Shelter as it would make tomorrow much easier. On the other hand, going back out into the rain and cold wind might set me back to shivering again. I didn't know how tough the trail would be to that next shelter. What to do, what to do. Then suddenly the rain stopped. When it didn't rsume right away I began to pack up, figuring that if I started to shiver again or if it rained hard before I left I would just stay here, otherwise onward, ho!Soon I was back on the trail, feeling much better for having taken the break to eat and warm up. It didn't start raining again, but the wind picked up. In a few narrow, more open places I waited for gusts to pass before actually crossing those spots. It probably wasn't really necessary to wait, but the wind sounded so fierce and did buffet me about some.Double Spring Shelter looked so good when I arrived. Like the other shelters I'd seen in the park, this one was rigged with tarps across the front to block some of the wind. I went off to get water so I could settle in for the night. The water source was right in the crest of the ridge and had carved path down the steep edge. Now the wind was blowing up that gully.   My silnylon packcover flapped as if it was about to take off and fly over the mountains.Shortly after I returned to the shelter the storm really broke loose. If I thought it had been windy before I needed to rethink my definition. I was so glad to be in a shelter, any shelter, but especially a strong stone shelter recently rebuilt. The tarps stretched across the front snapped and flapped as the gusts hit.I could hear the trees creak and moan.I settled in for the night and tried to sleep. Usually that's no problem as I'm usually asleep in minutes. The wind increased even more. I tried to recall if the trees around the shelter looked healthy and wondered if any of them would come down in the gale. When I switched on my headlamp I could see a fine mist in the air even though the tarps still covered the front of the shelter. For the first time on this hike I pulled out my iPod nano and tried to find something to help me drift off.But there was no luck. After a tiring Day 3 in the Smokys, it was a very restless night.