Date: 2013-05-05
From: Russell Field Shelter (GSMNP)

To: Derrick Knob Shelter
Miles today: 9.2
Weather: moderate rain

Day 7 Russell Field to Derrick Knob Shelter ¢NO RAIN! NO RAIN! NO RAIN!¢ (chanted at Woodstock¢¦)Tough, you think you've got the stuffYou're telling me and anyoneYou're hard enoughListen to me nowI need to let you knowYou don't have to go it alone; (U2- "Sometimes You Can't Make It on Your Own")Courtney¢s law of photos: ¢The quantity of photos taken is directly proportional to the quality of the weather on any given hiking day.Today started wet and only got¢¦then the wind returned. The temperatures while not downright cold were unpleasantly chilly. I had warned Rider about not tempting Mother Nature, damn! I slept well enough but awoke to rain. Now I was no longer in the comfy Hilton but 13 miles into the Smokies. There was no choice to be made, I was going to hike today and hopefully hike 16 miles even if it was in less than stellar conditions. To steel myself, I made some hot tea, the lemon and ginger seemed to perk things up and I was almost hopeful about the day. The rain had been variable, sometimes quite rapid and hard against roof and other times barely audible. Rider offered to hike together again today and so we found a break in the heavier rain, headed out onto the trail and left our shelter-mates, Alana, Frodo, Fire Hydrant and others, sleeping and dry in their bags.Carl (the Ridge-runner from Mollies Ridge yesterday) had told Rider and I that the trail between Russell Field and Spence Field (about 3 miles away) was easy going. Funny how people¢s perspectives can be so different! Rider and I kept sarcastically joking about how ¢all downhill¢ it was. If this was the ¢easy¢ part, we were in for some good times. The trail, as many people know, is generally marked with a series of white rectangles (called blazes) which are painted mostly on trees but also rocks, fences and signs occasionally. There may very well be an ATC-suggested standard distance between blazes but usually I find an erring on the overly-blazed side (impossible to become lost). This however was not the case today where confusing blazes or a complete lack thereof for some distance caused several pauses on the trail. Not long after we started we arrived at our first significant gap where there was a highly informative sign about a number of trails and the AT southbound but no direction on which way to go for the AT Northbound. Using some AT-logic and looking at the terrain, I voted we head uphill since that¢s very nearly always the right way to go on the AT. It turned out to be the correct answer but we didn¢t get verification of that choice for about a third of a mile. We climbed a thousand feet in elevation through grassy meadows on Jenkins Ridge and over balds, we summited Rocky Top (5,441¢) and then Thunderhead (5,527¢). While the AT generally only accepts foot traffic, sections through the Smokies are shared with equestrians. While we saw no horses today, we did see their distinctive by products along the nicer sections of the trail. The weather was dynamic, sometimes the rain would slack up but the wind would grow stronger. I was soaked even through my rain jacket- but hiking has a way of keeping you warm and I didn¢t notice how cold it was until we stopped for food breaks or water. The weather of course seemed the worst when we were at the two high points. In addition to the rain from above, so much rain had fallen so quickly in the last 24 hours that parts of the trails were streams and several areas were deep streams at that! Gap areas were especially susceptible to flooding; there were numerous rocky sections where the trail became a series of cascading waterfalls through which we forded. On more than one occasion, my mind replayed 2 days from last year¢s hike where wind, rain, low temps and high altitudes resulted in the inability to use my hands for fine motor-skill activities (like opening food packages or buttoning things). I didn¢t think I felt that coming on, but the thoughts stuck with me as our exposure time lengthened. Thank God I was not hiking alone! For his part, Rider was a real trooper through poorly marked trails, crappy weather and the time warp that we seemed to have entered today. We had left the shelter around 9 and traveled only 9 miles in 5.5 hours. It seemed gruelingly slow- even for us. Through it all, he joked, did his ¢No Rain¢ chant, which was just as effective as it was at Woodstock and talked about his three kids. Rider, as I mentioned is a Marathoner. He has not just zero body fat, but I believe he is actually running a deficit! Being that thin, well the weather was definitely impacting his hiking experience. We talked about options. There would be another 7 miles to go if we chose to pass the upcoming Derrick Knob Shelter. We had already theoretically done the worst of the trail, but the weather was not improving and would likely only get colder. Another 4 hours of hiking seemed like a stretch and while my mind wanted to do it, my body was definitely protesting the thought. We were about 20 minutes from a decision and I could tell from his tone that although Rider might be willing to push on it would be against his better thoughts. He seemed much colder than me. To cheer things up I bit I offered: ¢Wouldn¢t it be great if there was trail magic at the shelter? If they had a roaring fire going and hot coffee-that would be awesome!!¢ We both laughed over it. We were still talking as we arrived at the shelter. It was closed off with a number of tarps and plastic sheeting to defend against the wind. And then as if God, the Universe, or Avalokitesvara heard my request, an arm reached through an small opening between the tarps and grabbed Rider. ¢Get in here young man, hurry up.¢ Next it was my turn and as I passed from the outside into the enclosed shelter, I couldn¢t believe the fire! ¢We have water on to boil and we¢ll have some for you in a few minutes. Just sit there in front of the fire. Would you like some hot chocolate?¢ I was very nearly stunned into silence. Dripping wet and very cold, I was unable to process the image of a fire (roaring quite literally despite the incessant rain), the gear and wet clothing hanging in the foyer area and this half a dozen gentlemen who were doing everything to make us feel comfortable. I stood in my wet clothes for a while accepting hot chocolate and moving toward the fire where Rider had positioned himself in dry clothes now. After I finished the drink I attempted to remove my jacket, the shirt was drenched too and that¢s when I realized my hands didn¢t work¢¦so much for escaping the cold. Fortunately, I met a new friend, Coach. She was the only other woman in the shelter and she graciously helped me change into another shirt buttoning it up for me. Thanks Coach! Day 7- Trail Angels & Magic SnapsAbout our trail angels: they were all friends from the Charlotte, NC area. Three of them were retired US Air pilots and others were associated through churches and youth groups. They were out for a few days hike in the Smokies. They come out every year and have done trail magic in past years. Today was not the kind of planned trail magic with tents and big feeds but it was in many ways so much better! Here these gentlemen had reservations for this shelter- a shelter that was meant to hold 12- and they graciously opened it up to every hiker that showed up through the rest of the day. When I counted earlier this evening we had about 20 people in the shelter, but it was cozy and warm! Thank you Larry, Wes, John, Tim and the others in that group; you really made my day and I¢m sure also the day of every one of the hikers whom you welcomed so warmly and treated so kindly! Tim put together a mean fire even with wet wood, Larry and others did the wet clothes hanging and kept water boiling for folks, and they even went out and pumped water for many of us so we didn¢t have to go back into the rain. These men truly blessed us and they will forever be a part of the best memories for this hike!Within an hour of arriving, Rider was still thawing out and we talked some more about the 16 miles I was supposed to make to Double Spring Gap Shelter. ¢It¢s up to you¢, he said. But to use his own words to describe the look on his face when he said it: it was ¢just like in the movie Old Yeller after the dog has rabies.¢ I just couldn¢t say we should push on; it would make me inhumane and irresponsible given how bad the morning was. So I put away thoughts of continuing for the day and began to unpack my sleeping stuff. I think I heard a deep sigh of relief from Rider (and maybe my hands). Another hour after that decision was made Alana, Fire Hydrant, Frodo, and others apparated (?) inside from the cold. The shelter was a colorful explosion of wet gear hanging from lines, rafters, the stones around the fireplace. We had a good time this evening, lots of conversation and laughter. The only thing that was still nagging me: figuring out what to do about Gatlinburg. There was no way I could think of to get to Gatlinburg tomorrow to keep my reservation. But again, here an answer came from our hosts. They told me that I could hike to Clingmans Dome (about 10 miles away) and catch a shuttle from there instead of having to hike all the way to Newfound Gap (18 miles away). This was EXCELLENT news and although I was already thinking about whether I would skip the 8 miles between those two points the information was a big load off my mind. I would be in Gatlinburg tomorrow night and could dry all the wet clothes! Tonight I was warm, dry and in the company of good people- life was good. It is amazing how little things can make a big difference and how people, as I¢ve always suspected will generally do great things when faced with the opportunity to do so. Day 7 At Derrick Knob ShelterGood night, from the miracle on Derrick Knob! This was such a crappy day weather-wise, I have no photos except those shown here. I feel your disappointment¢¦sorry!