Date: 2017-10-14
From: Gatlinburg

To: Spence Field Shelter
Miles today: 24.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Once again, just like in late June, Sean¢s first day on trail with me was great, full of character, and way, way challenging. I don¢t intentionally set out to put my son through the wringer.But we are hitting the AT¢s high point today, Clingman¢s Dome at over 6600 feet, and aiming to hike 24 up and down miles.The Newfound Gap trailhead parking lot must hold over 150 cars. When we arrived before sunrise, before 7:30 on this Saturday morning, the lot was full. We joined the throng watching the sun rise. I captured the photo above.Sean and I took off, Dot and Franky shortly afterward. I knew we had a long day ahead, so I tried to keep my interactions with oncoming hikers crisp and efficient (Frodo: That must have been difficult!) That worked for the first 7.5 miles; at Clingman¢s Dome three big related families cornered and peppered me with questions. Two had been to Philmont and are Eagle Scouts, and two of the kids want to thru-hike. My resolve to hike on quickly melted like butter on a skillet. I loved their enthusiasm and I loved telling stories.  Thanks, Duncans, Kentons, and Zenders.  http://www.trailjournals.com/j...Sean and I would pay for that 20 minutes later that day. We lunched efficiently at 1:00, taking closer to 40 minutes than my usual hour. But already, counting on my fingers, I could tell we might end up night hiking in the dark. Actually, the only other time I¢d really done that on this hike was ¢ drum roll, please ¢ with Sean three months ago in southern Maine, 12 states before this one. Sean, I really don¢t set out to reserve night hiking for you.The Smokies teased us with views through the increasingly bare trees. We came across a really big blowdown:http://www.trailjournals.com/j... As we hit mile 20, four more to go, at 6:00 pm, the terrain grew tougher. We ascended Rocky Top. The sun set and we hiked on till we overtook another group of hikers with headlamps already on. Ours came out then, too. It took us another half hour to reach the shelter. Thankfully, thankfully, there was room for us. It was a double layered one, but this time with plenty of headroom on both levels.Sean and I set up, cooked dinner, and joined a convivial group of eight around a campfire. (By the way, Dot and Franky are not here and we¢re not sure if they¢re behind or ahead.)At the campfire a fellow mentioned that he thru-hiked the PCT in 2006. ¢What¢s your trail name?¢ I asked. ¢Thor.¢ ¢We¢ve met before,¢ I told the now-incredulous group. I had hiked south from Walker Pass bringing Trail Magic ¢ a tall Fosters beer ¢ to Rolling Thunder, ¢and you were the first northbound hiker I met. I was jealous; we both were wearing the same hiking shirt, but mine was brand-new and white as a nun¢s habit, and yours had 600 miles of trail cred!¢ Thor knew Rolling Thunder well and we had so many other hiker friends in common. What an unexpected and fun hiker coincidence.  http://www.trailjournals.com/j...It¢s now long past hiker midnight. Sean is sleeping the sleep of the exhausted next to me, and I should do the same.Who knew I¢d run into Thor again, eleven years after a ten-minute trail encounter, and now we feel like such close old friends. Thanks again, my son, for joining me on this journey. Tomorrow will be easier. I promise.