Date: 2016-04-07
From: Fontana Dam AT crossing

To: Mollies Ridge Shelter
Miles today: 12.6
Weather: moderate rain

Walking across the top of Fontana Dam was very scenic. (see photos that I have posted). The sky was clear and visibility was excellent. The trail goes right past the "Fontana Hilton". According to other hiker's journals this is the most luxurious shelter on the Trail. It has 4 platforms for sleeping, a hot shower, charging station that is solr powered, hand pump for pouring water and a great view of the lake. Cases of Norovirus are now rampant. This virus causes vomitting, diarrhea and saps your strength. It is highly contagious and spread by people in close proximity to each other. The first instances were reported at the NOC and spread North. At least 2 hikers were at the Fontana Lodge for a couple of days waiting for the bug to pass through.The forecast for the next 3 nights was below freezing, in the 20's (Fahrenheit), but no rain so I decided to push on.After walking across the dam you walk up a short hill and then enter the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP). In advance you need to pay a $20 fee and print out a permit. As you enter the park you deposit half of the permit into a box. The box was over flowing and I had difficulty stuffing in my permit. That showed the volume of hikers that are in front of me. In the GSMNP you must use the shelters unlesss all of the shelter spots are taken. Camping is discouraged. If you are a thru hiker and have a shelter spot, but then if a section hiker with a reservation shows up you must give up your spot and go pitch a tent even if it is cold, dark and raining. I prefer camping and have not yet stayed at a shelter. The climb out of Fontana Dam was steep and strenuous. On the way up I passed Shuckstack fire tower. The wind was blowing very hard, gusting even higher and was icey cold. I decided to climb up the tower and eat my lunch. I thought there would be a great scenic view from the top. This was a HUGE mistake. The old steel structure was rickety, for the first 4 flights of stairs there was only one handrail on the stairs and at the landings where you turn 180 degrees there was no hand rail. (see photos that I have posted). The wind was howling and the gusts threatened to blow me off the stairs. About half way up I thought about going back down, but did not want to turn around. So I continued upwards with one hand clutching a railing and in one hand my packed lunch. You climb up into the tower through the floor. I finally made it and sat on the floor. I used to work on large construction projects and have a pretty good head for heights, however this had me shaking in my boots. This was the 4th firetower that I have climbed this trip and this is the only one where I had bad vertigo. The tower was run down and was about 6 feet by 6 feet including the whole in the floor for exiting. There were steel panels around the bottom and glass windows from waist height up. One of the steel panels was loose and flapping and banging in the wind. Several glass panes were broken or loose and clattering. I sat on the floor eating my lunch wondering how I would get down. If I lifted my head up above the steel panels the wind was howling and gusting so I stayed hunkered down on the floor. This was the most scared that I have been on the trip so far.I camped at Mollies Ridge Shelter because all of the Shelter spots were taken. It snowed in the night and was very cold. I awoke to a snow covered tent, zero visibility and fog all around. While eating breakfast at the shelter one of the hikers commented that entering the GSMNP was like crossing the Great Wall. Keep an eye out for Wildings and White Walkers!