Date: 2009-03-26
From: Silers Bald Shelter

To: Newfound Gap
Miles today: 12.5
Weather: heavy intensity rain

Today seemed to last about a week. When iI woke up rain and wind were pounding on the roof of the shelter. It was actually kind of scary. We all laid there trying to decide what to do. We knew we had about 13 miles to Newfound gap and about 4 to Clingman's Dome. Someone had a thought that we might be able to hitch a ride from clingman's dome, but Grommet's friend Jim texted her telling her the road is closed until April. It was after 8 so we knew we had to start walking soon if we were going to get in 13 miles and hitch a ride to Gatlinburg. So we got out of our cozy sleeping bags and put on our soaking wet clothes and entered the teeming rain by 9:30. At first the hiking was insane - torrential down pour and crazy wind. Plus, my poles kept collapsing. It was just 1.7 miles to the first shelter and we ran under there to take cover. We were all completely soaked to the bone already. Moving on we ran into a ridge runner who told us there was a wind advisory for the next two days and that we should get off at Newfound Gap. She alo warned us that the trail up ahead had turned into a river. Great.The nexts top: clingman's dome. It was incredibly anti-climactic. And the highest point on the AT had absolutey no views for us. It was a little depressing but we didn't have too much time to stay and be sad because in like 20 minutes I was freexing cold. We had 4 more miles to the next shelter which turned out to be .5 miles off the trail so we just stopped on a log and I ate everything that was left in my food bags. One of the Portland sisters was nice enough to give me some chocolate, too! Egg, Grommet, and Storm caught up but I needed to keep moving because I was getting so cold again. We had 4.7 miles to the gap and I was feeling pretty bad. All of my clothes were soaked to the bone, my sneakers and feet were drenched, I was exhausted and I had no snacks left. You know how everyone says that just when you need something really badly the trail has a way of giving it to you? Well all day I was thinking I need some magic!!! After our lunch break, I got it. Suddenly, the trail became a wonderland of conifers and mosses and lichens which filled every nook and cranny. A huge storm must have blown many of these trees over and their exposed root systems were up to 10 feet off the ground. The rain died down and Loon got out her camera to try to capture this place. It was totally a magical forest. I feel like I walked 200 miles just to be there. I didn't even care about not getting any views anymore. We later came upon an area where they have fenced out the wild boar to assess their damage. I've noticed a lot of damage along the sides of the trail from these guys, although have yet to actually see them. We made it to the gap! Egg got her ride with a fmaily friend and Loon and I hitched a ride with a lovely family from St. Louis. who gave us oreos, doritos and water. Awesome.We're staying at la grand prix motel which is decent and pretty cheap. Into the brewery for dinner where I ate a calzone the size of mt face and then a ben and jerry's cone. Mmmm. Gatlinburg is insane. This morning we were huddled in a dirty, soaking wet dark shelter snd tonight we were walking past a Ripleys Believe it or Not Museum on an electrified sidewalk. Craziness.