Date: 2010-10-03
From: Cosby Knob Shelter

To: Standing Bear Hostel
Miles today: 10.4
Weather: overcast clouds

I'm the last one out of my sleeping bag this morning. The guy who slept near me was a southbounder who came in last. He rolled from one end of the bunk floor to the other all night long. At one point I thought a raccoon had landed on my head, but turned out to be his arm. We gave him the trail name of Roller in the morning. Needless to say I didn't get my regular beauty sleep last night.    I watch from the warmth of my sleeping bag as everyone gets up and at 'em. They are all headed back to their other life. I'm headed to a hostel. So, I stay warm in the bag a little longer. Oh well, time to get going.   I'm headed over Mt. Cammerer, elevation 5050, from the summit it is going to be all down hill. I catch up with the Family and walk with them a bit. It has been fun to camp with them. I have a couple more miles than they do today, so we say our good byes and I move out. I never manage to catch up with Scott and Dan and wish them a safe journey back home as I pass the side trail they took to the parking lot.   The rain begins as I leave the Great Smokey Mountain National Park at Davenport Gap. I ascend for a bit and then drop into a narrow gap with a stream running through the middle of it. I travel beside this stream for about a mile. This part has a lot of blowdowns across the trail. Before I am finished with this section, I have crawled over, under, and climbed over multiple trees to continue north. The last blow down consists of several good size trees across the trail. There is a drop-off to the left of the trail and a extremely steep slope on the right. It looks to be about three trees in a pile, the roots are way up the slope and the tangled crowns of the trees hang over the drop-off. I study it for a bit and figure the only way is to climb over the pile, which tops off about two feet above my head. No way to get my pack under or throw it over. I keep my pack on and start the tree climb in the rain. As I monkey up toward the top the horizontal trunks are slippery from the rain. I swing my leg over the top of the pile and lose my balance. My pack pulls me over on my back and I am sliding toward the drop off. I lock my legs around the trunk to stop my slide. My locked knees are above my head and I am looking at the stream far below out of the corner of my eye. Adrenalin is a wonderful thing. I do a sit up and pull my torso and pack straight up toward my knees. Sitting astride the top tree, I take a second to give thanks to the trail gods. I slowly make my way down to the trail. Terra Firma never felt so good on the soles of my shoes.    I can see an asphalt road as the trail ends at the Pigeon River. I cross over the river via a highway bridge, I follow the white blazes painted on the guard rails up to Interstate-40. The green signs point to Knoxville or Asheville. I go under the Interstate and start climbing up a gravel road. On the left is an iron staircase leading into the woods. A huge rock slab has fallen on the beginning of the staircase and it is a bit slippery to get over. After about a mile of the woods I cross a stream and spy a big rock with a bear paw and the words Standing Bear Hostel painted in fluorescent orange directing you to the hostel. After about 200 yards of gravel road walking I come across a collection of buildings on the right of the road. Home for the night.    Curtis and Maria run Standing Bear. You can stay in the bunkhouse or you can stay in the cabin. I choose the cabin, it has a gas fireplace. The shower house is up the hill and the privy is further up the same hill. Curtis has a store with enough resupply to get you through the Smokies or to Hot Springs, NC. You can bake a frozen pizza in the hiker kitchen or microwave all kinds of frozen food. He has an Internet Shack with computer use for a dollar for fifteen minutes. If you are southbound you can pick up your GSMNP pass here. I did my laundry in two tubs and a old fashioned hand crank wringer attachment.   A very nice arrangement for all.