Date: 2014-04-08
From: Derrick Knob shelter

To: Double Spring Gap shelter
Miles today: 7.2
Weather: broken clouds

This post is for my brother. Through thick and thin, maybe my biggest supporter. I miss you little brother.Hiking in the Smokey's is no joke. The weather here can be volatile, unpredictable, and is notorious for its fast changes. To this point, I'd been dealing with mostly cold and wind, while being spared from hiking in the rain. However, the wind gusting through, and up the mountainsides blows condensation off the trees, creating rain-like conditions. I think it's fair to say that after two days in the Smokey's, I was becoming disenchanted with hiking here. Until today. I'd planned for a short day for a number of reasons. First, there was little benefit to be gained by trying to push the miles. Second, I wanted to spend a little time at Clingmans Dome tomorrow, and a long mile day would've interfered with that plan. I'd also cut a deal with my foot, and the rest of my body, that today would be one of low mileage. When I made it to Silers Bald shelter around lunchtime, I saw tents set up everywhere around the shelter. Most were in the process of being taken down, and there was a flurry of activity from within the shelter. Interestingly, there was smoke coming from the chimney of the shelter which piqued my interest greatly. It was a seriously cold day in the mountains. Inside where 15-20 teenage section hikers from Michigan, out for a 50ish mile hike. They were actually pretty cool kids, and invited me to a prime spot at the fire. I didn't even mind the 12 pairs of boots, 24 soaking wet socks, 8 pairs of gloves, and a load of other cold and wet crap strung out around the fire. I even took my gloves off and added them to the pile. I spent about an hour there getting warm while eating lunch (an entire package of pepperoni and some string cheese) while chatting with these guys. There was not a single indication that they required any adult interference, so I reluctantly left the warm shelter to make the Silers Bald climb, and finish my day. And I'll tell you this: The short 1.7 mile stretch from Silers Bald to the next shelter provided me with the most incredible views I've ever seen with a backpack on. And not the typical mountain views either. No, the trail in front of my face was amazing. The scenic changes were dramatic; from ice covered trees, to thick pine forest, with deep hues of green. It was then I was reminded about why I'm out here. It was hands down worth two days of misery to see this tiny little section of trail in the Smokey's. And for the moment, it squashed any thoughts about giving up. Because my friends, I have certainly had those thoughts over the past two days. I'd like to think I'll get many, many more miles out of today's hike. Maybe it shows that sometimes one has to put in a lot of hard work, hard miles, and yeah some pain too, before it all pays off. For me, it was a lesson in being patient and persistent. I forgot to mention, I ran into my friend Fire Walker, who I'd met at Hogpen gap back in Georgia. Of course, we traded opinions about our favorite authors, and caught up on our lives on the trail. It was cool to run into him again...and then watch him burn down the trail. Until next time, my friend.Indeed, the trail does take. And it does indeed give back.