Date: 2008-01-16
From: North of Simp Gap

To: N.C. 28, Fontana Village, NC
Miles today: 15.9

The winds picked up to a steady 10 to 15mph sometime after 10pm last night. That's not normally a problem for me because when I'm tenting on a ridge like that I always try to set my tent up so if it gets windy the solid side walls of the tent get the wind and it doesn't come through the tent.The problem was that when I set my tent up, I had to set one corner where it was about 8 inches below the rest of the tent just so I could get the little bit of flat ground to lay on. Well, I can't get the tent fabric tight that way and part of the tent started flapping and waking me up.I got out my earplugs and they worked some, but I woke up again about 12:30pm this morning and couldn't get back to sleep.Thank goodness I carry an MP3 player because I can fall asleep to music.I turned to two John Fogarty CDs and fell right off to sleep. Next thing I knew, it was 4:30am and the MP3 was off and the wind had died down.When I woke up at 7am, the wind was back up to 10 to 15mph.I poured water into my JetBoil and set it outside the tent to boil, then checked my thermometer....it had only dropped a few degrees over night to 18 this morning.Breakfast wasn't as good as usual because I couldn't buy any donuts at NOC, so I split the eight donuts I had for two days and I had just four powdered mini donuts. :-( I was still hungry, so I had a granola bar too. Those things taste horrible! I don't know how people eat them....it's like eating rice cakes....not what I call real food.Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day and if I can't have a good breakfast, I at least want something that's tasty....that's why I eat donuts out here on the Trail.I brewed 23 3/4 ounces of Starbucks this morning and that was good as usual. :-)I really like my JetBoil stove. I've always used a homemade alcohol stove before and carried a Dunkin Donuts coffee mug with a handle and a lid and used a small steel filter inside the mug to hold coffee grounds.That worked great, but this JetBoil has a French press and it really brews good coffee. :-)My first fuel canister lasted me twelve days and that was boiled 24 ounces of nearly frozen water each morning and making dinner some of the nights.I packed up and was walking at 8:45am.I checked the weather on my cell phone and the snow we are supposed to have tonight has been changed to a forecast of an ice storm.I was really looking forward to the snow, but I don't want to be in the woods in an ice storm.I've seen the devastation an ice storm can cause with trees falling over and branches and limbs snapping off in an ice storm in Vermont and one in Shenandoah....and I don't want to deal with that, so I decided to walk a few extra miles and get into Fontana tonight.It was a nice walk this morning, but on the windy ridges I had to cover my ears and hands because the chilly wind would make them go numb.I got to Stecoah Gap in about two miles, crossed the road and started heading up the next hill.I got up that, then down a little to Sweetwater Gap, then the steep bugger. :-)That next climb is one of the steepest on the entire AT. I'm not even sure what that mountain is called, but I always know its coming. :-)It's only about a 600 to 700 foot climb, but it will take your breath away long before you get to the top.I was very glad I was climbing it though because there was about six inches of loose leaves in the Trail and I couldn't imagine trying to stay upright coming down the mountain.I got to the side trail to Brown Fork Gap Shelter. I stood there and drank the last little bit of water I had and thought about walking down to the shelter for more water, but I knew there was a good stream in six miles and maybe something before that, so I walked on.The water sources I passed were small and completely frozen over and one place where I could hear water flowing under a bunch of big rocks, but couldn't see it.I had walked by Hogback Gap, then Cody Gap, then just about a half mile before I got to Yellow Creek Gap, I found a nice small stream flowing.I stopped for lunch and made a liter of lemonade to drink, then had some diced peaches in light syrup, cashews, beef jerky and some Fritos.I filled up just one water bottle to carry for the last eight miles of today's walk, and then headed on.I crossed Yellow Creek Mtn Rd, then half a mile later came to a small plaque off the side of the Trail that said, ¢Nell 1915-2004¢.I got to Cable Gap Shelter and stopped to sign the register and lighten my load of a few smiley faces, then started the next climb. :-)It was about a 750 foot climb all together and I passed Black Gum Gap on the way up.I was surprised to see Walker Gap when I got there. I figured I still had another 15 or 20 minutes till I would be there.I had started the long descent to Fontana. You go from about 3,750 feet down to about 1,750 feet.It's a nice walk with some easy walking and lots of walking on rocks.I had been seeing Fontana Lake ever since I got to the top of that last hill and I would get a glimpse of either the lake or the dam through the leafless trees on the way down.I got to NC 28 and crossed that to a small information area with Smoky Mtn back country permits, a soda machine, a restroom and a phone on the wall to call Fontana Village for a shuttle.I called for a shuttle, but didn't expect to get one in this off season, but the lady was real nice and after about five minutes found a worker that could pick me up.That was great because it's a two mile walk on a very winding road and mostly uphill if you have to walk to the resort.I secured a room for the night and inquired about the restaurant which is open. :-)The only bad thing is that I finally ran into my first dead spot for cell phone reception. :-(I hadn't brought a calling card with me, so I checked to see what the motel rates where for long distance calls and was told that it was $1.81 a minute!I felt lost without outside contact because Chief is planning on picking me up near here tomorrow, but I needed to let him know where I was....and I needed to let Mrs Gorp know she wouldn't be hearing from me. (I know she would have worried about me in that ice storm) :-)I bit the bullet and called Mrs Gorp....and talked fast! :-)I told her what was happening and asked her to call Chief and tell him my room number.I got a call from Chief later saying he was at Bojangles¢ Chicken in Bryson City and was coming up tonight with Ed, his friend from Garner....and he had to ask if I wanted any fried chicken! 8-)It started snowing....can You believe it?...snow and not an ice storm. I would have stayed in the woods tonight if I'd have known it was going to snow.Chief got here and handed me the fried chicken while he and Ed opened some Jim Beam and started enjoying their "man" time away from their wives. :-)My plan is to head south with Chief and Ed and spend some time at the SoRuck...a hiker get together at NOC.I'm looking forward to seeing lots of hiker friends there on Saturday, but I think I'll miss Sunday because Xmas is meeting us and we're going to spend the day grilling and eating at a cabin that Chief rented.Should be an interesting weekend, then I'll be back to walk into the Smokies the first of the week.I'm hoping to walk the 1.4 miles tomorrow to Fontana Dam before we leave so I can start climbing towards Shuckstack first thing on Monday. :-)Another great day on the Appalachian Trail! :-)