Date: 2005-05-16
From: Hike Inn - Fontana Dam

To: Spence Field Shelter
Miles today: 16.0
Weather: broken clouds

Today was another one of those best days of my life! It certainly rivaled my first day out of Springer, but different in several aspects. The comraderie of M company, of course, was missing, and the euphoria of finally beginning the journey was gone - I know too much now for that! But replacing those highs was an enormous sense of gratitude and awe that I was, finally, back on the trail, and feeling that special kind of magic that comes from standing on the side of a mountain on a glorious spring day, alone except for your thoughts and all of the grandeur of the landscape. It just makes you feel so alive and aware of all that is good about life.Here are some of the highlights of my first day back on the trail: The knee: did extraordinarily well. (I was going to dedicate today's hike to my physical therapists, but the honor really has to go to my wife, as note below.) The trail: A long steady climb up from the dam - 3,600 feet just to the first shelter - and I went two shelters beyond that - and that doesn't   count the ups and downs along the way. Mileage: I let this be determined by two things - how my knee felt, and how hard the trail was. I'd run into the NPS Ridge Runner early in the day and we discussed the next sections of the trail. I said my goal was Mollies Ridge, but I'd love to get further along, as I understood that the second day out, geting to Derrick Knob, was really tough (see, e.g., Butterfly Moon's entry for that section - April 5, I think). He agreed and said that the trail beyond Mollies Ridge to Russell Field was only 2.5 relatively easy miles. Spence Field was then another 2.6 or so of equally easy miles. He was right!: I'd gotten an early - 6:30AM start (thanks, Jeff! - those folks at the Hike Inn really go the extra mile for hikers!), arriving at Mollies Ridge Shelter at 12:30. I spent an hour with my pack and shoes off, had lunch, read and signed the register, and then decided I felt good enough for another hour and a half of hiking. When I got to Russell Field, I rested there a bit, too! After due consideration, I decided to push on again - getting into Spence Field shelter at 4PM, and still feeling good. I did evening chores, talked a bit with my shelter mates (see below), and then built a wonderful campfire. I finally turned in at 11PM, too tired to journal, so now I'm playing catch-up! Sleeping location: I had to stay in the shelter given the rules due to the bear problem. Almost all shelters have bear fences across the open side so you can only tent if the shelter is full - with a $500 fine to back it up! Fortunately, there were only six other hikers, not enough to allow me to tent outside, but few enough to allow me to set up my tent on the ground within the shelter. (I just have this thing about shelter mice...) Hikers encountered (or not): I did not see the three hikers I met at the Hike Inn Sunday night (Ody, Diva, and Base), since I left early, they left late, and they ended up staying at Mollies Ridge. Base, who played base guitar in a band, is the thru hiker and the other two are section hikers. Along the way to Mollies Ridge I met Glory Bound, another thru hiker, and his dad. He is moving pretty fast, however, so I don't expect to see him again unles he does a zero or two. Nice kid - cheerful and enthusiastic - and he and his dad were clearly having a good time. At the Spence Shelter I met a total of five section hikers and two thru hikers - McGuyver and Five Stones. It seems they are both the high mileage type, so I doubt I'll see them again, either.   But all the thru hikers I've met so far have been good folks, and eventually I suspect I'll find more "durable" companions. Weather: Fabulous. Chilly that morning, and as Jeff drove me to the dam, we saw a beautiful red and purple sunrise over the mountains with the lower sections of the distant mountains "cropped" by a billowy layer of fog. Temperatures in the afternoon reached the low 70's with sunny skies that were dotted with puffy clouds and a wonderful easterly wind to keep hikers cool as the day wore on. Flora and fauna, a delight - and a fright - to the soul: The trees were mostly in full leaf at the lower elevations, and in bud at the top Flowers were everywhere, carperting both sides of the trail in places. I was in the company of chipmunks, squirrels, birds of all kinds, a mole - except that he was lying dead on the trail so maybe that doesn't count... and - just an hour and twenty minutes into my hike - my first Smokey Mountain bear! It was a good sized bear, but a hundred yards or so further up the trail. When he saw me, he stared for a minute assessing the situation while I fumbled for my camera. Apparently I was deemed to be of no interest as he then ambled slowly up and over a distant ridge and out of sight. I took two photos, but I doubt it will be a clear shot as he was some distance away plus I still haven't figured out all of the camera settings.   Only later did my mind turn to what might have happened had he come toward me rather than disappearing - but I'll save those thoughts for another entry.As you can tell, it was a fabulous day in the Smokeys, and a fabulous first day back on the trail. Today's hike is dedicated to my wife, who I love more than she will ever know, for all of her support and encouragement. I truly believe that she was happier for me getting back on the trail than I was for myself. That's just how she is, and I am one lucky guy for being married to her. Thanks, Babe, for all that you do. Oh, and Happy Anniversary. Wish you were here.Stay tuned, Longhaul------------------------------