Date: 2009-05-18
From: Clingmans Dome

To: Davenport Gap I-40
Miles today: 40.7

We made it 40 more miles this past week, deep into the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. The experience is amazing to say the least. Depending on elevation, the forest looks like winter, summer, or any variation in between. We stopped for a re-supply at Hwy 441,which runs through the middle of the park. We plan on starting back tomorrow for the last 30 miles of the hike in the park boundary. We made it to Clingmans Dome on 5-14-09. The trail is quite busy with section hikers going both directions. The shelters are nice except for one shelter we passed by with a warning about bears that read "may cause and have caused serious injury and death". Yeah, I'm glad we didn't stay anywhere near that place! We haven't seen any bears, yet. The park is home to around 500 of them so our chances of seeing one is probably good. Until we stayed at the Fontana "Hilton" shelter, we never spent the night at a shelter. The GSMNP has strict rules we have to follow so we had to stay in shelters. They are very nice compared to others we have seen in GA and NC. While in the Park we have stayed at Campsite #113 (former shelter site), Mollies Ridge Shelter, Spence Field Shelter, Derrick Knob Shelter, Double Spring Gap shelter. We skipped Russell Field Shelter because of bear warnings and we skipped Mt Collins Shelter because it was close to Hwy 441. We plan to stay at all the shelters between 441 and I-40 while hiking the remainder of the park. The shelters are spaced out between 5 and 7 miles. Because the terrain is so varied, it's easier for us to hike each day to the next shelter than try for a 10-14 mile day and not feel good the next day. Most people can hike 15+ mile days but we aren't there yet. Also the park is way to pretty this time of year! I hate staring at the ground while trying to hike quickly. I can't imagine spending each day from dawn to dusk racing up and down hills staring at the ground the entire time. Slow and easy does it for us. The trail varies in elevation so much that when we started at Fontana dam it felt warm and tropical with a full canopy of leaves on the trees and flowers everywhere. By the time we were at Clingmans Dome and at 6,600 foot elevation it felt and looked like mid March. It was quite a contrast. I'm glad I kept my coldgear and fleece! The forecast for the next few days is cooler. Predicted lows for the valley are in the mid 30s. The ridges will likely be in the mid 20s. I hope the wind behaves its self.My feet don't hurt like they used too. I no longer want to trade them in for wheels. They get a little achy at the end of each day but considering all that I've gone through, it's no big deal. They take quite a pounding, especially downhill. This next time out will be mostly downhill. I decided to lower my pack weight over 8 pounds. I have a new, smaller and lightweight pack. We have lighter and less food. I got rid of some clothes and extra rope I haven't used. We'll see how it goes. I remembered to bring my knee brace in case the downhills aggravate it. After we finish the Park, we will take a zero day at I-40 and re supply for our trek to Hot Springs, NC! This will probably be where I get off the trail though and Green T will carry my torch north.