Date: 2019-03-24
From: Derrick Knob Shelter

To: New Found Gap
Miles today: 17.9

Sorry this is a long one... Yesterday we crossed Fontana Dam which was very cool, and entered Great Smokey Nation Park. The climb was a slog. Seemed to go forever. Halfway through the day it started to sleet. That lasted until we got to the shelter. Since we had been off trail for a few days there were a whole new group of people. Moonie and Pony Keg were two we had a fun time with. We had to squeeze into the shelter since you have to stay in shelters in the Smokies unless there is absolutely no more room. I think we jammed in about 20 in a 14 person shelter. The nice parts of the shelters in the Smokies are they have tarps on the front so they¢re closed in and they have a fireplace. I had the worst night¢s sleep. We woke up in this morning to an inch of snow on top of the sleet. We got back on the trail which is the best way to warm up in the morning. Today was sunny, in the 40s, but very windy at times. The Smokies are no joke. Yesterday we climbed over 3700 feet. Today we climbed to 5400 feet. A lot of hard ups and downs. My legs were dead when we reached the shelter which was thankfully full. Woohoo! So we set up the tent. It¢s supposed to get down into the teens tonight but we¢ll be fine. We have another 12 mile day tomorrow just like first two. We¢re thinking of zeroing in Gatlinburg on Monday because there is supposed to be a big storm then. Ice and snow in the mountains. We¢ll keep an eye on the weather and see. In the morning we packed up and headed out. We always seem to be one of the last out of camp in the morning. Maybe because we enjoy a cup of coffee with our breakfast. Most just pack up and head out. We¢re enjoying ourselves out here. The only drawback is we are usually the last ones in camp right before sunset. That¢s fine, it¢ll be better when the days are longer. We hiked most of the day on a snow covered trail. It was nice because it was packed down. It was also sunny and in the 50s. It was another hard uphill most of the day. The payoff was Clingmans Dome. The highest point on the AT. And another milestone ... we crossed the 200 mile mark. There is a tower we climbed that had a tremendous 360 view. Another 5 miles and we made it to Mt. Collins Shelter. There were only 7 of us so it was nice. It was the same crew we¢ve been hiking with through the Smokies ... Ginger Goat, Pony Keg, and Moonie. All great people. The next morning we hiked to New Found Gap where we planned to go into Gatlinburg. We had met some local hikers the day before that said they¢d be happy to come and pick us up, no charge. When we got to the parking lot they were there waiting for us as well as about 200 other people just sightseeing. Honestly, after not seeing many people the last month, it was a little unnerving. Also waiting for us was a group of former hikers (led by Mentor) handing out trail magic. Beer, cokes, fresh fruits, donuts, etc. They all made us feel so special. It¢s hard to describe how we feel after spending days in the dirt and rain and snow and there are strangers waiting to make your day better for no other reason than they care. It¢s humbling. We got our ride in Gatlinburg, which is the most crowded, touristy, place I¢ve ever been. It makes the Jersey Shore boardwalk look like a quiet retreat. But our room is comfortable and our bodies definitely needed a break. Tomorrow is laundry, a few drinks with our friend, Ice Ager, and a day at rest. Back at it on Tuesday.