Date: 2005-03-25
From: Derrick's Knob Shleter

To: Clingmans Dome
Miles today: 10.1

It was an up and down day. It's not that the mountains were up and down(as they usually are), just a mishmash of events. My ankle was horrible last night and eventually I took a Hydrochodone around midnight just to get some sleep. Unfortunately it was not any better this morning. I hiked on anyway. I'm sure you are asking why I would do that The odd thing about the AT and the woods in general is that you are in the middle of no where. To get somewhere you have to walk! I know, I know, I have a crappy travel agent. Anyway I hobbled through my third day in the Smokeies and what a hobble it was! Finally we reach some elevation that is full of spruce and hemlock. It had the look and smell of an alpine forest and I was hobbling along all day in pure joy. Everywhere I looked had a great view. At Siler's Bald shelter I stopped for water and to read the register(hikers sign registers as they go along to pass info and say hello etc etc) and as I was signing it I hear leaves rustling loudly outside. Now this shelter is caged in the front...chain link fence across the open front with a chain link door...to protect the bears from nasty, smelly, hungry thu-hikers. So I peek outside looking for the source of the disturbance expecting a huge fanged beast and instead almost bump into a white tail doe. She wasn't even slightly scared and posed for some pictures. Blackbird showed up bout then and the photoshoot ended as Bambi bounded into the woods. From there I took off up to Siler's Bald where I see two trails...the AT points to the left and on the right thew alternate trail. I go left, following the sign marked as the AT. I walk about a quarter of a mile and never see a whie blaze (the AT is makred by verticle rectables of white paint on trees and rocks from Ga. to Me. and normally you see them every couple hundred yards). I am getting nervous at this point. The map shows the Non-AT trail as being a 7.5 mile dead end. So after a while with no white blazes(and scrutinizing every tree for a friggin blaze) I turn back to check it out. Better to lose a mile than 7.5. On the way I run into Blackbird who convinces me I was right the first time and points out what he believes to be a faded blaze(maybe! =p )so I turn around and head back the other way...wheeew. So now we can get back to the part where I hobble through evergreen heaven and the story continues. We reach Clingman's Dome and it is great! We have been going back and forth over the NC and Tn. state border all day as it follows the ridgeline(so I have been in three states now). My ankles are killing me! My options are to hike 4 miles to the shelter through a still frozen 1-2 foot snow pack on the trail(did I mention the temp was in the 50's all day long but the trail had been covered in snow and ice?) or hoof it down 7 miles of road(closed for the season, so no rides bah) then hitch to Gatlinburg. I opted for the road knowing it was 2pm and 7 miles is a friggin long walk with 10 miles of AT behind me and no legs to stand on. 3 or 4 miles down theroad I pass a family rolling bicycles up towards the top. Very nice people! They offered me a ride when they returned down if I was still around. At the rate I was walking I knew I had to walk faster to get there first hehe. I hobbled on down til I reached a landmark so I knew I was still 2 miles from the bottom.   About this time the family comes flying down the mountain road on their bikes. They are Dan, Marleen and their son Adam and are my saviors today Marleen let me use her bike and doubled up with Adam on his bike. There are some amazing people out here I tell you. Here is a family on vacation from Ohio and the let a smelly, longhaired, backward baseball cap wearing hiker ride one of their bikes to the bottom and THEN take me to Gatlinburg. If you guys read this THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! (for the cheese crackers too!) I will put their picture up soon so all can lay eyes on the Ohio Angels hehe. In Gatlinburg I ran into Steve, with whom I have shared a few shelters recently, and we split a room at the Microtel. So now I am watching Beverly HIlls Cop with ice on my ankle and dreaming of a beer(but I'm not walking for it haha!) Tomorrow I am staying here to rest my ankle. Peace! - No Legs