Date: 2007-05-23
From: Fontana Dam Shelter

To: Russel Field Shelter
Miles today: 13.8
Weather: scattered clouds

The morning starts relatively late, at least my participation in it does. I get out of bed around 7am, and get some water out of the spigot near the shelter. It's a little chilly, but not quite cold. Sweetblood, I think, was the last to get out of her sleeping bag, saying, "I'm cold!" I couldn't resist teasing her, as she's moving from Florida to Alaska to go to college!We walk over to Fontana Dam, hoping against hope that our respective cellphones get a signal. I've been trying to keep in touch with my parents, so they can track where I am, and so they don't freak out, thinking their son is lost or dead or injured! No signal, so I opt to use a payphone, giving my mom an update on my hike. The last time we spoke, they mentioned possibly meeting me this weekend, where I am; but, they will only do it if I am willing to take a zero-day off, to spend with them. I was initially reluctant, not wanting to take an inordinate amount of zeros. Today, I remind myself that I'm still in the early stages of my hike, compared to how much is left to be tackled on this great Trail, and that a day off will likely do me some good! So, I call my mom from a payphone, inviting them to meet me on Friday, at Newfound Gap. I make sure she knows that this is slowing me down (as I could easily hike farther than Newfound Gap on Friday), and that I am taking a day off; not, to be an ass, but so she knows that I'm going out of my way to let them be a part of my hike.At the Dam, the Visitors Center opens shortly after our arrival, and I eagerly purchase a Snickers icecream bar and a Sprite, hoping that this food and drink of the gods will help me fly up the dreaded climb out of Fontana Dam to the Great Smoky Mountain National Park ridgeline! Turtle (Red's mom) tells me that they might jump up to Damascus, in hopes that Red and Sweetblood can catch up with the mass of thru-hikers (me and a few others are really the tail-end of it!), so I decide to not sit around and wait for them, pushing off. The shelter I have designated to be my resting place for the night, is the same one they have designated if they choose to push on. You see, in the Smokies, you can't just camp wherever you feel like, like much of the rest of the Trail. You can only camp at designated campsites (most of which are off Trail) and shelters. You can only tent at the shelter if the shelter is full, and, being a thru-hiker, up to 4 spots are reserved for the likes of me. So, whether or not I want to, I'll be sleeping in shelters until I get out of this wonderful National Park!I cross the Dam, taking several pictures as I go. I can see the Shuckstack Firetower on the ridgeline, which marks the end of the 4-mile ascent of 3,000-feet; it really looks like it's going to be a long, steep climb!Just across the Dam, is a brown wooden sign, reading "Entering Great Smoky Mountain National Park". This is it! I'm here! The Trail follows the roadway for an obnoxious amount of time, I feel. Likely, I'm just spoiled by the Trail, meandering in a secluded manner through the forests of the east coast. After a wee bit, I come to the Trailhead, replete with bear warnings enough to put the fear of God into anyone, and a list of campsites/shelters that are closed down, due to "aggressive" bear activity, one of which is Mollies Ridge Shelter, the first in the Smokies.Into the woods I go, and almost immediately, the Trail begins the steep ascent. I've come to prefer the steep ups rather than the lightly graded ones, as that means the climb will be over quicker! The "un-steep" ones tend to wind me quicker, as I have a tendency to continue walking at my regular stride of near 3-miles-per-hour, rather than lessening the stride, allowing my respiratory system to acclamate to the fact that I'm going up! The steep up make it impossible to take large strides, almost forcing you to take smaller steps. And, since I don't get winded as easily, I move faster as I haven't a need to stop as regularly as I do when I take larger steps in climbs! (I hope this makes sense to you, dear reader; it makes perfect sense to me, and has become a regular part of my hiking!).Not long into the climb, I look down, only to realize that I am about to step on a rattlesnake, lying across the Trail, likely basking in the warm sun. I brace myself on my trekking poles, bringing me to an abrupt stop. After a few short moments, I realize this guy isn't moving, despite my proximity. I begin thinking about the girls at the Dam below... What if they decide to hike on, rather than jumping ahead to Damascus? I'm wearing pants, to keep the bugs and poison ivy off of my legs; all three of them are wearing shorts! The snake could easily bite their legs, much easier than he could through my pants! I find a long stick, at least 10-feet in length, and poke the snake, as I decide that I must get the snake off the Trail incase the girls are behind me. After this initial poke, the snake takes note of me, turning his head in my direction, flickering his tongue. I poke him again, and he coils up and lets his rattler fly! I know snakes are like giant springs when in this position, and can launch themselves half their length. I figure this snake is around 4-feet, so I feel relatively safe with the length of my stick. All the while, I hope he moves, as I will kill him---endangered species or not---if I need to in self-defense. Sure I have "provoked" him, but I think it's worth doing as an effort to make the Trail safer for the girls who might be shortly behind me, with exposed legs. I nervously poke him a third time, which then causes him to rapidly slither down the side of the mountain, hiding in an unseen, unknown place. I toss the stick on the side of the Trail, and go on my merry way.Shortly after, I encounter Jim, a ridgerunner for the Appalachian Trail! I haven't seen a ridgerunner since Georgia, named Josh. It's good to see that other Trail sections have them also! Jim and I chat for several minutes, him giving me word on the Trail, wildfires, elk, and the weather. I tell him about the girls below and the snake. I think it was Sweetblood, whom Turtle said was afraid of the black bears (don't quote me on this!). Jim chuckles, and says if he sees them at the Dam still, he'll assure them that they're saavy enough in the woods to be safe around any prospective bears. On average, Jim says, those hiking through the Smokies on the AT see 4-bears! I excitedly press on, hoping to see at least that many!Before too long (I'm not making this up!), I see the .1-mile side Trail to Shuckstack! This climb wasn't easy, but it was nothing compared to the climb out of the Nantahala Outdoor Center! I go to the firetower, eat a new energy bar of sorts which I had just purchased at Fontana Village. I can't stand it, and decide to never purchase them again, and to warn other hikers (I think it was called TLC, or something like that, found in most grocery stores).After a 20-minute break, I head back to the Trail, knowing that I have around 10-miles left before Russel Field Shelter. On the ridgeline, just minutes after my break, I encounter my first black bear! He's small, a juvenille, but large enough to be on his own. He doesn't look like he can be any bigger than I am. No sooner does he hear me, than he runs to the top of the ridgeline, looking back at me, frozen in my tracks. I take one step forward, and he bullets down the mountain, on the opposite side, and away from me. Luckily, I took a picture of him before I took that hesitant step. Another one for the memory books!The rest of the Trail to the shelter is relatively easy, at least compared to the climb out of the Dam and from back in Georgia (and the horrible NOC climb!), with only slight ups-and-downs, none too rocky, and none too steep. 2.5-miles before Russel Field, I pass Mollies Ridge Shelter, where I rest for a few moments. My knee is wanting to stop, but the signpost at the Trailhead said this shelter was closed. The sign here at the shelter "merely" states a bear warning, due to aggressive bear activity. A tentsite a few miles south of here, however, does have a sign, stating its being closed. I take a picture of the sign, joking that I'll show it to my mother only after I've completed the hike, as it might freak her out! While resting at the shelter, a downpour ensues. Talk about good timing! I sit out the storm before pressing on, opting to stay "dry" (I am covered with sweat, you know)At Russel Field Shelter, I meet 3 other guys, one of whom proves to be the funniest person I think I have ever met. His name is Michael, and he originally hails from France, but is now living in Anderson, SC, maybe two-hours from where I live in Georgia! Apparently, he has hiked all of the mountain trails in South Carolina, and is now endeavoring to do the AT in sections. If I remember right, he said he's retired, and doesn't work at all, mainly only hikes. One of the other guys asks him about money, to which he says, "I made enough in my professional life to not worry about that... I just hike now, mainly." What a guy! His sense of humor is hard to explain, as it's not really a matter of cracking jokes left and right, but just his jovial personality, how he finds humor and joy in everything. The other two guys are just as friendly, but, again, I can't remember their names. I believe they were a father and son duo, although I was never explicitly told so. This is really the first backpacking trip for each of them! The "father" has an uncle who thru-hiked last year, and this guy was impressed by this, that he decided to come out and see what it's like! Here they are, and they're having the time of their lives, despite the fact that the mountain terrain is kicking their butts, they tell me. Continue on, I tell them, and it only gets better!After dinner, a campfire, and much happy conversation, I climb into my sleeping bag, exhausted, and thrilled to be in the Smokies!