Date: 2017-03-21
From: Cable Gap Shelter

To: Fontana Dam
Miles today: 7.1
Weather: overcast clouds

QUICK UPDATE - MAIN ENTRY FOR THIS DATE ADDED BELOWHi Friends,Just a quick update to let you know that I am ok and still moving along. I am in Fontana Village for the night, near the Fontana Dam. Tomorrow morning I will be entering Great Smoky Mountain National Park on the south end. I may be unable to update my journal for a few days, depending on how the trip through the park goes. I have decided to carry enough food to get to Newfound Gap and hitchhike into Gatlinburg, TN to resupply. I do not want to try and carry enough food to get through the park on this trip because of the weight, plus carrying winter clothing and equipment. My mileage now is 166 miles, despite what it temporarily says above. The park will take around 6 days (maybe 7 total) to get through, and I will spend the night in a hostel called Standing Bear Farm outside the park on the north end. After that it will take around 3 - 4 days to get to Hot Springs, NC and I may take a zero day there to get caught up on things, including my journal. There are many rules to follow hiking in the park, one of which is that you have to stay in a shelter, or tent beside it if full. They are unfortunately spaced at many points so it can determine the daily mileage and affect the total time through. Should be beautiful, but also can be difficult at 5000 to over 6000 feet elevation, and the winter weather to watch. I am doing fine and will update daily journal entries when I can, and will update this day's entry below this quick note when I have access to do it later. Thank you for following along and for signing my guest book. It really helps to read the encouraging entries from folks from all over. Watch for updates. MAIN ENTRY FOR THIS DATEI was motivated today to get packed up and leave since it was only 7.1 miles to Fontana Dam and then a night in town at Fontana Village. Also I had no phone reception last night so no chat with Marlene. I did not remember the HUGE climb out of the Cable Gap area and it caught most of the hikers off guard. No matter though - you just have to hike it as it cones. Once up top it was a long easy descent down to Fontana Lake at the marina crossing where I got a coke - the ranger I met there gave me 25 cents to make the $1.25 needed. After he took my picture I hiked the 1.2 miles to the Fontana Dam shelter (called the Hilton as it is very deluxe as shelters go) so I could stop in there and talk with the hikers and get pictures. Then I hiked about 1/2 mile to the Visitor Center (closed) so I could start out right at the Dam in the morning. The same ranger was at the Dam and he asked if I was going to the village. So that worked out well as I got a ride with no effort at all. Nice ranger and we talked on the way in - dropped me off right at the lodge door. As an aside, I had been thru this section before in a cloud and could not see the lake at all. I was right at the marina and did not see the shore. Today was beautiful as I saw the lake miles out and from above where the river backs up into the main body of the lake. The trail has also been rerouted to follow the lake shore over to the shelter, located from about 50 to 100 feet above the water. It was a beautiful day and very nice walk over there. I checked in, got my resupply box and got a shower. I did a little trail magic, giving away excess food to my friends as Marlene and I originally planned for a full resupply for the trip through the Smokys but I realized there was no way I would carry that much food and winter gear for a straight shot all the way through the park. I will resupply in Gatlinburg. I went to the Pit Stop for hot dogs for lunch (glorified gas station) and getting two breakfast biscuits to go for breakfast in the morning. Also drank two full sized Powerade's. Went to the General Store to look around and then back to the room to rest, relax, and repack. That evening I went to the lodge restaurant with some hikers and then sat in the dark on a small deck shared by the rooms in my section with several hikers I have gotten to know. We watched the thunder and lightning show from a strong storm in the high mountains we are climbing tomorrow. I'm so glad I'm not up there tonight but the fireworks were awesome. I'm packed and ready to go for the morning and settled in to enjoy a night in a real bed. Goodnight Sweetheart.