Date: 2011-04-26
From: Russell Field Shelter

To: Double Spring Gap Shelter
Miles today: 16.4
Weather: overcast clouds

Another early start today - 7:20. That is probably the one advantage of a shelter over the tent..getting out earlier. I've also learned I don't need a hot breakfast; eating the oatmeal cold is just fine.Had lots of birdsong this morning then it got windy and overcast.I took a break right past the Spence Field Shelter, nice area with a pretty new wildflower: large bell, deeper yellow/orange on small mottled leaves. I saw the leaves yesterday and thought it was just ground cover today they are flower and it looks like there will be thousands of them. Acres and acres of flowers this morning. Small white bells and violets intermixed. If florist made arrangements like nature grows the flowers people would go wild. God is perfect!The climb got tougher in the afternoon. I was thinking, "I thought those guys said the ridge walking would be easy...lol"; then I remember, if this was easy everyone would be doing it. I love the challenge.I did have my 'moment' today when I thought I'll just sit down right here and quit then I laughed at myself cause that was totally stupid; then what? It isn't like the bus is going to come by and pick me up!!So that was climbing Thunderhead Mtn. It was wild. At several points I had to stop and plant my poles and feet just to keep from blowing away. The reward was an amazing 360 degree view from 2 different spots. All I could do was look with open mouthed amazement while trying to keep my balance. The decent was steep and rocky but it wasn't exposed open grassy area but rather thick rhodo on both sides which made a nice wind buffer. That gave way to the forest nd that park like environment with ground cover and beautiful wildflowers.I met 2 guys going SOBO and one said he was certain women have a higher tolerance for pain than men so I started thinking about that and decided it isn't that we have a higher pain threshold but rather that we have better coping skills.At one point I had a view off to the east hat made me stop and gaze - it was all dark except on spot in the mountains the sun was shinning on it - reminding me of the movie Shangra-La....yes, the mind goes to weird places when untethered. I tried to take a picture of a later view with lakes that may have been Fontana.I did not do as well as I should have with my food resupply out of Fontana. I had my food drop but didn't buy enough snacks so I was hungry today. Definitely not dire, just bad planning. I'll resupply at Standing Bear with a couple of things to get me to Hot Springs. I found ramps late in the afternoon so I added those to my dinner - yummy and real greens!Also passed Sunshine on the way down; thought I might have seen her at Derrick Knob for lunch but she didn't show up before I left.3 guys in the shelter with me: SAAS (Slow as a Snal), Data and a section hiker from the Knoxville area who had seen a bear on the way up. I told him I thought I had seen a bear release cage but he thought it was probably a hog release cage. I did see a doe in the evening; she was crazing in the field by the shelter not the least bit disturbed by us standing outside talking.Hike on!Scribbles