Date: 2013-11-19
From: NewFound Gap

To: TriCorner Knob Shelter
Miles today: 15.6
Weather: overcast clouds

Started the day off in just the right way...a visit to Pancake Pantry in Gatlinburg. We stuffed ourselves with delicious breakfast foods. When I used to hike with Terry we would go here. I saw AT thru hikers and was so impressed with their eating abilities and lack of care for hygiene in public places. They were just focused on ingestion. And now here I am, stinkin' the place up myself all these years later. Who knew I'd be here with great friends and my girlies. Strangler, I am thrilled to report that The Great Smoky Mountains are still awe-inspiring, soul-stirring and magnificent. Unlike many things we revisit after childhood they do NOT look smaller or less impressive. It's as beautiful as we talk about and remember! It's actually nice to be here at this time of year. The trees and undergrowth are so thinned out we have stunning views almost all day. It just shows The Smokies are always great. I think about Terry so much out here. I am loving remembering how turned on to Nature we got out here. Our love for hiking really bloomed in this place. We are sleeping in TriCorner Knob tonight. Can you believe it? Hope no mice try their past tricks of seeking heat on our faces or in our bags. The girls cinch their face holes so right I wonder how they can breathe. Badonkadonk wanted to bring a snorkel out to the trail to use in her bag. Florida girl. We walked from Newfound Gap to TriCorner Knob. We walked mainly on a high ridge line. It's still very green and beautiful. Icicles were hanging from the rocks and bright green moss. The mud was frozen. A bear print was frozen solidly into the ground. There was a lot of ice puddles and ice covered rocks. The sun was out so it actually felt good as long as we kept our layers on, especially gloves and ear coverings. There is plenty of water up here so that is a relief. We got here early afternoon so we ate and hung our bear bags. They have this easy to use cable pulley system that's fun and effortless to hang food with. The privy is handicapped accessible just in case. Actually they get funding from the government to make it so. We did hear that one person did some of the trail in a wheelchair. They had many friends who helped carry the chair over rough spots. It seems surreal that we were even home at all now. I don't think I handled it well. I was just so exhausted when we got home. Everything seems so over stimulating. I am taking time now to glean lessons from the trail that I can incorporate into my daily life. One person in the family started telling me upsetting things reminding me of the past that I wanted to forget. Leave it to family gatherings and alcohol for people to talk about stuff you are trying to resolve in your head. I'm out here to context and probably grieve some terrible happenings but had hoped I had more peace about it. My usual recent reaction has been to think "Please stop. Why are you dumping on me?" Etc... I thought to myself, "What should my chill hiker self think?" I decided to context it in my brain by concluding that this person was in fact the one that was still not at peace about the issue. They needed to talk to someone trusted and I needed to listen and not be reactive. As a mom I think we emote for everyone in the family too much. I'm going to try to be supportive but not sink myself with emotion when I discuss these unhappy things. Hope I didn't get too heavy there. I desperately want to change some things and learn from this profound experience. I am so content and happy out here I need to bring that home.This is how we do more miles while slackpacking: