Date: 2013-11-18
From: Clingman's Dome

To: Newfound Gap
Miles today: 7.9
Weather: clear sky

Sun, sun and more glorious sun!!! Happiness flooded our hearts as the sun's rays flooded the earth. After days of snow and rain we have some hiking weather we revel in. Since we were just getting back and with the limited ways the roads cross the AT in the Smokies we had to do a short 8 miler. Of course we didn't mind. It left us time to enjoy being with our friends. We ate a late lunch at The Smoky Mt Brewery. Beer sample being a hiker's dream. We also did a bit of retail damage. This was our first real buying spree since what we buy we'd have to carry. Our friends offered to cart anything back much to Blueberry's dismay. Cub wants to turn her room into the AT. Her bunk bed will become a shelter and the bathroom definitely will get a privy sign. She'd like a faux fire ring too. Her fish aquarium will become the stream. We are collecting tshirts of the places she liked and AT ones so that I can sew her a quilt from them. We are debating painting the AT right up the wall on the staircase with it ending at her room with Katahdin painted there. We will make some wooden signs and also paint her walls like a forest. We can't wait. We spend a lot of time planning it as we hike. Her room is pink right now and she desperately wants it changed. She's not really a pink girl. Badonkadonk is though! Any suggestion happily taken. We have LOVED the bucket list responses!Just wanted to address one important thing. Tortoise was so correct in pointing out that eating snow is not a good survivalist technique. We only do it when we are very warm. We still drink water too. It is more to add some fun for the girls. It is true that it does make us more tired. Being in the cold all day does zap your strength. We have to increase our calories and hike for a much shorter time. If we were truly having physical difficulties we wouldn't do it. Just wanted to make sure nobody thought we were advocating it. You have to know when to do it and when not to. Thanks Tortoise. You are going to be great when you get out here next year! I can't wait to read your blog! The Smokies are everything I remembered. We were stunned to see so much green, colored leaves still on trees and often clear or thinly leaf covered trail. The terrain has changed which helps with our motivation. The changes stimulate our curiosity and desire to see more. I am also having a very emotional time hiking here. I have so many wonderful memories. Bear story: one of the previous vacation renters of the house we are in (which by the way is a fantastic vacation house and perfect for a big group that you can rent...High Five in Gatlinburg) were loading their car. They left the back of the van opened. While they were in the house 3 cubs ran up and grabbed the food. They tore it to pieces with two of them carrying their loot back into the woods. The third bear was closed in the back by the people who didn't notice it...but they quickly saw their mistake and released the energetic cub. Happy closing note...Jennifer Pharr Davis kindly wrote a wonderful email to us. She hiked the AT when she was 21 yr old by herself. I was looking for women's experiences and found her inspiring book. She's now gone on to break the AT record...completing the trail in 46 days! That's just inconceivable to us. The girls cheered when they read the message. Jennifer is our hero. Whenever anyone told me it was too dangerous for women/girls alone I cited Jennifer's positive experiences. She gave me a lot of confidence. She also hiked as her own person with a strong spiritual identity. Thanks so much for giving us some personal support! It's late and I'm actually in a warm home in a cozy bed so I need to enjoy this! Up early tomorrow for some bigger hikes.