Date: 2007-02-19
From: Brown Fork Gap Shelter, NC

To: Fontana Dam Shelter, NC
Miles today: 13.7
Weather: overcast clouds

Well, here I go. I am finally going to get to Fontana today! It will be a big day through the snow and probably a night hike with me leaving so late(1pm). I got to moving pretty fast. The trail undulates quite a bit to the descent down to Yellow Creek Road. It was all on the dark side of the mountain and snow drifts of about 2-3 feet. It still was not too bad because the temperature got up above freezing. Also, when your going into town you have a little extra "something in the tank". And my pack weight was much less than usual. I passed a couple of SOBO's. I totally missed their names as I wanted to get over Walker Gap before sundown. I got down to the road and it was really warm. I also thought about walking to the Hike Inn; but, I liked it too much there and would probably stay for several days. I drank my thermos contents and got to The Cable Gap Shelter with about 1 hour of daylight left. I went ahead and put my headlamp on. I climbed up the the Yellow Creek Mountain Ridge that leads to Walker Gap. These were my last 10 PUDs and it was tough. I was rewarded with one of my best sunsets ever. Now out here,nearly every sunset is spectacular; But this one was one of the bests ever. Since I dont carry a camera, I will try to explain it. The ridge that I am on runs nearly directly west, into the setting sun. In front of my is the last PUD. The sun has just went down behind it. And suspended directly over the hill is a blood red aura that looks like a red forest fire. I start singing, "fire, fire on the mountain"(Grateful Dead) and "fire on the mountain and lightning in the air"(Marshall Tucker). Over to the left of the ridge: is the Yellow Ceek Valley. Where there is the more traditional, common sunset of rolling white clouds interspersed with long orange bands, spreading out along the clouds for 10 ridges to the south reflecting off of the white of the snow and sparkling frozen icefalls. Over to the right are the Smokies with 5 different varying shades of purple reflecting off of the snow all the way up from the glistening Fonatana lake to Clingman's dome. I have gotten emotional before over many things; but, this is the first that something Aesthetic has completly broken me down. I think I may have had a life changing moment here? We'll see? Well, I pulled it together and got down to a spring about .02 miles down from Walker Gap. It was completly dark now; but, I could see that there was still a tent here that had been here in December when I was doing some day hikes to try out my sleeping bags for this trip. I told myself:that if whomever left this tent here, still had it here when I came by again, I was going to take that tarp above the tent. I left a note inside the tent saying this in December. Well, someone had to carry it out. The note was still there and the tent was undisturbed for 2 months. Now taking the tarp was tough. It was covered in snow and was about 15feet by 9 feet. I wanted it for the smokies. It was one of those clear thin 2 0r 3 milimeter thick things. I had to wrap it with twine after I shook all the snow off. I then fastened it to my hip belt like I was carrying an unborn child. I fell down about 10 times going over rocks on the way down to Hwy 28. It reminded me of getting knocked down in football. When I got to 28 there is a heated restroom by the marina. I went in and laid on the floor. The heat was turned up to around 80 degrees. I nearly fell asleep and would have if the water was working. Somehow, I mustered the strength to hike the worst mile of my trip over about 4 PUDS to the Fontana Shelter. It was soooo tough. I got down to the shelter. I was hoping that someone would be there; so, I would have some support. No one, not even "Mr N". The water was froze at the pump and the restroom about.1 mile up the hill was out of order. I was so thirsty; but, more tired. So I went to bed.