4:00 pm - We're ensconced [I didn't know Ricky had such a broad vocabulary] in the Derek Knob Shelter with 7 other campers. All but one of us are locals. Got here about 2:00 for me and 3:00 for Jim. He's still gimping and I feel really bad for him. Started raining about 10:00 last night, quit briefly around 6:30 am allowing us to get packed up. Started back raining just as we were leaving camp & rained all the way over here. Had bad winds and fog too. Temp. Is about 50 degrees. All & all, not a nice day. All the tiny flowers that were open in the sun yesterday afternoon had their little heads all closed up tight. Saw a red squirrel on the trail with what I thought was a nut, but on closer inspection it was a small Reese's peanut butter cup. One of the locals gave Jim and I a bunch of leftover rice & chicken meals. Maybe we can extend out food until we get to Hampton, TN. Met "Puck". He's thru hiking & spending the night here. Jim saw 4 turkeys today.
Noon - Having lunch at Siler's Bald Shelter [still in the Great Smokies National Park]. Jim doing a bit better today, made about 6 miles here in 3 hours. Started raining last night, heavy at times and kept up all night. It's been drizzling all am and all views are fogged in. Went looking for BEARS last evening. Went to the top of the hill and sat for 15-20 minutes. Even called out.."Mr. Bear", but none came. Found a cage trap though. It was about 6x4x4 made out of chain link with a hole in the top and a trap door.
No oaks in this area, mainly maple and beech. We're headed on over Clingman's Dome. Highest point on this trail , but it will probably be all fogged in. Plus the shelters there are supposed to be pig styes.
8:00 pm - Stuck in another pig pen shelter. This one even has mud & puddles for a floor. We're at Mt. Collins Shelter and it's pouring out...water splashing into the shelter back wall and leaking onto Jim's sleeping bag. Except for Jim's heels being a bit better and making 13.5 miles, the day sucked. Rain all day and cold wind from Clingman's Dome down to here. All fog too! [Ricky - quit complaining !!!] There are 8 others sharing the shelter. Gonna be a bitch of a night with the temps going down to 35-40 degrees tomorrow. But we keep dry clothes tucked away in garbage bags and get out of the wet ones as soon as we get to a shelter. I started out the day with wet shorts, socks & shoes. No sense putting on dry ones because they would just be wet in 15 minutes. As long as my upper body is warm, the temp. can get quite low and still be tolerable. Wore shorts yesterday & today even though the temp. was 50 degrees.
No bears yet. Only saw a few juncos and robins today...and big worms. The forest has also changed again. We're at 6000' and it's mostly spruces and firs. Lots of blowdowns. Supposed to stop raining by the am, but much colder tomorrow. Maybe snow??
Tomorrow is my 51st Birthday. [HAPPY BIRTHDAY, RICK!!!!!].
7:30 pm - Gatlinberg, TN. Weather delay. Bailed off the trail about 11:00 am. Started snowing just as we started out and kept increasing all morning. That, on top of a torrential rain most of last night, put the trail in swell order [facetious]: running water, freezing snow and mud up to our ass.... When we reached Newfound Gap where Rt. 441 crosses and the wind was 40 mph, 30 degrees and still snowing, we hitched down the mountain to Gatlinberg. Dried our stuff, washed some clothes, had a few beers and some good food. I'm happy now. We head out again at first light.
What a tourist trap Gatlinberg is. You've got Dollywood about 10 miles away, a Ripley's Museum, Guiness World Record Museum, arcades, cable rides, space needle, 100 hotels and probably 50 restaurants. Every conceivable kind of shop from linens to Indian jewelry, rock shop, art galleries and 2 convention centers. It's a zoo now, can't imagine what it's like in the summer.
6:00 pm - Got a ride from tourist trap village to Newfound Gap with a couple of preachers heading for Atlanta. Didn't know preachers could afford summer homes in the Smokes but these did. Stayed at a Microtel last night, ate catfish and drank a few beers. Cold start with lots of wind, but it died down around 10 am and it was crystal clear all day. Great views, but lots of snow and icy trails early on. Never did get above 30 degrees in the shade where the snow stayed but real nice in the sun. The Smokes are awesome.
Got to Tricorner Shelter about 5:30 and are tenting outside. Met Cheryl from Ohio. She turned 50 today. Her birthday present to herself is to hike the Smokes. Gave us burritos. [That better be all she gave you!!!].