[at-l] OB Trip report 4 Smokies to Newfound Gap (3/30 -4/2)

["W F Thorneloe, MD" <thornel@attglobal.net>]

3/30. I began leisurely, awakening about 7AM in a bed, opened the 
restaurant at 7:30 and ate more eggs, sausage, biscuits, gravy, bacon, 
fruit, juice, and coffee than I care to remember. I ate a quarter of a 
pineapple as it was cut for the buffet. I finally got change and found left 
over detergent in the laundromat. The post office had my mail drop, and 
would not take the pound can of fuel to return home. I watched news and 
weather - glad I was going into the Smokies than to downtown Ft Worth! The 
weather was to clear today and be great through the weekend.

I even found a bit of trail shop in the old Fontana Lodge and community 
hall. I bought the thickest pair of socks available - Brookstone (?) - 
green Coolmax things. I made a few purchases at the store. They had no 
string cheese, complained that other hikers bought all the Snickers, no 
reading glasses, but had ice cream, cheese, Hershey bars, and other poor 
substitutes. I called Liz and left the message I was on the way. David 
seemed glad to hear of my decision, and the next we would see of each other 
would be 4/2 at Newfound Gap about noon, but he might go do magic earlier.

Bills paid and shuttle found me as I mailed away my PUR Hiker, headlamp, 
GA/NC maps and books, and disposable cameras. I decided to go a bit severe 
as I had to carry that damned fuel can.

I went to the dam for photos and visited the Hilton for "purity" & a note 
in the register. For the non-hikers reading, the Hilton is not a comparison 
of a bad shelter to the Hanoi Hilton. It holds over 20 hikers in dry 
comfort with showers and privies abounding. Books, large peanut butter jars 
and other flotsam and jetsam showed hikers who reconsidered their pack 
weights before tackling the big climb.

I failed to keep the name of the grey-bearded Ranger who declared me a 
thru-hiker - with permission to stay in any shelter or to camp! He compared 
stories of my crazy lady who had spent the night Tuesday in the visitor 
center bathroom, left underwear scattered about her car, and was extremely 
bizarre. Subsequent hikers caught up to me and shared equally strange 
stories of silences, talking to herself, crunching rice cakes in sleeper's 
ears, and such.

I began across the dam and caught up to Julie as a pickup truck attempted 
to lure her away from the path. Julie is a 27-ish teacher who started 3/19 
(that's 11 days earlier). She told me of work in Eastern Europe, hiking in 
Argentina, and decision to send rain pants home and to change to hiking in 
Tevas. She had been a bit tired and had stayed at the Hilton, hit the 
Village briefly, and planned a leisurely 5 miles pace to Birch Gap Shelter. 
It was clear that she could have run up and back a few times, but stayed 
close as we talked and visited, even passing Pick once again.

We went up Shuckstack Tower for great views and photos - even one my 
daughter liked. I advised her to carry packs up toward Shuckstack - 
remembering my friend Ray's misadventure with a bear stealing three back 
packs. We checked out the old well (empty except for trash) and finished 
the climb to the shelter. She was impressed over how I unpackage all my 
food (even left herring cans at Fontana for the night's noodles). She 
claimed to carry no dry clothes, simply stopped and started cooking and set 
up a bivy near the horse area (soft and level ground). It was entertaining 
to hear her parry the lines of a young blond 20 year old man, also with 
intriguing stories of his past illnesses and luck. He walked with a 
Physical Therapist, a very patient and organized lady in every sense.

As i went to bed, I wondered about the first 5 mile climb and the future of 
31 miles over the next 2.5 days with many climbs ahead.

Friday 3/31/00

I arose at 6AM, repaired the "divots" of several non-LNT hikers. Toilet 
paper littered a large area of the septic zone. I had a leisurely tea and 
oatmeal breakfast, and watched the little fuel bottle flame out - empty. 
Thank you Post Office for making me keep the fuel can! Julie arose about 
6:15, saw the thin crescent moon, stashed her bivy and was off by 6:45 AM 
for Derrick Knob Shelter, only 16 miles away. By all reports she flew up 
the trail, perhaps at a 3 mile an hour pace and was never seen again - only 
admired from a distance.

By 7:15 I was off on my earliest start and did very well with 2 miles an 
hour, and almost had "5 by 10" (5 miles by 10am). I lollygagged at Spence 
Field Shelter for water and a few photos. and began the 6-7 mile final walk 
to Derrick Knob Shelter about 2PM. I had no clue what the climbs would be like.

Rockytop, Thunderhead and other peaks were huge climbs with huge views. I 
took pictures like a Japanese tourist. I kept tripping over my jaw over the 
NC view, Cade's Cove and the hills. The walk seemed much further than I 
expected. I saw a bald big man with earphones and radio blasting - heading 
toward me (SB we will call him)

OB: Southerbounder! How far to Derrick?
SB: At least 2 miles, but I'm heading North, all the way to Maine!
OB: Have you checked direction? The sun is setting ahead of you - the is an 
east-west trail here.
SB: (Gets out a cute electronic compass - points North & announces the NW 
direction he is on will go directly to Maine). No you are the one who is 
lost. I don't need a map here. I'm on my way. I stayed with you last night. 
What would you know?

I sat in the trail, checked out the map with an old fashioned compass, and 
kept walking as darkness loomed. Three miles later, I find Derrick at 6:15. 
No one knew the SB dude for sure, and no one cared to go check for him.

Derrick Knob is a great place. I camped, sat around the fire and met Mark 
the Ridgerunner. Mark is planning section hikes of the PCT (Pacific Coast 
Trail), and is paid to live in an old resort and hike the Smokies every 
other week. He suggested a shorter day tomorrow to Double Springs as I 
finished up Sunday. I agreed. We also wondered how daylight savings time 
would affect hikers - particularly Ridgerunners who would now have an extra 
hour of hiking time.

Saturday 4/1/00

I hiked a short day on paper from Derrick Knob to Double Springs Shelter. I 
found the climbs slow and hard. I visited with maintainers, repeating a 
message that Mark's radio was out although he was okay. I shared a bit in 
replacing a privy over a new hole at Double Springs. Apparently the old 
hole had been filled, buried, and the privy turned on its side until more 
repairs could be completed. Some hikers up-righted it, using it directly on 
the ground - far worse than toilet paper on the field. This rocky soil is 
harder to dig than to climb. The Tennesse spring is in the direct path of 
the old "night soil," and should bear caution.

I hung my pack and carried my fanny pack up to Clingman's Dome for pictures 
and the last day of clear weather (news from the maintainers). I did not 
feel up to 3+ miles to Clingmans _and_ another 4+ miles (downhill) to Mt 
Collins Shelter. It took me 1.5 hours each way. The news of the pending 
severe weather suggests I made a mistake. I did not see David, but know a 
few hikers who should relay my location if he stayed at Mt Collins. If the 
weather is really bad, I hope to bail out at the Clingman Dome parking lot.

I made no April Fool's jokes (except in the registers). I met a bunch of 
Lassiter High students from my county, here on a lark for part of Spring 
Break. The have some good gear, but little idea of LNT and water safety. I 
scolded a bit to stop washing and toileting near water sources. They 
thought I must be the local authority figure. I worry about at least one 
very poorly dressed kid with Ga Tech sweatshirts and severe shivering. They 
expect to go off the AT at Spence Field and hike to Fontana in the back 
country. I've been in their shoes, and wish them luck.

Sunday 4/2/00

I write this sitting in my tub at home, much warmer and dryer that this 
morning.

We had strong winds from 9PM until 2AM, with strong rain starting 10PM. The 
Wind and Rain greeted us as daybreak, magically and hour earlier than 
yesterday. I was toasty warm in my Capilene's and sleeping bag, used my 300 
fleece as a comfy pillow, and occasionally wished there was more cushion on 
my hip bones.

It was clear the Hight School students were in for a rough ride. Their 
plans sounded almost impossible, especially given the lack of shells and 
fleece for some. John M had no shell or chest warmth, only a cap, 2 
sweatshirts, and a thin school poncho, but good rain pants and underwear!

I did a limited "Tuckerizing."
OB: Wear my Capilene & fleece, or go home now!
Kid: Okay.
OB: If you lose these, I will hunt you down like a dog and kill you.
Kid: Yes, sir!
OB: Gimme your bottle of Pepto Bismol and take my Pepto pills - Never pack 
water again.
Kid: Thank you, sir!

He wouldn't let me pack out his cotton, and I am not sure he believed the 
adage of "Cotton Kills." We exchanged numbers, next of kin, SSN, blood 
types and a promise to listen to the Clemson recruiter (he runs track).

Well, I put on pack, walked up to Clungmans in the _same time_ as yesterday 
with only the fanny pack. Rain was intermittent with rare ice, much wind (S 
to N), and howling trees. The ghost spruces make the most wailful sound in 
a gale. I stopped to catch my breath, and noticed a log rising and dropping 
next to me. It was all that kept a tree from falling on me.

David was not at the Clingman Parking lot. I got water in the bathroom and 
2 men told me they were not going the way of Newfound Gap, and couldn't 
offer a ride (Huh?) I trudged the yellow blazed path (the road) from 
Clingman to Newfound Gap. The 2 guys saw me, stopped and cleared a path on 
the floor of their luxury van/SUV, careful the seats were crowded (smart!). 
There understood there was 1 road in and 1 road out. We enjoyed talking of 
their trip to Spring Training, and a return home hitting the highest points 
of each state between Florida and Maryland.

Well, my lack of purity (I hitched and walked the road) cost me 7 miles 
today. It also left me waiting about 3.5 hours for my ride - who had made 
Wayah Bald a Mecca for beer loving hikers. I shivered wet, cold and without 
my Capilenes and heavy fleece, but knowing someone was happier.

I could have, should have walked yesterday to Mr Collins, but the kids 
would have been in trouble. I could have walked today and stayed warmer 
longer, but I would have gotten wetter. I hung out of the weather in the 
rest rooms - very nice shelter with great piped water supplies and privies. 
David finally arrived, and we took Braddock of New Brunswick to Gatlinburg. 
I stopped by the ranger station for back country check-in, and alerted them 
of the kids and my advice they stay on the AT and near other hikers. I 
visited my Uncle Hoyle - 98 years old - in his nursing home in Maryville. 
He felt week, but my stench invigorated him. He kicked me out the front 
door after only 30 minutes. I made my usual Sunday afternoon calls once in 
Georgia and dropped David off at his home. He is really keen to get back to 
the Smokies.

I called the kid's Mom. It was here first birthday without him at home. She 
was glad to hear he was safe and someone looking out for him.

Wow, 105 miles in 9 days.

OrangeBug
NC->TN 00


* From the AT-L |  Need help? http://www.backcountry.net/faq.html  *

==============================================================================