Year Two: Dick's Creek Gap (Hiawassee, GA) to Clingman's Dome - Smoky Mt. Nat. Park (129.5 miles)
We drove from Rock Hill to Hiawassee on July 3rd, 2011, and checked into the
Hiawassee Inn, where Robert and Patrick had stayed the year before. Ginny and Josie were planning to go on to Huntsville, AL, to visit Ginny's family after dropping me off. I am planning to gradually increase the length and distance of each hike as I continue to gain experience on the trail. The plan was to complete ten days, and over one hundred miles of distance. My goal was to finish in the Smokies at Newfound Gap. Because of several wet days in which my boots became soaked, which resulted in severe foot problems, I decided to end it short at Clingman's Dome. I also want to apologize for the quality of the photographs. My previous year's camera broke, so I purchased a new one that I thought was the same, but could never get it to take a decent shot. Please read on, and thanks for taking the time to read my blog.
Day 1 - 7/4/2011 - Dick's Creek Gap to Standing Indian Shelter (16.7 miles)
I woke up very early on July 4th, both nervous and anxious to get started on my hike. We had breakfast at the Huddle House, which was the only place open that early. I ate a huge breakfast, knowing that it would probably be my last taste of 'real' food for awhile.
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| Ready to Set Off Early in the Morning at Dick's Creek Gap |
We got to the trailhead at Dick's Creek Gap about 6:30 a.m. when it was still pretty dark out. I said goodbye to Ginny and Josie, and set off on the dark trail. I remembered a story from last year about a bear chasing a hiker out of the Plum Orchard Shelter, which is the next shelter north. The trail was still dark, and I was very nervous until the sun came up a bit more.
I arrived at Plum Orchard Gap about 8:30 a.m. I was stopping every 2 hours to rest, and saw two hikers along the way. There were some nice vistas, along with a few steep climbs. I could tell I did not quite have my 'trail legs' back yet, and the pack was feeling a bit 'loose'. I need to get it adjusted.
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| Blue Ridge Gap Sign -5.6 Miles up the Trail from Dick's Creek |
I stopped to eat lunch at a scenic overlook off the trail south of Bly Gap. I saw some questionable hikers at Deep Gap, but kept on truckin' to Standing indian Shelter, arriving about 4 p.m.
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| Bly Gap - I Paused at an Overlook For Lunch Near Here |
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| Interesting Twisted Tree Along the Trail (Many other hikers have gotten a pic of this) |
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| Steps on the Trail up a Mountain |
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| Scenic Overlook Where I Stopped for Lunch |
It had started raining, and there were four hikers taking refuge in the shelter when I arrived, but none of them stayed. One young hiking couple had giardia from drinking unfiltered/purified water and were dropping off the trail. I felt bad for them. I ate dinner, pitched my tent, and hung my very first bear bag, since there were no cables at this shelter.
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| Standing Indian Shelter |
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| My Campsite in Front of Standing Indian Shelter |
Day 2 - 7/5/2011 - Standing Indian Shelter to Rock Gap Shelter (19.7 miles)
This was a tough day and would, as it turned out, be important to the remainder of my hike. It started out great - nice weather, and sunny. I was pleased to see that my bear bag had worked! Two other people were in the shelter (father and son I think), but I didn't see them again after I broke camp. I continued to follow the pattern I had established yesterday of taking a brief break every two hours, and ate lunch in a nice, shaded, and quiet gap.
For those of you hiking through this area, be warned - Albert Mountain is a seriously tough climb - the most difficult so far. On the way up, one of the two Nalgene bottles I carry in the side pockets of my pack, suddenly popped out and rattled seventy five feet down the mountain. :-( Water is a precious commodity on the trail, and any water container is equally precious, so I clambered down to retrieve it. The reward for such a hard climb is a great view at the top - with a fire tower. I tried to make a phone call, but there was no service, so I continued on.
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| Quiet Gap and Stream Where I ate Lunch |
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| Another Nice View |
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| Beginning the Climb up Albert Mountain |
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| Rock Blaze On the Way up |
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| View from Albert Mountain |
The weather was looking iffy, and I could hear a storm starting to roll in. I thought about possibly stopping at Carter Gap Shelter, but I decided to chance it and press on. As it turned out, this was a significant decision, and not it a good way. The rain started coming, and then turned into a real downpour. I covered my pack to keep my things dry, got out my emergency poncho, and trudged on. It was like walking through the middle of a creek on the trail, which totally soaked my boots and my feet. I didn't see too many other hikers except three girls.
I finally arrived at Rock Gap Shelter, which was probably one of the worst shelters I have seen - pitiful water source, no signs, broken bear cables, and not real clean. It was very near old highway 64, and I always heard it was not a good idea to stay in shelters near highways, but here I was, dead tired, and here I was going to stay. I had to rig a bear bag in the dark, which was an interesting experience. I had a nice dinner of lasagna, cocoa, and coffee which refreshed me considerably.
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| After Walking Hours Through the Rain - A Brief Flash of Sunlight in the Mist |
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| Drying My Stuff At Rock Gap Shelter |
Day 3 - 7/6/2011 - Rock Gap to Wayah Shelter (14.8 miles)
It was a fretful night's sleep in the shelter alone - with constant rain, crashing trees, and mice scampering all about and over me. I woke up early, ate breakfast, and broke camp. At the road, I immediately encountered a couple of 'good ol' boys' looking for something to shoot. On the mountain between Rock Gap and Winding Stair Gap, I ran into a woman who was an ultra trail runner. We struck up a nice conversation about running. She told me her name was Sarah, and she had her own chapter in a running book by Scott Ludwig. I decided I needed to look for it after my hike. (Note: I found the book online,
A Passion For Running: Portraits of the Everyday Runner. The contents description lists Sarah as the only finisher--male or femail--of a bitterly cold race which just happened to be 135 miles long!
)
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| Heading Up the Mountain Between Rock Gap and Winding Stair Gap |
After Winding Stair Gap, I proceeded on towards Wayah Bald, stopped for lunch at Siler's Bald Shelter, and it was ALL UPHILL on the approach to Wayah Bald. Very tough climb, not steep, but long- no rain though - thank heavens. My feet were starting to feel a little raw from having been completely soaked in the boots the day before, and I had my shorts, socks, and camera case strapped on the side of the pack to dry.
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| One of the Many Little Waterfalls on the Trail |
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| A Foot Bridge |
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| Interesting Name for a Gap! |
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| Siler's Bald Shelter - My Lunch Stop .3 Miles off the Trail - but Worth it |
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, I reached the summit of Wayah Bald. It was beautiful. There was a stone tower, with great views in all directions. This was definitely a highlight of the trip so far.
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| One Continuous Climb Up Wayah Bald |
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| Stone Observation Tower Atop Wayah Bald |
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| GREAT vistas from the Tower |
After resting for a bit, I proceeded on to Wayah Shelter, which was not too far down the trail. Upon arriving at the shelter, I pitched my tent and set up camp. Another man came along shortly, with a hiking dog, who carried her own pack! I cooked dinner at the shelter and struck up a conversation with the man. I didn't catch his name, but the dog was named, Zoe.
I had a GREAT night's sleep and woke up early to break camp - about 6 a.m. - packed up and had breakfast with the man and his dog. I gave him some of my extra coffee, and left at about 7:30. I immediately went the water source, and loaded up on H2O for today's hike.
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| Hiker and Hiking Dog, Zoe, at the Wayah Shelter |
Today's hike to Wesser is 17 miles. There was a nice downhill to start the day, and I didn't take a break until noon. I ate a quick lunch at Cold Spring Shelter, which was right on the trail, and headed up Rock Bald, then to Telico Gap, and finally up Wesser Bald.
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| View Towards Wesser Bald |
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| Flower Petals on the Trail |
It was a long way up, but seemed even longer going down, because the rain came down again. I got my rain gear on and pack cover, and carefully went down the trail. It was very rocky and slick. I slipped and fell three or four times, but never off a cliff, and nothing broken except my pride, but there was no one around to see that.
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| From the Summit of Wesser Bald Looking Towards the Nantahala River |
I arrived at the NOC in the late afternoon and checked in at the Base Camp. I shared a room with a young man named, Romero. After getting squared away, I took a shower, did two loads of laundry, and had a great dinner of Rainbow Trout at the River's End Restaurant.
I was ravenous, and completely stuffed myself, but I think I earned it!
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| My Base Camp Quarters at NOC |
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| The Nantahala River |
Day 5 - 7/8/2011 - Wesser (NOC) to Brown Fork Shelter (15.8 miles)
I got up early, and went to eat breakfast at the
River's End Restaurant. I ordered the Breakfast Burrito. It was huge, but I knew I would need a lot of energy for the day's hike. I highly recommend it! I started up the trail, and had gone several miles before I realized I had left my trekking poles behind. :-( My goal was to get to Brown Fork Shelter. I knew it was a little longer, but I never imagined how difficult this day was to be. It was ALL uphill at the beginning and it began to rain again, which added to the misery. I made lunch at the next shelter about 1 p.m., which was a little later than I had hoped. a sign at the shelter said 9.1 miles to Brown Fork Shelter. I thought it was very doable well before dark. Little did I know it was ALL uphill and miserable. For the first time ever, I thought about trying to make camp along the trail, but couldn't find a water source, so decided to press on to the shelter.
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| An Open Bald on the Climb out of Wesser |
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| Another View |
I arrived at the shelter about 7 p.m completely exhausted,sore, and worn out. The sun was already beginning to set. Two people (a couple) were already there, and had pitched their tent inside the shelter. I was too tired to pitch mine, and my feet, which had been squishing around inside my wet boots were raw, and looked awful. I cooked supper, and set the bear bag on the cable in the dark.
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| The Brown Fork Shelter |
I visited a little with the hiking couple. They were from Alexandria, VA, and do section hikes annually - a very nice couple. This day had definitely been the hardest day in two years. For future hikers, I really don't recommend trying to get from Wesser to Brown Fork in one day - better to make it a short day and do what you can.
Day 6 - 7/9/2011 - Brown Fork Shelter to Fontana Dam (12.7 miles)
The hiking couple left early at about 7:30, and I broke camp about an hour later. I went down the trail a ways, and realized I had left my hat. My brain must've gone to my feet, which ached with every step. Fortunately, I had not gone very far, so I turned around and went back for it. I hiked fast at the beginning, and caught up with the hiking couple at the next shelter, which was in a gap right on the trail. I stopped for lunch, and they hiked on.
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| Sign On The Trail (sorry so blurry) |
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| Cable Gap Shelter Where I Stopped For Lunch |
I passed the couple on the next hill. They were planning to stop that evening at Fontana Lodge. There is a huge downhill to Fontana Lake. I passed two young guys - one was resting at the top of the hill, and the other was struggling up the hill. I reached Hwy 28, and an older gentleman inquired about my hike, and gave me some pointers.
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| Bath House/Rest Room At Fontana Dam |
I headed on to the shelter by the dam, "The Fontana Hilton". There was a guy from Louisiana there, who had been hiking the trail for some time, and was almost out of food. He was practically homeless, and living off the trail. I gave him my cell phone to make a call to his grandfather to send him a mail drop. He told me he had killed and eaten a rattlesnake and a king snake. He told me the snake(s) tasted good with Louisiana hot sauce. I took his word for it, and assumed it tasted something like chicken. He also said there was a scout troop staying at the 'Hilton'. Fearing the commotion of being in a shelter with a bunch of rowdy scouts, I decided to pitch my tent up near the bath house. I took a shower, and washed some clothes in the sink. My feet were sore and ugly. I slathered analgesic creme on them, which numbed the pain somewhat.
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| My Tent Site At Fontana Dam |
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| The Lousiana Lone Hiker at the 'Fontana Hilton' Shelter |
I felt a little sorry for the Louisiana hiker, so I took my Mountain House Chocolate Mousse down to share with him. He had collected a jar full of wild black berries. I suggested they might taste good mixed with the chocolate mousse- yum! I gave him a little of my extra food.
Day 7 - 7/10/2011 - Fontana Dam to Russell Field Shelter - Great Smoky Mountains NP
(13.8 miles)
I got up early, and broke camp. I visited briefly with a long distance hiker who had pitched his tent close to mine. He was from Spartanburg, and had just learned that his father had died, and his mother was sick. He was thinking of coming off the trail. I lent him my cell phone to make a call.
I started out about 8 a.m., and looked around at the Fontana Dam - wow...very impressive. It had been a TVA project in the '30s which created the lake behind it. Below it was Fontana Village, where the workers had lived while the dam was constructed. On the other side of the dam was the entrance to the
Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It was exciting to think about.
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| View of Fontana Lake From Close to Where I Camped |
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| Fontana Dam |
As I started across the dam, I caught a glimpse of the scout troop who had left before me walking across the dam. Be aware that everyone who plans to hike and camp in the Smokies needs to call ahead to reserve shelter space, and get a
backcountry camping permit. The reservations can be made no earlier than one month prior to the trip, but I suggest calling as soon as possible, because shelter space can fill up quickly. I had made the reservations, but forgot to stop by the visitors center by the dam to fill out my permit. I hiked all the way up to the trailhead before I remembered, but I wasn't going to hike back. I just hoped not to run into any rangers who might be checking along the way.
It was a very steep climb out of Fontana Lake. I passed the scout troop on the hill, and then they passed me. The pain in my feet was slowing me way down. The scouts were taking their time, so I asked if I could just tag along with them, as they were heading to the same shelter destination I was. They agreed, so I became an ex officio member of the troop! Their troop was based at a Lutheran Church in Mooresville, NC. It was an interesting bunch. There wasn't much hiking experience among them, save for the scout leaders, and some of the kids were really thriving, while others struggled a bit. The leaders were nice, and so were the scouts, and I enjoyed getting to know them. At the top of the initial climb, they decided to take a brief side trip to an old fire tower.
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| Exploring an Old Fire Tower |
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| From The Steps of the Fire Tower |
We hiked the thirteen miles to the Russell Field Shelter, and saw a rattlesnake on the trail. It looked as though it had just eaten, and was moving slowly across the trail. Many of the scouts and leaders were carrying hammocks instead of tents. Tent camping is restricted in the Smokies, but there are fewer rules about hammocks, since they leave less impact. We arrived at the Russell Field shelter, and some of the scouts pitched their hammocks outside the shelter, while some of them were in it. There was plenty of room in the shelter, though, with just one other guy from Bristol, VA there besides the scouts and me.
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| Russell Field Shelter in the Smokies |
Day 8 - 7/11/2011 - Russell Field to Derrick's Knob Shelter (9.2 miles)
I had a fitful nights sleep, since my feet were throbbing. I made a very unrealistic pledge to myself to never hike in the rain again. The hiker from Bristol left early. A short time later, the hiker from Spartanburg, who I had encountered at Fontana, came along. He had decided to stay on the trail after all.
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| With the Scout Troop From Mooresville, NC |
I broke camp with the scout troop about 9 a.m., and headed up the trail. We passed a southbound hiker who informed us that he had startled a bear on the trail a short ways up, and that the bear had left some scat on the trail before running off. The hiker informed us that he had stepped in the scat, so we kept our eyes open for that significant marker. I found it hard to believe that in two years of hiking I had yet to see a bear, and this had been my biggest worry when I had begun last year. I am thinking that bears are probably more afraid of people than we are of them, and as long as you don't tempt them with food, or get between a mother and her cubs, there is not much to worry about. We did pass the bear scat on the trail with the imprint of a boot in it, which was a great source of amusement.
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| Overlook Near Spence Field |
We hiked on, and had lunch on top of a nice peak known as Rocky Top.
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| Some of our Gang On the Trail to Rocky Top |
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| Me on the Trail to Rocky Top |
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| View From our Lunch Stop on Rocky Top |
We continued on to Derrick Knob Shelter. I saw some beautiful flowers, including a nice stand of Tiger Lilies. I had never seen anything quite like them. We arrived at the shelter, which quickly filled up with other hikers. Most of the scouts decided to pitch their hammocks around the shelter perimeter.
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| A Beautiful Stand of Tiger Lillies |
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| A Close Up View of a Tiger Lillie |
Day 9 - 7/12/1011 - Derrick Knob Shelter to Clingman's Dome (10.3 miles)
It was a totally full shelter, with virtually all the scouts in their hammocks. My original intention on this trip was to get to Newfound Gap, where Ginny would pick me up, but the condition of my feet was causing my plans to change. Clingman's Dome, the highest point in the Smokies and on the trail was a good alternate pickup site, since there was a road and parking lot there, and it was a popular spot with tourists.
In the shelter, I had some conversation about football with a couple young guys who were students at the University of Tennessee. I was bedding next to a female hiker who was on an extended hike by herself. We had some conversation about her hike, where she had been, what she had experienced, etc. I shared some of what I was doing and had done. She told me about some good stopping places in Hot Springs, three or four days north, so I made a note of them for next year. She suggested two places to go in Hot Springs: a great hostel -
Elmer's Sunnybank Inn, and breakfast at
The Smoky Mountain Diner, across the street from the hostel.
I did what I could for my feet and went to bed. About three or four in the morning, I was suddenly startled awake at the sound of a huge thunderstorm, which drove all the scouts out of their hammocks and into the shelter. My guess is that hammocks might not be the best place to be in a thunder storm.
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| A Full Shelter and an Early Morning Storm |
Since this was to be my last day of hiking, I was anxious to go. I got up about 6 a.m., cooked breakfast, packed my stuff, and even though it was still raining, hit the trail. Thankfully, the rain subsided after a short while, and it was just misty and damp. There were some really good views of the clouds in the mountains along the way.
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| Why They Are Called the 'Smoky Mountains' |
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| Another Interesting Flower on the Trail |
It wasn't a particularly long hike to Clingman's Dome, and I had the goal of getting there by 1 p.m. I passed a group of older gentleman at the next shelter, who stopped to take a break. They were day hikers who frequently hiked together, and had come from the Clingman's parking lot that morning. I knew that the end was in sight!
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| The Last Climb |
There were a few good climbs yet to do, and time seems to stand still when you are going up. As the hike proceeds the pace on the uphills gradually slows to a very slow tromp. Mount Buckley stood between me and Clingman's Dome, but after crossing that peak, I finally glimpsed the observation tower at Clingman's Dome from below, and knew I had arrived! I tried to call Ginny to pick me up, but no service yet, so headed on.
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| Finally!! The Observation Tower Atop Clingman's Dome |
I arrived at the top of Clingman's Dome about 1:30 p.m. and called for pickup. Ginny and Josie were in the car lost somewhere, but were on their way. I was amused as I headed down the paved walkway to the parking lot to see the tourists on their way up. The path from the parking lot to the observation tower was only about a half mile long, with periodic benches to rest on, yet most of the people coming up the hill were huffing and puffing, or resting on the benches. A few of them asked how far I had come, and they were amazed when I told them!
I stopped by the visitors shop, bought a big bottle of water, and camped out on the front lawn to wait for my pickup. It was a good feeling to have come this far, and I was already thinking what I might do to make it even better next year.
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| 130 Miles Further Down the Trail at the End of Year Two |
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