Day 24 April 30 to spring Mountain Shelter

After spending the night in a cabin by the Creek in Hot Springs I had breakfast and set about to get ready to leave.  I mailed a package home.  It was my down vest that I don't need now since it getting warmer.  I also mailed my bounce box to my next destination in Irwin Tennessee. 

After having some lunch at the this little restaurant that was attached to the cabins I set out at 12:30 for the ten miles to the place where I would camp.

Crossing the French Broad River brought memories of when I did it back in the early '80s.

The river is almost out of its banks.

There was a lot of climbing!  The first was 2000 ft followed by two 500s.

At one point I came upon a little lake. 

I saw my first snake. 

And then it rained.  I couldn't wait to find the shelter.

Alas, it was full so I pitched my tent and had dinner of rice and broccoli while the rain continued.  I hope it's sunny tomorrow.

Day 23 April 29 to Hot Springs. NC

It thunderstorms last night.  But at 7 o'clock it stopped raining so got packed up and headed off at 8 o'clock. It was cloudy most of the day but the sun peaked through a few times.

Sauce and amazing hillsides covered with white Trillium.

Lots of centipedes and millipedes

And flowers galore. 

Got into Hot Sptings at 6:30 .  Not bad after a second. 18 mile day in a row.

Distance 18 miles

Total distance. 273.9

Day 22 April 28 to Roaring Fork

Back in the trail after A zero day.  It started out cool and sunny. 

Passed the Pigeon River

Climbed from 1700 ft to 4110 ft and got a view

Now back down into the hardwoods 

From the top of Max Patch ( a 4000ft peak that used to be Mack's Cow Patch. 

Stayed at Roaring Fork camp area

Distance: 18 miles ( first one)

Total distance 255.9 miles

Day 21 April 27 Zero day

Yesterday, I finished the Great Smoky Mountain National Park.  It took five days.  At the end of the day I was picked up by old friends, Marty and Watha Kollmeyer.  They took me to their home, "Wood Between the Worlds" and gave me a thoroughly restful "zero" day.

Thank you Marty and Watha and Cody for a great stay.

Day 20 April 26 to Davenport Gap

With the barometer up it promises to be an warm sunny after the all-day of rain we had yesterday.  And it was! I was very thankful that I had a day were I good get some great views during my last day  in the Smoky's. I some great beauty and interesting things.

An old helipad

Airplane wreckage

Distance: 15.5 miles

Total Distance: 237.9 miles

Day 19 April 25 to Tri- Corner Shelter

Woke up to a steady rain.  But it stopped and left us with fog.

Oops, I spoke too soon.  It rained all day. But we did get a few breaks in the clouds. 

One off the things one has to get used to is the "leaners" that are always over the trail. 

Sometimes you can duck under them.  But today, I had to take my pack off and crawl under.  I keep hoping that what is holding them won't give way.

The nice thing about the rain is it makes the moss really vivid in color.

A number of times I crossed some very thin paths that slope away to precipes on both sides.  It was like they we're built up.

Distance: 12.6 miles

Total Distance: 222.4

Day 18 April 24 to Icewater Spring

Sunny cold windy morning.

Spruce and Fir.  A green cathedral. 5700ft. On to Clingman's Dome.

Nearing tree line. Dead hemlocks? No dead Fraser Fir.

View from the highest point on the AT.

The park service built a tower so one can get a view.

New Found gap.

Since I got a late start at Clingman's,  I left the gap at 6:30 pm with three miles to the shelter.  Arrived at 8:00 pm

Distance:  15 miles

Total Distance: 209.8

Day 17 April 23 to Siler's Bald shelter

Beautiful sunny day in the Great Smoky Mountains

Day 16 April 22 to Russel Field Shelter

Rolled out of Fontana Dam camp ground and saw the dam before crossing.  It's

part of the TVA system.  It the one Harrison Ford jumped off of in "The Fugitive."

Then it started  raining.

Rained all day.  Glad to get to the shelter.

My first Ohio Buckeye.

First night in shelter

I even used the bear cables.

Day 15 April 21 To Fontana Dam

After a good day of rest,  I packed up and set out for Stecoah  Gap.  Thanks to the trail magic of Jim and Shawn, all the way from Atlanta, I am very well suppled!.  Tim Blair my brother in law who came spend the day with me yesterday, shuttled me to the Gap.  After saying good bye for now ( he'll. be back in a few weeks, I set out on what was supposed to be an easier day. But so far, there are no easy days.  

But I had good company from the YWAM group that has befriended me. They are doing  summer DTS by hiking the AT.  They're living their faith all along the way.

After passing the many gaps,

and seeing the beautiful flowers like this trillium,  I finally arrived at the Dam.

Tomorrow, into the Smoky Mountains.

Day 14 April 20 zero day in Robbinsville NC

After spending a night in my reasonable accommodation, I woke up to a beautiful sunny day. Wouldn't you know it. 

Today I plan on doing laundry and cleaning up. And I get a surprise visit from my brother-in-law Tim. He'll drive me over to Fontana dam to pick up my resupply box in my bounce box. I'll take the food and supplies from my resupply box repack my bag and then tomorrow morning take off from Stecoah gap and continue on to Fontana dam.

I started dating these posts because Blogger doesn't make it easy to keep things in order according to the date. The date that you I modify or something becomes the date of the post.

So far I am a day later than I planned but after two weeks that's not bad.

Total distance:  150 miles.

Day 13 April 19 to Stecoah Gap

Yesterday was a tough day because of the rugged terrain and pointless ups and downs (PUDs). Today was no different.  Today we went over the something called the Dragon's tail. It's called that because of all the tumbledown rocks and small boulder fields we had to cross.

When I got to Stecoah Gap it was raining cold. I planned on staying in one of the bed-and-breakfasts that I thought would be there. But t they weren't there but several miles away. So I called for a ride from one of the local places.  Their hostel was full.  But Phil, my ride, (for $15) kindly took me to Robbinsville and found an expensive accommodation. I'm taking zero day off tomorrow.

Day 11 to Cold Spring Gap

The thing that marked today was the climb up to Wayah Bald and it stone momumment.

It is dedicated to a forester with vision for sound forest management in the area

There was a great view.

At the top there was 360 degree panorama with some interested ecological information.

Camped at Cold Spring gap.  Good water source at the shelter. 

Day 12 to NOC

Another long climb from Cold Spring Gap to me to Rocky Bald (5091ft).  

Not long after there was this open platform put up by the Forest Service.

Then it was on to the Nantahala Outdoor Center (NOC).  Right on the Nantahala River it is place that does lots of outdoor adventure trips and kayaking.  One of the Olympic kayak events took place here.  Spent the night in the bunkhouse.  Had had a fun evening with other Appalachian Trail hikers at the River's End restaurant.  Great hamburgers!  

Tomorrow morning before I leave I'll get my backcountry pass for the Smoky Mountain national Park.

Day 10 Betty Creek Gap to Panther gap

The temperature dropped last night to well below freezing and a strong wind blew.  For the first time I strapped down the storm flap on the tent.  Ice formed on the outside.  Frost formed on the inside. There we're some interesting ice formations along the trail.

As the morning went on it warmed up and was a beautiful day. 

More flowers are popping out on the trees.

Lunch was at the top of the mountain the Albert Mtn Fire Tower (5250). It was just past the 100 mile mark.

The trail has many more exposed roots than last week.