AT Slideshow from Winding Stair Gap to Davenport Gap

Thought I would post my slideshow before giving my final thoughts.

Day 25 AT Stop - Tri-Corner Knob Shelter to Davenport Gap

222.9 to 237.7 or 14.8 miles. ~6:30 to 4:15 pm.

Wednesday, June 3, 2015

As I wrote in my last post, this was going to be the last day of my AT attempt this year. I would be happy to go on, but my wife needs me home for now.

I wanted to try and beat the Math Teachers to Davenport Gap. But for the first time I dreamed and slept past 0545. When I looked at my watch, it had locked inadvertently in altimeter mode. I had to pull out my phone to see it was 0555. I got up and on the trail quickly. 

It was a nice morning with some nice views of cloud covered mountains below. My photos don't do it justice. I need to learn more than the auto setting on the camera. 

The trail was mostly downhill. But rocky and with lots of log 'steps'. I went pretty quickly but the Math Teachers still caught up with me three miles before the Gap. 

After noon it had been thundering almost continuously with occasional light rain. For the last three miles it was a deluge and there was even some pea-sized hail!  Luckily it stopped for a few minutes at the Gap so I could configure the pack, poles, and rain gear for the drive to town. I'll rent a car to get home.  The Math Teachers were great and I cannot thank them enough!

I 'll do a wrap up post on my thoughts and lessons learned in the next couple of days.  

Here are my final photos.

Day 24 Icewater Spring Shelter to Tri-Corner Knob Shelter

210.3 to 222.9 or 12.6 miles. ~6:45 to 5:30 pm.

Tuesday, June 2, 2015

I didn't want to mess with the crowd for breakfast, so I got out early. The morning looked promising. But the showers came in the afternoon. I got some good shots of fog in the distant mountains. 

The terrain stayed rocky and challenging. But surprisingly the ups were milder than those south of the park. 

Not a lot to say about today. The continued rain made for miserable travel. I was having minor problems with my ankle, enough that I had to be careful with each step. I was also missing my wife and concerned that I wasn't there while she was about to have some minor surgery. Our Border Collie, Buck, was also about to lose an eye from glaucoma. It didn't seem fair to let my wife be alone while I hiked. To be fair though, the problems came up after I started the AT. 

Anyway, I knew the Math Teachers were hiking my pace (actually faster but ending in the same places) and getting off at the north end of the Smokies. So I asked about a ride to the nearest town.  They offered the ride if I hiked the 15 miles the next day. 

The shelter was again full or nearly so with thunder booming. To avoid having to set up my tarp in the rain I went ahead and set it up quickly. Not as much slope today. Buy near the bear lines, privy and two big metal boxes the park service use. 

The rain came immediately with really impressive thunder. It rolls around the mountains and sounds like its right next to you. 

This time I cooked under the tarp. I was also able to keep the bivy and bag dry. The bag anyway. I was also able to dream for the first time on the trail. 

That's about it.

Day 23 Silers Bald Shelter to Icewater Springs Shelter

194.8 to 210.3 or 15.5 miles. ~6:30 to 6:00pm.

Monday, June 1, 2015

I'm writing this and the next day from memory. It was foggy, heavy, all morning. That was disappointing as I hit a lot of overlooks and Clingman's Dome. I didn't bother doing the climb to the lookout. It wasn't on the AT and I had seen the fogged in view before. 

Today's terrain was easier than I expected, at least till Clingman's Dome. Then it became rocky, and stayed that way for most of the Smokies. 

It cleared up for the visit to Newfound Gap. It was a busy tourist attraction with views and a restroom. But like Fontana Shelter, they had not turned on the fountains. The Math Teachers were looking for water. But they didn't even have sinks in the restrooms, just sanitizer dispensers. 

The climb from Newfound Gap to Icewater Shelter was busy with day hikers. When I got to the shelter it was full and three tents were up on the only flat spaces. It was thundering again so I quickly put up the tarp. The moment I put my sleeping bag in it started to rain. I threw everything else under the tarp and got under myself. The crowd at the shelter looked like they were using all the free cooking space, so I skipped dinner and hit the sack. 

It stormed overnight. I was on a slope so my bivy and bag slid down every time I turned over. From inside you cannot correct that. I lifted the bivy's bathtub floor to stop the rain spray at the head of my bag. But I got spray on the foot of the bivy. It got my bag slightly damp at its foot. But not enough to bother me. 

That's it for today!

Day 22. Russel Field Shelter to Siler's Bald Shelter

179.8 to 194.8 or 15 miles. Started 6:55 finished 6:30 pm. 

Sunday, May 31, 2015

The choice today was 10 or 15 miles. The day started nice but cloudy. Terrain was nice, hilly, but no huge ups. Unfortunately at 1145 the first rain came. Got to the first shelter about 2:15. Too early to stop. But the rains came in from about 3:45 on, heavy. When I got to the shelter about 7 or 8 hikers were already here. The math teachers made it here before the rain began. 

Cold wind again. Everyone is wearing their puffies. Kind of miserable evening.

Day 21 Fontana Shelter to Russell Field Shelter

165.9 to 179.8 or 13.9 miles. Started 6:28 and finished 4:20 pm. 

Saturday, 30 May 2015

Was a tough day with about 3,700’ of gain and lots of loss. I'm now in the Smokies and traveling along the TN/NC border. Saw a deer, toads and lots of snails. 

The Fontana Hilton could have been better dubbed the Hanoi Hilton last night. Torture for the few of us that wanted to sleep. But we couldn’t leave. 4 of the 7 of the visitors there at dusk were partiers. They came in late and with headlamps. Then tenters were singing and playing guitar at 11:00. At least two noisy groups arrived after that with headlamps. One was bragging loudly about doing 22 miles. Then about 2:00 am, the drunk guy’s snoring woke the braggart. He loudly complained and woke everyone, whereas the drunk guy lit up a smoke. 

It was enough to drive a person off the trail. The good thing about the evening was the double rainbow after yesterday evening's rain. I think most of the obnoxious folks didn't enter the Smokies. 

Scott Jurek came by today trying to break the AT supported speed record. I got to  see him and his assistant walking uphill then shift to running downhill. Also saw his camera crew down by the dam. 

The shelter here is a nice double decker for 14. So far, at 6:41, there's just three of us. The other two are section hikers—math teachers!

My ankles were killing me the last three miles. But didn't feel like an injury. Hopefully they will be fine tomorrow. 

Have a good evening!

Day 20 Nero from Fontana Marina to Fontana Hilton

From 164.7 to 165.9 or 1.2 miles. Started 2:52 pm and finished at 3:23 pm. 

Friday, 29 May 2015

USPS is the problem today. My priority mail package is showing as delayed with no delivery date. Their ‘ask help’ 1-800 number seems to only be automated. All day yesterday their tracking site showed in transit to destination from Greenville at 8:15 am. Overnight I received two tracking emails. One said the box had departed Greenville for delivery at 7:53 pm yesterday. The second said the box departed Greenville for delivery at 1:12 am this morning. The tracking site shows only the latter departure but now says delayed with no delivery date. 

My conclusion is it sat all day yesterday in Greenville. After my wife called them about 4:00 pm yesterday and they told her it departed at 7:30 (she assumed am yesterday) they put it on the 7:30 pm truck. But the PO here has 1145 to 1545 hours. They couldn’t deliver so back to Greenville it went. Then out again at 1:12 am this morning on another truck. Timing seems bad if they are going thru the local Fontana PO with their limited hours. Will it get here at lunch time?

I have to check out at 1100. Wait for the package (say 1230). Repack into my food bag. Hike 2.2 miles to the trail. Then start on the AT again. 

The options for overnight are the Fontana shelter (1.2 mi), the Birch Spring tent site (7.2 mi) or the Mollies Ridge shelter (14.2 mi). All those miles are uphill. The GSMNP won’t allow camping on the AT any where but their shelters and that one tent site. 

I’ll probably stay at the Fontana ‘Hilton’ shelter and get a fresh start tomorrow. This isn't the way I had imagined my hike of the AT. I am very tired of dawdling off trail, the frustration, and getting ever further behind my planned schedule. 

If the highly efficient and well paid government employees of the USPS cannot get my box to me today I’m feeling like bailing and trying again next year. 

Ok, I checked out of the lodge, they expect mail delivery around noon. 

The USPS saga continues. Their site says delivery tomorrow, two days late for priority mail. But it also said it was received at Robbinsville, 30 minutes away, at 11:15 am this morning. So I called the local Fontana PO. They said if it was at Robbinsville then, it should be getting here about 2:00 pm. So I went and had lunch and I’m waiting in the lobby again. 

The USPS has finally authorized me to continue my hike!  The box came right at 2:00. I stuffed it into my food bag, without the box, and waited for a shuttle to the trail head. 

I finally began today's arduous 1.2 mile hike about 2:52. I actually reached the Fontana Hilton about 3:23. Very nice trail. The Hilton seems over-rated. I was certainly underwhelmed. The only water you can get a bottle under is the shower. All the fountains are turned off. Still, compared to the other shelters I’ve seen, this one is nice. 

My fellow visitor, Freebird, has severe poison ivy and it's making me nervous. 

He said last night 15 were at the Hilton. So far at 5:25 there are only 4 of us. 

Think that is enough for today!  Have a good evening.

Decided to add an extra item.  It began pouring rain about dinner time.  The shelter is at the top of a hill above Fontana Lake.  After the rain stopped, there was a fantastic double rainbow that seem to end at the water straight below us.  The photo doesn't do it justice.