New hiking buddy, Hallie...and King Nickie got into the picture.
This is why these mountains are called the Great Smokies.
The view from one of the overlooks.
Not the best picture of this flower, but if anyone knows what it is, please let me know. It's about 1-2 cm in diameter.
Today has been an interesting day. A rainy day, but interesting. Hope and I had to split company today because she can't hike through the Smokies with King Nickie. So she is shuttling around the park, and I hope to catch up to her on the other side.
Hallie, from Seattle, met up with us at a shelter a few nights ago and she decided to overnight at the Fontana Hilton, too. She and I decided to hike together through the Smokies after an unfortunate incident last night. At about 1am, a 70 year old woman comes into the shelter a bit hysterical and exhausted. She told is the story of what happened to her. She pitched her tent at Birch Gap last night, and started getting harassed by a bear. She took her food bag to hang it to hopefully distract the bear. When she did, the bear destroyed her tent, sleeping bag and sleeping pad, and ran off with one of her boots. She waited for him to get out of the way and she packed all her stuff into a garbage bag the left the area hiking down to Fontana--5+ miles--in a thunderstorm, with one boot on and a camp shoe on the other foot. At 70! So, Hallie and I decided to hike the Great Smokied together to try to avoid bears.
We set out today and it started raining. Then, much to my chagrin, it was a vet long uphill climb into the temperate rainforest known as the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. We cleared that hurdle and had planned to go to Spence Field Shelter tonight. Unfortunately, we found out that shelter is closed due to bear activity. So we had to stop short of that shelter. The disadvantage is that I lost cell signal, so I couldn't tell anyone the plan had been forced to change. I talked to Hallie and we agreed that we would do a 22.7 mile day tomorrow (over Clingman's Dome--the highest point on the Appalachian Trail) so I could ensure that I made it to Mt Collins Shelter tomorrow night to await Jeff who is so graciously resupplying me halfway through the park. That is very important because my resupply prior to entering the park was closed, so I'm pushing my meals until resupply. I still have enough to eat, but it will be a lot of sugar calories vice protein and other foods. It's not too much of a big deal, though, because I have already lost some weight out on the trail.
A couple of people warned us that if we stopped at Spence Field Shelter for water, there is a rattlesnake down by the water source. They also told us there are two rattlesnakes on Rocky Top. So, we're going to have to watch ourselves.
Right now it is pouring down rain and I am lying under a tin roof listening to it. It sounds really good, though it is a bit breezy. I will have to make sure I bundle up tonight against the weather. Thank God I brought my sleeping bag liner!
I hope to get up early tomorrow to start the near 23 mile hike, so I'm off to bed--it's 8:40pm and I need the rest.
Spiderwort. I grow it in my yard
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