The day after entering the Smokies we had planned to hike 12 miles to the shelter just before Clingmans Dome - ambitious, especially considering wind, rain and the fact that the first 6 miles is the hardest in the Smokies. I geared up and headed out, too afraid to put my feet back into my boots so instead I put on my sandals again thinking that I would have wet feet but no big deal!
Wrong. Big deal. In addition to wet, muddy feet I also had no traction. Every wrong step led to a wipeout in the most violent way - slipping down embankments, over logs, into creeks, and - most painfully - always onto my wrists. I wiped out fully 6 times with dozens of smaller slips. Each fall let in just enough water inside my rain gear to saturate my base layer, socks and the rest of me.
The 6 miles to the first shelter took almost 4 hours. When I got there I peaked inside and saw everyone - Beacon, Trucker an Beetlejuice - was all there in their sleeping bags. So much for 12 miles but I wasn't complaining. It took stripping down to next to nothing and climbing into my sleeping bag to get myself back to something that resembled warm again and another 3 hours of drying my clothes in front of the fire to have something semi-dry to sleep in.
The AT is not glamorous.
Last night there was some violent, next-level snoring happening (we aren't talking a gentle purr here, we are talking straight up sleep apnea, wet, violent, "oh god is that a bear??" snoring) but thankfully no mice. Waking up for 18 miles was no walk in the park but at least I woke up warm with the promise of 50 degree weather an sunshine.
The sun finally did come up at about 9 miles into the day as we slipped and stumbled through ice up to Clingmans Dome, the highest point on the AT and the third highest mountain East of the Mississippi. The views were magnificent, despite the 20+ mph frigid winds.
The fun thing about Clingmans Dome is that you don't have to be a thru-hiker to experience the beauty. You can drive straight up to the top and walk just the last half mile. This is everything that is wrong with America. You want the view? Just drive on up!! No problem!! It blows my mind to think the different perspectives that we have versus people who just drive to see it instead of trudging 200 miles north to get to that point.
After Clingmans we still had 8 miles to go to get to Newfound Gap to catch a hitch into Gatlinburg. It would have been a snap had there not been ice all the way down the mountain and then some. At points the ice was so solid that the only way down was to sit and slide. I think I covered about half a mile in total intentionally on my ass. I was cold but the sun was out and the prospect of a hot shower was in my future so I was happy.
Hopefully we will take a zero tomorrow to recharge and let my feet stop throbbing. I am glad to know that I can do 18+ mile days but lord help me I am thrilled to know that I don't have to do them every day.
Time to tap the Rockies and call it a night. xoxox
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