Icewater Spring Shelter to Cosby Knob Shelter – 20.3 miles

Got started hiking by 7:20 this morning – earliest start time yet. It was foggy in the morning, but once I started hiking the sun came out and stayed out all day. I finished hiking in short sleeves and wanting to take my pants off (high of 61). Still with Buckeye, Lose/Fast/Square, and the Australians. There was a mom and her 9-year-old daughter at the shelter. I taught CJ how to hold and make a sound on trombone. She passed out jolly ranchers to all the hikers here. I’m trying to figure out a way to attach my p-bone to my pack without the case. So far, no luck, but if I can figure out something by Hot Springs, I’ll send the case home there.

I woke up and starting packing away my tent and gear before the sun was up. First time doing that. Once I got hiking, the sun was barely up, but enough that I did not need my head lamp. It was a foggy and misty morning that started off pretty cold. I ran into a section hiker who was hiking with a giant rain coat and rain pants on. Thru hikers learn quickly that rain pants are not a necessity. When there is enough rain for you to want to put on rain pants, you will still get wet so it’s best just to hike wet and have a set of dry clothes to change into once you are camped for the night. Thankfully the fog went away quickly and the sun was out for the rest of the day.

The usual group of hikers that I’ve been running into since Georgia were at this shelter along with some other section hikers. Once of my favorite section hikers that I met on the AT was a mom and her 9-year-old child. I feel bad for not remembering the mom’s name but I do remember that the girl’s trail name was ‘Snow Poke.’ She liked to poke the snow banks on the side of the trail with her hiking poles. Snow Poke is the coolest 9-year-old I’ve ever met. She was on her first backpacking trip starting at Newfound Gap and ending at Max Patch – I would be at Max Patch in a few days. In the trail register she described her day of hiking by saying that there were too many “hillys” along with a drawn picture of her and her hiking poles.

Snow Poke spent a long time trying to teach Racheal how to talk ‘gansta.’ They are both very white so it was very entertaining to watch this happen. When they were done with that I showed her my pBone and offered to let her play it. She was doing really well holding it properly and even getting her buzz to make a sound, but she seemed embarrassed so she handed it back to me to play her a song. Later after we all finished our ramen/pasta side dinners, Snow Poke ran around to all of us with a bag of jolly ranchers offering some to anyone who wanted them.

At this point in my hike, I was getting a bit annoyed by the extra weight of the case of my pBone. The actual instrument barely weighed anything, but the case made it almost 3lbs. I spent some time that night thinking of ways to attach my pBone to my pack without the case, but I wasn’t able to think of anything then or later on. I just dealt with it the rest of the hike.

Double Spring Gap Shelter to Icewater Spring Shelter – 13.6 miles

Tented last night and it was not so bad. It wasn’t raining in the morning. Another foggy/cloudy/windy day. No view up at Clingman’s Dome, except white clouds. Still went up and recorded myself playing p-bone. Got a section hiker to drive me to town to resupply. So. Many. People. I have no wish to go to Gatlinburg ever again. I let 2 girls move my slide while I played my p-bone at Newfound Gap. So adorable. Also, the Australians caught up and are staying in this shelter tonight.

There was no sun. Very cold and windy morning, but I finally made it to Clingman’s Dome, the tallest point on the AT! At the top, there is a tower that is supposed to give you a 360 view of the Smokies, but all I saw were pictures of the mountains that were covered in fog that day. Still, I went up and decided to record myself playing Amazing Grace on my p-Bone. Then, I continued on towards Newfound Gap.

Once at Newfound Gap, the sun had come out from behind the clouds and the parking lot was packed full of people. I don’t know how many people I asked for a ride into town, but everyone said no. It wasn’t until I was on the phone with a shuttle service telling me that it would be at least $60 to pick me up and take me into town, that a man came up and asked me if I needed a ride. I hung up and thanked him profusely. He had just finished a few day section in the Smokies and had space for me in his car. To get to the grocery store that I needed to resupply, we had to drive straight through downtown Gatlinburg. It was madness. The best way I can describe Gatlinburg is it appears how foreigners imagine America to be – not in a good way. I have no desire to ever go back there again unless I’m thru hiking again and am out of food and have no choice.

To get back to Newfound Gap, I called an Uber. I did not want to try and walk through that mess of a town to try and get a hitch and for the distance to get back to the trail, the Uber ride was surprisingly cheap. My driver was so nice, I wish I could remember his name. He was deaf, but he would still ask me questions when he wasn’t driving about what I was doing. More specifically what the black thing on the back of my pack was. I typed my answers for him into his phone and when he dropped me off, he wished me good luck.

Before heading off on the trail again, I got stopped by a family with 2 little girls no older than 6 or 7. They asked me about my hike and I pulled out my pBone to show the girls. The younger one was very shy, but the older sister was more than happy to move my trombone slide for me while I played a note. Any time I am in a young children’s music class and I have my trombone, I let students do that. It seems small, but they are always so excited just to touch the trombone and it feels good to introduce the trombone and music to them in a way that they can participate.

All I had left to hike for the day was 3 miles of steep uphill. A hard climb, but the sun was out so I wasn’t complaining. My miles were kept short today to compensate my 2 hours in Gatlinburg – half of that time spent getting to and from the town. I’m glad it was a shorter day though since I got to camp with Racheal and Braden aka – Soul Sister and Mattress King – that night.

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT: I have been referring to some people I’ve met on the trail by their real names and their trail names. I am going to change this by referring to them how I knew them at the point in time that I wrote the journal entry. So no trail names for these people until we get to the point in my journal where they get them. THANK YOU FOR LISTENING

Spence Field Shelter to Double Spring Gap Shelter – 13.5 miles

It was cloudy and drizzling all day, so I decided not to push the 19 miles to Mt. Collins today. Set up my tent for the first time since before Blood Mountain. Didn’t end up needing to, but if my weather app is right, it won’t rain tomorrow until after 10am, so hopefully won’t have to take it down in the rain. Going to resupply in Gatlinburg tomorrow and hike on to the shelter that’s closest out of there.

I don’t remember much from hiking that day besides the constant drizzle of rain. Honestly would have preferred snow over rain. It was already cold and the snow wouldn’t seep into my clothes making me cold and wet like the rain. I do remember speaking with a female ranger(one of the only women I ran into with that position) who was doing trail maintenance and also asked to see my backpacking permit. It was from her that I found out about the blizzard that came through the Smokies the week before. It trapped some hikers in Gatlinburg and those stuck hiking in it were either post-holing through deep snow or sliding around on ice in their trail runners. That is not the kind of snow I would have preferred. The Smokies were kicking my butt so I stopped earlier than I originally planned. At this shelter, there was already a good mix of thru hikers and sections hikers so I decided to go ahead and set up my tent instead of taking the risk of having to set it up in the dark if the shelter ended up being full of section hikers. All of the shelters in the Smokies have a tarp covering the front to block out the wind along with a fire place. I was very thankful for whoever made the fire before I got to the shelter. I was able to dry my socks by the fire and write in my journal.

Fontana Dam Visitor Center to Spence Field Shelter – 17.4 miles

A bit cold and chilly, but overall not a bad hiking day. First day in the Smokies! Said goodbye to Grant and Graham this morning and got the 8:30am shuttle with Digs. Once we got to the climb at the beginning of the Smokies, Digs pulled out ahead and I have not seen him since. A ranger took a picture and a video of me playing my p-bone and said he will give it to the ATC. It would be cool if it got featured somewhere. Debating whether or not to pull a 20+ mile day tomorrow to get over Clingman’s Dome before the bad weather. We’ll see how my feet feel in the morning.

Normally I’m up and moving quickly in the morning, but this morning I was dragging. Not too much though because Digs and I needed to be out front to get on the shuttle by 8:30. Grant and Graham were staying for a few more hours to get their resupply boxes from the post office and planned on stopping at the only campsite without a shelter in the Smokies so I was likely not going to see them again after that morning. We said our goodbyes and then Digs and I headed out. On the shuttle, we passed by Pappy! We drove right by him so I missed my chance to meet him unfortunately. If you don’t know who he is, look him up! He is 87 years old and was attempting to set the record for the oldest person to thru hike the AT. That title is currently held by an 82 year old man who thru hiked in 2017. Pappy has also already Triple Crowned which means he has hiked the Appalachian Trail, the Continental Divide Trail, and the Pacific Crest Trail. I hope I can still hike like him by the time I’m 87.

Before getting to the Smokies, the trail goes right over the Fontana Dam. It was a really cool to walk the full length of it and hard not to stop every step to take pictures. On the other side, we followed a gravel road that eventually brought us to a box that said, “A.T. THRU HIKERS DEPOSIT PERMITS HERE.” Officially made it to the Smokies! Digs and I take out our permits that we bought and printed out in Franklin, NC, put them in the box, and continued hiking. The trail went immediately uphill so I lost sight of Digs quickly. He said earlier that he wasn’t sure where he would stop for the night, just that he wanted to get as close to Newfound Gap as he could. That was the last time I saw him. He wasn’t at the shelter 17 miles in that I stopped at so he had pushed forward and probable made it to town the next day.

I took a lunch break at the first shelter that I came to at the end of the first long climb of the Smokies. There were a few other hikers there and a ranger. The ranger warns us that there is a lot of bear activity at this shelter so it is closed, meaning that no one can camp there for the night. Eventually he noticed my pBone strapped to the back of my pack so I take it out to play some for him and the other hikers there. He even took a picture and video to show his coworkers and to send to the Appalachian Trail Conservancy. It was very cold and windy that day so I didn’t stop for food for very long. I originally planned to stop at Russell Field Shelter for the night, but I felt good enough to push another 3 miles to the Spence Field Shelter making it a 17 miles day. I was wiped when I got there and my feet were not happy with me. I didn’t have any blisters though so I was happy.

The Smokies have some very specific rules for anyone who is backpacking there. Section hikers are not allowed to set up a tent or hammock anywhere in the park and instead have to reserve a spot in a shelter for each night they plan on being there. Thru hikers are also told not to set up their tents and to sleep in the shelter provided at each campsite only if it isn’t full. With their rules, section hikers have first claim to any spots in the shelter so if it is full of section and thru hikers and more section hikers come in at night, the thru hikers would have to give up their spots in the shelter and only then would be able to set up their own tents. I almost had to do that this night. The shelter had 1 or 2 spots left for other hikers, but a group of at least 10 section hikers walk up and upon seeing that the shelter was basically full, they hike away. They end up coming back and set up their tents because they did not want to ask any thru hikers to give up their spot in the shelter and I was very grateful for that.

Rangers and ridge runners would stop hikers in the park to check for their permits. Thankfully, that night none showed up so the section hikers made it through the night in their tents and the rest of us in the shelter.

Fontana Dam – zero day

The weather was really nice today. Kinda upset I didn’t hike, but also glad I got 1 more day with these guys before we go our separate ways. Grant and Graham won’t hike as far as Digs and me tomorrow and Digs gets off the trail on Wednesday. I’m hoping to get through the Smokies as quickly as I can to get through the bad weather.

It ended up being a very nice, sunny day today when I thought it would be raining. I very much would have liked to have been hiking, but I was more than happy to spend another day with Graham, Grant, and Digs before we all hiked off at different times and paces. The general store at Fontana Dam did not have much in the way of a resupply, but I got enough to most likely get me through the Smokies which was all I was worried about. I heard a lot of bad things about a town called Gatlinburg halfway through the Smokies. Mainly that it is crowded with tourists and a hikers nightmare, so I wanted to avoid it if I could.

While I was resupplying I was able to do my laundry. There were lots of hikers who were staying in the Fontana Dam Shelter doing laundry too so there was a line, but none of us had anywhere to go that day so I got some ice cream and made myself comfortable. Back at the lodge, Graham, Grant, and Digs were laying out on the deck on the 2nd floor. I wanted a nap so I went to our room and slept for a while and joined them later at the restaurant and bar for drinks and dinner.

All day, we were making our way through my mom’s trail magic. We split up what we wanted to hike out with and snacked on everything else throughout the day. This was a nice and very relaxing zero day made 100 times better by my mom – trail name ‘Italian Ice.’ Even though I didn’t get to hike with her, I was still happy to have seen her and I know we all appreciated her trail magic and generosity.

Sassafras Gap Shelter to Fontana Dam Visitor Center – 22.3 miles

Tried waking up a bit earlier than usual since today was an extra long day to meet up with mom at Fontana Dam. Said bye to dad as he started hiking back to his car and I got started by 7:40am. It was mostly downhill, but parts were so slippery with snow, ice, and/or mud that I couldn’t hike very quickly. On good spots, I tried to half jog to make up for other slow miles. I convinced Grant and Graham to go for 22 miles to stay in the 4-person room my mom already paid for. Took them about 10 minutes to go from maybe to yes. Digs was further ahead so I sent him a text and he replied this morning while he was in town. Ended up crossing a road at the same time as Digs got dropped off from his resupply. All the guys made it before I did. Grant 2 hours before anyone because he ran down the mountain and Graham and Digs 30 minutes to an hour before. My last mile was met with a thunderstorm and hail. Worth it for a shower and a hot meal with mom and the guys. This lodge is nice! Taking a zero tomorrow to avoid the cold day of rain ahead and to do some laundry. Almost time to start the Smokies!

It was a very cold morning – as usual – so I did not get moving as quickly as I had wanted to. I saw Graham leave about 30 minutes before I got started hiking. I didn’t see Grant at all that morning and I thought he was still in his tent sleeping. I found out later that he woke up much earlier and was out hiking before I even woke up. I made sure to send out a text to all of them describing what my mom’s mini van looked like since it seemed like everyone would get there before me. After my dad and I finished our breakfast and packed our packs, we hiked the .1 mile back to the trail and headed our separate ways.

Today was very cold and wet. At some point, I got a response from Digs so all 4 of us would be sharing the room! In between trying to run down the mountain and balancing on a mixture of ice and mud, I called my mom to fill her in on where everyone is and what time I would most likely make it to Fontana Dam. Not long after that, I came to a road crossing with a small parking lot and a picnic table so I took my pack off for a few minutes before heading up the next section called Jacob’s Ladder. As I got started and was about to cross the road, a car stops in the parking lot and I see Digs jumping out. Could not have timed that better even if we had tried. We started up Jacob’s Ladder together and it did not take long for him to pull ahead of me. It. Was. Steep. But we made it and kept on going. About a mile after the end of the Ladder was a shelter where I took a quick 15 minute stop to use the privy and eat a fast lunch while Digs kept hiking on. After that, I did my best to keep moving without stopping except to lean over and get my pack weight off my hips and shoulders for a brief few seconds. At Cable Gap Shelter 8 miles from Fontana Dam, my feet were killing me. I took my pack off and lied down with my feet up the side of the shelter. I stayed like this for a solid 2 minutes before starting the final long and steep descent to Fontana Dam.

I don’t remember much of the hike after that besides my feet just hurting and my mind constantly thinking about the hotel room and my mom and her warm car waiting to pick me up. What I do remember really well is the last mile before reaching the Visitor’s Center. I had service so I called mom and told her I was a mile away. She took Grant to the Fontana Dam Lodge 2 hours earlier and Digs and Graham reached the car 30 minutes earlier. All day, I could see storm clouds rolling in and they finally reached me. It started pouring down rain, there was thunder and lightning, and I was running to get out of it as quickly as I could. 0.2 mile from my moms car, I could feel small pieces of hail hitting the back of my neck. That was the first time I had ever been hailed on without any kind of cover…It would not be my last.

Finally made it and got in the van as quickly as I could. My mom had Gatorade and lots of snacks for all of us. When we got to the Lodge, I took a shower quickly and was able to sit down at the restaurant with my mom and catch up while the guys took their showers. We weren’t able to order anything until all of us were seated so by the time the last of us was clean and at the table, we were ready to order. The food disappeared very quickly. My mom only drove up for the day so after we finished eating, we said goodbye, she started her drive back home, and we quickly fell asleep. I wasn’t planning on taking a zero day the next day, but after my first 20+ mile day and finding out Grant and Graham had already reserved the room for another night, I decided to take a rest day before heading into the Smokies.

A Rufus Morgan Shelter to Sassafras Gap Shelter – 7.9 miles

Woke up after sunrise. Waited around for a few hours for my dad who got there at 12pm. Got lunch – pizza and sweet tea – and set off hiking the 6.9 miles to the shelter. Very slow going with my dad but somehow there was space in the shelter for both of us. Nice fire before a cold night, but it’s not supposed to get below freezing, so hopefully not too cold tonight.

Slept in this morning since I had some time to kill before my dad would get to the NOC(Nantahala Outdoor Center) and the A Rufus Shelter was only a 1 mile hike to the NOC. Still was up and moving before Racheal and Braden, but that was no surprise. Love you guys! Had a very nice morning stroll to get to the NOC. I don’t remember what time I managed to get there, but not much was open yet because in the real world it was still early. No problem. I found a plug outside and hung out there until the one general store opened. The shelves were pretty empty, so there was not a lot to choose from but I was able to scrounge up enough food variety to get me to Fontana Dam in 2-3 days. Out of all my resupplies on the AT, this was one of the very few without a lot of choices. That’s not really a problem anywhere – in my experience – on the AT.

After resupplying, I got a text from my dad that he was running late because of traffic, so I ended up sitting by the river in a nice wooden lounge chair while I waited. I had the complete collection of the Sherlock Holmes books on my phone, so I had plenty to keep me busy. He arrived just in time for the restaurants there to open up for lunch at 11am so we went to the River’s End and dug in. Pizza is something I almost always got in town and if sweet tea was an option, I would most likely get that too. The most southern thing about me is my love for sweet tea. No matter where I move to, that will never change.

After eating, we started our 6 mile ascent towards Sassafras Gap Shelter. This climb is one hated by all NOBOs. It’s not particularly steep compared to the entire AT, but it is 6 miles straight of just uphill so there was a lot of bonding of our shared hatred of this climb. It was a slower climb too with my dad with me, but we still made it before dark and thankfully to a fire already made.

One of my biggest pet peeves on the AT was hikers in a shelter saying that there isn’t enough space for another person when there is. That’s exactly what happened when we got there. The 2nd floor of the shelter was very much full, but when I looked at the bottom floor, there was a good amount of space between everyone’ sleeping pads. I was able to get other hikers to move their pads over and move some myself and make space for my dad and I. You learn to sleep shoulder to shoulder with other hikers in a shelter. I honestly preferred that when it was colder out and that night was cold.

After setting up our pads and sleeping bags we made our dinners and joined some other hikers by the fire. I spoke with my mom earlier and she said she would be able to drive to Fontana Dam the next day and even reserve a 4 person room for me and 3 other hikers at the Fontana Dam Lodge if we could make it there. That would require me to do my first 20+ mile day and I was down to do it and I knew exactly who to share that room with. Graham and Grant were at this shelter and I was able to convince them very quickly to agree to get there tomorrow. Digs hiked past this shelter, so I sent him a text and hopefully he would have enough service somewhere to see it. I wasn’t sure if he would see it or not because his phone rarely got service on the trail.

It was a pretty cold night and with the fire dying down and having to hike 22 miles the next day, I headed to bed to get a good nights rest. I was ready to take on tomorrow!