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WEEK 4 - April 13 to April 19, 1981 |
April 13, 1981
Forgot to note yesterday that the Tennessee side of Clingman's Dome was snow covered and the trail had patches of ice and snow as well as being muddy. Saw a bit more snow today. The shelter was full last night - 12 people - and it looks like a full shelter again tonight. There are lots of overnight-only campers and I am beginning to tire of the axes and saws and midnight bedtimes. Perhaps Rob and I are getting some measure of revenge by getting up at the crack of dawn. Finished my first roll of film with a picture towards Greenbriar Pinnacle from Eagle Rock. Spotted a black throated blue warbler along the trail. It's the first time I've actually seen one in the field rather than just hearing them. Twice, last night, a skunk came wandering into the shelter. Mostly, it seemed interested in somebody's garbage. This shelter is a real garbage pit and is reputed to be rat infested. The skunk wandered about the shelter for some time, occasionally walking right over the hikers, including me! Luckily nobody woke up and panicked.
April 14, 1981
Reached a point about three miles into the first Pisgah National Forest section. It is now about 5-6 p.m. and I was thinking about camping here when I noticed an approaching thunderstorm. I decided to make camp and at least wait out the storm. The tent is holding out water so far. At worst, I can go another five miles to the shelter. I have come about twenty miles today, preferring to avoid another night at a crowded Smokies shelter. Last night we had all the bunks full and two sleeping on the floor. Rob and I both got to our scheduled shelter, Davenport Gap, at 2 p.m. and there were already five hikers there. I looked at Rob and said "We could be out of the Smokies today" and he replied "Let's get the hell out of here". In general, the NE half of the Smokies was prettier than the SW half, although the SW half features more panoramic views. The trails were remarkably clean considering the heavy use but the shelters and shelter sites were littered and dirty. Noted today were cinquefoil in bloom, false strawberry (some berries already), white and yellow trillium, tall yellow violets, trout lily, may apple plants, calyx (?) (which I took a picture of), and lots of dogwood (also seen going into Wesser). On the wooded connecting section between the Smokies and Pisgah I saw jack-in-the-pulpits and, as promised in the guide book, poison ivy.
April 16, 1981 (morning)
Had a long 24.7 mile day yesterday but I still felt strong even at the end. Shall go the last three plus miles into Hot Springs for supplies shortly. Have seen black mustard in bloom. In the evening yesterday I noted a plant with three part compound leaves and small white bell-shaped flowers. The light did not favor a picture but I'll watch for it again later. Caught up to and passed Neal and Angelique. Last night I woke up at about 10 p.m. when I thought I heard female voices in a steady singing with a dog chanting along. The dog was real as I could hear it move on down the trail for some twenty minutes but I didn't hear the voices again. A girl scout troop traveling by moonlight?, a dream?
April 16, 1981 (evening)
An unexciting day. Heard news, though, of Tom and Emily. Emily fell going down Clingman's Dome and broke her wrist in two places and is in the Gatlinburg hospital. I stopped in Hot Springs just to resupply and do laundry but other hikers have stayed a day or so and claim it is a good place to stop.
April 18, 1981 (mid-afternoon)
All day yesterday and all this morning I traveled in light to moderate rain. I am now sitting about a mile north of Big Bald in intermittent sunshine, drying things out a bit and having a second lunch. Yesterday, about a mile before Larry Cabin shelter, I enjoyed dinner by a pleasant stream with a wood thrush serenade. I was going to stop at Jerry Cabin but the day cleared a bit, I still felt strong, and I had a desire not to spend another evening and probably the next day accompanied by Dave, the world's champion bullshitter. [note: not the same Dave mentioned in April 2nd entry.] I stopped dead in my tracks to let him go on and was careful not to catch up to him again. Of course, he was at the next shelter, Locust Ridge, and so was Connie, who had been ahead of me after skipping the Smokies. I waited until Dave had set up his tent and started dinner, then suddenly stood up and announced "Still lots of daylight - think I'll do a few more miles." and picked up my pack and left. That evening I camped in the open in a field near the end of the section.
April 19, 1981 (morning)
I seem to travel better after lunch. I struggled along yesterday moving eleven miles in nine hours. Then, after lunch I covered nine more miles in just three hours. Maybe I should eat lunch at ten in the morning! The balds were unexciting - the views were good but cloudy/misty. When I finally got ambitious and moved on I found the hike from the highway up to No Business shelter to be very nice. For a considerable distance it ascends along a stream and it was very pleasant in the early evening. The remainder of the trail to the shelter was pleasingly flat and I hurried along trying to beat nightfall. I wasn't too worried as I knew the moon was nearly full and the sky was clear but I didn't know if the moon would be obscured by the hills. It turned out that it wasn't and I traveled the last half to three quarter of a mile by moonlight. The deciduous trees are now definitely showing signs of green and some leaves have erupted on them in the lower elevations. Took a picture this morning of a purple flower with wintergreen-like leaves.