Day 19 - Silers Bald Shelter to Newfound Gap

The night was long and cold. I think it was 6:30 when Dave crawled into his sleeping bag. It was just so cold that there was really nothing else to do. I waited until 8 so I could pee one last time.

The wind started to howl, slamming the poly against the chain-link fence again and again. It just never stopped. I must have fallen asleep OK, but woke up every hour from midnight on expecting morning to be just around the corner. And one of my earplugs wasn’t working, which had a major impact on my quality of sleep. 

The day finally dawned, grey and cold. Nothing to do but get moving -- quickly. First stop -- Clingman’s Dome, the highest point on the AT. On the way we encountered wintery, blustery conditions. 

Branches and stems had a coating of ice on them, and when the wind blew it sent small white squares tumbling to the ground. Murph said they looked like pieces of ribbon candy.

Finally we came to the dome -- a bizarre concrete structure with a long ramp and a dome resembling a UFO. Conditions were nearly whiteout, so we didn’t linger. Still had about eight miles to do to get to Newfound Gap. The trail was extremely muddy, but it was easier knowing we had a Mexican dinner and a warm house awaiting us.

The weather actually started improving, and we walked through a nice section of evergreen forest. Got to Newfound Gap around 2:30. I was in charge of getting us a ride, which made me kind of nervous. But I stuck out my thumb, and it was only a few minutes before “Old Timer” pulled over. He had just gotten off the trail himself. Dropped us off at stop light #10, and a little bit of culture shock set in.

Murph and Trail Dancer atop Clingman's Dome

Hotels, motels, fast food, tourist attractions galore. We had a few hours to kill before Murph’s friend was going to pick us up. Took a trolley to the library, where we checked email for the first time. Twenty-five messages?! Changed my clothes and tried to clean up a bit in the library restroom. Walked around Gatlinburg, serving as a freak show for the locals. Then we hung out and waited for Mike.

Lots of people stopped us to ask what we were doing; some were/are hikers themselves. Mike showed up at 7 to drive us to his house in Maryville. He’s a pediatrician, too; married and with two kids. Drove through Dollywood on the way so we could see the “sights.”

Got to a Mexican restaurant around 8 and chowed on chips, salsa, a burrito, and a tostado. Ate every bite. Then Mike took us to his house. Took a shower and hung out. Tim was psyched to get the sports updates. We all crashed on the livingroom floor. I did OK, thanks to an aquarium bubbling and my earplugs.

Kerri, Murph, Mike, Charlie, and Dave

The whole family was up early in the kitchen, which made sleeping difficult. Had a few hours to ourselves before Mike came back to drive us to Gatlinburg. With snow and low temperatures forecast for the Smokies, we decided to get a hotel room and take our first zero day. On the way in, we saw that the access road to the trail had been closed due to the weather. Guess we didn’t have a choice after all!

Got a room for five with three beds, a kitchenette, and two bedrooms -- all for $11 each! Walked around town for a bit. ESPN was at the Happy Hiker interviewing thru-hikers. I declined, but Dave and Charlie consented. Wonder when it will air. Oh, I guess I’m trying the name Pack-On on for size. We’ll see if it fits.