Day 17 - Fontana Dam to Russell Field Shelter

We ate dinner last night at the restaurant. The buffet was too expensive, so we just ordered meals. Ate with Hipbone and Mountain Goat (from North Carolina). They keep saying how when they met us, I looked so clean! I guess it was my “pretty shirt” that threw them off. 

Hipbone said he thought my trail name should be Precarious, kind of a play on my real name and reference to the dangerous spot we were in when they met us. Hung out with them and Tim for a bit. He’s really funny, but was saying how Hot Springs may be Maine for him. He just hasn’t been having fun lately. We’ll see what happens.

We watched TV a little at night, but eventually it was time for bed. I actually did quite well. The bed was really comfortable, and especially the pillow.

Got up and went to the breakfast buffet, which meant we wouldn’t need to stop for lunch. Got the shuttle back to Fontana Dam, and who were there but Tim and Donna (and Donna’s son). They had driven out and got to the shelter at 1 a.m. -- then had driven around Fontana Village looking for us. After only a few hours of sleep, they got up at 5:30 to start cooking the eggs and bacon they had brought!

Murph, Dave, Tim, and Charlie

Anyway, it was good to see them for what will probably be the last time (for a while, anyway). Then we entered the Smoky Mountains National Park. It was a late start and a tough climb, especially after half a day off. Those 13 miles were really tough ones for me. We saw some bear scat along the way (on the trail). Finally got to the shelter and found that it does have a cage on the front. Bears have been seen here in the past week. We set up the tent, but then Dave found that the shelter had room. So here we are.