The above quote attributed to Rachel Carson, one of my heroes.
Wednesday, Day 1
It drizzled rain on the 2 hour drive to the trailhead at Big Creek Campground in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park, though had stopped by the time I arrived. I pondered taking my new piece of gear, an ultra lite umbrella I had bought from a woman in Asheville who hadn’t used it on her PCT hike last year. Fifteen minutes into my hike along the Big Creek Trail and I was glad I had it because the rain resumed and continued on until lunch time. The umbrella easily attached to the straps on my backpack and allowed me to continue hiking without having to pull out my raincoat and deal with the attending sweatiness that always seems to accompany wearing rain gear
Despite the rain, the hike was delightful and full of awesome views along Big Creek.
Lots of potential swimming holes for cooling off during the summer!
By the time I reached Campsite #37 at Walnut Bottom the rain had abated and the sun started to peek out. A beautiful spot for lunch and a potential campsite for future hikes.
Next up was the hike up to the Appalachian Trail on Low Gap I Trail then a short sprint on over to Cosby Knob Shelter for the night. Mudsmeller, Cutie Handful, and I had stayed here on our AT hike in November 2017 so it was nice to return and brought back great memories. Six of us shared the shelter tonight…2 SOBO thru hikers, a 2016 AT and 2018 PCT alumnus hiker and his friend, plus a guy doing a shakedown hike south to Springer Mountain in preparation for a thru next year. Very pleasant group though it got cold as the sun went down and we were all tucked into our sleeping bags by sunset. 8.6 miles today!
Thursday, Day 2
Though the thru’s had said they planned on getting an early start, it got quite chilly last night and everyone dilly dallied. This is the first cold weather of the season, though hopefully will help the fall foliage color get back on track. It has been delayed by the continued drought and very warm temperatures. There wasn’t frost at the Shelter though it was quite evident as I headed back on the trail.
I soon reached Camel Gap and headed on down the Camel Gap Trail. As expected it was all down hill and I got some fantastic views of these wonderful mountains.
At the intersection of the Gunter Fork Trail I needed to connect the dots by hiking 1 mile to where I lunched yesterday and back before continuing on. Today I enjoyed lunch at Campsite #36, a campsite for horseback riders and their mounts.
There were several posted warnings about hiking the Gunter Fork Trail during times of high water though I figured I was good to go with the drought we have been experiencing. There were many water crossings that were easily rock hopped and as I was starting to congratulate myself on staying dry, stepped on an unsteady rock and ended up with a wet foot.
After passing a waterfall that I’m sure is spectacular during normal rainfall but was now just a damp rock, the trail became more difficult. I could tell that this trail was not heavily traveled or maintained as it was overgrown and there was quite a bit of erosion. There were some lovely fall views of the foliage starting to turn though.
Being tired and getting near the end of my day I started feeling a little frustration setting in and was so happy to finally reach the intersection of the Balsam Mountain Trail. It was then an easy hike to my destination for the evening, one of the few shelters in the park not on the AT, the Laurel Gap Shelter. I thought I was going to have it to myself until a guy arrived after dark though we didn’t realize until the next morning that we had met in the rain yesterday and he was doing a similar loop to myself but in the opposite direction. 13 miles today!
Friday, Day 3
Really enjoyed chatting with Waldo this morning. Turned out he was a biologist that managed a research greenhouse at UVA, so we had the greenhouse connection in common. He was originally from the West Coast and missed it, so was planning on hiking the PCT next year while figuring out his next move. Very nice young fellow! There was patchy frost on the ground though didn’t feel as cold as yesterday to me. The Sterling Ridge Trail was very pleasant and quite easy to hike and it seemed no time at all before I reached the Sterling Ridge fire tower on Mt. Sterling at 5843 foot elevation.
Where I once would have hesitated to climb up the tower, I threw down my pack and clambered up. Ahhh, it was so worth it, with magnificent views of the Smokies in all directions! I loved it!
When I climbed down, I met Kentuckians, Tom and Sondra, who were on their first backpacking trip. They had camped at the adjacent campsite and told me it had got so cold last night that their water had frozen. When Tom learned I had hiked the AT he confided that he had always wanted to hike it himself and picked my brain about the possibility of his own hike. I encouraged him to go for it and gave him my contact info so I could answer any questions he may have. I received so much help and encouragement on my hike that I welcome the chance to pass it along and truly hope he gets out there.
After leaving Mount Sterling the trail traveled through areas of different kinds of moss growing over rocks, logs, and ground. It seemed almost fairy tale like. The Baxter Creek Trail was 6.1 down hill miles to my destination. I met a few weekend warriors heading up, who were really the first hikers I had encountered over the last 3 days, other than at the Shelters and Waldo on the first day. I think it is interesting that the GSMNP is the most visited national park in the country yet you can find real isolation off the paved road. When I left my truck in the parking lot 3 days ago it was the only vehicle there and now the parking lot was quite crowded. This was an absolutely wonderful and most enjoyable hike! 12.1 miles today! 184.3 Smoky miles for the books!