Breeze here at the end of a very monumental day! Wendy and I put in a solid 13.8 mile day, summited the tallest mountain on the entire AT, and eclipsed the 200 mile mark! Clingman's Dome, the highest mountain, was exactly what we expected: Smoky. Just like the last time we were here, there was just too much fog to get a good view. Nevertheless, the skies later cleared, and we were granted great views the rest of the way. The climb down from Clingmans's was the toughest part of the day. There was so much ice on the trail that just about every thru hiker we met today had at least one spill. The rest of the day went really smoothly. This shelter is definitely the best shelter we have stayed at so far. It has a fabulous view from the shelter facing the East, and we heard from a Park Ranger that you can catch an awesome sunrise from here. I can't wait for that!
We got our first real time with day hikers today. They are very interesting to interact with. Some are really curious about what we are doing and why we are doing it. These day hikers are always very friendly and chatty, even if they are confused. Some day hikers grab their kids hands when the see us, and avert their eyes from us. Other still cut you dirty looks and don't say a word, as if we are interrupting their quiet time in the woods. Just some advice from a thru hiker: say hello to us. Everyone out here has grown accustomed to a friendly greeting, so it's weird of you don't speak. I swear we're friendly (albeit smelly).
The toughest part about today has been watching these weekend hikers cook pork chops and baked potatoes. My hiker hunger is really kicking in and it has been torturous!
Until next time,
Breeze
PS day 23 will be posted Friday.
The view is awesome! Keep up the great work.
ReplyDeleteKatie @ Phoenix