Fontana Dam, NC to Garenflo Gap, NC

Day 3, Saturday, September 30

Damascus, VA to Birch Spring Shelter, GSMNP, 5.2 Miles

Great night's sleep! Now I know what it's like to stay at "The Place". Showered and walked over to the Sidetracks Café for breakfast. "Shelter Mouse" is going to help me drop my car in Hot Springs. That'll save a lot of time next week at the end of this trip.

It's a three-hour drive to Hot Springs. I drop my car at the Forest Service parking lot above town. Find out that the Jesuit Hiker Hostel is closed. It apparently closed in March of this year. Not sure what is going on. I had planned to clean up here on the return trip.

Drive what seems like all day to Fontana. I stop at the Nantahala Outdoor Center and buy a new sleeping bag. A Mountain Hardware like I've been wanting. I'm not sure how cold the nights are going to be, so I figure having a little heavier bag will be insurance.

I reach Fontana and self register at 3:20 PM. Away at 3:40 PM. Later than I would have liked. Will have to book it to reach Birch Spring Shelter 5.2 miles away by dark. And of course it's uphill.

I reach Shuckstack Firetower at 5:35 PM. I drop my pack and grab my camera and walk up to the tower. What a view! Lake and dam below and nothing but mountains behind. Glimpse of what I have to look forward to. Head out for Birch Spring at 6:00 PM. Just a mile or so to go now. I reach Birch Spring at 6:35 PM. I find a Smoky Mountain Hiking Club work group from Knoxville/Oak Ridge there. There are about 10-12 folks rebuilding the Birch Spring site. They are building some tent sites close by. They say Birch Spring Shelter is going to be torn down next year and replaced with the tent sites they are building. An experiment of sorts.

I missed their spaghetti supper, but I'm just glad to find an open spot in the shelter. I meet two other guys from NJ/NY. It took them all day to hike from Fontana Dam up to Shuckstack. Not sure they are going to make it, but I admire their bravity, if not their naiveté. Both are engineers. Figures. One has a degree, one doesn't. They have basically hiked into the woods in street clothes and shoes and are hiking through to Newfound Gap. They contacted an outfitter wanting to go backpacking, and the outfitter coordinated delivering them to Fontana, and will pick them up at Newfound. They say the outfitter was a great help to preparing them. By the look of things, the outfitter took advantage of them.

Most of the group at Birch Spring are Tennessee Big Orange graduates and fans. They listen to the football game tonight on a big radio that one of them has packed in. Tennessee eventually looses to LSU 38-31 in overtime. But, a thrilling game non-the-less.

This shelter has bear fences covering the front of the shelter and bear lines in the trees. First I've seen. They are very helpful in hanging food/equipment out of harms way.

To bed at 10 PM. New sleeping bag very warm.