Fontana Dam, NC to Garenflo Gap, NC

Day 6, Tuesday, October 3

Double Springs Shelter to Icewater Spring Shelter, 13.8 miles

About 3 AM the wind comes up. This shelter sits beneath two Hickory trees and for the remainder of the night the shelter's tin roof is bombarded with hickory nuts. What a racket!

The hickory nut bombardment worsens as dawn approaches. I get up at 7 AM, pack quickly and hit the trail by 7:30 AM. We had a total of nine folks (including me) in the shelter last night and everyone is at least awake when I leave. Today is hump day (getting over Clingmans Dome) and I want an early start. I flush a grouse (third of trip) fifteen minutes up the trail. At 8 AM I begin to smell Christmas trees. The forest is swapping over to fir trees now as I climb the base of Mt. Buckley. I stop at an overlook at 8:20 AM to take some pictures and watch the sun come up over the mountain. What a view! The valley below is covered with fog and the wind is really blowing through the treetops.

The wind picks up as I approach the Clingmans Dome Bypass Trail. Only 0.3 miles to the top. Suddenly I'm at the tower trail. I've been here before, so I know that I've only have a hundred yards to the top.

I drop my pack and hustle up to the blacktop leading from the parking lot to the top of Clingmans Dome. There is no one here this early. I walk the blacktop and climb the tower completely alone. I'm at the top by 9:25 AM. The wind is blowing 15-20 miles per hour, but it doesn't seem cold although it can't be more than 50 degrees. I take some pictures and write in my journal for a few minutes before heading down. I've done it! Reached the highest point on the whole AT. Now it's all downhill from here. Right!

Reach summit of Mt. Collins at 11:05 AM. Sugarland Mountain Trail at 11:15 AM, where I stop for lunch. I've got 4.5 miles to go to reach Newfound Gap. I reach Indian Grave Gap at 12:20 PM. I take off my shirt and sun for a few minutes before moving on at 12:35 PM.

I finally reach Newfound Gap at 1:45 PM. There I take a long break in the sun. I clean up a little at the bathroom and do the necessary. I get a jug of water and walk down the path behind the bathrooms and take a bath. It feels great to wash my hair and shirt. I walk back up the hill to the parking lot where I sort and dry out some of my gear in the sunshine and eat a second lunch.

Finally push on at 3:20 PM. Long uphill pull to Icewater Spring Shelter. Almost two-and-a-half of the three miles are uphill. Wouldn't have made it without my trail angel. Finally reach Icewater at 5:15 PM. There are already three people at the shelter. Two Northbounders hiking together and one Southbounder. These two are the first Northbounders that I've seen. They started at Fontana on Saturday as well, just earlier in the day. I've caught up with them.

All three of them walk the mile to Charlie's Bunion to watch the sun go down. Me? I'll watch from here. I've walked enough today. Since I've already had two lunches today I'm skipping supper. Will give me extra time to clean up and catch up on journal.

In general, the shelters in the Smokies are nothing to write home about. The locations are good, but the shelters themselves are dismal affairs. Icewater Spring Shelter is the exception. It has recently been rebuilt. It is the best so far. They've built an overhang that serves as a porch. Nice touch. But no fence on this one. I put my socks and shirt on the wall that is facing the sun and they dry quickly. Somewhere I've misplaced my favorite pair of sweatpants. Gonna be cooler without them.

I get water from the spring and generally relax. Best I've felt yet. Only one small blister on the little toe of my right foot.

Soon, the three other hikers return as the sun has set. The two Northbounders turn out to be father and son, The Kirk's, from High Point. The father is a developer, and the son is a sophomore at Carolina. The third hiker calls himself "Hiker for Jesus". OK. Matt (son) builds a fire in the shelter fireplace. Talk about cozy. A little smoky, but cozy. We talk about all kind of things until 10:30 PM. Then bedtime.