AT Day 15

2014/4/15 Mile 206.8

Rain overnight on the metal roof gave me the best nights sleep on the trail. Did not get as cold as I expected which made breakfast prep easier. After breakfast the good fortune ended.

Tanner at the shelter said he was heading into Gatlinburg so I told him I would split a room with him at the Grand Prix. It seemed like the right thing to do with the heavy rain and cold forecast.

Started off uphill in the rain and hit Clingman's dome in no time. With the terrible weather there was no point in going up the observation tower so I moved on. Rain turned into sleet and then snow over the next few hours. Hiking was actually quite nice at this temperature but my boots were soaked because the trail was a miniature river. Not having waterproof gloves was also a problem so I ended up stashing my poles and keeping my hands in my pockets. Of course to top it all off the right ACL was still hurting.

Made it through the 10 miles to Newfound Gap and my rain gear had frozen solid. I hunkered down near the bathrooms to put on my dry camp shoes and met a father with his son and daughter prepping to head out into the mess. They were in surprisingly high spirits and I wished them well.

Tried to hitch a ride without getting blown away in the strong wind and had some luck after 15 minutes. The guy, Chris, was a local who made a living selling pottery. Really nice guy. He was actually heading into town for an art show so his truck was full of pots.

Met up with Tanner who had found two more roommates (a couple: Mellow and Yellow). We hung out in the room with oven cranked up and the door open because the heater didn't work. After showers made a snack and beer run so we could relax in the room until dinner.

Went back to Smokey Mountain Brewing Company for dinner and then walked around town for a bit. Had a chance to sample some moonshine which was not too impressive. They made quite a show of it though.

Ended the night in a warm dry bed. Hard to ask for more.