Sat down at Shoney's to eat my fill
Then on to Food King to get my resupply
Hitched back to Newfound Gap you see
Arrived at Icewater Spring by three
Pulled in to Tri-Corner Knob for some shuteye. (Sung to tune of A Boy Named Sue)
In order to get to Newfound Gap relatively early I was up at 5 and out of the shelter by 5:30. Using my headlamp to light the trail in front of me, I walked at a slower pace through the morning mist. With the first light of dawn, the mist began to dissipate and I began to see a faint blue in the sky above me. It was shaping up to be one fine day. Arriving at the gap just after sunrise, I was greeted by two young Chinese women who wanted to have their picture taken with me, declaring that I was a real American hero. I had to laugh at that declaration, but was more than happy to strike a pose. Turns out they are attending an MBA course at Western Missouri University and have eight months left on their student visas before they have to return to China. They were in the park as part of a larger group and were enjoying their spring break immensely. Their enthusiasm for the nature around them was infectious.
I got my ride into Gatlinburg without even having to hitch. The driver/co-owner of the Grand Prix Hotel was dropping hikers off at Clingmans Dome and Newfound Gap. The trip up from town you have to pay for, splitting the fare between whoever's getting a ride to the top. However, getting a lift into town is free of charge. Not many hikers can take advantage of the offer because it's 4.5 miles from Mt. Collins Shelter and he heads back into town no later than 8 a.m. The early bird gets the worm!
After being dropped off, my first stop was at Shoney's to sample the breakfast buffet. Five plates fully loaded and there may have been a sixth, but I lost my appetite when I looked down and saw a big cockroach crawling along the carpet past my booth. I think that's enough of Shoney's for a while. Next stop was going to be a resupply at Food King on the edge of town, so I hopped on the blue-line trolley that would take me there. At 50 cents per ride it was a great way to get around. Shopping done, it was back downtown to find a camera shop because my battery needed charging. A bit pricey for a jolt of electric juice but it should last me for the remainder of the hike. All in all, I liked Gatlinburg very much. With its carnival atmosphere, entertainment and novelty shops it made a nice contrast to the solitude and austerity of the trail.
I'd heard that the hitch out of Gatlinburg could be troublesome, for many of the people entering town are not the locals, but vacationers that have little desire to assist a scruffy looking vagabond with a pack on his back. Luckily, that wasn't my experience. I had barely raised my thumb before a nice family from Wisconsin made a U-turn and offered me a ride. They weren't exactly sure where I wanted to go in the park, so they said I'd have to guide them. They went well out of their way to drive me back to Newfound Gap because the camp they were staying at was down a different road. "Ah, hell," said the dad, "it's no bother. We'll stop there too and take in the views". How wonderful of them!
I set my pack down near the mileage sign next to the trail while I made a final check of my gear. Katahdin- 1,972 it said. Looking on the bright side, at least I was below 2,000. :-) When I looked over my shoulder I noticed a fair number of people had gathered round. A small girl was whispering into her mother's ear and I heard the mum say, "Why don't you ask him?". I looked at the little girl and said, "What do you want to know?". She was wondering if I was going all the way, such a long distance. I replied that I sure hoped to. Well, with that opening, more and more questions came from the group about trail life, animal encounters, resupply, daily mileage, etc. Again, one of the times on trail when a slight feeling of celebrity creeps in. Most seemed genuinely interested in and somewhat astounded by the tales of a thru-hiker. I was happy to share.
All questions eventually being answered, I hoisted my pack onto my back and was once more moseying down the trail. It truly was a gorgeous day and high on the ridgeline I had views to my heart's content. These are some of the highest points on the whole of the AT and with the weather the way it was, it was easy to enjoy them. Along the way, I met an elderly couple who had seen me packing it away at the buffet. The lady suggested that if I didn't have a trailname already, perhaps Five Plates would do for one. I guess you never know who's watching!
As with all shelters I've stayed in, Trinarcopiate. Now, I fully understood why the consensus among many past thru-hikers was to spend less time in the shelters. Unbelievable!
Newfound Gap at Dawn
A Real American Hero :-)
High Country
Great Smoky
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