Day 34

Spence Field Shelter to Double Spring Gap Shelter – 13.5 miles AT mile 197.5

Card of the day – Ace of Wands

Today started cold but bright, and I was out just after 9.  Beam and I are gona rock it!  I vocalised this and she said “of course we are”. On the cold mornings I just need to get hiking.

All I can say about the early hike is that it was a stair way to heaven!  Well that’s how I’m going to remember it any way.  Second degree fun and all that.  You would have thought that the ups should be easier by now, I mean to a degree they are they just, they now just hurt in the moment.

At times this path was no more than a goat path!  How are we supposed to do this?  But then I remember that 83 year olds and blind people have done this walk and I just need to get a grip.

What I will say about the early part of todays hike is that we were treated to some of the most magnificent views! The hills just go on forever!  I even saw the Fontana Hilton and Chris saw Knoxville which was 30 miles away.

We made our way to Derricks Knob for lunch by 12.30.  There was a guy just sat off enjoying the space.  After lunch we made a dash for it.  The weather on the whole had not been the best but there was worse to come.

We had serious hale about 5 mins after leaving the shelter and bang go the views.  The hale turned to snow and the goat track turned to rock climbs and I ended up falling on my arse. “4” I shouted out and just got up and carried on, what else are you to do in the middle of the smokies in a white out?

Due to the weather it was another night in a shelter and the crew is cool, made up of a few new faces but mostly people we know.  What was good about this shelter is the fire place works.  So a good fire and no smoke!  Winner.  The problem with shelters is that they are really breezy, with the air coming under the roof and really getting right under your skin.  Hopefully this will as the last one!