Walking to the Smoky Mountains, Day 20
Walking to the Smoky Mountains, Day 20, June 17 Pole Road Campsite (55) to Bryson City The day opened in reluctance. I knew I had a 13 mile walk out to get to the road to hitch to Cherokee NC, so it wasn’t a simple stroll, though it was the end of a very long […]
Walking to the Smoky Mountains, Day 19
Walking to the Smoky Mountains, Day 19, June 16 Chambers Creek (#98) — Pole Road Campsite (55) 22.5 miles Right up to the end, a perfect hiking day. I remember moment in Earl Shaffer’s Walking with Spring when he describes how he hit a point where he ate twice what he had been eating. Long […]
Walking to the Smoky Mountains, Day 18
Walking to the Smoky Mountains, Day 18, June 15 Procter Fields (#86) — Chambers Creek (#98) 15 miles The humidity dropped, so apart from some general malaise (just feel like I’m running out of gas), today’s walk was excellent. Relatively steady altitude with sweeping curves up into the coves, rock hopping a spring or stream, […]
Walking to the Smoky Mountains, Day 17
Walking to the Smoky Mountains, Day 17, June 14 Fontana Shelter — Procter Fields (#86) 12 miles The Smoky Mountain Park service requires permits and a specific itinerary. To finish by Saturday, I need to walk 15+ days, but filling out the form, I dropped five from first day, so my day was as pleasant […]
Walking to the Smoky Mountains, Day 16
Walking to the Smoky Mountains, Day 16, June 13 Old Road Bed —Fontana Village—Fontana Shelter 12.7 miles Except for the lack of water, the old road bed was a good campsite. My tent was pitched so I could watch the sun go down, and a light breeze made for good sleeping. I was up early […]