Gatlinburg

I woke up Monday morning with revived energy, my plan was to make it to town today. The weather looked like it might not be bad which is always a good sign, there haven't been too many nice days yet on this trip.

By the time I hiked 5.5 miles to Silers Bald shelter the weather had turned to the same cold, misty rain. As I walked into the shelter a large rat scurried away. I ate a snack and headed back out. Another 1.7 miles down the road I stopped in at the next shelter where I found a mouse and a bird, who both scurried away.

After 2.5 miles I made it to the Clingmans Dome bypass trail. I decided that I'm out here to enjoy myself and Clingman's Dome is the highest spot on the trail and is supposed to have spectacular views, but with the mist I wouldn't be able to see anything. That combined with my continual knee pain, sent me down the bypass trail/river. I say river because it was so full of water that I was basically walking down a river.

I made it to the visitor parking lot near Clingman's where tourists can drive their car and then walk up a half mile paved road to the top. I was able to get a 20 mile ride to Gatlinburg from a nice couple vacationing from Detroit.

Gatlinburg is probably the most detested city along the trail by hikers because it is a tourist town in the middle of the woods. They have a space needle, ripleys believe it or not, a wax museum, an aquarium, motion rides and all kinds of shops, restaurants and motels.

My first stop was McDonalds, I have been craving it since I started but for one reason or another haven't been to one yet, it was as amazing as I remembered and hoped it would be. I went to the GranPrix motel, they offer hiker discounts, and got a single room.

Earlier in the day I had talked to Blues and Matt about heading into Gatlinburg and Matt thought it seemed like a good idea, but Blues was going to wait another day before heading to town.

Fast forward to two hours after I check in, I get a call from Blues. He had gotten off the trail because he knew I had and thought Matt was going to also, only Matt didn't come down, probably because he didn't think Blues was going to. Blues and I split a single room, me in the nice wooden twin bed and Blues in his bag on the floor.

I hear the first 400 and the last 400 miles are the hardest and everything in between, isn't as bad.

I'm going to spend at least tuesday and probably wednesday as well resting my knees, to see if I can improve them at all, if not I'm going to have to reevaluate things, I don't want to have knee pain for the rest of my life.