Dear all,
Apologies for this being the first proper journal entry since I have been on the trail. I have only had a couple of opportunities to access the internet and have either not had the time to update the journal or the access has been too slow. I have tried to add some photos today but his was painfully slow and have thus given up! Will try next time I am in a town.
So where am I?
I am in Gatlinburg, deep in the Smokey Mountain National Park. Gatlinburg is like Blackpool dropped in the middle of the most beautiful national park! It is very tacky and full of Americans with a sumo wrestler type body shape (luckily these people do not make it onto the Appalachian Trail - otherwise I would have to climb over their collapsed bodies as well as the rocks!). The good thing is that there are loads of restaurants and several other AT Thru Hikers sheltering from the rain. There are four other English guys beind me so they may catch up now that I have taken a day or so off - will be good to see them again.I got here yesterday and am getting back on the trail first thing tomorrow morning as it is pouring with rain today. After 3 days of hiking in the Smokies in the rain and fog I had finally got all my clothes clean and dry yesterday so was not gonna go back out in the rain today when tomorrow is supposed to be sunny again. Have got all my resupplies and am enjoying my first full day just lazing about.
The trail through Georgia and North Carolina has been pretty hard going with lots of high peaks, steep slopes, rocks and blisters, however I am getting fitter and the hiking is starting to get easier. Am pleased to have made it into my third state (Tennesee), done over 200 miles and completed Clingman's Dome (the highest peak on the Appalachian Trail at over 6,600 feet high). Unfortunately, it was so foggy/cloudy on Clingman's Dome that I could only see about 100 yards - though this may have been a good thing due to my mild vertigo! I am hoping hat the weather will improve and that I will enjoy some better views throughout the second half of the Smokey Mountains.
Have not seen any bears yet, but several logs and a deer have pretended to be bears and given me a bit of a fright! Funny really, I was sure that I could see the bear move and even smell its hunger for human flesh... then when I got a bit closer, it was obviously just a big, black log!
Have got used to sleeping in the shelters and tent now, and do not wake every time I hear a noise! The tent has survived camping over 4000 feet up on Rocky Mountain so am pleased that I brought it.
Am gonna stop in Hot Springs once out of the Smokey Mountains so will add some more then! I am off to stuff my face with another American sized meal before I get back on the trail!
