Day 17 – Get up, get out of here, you’re leaving (to Kuwohi)!

Today was a great day! Not in mileage or in elevation gain or loss, but in milestones. Today we not only climbed the highest point on the AT, Kuwohi (previously called Clingmans Dome), but we also passed the 200 mile mark on this trip!

The morning started like most, I woke up stiff and had a hard time putting on yesterday’s dirty clothes. The added bonus of today was that my clothes were still damp from yesterday! Which felt great in the crisp morning air. After that, I took my food bag down from the bear cables (provided at some shelters and I think all shelters in Great Smokey Mountains National Park) and finished packing my bag. The morning started out cool and windy, but the first climb warmed me up right away. The morning and early afternoon were largely going to be a long climb until we reached Kuwohi, the highest point on the AT (and the third highest peak east of the Mississippi) at 6,612 feet.

Wildlife gone wild

Today’s adventure once again consisted of Queso, Becca and me. The first few hours were with relatively gentle ups and downs, obviously leaning towards ups. Just like yesterday, there were patches of blooming wildflowers in the undergrowth of some trees we passed. After a few miles we arrived at Silers Bald Shelter, where we were greeted by a deer 10 feet off the trail eating some grass, completely unfazed by the 10 or so hikers passing by. Sad to say, this was the most notable animal encounter of the hike so far. After eating some snacks and watching Bambi search for food in the shelter, we continued on our way.

Bambi

Shortly after the refuge we reached the top of Silers Bald itself, which gave us spectacular views…

View from the top of Silers Bald

Fortunately, shortly after it started to clear up a bit and the sun came out. We continued climbing slowly, without too many or long steep sections until we reached the Double Spring Gap Shelter, where we took a break for lunch. I had a delicious picnic lunch with a packet of barbecue chicken, served with fried eggs in a tortilla. Washed down with a handful of trail mix and a honey bun for good measure. Insert chef’s kiss here. I also took the opportunity to collect some more water and use the toilet (gotta keep that cat hole streak alive). As I was about to move on, it started to rain lightly, so I stayed in the shelter for another 10 minutes to let it pass. Aside from the first day of my hike, I was very lucky to avoid precipitation, so the streak was bound to end at some point.

March to Kuwohi and 200 miles.

The climb towards Kuwohi continued and as I climbed the landscape changed and migrated towards a forest of spruce and spruce trees. This was unique compared to the last few hundred miles and was quite a pleasure. Breaking the monotony of leafless deciduous trees.

The next two miles went by without a hitch, but it all ended about 0.5 miles from the top as the climb became quite steep and the trail became a little more technical. But soon I came out onto a paved road, full of people dressed in normal, everyday clothes and without bad smells. I had reached the base of the observation tower and was meeting all the people who were driving to the parking lot near the top of Kuwohi.

Kuwohi Observation Tower

I probably received more than a few glances from people for my dirty and smelly appearance, but I still headed to the top of the observation tower. It definitely seemed out of place, but soon Tortoise, Queso, and Becca showed up too, so I wasn’t the only hiker there. We all took a few pictures to celebrate completing 200 miles on the AT and then headed back down to the base of the observation tower to sit on a bench.

Becca, Queso and I at the top of the Kuwohi Observation Tower

While we were there, we had some snacks and even chatted with a Ridgerunner (shout out to Firewalker), which was an interesting and informative chat.

Forward!

As nice as it was to be there taking a break, we had a few more miles to complete before we could call it a day, so we set off once again. The next section features a lot of descending, but also an annoying climb up Mount Collins, which I thought I had summited several times before reaching the top. Around this time I also heard some thunder, so I started walking directly the last mile to the shelter. The Mt Collins Shelter is annoying as it is 0.4 miles off the trail so going there was almost an extra mile of hiking that doesn’t count towards my end goal. But we needed to stay here or do a 21 mile day and that wasn’t going to happen today… When I got to camp it started raining, enough to get me and my clothes more wet. It didn’t last long and soon I was back to sunny skies, only to frustratingly start raining again while I finished making dinner. It could have been much worse, as the original forecast showed rain most of the day. I really got lucky, but I was so close to ending the day dry…

Stove Upgrade

Fun fact, tonight is only the second time I’ve used my stove on the road. Turns out I usually don’t want to bother taking it out and cleaning it, so I’ve been putting things in the tortillas instead. But with a shorter day and food in my bag that needs cooking, I broke my 10-day streak without using it.

Statistics for the 17th:

13 miles

3,976′ ascent, 2,969′ descent

Derrick Knob Shelter to Mt Collins Shelter

9 DSLC (Days since last cathole)…

Times the stove has been used: 2

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