The Smokey Mountains and Gatlinburg

Even before hitting the trail, there was a lot of trepidation about walking through Smokey’s. The high elevation and rugged terrain make the weather especially stormy. Fortunately, our walk through Smokey’s has been pretty smooth.

Start the day

The park has strict rules about where hikers can sleep and how to store food at night. Because there is more bear activity in the park than most other places on the trail, we make sure to follow the rules put in place to keep ourselves and the wildlife safe. Mollie’s Ridge Shelter is one of the places we could sleep. We haven’t seen so many people in a shelter since we first hit the trail! The place was packed and the crush of people extended to people setting up their tents outside the shelter. When we woke up, Cody’s job was to go retrieve the Ursack from the bear cables where he had hung them the night before. And I started packing up our sleeping system and made some coffee.

Thunderhead Mtn: What a view!

The plan was to hike 12 miles to the Derrick Knob Shelter, so I was going to need that coffee. We hit the trail early. It was windy and a little cold, but nothing like what we had seen before on the trail. The kilometers passed quickly. And as we added Thunderhead Mountain, we got much of the same view we’d gotten on many of the mountain peaks we’d outlined before… fog.

I think it’s very easy for people who haven’t hiked the trail to see the highlights on social media and think that on every mountain peak there will be these amazing views. But being here, you realize that is not the case. That’s not the point either. Since we started we have had more dense fog than impressive views. But that’s how it happens in southern Appalachia. Each mountain peak is another feather in our journey towards Katahdin. Each climb strengthens our legs for the next. It also makes the moments when we get clear views that much more special.

Did you make it to camp or not?

We arrived at the Derrick Knob Shelter around 2:00 in the afternoon. A handful of people had gotten there before us. We began to unpack and place our mat, pillows and quilt. Just as we finished dinner, one of our friends showed up. “I think I’m going to go to the next shelter, 6 miles away,” he said. Then two other guys showed up with whom we became friends. «Yes, we are also going to walk to the next shelter.» And then three more friends passed by but kept walking. Looking around our current shelter full of unfamiliar faces, I started to feel the FOMO creeping in. Finally Cody and I looked into each other’s eyes and we both knew what the other was thinking. We quickly decided to pack everything up again and hike the additional 6 miles, making a total of 18 miles that day. Our longest day yet.

I arrived at camp, this time for real

Just before sunset, and with very tired legs, we finally arrived at the Silver Bald Shelter, filled with the faces of so many friends we have made along the way. The evening was lovely. Everyone pitched in to make a warm fire in the shelter’s built-in fireplace. I really felt like our trail family was building.

Impromptu trip to Gatlinburg

As we settled in for the night, conversation about the next day raised some concern about possible afternoon rain and frigid temperatures that night. Cody, living up to his trail name ‘Captain’, formulated a plan for us to avoid the rain and spend the night in town. With no service at the shelter, we discussed the possibility of walking 12 miles at lunchtime to Newfound Gap. The tourist-filled parking lot at Newfound Gap would probably have plenty of hikers willing to transport us to Gatlinburg. From there, Cody could find a hotel room we could all stay in. The plan was tentative, but we were optimistic we could pull it off.

Kuwohi in the fog

The next morning we all got up very early. Cody and I were packed and on our way by 6:00. The last update we had on the weather was possible rain starting at 12:00. We needed to dance. Around 9:00, we passed the blue flame of Kuwohi (previously known as Clingman’s Dome). And just in time, dense fog and winds arrived. We climbed to the top but the views were zero. The stop in Kuwohi allowed some of our friends from the shelter to catch us up.

Headed to Gatlinburg

By noon, the 4 of the 6 of us who planned to stay together in town had arrived at the Newfound Gap parking lot. Just as Cody planned the night before, we solidified a problem and booked 2 rooms at a hotel in town. The two brothers who were part of the plan showed up just in time! They found their own problem and we all met in the town of Mellow Mushroom. A tastier pizza has never been prepared or consumed! And A LOT of pizza was consumed!

The day was still young, so the 6 of us ended the night at the hotel, enjoying the showers, jacuzzi, pool, and laundry. But at the end of the night we were all piled in a room eating leftover pizza and watching a Harry Potter marathon. With full bellies, clean clothes and clean bodies, these 6 hikes slept very well. Especially since we all knew we had avoided the 20° night our fellow hikers endured on the trail.

This website contains affiliate links, which means The Trek may receive a percentage of any products or services you purchase using links in articles or advertisements. The buyer pays the same price they would otherwise pay, and their purchase helps support The Trek’s ongoing goal of bringing you quality backpacking information and advice. Thank you for your support!

For more information, visit the About page of this site.