Round 2 GSMNP (Fri)

SHOE called me earlier in the week to see if I was free to backpack another section with her. Let's just say she had me at "Hello" :) Alright, that was corny. But of course I wanted to backpack! So Friday after work, I hopped in my car and zoomed up for round two in the Smokey Mountains. We met at the Smokemont Campground (b/c our "free" hotel, Mt. Rat-infested-Collins Shelter, was full.) By the time I got there, it was drizzily and dark, so when I did the campground loop I missed our spot and had to go all around the entire campground and loop back again. I finally get there and see that SHOE has a nice fire going. After hellos and hugs I unload my pack and look around for some decent trees to string up my hammock. Well, the best set of trees happen to be right in front of the bathrooms. I mean, RIGHT in front of bathrooms. I had the yellow glow of the bathroom light pouring down on me as well as the swooshing sound of flushing toilets to lull me to sleep that night.

After putting up my tarp and hammock I joined SHOE over at the picnic table. We briefly discuss what a luxury a picnic table is at a campground, compared to backpacking and having to sit on the hard ground. (The things we miss while in the backcountry. hahha! ) She had all the maps laid out and has already come up with two possible sections. An ambitious 12 mile a day one and an attainable 9 mile a day one. After leafing through all the profiles of each trail, we decide to go for it. GAME ON ambitious trail! By then the fire had started to die down a bit, so SHOE lit up some firestarters and we threw some more logs on. All of the sudden, she pops up and says, "I have something for you." She goes to the car and comes back with a present for me! She hands me two Honey Stinger energy gel packs. Awww.... She remembered I had the GU energy packets on our last trip. So sweet of her. Wait a minute.... she probably remembered the gnarly face I made after choking down the mango flavored GU and didn't want to see me gagging again. hahaha! That GU was pretty gross tasting. Thanks for the present SHOE! While I stowed my loot in my pack, SHOE looked around for some sticks to skewer the marshmallows she brought. No luck finding any good sticks. But I have to say, what she came up with was ingenious! I would of never thought of it. She pulled out a crow bar from her car, a tent stake, and ducked taped them together. HA! It worked :) By then, the screaming rug rats around the campground were fast asleep, and all was nice and quiet. We talked a bit more, went over the profiles of the trail again, and that's when it happened. We hatched a plan. The plan was to hike the Benton MacKaye trail that runs through the Smokies next spring. All 9o some miles of it. Yes, we were very ambitious that night (or drunk off of toasted marshmallow gooey goodness.) Either way, I am stoked and can't wait for Spring!

In spite of the yellow glow, I slept good that night. We got up pretty early the next morning, (some hound dog was yelping in the background somewhere). It was actually pretty chilly, but we packed up and changed in to our hiking clothes. We were in the middle of packing when this "Shaggy," minus Scooby Doo, looking dude walks near us and says, "Hey, who was sleeping in the hammock over there?" (Pointing to my camp spot.) I smile, thinking he's going to ask me something about my cool hammock, I raise my hand and say "Me!" Shaggy goes, "man you were sawing some logs last night!" (WTF, damn Shaggy, way to call me out like that.) SHOE laughs and through my teeth I say, "yeah.... I snore." Seems he heard me last night while making a mid night pit stop to bathrooms. Oh well... go eat a sandwich you skinny mo-fo.

We finished loading up the cars, headed out to back country office for our permits, drop off my car at Elkmont Campground, scooted on over to the Sugarland Mountain Trail Head, and FINALLY start our trip. We decide to stick with the attainable, instead of ambitious route and at 10:30am we began ROUND TWO in the GSMNP. Til tomorrow.