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GSMNP (Friday)
I zipped up to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park Friday night to meet up with SHOE for our 18 mile weekend backpack trip. I found her patiently waiting at Newfound Gap overlook around 9pm. After hugs and hellos and a quick bathroom break, we hopped back in our cars headed out to our "accommodation". We opted to spend the night in an AT shelter instead of shelling out $$$ for hotel room. (We're savvy like that.) SHOE had made the reservation for the shelter and had also planned the entire trip, so much thanks to her for all the logistical planning. (THANKS SHOE!!!) We drove down Clingmans Dome Drive, parked our cars, and hiked in .7 miles to Mt. Collins Shelter. (In the GSMNP, you have to camp in designated campsites and while on the AT in the GSMNP you have to sleep in shelters.) So with my headlamp on, and SHOE with her flashlight, we fumbled down the spooky dark trail and find the Shelter. (I can now officially say I've night hiked haha!.) The only wild life we caught a glimpse of was a small salamander who tried to play dead. SHOE snapped his picture and I scared it away. We got to the shelter and startled 4 young guys tha
t were already there. I think they thought we were a bear. haha! Anyways, after unlatching the gate we tumble in, and say hello. They're southbound hiking from Mt. Collins down to Fontana Dam (37.5 miles) then on to Wesser(another 32.5 miles). I wished them luck on their hike and jokingly asked if there were any rats in the shelter. One of them laughed and said not rats, just little field mice. Great. My first night, ever, in an AT shelter and I got to fight off mice. hahaha! I guess that just a part of "life on the AT." We started to unpack our sleeping bags and sleep pa
ds as the boys start to pass out and fall asleep. We whispered about the next days logistics, checked out the maps, and then around 10:30pm we shut off our headlamps and attempted to sleep on the hard shelter floor. The second the lights went out, I heard it. Scurries across the shelter platform, squeaky eeky rat noises, little rat teeth chattering. I tried to ignore it and just tell myself it's part of the trail life, they wouldn't dare come near me. Well, not more then 5 minutes later, I'm half dosing off when I felt a rat (at least I hope it was a rat) run across my back. EWWWWW!!!!!! I stifled a scream and tried to act like a tough backpacker. I flipped onto my back and swore to catch that little effer if he tried it agai
n. But I think the funniest part of the night was listening to SHOE fight off the mice. I had to bite my lip to keep from laughing. It would get really quiet when all of the sudden, she would pop up violently, turn on her flash light, and pan the shelter looking for the rat that raced across her back. hhahaa! She did this like 3 times! Oh man, hahha!... shelters suck! I think I got like 2 hours of sleep the entire night. The next morning my back hurt so bad, boy did I miss my hammock. SHOE didn't fare well either. Besides rat fighting all night, she had to contend with my snoring.... oops.... Needless to say, it was an early morning for us. We were the first to wake up(6:30-7ish) and bail out of the shelter. After the .7 mile hike back to our cars we decided to have breakfast at Newfound Gap overlook, then head to the trail head. On a side note, they had a privy at this shelter. Complete with a cut out crescent moon on the door. I wish I had taken a picture of it. Anyways, stay tuned for Saturday's adventure!
I zipped up to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park Friday night to meet up with SHOE for our 18 mile weekend backpack trip. I found her patiently waiting at Newfound Gap overlook around 9pm. After hugs and hellos and a quick bathroom break, we hopped back in our cars headed out to our "accommodation". We opted to spend the night in an AT shelter instead of shelling out $$$ for hotel room. (We're savvy like that.) SHOE had made the reservation for the shelter and had also planned the entire trip, so much thanks to her for all the logistical planning. (THANKS SHOE!!!) We drove down Clingmans Dome Drive, parked our cars, and hiked in .7 miles to Mt. Collins Shelter. (In the GSMNP, you have to camp in designated campsites and while on the AT in the GSMNP you have to sleep in shelters.) So with my headlamp on, and SHOE with her flashlight, we fumbled down the spooky dark trail and find the Shelter. (I can now officially say I've night hiked haha!.) The only wild life we caught a glimpse of was a small salamander who tried to play dead. SHOE snapped his picture and I scared it away. We got to the shelter and startled 4 young guys tha
t were already there. I think they thought we were a bear. haha! Anyways, after unlatching the gate we tumble in, and say hello. They're southbound hiking from Mt. Collins down to Fontana Dam (37.5 miles) then on to Wesser(another 32.5 miles). I wished them luck on their hike and jokingly asked if there were any rats in the shelter. One of them laughed and said not rats, just little field mice. Great. My first night, ever, in an AT shelter and I got to fight off mice. hahaha! I guess that just a part of "life on the AT." We started to unpack our sleeping bags and sleep pa
ds as the boys start to pass out and fall asleep. We whispered about the next days logistics, checked out the maps, and then around 10:30pm we shut off our headlamps and attempted to sleep on the hard shelter floor. The second the lights went out, I heard it. Scurries across the shelter platform, squeaky eeky rat noises, little rat teeth chattering. I tried to ignore it and just tell myself it's part of the trail life, they wouldn't dare come near me. Well, not more then 5 minutes later, I'm half dosing off when I felt a rat (at least I hope it was a rat) run across my back. EWWWWW!!!!!! I stifled a scream and tried to act like a tough backpacker. I flipped onto my back and swore to catch that little effer if he tried it agai
n. But I think the funniest part of the night was listening to SHOE fight off the mice. I had to bite my lip to keep from laughing. It would get really quiet when all of the sudden, she would pop up violently, turn on her flash light, and pan the shelter looking for the rat that raced across her back. hhahaa! She did this like 3 times! Oh man, hahha!... shelters suck! I think I got like 2 hours of sleep the entire night. The next morning my back hurt so bad, boy did I miss my hammock. SHOE didn't fare well either. Besides rat fighting all night, she had to contend with my snoring.... oops.... Needless to say, it was an early morning for us. We were the first to wake up(6:30-7ish) and bail out of the shelter. After the .7 mile hike back to our cars we decided to have breakfast at Newfound Gap overlook, then head to the trail head. On a side note, they had a privy at this shelter. Complete with a cut out crescent moon on the door. I wish I had taken a picture of it. Anyways, stay tuned for Saturday's adventure!
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