Cool and foggy. High only in the low 60s in the mountains.
We hiked in the Smokies again, 8 miles from Clingmans Dome to Rt. 441 at Newfound Gap. On the way up to Clingmans Dome, we saw at least a dozen wild turkeys feeding.
The weather was very foggy and cool. We hiked in light rain for a while and then it rained hard. We tried to wait it out but it did not stop. When we arrived at the Rt. 441 road crossing, we decided to stop for the day. We were wet and it was getting cooler fast. We needed to hitch a ride back to our car at the end of Clingmans Dome road. Not surprisingly, people did not want to pick up wet hikers with packs. Wendy found a group of day hikers who agreed. Turns out the boy was a thru-hiker last year and he was with his mom and a friend. I got the car and went back for Wendy and our packs. We went into Gatlinburg, the closest town, and are staying in a hiker friendly place called the Grand Prix Motel.
Our original plan was to go a few more miles and stay in a shelter. I think we can still complete the Smokies in another two days starting at Rt. 441. However, the weather is for much more rain for the next 2-3 days. We do not want to get wet while camping especially with the temps expected to fall. We have done it earlier in the hike and had enough. We will get up in the morning and decide what to do.
No comments:
Post a Comment