Project Eveningland

3/13/2023 Monday

When I arrived last night at the shelter area, Indiana told me that the precip was done. His confidence did not persuade me—quite the opposite. The light rain continued most of the night and sounded a bit icy on the outside of the tent.

I couldn’t get warm in the morning. Ended up breaking out the sleeping bag liner. I want to be warm even if just for 30 minutes. I found it surprisingly difficult not to get up and start packing when I heard others moving about (and the nearby snoring ceased). But I’m still in the tent thinking. My next challenge is to build confidence and comfort with falling behind, with letting people go on with their 7AM starts and all the rest. That kind of thing just isn’t necessary for me right now.

When I emerged from the tent, I discovered that it hadn’t been raining! It was snow all the time. It totally covered my tent. That’s why it was so dark this morning—my tent had an extra layer to darken it! This is an unexpected wrinkle. Hate to think what this weather did to folks in the Smokies. Parts of the tent froze rigid.

Bill and I decided we’d aim for a pickup point short of Hot Springs, at Garenflo gap. Indiana, Beaker and another hiker who was at the shelter were long gone—presumably they pressed on to Hot Springs. Bill and I leapfrogged with a group of four very coiffed, clean, hostel-jumping, slackpacking… kids? Age indeterminate. When we met them at Walnut Mountain shelter, and saw how fresh and inexperienced many of them were, I leaned to Bill and said, sotto voce, “you were like that when we first met you.” “Yeah but I wasn’t giggly,” he said. I told him that if he had been, I wouldn’t have been as eager to help him. We both felt snobbish. In a morale-boosting way, we agreed.

It was a snowy, muddy hike over Bluff Mountain. The hoarfrost clung stubbornly to the branches at high elevation. It was so messy and cold that it was tough to stop for water or snacks.

Once we were on the last descent, Bill called the hostel to arrange pickup. We are staying at Happy Gnomads and plan to slack tomorrow and stay here again. Why not? It’s reasonable and I didn’t come on this journey because I love camping in the winter.

Never mind. I’m just gonna hike into Hot Springs tomorrow, go no further, and lodge there. I don’t know what I was thinking. I need extra time in Hot Springs to do a precise (clean, perfect, less fibrous) resupply and resolve a few gear problems. This includes the “problem” of having left my umbrella behind at a hostel—the irresponsibility of it! Losing a possession when you have to move all your possessions every day! How could something like this happen?!