Tuesday, April 2, 2013

Smokies Day 3

Our second night at the Cosby Knob shelter was spent with a large, raucous group of young AT thru-hikers. Mary was the only female hiker for the night. When that much testosterone congregates in one place, particularly when that place is a cold, dank shelter in the woods, there is a propensity for hilarity and a bit of vulgarity. We were well entertained throughout the stay with the stories, jokes and antics of the thru-hikers. All of them had just come through the snowed-in high country during one of the worst spring snow storms in memory. Not one of them had a dry piece of clothing or gear left.

We had barely crawled into our sleeping bags before rain and gusts of wind began to pound on the shelter. I was relieved to be in a shelter in these conditions.

In the morning we were greeted by bright sunshine and bluebird skies. Most of the snow had melted during the night leaving behind a much more welcoming environment than the one we had gone to sleep in. We lazed around the shelter enjoying multiple cups of coffee while listening to the tales of the thru-hikers. We had decided to hike back to Big Creek and our Jeep. The rugged hiking across the snow-covered terrain in soggy boots had beaten me up more than I expected. My feet were sore and threatening to blister, and my pack had started to leave welts where it was rubbing on my hips.

The hike back down to Big Creek was more spectacular than on the way up. The heavy rain during the night and the snow melt above had brought every stream and creek overflowing its banks. The Smokies are a temperate rain forest, and it was easy to see why on this day. Water seemed to leap down the mountainside in all directions. The show became even more impressive at Walnut Bottoms. Big Creek had turned into a raging whitewater show.

Mary and I are beginning level white water kayakers, having taken a couple of classes. We were in the process of evaluating the possible lines for running the myriad of rapids when we passed three kayakers getting ready to launch from the riverbank. Watching these kayakers run the raging river was a real treat. All three of them flipped after the first big drop and nailed their rolls right away. They were obviously very good.

We reached the trailhead just as the skies began to turn gray and sprinkles started to fall. We threw the packs in the back if the Jeep and headed for a hotel. We'll take a night off in civilization before heading back into the park. This backcountry trip was unlike any other I've taken.