Friday, March 25th

Birch Spring Gap to Russell Field Shelter 

8.5 miles

Total miles 180.8

Another late start this morning, 8:10am, well a late start for me. I also found out my headlamp batteries are not working. This is not good when you need to go potty or get ready early. 

I met a cool guy on the trail today. He was walking my pace so I hiked with him most of the day. Name is Doug from Kentucky. He’s an electrician that works out of Cincinnati. He started on March 11th, one month after me!

I’m at the Russell Field Shelter tonight. I haven’t been in a shelter since the mice incident at Siler Bald Shelter. That was also the snow day.

There are a lot of people here in the shelter. In Great Smokey Mountain National Park you are required to stay in the shelter. You can stay in your tent if the shelter is full. Also due to Covid-19 you can elect to tent close to shelter. The shelters have two levels. Doug and I are on opposite sides of shelter on the bottom half. The rest of the hikers here are on the top floor. Probably because of our age we chose to sleep below. The younger hikers don’t need to get up in the middle of the night, lol.

There is a fire in the fireplace here. The shelters in the National Park are different than the other shelters on the Appalachian Trail. They have fireplaces, not just a fire ring located outside. The shelters are very nice, as far as shelters go.

Ruben and Rona (the service dog) are here. I met them at Fontana Dam Lodge and they tented to me last night. Rona is such a nice and quiet dog. She is the total opposite of our two monster dachshund puppies. I love Barkley and Baxter, but they are not quiet or extremely well behaved. Luckily, being adorable counts for a lot.

Met some people on horses today. Horses are only allowed on the Appalachian Trail inside the national park. 

Tuna packet and a Mountain House Beef Stroganoff for dinner. It’s freezing tonight so I am wearing my midlayer, puffy, and outerlayer to bed. I hope to stay warm.

A large heart shaped rock

This puppy gets a pony ride!

Rona the service dog