part 2

 

On Wednesday morning, I drove an hour and a half to Wolf Laurel Gap (BRPMP 458) to begin a 75-mile fastpack loop in the Smokies. This circuit included 55 of the first 63 miles of the northbound SB6K route and tagged ten of the twelve summits in the Smokies:

1.) Mt. Kephart

2.) Mt. Le Conte

3.) Mt. Sequoya

4.) Mt. Chapman
5.) Mt. Guyot
6.) Old Black
7.) Mark's Knob
8.) Mt. Yonaguska
9.) Luftee Knob
10.) Big Cataloochee

The forecast called for the warm sunny weather to deteriorate to rain on Thursday. I packed accordingly. When I hoisted my pack, it felt like a ton. Really, it was probably well under twenty pounds with water and 2.5 days worth of food. It just felt heavy with all these "extras" (including wool hat and tights)... This heat wave must've really rotted my brain.

 

I started at 10:30 AM headed towards the Oconaluftee River on the MST, which for this section is mostly a roadwalk along the BRP. The pack felt comfortable for trotting and I made quick progress to Mingus Mill before 1 PM. I then decided to try my luck at hitching to Newfound Gap to maximize my time on the actual SB6K route. Without a writing utensil, I strapped an impromptu sign to the back of my pack.

Dozens of cars flew by as I walked along US-441. No one seemed to like my sign. I was a ways past Smokemont when two girls from Vale, NC picked me up. They got me to the AT before 3 PM. I hiked quickly from the crowded gap to the Boulevard Junction. After summiting Kephart, I detached my waistbelt and hid the rest of my pack at the Jumpoff Junction. I carried just my hipbelt for the 10-mile out-and-back to Le Conte through the snow.

Comparing my 5.3 mile split between the summits of Kephart and Le Conte with Cave Dog's 2003 split, I logged a 1:11 to Cave Dog's 1:13. But I was pushing much faster than what seemed to be a reasonable pace for the SB6K challenge. I refilled from Icewater Spring and bypassed the crowded shelter. A thru-hiker joined me as I finished off a sunset dinner from Charlies Bunion. Together, we found a stealth camp a mile past the Bunion (about 35 miles total for the day).

The wind picked up overnight, we wondered when the precipitation would start. The cuben fiber poncho/tarp handled the wind surprisingly well- not bad for a four ounce shelter. I awoke before dawn hoping to make some progress before the cloudy skies dumped rain. I refilled at Pecks Corner, brewed up coffee and downed some oatmeal before pushing on to Sequoyah and Chapman. It started raining, the wind picked up and the temperature began to drop.

Ducking in from out of the rain at Tricorner Knob Shelter, I detached my hipbelt for the 5 mile roundtrip to Guyot and Old Black. Other backpackers were looking miserable. I knew this was a rare opportunity to scout some remote peaks, so I sucked it up. After donning my wool hat, I felt like a new man. I charged up Guyot and was amazed by the downed spruce obstacle course near the top. These bushwhacks were trickier than I thought they'd be.



As I raced back to Tricorner, the camera started acting up due to wetness. I stuck it in a pair of socks with a hand warmer deep inside my pack. There are a few more pictures of my second day in the Smokies on the SB6K training album. Needless to say, I became less interested with documentation as I clawed my way through thick spruce in hypothermic conditions. When on trail, I was in a creek. All my splits were discouragingly slow.

 

Initially, I decided to skip Big Cataloochee to save as much dwindling daylight for a 20+ mile push to the car and safety. It was supposed to get down to freezing. I was soaked and knew my BMT poncho/quilt just wasn't going to cut it. When I arrived to the Laurel Gap Shelter after 4 PM, I ducked in from out of the rain and noticed two dads and four teenage boys already hunkered down. I just stood there soaking wet in a daze until realizing I was in trouble.

I put on my tights and quilt. I started eating and got out my fire kit. The shelter's small fireplace was crammed full of wet paper and wood from failed attempts. I cleaned it out and started anew. The fire began to catch. One dad offered me a bowl of lipton soup. I sipped it while tending the fire. Everyone was quiet. As the fire grew and the rain tapered off, we cheered up. Feeling good about having fire, I decided to go tag Big Cataloochee (about 3 miles roundtrip) before dark.

When I returned from the excursion with a load of wood, I had decided to stay at the shelter rather than night hike out. The skies eventually cleared and the temperature bottomed out.  I layed down away from the fire from about 10 PM - 3:30 AM. I was not warm at all. When I could no longer tolerate the cold, I reawakened the coals and started the fire for Friday breakfast and packing up. I worked quietly while the other occupants snored away.

I began the 20-mile hike out to Wolf Laurel Gap at 4:30 AM. I used my tiny pen light for the first hour and a half. When I arrived to the Balsam Mtn. Gap Road, I turned off the light. The views along this stretch were incredible. My pace accelerated, but I still kept all my clothes on as my body's core temperature felt low. The road seemed to go on and on. In the coves, ramps grew in abundance. I savored some of these fresh mountain delicacies.

The Flat Creek Trail was a joy to run in the daylight. My body finally began to warm up. I arrived to the gap and car at about 10:30 AM after exploring some alternate descent routes. These 48 hours in the Smokies were quite fun. But next time, I may pack some warmer gear. As of this writing, I'm just a couple summits away from climbing all of the forty Southeastern Sixers.