Day 23 - Retro Entry from : Sep 28, 2013

Leave Fontana dam and enter the smokies. The problem with Gaps is that you have to hike down into them be then you have to hike out of them. So after a nice walk around of the visitors center and I didn't use the outside bathroom hot showers, I trucked across the dam. There was some question as it was 0930 as to whether or not I should wait until 10000 when the snack bar was supposed to open. But really with the resupply box heaven on my back what was I going to buy that I wouldn't have carry? So I headed out. The first part of the day I followed a road and lots of people simple drove to the trail head for a day of hiking. I seem to be able to pass these day hikers pretty easily. Saw a great big white tail buck cross the trail in front of me and lots of partridges. This 11 mile day was quite an uphill slog. My brain is 50 ft ahead of my feet picking the path. At first glimpse there's almost an urge to scurry rigt up there where my brain has picked out places for my feet- and poles. What actually happens is when my feet actually reach the places my brain has already located the conversation goes like this: oh here you are feet, finally, well let's get a move on shall we? And the idea of getting more and more miles in seems more dependent on the evenness of the trail. Not even whether it's up or down just how difficult it is to find footing. And the faster you want to go means more and more focus on your feet and the trail closer and closer to your feet. I'm really glad I have two hiking poles. I haven't done a face plant or a turtle yet knock on wood but I've come darn close.
The picture is the top of the TVA visitors center looking across the dam second largest in somewhere North America? And into the smokys. Just last week a bear mom with three cubs came across the dam and frolicked on the lawn
-83.8023°, 35.4518°