Clingmans Dome
April 16, 1981 -Spence Field Shelter to Siler Bald Shelter-
I left Siler Bald lean-to at 6:40 a.m. I arrived at Clingmans Dome at 10:30. It is the highest
point on the A.T. It is over 6700 feet. Very pretty but too many people. A road comes right
up to the top and people climb up an observation deck to overlook the area below. It was
cloudy also and I didn't get a very good view either. Made it to Mount Collins lean-to at 12:30
and ate and had a lot of coffee also. It will get co1d again tonight. I am camping at 5800 feet
tonight. John Nester from Columbus Ohio and Bill Hurte from Newport Ohio are here too. We
have been hiking together in the Smokys some. I took pictures of moon after dark.
April 17, l981 -- Siler Bald Lean-to to Mount Collins Lean-to
I left Mount Collins lean-to at 7:00 a.m. on a very cloudy day. Looks like rain. About 8:15 a.m.
it started to rain. I made it to Ice Spring shelter and soon after getting here I have a fire going.
Cooked dinner and drank a lot of coffee. It is 12:06 p.m., and still raining. It is very windy
and the rain is cold. I might stay here tonight. I need to go seven more miles because we
are on a schedule in the Smokys. It is on a reservation basis that we stay in shelters here in
the Smokys. Two men are here for a day hike. They are very cold. Had no raingear with
them and they were very cold. My fire saved them. They started kicking a hunk of rope
around. They called it hackney. They didn't have a ball so they made one out of cloth. You
kick this ball around without letting it hit the ground. Many people can play at one time. You
can't touch it with your hands. You need to keep it in the air with the use of your feet only.
Oh well it at least kept them moving so they would keep warm. The rain let up a bit so I left
shelter at l: 45p.m. Hiked seven more miles by 6:30p.m. There were people from Minnetonka
Minn. at the shelter. A teacher with about seven students and they had a nice fire going
when I got there. I cooked Spaghetti and drank a lot of coffee. They had blueberry cobbler
for dessert, and gave me all that was left. Boy was it good. This is Peck's Corner shelter. I
did 16 miles today.
I left Siler Bald lean-to at 6:40 a.m. I arrived at Clingmans Dome at 10:30. It is the highest
point on the A.T. It is over 6700 feet. Very pretty but too many people. A road comes right
up to the top and people climb up an observation deck to overlook the area below. It was
cloudy also and I didn't get a very good view either. Made it to Mount Collins lean-to at 12:30
and ate and had a lot of coffee also. It will get co1d again tonight. I am camping at 5800 feet
tonight. John Nester from Columbus Ohio and Bill Hurte from Newport Ohio are here too. We
have been hiking together in the Smokys some. I took pictures of moon after dark.
April 17, l981 -- Siler Bald Lean-to to Mount Collins Lean-to
I left Mount Collins lean-to at 7:00 a.m. on a very cloudy day. Looks like rain. About 8:15 a.m.
it started to rain. I made it to Ice Spring shelter and soon after getting here I have a fire going.
Cooked dinner and drank a lot of coffee. It is 12:06 p.m., and still raining. It is very windy
and the rain is cold. I might stay here tonight. I need to go seven more miles because we
are on a schedule in the Smokys. It is on a reservation basis that we stay in shelters here in
the Smokys. Two men are here for a day hike. They are very cold. Had no raingear with
them and they were very cold. My fire saved them. They started kicking a hunk of rope
around. They called it hackney. They didn't have a ball so they made one out of cloth. You
kick this ball around without letting it hit the ground. Many people can play at one time. You
can't touch it with your hands. You need to keep it in the air with the use of your feet only.
Oh well it at least kept them moving so they would keep warm. The rain let up a bit so I left
shelter at l: 45p.m. Hiked seven more miles by 6:30p.m. There were people from Minnetonka
Minn. at the shelter. A teacher with about seven students and they had a nice fire going
when I got there. I cooked Spaghetti and drank a lot of coffee. They had blueberry cobbler
for dessert, and gave me all that was left. Boy was it good. This is Peck's Corner shelter. I
did 16 miles today.
Cosby Knob Shelter
April 18, 1981 -Mt. Collins Shelter to Cosby Knob Shelter-
I got a late start. Left at 7:15 a.m. Walked about one hour and it started to rain. It rained until
1:00 p.m. I walked about three more hours until I got to Tri-Corners shelter. I fixed lunch. I
had to build a fire because I had run out of fuel in stove the night before. The sun came out
and I did laundry outside near spring and washed up. The sun was a real treat. I made it to
Cosby Knob shelter by 5:00 p.m. There are a lot of people here, mostly tourist out for the
weekend. Need to get up early and get in to a place that has food. Tomorrow is Easter
Sunday and I hope something is opened. I put some Jell-O in the spring without heating up
one cup of water and it didn't jell. I took pictures of this shelter. This would be the last
shelter in the Smokys for me.
I got a late start. Left at 7:15 a.m. Walked about one hour and it started to rain. It rained until
1:00 p.m. I walked about three more hours until I got to Tri-Corners shelter. I fixed lunch. I
had to build a fire because I had run out of fuel in stove the night before. The sun came out
and I did laundry outside near spring and washed up. The sun was a real treat. I made it to
Cosby Knob shelter by 5:00 p.m. There are a lot of people here, mostly tourist out for the
weekend. Need to get up early and get in to a place that has food. Tomorrow is Easter
Sunday and I hope something is opened. I put some Jell-O in the spring without heating up
one cup of water and it didn't jell. I took pictures of this shelter. This would be the last
shelter in the Smokys for me.
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