Dogwood Tree
April 19, 1981 Easter Sunday -Cosby Knob Shelter to Groundhog Creek Shelter-
I left lean-to at 7:15 a.m. Very good time was made mostly down hill. It's 10:30a.m. I’m very
close to Davenport Gap. Some people on horses said that the store at the gap was opened. I
am going to take some pictures of some flowers. I've only taken 11 pictures in the Smokys so
far. If the weather had been better I would have taken a lot more. I am setting here enjoying
the beautiful flowers and the sunshine. I need to get up and shake a lot of piss ants off of me.
They are crawling all over me. They are the big black ones that don't bite unless you bother
them. I'm used to the ones in Florida that bite you if they get near you. (Fire ants) Made it to
store in gap after taking a picture of dogwood tree. The last one mile before gap is the most
beautiful waterfall display that I have seen yet on trail. You emerge from trail and see
interstate 40 tight in front of you. The noise is a reminder that there’s a real world out there
still, even though I haven’t seen much of it lately. Bought a lot of groceries at store and had
some awful tasting chili from a can and one half pint of ice cream, and two Pepsi’s. It started to
rain as I left the store and I made it to Groundhog Creek Shelter. I did a whopping 18 miles
today, my best yet. I would have stopped before I got this far but it was raining. I had sardines
and cheese and potato chips for supper, with tang to drink. What a combination for an Easter
Dinner. I am alone here. It’s raining very hard here and I have got the only dry corner in the
whole shelter. Hope to get into Hot Springs N.C. tomorrow.
I left lean-to at 7:15 a.m. Very good time was made mostly down hill. It's 10:30a.m. I’m very
close to Davenport Gap. Some people on horses said that the store at the gap was opened. I
am going to take some pictures of some flowers. I've only taken 11 pictures in the Smokys so
far. If the weather had been better I would have taken a lot more. I am setting here enjoying
the beautiful flowers and the sunshine. I need to get up and shake a lot of piss ants off of me.
They are crawling all over me. They are the big black ones that don't bite unless you bother
them. I'm used to the ones in Florida that bite you if they get near you. (Fire ants) Made it to
store in gap after taking a picture of dogwood tree. The last one mile before gap is the most
beautiful waterfall display that I have seen yet on trail. You emerge from trail and see
interstate 40 tight in front of you. The noise is a reminder that there’s a real world out there
still, even though I haven’t seen much of it lately. Bought a lot of groceries at store and had
some awful tasting chili from a can and one half pint of ice cream, and two Pepsi’s. It started to
rain as I left the store and I made it to Groundhog Creek Shelter. I did a whopping 18 miles
today, my best yet. I would have stopped before I got this far but it was raining. I had sardines
and cheese and potato chips for supper, with tang to drink. What a combination for an Easter
Dinner. I am alone here. It’s raining very hard here and I have got the only dry corner in the
whole shelter. Hope to get into Hot Springs N.C. tomorrow.
Grocery Store Near Davenport Gap. (Near Mountain Mommas)
April 20, 1981 -Groundhog Creek Shelter to Walnut Mountain Shelter-
I left lean-to at 7:20. Rain has stopped but it is still very cloudy. It was warm when it started to
rain so like a fool I did not put on rain gear. It rained and got cold very fast and I got
miserable very fast. I walked ten miles soaking wet and if I had stopped to rest I would have
PROBABLY DIED OF HYPOTHERMEA. I was total worn out when I got to Walnut Mountain
Shelter. No one else is here at present time. It is very foggy. I got here very cold. I didn’t
think I would make it. It is still drizzling. What a mess. Oh to see the sun again. I’m still very
cold. It is time to get into sleeping bag to get warm. (2:48 p.m.) At five o’clock four more
people showed up. They were local people out for a few days. Nice people. They had the
heaviest gear that I have ever seen. They had an axe, large frying pan, fishing poles, etc.
They had some venison to eat and I helped them fix a big fire to cook it. I tasted it and it was
very good. There was a lot of leftover broth and I drank it all on a cold night. At 6:00p.m.
Buddy Alexander from Hickory N.C. came into the shelter. It got real cold through the night. It
is very clear in the early a.m.
April 21, 1981 -Walnut Mountain Shelter to Hot Springs Catholic hostel-
I got very cold maybe around 40. Hiked 12 miles into Hot Springs. Wrote four letters and
called Richa my sister and talked for about five minutes. Buddy called his realities also and
while he was in the booth I tried to turn on the booth light, since it was now dark. I turned on
the switch which was close to the booth and it turned on the town fire siren!!! Cops came
very fast and we almost got thrown in jail. We explained what happened and they let us go.
We are staying in Catholic hostile here in Hot Springs. Ate fine Supper for five dollars at
private boarding house. Completely vegetarian and very good!!!! This place is now Elmer’s.
I left lean-to at 7:20. Rain has stopped but it is still very cloudy. It was warm when it started to
rain so like a fool I did not put on rain gear. It rained and got cold very fast and I got
miserable very fast. I walked ten miles soaking wet and if I had stopped to rest I would have
PROBABLY DIED OF HYPOTHERMEA. I was total worn out when I got to Walnut Mountain
Shelter. No one else is here at present time. It is very foggy. I got here very cold. I didn’t
think I would make it. It is still drizzling. What a mess. Oh to see the sun again. I’m still very
cold. It is time to get into sleeping bag to get warm. (2:48 p.m.) At five o’clock four more
people showed up. They were local people out for a few days. Nice people. They had the
heaviest gear that I have ever seen. They had an axe, large frying pan, fishing poles, etc.
They had some venison to eat and I helped them fix a big fire to cook it. I tasted it and it was
very good. There was a lot of leftover broth and I drank it all on a cold night. At 6:00p.m.
Buddy Alexander from Hickory N.C. came into the shelter. It got real cold through the night. It
is very clear in the early a.m.
April 21, 1981 -Walnut Mountain Shelter to Hot Springs Catholic hostel-
I got very cold maybe around 40. Hiked 12 miles into Hot Springs. Wrote four letters and
called Richa my sister and talked for about five minutes. Buddy called his realities also and
while he was in the booth I tried to turn on the booth light, since it was now dark. I turned on
the switch which was close to the booth and it turned on the town fire siren!!! Cops came
very fast and we almost got thrown in jail. We explained what happened and they let us go.
We are staying in Catholic hostile here in Hot Springs. Ate fine Supper for five dollars at
private boarding house. Completely vegetarian and very good!!!! This place is now Elmer’s.
9