Standing Bear Farm
May 24, 2005 - Standing Bear Farm to Cosby Knob Shelter
I slept well in a comfortable bunk. Three others partied all night and were hung over this morning. Two weren’t much
as hikers, because they had been here for three days and were going to hitch north today to catch up with their
buddies. One in eight thru-hikers makes it to their destination. I left the hostel and hiked hard after an egg, toast and
coffee breakfast. I took a break at Davenport Gap Shelter and decided to hike on to the next shelter. I had an
enjoyable day hiking up, up, up. The Smokys are not too hard to hike but getting up to the top is a long hike. I
shared the trail with a lot of horse dung on this day since horses are allowed on this part of the trail. They really tear
up the trail too. The hoofs make it bad for water retention. I think riders should be required to shovel the crap off the
trail as they go, but they don’t. I am glad that out of the Smokys this is an illegal practice. I stayed here in 1981 at
Cosby Knob and I have a picture of it both times. Many of the shelters in the Smokys have been redone and the
bear fences have been taken out. This shelter has not changed much in 25 years. This shelter is made of stone with
a fireplace in it. The fence has been taken out. It now has bear cables for hanging up food this time. It is cold and
very windy here, 50’s. It hailed for five minutes after I got here. I took a shot of booze for my sore knees and it
warmed me up too! The shot made me a little dizzy too. I am going to make a few plans for the next few days here in
the Smokys. I got a good map from Fontana to Bly Gap at the Georgia line at the hostel. [Free ] I also got a great
map of the Smokys for later use here. They were $12.00 each and I could not pass them up.
May 25, 2005 - Cosby Knob Shelter to Tri Corner Knob Shelter
I was up early at Tri Corner Knob Shelter. This shelter is said to be the most isolated one in the Smokys. I ate a
honey bun and had coffee for breakfast. A hiker gave me some gorp [good old raisons and peanuts] and filled up
my fuel bottle since he was going home today and can’t carry the fuel on the plane ride home. I got here at the
shelter in the early afternoon and decided to stay. This shelter has a nice overhang and has been remodeled in the
past. The first trip had me hugging trees every morning but this time all shelters have outhouses. More space has
been added to these shelters to accommodate the hoards. It was in the 40’s all day and since the sun came out I
sat in the sun out back of the shelter near the hot tin roof. My feet have been cold all day and I put on an extra pair
of dry socks and that did the trick. A few stopped by and ate here but left. I may be here alone tonight. It is even
getting colder here in the evening. It is 34 to 36 degrees here at dark.
I slept well in a comfortable bunk. Three others partied all night and were hung over this morning. Two weren’t much
as hikers, because they had been here for three days and were going to hitch north today to catch up with their
buddies. One in eight thru-hikers makes it to their destination. I left the hostel and hiked hard after an egg, toast and
coffee breakfast. I took a break at Davenport Gap Shelter and decided to hike on to the next shelter. I had an
enjoyable day hiking up, up, up. The Smokys are not too hard to hike but getting up to the top is a long hike. I
shared the trail with a lot of horse dung on this day since horses are allowed on this part of the trail. They really tear
up the trail too. The hoofs make it bad for water retention. I think riders should be required to shovel the crap off the
trail as they go, but they don’t. I am glad that out of the Smokys this is an illegal practice. I stayed here in 1981 at
Cosby Knob and I have a picture of it both times. Many of the shelters in the Smokys have been redone and the
bear fences have been taken out. This shelter has not changed much in 25 years. This shelter is made of stone with
a fireplace in it. The fence has been taken out. It now has bear cables for hanging up food this time. It is cold and
very windy here, 50’s. It hailed for five minutes after I got here. I took a shot of booze for my sore knees and it
warmed me up too! The shot made me a little dizzy too. I am going to make a few plans for the next few days here in
the Smokys. I got a good map from Fontana to Bly Gap at the Georgia line at the hostel. [Free ] I also got a great
map of the Smokys for later use here. They were $12.00 each and I could not pass them up.
May 25, 2005 - Cosby Knob Shelter to Tri Corner Knob Shelter
I was up early at Tri Corner Knob Shelter. This shelter is said to be the most isolated one in the Smokys. I ate a
honey bun and had coffee for breakfast. A hiker gave me some gorp [good old raisons and peanuts] and filled up
my fuel bottle since he was going home today and can’t carry the fuel on the plane ride home. I got here at the
shelter in the early afternoon and decided to stay. This shelter has a nice overhang and has been remodeled in the
past. The first trip had me hugging trees every morning but this time all shelters have outhouses. More space has
been added to these shelters to accommodate the hoards. It was in the 40’s all day and since the sun came out I
sat in the sun out back of the shelter near the hot tin roof. My feet have been cold all day and I put on an extra pair
of dry socks and that did the trick. A few stopped by and ate here but left. I may be here alone tonight. It is even
getting colder here in the evening. It is 34 to 36 degrees here at dark.
Tri Corner Knob
May 26, 2005 - Tri Corner Knob Shelter to Icewater Spring Shelter
I was up early and left by 7:00 a.m. This was a beautiful clear morning to hike. The trail through is the most evenly
graded trail I have ever hiked on in the south. The C.C.C. in 1935 had built these trails before the war and they did
a very good job. A lot of stone bridges between little gorges made the hike easy. Charlie’s Bunion was absolutely
beautiful. Probably the greatest wilderness view in the south. I spent 2 hours at this rock outcropping and enjoyed it
muchly. You could see for 80 miles on this day. The walking was on top of ridges and it was 1000 feet down on
either side in many places. I got to Icewater Springs Shelter at 2:30 p.m. and met Jim the caretaker who carried an
old Kelty pack similar to mine. I told him my story and he was interested in more of my trip. I saw a dog on the trail
today. It is a $5000.00 fine if they get caught in the park with a dog.
May 27, 2005 - Icewater Spring Shelter to Mount Collins Shelter
I left Icewater Spring Shelter after a cold night. Many people were here and many thru-hikers had to pitch tents out
in front. Everyone was well behaved. We had a small fire in fireplace. Soon after leaving the shelter I found some
canned tuna and foil packets which I picked up and may not have to re supply at Newfound Gap. I ate the sardines
and they gave me some nasty stinky gas. After I got to the shelter I washed some laundry and cleaned myself up
too. I found a water bag left at the shelter and was able to get extra water down at the spring. This shelter is ½ mile
off the trail and the spring is a bit farther down still. It is good water but a long way. A couple came by and I talked to
them for a while. No one else here yet in the early evening. The hike today had some great views. I stopped at
Newfound Gap and got water and walked to the restrooms and washed up a bit. It is always nice to have running
water. The trail was rocky and steep coming into Newfound Gap today. I found some cigarette tobacco and since I
am out of pipe tobacco I will try and use it in my pipe. It doesn’t burn too even but it will do. Three men came in at 8 p.
m. and two more a little later. Flapper, a thru-hiker was an interesting person. He was hiking the entire trail after
leaving late in the year. He was using his dad’s old Kelty backpack in his honor. His dad was killed in an automobile
accident a few years back. On this year he made it to Stratton Maine where he quit for the year. I met Flapper at
Wadleigh Shelter in the wilderness area in Maine in 2006. I got a picture of him and will include it in my Maine entry
there. On the day I met Flapper in the Smokys he had visited where his dad’s ashes were scattered up on Clingman’
s Dome. He was a little depressed when he came into the shelter but not for long. We laughed at our old packs and
he thought it was cool that I was about the same age as his dad. I knew how he felt and we hit it off right away.
Flapper was going to enter the Priesthood later and he wrote Catholic Facts in almost every shelter register that he
signed his name in, all the way to Maine. Everyone knew of him from those entries. I am glad I met him, for he loved
the trail and enjoyed every hike, every day. In the night a big group came into the shelter and took 2 hours to settle
down. I feel shelters should be closed after a certain hour unless the weather is extremely bad. People seem to have
no respect for other hikers. This would not have happened in 1981. In the morning I was sure all knew I was up for
My Svea Stove made lots of noise and I banged around getting my stuff packed. I don’t mind someone hiking late
after being on the trail from an early hour. These people were too cheap to get a motel and came here and
disrupted all who were there before them. They only hiked in from Clingman’s Dome, a mile or so away.
I was up early and left by 7:00 a.m. This was a beautiful clear morning to hike. The trail through is the most evenly
graded trail I have ever hiked on in the south. The C.C.C. in 1935 had built these trails before the war and they did
a very good job. A lot of stone bridges between little gorges made the hike easy. Charlie’s Bunion was absolutely
beautiful. Probably the greatest wilderness view in the south. I spent 2 hours at this rock outcropping and enjoyed it
muchly. You could see for 80 miles on this day. The walking was on top of ridges and it was 1000 feet down on
either side in many places. I got to Icewater Springs Shelter at 2:30 p.m. and met Jim the caretaker who carried an
old Kelty pack similar to mine. I told him my story and he was interested in more of my trip. I saw a dog on the trail
today. It is a $5000.00 fine if they get caught in the park with a dog.
May 27, 2005 - Icewater Spring Shelter to Mount Collins Shelter
I left Icewater Spring Shelter after a cold night. Many people were here and many thru-hikers had to pitch tents out
in front. Everyone was well behaved. We had a small fire in fireplace. Soon after leaving the shelter I found some
canned tuna and foil packets which I picked up and may not have to re supply at Newfound Gap. I ate the sardines
and they gave me some nasty stinky gas. After I got to the shelter I washed some laundry and cleaned myself up
too. I found a water bag left at the shelter and was able to get extra water down at the spring. This shelter is ½ mile
off the trail and the spring is a bit farther down still. It is good water but a long way. A couple came by and I talked to
them for a while. No one else here yet in the early evening. The hike today had some great views. I stopped at
Newfound Gap and got water and walked to the restrooms and washed up a bit. It is always nice to have running
water. The trail was rocky and steep coming into Newfound Gap today. I found some cigarette tobacco and since I
am out of pipe tobacco I will try and use it in my pipe. It doesn’t burn too even but it will do. Three men came in at 8 p.
m. and two more a little later. Flapper, a thru-hiker was an interesting person. He was hiking the entire trail after
leaving late in the year. He was using his dad’s old Kelty backpack in his honor. His dad was killed in an automobile
accident a few years back. On this year he made it to Stratton Maine where he quit for the year. I met Flapper at
Wadleigh Shelter in the wilderness area in Maine in 2006. I got a picture of him and will include it in my Maine entry
there. On the day I met Flapper in the Smokys he had visited where his dad’s ashes were scattered up on Clingman’
s Dome. He was a little depressed when he came into the shelter but not for long. We laughed at our old packs and
he thought it was cool that I was about the same age as his dad. I knew how he felt and we hit it off right away.
Flapper was going to enter the Priesthood later and he wrote Catholic Facts in almost every shelter register that he
signed his name in, all the way to Maine. Everyone knew of him from those entries. I am glad I met him, for he loved
the trail and enjoyed every hike, every day. In the night a big group came into the shelter and took 2 hours to settle
down. I feel shelters should be closed after a certain hour unless the weather is extremely bad. People seem to have
no respect for other hikers. This would not have happened in 1981. In the morning I was sure all knew I was up for
My Svea Stove made lots of noise and I banged around getting my stuff packed. I don’t mind someone hiking late
after being on the trail from an early hour. These people were too cheap to get a motel and came here and
disrupted all who were there before them. They only hiked in from Clingman’s Dome, a mile or so away.
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