Franklin to Hot Springs, via Smoky Mountains (Mile 110 to Mile 270)
After the zero day in Franklin, it was time to hit the trail again. After a further three nights on trail to reach the Smoky Mountains, where we would be hiking the highest elevations on trail. The days getting there had their own challenges.
First up was the hike to the NOC (Nantahala Outdoor Center) which the trail goes directly through. The descent down to the river valley was notoriously steep, with an actual, walk-in-the-door-off-the-trail, restaurant at the bottom (which was a welcome treat!). The weather forecast was not looking good, and many of the other hikers were planning to wait it out at the Wesser Bald shelter just before the descent. We chose to press on, which proved to be the right decision, given the rain that fell over the next couple days
Still a long way to go…
That night we stayed at Gorgeous Stays; more than just a hostel, the owner Elena has taken several forms of transportation and turned each into a camper with it’s own theme. There’s a red double decker bus with a Harry Potter theme, a small caravan with flamingo’s, a canine cabin, and several more. Laundry, loaner clothes, and small self-serve kitchen were available. We decided to stay two nights, which enabled my first “slackpack” – my main pack left behind for the day, and the hostel picked me up to return to the same accommodation for the night. Despite hiking through the storm, the less weight definitely made the hiking easier!
Hiking above the clouds
We continued on towards Fontana Dam. The shelter on the lake there is known as ‘The Hilton’ because it is more protected from the eements, has hot showers, and a great view of the lake. If it were a real Hilton, the view alone would be worth an extra 100 dollars.
Fontana Hilton
Fontana Dam
As we were packing up our tent and heading to the Next Big Climb (4200 feet over 11 miles) we realised it was Easter Sunday. The climb from Fontana Dam to the Mollies Ridge Shelter is the first real haul – but worth every step. As we climber higher the lake spread out below us sparkling in the bright spring sun.
Mollies Ridge shelter turned out to be busiest shelter we seen since Hawks Shelter on the first trail night, with easily 20 people. A lot had taken 1 or 2 days off, waiting for the weather to improve before starting the Smokies, so it had created a bubble of hikers. Everyone was in a good mood – it had been a beautiful sunny day, and we had entered the Smokies!
Views in the Smokies
Yes, hiker hunger is real
Dancing along the border of North Carolina and Tennessee, the Smoky mountains dominate the landscape. A perpetual fog hovers above them, which is how they got their name. It’s one of the most visited national parks, and as such, a permit is needed for hiking and were only allowed to camp at designated sites. The shelters were quite busy, as all the hikers bunched up.
The trail goes along the ridge, and the change is immediately noticeable. Instead of sleeping wintery maple trees, we were walking through pine forests and beech trees. The ground underfoot became rockier and a carpet of delicate white flowers bloomed on the ground. We started seeing deer in the early morning beside the trail.
Plenty of hiker tents at each shelter!
Great hiking weather & views to match
Our mileage dropped off, as the climbs became more demanding and the trail showed more wear and tear, slowing our pace. Within the Smokies is Clingman Dome, which is the highest point on the whole AT. At 6,600ft, it’s not a huge mountain by mountain standards – a feature of the AT is that there’s a lot of up-and-down trails without actually getting to significant elevations.
Clingsmans Dome was a particularly challenging hike. The AT wound up to the top, where there was a sudden inundation of car tourists. An Observation tower built in the 1950’s provides a sweeping 360 degree view.
View from Clingmans dome. The hideous concrete view structure would never get approved in more modern times. View is back towards the start of the AT
The next day we reached Newfound Gap, which is roughly halfway through the Smoky Mountains. Lots of hikers left from here to go into Gatlinburg for resupply and a rest. A surprising number of them never came back. The last few days had been challenging and very, very cold. Walking out of the gap, we were treated to some of the most spectacular scenery yet. A narrow trail went along the ridge with views to the east and west.
Plenty of rocky climbs!
Deers feeding in the morning
Our last night in the Smoky’s we arrived at Cosby Knob camp and were told a hiker who had arrived earlier had seen a bear come running down the trail, straight through camp. During the night, I was pretty sure I could hear it wandering around the tents!
It was a drizzly morning as we left the mountains, heading down to the Davenport Gap. Here we found more trail magic, on an epic scale. A church group from Tennessee was doing their annual trail magic BBQ. There was a canopy set up to keep the rain off, camping chairs, and the best steak sandwich I’ve ever had.
Hiking along the ridgeline
Shelters in the smokies were impressive stone structures
The first stop out of the Smoky Mountains is Hot Springs. The trail goes straight through town, no detours or shuttling required. In fact, it’s the first proper “town” the trail passes through. The first real civilisation after 270 miles (430km) and about 3 weeks. The main hostel is Laughing Heart, a B&B as well as the AT hiker bunkhouse. It is located just outside town, and a short walk to the grocery shop, the outfitters, ice cream shop and local brewery – all welcome sights!
lunchtime!
enjoying the views