Day #20 - I Didn't Need My Thumb Anyway

Miles: 11.0 to Mollies Ridge Shelter

I forgot to mention Simba's hot cocoa incident last night. Wing It gave her a big pack and when she tried to thank him with some sort of hand gesture she accidentally flung the powder all over him and several other people. Oops! 

There was a loud snorer in the Fontana Hilton but otherwise I slept well. Thank God for ear plugs! I woke up early and used a real bathroom with flush toilets, running water, and mirrors! What a treat! Left camp with Wing It after watching the sunrise over the lake. We hiked down across Fontana Dam and snapped a few photos. 

I didn't realize the road led straight to Great Smoky Mountain National Park! It was so close! We road walked up the trail to the permit drop where we deposited our $20 thru hiker permits. The permits give you 7 nights to get through the park. Some hikers don't like paying a fee to use public land, but I don't mind. 

The hike today wasn't bad. We stopped several times to shed layers as we warmed up. We also stopped for a few minutes to watch a squirrel rummaging for food right next to the trail. It couldn't have cared less that we were standing just feet from it. 

We took a side trail to an old fire tower on the way up the mountain. I told Professor (a large bearded man with too short gym shorts) that I would take pictures at the top using his camera because he's scared of heights. In exchange, he watched our packs so we didn't have to carry them. That tower was not in good condition! My structural engineer hiking partner confirmed. I'm scared of heights too and wimped out halfway up. Wing It took Professor's camera to the top. 

Wing It and I stopped to eat lunch on a log next to the trail. I had brand new summer sausage and cheddar cheese to dig into. Unfortunately, I was a little over zealous with the cheese. When I tried to open the package wider with my pocket knife, I nearly sliced off the very tip of my left thumb. Ouch! It was very bloody and wing it had to help me bandage it since trying to open your pack, a bandaid, or anything else is nearly impossible with one hand. I didn't realize my knife was so sharp! After a little first aid, I continued eating my lunch. It takes more than a severed digit to stem a thru-hiker's appetite! 

A few hours later my bandaid peeled off and reopened the wound. My duct tape solution wasn't holding so I booked it past Wing It up the hill to the shelter to fix the situation. There we met a ridge runner named Carl. Ridge runners help maintain the trail and enforce rules like no cooking or eating in the shelters. Carl has thru-hiked the AT (took him 4 months 11 days in 1999) and the PCT (just under 4 months in 2008). He explained that 8 of the 14 spots in the shelter are reserved for section hikers. No one can camp in a tent or hammock unless the shelter is full.  The trick is, there's no way for thru-hikers to know how many section hikers have made reservations and there's no time limit. In theory, a section hiker with a reservation can show up at any hour of the night and kick a thru-hiker out if there aren't any shelter spots left. It's hard to explain because it's so convoluted. It should just be first come, first served. But they didn't ask me. 

The ridge runner was kind of rude when the rest of my friends showed up, but then again the thrus have been complaining about the rules. He called Tigger out for having a snack in the shelter. Her feet have really been bothering her. She thinks she might have a stress fracture. Hope not! 

Twist and Tigger at the shelter:

Best Thing: Gorgeous views in the Smokies and yummy summer sausage. 

Looking Forward To: Visiting Rocky Top Tennessee tomorrow! 

Quote of the Day: "Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana." -Wiki