(Double Spring Gap Shelter (mile 197.2) - Newfound Gap (mile 207.7) *overnight in Gatlinburg, TN*)

My alarm went off this morning at 4:45am and I was disappointed to discover that it was still raining. I started packing my things anyway because I knew that even if I would not get a sunrise on Clingmans Dome, I at least wanted to get into Gatlinburg as early as possible. I made my way down to the shelter a little before 5:30am and was happy to find that Delta, Tracy, Cloudkicker, Justin, Amanda, and Steve were all awake and ready to hike!

We set out into the rain - which was really not much more than a sprinkle - and began the 2 mile climb to Clingmans Dome. As we climbed, we could see lights from a large city below which we all agreed was likely Gatlinburg. The rain stopped after about 30 minutes and soon we could see the large hump of Clingmans Dome looming ahead of us.

At a little after 7am, we reached the summit and I quickly put on all my layers to try and insulate myself from the constant wind. We climbed the spiral ramp to the observation tower and ate breakfast while watching the sunrise from the highest point on trail.

After watching the sunrise, we left the observation tower and discovered a rock assembly serving as an unofficial 200 mile marker. At this point, we all let out various whoops and yawps to celebrate our accomplishment!

After briefly celebrating, we continued down the trail eager to knockout the next 7.7 miles to Newfound Gap, where we would hitch a ride into Gatlinburg. The hike down from Clingmans Dome was nothing short of enchanting. We were still in a dense hemlock, pine, and fir forest whose floor was coated in thick moss. The rising sun cast golden light beams through the canopy, bathing everything in a luscious glow which complimented the already vivid colors of a well hydrated forest. I found myself frequently exclaiming: “wow!” My little camera could never do it justice.

After about 3 hours, we reached Newfound Gap. I was immediately a bit disoriented by the sheer number of people and cars in the parking lot. I was also surprised to notice how sensitive my nose was to the deodorant and cologne of the day hikers around me. I would rather not think about how I must have smelled to them 🤭

I was the first person in the group to try hitching a ride. I posted up next to the parking lot exit and pointed my thumb towards Gatlinburg. To my surprise, the first car that pulled up rolled their window down and asked: "where you going?" I replied: "Gatlinburg" and they told me to hop in. I threw my pack in the trunk next to three other backpacks and hopped in the backseat. The lady in the front passenger seat explained that she and the other passengers were thru-hiking and that the driver was her mother who was visiting for the weekend. Her mother introduced herself as "Mamah" and I thanked her for the ride.

I got dropped off at the N.O.C. which has an outfitter store in Gatlinburg. The man at the door said I could drop my pack off inside, which I did so I would not have to carry it around town. I then made my way across the street to a Cicis pizza buffet.

After eating way too much pizza, I turned my attention towards finding my way to my hostel for the night. When I was at the Fontana Hilton, I booked a room at Lodge of Legends, a donations based hostel that I had heard about from Sunsets in Franklin. The hostel was outside of Gatlinburg, but there was a free trolley that I could take from the aquarium which would get me nearly to the hostel's doorstep. I picked my pack up from the N.O.C. and got directions to the aquarium, which was on the other side of town. I bought an icecream sandwich from the general store across the street and made my way towards the aquarium.

While I walked, I was struck by the insane number of people on the main street of Gatlinburg. I guess it was probably normal for a Friday, but I felt quite out of place in a dense crowd of people who smelled like soap. I made it to the aquarium without being hit by a car or trampled by a crowd and caught the trolley right as it was leaving the station.

I guess I was the last stop on the route because it took quite a while to get out to my stop. Thankfully, I did not have a long walk from where I was dropped off. I made it to Lodge of Legends at just about 5pm and was surprised to find Delta, Tracy, Cloudkicker, Steve, and Justin already there. When I left Newfound Gap, they were unsure where they would be staying for the night, but apparently they were picked up by the lady who owns the hostel and she had offered that they could stay here for the night. Because I had called ahead, I got the private room with the king bed. The other folks were sleeping on two giant mattress bean bags and a futon. The "lodge" was set up in the basement of a large house and included a common room, shared bathroom, kitchenette, and laundry. There was also a fully stocked resupply which was also donations based. The hostel owner came downstairs and introduced herself as "Conductor Red." She explained that she is an AT section hiker and just really loves supporting hikers.

I took a shower, partially resupplied, and hung stuff to dry on a porch railing. The folks I was lodging with decided they were going back into town for dinner and drinks, but I opted to stay back and chill. The rest of my evening was quiet and relaxing, which was exactly what I wanted 😊

Clingman's Dome Tower
highest summit on the trail
all downhill from here