It was a restless night. Tossing and turning. Trying to stay warm. The temperature dropped into the low twenties. The wind never relented.  The snow stopped at some point in the night. You couldn’t tell from inside the shelter just how much had fallen. 

Finally a few hikers were packing up. I didn’t want to be the first person to brave the snow. Putting on frozen clothing is no fun. Especially the frozen socks into the frozen boots. It was well after 10:00 before I took my first steps onto the trail. 

I thought yesterday was tough. Today was extreme. The drifts across the trail were upwards of three feet deep in places. At one point, I was following the steps of one lone hiker. I hope he knows where he is going. Thankfully, I met a fellow hiker, Josh (Peter Pan). It was unspoken, but we had each other’s back. 

Our goal was to reach Clingmans Dome and get off the mountain. Along the way we heard rumors that the Park Service might be shuttling hikers off trail at Clingmans. We also encountered a woman at a shelter experiencing symptoms of hypothermia. Another hiker had cell signal and notified the Rangers. It wasn’t but twenty minutes later that we heard the helicopter. She got an expensive ride off the trail. 

We summited Clingmans Dome!  The highest point of elevation on the AT. Took some photos and hoped to find a shuttle. No joy. We were out of the woods, but alone at the normally busy Visitor Center. The wise choice…road walk. So we set off down the 7 mile road. Knowing family was waiting at the bottom. 

About halfway down, a Ranger drove past going uphill. Three people in the car.  We were hoping for a lift on his way down. Turns out they were shuttling a hiker up to get his vehicle. Many thanks to that unnamed hiker for offering us a ride. At the barricade, family was indeed waiting for us. 

What about Josh?  An unexpected guest at the cabin. Getting treated like family. I think he is happy to be here. 

Tomorrow. Chores and tourist. 

And hoping the snow melts!