And then the Smokies happened...

Unfortunately, we did not bring snow shoes, but they would have been rather handy during our little adventure in the Smokies. As everyone might know we have gotten plenty of rain in our travels so far, however let me tell you about the snow. We started off with some incredible views from good ole Rocky Top and Clingmans Dome with the sun shining and earth dry; however, at some point the weather decided to be cruel to us. A winter mix started falling the day we were near Davenport Gap which is about 15 miles from Gatlinburg. We kept on trucking to the next shelter while snow and ice accumulated around us. Luckily, when we got there someone had already started a fire and spirits were high. We all bundled up for the night with most of us wearing all the clothes we had available. It was one of the coldest nights ever. Snow kept falling on our faces and bags. The fireplace was covered in snow the next morning as well as our packs. Outside, the earth was white. White. So what we do? We hiked. It took us seven hours to hike 7 miles. (Our normal speed is about 2 miles/hour.) We hiked in a pack with three younger guys. There was 1 foot of snow to three feet.

(Mean) Library lady is making me move. To be continued...