AT Journal Day 19

March 23rd - Day 19 - Tri Corner Knob to Standing Bear Farm
I wake up around 5:30 to the sound of pounding sleet and rain, maybe the reputation of the Smokies had final caught us. We had four beautiful days of hiking so far through the mountains which everyone had said would be our biggest challenge yet. The hills are no joke, but its fearsome weather had yet to play a factor.

Finally seeing why they're called the Great Smoky Mountains

I eat breakfast, visited the privy, and decided it was too early and too cold to go anywhere. I got back into my sleeping bag and slept another hour. Finally started hiking around 8, last day in the Smokies. Its a cold wet day, to keep moving is the only way to remain slightly comfortable. After enough hiking you start to be able to judge distance better, I keep thinking we must be getting close, I am hungry, should we stop here? Finally the smell of campfire catches us, we must be close. Tree Frog and Squirrel had rekindled a fire that the occupants had going last night. My gloves and socks are soaked, as is pretty much everything else, but I can only dry these items. We eat lunch and chat and keep the fire going for the next people to stop through; Grease and Sunbear. Its a long downhill to Davenport Gap from here. It gets warmer and the sun even pokes out when we reach the next shelter. Davenport Gap Shelter is the only shelter in the Smokies on trail that retains the bear fence, a chain link fence and gate that stretches across the open front. Despite my yearning for sleeping in this jail cell,  its only 3 miles to Standing Bear Farm, a hostel with a hot shower and a name I recognized from AWOL's book about his thru-hike (AWOL on the Appalachian Trail). 

Standing Bear is quite the place. Comprised of out buildings, kitchen, two bunkhouses, shower, caretakers office, privy. very basic but has everything anyone could possibly need. Never met the owners but the caretaker Rocket makes his money selling single beers and running the camp store (surprisingly good resupply). We have a root beer and a high five, listen to classic rock, and some stories from the Rocket archive. This is where Four Fingers comes into the story. Among all the people staying here tonight, Handsome, Rambles, Live, Panzer, Money Maker, Night Whisperer, Blink, Rambo. Pooh Bear, and W.O.L.D.? or something like that, I cant remember. Anyway, Four Finger made the biggest impression. Ole boy can put in some work on Bud Light, was stumbling around by 4 and would continue to do so until after I threw in the towel.