Woke up this morning and looked out to see snow all over everything. Had about an inch or so. It was at least partly clear at the time and I got some fantastic sunrise pictures with the snow. One of the most beautiful things I have ever seen.
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| Another analog hand signal |
Got going about 9:00 after everyone else had left. Had a good time with the teacher (Gerry) and his former student these last 2 days.
Had a climb this morning up to 5,000 feet with more snow, then down for 5 miles to the Davenport Gap Shelter. Got there at 11:45. Real fast going. Had lunch and decided sort of to go on to the next shelter 10 1/2 miles further on. It was nice until we got to I-40. Brooks and waterfalls and flowers. Then we started climbing up over 4,000 feet in 5 miles from under 2,000 feet in the gap. And it started raining and snowing. It was quite miserable, but we made it up and then mostly down hill to the shelter. Leo is here and one other hiker. This guy was interesting. He was really just bumming around. He was staying at the shelter for a while. Had been staying in the fire tower on Wesser Bald before, meeting all the hikers coming through, then he moved up to this shelter to meet all the hikers again after they'd come through the Smokies. Live on a minimum of money, which he gets occasionally from some sort of "windfall".
What was really fantastic today was the descent from 5,000 feet to the gap. We went from snow and winter down to spring and leaves and flowers in the gap.
I remember this day. All the snow (and beautiful sunrise) then by the end of the day there were flowers.
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