After multiple occurrences, waking up inside a cloud loses much of its enchantment. This morning it’s mostly about trying to find the hanging bear bag in the mist and packing a wet tent. Still, we are on our way by 7:40.

We drop over 500′ down into Stecoah Gap. Looking down on the road from high above, X comments what a wonderful location for trail magic, but N replies at 8:45 on a Sunday morning, it ain’t gonna happen. But just after our arrival, thru hiker Nomad pulls in with his rental car to fill in a section he had skipped the week before when he jumped ahead to hike in the Smokies with his visiting wife: today he will slack pack to Fontana where folks from his hostel will pick him up. Then tomorrow they’ll bring him back to Stecoah for the rental car which he’ll return to the Knoxville airport, where he’ll get a ride back to the trail at Max Patch. Got all that? Anyway, the important part for us, he has non-traditional AT hiker fare he is more than willing to share: an orange, a banana, and un-squashed Fritos chips. That plus some sunshine and a great view make Stecoah Gap a wonderful stop. (It’s funny what little things in life you miss out here. X was recently commenting she would kill for a banana. The Lord provides…)

Next we climb up “Jacobs Ladder” at a staggering ascent rate of 100′ every tenth of a mile. At the top, we are back in the clouds and feeling the effect of the 20+ mph wind. When we duck into Brown Fork Gap shelter to don a few more layers, the thought of a room out of the elements tonight gains great appeal (or as we say “roughin’ it deluxe”), and a phone call snags us a hiker rate at Fontana Lodge.

The late afternoon is spent coming off the mountain in time to catch the shuttle to the village, which stops running at 6:00pm. After Cable Gap shelter, we are caught by Amos Moses (who we’ve been seeing since Franklin). He thinks our plan for the Lodge is great, and rushes ahead to secure a room (as do at least another half dozen thru hikers we later run into in the lobby and dining room). Fontana is resort pricey, and their laundry/general store/shuttle hours are not conducive for getting us back on the trail for an early start, but a delicious steak topped with mushrooms, loaded baked potato, and wonderful assorted greens salad… that’s magical. We will sleep well tonight and are glad to be here. Tomorrow we enter Great Smoky Mountains National Park…

Typical view of trail in Stecoah Gap: An important trail tip is the stability of a rock is not always determined by its size…