Dan and Rocky’s Big Adventure

  Days 24-26 April 26-28 Fontana Dam to Double Spring Gap Fontana Dam Day 24 Fontana Dam to Mollies Ridge Shelter We said goodbye to Sally and headed across the Fontana Dam this windy and rainy morning.   Before long, we were entering the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP).   We're official -- we placed our GSMNP thru-hiker registration in the Trailhead box.  I'm sure Rocky was impressed. We passed through a stand of Tulip Poplar trees.  The wind had blown down and littered the ground with their yellow and orange flowers. About halfway through today's hike we came to the Shuckstack Fire Tower.  We were in the clouds and fog, plus the wind was howling.  I climbed the tower, much to Rocky's chagrin. The fog was so thick that I couldn't see more than a few feet in front of me, and I missed the turn back on the AT.  After about an eighth of a mile, I finally figured out that I should be going up instead of down and got back on track. While the trail itself had

  Days 21-23,  April 23-25 Locust Cove Gap to Fontana Dam Day 21, Locust Cove Gap to Cody Gap Our morning started out like most mornings:  making breakfast, filtering water, and tearing down camp.  It was quickly disrupted when the Belgian Malinois that had jumped Rocky the night before ran into our camp and did it again.  There was a dog scuffle that ended with neither dog getting hurt.  The dog's owner then proceeded to threaten Commando with a hiking pole and said that if we touched his dog he would lay hands on us.  He realized he was outnumbered and backed off.  We reported the incident to the local Sheriff's Department. The trail again had a lot of major ups and downs.  The temperature was on the cool side, which made the uphill climbs bearable.   Day 21 Trail Profile One benefit of hiking in the Southern Appalachian mountains this time of year is the variety of wildflowers.  The hills are covered in white, blue, pink, yellow, and purple wildflowers, many of which I haven