I’m on the top of the world, looking down on creation ~The Carpenters
May 28, 2023
AT miles: 13.0
Ascent: 3088’
Descent: 2136’
Weather: mid-50’s, cloudy, with a huge rain shower in the afternoon
Sightings: lots of deep dark conifer forests
High points: I climbed Clingmans Dome, the highest point on the AT!
Today I climbed up and over Clingmans Dome (6658’)!
After the usual morning scramble I walked the ten miles to Clingmans Dome, mostly with Scott. It was a long ascent. We passed almost no views — I took a picture of this because the sky was getting cloudier as the day progressed.
The last part was hard of the ascent was hard, but the wood became a beautiful conifer forest, dark and mossy, full of ferns and cedars. And so quiet!
I knew I was getting closer to the summit when I started seeing lots of day-hikers climbing down from the parking area near the summit. The crowds at the summit were startling.
Who sees the summit of a beautiful remote mountain and says, “This mountain needs a road to the summit and a cement structure similar to an alien spaceship so that hordes of people will drive up to see it?”
Of course, I had to climb the actual dome, but as a grungy unwashed hiker I felt very out of place among the crowd of nicely-dressed and sweetly-scented people!
Given the cloudy weather, I was surprised by the crowds. I mean, the only view was of clouds!
The remaining four miles were long. After some descent the trail did a climb up to Mt. Collins (5958’) but mostly it did a gradual though root-filled descent. Adding to a long day, the shelter was 0.4 miles off trail, and the water source another 0.25 miles further!
Much to my surprise, I was the first person to the
shelter. Scott arrived a few minutes later, and almost immediately afterwards it started to pour. We are the only two who made it through all six days never walking in the rain!
Tonight looks like another cold social evening. Like yesterday, Camel, the mushroom guy, had no takers on hit gourmet-smelling concoction.
Today is a great day for a long walk in the woods!
We laughed out loud as we read about Mushroom Man!!
So impressed you conquered Clingmans Dome the way a true hiker does — no shortcuts!!