stover creek shelter to gooch mountain shelter

miles: 12.9

went to bed around 21:00 last night and shortly after a barred owl started hooting just above my tent. a few minutes later a second owl began hooting as well and then began what i refer to as the psychotic clown call. seconds later the loud owl flew over to the one above my tent and they both cackled maniacally. it was extremely loud and was the talk of the breakfast table.

scottish oats for breakfast with some torn bits of dried mango. a little bland, but worked out. coffee followed to clean out my mug.

packed up the tent, despite no rain it was pretty damp. one problem with a single walled tent is condensation, but i stayed dry.

slept well though my uninsulated pad needs something extra on cold nights. my top half was sweating, but i could feel the cold beneath me.

left camp at 09:40.

day started off pretty clear. i walked up the side of stover creek toward long creek falls. before i got there though there was a tiny footpath down the bank that i followed. it ended shortly in a gross mud pit. i thought it was a dead end and then i saw an even smaller footpath, more like a single footprint. that ended in a small shallow creek, which i followed through the rhododendrons toward the sound of rushing water. when i emerged into the clearing at the bottom of the falls, it was stunning. a little beach below the falls added to it’s charm.

i also visited long creek falls, which while larger was not as picturesque.

i lunched at hawk mountain shelter. and watched the fog roll in. afternoon was a lot of rain, which kept the trail very muddy, but it cleared as i reached gooch mountain shelter around 4.

i decided to stay in the shelter as it had only 3 hikers in it. tended to my feet which were pretty macerated due to the constant wet conditions.

folks have been rolling in all afternoon, and now there are tents all over the place. conversations are on COVID19 and how so many places are closed. apparently we can’t get permits at the NOC at the entrance to smoky mountain national park, so have to get them online and somehow print them out? not sure how that is going to work yet.