Nov 29th, Cosby Knob Shelter to Peck’s Corner Shelter

This was our longest mileage day, and we didn't particularly get an early start. The good news was we had a nice hot brekkie of Backpackers Pantry Blueberry Granola/Oatmeal. Our gear frenzy for the trip included a new stove, a Primus that had a heat exchanger and a wind screen and held out the promise of faster boiling water in the cold conditions. I think these kinda stoves are the future of backpacking (if not of ultra-light backpacking) because of their fast heating and wind mitigating properties.

It did indeed! These shelters in the smokies include a wind screen though, a piece of tarp across the front to keep the

wind and snow out, so we never had need of the windscreen. The water does boil quickly, and we had steaming instant coffee in a cupla minutes, with some small biscotti as an appetizer while the second batch of water was heating up for the oatmeal.

As I was drinking my coffee and waiting for the boiling water, I noticed an ache in my forehead, above the right eye. It wasn't too bad at first, probably from dehydration, but would get worse as the day wore on.

Matildas shoes and socks were dry the night before, mine had been a little wet, can't tell if it's from sweat or leaky shoes, anyway the fire has dried my socks overnight on a warmed up rock, and the temp is above freezing, so no worries getting shoes on, even over blistery feet.

A bit of a climb outa the shelter, up and over 6000', a rarety on the AT indeed. It was sunny and snowy again, really lovely views and sparkling light off the snow. It's mostly dry, but with some wet patches to test our boots, mine look

we on the outside We got out before Afternoon Delight, he didn't look in any hurry, and were expecting him to pass all morning, I get expecting to hear foot crunching in the snow, he never showed up though until lunch.

We'd been a bit lax with a food the night before, too cold for bears we thought, now we're seeing what look like paw prints in the snow, the follow the AT for quite a while, then disappear somewhere, than even later we can see where the bear walked down outa the woods and onto the trail again, a bit of a worry if they're still around, supposed to be hibernating.

I'm not having a good day, my heals hurt from blisters and my head is pounding from a headache. I try to drink as much water as possible, hoping it's just de-hydration, it doesn't seem to help much. The uphills are hard on my blisters, the snow seems to be the culprit, I've winter hiked in these boots before without a problem. The snow seems to push feet back into the rear of the boot and then twist a bit, so it feels like sandpaper is in my socks, ouch.

We see a sign for My Guyot, one of the highest peaks in the mountains at over 6400', it's been quite while since brekkie and I'm getting very hungry, not sure what the sign means since the AT doesn't go over the mountain peak (are you reading this AMC??), however there is supposed to be a side trail, might be a good place to stop for lunch.

Alas Mt Guyot or a side trail never come and we end up at the next shelter, Tri-Corner knob. It's nice cause the water and privy are close, and it has a bit of a view of the lower elevations. As we eat away, Afternoon Delight arrives, eats fairly quickly and then hussles off, think he's trying to make either the Gap or Icewater Spring for the night, and bypass our destination, Pecks Corner.

During the afternoon we meet some hikers who started from Newfound Gap yesterday, the news is that the gap road didn't open till 2pm, a good thing we didn't wait, it'd been a very late start and arrival to a shelter, and we'd a hadda reconfigure the whole hike and try to make up the lost distance.

They slept at Icewater Spring last night after a short in-hike, and said it was very crowded, full in fact, I started to think that maybe all this big herd of hikers was headed for Pecks Corner and hadn't bothered to register or check the online reservation status, we'll see.

Pecks Corner is a ways off the AT, never a favorite thing to experience at the end of a long day on the trail. It's downhill as well, which means another climb in the morning. My head is still pounding as we roll in, there's only one other backpacker there and he reports that the rangers had told him only 3 at the shelter tonight, good news.

I resolve to get water immediately to try and suppress my headache, think we didn't have enough the night before. Anthony, the other backpacker, reports that the water source is back on the link trail, I walk back up and don't see any water, getting frustrated with this shelter already.

David Miller's guide reports the spring as being just South of the shelter side trail, but can't find it. I go back to the shelter to find out what the companion says, I used up most of my phone battery the night before reading a John Grisham book on the Kindle app, so gotta fire it up to check the companion.

It reports the spring as being 50 yards in front of the shelter, and Matilda has gone down to the horse hitching post (yes they allow horses and pack animals in this park), there's a sign with it's back to shelter that points to the spring in front of the shelter, really guys this shelter is just a nuisance.

I fill all our water bottles so we don't have to come back, the trail down to the spring is very steep and slippery, if short, don't wanna have to come back again. We have plenty for dinner and brekkie, and to get us a good way down the trail on the morrow.

Our companion Anthony tries to make a fire, it's fairly big chunks of wood and it's a no-go, the list of issues with the shelter grows, there's very little wood around as well so it'll be a colder night, and it's almost dark. Then matilda notices a mouse high up in the beams, oh brother this just gets worse.

It also means we gotta hoist our food on the bear cables, mice are actually more of a menace. We heat up some water for tea and a snack before Pad Thai for dinner and retire early. Even sleeping pills don't help and I lie awake for quite awhile, cell phone battery is too dead for reading and I remember Bakers comment about the one thing he wished he hadda bought on the trail, another extra battery for his phone.