Day 20. Fontana Lodge to Mollies Ridge Shelter

I left the Fontana Lodge at 0615 and hiked in the dark until the sun rose over he Fontana Dam. I hiked with How Bout and Rash. I entered the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.. The climb was ok for the first 6 miles util we reached 4,000 feet. That's when the game changed... Snow with drifts knee deep for the next 6.6 miles. The hike was agonizing to say the least. The water sources were unreliable. At on point I melted snow in my Jet Boil stove and made a liter of Gatorade to replenish my electrolytes. I arrived at the Mollies Ridge Shelter around 1700. The shelter was made of stone and wood. It had a nice fireplace inside with a tarp blocking the wind from the sleeping area. We hung our wet socks over the fireplace like Christmas stockings. Unfortunately, someone placed my boots too close to the fire and burned off the leather outer side and heel. They are still functional but not to pretty...

Today I hiked 12.6 miles. The trail was tough due to the deep snow.

So far I have hiked 176.8 miles. Today I crossed the state line into Tennessee!!! 4 states so far. The trail criss crosses NC and TN through the Smokies.