Porcupine » Tennessee Valley Authority http://ioerror.us Just another WordPress site Tue, 25 Jan 2011 22:59:58 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 Fontana Dam, N.C. http://ioerror.us/2008/04/18/fontana-dam-nc/ http://ioerror.us/2008/04/18/fontana-dam-nc/#comments Fri, 18 Apr 2008 14:51:18 +0000 Michael Hampton http://www.ioerror.us/?p=153 Continue reading →]]> I arrived in one slightly mangled piece at Fontana Dam, N.C., on Tuesday evening, almost three days ago, and have been resting ever since.

I left the Nantahala Outdoor Center on Saturday morning after having spent six days there, and hiked some 6.9 miles straight up. The first big climb out of there was rather rocky and took me 3,000 vertical feet up to Swim Bald at 4,700 feet. That night I stayed at Sassafras Gap Shelter, where I called in to Free Talk Live with a trail update and a story about the idiots at the TSA.

Leaving NOC, N.C.Leaving NOC, N.C.Rock outcropping, leaving NOC, N.C.Rock outcropping, leaving NOC, N.C.Valley from Wright Gap, N.C.Wright Gap, N.C.A.T. north from Wright Gap, N.C.Wade Sutton memorial plaque, near Grassy Gap, N.C.A.T. follows these rocks, ascending to Swim Bald, N.C.

Sunday was mostly cloudy and cold. I went up to Cheoah Bald at 5,032 feet which still had nice views despite the clouds and completed 9.1 miles to Brown Fork Gap shelter. The day was filled with occasional snow flurries and we got a good dusting overnight. Monday my foot was acting up again, and I didn’t feel like hiking through the snow, so I stayed at the shelter for another day.

View south from Cheoah Bald, N.C.View south from Cheoah Bald, N.C.View south from Cheoah Bald, N.C.Cheoah Bald, N.C.Cheoah Bald, N.C.Geocache at Cheoah Bald, N.C.Survey marker at Cheoah Bald, N.C.View north from Cheoah Bald, N.C.View north from Cheoah Bald, N.C.View north from Cheoah Bald, N.C.View north from Cheoah Bald, N.C.View north from Cheoah Bald, N.C.Rock outcropping, descending to Stecoah Gap, N.C.A.T. follows these rocks, descending to Stecoah Gap, N.C.Stecoah Gap, N.C.Stecoah Gap, N.C.Valley from Stecoah Gap, N.C.Winter wonderland, Brown Fork Gap shelter, N.C.

And on Tuesday I hiked pretty hard the 12.7 miles to the Fontana Hilton. The hike was harder than it looked on the map, since many of the ridges it followed were very rocky.

Yet more rocks to climb, N.C.Icicles instead of dripping water, N.C.A.T. goes directly over these rocks, N.C.A.T. goes directly over these rocks, N.C.First view of Fontana Lake, N.C.A.T. crosses over these rocks on the ridgeline, N.C.A.T. crosses over these rocks on the ridgeline, N.C.First good view of Fontana Dam, N.C.Spring has sprung at the lower elevations, near N.C. 28, N.C.A.T. south at N.C. 28/Fontana Lake marina, N.C.A.T. crosses onto TVA land near Fontana Dam, N.C.A.T. crosses onto TVA land near Fontana Dam, N.C.Entering Fontana Dam, N.C.Home sweet home, the Fontana Hilton, N.C.

I stayed at the Fontana Hilton (the somewhat tongue-in-cheek name for the Fontana Dam shelter) on Tuesday night, after making yet another call in to Free Talk Live. I split a hotel here in the Fontana Village Wednesday night with a couple of other hikers, and I was back at the Hilton last night. The wireless Internet connection here in Fontana Village has been slow and flaky so it’s taken me a couple of days to get all my pictures uploaded and this post completed.

In addition, those rocky ridges on the last day into Fontana twisted up my foot again, and it’s somewhat painful to walk. I am going to remain here for at least a week before I even think of moving on, possibly two weeks, since last time a week obviously wasn’t enough time for my foot to heal up. I’ll take some pictures of the dam, the lake and surrounding area while I’m here. I may even do a video, so stay tuned.

I will probably yellow blaze up to Hot Springs for Trailfest next weekend, and after that, I’ll decide if I can continue this hike or not. If so I’ll head back here to Fontana and pick the trail up again, and if not I’ll just go home. As much as I hate to give it up, I really will need my feet in the future.

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