We got up at 7, and had to start the day off with a good attitude. Today we had to climb Clingmans Dome, the highest mountain on the east of the Mississippi River and Appalachian Trail. We knew it was not going to be easy, but today was going to be a long one, so we had to give it our all. Today was going to be a rainy and cold day, so we hoped to finish the hike before the rain. At first the hike was easy with small ups and downs. At noon, we stopped at Thunderhead Mountain for a small lunch break. We had Chicken Casserole, which was filling, and gave the needed energy.

On the way to the dome, one of our group members got very tired and decided he had to quit. He wasn’t going to go all the way to Standing Bear Farm with us. He decided to stop at NewFound Gap, and take a shuttle home. So we took some rest, and decided to call and see who was available. After we found someone, we then headed back up the Dome. The hike up was slippery and wet. Unluckily for us, it had started raining, and it was bad. We took a long time getting up, and once we finally made it, we were exhausted. At the top there was an observation tower, but it was so windy and cloudy, we could only stay for a minute. (pic below)

We went to the store, and bought ourselves some trail mix, bars, and everything else we needed. From there we still had 8 more miles until NewFound Gap. Luckily, the hike wasn’t bad and not too tiring. When we got to NewFound Gap, we decided that all of us should leave. The weather was not going to clear up, plus our group member didn’t have his wallet, so we couldn’t let him go by himself. Once the shuttle arrived I was done. It felt great to be in air conditioning again. We picked up our car and drove from Fontana Dam back home. That trip may have been cut short, but it wasn’t any easier.