Appalachian Trail 2020, Day 20: TriCorner Knob to Newfound Gap (SOBO)

The third day of this southbound Smokies section hike brought a cold, crowded shelter, 15.7 hard-earned miles, a pass by Charlie's Bunion, and a milestone waiting at Newfound Gap. Watch the video below, then read on for the full story.

A Cold, Crowded Night at TriCorner Knob

We left TriCorner Knob Shelter on a cold morning - probably low 30s - sharing the shelter with a dozen or more other hikers overnight. My sleep pad was cheap and barely inflated, and after a rough night like that, upgrading it moved right to the top of the gear wish list. Ahead of us: 15.7 miles to Newfound Gap, where our daughter Cammy was waiting to pick us up.

High Elevation and Scarce Water

The day started with about four miles of climbing, pushing us up to five or six thousand feet - at one point we may have topped 6,000 feet. Water sources were noticeably scarcer up here than anywhere else along the section, and at one stretch we were in the middle of an eight mile carry. Plenty of water was visibly running across the trail from recent rain, just not in spots easy enough to capture efficiently.

Fall Colors and Big Views

What the Smokies lacked in easy water, they made up for in scenery. The fall colors were really starting to come in across the ridgelines, and one particularly unique overlook - a chipped-out cliff face with a huge drop-off - made for one of the best view spots of the whole hike.

Grinding Toward Charlie's Bunion

By the time we approached Charlie's Bunion we'd covered over 11 miles for the day and were pretty spent. The day before had been the toughest for climbing, and this day was just long - a lot of time on our feet with about 4.3 miles left to Newfound Gap. We pushed to make good time so we could get into Gatlinburg for a nice dinner with our daughter, and Charlie's Bunion itself was a welcome landmark letting us know we were getting close.

Rolling Into Newfound Gap - and the 200 Mile Mark

We rolled into Newfound Gap at six o'clock, later than the five o'clock deadline we'd originally texted our daughter, but she was there waiting. Fifteen point seven miles in the books for the day, and since we'd hiked this section southbound, Newfound Gap worked out to be exactly my 200 mile mark on the Appalachian Trail - a nice personal milestone to hit right as the hiking wrapped up.

Touring the Smokies by Car

With the hiking boots put away for the moment, we headed into Gatlinburg and spent time touring around in a rental car - catching a bear sighting along with the views at Cades Cove and Roaring Fork. A great way to close out a demanding three-day section through the Great Smoky Mountains.