Appalachian Trail 2021, Days 23-24: Spence Field Shelter to Newfound Gap (NOBO)

A jam-packed shelter, a movie night on the top bunk, Rocky Top, and a brutal cold snap that brought 29 degree lows and freezing rain over Clingmans Dome - this final stretch closed out the gap between the two Smokies section hikes. Watch the video below, then read on for the full story.

A Packed Shelter and a Movie Night

Spence Field Shelter was jammed the night before - it sleeps twelve and there were still overflow hikers tenting around it. A group that called themselves "the final bubble" made up at least a dozen of that crowd, and it was a fun, social night capped off by someone streaming Knives Out on the upper deck. I fell asleep to the movie, like I usually do, before heading out around 8:51 the next morning into a cold mid-30s start.

Rocky Top

Not long after leaving the shelter we hit a short, steep climb up to Rocky Top - barely a tenth or two of a mile, but a memorable stop with a clear look back at the ridge we'd just come from.

Drying Out at Derrick Knob

Lunch at Derrick Knob Shelter turned into an unexpected gear-drying session. After two days of everything getting soaked, it was a relief to spread out the wet tent and gear in the sun while eating - by the time lunch was done, everything was dry. It was also a good chance to catch up with other hikers on trail and compare notes on where everyone was headed, with a mix of section and thru-hikers converging on the next shelter.

A Cold Night at Silers Bald

We rolled into Silers Bald Shelter around six that evening with the temperature sitting at a brutal 32 degrees for hours. Rain moved in around 3am and, at some point after 5am, changed character entirely - hitting the tin roof with the distinct, harder sound of freezing rain. Fortunately the forecast called for clearing by nine the next morning, so there was hope the worst of it would hold off before we had to hike back into it.

Ice on the Trees, Up and Over Clingmans Dome

Day four started cold and stayed that way - ice forming on the trees as we climbed toward 5,000 and then 6,000 feet, with visibility dropping to near nothing. We couldn't shed a single layer all morning on the push up to Clingmans Dome, and the observation tower itself was properly icy, with only brief windows of visibility out toward Mount Le Conte and the ridge back toward Fontana Lake where this whole section had started.

Leveling Up and Rolling Into Newfound Gap

The last few miles into Newfound Gap were muddy and cold, with accumulating hail and freezing rain that never really let up. Looking back on the whole four-day push - thunderstorms on day one, cold and more rain through the middle days, then a truly frigid, icy finish over Clingmans Dome - it felt like a genuine step up in backcountry skills, especially around managing wet gear and staying warm at elevation in high wind. Eleven and twelve mile days aren't huge numbers on paper, but between the weather and the extra layers we were carrying, this section earned every mile. Glad to have the Smokies checked off - beautiful place, but plenty tough - with the trail now pointing north for the next section.