Great Smoky Mountains - Mount Sterling - January 18, 2004 - Member Trip Report

Hike Name:	Great Smoky Mountains - Mount Sterling
Country:	United States
State:	Tennessee
Trip Rating:
Trip Date:	January 18, 2004
Duration:	1 day
Trail Conditions:	Fair to Good
Trail Traffic:	Light
Trip Weather:	Cloudy, Fog
Trip Winds:	Light
Trip Precipitation:	Rain, Showers
Trip Temperature:	High: 31-40, Low: 31-40 degrees Fahrenheit
Trip Report:	Sunday (1/18/04) – Cloudy with rain. Temps to 40’s H, 30’s L. The forecast was for rain today but it didn’t start until around noon with only light drizzle at that point. The MLK hikers were up by 8:30am this morning and Porter and DeLisle boiled up some hot water for breakfast. I planned to take the Gunter Fork Trail out today to get back to Atlanta for an interview tomorrow, and McKinney decided to join me. We were the first ones out of Laurel Gap shelter at 10am this morning and we hit the Gunter Fork Trail within thirty minutes. It was a four mile hike off the ridge and we passed Gunter Fork Falls on the way which was worthy of a few photos. At 3000 feet we were slowed down by a number of creek crossings but were successful (thanks to McKinney’s trekking poles) until the last major ford at Big Creek near Campsite #37. Both McKinney and I slipped off a rock and went in the water which was quite cold to say the least. By the time we hit Campsite #37, we were both ready for some lunch and we sat in the rain and ate snacks. The rain started as we hit Gunter Fork Falls and didn’t quit until we were in Waynesville on the drive home (where the skies cleared for some sunshine). It was a long hike to the truck from #37 but we made it there by 3pm and stopped for some soft drinks at Mountain Mama’s Kuntry Kitchen. Unfortunately it was closed, so we drove on to Waynesville for some grub at Taco Bell. McKinney took the wheel for the final three hour drive to Atlanta and we made it back by 7pm.. (Note: The other MLK hikers had 2-3 inches of snow this afternoon on the ridges between Tri-Corner Knob shelter and Cosby Knob shelter. They stayed the night at Cosby Knob, climbed Mt Cammerer, then took the Chestnut Branch Trail back to the ranger station at Big Creek Campground on Monday.)