Smokies Hiking Trip - Day 5

It was SOOOO cold last night!  I wore almost all the clothes I'd brought in my backpack - and still wasn't really warm - but somehow must have managed to get some sleep because I woke up several times for various noises.  Decided to get out of my tent at around 0630 (after reading for a bit) and started to clean up my tent site.  The sun came out by 0730 but it was still warm.  Got some more water and ate some food.  Almost everyone else had gotten started on their hikes with headlamps so I was one of the last to depart Peck's Corner (0830). Had to take the side trail back to the AT and, by the time I reached the ridge, I decided I'd chosen to wear too many clothes.  Shed some layers and then continued.  Found two young lady hikers ("T.P." and "E.T.") who had found a place to make calls and texts.  For the rest of the day, we leapfrogged a few times.  Met a few other Thru Hikers, including two young guys ("Fiji" and "Peach Fuzz") and an older gentleman with a long beard (who I later learned was from Hanover, NH) named "Prophet".  Also encountered "Vibe" again - he helped me get my backpack over a spiky fallen tree.  Spent most of the day climbing and descending repeatedly between 5500 and 6200 feet - got really tired.  Fortunately, it wasn't as windy or cold up there and the sun was warm.  I was able to shed some layers (short sleeves!) and stopped in a few places for some amazing views.  It seemed like it took forever to reach the Tri-Corner Shelter so I didn't stop (still had close to eight more miles to go).  More climbing after that but it was pleasant to walk in the deep alpine forest.  My backpack started really hurting my shoulders... More leapfrogging with other Thru Hikers but, like yesterday, I usually let everyone else pass me.  There was something on the map about there being aircraft wreckage on the ridge but I never saw anything like that.  Was alone for a long time, at one point - I began to think that all the youngsters had rushed ahead to get a place in the shelter.  Just before I reached Cosby Knob Shelter, I had to make one more climb (ugh).  Somehow, though, I made it after walking nearly 14 miles, with side trails included (1615).  Was very surprised to find that almost no one I'd seen the night before was there - this contradicted things they'd been saying all day (I learned later that many of them decided to power through to the Davenport Gap Shelter).  With a smaller crowd (and the lack of suitable campsites), I decided to stay in the shelter this time.  This was a bit difficult, compared to tent camping, because of the limitation of space for looking through my backpack.  Somehow, though, I managed to get settled in the loft (no one else was up there yet).  I enjoyed the company of several section hikers from Georgia, Prophet, E.T., T.P. and others.  Made another dinner of dehydrated food (mashed potatoes) and one lady gave all of us hot chocolate.  Spent the rest of the evening reading, journaling and making sure I was dressed warmly enough for the forecasted temps (40s).  Saw a mouse running along the back wall but was assured by the other occupants of the shelter that this was normal ("they won't bother you if you sleep with your head out towards the front of the shelter").  A few more people arrived before it was completely dark and almost everyone was asleep as soon as the sun was down.  With my head in the correct location, I went to bed myself at close to 2100.  AT Today = 13.0 miles / Grand Total AT = 1916.6 miles