Smokies Hiking Trip - Day 7

I got up once during the night and was stunned at how bright the moon was.  By the time the sun came up (at around 0700), I was ready to get moving because it had seemed like daytime for so long already.  Along with me, everyone in the Shelter started getting ready to leave simultaneously and this caused a crowd everywhere (water source, eating area, backpack staging area).  I decided to let everyone else move ahead and sat down for a light breakfast of an orange, energy bars and some candy.  The temps were already in the 40s by this point and the sky was overcast.  Meanwhile, one of the main gripes I heard a lot of during this time was that there was no Privy at this shelter.  Imagine a steep hill (below the shelter on the opposite side of the ridge from the water source) with little while blooms of toilet paper and you get the idea...  Personally, I didn't have a problem with this because of several thousand miles of "Using the Nature" (as my Chileno Guides called it).  Still, it was clear that trail griping was alive and well - since the weather was gone, this was the new complaint.  "Snapper" and "Nice Hat" left earlier than me because they were worried about incoming rain so I ended up with just the NOBO Thru Hikers to talk to at the end.  They asked me a lot of questions about re-supply and other logistics close to Clingman's Dome and I tried to help as best I could.  It occurred to me at that point that this Hiker Bubble would likely reach Maine right about the time that I was hiking the rest of my AT miles - we talked about this and agreed that it would be good to meet up again.  Departing Derrick's Knob at around 0815, I continued south on the trail for about a mile before encountering "Nice Hat" - he was changing clothes.  From that point until much later in the day, I didn't see him again.  Instead, I "girded my loins" for several sharp climbs I had in front of me.  At one point, I passed by some deer, grazing on the trail, and they barely moved out of the way so I could pass.  I continued encountering NOBO Thru hikers but not at the frequency of the previous day.  As a result, I was by myself for long periods of time.  Due to the "sawtooth" nature of the hills, I stopped a few times to eat a snack and check on my water - it held out OK but I definitely was glad I'd brought some "Liquid IV" (replenished electrolytes) that Mollie had given me.  After a few hours of walking, I finally encountered the incline that indicated I'd reached Thunderhead Mountain (5527 feet).  The climb wasn't too bad but the weather changed dramatically from that point.  When I reached the summit, I was met with very gusty conditions, swirling sleet and much colder temperatures (high 20s).  I was not dressed for this and it made my next 30 minutes uncomfortable - I was hoping to find some cover to get warmer and dryer but never found any.  Instead, I crossed over the adjacent summit of Rocky Top (5540 feet) as the weather got progressively worse.  The views from this stretch of trail were supposed to be awesome but I didn't stay on the exposed rock outcropping long enough to make my own assessment.  Instead, I descended as rapidly as I could into a small valley (still 4900 feet elevation) with limited tree cover.  Along the way, I started to pass families and day hikers who had come up from Cades Cove (on the Tennessee side of the border).  They looked chipper and happy, despite the elements, and gave me an idea that I was close to the Spence Field Shelter.  Located about 0.2 miles from the AT, the warm, dry lean-to was the perfect place to stop (despite my normal aversion to "blue blazing").  As I sat under cover (and, more importantly, out of the wind) for about an hour, I transitioned from being very cold and wet to being warmer and dryer.  While waiting, I met up with "Snapper" again, who told me he was going to spend the night in the shelter "because it is the only one with a privy."  Eventually, the sun actually came out (although the wind didn't cease) and I decided to return to AT, hoping to cover the remaining five miles of my hike before conditions worsened again.  From the trail junction, the AT progressed downhill (for nearly 1000 feet of elevation loss) to Russell Field Shelter.  I was passing fewer and fewer other hikers as I continued, indicating that most everyone else with a brain had stopped for the night somewhere.  Unfortunately, I had a reservation (with my Backcountry Permit) that required me to climb about 1000 feet out of the valley where Russell Field Shelter was - this nearly broke all my resolve to complete the hike.  Actually, about the only thing that kept me going was that I really had zero other options.  Each time I crested a smaller hill with no visible hills behind it, I thought I was done with the hike - "the shelter has to be nearby!"  But, each time, I was disappointed with yet another climb.  Added to my overall psychological condition, the dropping temperatures and higher winds made for tough going.  Dejected, exhausted and feeling very humble, I still managed to reach the Mollies Ridge Shelter (my stopping point for the day) at around 1615.  The situation there was different than my previous night in that the whole shelter was full of Thru hikers except for one, narrow slot for my sleep system (inflatable pad and sleeping bag).  I gladly took it and got to know some of the 12 NOBOs who were going to spend the night with me indoors: "McCrackin", "Waterboy", "High Fructose", "Gadget" and "Lieutenant Dan" were some of the memorable ones.  My dinner consisted of another dehydrated meal (Chicken Gumbo) and some other snacks.  Meanwhile, the Thru hikers had brought lots of odd combinations of food: blocks of cheese, Chef Boyardee (in a plastic bag), sticks of salami, Red Claw, etc.  There was also a lively trade in "pain medications" going on while I was there.  The water and toilet area were almost identical to my previous night at Derrick's Knob but I didn't use either location because it was so cold (mid 30s).  Someone got the bright idea to attempt building a fire (same setup as the previous night) but the wind made all the smoke fill the two sleeping levels - one hiker eventually complained and the attempts ceased.  Right around this point, "Nice Hat" appeared (1815).  Since he had the same permit as me, he could have booted out a Thru Hiker but he wisely/generously didn't and, instead, pitched a tent with about 10 other late-arrivers on the cold (4600 foot) ridge (brrrr).  Including everyone I saw since sunrise, I believe I encountered about 40 hikers.  Since I was cold, I retired to my upper "loft" bedding slot and, by 2015, I had been lying in my bed for almost an hour already.  My clothes, which had started out damp, had finally dried.  Needless to say, I didn't get up again before falling asleep.  It was great to finish another 12 miles of AT today and I'm looking forward to getting back to Fontana Dam tomorrow!  AT Today = 12.0 miles / Grand Total AT = 2110.3 miles