Wednesday May 21: Breaking Camp, Deep Creek Trail
The day’s goal is to ascend the Fork Ridge Trail (5.1 miles) up to the Clingman’s
Dome access road then take the Appalachian Trail another four miles to the
top of the Mountain. Once there the hikers are to regroup and descend down
the Forney Ridge Trail to The Forney Creek camp ground at the base of the
Forney Creek Cascades, the site of an old logging camp. The hikers are well
rested and ready to attack the Fork Ridge and its initially daunting vertical
ascent.
Wednesday May 21: Fork Ridge Trail, Afternoon
From the Journal of Ben Lebofsky, Wednesday May 21: Clingman’s Dome Access Road
The hike up the Fork Ridge Trail proved to be long and treacherous. Three
of the group, Ben, Jason, and Greg, lagged behind and were in danger a not
reaching the planned camp site until well into the evening. Luckily a group
of good ol’ boys stopped to give them a lift to the top of the Mountain and
there was much rejoicing.
Wednesday May 21: Clingman’s Dome, Early Evening
The group gathers at the top of Clingman’s Dome. The three laggers suffer
a round of razzing from the more zealous members of the group for taking the
easy way out up the trail, yet they remain quite satisfied with themselves.
After taking in the awesome view the group marches onward toward their ultimate
destination, the Forney Creek campground.
“I didn’t think the day could be so long or move so slowly. The sun seems
poised in the still air above, glaring down like an enraged parent. The trail
climbs ever upward and at each cresting I am forced to pause, out of breath
and tired as fuck. My pack feels like a body, a dead weight pulling me downward.
My revolting muscles whisper conspiratorially, “Just relax a bit, the others
will wait. Take your time, you’ve got the whole day.” But, I know that the
day marches onward faster than I can climb this mountain, and time is no longer
on my side. One foot before the other. One foot before the other…”
