april 2 - out of the smokies

April 2 was the day i left the smokies. So of course it was a good day. We woke up pretty early because of the cold, Everyone did. Anything that was wet was frozen solid, which means that everyones boots were frozen. I wanted to start hiking as soon as possible to start generating heat. So as soon as i was packed up i ate a handful of trailmix and started hiking. We hike most of the day with chad and silas. Talking to chad i learned how easy it is to get a degree in education. Evidently there are online colleges that'll give you a recognized degree in about a year. As the elevation got lower and lower, it got warmer. First the snow began getting softer, then thinner, then just mud, then dry ground. The sun was also out all day, and the terrain was mostly downhill. So even though the day was longer, it was still much more enjoyable. We ended at davenport gap shelter. Its an old style smoky mountain shelter, that the front wall is a chain link fence to keep bears out. I hung my tarp on it to keep any wind out. A few more hikers arrived, one of them made a campfire, and some of us sat by it until late. It was a pretty nice, but chilly night.