Tuesday June 12, miles today 12.9, miles from Springer 177.3

After breakfast we caught the first shuttle out back to the trail.  Ray and two other hikers were on the same shuttle but they were being dropped off further along at the Dam.  Three other hikers were at the front door at 6:30 waiting for a special shuttle but I guess they didn't know about Western Carolina time, their driver didn't show up til 8 am.

We got on the trail at the marina since that is where we left off.  A mile and a half we got to a Fontana shelter, also known as the Fontana Hilton.  It sleeps 24 and comes equipped with flush toilets, showers and a phone charging station.  A half mile further we arrived at the Dam.  Hellcat, Obi Wan and I became tourists while Major Tom crossed the dam and continued up the trail.  Finally after 45 minutes of looking at the structure and displays at the visitor center we too crossed the dam. 

We climbed 2700 feet in pretty high humidity.  Despite this I think we were feeling pretty good due to the zero day.  Obi Wan and Hellcat were hiking ahead of me like usual until I came upon them standing in the trail.  Ahead of us about 100 feet was a mother bear and two cubs, one of the cubs was standing on the trail.  I showed them how I learned to deal with this situation as I learned years before as a young cowboy working in the Sierra Nevadas.  I calmly announced our presence, which she already knew, "hello mother bear".  I then asked her for permission to pass, "mother bear, may we continue on the trail?".  I then continued to talk calmly and reassuringly.  The cubs scampered to the other side of the mother and she then ambled down the hill.  When she was over 100 feet from the trail we continued down the trail, as we passed I thanked her "thank you mother bear". 

We continued to Mollies ridge shelter and there were already quite a few people there.  We considered going three more miles to Russell Field shelter but found out it was closed due to bear problems.  By 7:30 pm there were 21 people there.  The national parks require all hikers sleep in shelters.  If there are too many people then thru hikers must tent.  We settled in cooked our dinners, bedded down in that mass of humanity.