March 21st - Day 20

I woke up in the morning to check my watch to see the temperature (like I do every morning). The watch read 10 degrees. 10 degrees in the shelter! Dang it must be really cold outside. The shelter was usually a bit warmer due to the tarps set up on the open wall so wind won't come in and the body heat. I looked outside for the first time only to see thick fresh powdery snow, at least 6 inches. I packed my things and started hiking. About 15 minutes in I checked my watch for the temperature again and it read 2 degrees!! That's nuts... it was so cold and I didn't even really notice because I was constantly moving. It was a beautiful day. The snow was super thick and the sky was so blue, not a cloud in sight. It was cold but it was a very enjoyable day. I took many photos. We were starting to head out of the Smokies so as we went down in elevation the temperature started to rise above freezing and the snow was becoming thinner and more slushy. It was basically a 4 mile decent to Davenport Shelter which was about a mile from the end of the Smokies. It was our last night sleeping in one of the plush 12 person shelters with a fireplace. We had our full group of about 6 or 7 people and a group of spring breakers that loved to hear our stories of being on the trail for the last month or so. It wasn't a super cold night but we made a huge fire. The next day I was picking up a resupply box Mom and Pop sent me so that meant I got to eat all the food I could to make room in the food bag for all the goodies that were coming. I pigged out, read a little, and passed out before 9 PM like an old man.