I have seen many folks in the mountains less than prepared for the conditions the Smokies can throw at you but these three young people deserve not so honorable a mention. The "leader' of the three, a personable young man when I mentioned putting them on my blog, you mean for “what not to do“and I replied ‘basically’. Sure he said. He seemed strong for his size as well he needed to be, for he must have emptied his mother’s food stores or someone's, selecting only canned goods and whatever he could find, in glass jars; deviating to carry many naval oranges. Actually he had stopped at a supermarket. Paul Newman would have been proud of him for selecting good sauces, in "glass" jars!
His youth and strength was tested still the next morning when he required considerable maneuvering and dexterity to get into and vertical with that pack even after providing the thru hikers the night before with plenty of pork & beans and such, relieving his load by half a dozen can goods. All three managed to get to the shelter with plenty of wet gear, lacking only "dry" gear. Our leader even produced a nice hiker friendly down jacket. Well it would have been if it had been kept dry but instead it was reduced to a wet windbreaker.
I have written all this to hopefully emphasize the importance of planning, particularly when venturing into the back country not prepared for the weather and or terrain you could encounter. Our friends and pleasant folks they were I think realized their error and hopefully left the back country by the nearest exit as I suggested. In all fairness the weather was hard on all of us.
Keep hiking,
Carl
