Date: 2005-05-01
From: Flint Mountain Shelter

To: Low Gap Campsite
Miles today: 14.7
Weather: few clouds

Last night we were joined by another hiker ¢ Shakedown from Springfield, MO. He¢s very fit ¢ hiked all the way from Spring Mountain Shelter. He has a light pack and wears only running shoes.The amusement this morning was retrieving my bear bag which was stuck in the tree. Apparently the angle of the rope, the wetness from last night¢s rain, and the relative lightness of the bag held it up. It took 10 minutes of batting with the shelter¢s rake to finally shake it loose.As usual, I¢m the first one out. Walt is camped somewhere ahead and I caught up to him after Rt. 212 shortly before our steep ascent up Frozen Knob. The ascent was long but I made it without stopping, admiring the trillium which graced the slopes as well as other flowers. Some muddy stretches were annoying but nothing like New England.. As the wind picked up, the skies transitioned from mostly cloudy to mostly sunny with the temperature noticeably dropping as I neared the Frozen Knob summit. It¢s cold on top ¢ I can see the derivation of the name. Nice views to the left.Even with the ascent and a gorp break atop Frozen Knob, I reached Hogback Shelter at 11:52, surprisingly on a more-than-2 mph pace. Finishing lunch, I was about to leave the shelter when Walt arrived followed closely by Turbo Joe. Walt and I will probably camp at the same place tonight but Joe will push on.As I near Sam¢s Gap, I catch glimpses of I-26 in distance well before the descent. Going up the other side, I ran into Wilderness Bob and Preying Mantis on the ridge drying their equipment. They had taken advantage of a hikers lunch advertised by a sign at the Sam¢s Gap crossing and gave a thumbs up recommendation. Getting tired from the continued ascents but the view from the unnamed bald was worth it. Caught a glimpse of 2 deer running around the point of woods meeting open grassy top. If I had sufficient water, I¢d camp at the top. Saw a blue flash and recognized an indigo bunting. When the descending finally commenced, I consulted the Handbook frequently and looked carefully to ensure I wouldn¢t miss Low Gap. Finally saw what appeared to be campsites off to the left, walked down, and found the piped spring. This was the place, but none of the spots were exactly level.Despite the name ¢Low Gap,¢ this site is at 4,300¢ and within 15 minutes after arrival, I¢m cooling off rapidly. Dried my socks and bandannas in the waning sun. I can tell tonight will be colder than the previous 2. Turbo Joe came by, stopped to cook dinner, then decided to move on. Hope I see him again. Wilderness Bob and Preying Mantis passed through. Then Walt stopped to camp. So it¢s just Walt and me tonight. Walt and his 70 pound pack are a great conversation piece. As noted before, he¢s got a quick sense of humor. One amusing facet is that his watch has gone haywire so he¢s forever asking the time. The watch is one of those sophisticated types with altitude and other parameters but I advised him to by something cheap that works when we arrive in Erwin. I enjoy reminding Walt that I¢m retired. Retired?! You can¢t be retired! Go back to work so I can draw my social security! He also apparently doesn¢t have much in the way of trail maps or guides since he¢s always asking where we are and how far to go to certain points. I was in bed by 7 after my longest day to-date. Slept well.