Date: 2007-03-27
From: Betty Creek Gap, NC 

To: Rock Gap Shelter, NC
Miles today: 8.4
Weather: light rain

Well I ended up with the pad and tarp staked after all last nite. Immediatelywarm once I did this. It is currently 52 degrees in my hammock at 6:30 a.m.I'd like to elaborate a bit more on my loss of humor last nite. Nicole and Iwere discussing how everything you do out here is a "chore" compared to at homewith all the modern conveniences of life. Something as simple as gettingdressed requires steps you don't have to take at home, such as checking for bugsin your clothing, not droppig them on the ground to keep them clean, trying toclean off your body best you can, etc.Yesterday's 11.3 miles was a test for me. I now know I can do it, but willprobably not attempt it again till I am bit more conditioned. I gave everythingphysically that I could yesterday, and had very little energy for camp chores,like setting up, changing clothes, cooking dinner, digging a cathole and doinmy biz, etc. So my advice is learn how to monitor your energy. If you startfeeling totally tapped out, then stop at the next opportunity and set up camp. Also the adrenalin rush of being by those baby Black bear cubs wore me out, butman was it cool.My physical health is doing pretty good. Only annoying issue is it appears someof those huge deer flies or chiggers bit my lower legs in several places, and ititches like crazy. I have not used duct tape on my feet since leavingHiawassee, and zero blisters so far. Other than my feet aching at nite, I'mdoing really good. Hurting feet is all part of it out here, vitamin I helps withthat.   I also mentioned last nite I had difficulty with my hang. We are in a verythick area of Rhodadundruns (I do realize I spell this differently everytime!LOL). You really can't hang from these trees, they are too small. I did find aplace, and for the 3rd nite in a row, one of the trees is a bigger diameter thanmy tree hugger. I was just having a hard time getting that one to stay put. Not really a big deal, I was just out of patience.So I should get up, it is 7:30 and the birds are chirping. They always start atsunrise, and they are my little alarm clock.We got out of camp at the normal 9:20'ish. Headed for a shelter that would putus within 4 miles of Franklin. It was a cool day today. Overcast for much ofit and in the 70's.On our way to Mooney Gap, we could hear a flute playing. It was a really hazyday, so we never figured out where it was coming from, but it was very cool.Then we got to climb Albert Mt., a mountain known for the first rock scrambleand it is 5,250 ft tall. Rock scrambling means you are basically rock climbingover big boulders on all fours. It was a BLAST!! I had a ball, and Nicole andI ended up strapping our hiking poles to our packs to free up our hands.We got to the top, and there is a fire tower on top, that rises about 100 ft inthe air, and you can climb the stairs. WOW!! What a view! It was incredible. I felt like I was being cupped in Mother Nature's hands. Each valley being thelines in her hands and each mountain being the folds of skin. It was endlessand I felt like I was sitting on the tip top of the world. I didn't want toleave. Nicole had an unexpected reaction of freezing still due to the height of thistower, and we were both laughing. Apparently she has a huge fear of heights anddidn't realize it was that bad! LOLWe ate lunch on top of Albert Mt. with Eagle, who is this crazy former Marinewho hiked the whole trail NOBO, turned around 2 days later, hiked it SOBO, andis now turning around again for another NOBO, with only a few days in between! We finally headed down the Mt. and the rest of the day was a pretty easy hike,but it was still a foot punding day, so we were of course looking for a footsoaking creek. Well, Kimsey Creek came to the rescue! Part of it was actuallythe trail, but there was a section where the water looked like it was comingfrom the bottom of the tree! Much like the Swiss Family Robinson Tree at Disney. It was so cool.We pulled ourselves away and knew a milestone was only .5 miles away. We hitthe 100 mile mark! 100 WHOLE miles! I've never walked that far let alone hikedwith a pack! So how did we celebrate? We both took an artistic picture and I split a proteinbar with Nicole. Then I became inspired and decided to make a toast (with myprotein bar of course). Nicole soon joined in, and here is a recreation of ourtoast, and yes, we were laughing so hard I'm sure people heard us from milesaway:I would like to make a toast to 2 weeks on the trail, 100 miles, fingernails you can't get clean, butt crack chaffing, pee rags, aching feet soaking in coldmountain water, incredible weather, unbelievably bad body odor, farting in frontof someone you've known for less than a month and laughing everytime,breathtaking views of the mountains, warm weather, Idahoan Instant mashedpotatoes, baby bear cubs, rolled ankles, car theives, rides in the back ofpolice cars, hot showers in towns, calls home when we actually get a cell signal out here, the sound of a rushing stream, the perfect hang, crocs, andfinally...duct tape!We were both laughing so hard we were doubled over. Imagine, all thisexcitement in only the first 100 miles. What could the rest of this journey belike?   We finally made it to Rock Gap Shelter around 5:45 p.m. and about 12 people arehere, but I don't know everyone. Here's the ones I do: Sailor, Dances withSlothes, Shalome, Evil Eye, Another Topic, Not Guilty, Nicole and I.It was weird being around so many people, but kind of fun too. I think everyone but 1 person is headed into Franklin for the Haven's Budget Inn tomorrow. Ron Haven is known trail wide for his service to hikers, and he is at the road crossing at 9 and 11 a.m. for free shuttles to town. We have about 4 miles to go, so hopefully we'll make it in time. If not, we'll just thumb it.Oh, there were orange sodas in the water here at the shelter. Thank You towhomever left those. Hit the spot for sure! It is another warm nite, probablyin the upper 50's right now. Gonna make a adjustment to my hang (my head is toofar below my feet) and get some shut eye. There is almost zero flat groundhere, so I am hanging on two trees that are on a huge hill. What this means isthe foot end is attached really low on the tree that is up the hill, and thehead end is higher on the tree that is downhill. It is a bit of an opticalillusion. I had a few people ask me about my hammock again. As I was putting itup, I heard someone say, "There, now you can see the hammock." Guess people are talking about it. I have not spent one nite at a site with another hanger, so there I go again, having to be the different one! LOL Hey, different = comfortable in this case. It was a really great day, and tomorrow brings a shower. YIPPY! It is about9:45 p.m., and it is time to sleep.~Certain