Date: 2013-10-14
From: Devil's Fork Gap

To: Camp Creek Bald
Miles today: 16.5
Weather: overcast clouds

We drove from Hemlock Hollow Hostel and Cabins to Devil's Fork Gap. My wife, Izzie, hiked with me for the first bit of the trail. The plan was to hike to the first water source, get water for both of us and then she would hike back. We found more ripe apples today. We did not find the first water source. It is hard to believe after all of the rain this summer, but many of the water sources are dry. Izzie decided to turn around and head back to the car. Our plan was to meet at the top of Camp Creek Bald. We asked the folks at Hemlock Hollow if we would be able to find each other at the top. They said, "No problem." That is a direct quote. I said what if we say we meet at the White Stack Cliffs, knowing that coming at tings from the AT is not always the same as coming at them from the car. They said that would work fine, we would easily see each other there.Well, this was a day of firsts. It was the first time I was hiking South on the trail - other than the one day of slack packing past summer when I hiked north out of Uncle Johnny's in Erwin and then back. I thought it would feel odd to be hiking south, but once I started it felt about the same. It was also my first day of "real" trail magic. After my wife turned around to head back to the car, it was about 4 more miles before I hit a water source. When I reached it there were about 20 bottles of Coke and Mountain Dew in the stream placed there by some trail angel. I debated whether or not I should take one because they were probably placed there for Southbounders heading from Maine to Georgia, but then I decided I had hiked enough miles on this trail to claim one for myself. I pumped some water, drank that, and took a coke to have later with my lunch.Most of the day was climbing, but it was a fairly easy climb. I had calculated I would be at the top about 5:30, but I told Izzie I would be there about 4:30 because sometimes she runs late. I reached the White Stack Cliffs at 4:30. I took the side trail (a blue blaze trail) to the cliffs. There was no sign of Izzie or a parking lot, only a cliff with a sheer drop and views to the north. I heard people on another trail below me, but I could not get there. I decided to hike a bit farther. There were two more blue blaze trails, but I was afraid to get ff of the AT. The miracle of the day was that I had cell phone coverage. I tried several times to call Izzie, but apparently she did not have cell phone coverage. Finally she answered. She was on her way up the mountain. I said I saw no sign of a parking lot or a road. Right then I heard voices, so I asked her to hod on while I checked it out. It was two young men with camera equipment. I asked them if they new where there was a parking lot near by, my wife was in the parking area and I was supposed to meet her. They said to ask her if she saw a Honda parked near her. (It really wasn't a parking lot as much as just the end of the road, so there weren't many cars. She said she didn't know if it was a Honda, but there was a navy blue car. They said that's them and they were heading back there so they would take me. We had a great talk on the way to the car, although I could barely keep up with them. My rationalization for that was I had already hiked 16 miles and they were rested. Surely it couldn't be that they were 18 years old and I was about to turn 60. Anyway, within 5 to 10 minutes they had reunited me with my wife. From there I could see the problem. From the end of the road, you looked across a valley at the White Stack Cliffs and from the AT you were actually on the White Stack Cliffs. Without the help of the two young men, it might have been another day of wandering around after dark.