Date: 2018-12-03
From: Deep Gap

To: Dick's Creek gap
Miles today: 15.8

I woke up at 5:15 so that I could get ready and be at the Country Kitchen just after 6 am for breakfast. It was amazing, eggs with ham, grilled home fries and a mouth watering biscuit with extra butter and jelly. I'm going to miss eating this way! I enjoyed every bite and washed it down with a decaf coffee before heading back to the room to finish packing my bags. Mike arrived at 7:20 and dropped me at Deep Gap before taking my backpack to the budget Inn in Hiawassee. It was a gorgeous day on trail today. The sun was shining and I wore a short sleeve shirt with a thin long sleeve over it. I felt half naked with no gloves, hat, neck warmer or fleece. The leaves were dry and fairly deep causing me to take flight once from a stone step. It always pisses me off because I'm very attentive to my steps. I brushed myself off and remembered that I'm not injured and because thankful for that once again. I saw no one on trail today and I was okay with that. It was such a gorgeous day out here and I had the trail to myself. The spiders were out building their little face traps and I had my fill of their silky weavings but I just brushed them off with my hands. It reminded me of how much more alive the trail is in spring and summer with birds and other critters. Fall can be a solemn time of year out here. Mike picked me up at Dick's Creek gap at 2:30 and stopped at the post office so I could pick up some priority mail boxes before he brought me to the budget Inn in Hiawassee where I was reunited with my pack and checked into room 104. From the exterior the place looked okay with a new metal roof and clean grounds. I stepped into my room and it was vintage complete with red carpet and saggy bed. I can handle vintage for $40 a night but I expect cleanliness and safety. The bathroom faucet had the remnants of another person's stay and the door barely locked. The strike plate was bent and dead bolt arm was busted off. I sat down on the bed to be annoyed by a loose and banging headboard. I won't be spending a second night here.I took everything out of my packs and shipped my tent, quilt and sleeping pad home. I shipped extra clothes and food and other items I'd still need on trail to my sister Catie in Suwanee GA. She'll be picking me up at Springer Mt and we'll get to spend a day together before I head up to VA to meet with River so we can extinguish some of my remaining miles and hopefully complete her thru hike. After packing my boxes I stacked the 3 on top of each other and waddled down the street a half mile to the post office. No one offered me a ride. A kind lady opened the doors for me after the man in front of me apparently didn't hear my pleadings. With that errand complete I turned my attention to a Starbucks sign. Now that is worth some extra steps! I planned to have a decaf a think about dinner but as I got to the building I realized it's inside an Ingles so in I went. A quick survey found the Starbucks right in front of me and a cafe tables over my right shoulder. I strolled for a minute and found a salad bar, soup, hot foods and fresh made to order foods as well as rotisserie chicken and Chinese food. OMG! Too many choices for this hiker hunger! I had to return to the entry for a basket! I picked up watermelon, a bagel with cream cheese, a raspberry Bismarck, a protein shake and orange juice for breakfast. Then I ordered a Chinese food dinner and a banana cream pie pudding and of course a decaf Americana coffee and I ate at the cafe tables before carting my breakfast items back to my room. I plugged in the refrigerator and nothing happened. Damn. I called the manager and he came over and swapped it out for me. Then I took a very hot shower and settled in to journal and talk to Brian. We decided I wouldn't sleep unless I pushed a chair up in front of the door, so I did. Then I called a couple of places in Helen GA to get a room for tomorrow. I'll be at the Super 8. After a few minutes of TV I was sleepy. I hope I can really sleep.