Date: 2016-06-03
From: Dicks Creek Gap -- Hiawassee

To: Rocky Mtn
Miles today: 15.3
Weather: overcast clouds

70 MILES TO SPRINGER!I started up the hill out of Dicks Creek gap at 8:42. Slowly, because my pack is 42 pounds this morning, after adding a 4-pound mail drop plus probably 3 pounds added from town, like an apple & a foot-long sub sandwich which I would eat today. I didn't get packed as early as I might have because I had to attend to the all-you-can-eat breakfast, which includes things like Captain Crunch that I haven't eaten since my kids were little.Everything was still at least damp from the rain yesterday; so it was quite humid early on in the tropical rainforest. Interesting to observe the North-bounders, still trying out their packs and equipment and food & making their plans for the hike North, while I only have 70 miles to go here.I started off with a long uphill & was soon feeling the extra weight. My pack was feeling good coming in yesterday, probably about 35 pounds; so I'll be back down to that weight somewhere soon. My fuel canister felt like it had only one meal's worth or less in it; so I traded it for one in the hiker box that seemed to have enough for several meals (about all I need!). There's poison ivy on any side of the trail now and on many of the trees, sometimes competing with Virginia creeper. I even saw a place where a Virginia creeper vine was climbing up an old poison ivy vine that had detached from a dead tree but was still connected at the top. I used to think poison ivy vines grew primarily on White Oaks, but I have now seen it on other kinds of oaks and also on tulip trees, maples, lemonwood, a couple of pines, even on a Hickory, where I didn't think it grew at all I still haven't seen it growing even in the vicinity of rhododendrons. I really think poison ivy would be a fabulous cash crop for Georgia if anybody could figure out what to do with it & how to process it. It certainly is easy to grow.Not only is the poison ivy along each side of the trail to get your legs, it's on the trees often at the right height reach out and get your face when you go by. And you can't lean on a tree along the trail because you might find that right where you grab is one of those big hairy vines. Going off to poop in the woods gets dicey when you have to try to dig a hole amongst all the roots and rhizomes that connect the various poison ivy plants. I suppose the safest place for that is a Rhododendron or Mtn-Laurel thicket. The first big uphill I only did 1.4 miles an hour, but maybe that's not so bad for such a heavy pack. I averaged 1.7 mph for the whole 3.6 miles to Deep Gap shelter where I had stayed last time around.As I started out up the first hill, I met 3 hikers coming down finishing their section and was over-taken by 3 going up, just starting the section southbound. I met a couple of more section hikers and one long-distance hiker with a very light-looking pack. He said his base weight was 10 pounds and he was "really sucking for food." Really?! Then came a group of 4 from Indiana, then Fonz & No-name, (who may go all the way), Rubber-Band-Man, 2 more section hikers, 2 guys headed for Damascus, Hey Mother & her daughter, Am Going, a man with 3 sons, Sticks, Nogales. At Tray Mtn shelter, there were several weekenders, along with a hiker who had come back after not quite finishing his southbound thru-hike because he had to take care of some family matters. Then at Cheese Factory site, a father & daughter. During a good conversation with them, they were joined by 3 others who were going to camp there as well. I wanted to go a bit farther. I finally saw (mostly heard) my first bear on the way up Rocky Mtn, where I decided to camp for the night. Two guys from Louisiana are here too [one wears a top-hat on the trail], heading North for a music concert in Buena Vista in a few months. Left Addis Gap at 12:48. One hour to Swag of the Blue Ridge (whatever that means): 2 miles. Actually, I've been noticing the place names more lately. Some are Indian names [Unicoi Gap] or named after people [Kelly Knob]; some indicate comparison [Rich Cove Gap vs. Poor Mtn., Low Gap vs. Wide Gap vs. Deep Gap]; some it would help to know the pronunciation [Is As Gap missing an apostrophe or another s?]; some are easier to understand than others [Hogpen Gap vs. Wolfpen Gap (Does adjacent Steeltrap Gap explain something about how to pen wolves?)]; how does "Blue Ridge Gap" differ from "Swag of the Blue Ridge", 11 miles away? With all the rocks & Mtns. around, how did they decide which gets the name "Rocky Mtn."?