Date: 2013-04-07
From: Siler Bald

To: Burningtown Gap-- Aquone Hostel
Miles today: 10.4
Weather: broken clouds

I ended up doing a half-zero today, in order to go to church. Even last night, I figured I was going to miss church this week, since I wasn't anywhere near a town. But looking at the map, based on old Geological Survey maps, I saw "Mt Hope Church" at an intersection about 10 miles down the next road I'd cross. If it was still there, that sounded like a possibility, and on a Sunday, when lots of people would be heading for the woods, I shouldn't have trouble getting a ride back. As I packed up, the man from up the hill came down, and I found out he was going that way and would give me a ride. At the intersection, there was a gas station and TWO churches, Mt Hope Baptist & Memorial United Methodist. The Old store/gas station was called "Loafers Corner", and 4-5 men were out on benches loafing already at 9:00. Both churches had 11:00 services, so I chose the Methodist as being a little closer to Lutheran. It turned out to be closer to Baptist, 1.5 hours, with lots of announcements and off-hand comments and no liturgy except a little at Communion (which the Baptists probably wouldn't have had). I sat in on the adult Bible study and then sat in the back corner of the church for the service, since I didn't really have time to clean up very much. Everyone was very friendly and welcoming, and I quickly received an invitation for dinner from an old couple named Fred & Ruth, who had grown up in the area, lived in Atlanta 40 years, and been back 16. I was forced to eat 3 helpings of spaghetti, which she jazzes up with Worchestershire sauce and vinegar -- I liked that!Fred showed me around his mother's old house, which was on the same lot, which he has turned into a woodworking shop -- he makes some very nice stuff out of cherry from the area. Then He took me back to the trail. By this time, it was 3:00, and my full stomach felt like a lot of extra weight going up the first mountain. Every time the Trail crosses a significant road, it goes down several thousand feet and then up again on the other side. I'm slow on steep uphills [or down], and I soon was passed by several hikers I'd met before [Jet Lag, Alexander, Nick, and Peaches] and then passed them when they stopped at a spring. The Trail got more level, and the spaghetti was turning into energy, so I managed to stay ahead of them the rest of the day. There were lots of blow-downs across the Trail in that area, and I stopped briefly to clear the ones I could, wishing I'd brought my little folding saw. Wayah Bald has an observation tower [being re-constructed last time I came thru here] built in the '30s in memory of a long-time Forest Ranger. Good views, with some explanations of what you are seeing -- without that, I always find it difficult to distinguish one mountain from another. Even if I know what direction a mountain is, the Trail probably took a roundabout way to get there.From the tower, it was only a short distance to the next shelter. I stopped in there to sign the register [There would have been space for me!] and decided to go on, since it was still light. I got to Burningtown Gap, about a mile from Cold Spring Shelter, and I figured it would be dark before I got up there. I knew it was a very old shelter, with a capacity of only 5-6, & I couldn't remember what space there was for camping. I saw an ad for Aquone Hostel, which was not far away and would pick hikers up at the gap, so I called them and spent the night there.