Date: 2011-03-15
From: Steeltrap Gap

To: Dicks Creek Gap
Miles today: 9.3
Weather: moderate rain

As promised the rains did come. I was awaken to heavy rain and wind about 4 AM. I slept fitfully until about 7 AM. My tenting skills were quite adequate - no water in the tent or in my vestibule with pack and boots. The only real wet gear were my crocks - not turned upside down to keep the water out. I can live with this little lesson.However, nature called for normal bodily functions at about 7:15 AM, but it was still pouring rain. No option here, so into the storm I go. It was a wet trip, but there was no option. Currahee and I talked back and forth and agreed to both plan to be up (and I thought out by about 9 AM). I was able to manage quite well the skill of fully packing everything except tent into a backpack with rain cover while still in the tent. With this accomplished, I go out and took the tent down in the rain. My clothing was soaked - pants, gloves, and rain shell outside. Still no Currahee has emerged from a tent fully up. Currahee its 9 AM, I'm cold and need to move on. Remember the lesson about hypothermia learned in Woody Gap. I need to move on to get warm. I said I would meet him at Addis Gap about 4 miles away.The trail through this area - The Swag of the Blue Ridge - is gently rolling. I motored on to get and keep warm. I did not even notice Patrick, who we saw the day before, camped in the Swag of the Blue Ridge.On reaching Addis Gap, there was still no sign of Currahee. It was really windy on the Gap. I snacked, but became cold fairly quickly. I left my red bandanna on the sign announcing the gap hoping Currahee would see that I passed here, but did not stay.I motor on in the fog, wind, and periods of rain. There was enough rain on and off that I dried and got wet again over and over and over. Several NOBO hikers passed me, but none had seen Currahee. I became more and more concerned. As I began to come from the last high ridge before the Gap - near the Deep Gap Shelter - I was passed by Patrick. He too had not seen Currahee. I finally arrive about 2:30 PM into Dicks Creek Gap still in the rain. Patrick is at the Gap hitching a ride into Hiawassee for the night and a zero day tomorrow.The plan was to meet Barbara - Currahee's wife here and she would drive us into Hiawassee. The latest meeting time was to be 4:30 PM - another 2 hours. Fortunately, the rain abated, and this gap seems protected from the wind. Another lesson learned - my fleece on over my wet base layer and under my wet rain shell seemed to keep me warm. Finally, two NOBO thru-hikers emerge from the trail and say that tehy had run into Currahee at Deep Gap about 4 miles south. Wonderful news.Barbara arrives about 3:15 PM and I have a warm place to wait. Just as I settle in the car, Currahee emerges from the woods NOBO and we are ready to go into Hiawassee. We discuss our communication break down, and plan on working to get more clarity in these more critical situations.We get into Hiawassee and get a room at the Ron Haven owned Hiawassee Inn. I get in and break my gear down to begin the drying our process, and get a hot shower and into dry clothes. We have a wonderful dinner of XL sized pizza and XL sized salad at the Mima Su Brick Oven Pizza (bit far for normal thru-hiker use due to its distance from the Hiawassee Inn). We even have time to check out resupply at Ingles.Spent the rest of the evening catching up on the bad news from Japan about the death toll from the earthquake and tsunami, and the horrors from the six nuclear reactors all in some state of catastrophe. The world is still full of chaos. As zero day tomorrow to let the body recover some, to wash clothes, update journal entries, plan the 4 days or so into Winding Stairs Gap and Franklin NC, and resupply.Good news - Dead Droid received at home - and it will hopefully after replacement/repair meet me in Franklin later.