Date: 2007-02-02
From: Muskrat Creek Shelter, NC

To: Standing Indian Campground, NC
Miles today: 8.0

I woke up to "Whiz Kid" and Tim debating their next step. They were going to try to go all the way to Dick's Creek Gap. They did not have gaiters and winter mountaineering boots; so, they were going to have quite a day ahead of them. I asked them to relay a message to "Mr Happy" & "Crutch" that I would meet them a day later @ 3pm Sunday @ Winding Stair Gap. I hate deadlines. It forces me to be task oriented versus process oriented. In business, I am such a task manager that I am kind of feared. I love to just be free and enjoy the process; the experience...It's all experiential, right! Well, when I finally woke up for good around 11 am. I had to make some life decisions. All of the gear I walked in yesterday, was frozen solid. There was no way that I was going to put those clothes on. I knew I could put them on and start walking and I would warm up( or die). I could put them on and warm them up in my bag(then get my down bags wet and die). I could stay here all day and stay warm. The problem was that it was 100 percent humidity and an icy fog was settling over everything. The inside of the tent was also getting an icy condensation on the inside. I dont want to hear: "if a tent is properly ventilated, it will not form condensation." That is true if you spend about 8-12 hours in it. But, in 100 percent humidity and with 12 hours of darkness: there is going to be condensation. No matter what you do. So, if I stayed here all day: my down bag would get damper to wetter. It was already getting damp on the outside. So, staying here could mean death. Ok, so I would try to get over Yellow Creek Mountain and down to Deep Gap and make a decision and what to do. I left my poly-pro leggings on that were covered by Nike jogging pants with gaiters over my lower legs. I had two pair of socks covered by quart sized ziplock bags. Covered by my boots. So thankful for these boots. Anything less than mountaineering boots is foolish in theses conditions. My gore-tex socks I wore yesterday were soaked; so, I stuffed them with all the other frozen gear I wore yesterday into my pack(extra weight). I wore my Turtle Fur Baklava and my fingerless gloves that have mittens that can cover them. On my torso, I wore an Under Armour t-shirt and a Nike jogging jacket with no cap. The reason that I am telling you all this is that the only clothing that I would have dry at the end of todays hike would be a North Face down jacket and a no brand down vest and two pairs of wool socks. With this in mind; I thought that I should try to walk out today to civilization. Well, I headed out through the snow burdened Rhododendron tunnels. It was very beautiful; but, I am 6'1" and I have an external frame Kelty pack. This meant that about every five feet for miles, I would hit one of these trees and snow would fall all over me and down in between my back and backpack. It is bone chilling. With all that said it was an awesome hike. Very difficult hiking, as it began to sleet on top of the 6 inches of consistent snow with foot drifts. I felt like a hiker today. The intense hiking yesterday made my shoulders stronger from all of the hiking pole work. My legs, particularly my groin muscles and hamstrings, had to adjust all day to sliding and abrupt stopping. The climb over Yellow Mountain was tough. It is a long climb and long descent. When I got to Deep Gap, I took the blue blaze trail called Kimsey Creek. It is about 3.5 miles down to the Standing Indian Campground where there is a pay phone. I have done this trail before and even though it is mostly downhill or flat it is rocky and wet. It goes right through the creek for 50 feet in places. Anyway, Standing Indian Shelter was out of the question. It was going to be in the single digits with high winds and 100 percent humidity(death). As I started down the trail, I noticed that about 3 people and a dog had followed forest service road 71 from Deep Gap. I hope they were OK. That road is closed and it is about 10 miles to highway 64. Well, I ate 3 snack bars and drank 16 oz's of water with an Emergen-C. I took off like I was shot out of a cannon. I fell like a real hiker now. As I was thinking this, my left ACL started hurting. Bringing me back to reality. I took it easy and it only hurt every now and then. I knew I had to be careful because if something happened to me; it would take along time for someone to find me, especially if I wondered off of the trail. I finally made it to the Pay phone at 6pm and called Ron Haven of the Haven Motel. He came and picked me up in his four wheeled drive pick up. I told him he saved my life. What a guy. The road was completly iced over. I went to the hotel in time to eat at the AYCE restaurant behind the hotel and grab some beers at the store down the road. It was 15 degrees.