Date: 2008-11-03
From: fontana dam

To: locust cove gap
Miles today: 17.5
Weather: clear sky

whatta climb outa the fontana dam area!! steep up and up, so steep i just started to crawl up it, well not really but when my muscles get tired for some reason my body wants to turn around and walk up the hill backwards. Im not sure why b.c i tried it once and it seems to be more hazardous as I end up falling off cliffs b.c i cant see what is behind me and really those muscles are way weaker back there. also there was a hunting dog that followed us for seriously like 9 miles, like he was our dog just trotting along with us down the trail and i tell you it isnt fair how easy it looks for dogs, they just run ahead with tail wagging and tongue out in great joy, and they get up there fast with little effort then they turn around and look at you like hey i thought you were right behind me...your so slow get your butt up here, are you still coming???? and they just keep going like the energizer bunny so maybe if i walked on all fours i would be just as fast???? anyway about the hunting dog...so it is hunting season out here and one of the animals hunted is bear. from what i understand which trust me is limited knowledge...the hunters have hunting dogs that they release in the woods to run around and chase bears up into trees then they howl and bark, the hunter comes and then shoots the bear that is in the tree and then eat the bear i guess...so there are these dogs that we see running around in the woods with orange collars and radiocollars that the hunters use to track their dogs. we were at a shelter eating lunch when a group of four ran up to use and greeted us while showing great interest in our food as well, so we pushed them off our food and watched them drink out of the spring water and then sit in it and then roll around in it all before I could get some water from there...then they ran away we thought off to get that bear. so we left hiked on and forgot about it...then as we climbed up another mt we hear them howling and then here they come running and they follow us for awhile behind us then push their way by us on the trail as we are obviously in their way and then run away and then come back and do it again. but after awhile they finally all disappeared. until the one dog who was so sweet and had the saddest puppy dog eyes showed back up and followed us that 9 miles, we could tell he was hungry and thirsty but didnt wanna give him anything to encourage him to keep following us...that was so hard. we think he just wanted to be a hiking dog/pet not to be a hunter...but anyway we got to a busy road crossing and were afraid he was going to get hit by a car as he obviously didnt know about traffic as he ran across the road a few times in front of cars and then proceeded to jump up on a parked car. so i tied him up and called the hunter to come and get his dog. so we sat and waited then 3 trucks showed up with hunters and dogs, so we thought okay here he is to get his dog but it was other hunters who were curious about whose dog it was then they sorta moved on then 2 more trucks pull up and said they knew the hunter and then took the dog and then the hunter finally pulled up to get his dog and they said they all knew each other, hunter together, didnt really seem to care too much about the dog....are you confused yet??? cause i am too anyway the dog was returned and we again hiked up another mt. making 4 miles further today than we expected!! so we have less to hike tommorwo on shawnas last day. so we again hiked into the sunset, setting up our tents in the dark. I love doing this!!! Then feasted on our dehydrated dinners under the stars.