Date: 2008-02-07
From: Sams Gap, TN

To: 1 mile N of Devils Creek Gap, TN
Miles today: 16.3

This morning started about 6am, when I got up, dressed and walked down to the lobby for coffee.I decided to go ahead and get my breakfast while I was there, so I took biscuits and gravy, scrambled eggs, cereal and milk...and two cups of coffee back up to my room. :-)I sat there eating that and watching the Weather Channel. Looks like it's finally going to cool down again.It's been to warm out for this time of year. They even set a record high two days ago.I called Miss Janet and she said she'd pick me up at 9:30am and drive me back up to Sams Gap.I packed all my stuff and checked out just as she drove up. :-)It was a nice ride back to the Trail....and I was anxious to walk some today.I could see Big Bald off to my left on the way up. It was all white.Miss Janet dropped me off....I thanked her and started walking north at 10:10am.It REALLY felt good to be walking!It is a beautiful day! There were some snow flurries blowing through right when she dropped me off. It was a little overcast, but I could see some areas with sun shining through.It was nice to go into Erwin the other day, but it's even a better feeling getting back into the woods.I walked into a clear field about an hour after I started and could see Big Bald ahead of me.It was just awesome beautiful this morning with all the white rime ice in the tree tops!I noticed that I'm not getting spider webs in my face. Caveman is ahead of me! :-)I started seeing some stuff on the ground that look almost like little pieces of insulation. It took me a minute to realize it was rime ice that was falling out of the trees.It eventually got so thick on the ground that it looked like about half an inch of snow.I came up to a real nice spring about two hours into my walk. I dumped out my two liters of town water and filled up with two liters of good mountain spring water. :-)I got up to Big Bald and took some pictures.It was the nicest day for views that I've ever had up there. It was too windy and chilly to stay and eat my lunch, so I walked on.The views were just blowing me away today!I walked on and stopped at Big Bald Shelter about a mile later. I ate lunch there.I had mandarin orange salmon with crackers, diced peaches, beef jerky, nuts and a small box of raisins.I saw in the register at the shelter that Caveman signed in a little bit ago. He wrote that the last two registers have been Stumpknockerless and he's getting suspicious about where I am. ;-)I took lots of pictures this morning....probably 25 or 30. I had cell reception there, so I went ahead and sent them into Mrs Gorp.She really is doing a lot of work on this journal! I may have to do something nice for her someday. :-) I got chilly sitting at the shelter so long eating and sending in the pictures.It was easy walking for a while, and then I warmed up when I climbed up Little Bald.I came across another nice spring about 20 minutes past Little Bald, so I filled up both water bottles, so I'll have enough water for tonight and coffee in the morning.I was climbing a hill and a guy with a big pack came running south on the Trail. No idea what that was all about.There was a green box off to the side of the Trail. I checked it out...there was a register inside.Caveman had signed it and thanked who ever left it for the Trail magic.All that was there for me was the register....dang, why did I let Caveman get ahead of me? :-)I signed the register and climbed up High Rocks, then descended to Spivey Gap.I originally thought about staying near there, but I just wasn't ready to stop yet, so I started the climb out of there.It was about a 700 ft climb and was nice because I was walking along a rushing stream most of the way up.I started looking for flat spots to set my tent for the night, but didn't find anything.I kept walking and the sun set. It was just after dark when I did come to a good flat spot, so I set up my tent for the night and crawled in.This was an awesome day on the Trail! The weather was perfect and the walking was easy...probably because my cold is gone. :-)Another great day on the Appalachian Trail! :-)