Date: 2003-03-27
From: Carter's Gap Shelter

To: Winding Stair Gap
Miles today: 15.9
Weather: few clouds

My morning started early as usual. While listening to Recycle pack up for an early start into Franklin, I felt a mouse walking across my chest. I slid my hand down under him from inside my sleeping bag and sent him flying, probably onto one of the unsuspecting sleeping hikers!At 6:45 I left my warm sleeping bag as nature was calling. I slid on my 9oz. plastic camp shoes with the neat little holes around the toe box to air my stinky, hiker feet and headed for the woods. This is the 3rd shelter that I've stayed in that has no privy. Finding a spot at that time of the morning is easy; the first big tree will do. Well, it happened again---I have this thing for peeing on my feet! Now, at one time this may have upset me, but I was more upset with having to use my precious camp soap to wash up and then use my even more precious tape to redo my hotspots and 2 small blisters. If I knew that pee had a medicinal effect I would have left the tape since I would be in Franklin at a hotel by late afternoon.The day flew by. At 11:30 I had already gone 7.7 miles. Lunch was a little later as I missed the shelter where I had planned to stop. When I realized I was past the shelter, I pulled out a Balance Bar and downed 800 mg. of ibuprofen as I walked. Sometime later I stopped with Matt and The One for some cheese and pepperoni which really hit the spot.The high point of the day came when I climbed Albert Mountain. At 5,220 feet it was a challenging, very fun quarter of a mile almost straight up. Several times I had to throw my hiking pole up and climb hand over hand. I was rewarded at the top with a fire tower that is open to the public. The One had already been up and gotten a picture of the beautiful North Carolina countryside, but went back up with me so I could get a picture of him and he also took one of me. The wind chill at the top had to be 30 degrees colder than at the bottom!At Wallace Gap I met up with Wrong Way, Dimple Rock and their visiting friends. Dimple Rock was sick and needed to get off the trail for a few days. I shared with her my Tylenol Cold medication and Halls drops, left over from starting the trail with the remnants of my cold. They are good company and I'll miss seeing them for a few days. Feel better soon, D.R.The fellows, being stronger hikers than me, passed by and were soon gone from sight. I saw only one person for the rest of the afternoon. I was concerned about getting to Winding Stair Gap and having to hitch a ride into Franklin by myself, since I knew no-one was close behind. About a mile from the road, I stopped, washed up, changed into a clean shirt and made myself as presentable as I could with what I had.As I came down into the gap at 4:30, I could see that nobody was around and the rush hour traffic was whizzing by. Standing out there and putting up my thumb was one of the hardest things that I have ever done. Car after car sped by. I was going to give it 10 more minutes and then start walking in the direction of Franklin, hoping that someone would take pity on this poor tired hiker and give me a lift.Then a fellow in white pick up pulled over and saved me. I threw my pack in the back and hopped into the cab. We talked about the trail, hunting, our spouses, and where I was going in Franklin. As it turned out, he had left work in Franklin and was headed home for the night when he passed me going the other way. This fine fellow had turned around to help me because he said he wouldn't want to see his wife trying to get a ride on the side of the road. He went 20 miles out of his way to help me! I told him when he got home to tell his wife that she married a really special guy. He replied, "If it's all the same to you mamma, I'd just as soon not tell my wife that I picked up a lady hitch hiker". He drove me all the way to the Microtel and I gave him gas money and my website address so he could follow my adventure. It turned out that his name was Jack. Thanks Jack for making a difficult situation into a very positive encounter.I checked in; got the hiker rate of $35.95 and hit the bathtub. Gosh, I was in heaven soaking my weary muscles in the hot water and thinking about what I would do with my zero day tomorrow.When I finally crawled out of the tub, I had nothing to wear because all of my clothes (and there aren't many) were dirty. I did 2 "loads" of laundry in the hotel sink with some body wash that I had gotten out of the hiker box in Hiawassee. I had to change the water 3 times before it was clear. How gross! Everything was wrung out and hung on the luggage rack in front of the air conditioner to dry for the night. I hit the sheets and made phone calls home, caught up on e-mail and my journal, and watched tv for the first time in 2 weeks.Surprisingly, I didn't sleep well at all, but will try to make up for it Friday night since it's back to the trail on Saturday.