Date: 2016-04-16
From: Carter Gap Shelter

To: Rick Gap Shelter
Miles today: 12.0
Weather: broken clouds

4/16 - Day TenThe day started out weirdly enough with me crawling out of my sleeping bag and schlupping up to the shelter where much to my surprise everyone was still sleeping!!!I quietly made coffee (I swear Kelly I resisted the urge to be noisy) as the folks in the shelter began to awake. Josh, a hiker from the Netherlands who also slept in a tent was already packed and gone.... Everyone else was asleep.I broke down my tent and headed out with Janette and Kia Bear (her dog) followed by Tracie. Magic Man and Feel Good who hiked in after dark stayed behind. Brooklyn Shawn, Larry (former AFK) and Nemo all left about the same time. I was pacing good with Tracie (Janette and Kia Bear pulled ahead) when a south bounder told us there was trail magic at the next gap!!!!Tracie and I kicked it into high gear and in about 30 minutes hit Mooney Gap where the Okonee Hiking Club was holding a full on hiker feed!!! Think of this.... Hiking 5 miles and stumbling upon ice cold Mountain Dews, Fritos, sandwiches and comfortable chairs!!! It was blissful and the kind people were so nice. They made me a three meat sandwhich with Swiss Cheese, lettuce, tomatoes and banana peppers!!! I am slightly embarrassed to say I sucked down three Mountain Dews!!!Every silver lining has a touch of gray and to an AT hiker the term "gap" means a climb out!   In our case it meant a climb up Albert Mountain with a belly full of deli meat!!! As I was putting on my pack hikers continued to drop into the feed. As they emerged out if the woods everyone would cheer. Just as I was leaving my boy Ranger popped out and quickly started rob grub down. At the top of Albert Mountain is a fire tower. The climb out of Mooney Gap starts innocently enough and then turns serious. Think rock scrambling. Now think of doing this with a Dagwood Sandwhich in your stomach!! I made the climb with a son who was part of a father and son section hike team. Both father and son had capabilities and I scrambled between the two as son outpaced dad.The last 200 feet of elevation gain was intense. When I made it to the top everyone was chilling out, checking out the view and climbing to to top of the fire tower.After celebrating surviving the brutal post trail magic haul we put our packs on and started cruising. We had 4 more miles to hike to get to Rock Gap Shelter. The good news was the hike was moderate. At Rock Gap a big group decided to get a shuttle into Franklin, NC and take a zero on Sunday. Although I still had plenty food I needed to grab a mail drop that Kelly sent and a day rest sounded good.Larry and I split a room. He wasn't up to go out, but I was hell bent on stopping in at The Lazy Hiker Brewery. I also stopped at Gooder Groove hostel where I saw Smoke and Stretch and a bunch of other characters. The Gooder Groove hostel is new this year and comes complete with a mellow hippie vibe. They were having a bonfire, keg of beer and BBQ. A few hikers from the northern element of the mushroom tent people were playing instruments. Evidently the mushroom tent people have a northern and southern group. They were very good musicians and it added to the vibe. In addition Pony was staying there. Pony is a dude that kinda looks like Richard Branson. I met him at Muskrat Creek briefly. Pony and I talked for a while and it turns out he is writing a book about his grandfather who posthumously won the Medal of Honor at the Battle of Tarawa (in the Pacific) in 1943. The book is about his grandfather and how the family went back a few years ago and found his remains! For whatever reason the Battle of Tarawa intrigues me and Pony and I had a great discussion. He has to leave the trail on Memorial Day to speak in New Orleans at the WW2 Museum about how he found his grandfather. Another great day with great people. I am sore, tired, my little toe looks like it went through a meat grinder and I am very happy.