Date: 2013-03-09
From: Tray Mountain Shelter

To: Blueberry Patch Hostel
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: clear sky

(In which I nero into Dicks Creek Gap and hang out in Hiawassee)My PM aspirin doesn't work as well as I had hoped, and I am awake at 0200. I roam between consciousness and sleep until my bladder spurs me into motion at 0530. I plan to put in my miles early today, so I grab my pack from outside the shelter and break camp. I find myself distracted by the clear night and predawn sky - the moon is a sliver of light and the rest of that celestial rock is dimly visible. The eastern sky begins going through the motions of sunrise, and I hoist my pack at 0650 as the sun appears over the horizon.The hike today begins by descending from Tray Mountain and running over a few small bumps. In the first little gap I pass a tent with two pairs of trekking poles but no stirring hikers. In the second gap, Dirty Bird and another hiker are packing up. A tremendous tree has fallen across the Trail here, and I am momentarily distracted by verifying the Trail continues straight across it. Somewhat later in another gap I encounter another curious sign - "Swag of the Blue Ridge" - and am stopped while I try making sense of it. It does not refer to anything sensible, but I am pretty sure I am in Sassafras Gap.I figure out that was Sassafras Gap when I descend into the next gap - Addis Gap. It is 0900 and I have already made over five miles today. Here begins my big climb for the day. Almost 900 feet of elevation gain over a mile will bring me to the top of 4191-foot Kelly Knob. I have been listening to Mumford & Sons, and I enjoy starting the climb to their cover of The Boxer. That track comes at the end of the album, so I stop for a snack break and change albums to Led Zeppelin. I use the music to slow my pace to one much slower than I would be able to walk without that assistance. This lets me keep slowly progressing up the mountain without losing my breath or having to stop.The top of the mountain arrives before I realize, and with it an undesirable surprise. The guy who showed up in our cabin at Neel Gap is here, packed up and ready to go. I planned to stop for lunch, but don't want to stay with this guy here. I exchange a greeting without stopping and turn up Led Zeppelin. The next tune is Since I've Been Loving You - a tune in waltz time. I can keep up a fast pace to a waltz downhill and I make that happen. By 1000 I am passing Deep Gap Shelter. I pass a family of four while climbing out of the gap, but see nobody else for a while. The Trail bumps up and down a bit, but nothing terribly exciting happens.I begin the descent toward US Route 76. I am still moving fast, having stopped for only a short break to change CDs from Led Zeppelin to Great Bear Trio and to hydrate. This is a long and steep descent, with a small climb in the middle. A couple walking south gives me a chocolate bar, wishes me luck, and tells me they finished the Trail in 2010. By 1120 I am in Dicks Creek Gap, having walked 11 miles in 4.5 hours. I cross the road and see Dan, Robbie, Kenzie, and a few other hikers. I want to get to the hostel, so I immediately move up the road to hitch. The road has a sharp curve before the parking lot and there is little traffic, so I start walking toward the hostel. It is only 3.4 miles, and if I don't get a ride I will still be there in an hour.However, I get a ride from a passing Dodge pickup. They pass me, then turn around near a parking area to offer the ride. They say I can sit in the cab, but I am excited to ride in the back of a pickup for the first time since my last Guatemala mission trip. It is a beautiful day to do so - I sit in the warm sunshine and watch the Georgia countryside fly past me. It feels like a long ride by the time I arrive at the hostel. Gary, the caretaker and a 1991 thru-hiker, greets me and shows me the grounds. It is a nice little place, with four goats and two donkeys in the back yard and four hikers on the back deck. The hikers are Movie Star, Highlander, and Hermes. Movie Star probably takes his name from his attire. Highlander found a sword at Blue Mountain Shelter and carried it off the mountain. Hermes is a 2012 thru-hiker back for six weeks this season. I do not get the name of the fourth hiker, and she is not staying the night.I unpack and make myself at home, and then go into Hiawassee with the guys. Highlander's mom is local and they are getting food in town before she takes him to stay in Helen - the folks I met had come out of Unicoi Gap about 17 miles behind me. We go to Daniel's and get the all-you-can-eat option. This provides some pretty basic food, but the quantity is very desirable. I fill up on meat, veggies, and carbs. After we have eaten our fill we go to the Ingle's grocery store nearby. I don't really need anything since I still have tons of food, but I top off my meat and cheese stores. The next section involves 40 miles of Trail until the next major road, so I will finally get to eat off some of my food weight.When I return I am surprised to see Chickadee here. She broke from the pack and pushed past Deep Gap Shelter. When she encountered the creepy guy she sped up to distance herself from him. More hikers show up back at the hostel, and it fills up for the night. The hostel only takes ten per night and allows no alcohol or drugs in order to keep things manageable. I like the environment this promotes - any rowdy behaviour is good old-fashioned tomfoolery and not artificially induced. The chief entertainer here seems to be Roosta, a Rhode Island thru-hiker. Chris and Cassandra, a young married couple, are also staying the night. Trail Movin' and Blue Moon, two older hikers, are planning to camp out back for the night. I also meet Molly, who wants her trail name to be Dumbledore. The group imposes that name on her in attempt to make that happen, but time will tell if it sticks.Most of the group wants to go into town to eat and resupply. I have already done those things but I want to go into town to be social. Somehow, Gary gets us all into Hiawassee. I have my second trip to Daniel's and put down three more plates of food. While everyone else goes to Ingle's I work toward getting my photos uploaded. Back at the hostel we are social until after the normal hiker bedtime. Gary cautions us about the time change tomorrow, and also about the breakfast. I get out my sleeping bag to let it dry, and soon find myself asleep.Peace,