Date: 2007-05-09
From: Iron Mtn. Gap

To: Clyde Smith Shelter
Miles today: 6.1
Weather: broken clouds

May 9, Back in the WoodsWe have officially left Erwin. I was spoiled by four days of slackpacking and now I'm back to reality. Our day started off with lots of town chores - laundry, resupply, post office, and the hardware store for denatured alcohol. Tim drove us by Wendy's on the way out of town to pick up some lunch - a chicken sandwich and a frosty for me - and then we were headed to Iron Mtn. Gap.We got there at about 1:30 p.m. and Certain and I did our usual round of stretches. We chatted for a little bit and bid farewell to our kind chauffeur. We started hiking at 1:45. It was a really warm day so I did something I've never done out here - I hiked in my sleeveless shirt! What a treat!There were lots of uphill climbs today and my pack felt WAY too heavy. I even asked Certain seriously if she put a rock in my pack. I was completely slowed down. The last few days have been great carrying nothing but water. We stopped at a rock overhang for a break and I started to unload food to get my pack weight back down. I passed out a granola bar to Certain and then to a fellow hiker passing by. I also got rid of three days worth of oatmeal - no cooked breakfasts for me this week. I'd like to see how that works out. After that my pack felt a little better. What a rude awakening. There was not too much to note on our short hike today but two things do come to mind. The air has been smelling sweeter lately. I've really noticed it in the last four days but I noticed it again today - it's something very fragrant and sweet. Also, the grasshoppers! They are crazy! At one point, we were walking on the trail and it sounded like it was pouring on both sides of us but it was just the grasshoppers hopping around. If you stopped for a minute, it was almost overwhelming, you could see them jumping up everywhere, like popcorn coming out of the kernal. We took another break in Greasy Creek Gap and then headed up to the shelter. We got here at 5:15 p.m., the first people here. Certain headed to get water and I headed behind the shelter to set up my tent. I got everything situated and I headed down for water. I noticed that Certain had already gotten her pack but I didn't see where she went. I got water and came back to my tent to finish getting changed. It had been about 20 minutes since I'd seen Certain which seemed a little strange so I started walking around to look for her (and, you know, since she has a hammock, she can sleep anywhere). Nothing. I called her name. Nothing. I started getting dinner ready but it was bugging me so I yelled her name as loud as I could and finally she responded. She set up camp way on the other side of the shelter thinking I was up there! Here we are, the only two people at the shelter and we are so far apart we can't even find each other. Funny. We just made dinner at the shelter and headed our separate ways again. I also just got my bear bag hung on the first try!It's nice to be ready for bed so early. We are starting something new tomorrow morning - getting out of camp by 8 a.m. I might have to set an alarm for a few days until I get used to it but we're hoping to have more time to hike and stop and smell the roses during the day. I'm actually looking forward to it. I think it'll be helpful as we try to increase our mileage.Well, I definitely left Erwin feeling better about this hike. We made a few decisions to try and ensure our success, we got new shoes to make our bodies feel better, and we had a great talk with Tim on the way to the trail today. Actually, we were only talking about how we celebrate every 100 miles but it just made me feel good to think about it. He talked about Maine and just thinking about how it could be a reality made me more energized. Sometimes the thought of Maine seems outlandish and overwhelming but other times it's what I need to motivate myself. I'm thinking about Maine again and I think that's a good thing - 1810.1 miles to go!I'm glad to be in my tent tonight.- Sound of birds singing.