Date: 2007-06-05
From: Erwin, TN

To: Cherry Gap Shelter
Miles today: 16.4
Weather: broken clouds

This morning, I think about what I want to do for breakfast. Do I want to cook some oatmeal and rush up the Trail, or do I want to buy one of those freeze-dried breakfasts I see in the store, as I've always wondered if they taste like real eggs and bacon or not. As I'm contemplating this complex situation, someone announces that Johnny takes hikers into town at 8:30 to get breakfast. This is later than I like to start my daily hiking, but when they say "Huddle House", I cave in. Eggs and bacon sound so deliciously appetizing, what am I to do?We head out there, and I share a table with Scott, Lontheir, and High Life. Lontheir and I are probably around the same size, with her being a little smaller, likely, but I am smaller than the other two guys. Despite this, I easily eat more than any of them. It quickly becomes the punch line of many jokes: "Where do you put all of that food, skinny boy?"After eating a 3-egg breakfast with ham and cheese, hash browns, two servings of bacon, a pancake (or is it a waffle?), and cup-after-cup of steaming hot coffee, I decide to look at the dessert menu. Much to my chagrin, they haven't the one I wanted. So, after I pay, I walk next door to the gas station and buy two ice cream sandwiches. The Louisianan couple seems to be the most humored by my excessive eating, due to my small stature.Back at the hostel, I shower, load my gear up, and pay Johnny. I don't get to the Trail until noon-ish! My nephew Pierre's birthday is this week, but I know I won't be in town to actually call him that day (I took him to see Night at the Museum and downtown for pizza before I left, though, along with his two brothers, James and Luke). So, I try to call today, to wish him an early birthday, but I have no signal. So, I head out the Trail, figuring I'll call from the next town.The Trail crosses the Nolichucky on the bridge, then heads right on the road before crossing into the forest. Not far into the forest, the Trail crosses railroad tracks. Here, I remember that my cellphone is still turned on, and in my pocket, something I really try to avoid! So, I pull it out, and realize that I have full signal here! So, I break my rules by trying to call my nephew, to wish him an early birthday. I get his dad, Pierre also, as Pierre Jr. isn't home at the moment. Pierre The Daddy, however, has been enamored with my trip ever since I announced that I was doing it, so he has his own list of questions for me. After conversing with my brother-in-law for a few minutes, I stuff my turned-off cellphone into my backpack, and head North, eager to get this climb out of the gorge done with as soon as possible.It turns out the climb out of the ravine isn't much at all! It certainly has its tough pulls, but they're so short-lived, that one really can't complain! I know I've said this before, but compared to the climb out of the Nantahala Gorge, this is nothing!Just out of the climb, I come upon Curly Maple Gap Shelter, where I considered staying last night. It would've been nice, from the perspective of saving money; but, from the perspective of meeting the other hikers, I'm glad I didn't! On the climb up here, I pass by both Dandelion and Lontheir (who, again, says, "Have a nice day!"). Both of them catch up with me here at the shelter. I eat a quick snack, and take ample time to stretch well before pressing on. I know that the agenda today has some pretty steep climbs... well, at least the one up Unaka Mountain, which Wingfoot says, "wooded summit", meaning no views, in other words. Yay, another PUD (pointless-up-and-down).I press on before the ladies, hoping to make it at least to the next shelter, 12.2-miles North, even though I started so late today! The Trail crosses TN395/NC197, then begins the long climb atop Beauty Spot. The climb isn't steep, save for a few short spots, but it's sheer length makes it pure torture, along with the roots! Roots are just as bad as rocks, if not worse in some instances! In this instance, the volume of them makes it worse!Beauty Spot is beautiful, and I enjoy the vistas with my eyes and camera lens before pressing on. Eventually, the Trail parallels a USFS road, and I gather from this in conjunction with Wingfoot, that I am approaching the base of Unaka Mountain. I know this will be a steep, killer climb, so I opt to take a snack/stretch break. Across the forest service road, I find several large boulders. I take my break here. The poptarts are good, as always, along with a high energy cliff bar. I can't stand the texture and flavor of the regular ones, but these high energy ones aren't so bad!After a series of stretches, across the dirt road, and up Mount Unaka I go! The Trail is indeed steep, the entire way up. I stated earlier my lack of enthusiasm for this climb, with there being no summits. Why must the Trail maintainers torture the hikers with climbs like this, taking them over summits that are completely wooded with no views! If the mountain has no vista, can't they make the Trail skirt around the side of the mountain instead?Well, my bitching and complaining ends, as I notice a complete change in the trees the higher I climb. This reminds me of the walk from Silers Bald Shelter to Double Springs Gap Shelter in the Smokies, how the forest species completely changed! Sure, there are no sweeping mountain vistas up here, atop this beast-of-a-mountain, but the forest is sooooo beautiful! There are so many pine-needles on the ground, that there is no visible treadway, much like the rest of the Trail. At each white-blaze on a tree, I must look ahead, spotting the next one, before pushing on, to make sure that I'm walking in the right direction!The climb down is just as bad, if not worse, than the climb up, reminiscent of some of the climbs in Georgia! It's very rootsy, and eroded, and steep. It is very slow hiking, descending the beautiful Mount Unaka. Then again, these are mountains I am climbing over; what do I expect?I see what appears to be two coolers below at a gap. Trail Magic? No, it turns out to be more of those trash receptacle things, such as I found at a shelter many miles south of here. I here voices, but I can't tell what direction they're coming from. The gap is at a trail junction, so there's a menagerie of possibilities for where these voices are coming from.I press on, climbing over an unknown mountain (it's not listed in Wingfoot; perhaps it's another peak on Unaka?). Shortly ahead, I see two hikers: Mr. Burns, and a friend of his from Asheville whose name escapes me at the moment. I've read Mr. Burns shelter registry entries numerous times. He said his Trail Name derives from his love of starting nice camp fires. After telling him about my eating habits, particularly back in Erwin, and he responds, "You're that guy!?" Apparently, the couple from Louisiana drove up to Beauty Spot, giving Trail Magic (beer, sodas, and candy bars, I think), and chit-chatting. Apparently, Mr. Burns was one of them, and they told him about my eating habits! Burns says, "We're going to get along really well, I can see. I have a goal to get kicked out of at least one all-you-can-eat-buffet in each state along the way!" Burns is a chef from Arkansas.Shortly ahead, we arrive at Cherry Gap Shelter, which already had 4 other guys there! The three of quickly claim a spot, not knowing who else may show up! It is around 7pm, and I started at 12noon! I hike just shy of 16 1/2 miles in that short time!After dinner, I have the urge to take care of business again. This is problematic as not only is there no privy here, but the ground-area near the shelter is all steep, sloped! I trail blaze down the side of the mountain, toilet paper and shit shovel (as I have named it) in hand. The best "technique" I have learned, is to find a sturdy tree with un-exposed roots. Dig a cathole at the base of it, and squat, with your back propped against the tree trunk (Burns always takes a trekking pole with him, he said, and holds to balance). Well, I find a nice tree, and dig my hole. When I go to prop my back against the tree, the entire thing falls over, and almost me with it! Hahahaha! So, I endeavor to find an even STURDIER tree, one that can hold my weight (150lbs). The second time around proves successful.Back at the shelter, I collect water to restock my Camelback and to wash my hands with. I'm feeling tired already, when in comes Dandelion and McCray, another hiker whom I've read in the registers. McCray (Turkey Jerky on here, I believe, being another one of his pseudonyms) works at Yosemite National Park in California (I think I failed to mention that Dandelion works at Denali National Park in Alaska). Shortly after their arrival, another nasty storms erupts upon the mountains. Good thing I've claimed a shelter spot!McCray and Dandelion have pitched their tents on the opposite side of the Trail, before the storm began. Sitting around talking, those who know her start saying, "I hope Lontheir is alright!" After I've climbed into my sleeping bag, and am practically asleep, in comes Lontheir in the pitch dark! What a tenacious 19-year old! She cooks her dinner, then retires on the picnic table. Sometime in the night, she rolls off of it, onto the ground; so she just stays on the ground, sleeping. What a day, what a day indeed!