Date: 2008-03-21
From: Neel Gap

To: Dicks Creek Gap - Hiawassee, GA - (5 day report)
Miles today: 33.3
Weather: clear sky

UPDATED   Hi All:   I am at the Holiday Inn Express in Hiawassee, GA.   I am having a GREAT time with no major aches, pains, or blisters. Just some sore muscles.   The trek is both exhausting and exhilerating at the same time. The nature of the trail is continuously changing from one visual scene to another as I pass through wooded valleys, around terraced switchbacks, and up over rocky mountain tops and ridges.      The people on the trail are a wonderfully friendly collection of individuals, couples, and small groups from all over the country.         Since my last report from Blood Mtn Cabins (Neel Gap):      3/17/08Neel Gap to Low Gap Shelter (10.2 miles)----------------------------------------   This was a cool bright sunny day with a high thin overcast and several nice long hazy mountain vistas.   The trail was mostly rolling with just a few steep up-hills.    A nice local retired couple provided Trail Magic (fruit, cookies, soda, etc.) where the trail crosses a road at Hog Pen Gap.   About a dozen hikers stayed at Low Gap Shelter that night including sisters Toot n' Poot (GA), Blyth (NY), Abby (VT), Motor Butt-Kitten Eggs (NH), Eric & AquiaMaria (MA), Old Timer (WI), and Mother Nature & Father Time (GA).   Toot has a badly injured ankle so she and her sister are heading back to Hog Pen gap in the morning to catch a ride home. They hope to be back on the trail later this season.   I Hammocked near the shelter for the night (mild weather).      3/18/08Low Gap Shelter to Blue Mtn Shelter (7.2 miles)----------------------------------------   Today was a cool, damp foggy day with intermittent light rain and dew drops falling from the tree limbs. The trail was quietly pretty with the thick groves of bare trees hazily silouetted in the glow of the heavy mountain mist. The only sounds were from the falling rain drops and my footsteps.   The winding trail was mostly gently rolling around the inside of shallow mountain valleys. One section of the trail wound around inside a narrow valley where all of the rocks and huge fallen trees were covered with a bright green moss giving it a strangly beautiful pre-historic Ireland look and feel.   I arrived at Blue Mtn Shelter late in the day. The sun popped out briefly just a I arrived. I stayed in this mountain top shelter with three other hikers. Old Timer, Long Step (NY), and Still Dave (OH) Cool damp night.      3/19/08Blue Mtn Shelter to the road at Unicoi Gap (2.2 miles)----------------------------------------   We woke up to a chilly, dark foggy/misty morning. Everything inside the shelter was wet from the mist blowing in overnight. We were aware that a strong storm (potential tornado's) was approaching from the west. I already went through one heavy rainstrom coming down from Blood Mtn so I called Cloud 9 Hostel and arranged a pickup at the Unicoi Gap road about 1 1/2 hour hike away. Fran from Cloud 9 picked me up and took me to the hostel. Long Step, Old Timer, and Still Dave decided to push on up the trail in bad weather.   There were over 20 hikers at the hostel who came in from the storm, including a number of hikers I have met on the trail since Springer. The folks at Cloud 9 are awesome and managed to find a bunk, couch, or mattress on the floor for everyone. I slept in a camper trailer on the site with three other hikers - including Long Step who arrived late in the day after walking over 16.6 miles in the pouring rain over very rugged terrain.   After a hot shower and laundry many of us talked and watched a big screen TV while a couple of the hikers cooked up an excellent community chili and salad dinner.   Fran and Crutch at Cloud 9 suggested doing a "Light Pack" trip from Unicoi Gap to Dicks Creek Gap (16.6 miles) - A two day trip for me - one day for several others. I left some of my gear at Cloud 9 and started out first thing the next morning.      3/20/08Unicoi Gap to Deep Gap Shelter (13.1 miles)---------------------------------------   A fairly cold morning turned into a beautiful cool sunny day. Several awesome mountain vistas including the view from the top of Tray Mtn.   I think my pack is about 8 lbs lighter today - Feels GREAT. A lot of big up hills today. I briefly stopped at Tray Mtn Shelter to eat lunch then pushed on to Deep Gap Shelter. I was the first to arrive and thought I would have the place to myself - then five other hikers arrived just before dark. Knot Top and his father Big Mike (AL), Seth (IN), and Brad & Aggie (NH.)    I hammocked near the shelter for the night.      3/21/08Deep Gap Shelter to the road at Dicks Creek Gap (3.5 miles)---------------------------------------   Another cool bright sunny day.   It was only a two hour hike to the road at Dicks Creek Gap. Brad & Aggie and I called Cloud 9 and arranged for them to shuttle us into the Holiday Inn Express in Hiawassee. I want to spend the rest of the day in my own space sorting out excess gear to lighten my pack, and Brad and Aggie needed to go to the Post Office to check on a food package that is lost someplace in the mail.   We stopped at Cloud 9 for a short time on the way to town where I learned that JBird and Black Cat Lucky are getting medical attention for injured knee's - and - Motor Butt-Kitten Eggs and Still Dave (now Clothesline) are nursing sore knee's at the hostel. It looks like some or all of them may be off the trail for season. Sadly, the trail is starting to take its toll.   After checking into the HIE - Brad, Aggie, and I walked down the street and had a nice AYCE (all you can eat) lunch.   Today turned into a beautiful warm sunny day. Hiawassee is a very pretty town. Spring is in full bloom in the lower elevations with the dogwoods, forcythia's, crep myrtle's, and daffodils in full bloom. Not so up on the trail just yet.   After lunch we split up to run our seperate errands. I went through my pack then walked to the Post Office to send home about 3 lbs. of gear that I don't need. Then I hit the ATM and the grocery store for supplies for the trip to Franklin, NC. I spent the rest of the evening cleaning up and getting ready for the trail.      Tomorrow morning (3/22) a local couple will shuttle us back to Dicks Creek Gap and I am off to Franklin, NC. Probably a four or five day hike. I plan stay at about 8 - 10 miles a day for the next few weeks. I am not in a hurry - there will be plently of big mile days in the months to come.   Thank You for your warm thoughts and Guest Book messages. They really mean a lot.   Bye for now.   Wes