Date: 2013-03-11
From: Carter Gap Shelter

To: Winding Stair Gap
Miles today: 15.9

No rain.... no pain.... no Maine!I woke up at 4:38 am to the sound of rain on my tent. So much for getting an early start and missing it!! When i ran into the shelter i found that slapp had gotten our food bags down. Both mine and Dragon's had holes chewed in them by rodents!! Dragon was missing some granola bars but apparently my food was so unappetizing even the mice are rejecting it. Slapp, Dragon, and I left camp around 8:30 and made good time in the rain and fog. We climbed up Mt. Albert, which was a pretty serious ascent. At times I had to pull myself up with my hands on the rock. At the very top Dragon and I climbed the fire tower. The wind and rain were whipping around us and we could feel the tower shaking. The trap door at the very top was bolted shut and dragon took a cool video of us quaking at the top of the tower. From here we hiked a little over a mile to the new Longbranch Shelter. We discussed hiking to Winding Stair Gap and getting a ride to Franklin. We hiked the next 4 miles to Rock Gap Shelter in a little over an hour! I think this is the fastest we have hiked so far. About halfway to Rock Gap Shelter I was behind slapp and before dragon when I came to a sudden stop. Growing up I had a swamp behind our home and my dad always taught us to walk with one eye on the ground in front of us. It paid off, because I spotted the snake Slapp almost stepped on. It was a non venomous snake, I think a banded water snake. We got some pictures and we moved it off the trail. Just a reminder that rattlesnakes and copperheads will soon be out as well. We got to the shelter at 1:20 pm and decided to press on to Franklin, but we wanted to leave a note in the register so Joe and Moxie would know where we went. Well there wasnt a register but Justin, who I had met going down to Unicoi Gap, was in the shelter taking a zero. He gave us each a Krispy Kreme donut and said he would relay our message to Joe and Moxie. Soon after, Wet Dog, Woodrow, and Kelsey showed up. Woodrow said he'd like to go to town also so he joined us for the 3.8 mile hike to Winding Stair Gap. Woodrow had stayed at the blueberry patch with us though we did not know him at the time. ( He is a pizza chef from New Jersey so now our group consists of three Jersey Boys and me from Alabama.) Ron Haven came and picked us up and drove us to his budget inn. I introduced myself as Leprechaun and Ron said, " Hey! I've heard of you!" Not sure what he meant by that but I hope it was good! We got checked in and walking to our room I heard " Hey Leprechaun!!" Shouted across the parking lot. It was Moxie! She and Joe had gotten a ride from a road near Rock Gap Shelter to town. She said they passed us while we were waiting for Ron to come get us but didn't have room to give us a ride. Also at the hotel were Wet Dog and Kelsey, who also got a ride from Rock Gap, and Nomad and Brad, from Austin, TX and Monroe, LA. So there are some southerners on the trail! ( I had actually seen there names on the register at the blueberry patch as well). It is very interesting to meet people after reading their names in shelter registers for a while and wondering who these people are. We shared stories about who we had camped with the previous nights and connected the dots on mutual contacts. My parents were kind enough to send me a birthday card, fudge, and brownies with my new water filter!! They are a hell of a support system and the fudge and brownies were appreciated by all the hikers in the inn. Dragon, Slapp, Woodrow, Joe, Moxie, and I went to eat at a sports bar named Mulligans. We got plenty of beer, and I had a rum and coke, a salad, and a burger. To finish the meal off, we all had an Irish Car Bomb! ( I had dreamed of one the night before and they were the nightly special at the bar.) I FaceTimed with my parents and dogs when we got back to the inn and we are planning on taking a zero (mile) day tomorrow. It will be nice to let the massive blisters on my left foot heal and to eat more town food. We are also going to check out the Three Eagles Outfitters who we hear offer a 10% discount to thru hikers. Today was our biggest day yet at around 16 miles. Soon I know this will be on the low end of the spectrum for us. I look forward to 20 mile plus days as I become a stronger hiker!