Date: 2012-03-14
From: Chattahoochee Gap 48.2

To: Tray Mountain Shelter 58.6
Miles today: 10.4
Weather: clear sky

We started out the day with a beautiful sunrise. Then, as we were leaving our campsite, we came upon 2 local day hikers, Grasshopper and Brakeman, who thru hiked the AT in 2008, and were training for a Pacific Crest trail thruhike, starting next month. They also hike ultralight as we do, so it was fun to exchange ideas. We wished them the best of luck on their upcoming adventure, though we didn't think they needed any luck. They appeared to be pros. We started hiking toward Blue Mountain shelter we found our roughest and slowest terrain yet, so we were glad we didn't try for the shelter last evening. We stopped for water a mile out, so we could treat it. That would save time at the shelter, where we planned to eat breakfast. The shelter was beautiful, but unfortunately previous hikers had left trash there. At Unicoi gap was Mama Bear with trail magic! Thanks much! That Diet Coke got me up the next hill! And I especially appreciated that you took my trash. (Random note: by this, the fifth day, we had already started dividing the tasks. Typically, I got the water and treated it, and Gary carried the stove, set it up, and did the cooking. Also, Gary carried a bit more of the food, while I carried the trash out. Any time I had the opportunity to get rid of trash, I did so, especially since trash, as well as food, had to be hung or put in a bear box.) At Mama Bear's car we met Jonas, a young man from Germany, who was planning to hike to about Washington DC, and Zephyr, a day hiker who planned to finish his section hike this summer in August or early September. By the time we got reached Tray Mountain Shelter we were both beat, so we called it a day after only 10.4 miles. However, we were not too tired to meet the many thru hikers who were staying there. (Random note: Many of the people we met there turned out to be our companions for the rest of the way to Maine, including Waker, named after his favorite music group, and later known as Dude Man Bro, Spidderman, later known as ManBearPig, August, who wears camo, Blue, True Blue, Blue and Snail, Medicine Man, who wears a kilt; Rook, Phoenix, Froot Loop, and Blue (4 college girls hiking together; Craftsman,and others. (Random note: True Blue, from Ohio, a woman about my age, also wears a skirt.) We wondered how many would make it to Maine. Only time would tell.) (Another random note: The younger thru hikers treated us with so much respect during this part of our hike that we were unnerved. Part of it was probably that many were from the southeast, where people seem to be very polite, but I think part of it was they thought we were EXTREMELY ancient, since we were older than most of their parents, and they probably thought we wouldn't make it very far, but then again we wondered how far they would make it.)I went for water from a spring and treated it, and after I treated it, I went and got more. Dinner was Thai noodles and sun dried tomatoes. By 8:30 we were snug in our bags gazing at the the stars above. Life is good on the Appalachian trail, especially when there is no overnight rain predicted so you can "cowboy camp"!