Date: 2016-06-14
To: "Day 3 on the trail is always the worst." Serenity
Miles today: 0.0

Cherry Gap Shelter to Spring after Hughes Gap RoadWe start the day intending to hike 15.7 miles to a tent site near Ash Gap. The heat and humidity which has plagued us since we began hiking on June 12 again takes its toll on Dr. Suuz. During the morning climb, her racing heart and ringing ears are a prelude to clamminess and nausea. By the time we reach Clyde Smith Shelter, she and X decide to rest a bit and perhaps take an early lunch.Resting a bit turns into a long nap for Suuz and lunch for both of us once Suuz recovers from her earlier queasiness. Quadzilla, a thru hiker whose legs match his trail name, stops for water from the shelter's piped spring. He tells us he's recently picked up a re-supply at Uncle Johnny's Hostel in Erwin, bringing his pack weight to well over 50 pounds, including fresh produce he likes to include in his trail diet. We realize he's the hiker who came in to spend last night in the Cherry Gap Shelter, though we didn't get to chat as we were already heading to bed at hiker midnight when he arrived. Fortified by the rest and lunch, we start back on the trail after an unheard of 90-minute midday break. The rest hasn't made our pace any brisker, and the air is still hot and humid, even atop 5,000-foot Little Rock Knob which we reach after a steep climb up from the shelter. It only gets muggier on our long, thousand-foot descent to Hughes Gap Road. At the gap we overtake Marcos who tented near us last night. He's hiking the AT for the first time, and will continue on this section for a few more days. Then he'll return to a friend's house in Asheville and travel to a reunion at The Farm, in Summertown, TN, not too far from our home town in Mississippi. He's taking a break at Hughes Gap, trying to decide whether to look for a tent site here or press on a few more miles. As we follow the trail north from the gap, the prospect of climbing 1500 feet over three miles to reach the Ash Gap tent site is daunting. We agree we will stop for the night at the piped spring a few tenths of a mile north of Hughes Gap if the tent site there is suitable and not already occupied. The site slopes downward a bit, but it looks welcoming to two tired hikers. Positioned high above the only level-ish and open spot to camp near the spring, is a large broken tree limb lodged in a v-shaped notch of a live tree: a dreaded widow maker. X comments it is not an ideal spot to set up, but with only the postage stamp-size real estate to work with underneath, it's the best we could do. While X pitches the tent and sets up our camp gear, Suuz collects and filters water from the spring-fed pipe. It's clear but slow flowing water, so it takes a while to get the four liters we use for the evening meal, breakfast and tomorrow's drinking water. Earlier weather reports forecast thunderstorms for tonight, but we have no mobile service to connect to get a current local report. X is surprised when her call home goes through. N Tovert reads us the hourly forecast for towns nearby, indicating brief storms may pass our way. After reassessing our tent location, we realize it won't take much precipitation to send a stream running down a channel around and under us. Suuz retrieves some dead branches and a few stones from the fire ring to fashion a diverter of sorts uphill from the tent. It has been a rough day on the trail. Although it means we will have to hike three more miles tomorrow to get to Overmountain Shelter as planned, we're happy we stopped when we did, with just enough time for camp chores, bird baths and dinner before taking shelter in our tent for the night. Suuz is sound asleep by the time the storm moves through, but X, troubled by the widowmaker near our tent, loud thunder and an animal's shrieking during the night in the vicinity of the tree where our food bag is hung, sleeps very little. She reports the tent stayed dry inside even during the hard rainfall. We hope tonight's rain will bring cooler temps and lower humidity. Tomorrow is another day. Staying dry is a small victory, and we'll take it. Dr. Suuz and X