Date: 2004-04-23
From: Dick's Creek Gap, Georgia

To: Welcome to North Carolina
Miles today: 11.6

The run of near sleepless nights continues. This morning in Hiawassee, Georgia, I asked one of the owners of the inn about some dogs in the adjoining property that had barked late into the night. "What dogs?" he replied. How could this innkeeper not know about the dogs and the ruckus of noise they had created past 2:00 AM? The man's living quarters were here at the inn. I wasn't angry at him. Rather, I was just frustrated that even off of the trail decent sleep was continuing to elude me.   I hitch hiked from Hiawassee to Dick's Creek Gap where I had last hiked.The first man to give me a lift was driving an old model pick up truck. When I told him that I was hiking the AT, he said with a Southern drawl, "Watch out for them diamondbacks (a species of rattle snake). The males are black and the females are yeller."Hearing this, I thought about my visit yesterday to the post office. Several items deemed non essential had been shipped home. Of those items had been a snake bite kit. The next driver to pick me up had Confederate symbols inside his jeep and on his person. On each finger of his right hand, a single letter was tattooed. The five letters spelled the word, rebel. I asked him about snakes in the woods, and related my conversation with the previous driver.He told me that the other driver was wrong about the diamond back rattle snakes. He said, "It's the timber rattle snakes (a different species) that are dangerous this time of year. They're just starting to come out and they're real active. I always keep a snake bite kit." To emphasize his point, he reached into a compartment and produced one.I hit the trail at 8:00 AM.The first 1 1/2 hours consisted of a gradual uphill climb. I began to grow tired early on. There was no spring in my steps. My sleep deficit was probably to blame. While hiking, I wondered if my habit of setting up camp near dark was a factor in my sleeping problems. A late arrival in camp means cooking a late supper. By eating late, perhaps my body is becoming too energized for sleep. I decided to make an earlier camp and eat supper earlier. Hopefully, a decent night's sleep will result.While hiking in the morning, the quietude of the forest was interrupted by the distant sound of a truck shifting its gears back at Dick's Creek Gap. The thought occurred to me that in a way, I too must shift gears whenever I encounter a steep gap on the trail. During an ascent, I slow down and often step up by placing my weight on the bottom of my heels rather than on the balls of my feet. This technique supposedly makes it easier to climb steep grades.During the morning, I dropped one of my bandanas. I had hiked too far to go back and search for it.Later, I discovered that my umbrella had fallen from the mesh holder of my backpack. This time, I had to turn around. I considered leaving the backpack behind rather than lugging it back and forth during my search. I decided to carry it back to avoid the risk of bears tearing it apart in search of food. I had been told that several days ago, two hikers had temporarily left their backpacks for just a few minutes in order to hike up a spur trail where a water source was located. Upon their return, a bear was ravaging the backpacks. The incident had occurred at Hawk Mountain Shelter, the same place where several days ago, I had foolishly declined the advice to replenish my water supply.Fortunately, the missing umbrella was found a short distance away.As the day wore on, my energy level ebbed. I felt drowsy. To make matters worse, it seemed like I was hiking uphill more often than on past days. I knew in my gut that it was my sleep deficit not the terrain that was slowing me down. I stopped for lunch and placed my bare feet into a muddy dribble of water which crossed the trail. It felt great on my sore and sweaty feet. I replaced the moleskin which covered my blister. During this break, two thru hikers passed by. We chatted briefly.When I resumed hiking, a milestone was reached about 200 yards up the trail. A sign was affixed to a tree. The sign identified the spot as the border of Georgia and North Carolina. I shook hands with one of the thru hikers who was lingering at the spot.The introduction to North Carolina proved to be difficult. The trail ascended 800 feet. Near the start of this ascent, I transferred the remaining water in my nylon bladder into my water bottle. It is easier to drink from the bottle.The ascent was brutal. I often stopped to lean against trees. Eventually, I reached a ridge line with an elevation in the 4,600 foot range. Trees covered the ridge.I stopped at a stream to replenish my water supply. To my horror, I realized that my water bladder was not in the meshing of my backpack. The bladder had apparently been left behind at that place near the bottom of the ascent where I had transferred the water into the bottle. For the third time in the day, I had dropped something. The bladder is something which could not be left behind, so I began to descend the ridge in order to retrieve the bladder. The thought of having to re-ascend this slope was depressing.And then a miracle occurred. A thru hiking couple named Chris and Nicki appeared. They had picked up the bladder with the intention of dropping it off at the next shelter for whoever had lost it. I thanked them profusely.I reach the shelter in the late afternoon. Intent, or better said, obsessed with getting a decent sleep, I erected my tarp in the woods apart from the usual tenting spots. The ground at this spot was covered with a thick and soft layer of leaves.I was following to the letter my plan to get a good night¢s sleep. I was making camp earlier than on other occasions. I took a sponge bath so that I would not feel skuzzy in the sleeping bag. I ate supper early to allow my metabolism to run its course before bedtime. I can only hope this plan succeeds.Separately, John (from the first night) arrived at the shelter, followed by Chris (from the first night). Eric was present, and so were a few other hikers. We lit a camp fire and hung out. In the darkness, I had trouble locating my tarp in the woods. My headlamp was useful, but I had to eyeball the quarter moon in the sky to keep my bearings.I am now in North Carolina. Yahoo! If only I can get decent sleep