Date: 2004-03-31
From: Cheese Factory 

To: Dick's Creek Gap
Miles today: 12.5

I set aside my journal last night, turned off my headlamp and laid in my sleeping bag listening intently for the sound of possible sources of harm--bears, snakes, hillbillies, rabid dogs or perhaps even a savage box turtle out foraging. My mind was filled with doubts as I questioned whether or not I had the ¢Right Stuff,¢ to be able to hike this trail without being in the company of others at least some of the time. Would my fears and doubts keep me awake and in dread of the darkness and sense of vulnerable isolation I felt?Well, in spite of what may have been going on in my head, my body cast the final vote because I fell asleep seconds after I shut off my light and didn¢t wake up until BOB was beaming in my tent flap eleven and a half hours later.During the night I was up briefly three times to relieve myself and to add more clothing. (It's amazing how fast you can do these things when it¢s raining and cold!) No question about it, Winton's layering system proved to be a winner. As the temperature got down to near-freezing, I was prepared, and by morning's light I had on two pairs of socks and two long-johns, one pair of hiking shorts, two long-sleeve shirts, a polypro tee, my wind pants, fleece jacket, fleece stocking cap and gloves! I was warm and dry and very much at peace with myself and the world as I drank my coffee completely alone in the deep Georgia Mountains. I couldn't help but wonder, though, how some of my fellow hikers were making out, especially "Turtle Don" who, when I had last seen him at Neels Gap, had been wearing a cotton tee shirt and blue jeans... probably the worse things to wear in this kind of weather. Cotton holds moisture and prompts hypothermia, probably the single biggest cause of fatality for hikers... as they say, "cotton kills!" After a few showers rolled through and the clouds on top of Tray Mountain failed to dissipate, I broke camp in the sunshine and headed toward the 1,500' climb. Ten minutes later I was in a dense, driving snowstorm that lasted for two hours -- the entire assent and descent of Tray Mountain, described in the trail guides as a "rocky round top noted for its impressive 360-degree views of Northern Georgia." Yeah, right. As I crossed the summit covered with an inch of fresh snow and frozen puddles of ice, visibility was maybe a not-so-impressive 20 feet! But even so, it was exhilarating to be there that day, knowing that my footprints were the only ones on the AT upon that particular point in time and place... kind of my own personal Everest.I spent the rest of the day's hike alone on the trail in great spirits, whistling out loud, talking to myself and the woods, and humming (kind of the way my Mother does most of the time these days.) If the footing had been better, I'd probably have been doing what Barb calls her six-year old son's "happy-boy-skip", too. It was just neat to be out there doing my own thing and trusting the outcome to whatever it would be. While I thoroughly enjoyed my day's journey, I also became proficient at changing and adjusting my clothing as the weather went from snow to sun to rain to sun and back reflecting the terrain which varied about as much. Nevertheless, I completed the 12 plus miles to Dick's Creek Gap in 6 1/2 hours and emerged from the woods at US 75 into sunshine. As I crossed the road, a woman stepped from a van parked in the parking lot and said, "You want a ride to town?" I held up my "HIKER TO TOWN" bandana and she smiled and said, "I'm Swallowtail, your 'Trail Angel'. I've been waiting for someone to come stumbling out of those woods for about 10 minutes, so I guess you're who I came for. Get in." Twenty minutes later I was in a hot shower at the Hiawassee Inn (a circa 1950's motel run by some very nice guys who just took it over and who seem genuinely appreciative of having the hiker business... for $35/night I'm not going to complain!) And did I say HOT water?!?! A bit later, six of us including Michelle and Kevin who I had last seen at Blue Mountain Shelter and "Hiking Bear" from Low Gap piled into the Inn's van for dinner at Daniel's ¢ ¢All You Can Eat for $6.50 unless you're over sixty then it's $5.95... (now THERE's an incentive to come back next year when I can get my discount!) At the restaurant, I found the crew I had expected to see at the Cheese Factory the night before. As it turns out, they had all arrived there earlier than expected so continued on to the Tray Mountain Shelter on the north side of the summit, thereby missing the snowstorm I encountered when I crossed it this morning. After dinner I picked up my drop box and Fed Ex package from the office, made a couple of quick calls to check messages and zzzzzzz....