Date: 2020-06-09
From: Unicoi Gap / Helen

To: Deep Gap Shelter
Miles today: 13.1
Weather: overcast clouds

Driving back from the airport last night after seeing off my son, it hit me that I am now on my own. There are 2100 miles ahead. It was a sobering and lonely thought. I already miss my hiking partner.I ate the Mexican leftovers for breakfast. I didn't think I was hungry, and it didn't look appetizing, but it happened. Lots of protein, can't hurt!Toured Helen, with "Alpine" German-style architecture. Although midweek in early June the shops were already becoming busy. There are three jerky shops. Can't imagine there is this much demand for crocodile, ostrich, and python jerky. Okay, I bought a few. It's a change from Slim Jims. A different wild animal every day for a week.There's a dutch-style windmill at the edge of town. All gingerbread siding, the works. A UHaul truck seems to be stored in front of it. Kind of sums up the vibe.Next door is Hofer's Konditorei (bakery), where I just randomly pointed at things and took it to go. It will taste good on the trail. Resupplied at the Ingles supermarket. I sent the stove home with Big E to save weight. I'm going to try cold soaking rice and maybe coos-coos. Bought so many snacks to make sure I got the calories I'm not sure I'm saving weight. But it will taste better than watery noodles and potatoes every night.A shuttler named Michelle took me back to Unicoi Gap. She hasn't done a lot of hiking but knows the community. Her first year shuttling full-time has been a bit of a roller coaster. Constantly busy in early March. The last thruhiker she took was an Aussie going to the airport to return home fearing the border would close.From Unicoi there was a lot of climbing. 1000 feet up, back down, 1300 feet up, back down. Then numerous smaller hills. Humid but relatively cool at elevation. Some nice views of ridges receding in the clouds. Often breezy. Thunder rumbled in the distance occasionally.I filled my water bottle this morning with melted ice from the motel ice machine. Not sure why I thought it would be purer or taste better. Probably neither! But I also packed out a bag full of iced tea. That was a thirst quencher for me.I accidentally turned onto the trail into Tray Mountain Shelter. Lounging there were the four UNC guys. Some of them looked a little beat, but all seemed happy to be out. They expect to complete the whole of Georgia. Pretty good for their first trip.I said goodbye and walked past the shelter, down the trail past other tenters and down the hill until it dead-ended at a trickle of water. Ack! This wasn't the AT! So I sheepishly marched back up and said my goodbyes again as I exited the shelter side trail. Troop 61 was arriving. One of the boys was surprised to see me here and called me Obi Wan. I guess it's the white hair. Another trail name if I want it.I didn't get on trail until 2. It was now 5 but I'd only come 6 miles. Won't get to Maine in time if I stop here. So Ipushed on 7.5 miles to the next shelter. More ups and downs. After leaving the UNC guys and the troop I knew I wouldn't see them again. That feeling of being on my own came up again. This late in the season, I'm unlikely to see the same group of hikers for long.The wind picked up, thunder drew closer. I pulled out my poncho before the heavy rain hit. It poured down for the next hour and a half as I climbed more mountains. The trail became a stream. My shoes and socks were quickly soaked. Grimly I trudged on. There will be plenty of days like this, I told myself. Find the good in them, don't focus on the bad.Kelly Knob was particularly frustrating. Only an 800 foot climb, it seemed far longer than the earlier, bigger climbs. After forever I crested the ridge with, of course, no views. And then a long, long descent. Finally the shelter side trail appeared, and even that was long. At the shelter were a couple heading for Franklin and a 28-year-old woman named Backtrack attempting to thruhike. She's been wanting to do this for ten years and planning it for two. She meant to start two months ago. Doesn't want to flip up to Maine, but not sure she can finish otherwise. There was a sleeping loft and I spread out my stuff, knowing nothing will dry. I ate all the pastries from Hofer's for dinner. The giant Bavarian soft pretzel had been a trail snack. Not the healthiest diet today. But I did buy fruit for breakfast tomorrow. We'll see how it held up.Rain is still bouncing off the shelter roof. Supposed to be wet the next two days. I should get to Franklin by then. I already stink after just a couple of hours of being damp.