Date: 2010-02-13
From: Dick's Creek Gap

To: Muscrat Creek Shelter NC
Miles today: 11.8
Weather: broken clouds

Oh what a beautiful morning, Oh what a beautiful day, I've got a wonderful feeling, Everything's going my way.         - OklahomaThe sun was bright on the snow off the deck of Sherpa Dave and Robin's home where I had spent the night. I had stayed up to watch the start of the Olympics opening ceremony, but hit the sack before the end. I had been completely beat, but things looked brighter this morning.Dave had made a wonderful breakfast of bacon, blueberry pancakes, eggs, OJ and coffee. Mmmm. But now it was decision time. Get started right away and try to make Muskrat Shelter or lollygag and only go as far as Plumorchard Shelter? As the forecast a few days out didn't look so great, I decided to try to beat feet for Franklin, hoping to outrun the worst of it.Besides, I had to get away from Hiawassee and Robin's excellent cooking. I'd already put back on several of the pounds I'd worked so hard to lose before starting the hike. Fahmah also decided to resume his hike. After our farewells were made, again, Dave dropped us off at Dick's Creek Gap. Fahmah lit out fast while I enjoyed the morning sun and meandered my way along. There weren't many sounds in the forest - the soft splatting of snow dropping from branches and rhododenron leaves and occasional gunshots in the distance. Hunting or target practice? What a difference a day makes. Yesterday I had been feeling exhausted and gray and cold. Today I was content, feeling like I was just where I should be. I tried to move along without putting too much urgency to the walk.In the afternoon, the day turned cloudy and the wind picked up. By the time I caught up to Fahmah, almost at Bly Gap, just north of the GA/NC border, the wind was blowing hard and cold. We paused very briefly to snap the required photos of the iconic tree at Bly Gap then hurried on our way.The trail turned much harder. With snow covering everything, just trying to find the trail was sometimes difficult. In some areas, blurred footprints in the snow helped point the way, but in other areas the wind had scoured away all traces of tracks. On one steep slope, the snow in the center had melted and the refrozen, making a hard slippery surface. On the edges the snow had drifted and remained soft. Neither was easy to walk on, but just where the two areas met, there was a bit of traction from a thin layer of snow over the hard surface.On the climb up to Courthouse Bald, we took a switchback and then lost the trail entirely. We cast about searching for the next blaze. (Note: the AT is marked, from Georgia to Maine - and back, with 2x6-inch rectangles of white paint on trees, rocks, etc.) The last one we could see was a southbound blaze, but it wasn't oriented to be seen from higher up the slope, so we searched for more blazes with no luck. We climbed further up, and still no blazes to be seen. Had a blowdown taken out our guiding blazes? With the dropping temperatures, rising winds and sinking sun, it became more urgent to do *something*. I could feel the blasting winds sucking the heat away from me and I started to shiver. Fahmah suggested going back to a campsite at Bly Gap.** Flashing lights and music. **"So. Retreat back downhill, giving up the elevation gain, but not risking getting lost. Is that your final answer?""Well, that sounds like it might be a wise course. But, no, Regis. That is not my final answer. I'd like to use a Lifeline.""Alright. You do have a lifeline left. What's the number?""I'd like to call Sherpa Dave. He and Robin really know the trails around here, and I'm sure they can help."I couldn't get any bars on my phone, so I used Fahmah's phone and Sherpa Dave was able to offer guidance to get us back on course. The trail was indeed upslope. Hurray for Lifelines! We were still in the game.We worked our way higher up battling the wind and the snow until we found a blaze. After Courthouse Bald the trail became much easier and we were out of the wind. It was getting dark, but the snow gave enough reflected light that we were able to continue on without headlamps.We arrived at Muskrat Creek Shelter to find a large group of local fellas out for a long, cold weekend. They had hiked in from Blue Mountain Gap and had been in residence for a couple of days. Their gear had spread out, as gear does, but they moved some to give us space to make dinner. They offered to make sleeping space in the shelter for us, but Fahmah and I each elected to set up our tents on the snow, as some of the others had.Tired, and cold, but happy to have come so far, I settled in for the night. The weather that night wasn't too bad, but it had certainly changed from the beautiful morning. What would the next few days bring?