Date: 2007-03-31
From: Wayah Gap, Franklin

To: Tellico Gap
Miles today: 13.5
Weather: clear sky

March 31, Long Walk HomeI woke up at 7:48 a.m. today to 69.8 degrees in my Budget Inn room. We had no plan for the day yet - we could zero, we could slackpack, or we could just hike out of Franklin wth our monstrous packs like a regular thru-hikers.We opted for slackpacking. Oye, let me pause...slackpacking is having someone drop you off at Point A and pick you up at Point B and hiking with only what you need to get through the day, no monstrous packs. So, thirteen and a half miles is what worked logistically for Ron so we agreed, thinking that with little weight on our backs, it'd be no problem. For some strange reason, Ron thought we could hike all 13.5 miles in four hours. Ummm...he was obviously not familiar with our pace. We just don't go 3.4 miles per hour in the mountains. Does anyone? Ron personally shuttled folks in the school bus today, with many people slackpacking. He told us interesting stories about the area as he drove us around town. We got to our stop around 11:45 a.m. and Ron would be at Tellico Gap at 4 p.m. to pick us up. We booked up the trail to Wayah Bald. We spent some time on the observation tower on top of the bald to enjoy the magnificent views. They truly were great, I could see for miles. Then, we got back to business - we had 8.5 more miles and two more hours.At 3:30, we still had about six miles to go so I called Ron to let him know there ws no way we'd be on time. He told us we were doing good and he'd see us in an hour. I had to clarify that, no, we could not hike six miles in one hour - all while lauging at the very idea. So, Ron said he'd arrange a ride for us at 6 p.m. We love Ron!From that point on, I was tired and my body protested with each step. My legs were tired, my feet were tired. After two more miles, my knees hurt and they screamed at me as we went downhill. The muscles in my hips were tight. I was moving slower than I ever had with my pack on. It wasn't fun anymore. I felt miserable on the downhills and I felt like forces were repelling me from moving on the uphills. There were no level spots. I felt like I was made of rubber. But, on we went...At 6:30 p.m., I finally saw what I'd been wanting to see more than anything - a road. I knew then that I just had to make it there. My feet and my legs saw the road too. I could barely stop them. When I got there, I saw the most beautiful sight in existence - a chair. A chair! I had told Certain about an hour ago up the mountain that I wished there'd be a chair in Tellico Gap! Trail angels! Food! What trail angels often don't realize is the power of a seat with a back - but these guys got it. I walked right to the beautiful blue camp chair and plopped myself down with all the grace of an elephant. Harold, one of the trail angels, asked me if I wanted to grab a snack or a beverage. I told him I was most happy to see the chair. But, I also grabbed a bag of Cool Ranch Doritos to enjoy.Sailor and Not Guilty were both there so we sat and had some laughs for a few minutes. We were glad to run into Sailor since we hadn't seen him in a few days. I barely moved. Turns out these gentlemen trail angels, Harold and Jim, would be our shuttle to home as well. That made me love them even more.About an hour later, we were loaded into Jim's truck heading to the NOC to drop off Not Guilty. The ride was beautiful - something we would not have seen if it weren't for the way our day was so artfully crafted beyond our control. The entire ride was paralleled by the Nantahala River. We saw a gigantic waterfall, people fishing, and areas that appeared to never have been touched by humans before. We enjoyed stories and information from Harold and Jim along the way.The NOC looked like a fun and inviting place. We dropped Not Guilty off and we were headed to our home at the Budget Inn. It took close to an hour but the ride was beautiful. I had Maggie, Jim's black labrador, resting her head comfortably in my lap along the way.   The Budget Inn had never looked so wonderful. I crawled out of the car and across the parking lot. In our room, I fell onto the bed. I took a shower, made some Ramen noodles outside on my stove, ate some hot dogs and then tried to type in my journal...but I decided sleep would feel better. So I went to bed.The day was too long.- Sound of the fan in our room, the springs in Certain's bed as she moves.Post Trail Thoughts:This day goes into my top three most painful days on the trail. It was just wretched. They say childbirth is the worst pain in the world but, having never experienced that, I have to believe it's better than how I felt this day!I think the reason I felt so bad was because we were basically trying to run in the beginning. Now, let me be clear, I do not run. I'd venture to say the longest consecutive distance I'd ever run up to that point was one mile. It just hurts more than walking.I was trying to be social when I arrived at the gap but I was so worn out that I really don't know how that worked out for me. Thank goodness for Harold and Jim.