Date: 2007-03-27
From: Betty Creek Gap

To: Rock Gap Shelter
Miles today: 8.4
Weather: light rain

March 27, I Feel Like I'm Hiking the Appalachian Trail Woke up at 6:54 a.m. to 51 degrees in my tent and lots of noises around camp. I slept in a sea of rhododendron trees last night - cusiony leafy ground and all. I just laid in my bag for a while and relaxed before I got up. Morning chores went well and we hit the trail around 9:45 a.m.The day started very gradual with a couple of stops for water in the morning. On Big Butt Mtn., we heard a native American flute being played in the distance. I felt like I was in a movie, this time with a musical soundtrack. Big Butt Mtn. was fun. It was different than some of the mountains we've grown accustomed to. Lots of water and mud and little ups and downs.We took a break at Bear Pen Gap with Shalom and Dances with Sloths and that's where we first met Eagle. Eagle started hiking the AT last year at this time, got to Katahdin, and turned around and started walking back to Springer. Now, he's headed northbound again! He's hiked the PCT, CDT, and the NCT! Crazy. After our break, we started up Albert Mtn. We had been hearing about this guy for days - rock scrambles, the firetower, fun! Albert goes up 500 feet in 0.3 miles which is almost straight up. Immediately this was fun. Michele and I traded cameras and we took pictures of each other the whole way. I had to strap my trekking poles to my pack because I needed my arms to push myself up in many places. At one point, I was eye-level with a white blaze on a rock - that I had to climb. It was really fun. It was definitely a change and I loved it.On the top, we started climbing the firetower. As soon as I started up the rickety stairs, I remembered that sometimes I'm afraid of heights. This tower was right on the edge of the mountain and I felt like it could blow over at any minute (surely not true). I went to the top with Certain as she coaxed me along. We snapped a couple of photos and then I bolted. I think I am all set on firetowers.Back down, I started eating lunch with Eagle and talking about all of his hikes, etc. He is certainly someone I could listen to all day. He's a funny guy too! This is one that he came up with on his southbound hike this winter...You know your blind date is a thru-hiker when...1. she invites you to dinner and cooks you Ramen noodles.2. she invites you to church and wears Crocs.3. she picks up a bunch of hitchhikers and you all sleep on her porch.4. she hangs her food in a bear bag on the chandelier before bed.Hahaha.We had a nice time on Albert but we moved on. We stopped for a few breaks throughout the rest of the day and even soaked our feet in Long Branch Creek. After that stop, we knew we were getting close...to the much anticipated psychological milestone of 100 miles. That's right, 100 miles!We estimated when we were there and Certain and I, of course, stopped for photos. She even began a toast with a protein bar.."I'd like to make a toast to 100 miles. To protein bars. To duct tape. To snotrockets.." Then I leapt in and it was a free-for-all..."to poles falling every time I stop." "To our fingers always being black." "To car theives". "To Ramen noodles". This toast carried on for the next 1/2 mile or so. Grand.We hiked about two miles more to Rock Gap Shelter and we are here with lots of folks tonight... Not Guilty, TDS, Sailor, Shalom, Dances With Sloths, Uncle Buck, and others that I sadly don't remember names for.It was a good day but it tuckered me out. It is so nice feeling that I have 100 miles behind me now. I think to myself that I can certainly do this 21 more times. But then again, we have had AMAZING weather so far and that defintely plays on my confidence levels. Only 2,071 miles left!-Sound of snorers, Certain adjusting her hammock, and something creeping in the leaves. Post Trail Thoughts:The morning hike was led by TDS who we had left cowboy camping the night before at a beautiful cliff before Betty Creek Gap. He was trucking along...Looking back, it was so nice to have Certain around to trade cameras with for things like Albert Mtn. It was also nice to have someone there who appreciated things like my poles falling every time I stopped. I would try to stake them into the ground but they never failed in giving in to gravity. Argh.Other people I've since remembered being at the shelter that night were Evil Eye and Tony. I was jealous of the SLR Tony was carring along with him.