Date: 2014-03-19
From: Deep Gap Shelter

To: Blue Ridge Gap
Miles today: 9.3
Weather: light intensity drizzle

Just a warning, but today was not pretty! Actually, it was hell. After about 11pm last night I could not stop shaking. I had all my clothes on inside a 15 degree bag with a 10 degree liner. It was not that I was so cold, but just felt like crap. My stomach was also turning all night. I felt okay this morning but definitely did not feel like my normal self. I still had the shakes even though I was starting to warm up and that did not make much sense to me. I hiked to Dicks Creek Gap where there are tables and the road that goes into Hiawassee. I had a bunch to eat to try and get my stomach to settle down a bit. Peanut butter, cliff bars, snickers, and beef jerky did not do anything but make my stomach turn. I filled up my water bladder and bottle at the creek next to the tables. I met a few hikers who were arriving at the gap as I was getting ready to hike out. I left there around noon. The last climb before Plumorchard Gap Shelter is when my day literally went to hell. It felt like I was trying to climb Everest and it was not a bad climb. I could not catch my breath, had a headache, and just felt like shit. Half way up I was so frustrated I threw my pack down and took a break. That is when it hit me. I bolted into the woods almost forgetting my toilet paper in my backpack. Diarrhea to say the least. I downed some water after that and started back up the small climb to the top of the knob. Damnit! Every step uphill I take I almost crap my pants. I toss my pack down again, and dart into the woods like a mad man. Again, I felt a little better after but I was out of toilet paper so that worried me. I hiked down to Plumorchard Gap Shelter and start back up after that. About a mile later, it hit me again. This time, no toilet paper, so leaves it was. My body was shaking and felt absolutely drained. I came to a miracle dirt road that I did not know even existed. I was at Blue Ridge Gap. I was beyond sick. Three trips into the woods since Dicks Creek Gap...not fun. If anyone knows someone in the area that knows exactly where I am, that is Miss Janet. She put me in touch with Gene Roll who knew exactly where I was. He said the road was terrible to get to me. Since I was sick, he drove his Honda Pilot up what seemed like a rock crawling course to get to me. I loaded my gear and climbed in. He had the heat on full blast and I was still shaking. I was not happy. This is not what I wanted to be dealing with today. I asked Forest and Safety to pass the word along to B Man and Jo Cool that I was sick as hell and got off at Blue Ridge Gap. Gene gave me a ride to the local Subway where I ate again to try and get my stomach to feel better and hopefully keep this food inside me for a bit. After talking to Tahlor, her and Brandi jumped in the truck and were were on their way to pick me up. I took a long hot shower after sitting on the toilet for about a hour...the Subway did not last long. I laid down right after and slept 12 hours straight. I woke up soaked in the morning from sweating so much throughout the night. I am hoping a day or two of rest and not moving out of bed will get this crap to go away. No idea what I have or where I got it, but it sucks. RESTTTTT!