Date: 2015-04-09
From: Betty Creek Gap

To: Winding Stair Gap - Budget Inn, Franklin, NC
Miles today: 12.2

Decent night sleep last night. Cambo and I were up and out by 7:30 and began the climb up Albert. Everyone talks about this one a lot and I thought they were full of it the first couple of miles. Pretty soon we passed the last gap and were greeted with a steep set of stairs. Then steep trail. Then steep boulders. It was the toughest climb to date but kind of fun. Hopping up the rocks and grabbing trees to pull myself up was actually fun. Its the first time hiking poles were worthless.At the top we met Moosehead, Clementine, and the hiking family. Views were amazing from the fire tower at 5000+ feet. We took a bunch of photos and headed down the hill. Oh, and 100 miles today. We'll take any reason to celebrate.The rest of the day was pretty low key. I may be biased but I love the NC AT far more than the Georgia AT. We always have so much more altitude and I love the green rhododendron tunnels.We made the 12.2 miles to Winding Stair Gap by 1:30 and the shuttle had us into Franklin by 2:00. Cambo and I made the long walk over to Ingles for resupply then met everyone for a beer at Outdoor 76. I opted for a Cack-a-Lacky. The guy tried to tell me about the beer. No need buddy...Fullsteam is 10 minutes from my house. After that we (Cambo, Double Back, Moosehead, Burnsides, Jeopardy, and Star Crunch) gorged on Mexican food and were now sitting in the grass behind the Budget Inn while I do laundry. Feels good to be here already. We'll partake in the Baptist Church hiker breakfast at 7:00 and head for the trail at 9:00. We should be at the NOC on Saturday and into the Smokies sometime next week.And Libby was asking about gear and food. And by the way I love your questions. Backpacking is the greatest thing and I'm pumped you're so into it.As for gear, I have a few things I love and a few I'm iffy on. I love my pack (Osprey Exos 58). Its light and perfect for what I'm doing. My sleep system has also been solid. I was iffy on my neoair xlite and I've slept like a baby on it. It can be a little loud when you roll around on it but the sleep I get is getting better every day. My sleeping bag is the best I've ever used. Its a 20 degree Western Mountaineering Alpinlite. Its so warm and sleeps so good. Water has been good too. People generally fall into three camps. Pumps, Sawyer Squeeze, or Aqaumira. I have the Sawyer and have had zero issues. They all take a certain amount of time to filter and all have advantages and disadvantages. I'm happy with my choice.I also use a Jetboil Sol to cook with. Seems like a 50/50 mix between alcohol and canister. The Jetboil can boil water in 2 minutes. It's pretty nice.My one disappointment has been my tent. (Big Agnes Fly Creek UL2) I love the design and it weighs nothing. The problem is that I already have two small slits in the bottom. Not cool. I've plugged one with duct tape and noticed the other one this morning. I'll patch it the next time I put it up. As for food I haven't gotten crazy. Last night I was beat so I had tortillas with pepperoni, mayo, olive oil and cheese combos. I just want calories. If I cook it will be something simple like a pasta side with tuna or chicken in it. When you're at the store you look for food that is light and high in calories. I do the tuna, chicken and nuts for protein. When you camp for a weekend you're willing to hike short and eat fancy. On a long distance hike were just looking for something that won't weigh us down. We go crazy in town with food though.I think that covers it. Keep the questions coming. It's fun to think back and realize how in tune I've gotten with this whole thing in a week and a half.