Date: 2005-10-28
From: Young Lick Knob, GA

To: Neels Gap, GA
Miles today: 27.7
Weather: broken clouds

27.7 miles todayWalasi-Yi HostelNeels Gap, Ga. I slept really well again last night and didn't wake up until 6am. I wasn't in a hurry, so I just layed there for a while. I finally stuck my stove outside and started my coffee at 6:30. I had 2 fried pies for breakfast...one lemon and one blueberry. It's amazing how quickly you get used to the cold weather. It was right at 30 degrees this morning and I slept with my sleeping bag unzipped all night. It was just draped over me like a quilt. I got packed up and was walking by 8am. I was meeting a friend at Unicoi Gap at noon and I only had 8 miles to go to get there, so I walked slowly and really enjoyed the morning. I had a 1400 foot climb up to Tray Mountain passing by Tray Mountain Dhelter without stopping. The views were awesome because to the west, there was fog in the valleys below with just smaller mountain tops sticking up through it. To the east there wasn't any fog, but the sun coming up was very nice to look at while it shaded some of the contours of the mountains. I walked down 1800 feet to Indian Grave Gap before starting my climb up Rocky Mountain. I passed two older guys going the other way on a day hike. We talked a while before I hiked on. It was 900 feet down to Unicoi Gap. I got there at 11am and started journaling. Mother Nature showed up at 11:15. Smokestack couldn't come out because he had to work, but it was great seeing Mother Nature again. She brought out some sandwiches on homemade bread with some very good ham and swiss cheese. I forgot just how good a real homemade sandwich was. She also had coke and then for desert, she brought out a whole pan of brownies that were still warm from the oven. While we were sitting there, the two older guys I saw earlier today came driving up. They had spotted a car on the other side of the mountain. The oldest of the two came over and talked a while. Tomorrow is his 79th birthday and he was still full of life and enjoying himself. Mother Nature and I had a good time talking and the time flew by. She is all excited about getting back out on the trail with Smokestack next year and walking the northern half of the trail to finish up the whole thing. We talked until 1pm and I started chilling down. I needed to get moving because I knew I still wanted to walk at least 15 miles today and maybe walk 20 miles to get into Neels Gap. I thanked her for coming out and got a hug. :-))) It was great seeing you again Mother Nature...thanks!!! I started climbing the 1100 feet up Blue Mountain. It took me about 10 minutes to warm up with the climb. I got to the summit and then about 10 minutes later, I stopped at Blue Mountain Shelter. There was a register there, so I signed it and walked on. It was fairly easy walking for the next 7 miles to Low Gap Shelter. I had stopped for water about a mile before there and then walked by the shelter without stopping. From there I had a bunch of 300 foot to 700 foot climbs. I just kept walking and got to watch another beautiful sunset. I had decided that Chief probably needed some company at the hostel, so I kept walking. I also thought that if by chance there was someone else at the hostel, they would probably need to be recued from Chief. :-))) I had about 4 miles that I walked after the sun had set. It's a nice time to walk because the sky keeps a pink horizon long after dark. I walked into Walisi-Yi and Cornbread was standing outside smoking a cigarette. It was good to see him as always. We talked about 5 minutes and he said Chief was downstairs. I walked down and rescued Just An Echo from Chief. The poor guy was the only other hiker in the hostel, so he had Chief's full attention. :-))) We stayed up until midnight talking before I needed to get some sleep. I'm still at 41 leaf catches. :-(((The darn things just haven't started falling again since all that wind a few days ago. I do have confidence that I won't have any problem beating Senorita Worm though. She signed my journal saying she had 50 catches in Baja, Mexico and since she's a fine lady, I believe her. I sure hope everyone has gone to www. trailjournals.com/liteshoe and just been having a good time clicking and watching her journal go backwards. :-))) I have to avoid her now for the rest of my life because she will do bodily harm to me when she sees me again...even though I'm "eenocent."