Date: 2016-04-13
From: Tray Mountain Shelter

To: Top of Georgia Hostel
Miles today: 11.5
Weather: clear sky

4/13 - Day Eight The dynamics of the trail changed today. Last night Giant made the sudden decision that the place he needed to be was further ahead on the trail.... Like Fontana Dam (100 miles or so up trail). His idea was to crank up the miles. I have no doubt that this guy could do consistent 20 mile days with his stride and size 18 feet. Yes, size 18! So I told him I would catch up to him at Fontana (which is right before the Smokies). So this means I would be hiking alone hiking out of Tray Mountain Shelter. This morning everyone was up early, there was hiking on the agenda! As I crawled out of my mummy bag, Smoke was scratching his head trying to figure out what ate the pop-tart that he left in his pocket. Andy, Ranger, Big Deal and Mr. and Mrs. Mass, Giant and a few others were squaring their things away and prepping to "head out". For whatever reason the sunup scramble is fun. Everyone seems to move in a determined way packing up what they unpacked the night before. Today my destination was Dick's Creek Gap where I planned to then hike the half-mile down the hill and score a bunk at The Top of Georgia Hostel. The fast trackers left first....Giant and Smoke. Then Ranger. Followed by The Masses and then Andy. I was out about 15 minutes after all of them and I was hell-bent at catching at least some of them. With haul-ass on my mind, before I left the shelter I pulled a deer hunting trick and stashed my coat in my pack before launching.The theory is to start cold like when you walk to your deer stand in the morning. Most hikers start bundled up and then stop a half mile down to stash their jacket. So starting cold and with a descent off of Tray Mountain I was in high gear. Part of my motivation was that the hostel offers free shuttles to Hiawassee, but the last shuttle leaves at 4 pm. If I could make the 11.5 miles to Dick's Creek Gap by 4 pm and maybe catch up to some of my shelter-mates, I would call today a success. Not far down the trail I met Smoke and Ranger. Giant left him in the dust. Evidently Smoke took a right out of the shelter and started heading south, (how he did this I have no clue as he left with Giant)?Smoke, Ranger and I hiked at a good pace for a while and finally caught Andy and then The Masses who where relaxing in the trail with Giant (who was waiting for Smoke). So we all began hiking at individual paces. Stopping, pausing, eating and watering. One thing I noticed today was that my lungs were finally accepting full loads and my up hill pauses are becoming shorter and shorter. I guess it took a week to acclimate from Houston air to Georgia Mountain air?My hike ended at 3 pm when I popped out at Dick's Creek Gap. There was one unnamed ass-kicker ascent in the 11.5 miles and the descent into Dick's Creek Gap seemed to go on forever.I met the posse at the road. Everyone was heading down to Top of Georgia Hostel other than Giant and Smoke. They were heading to the next shelter. So we piled up to the hostel and there we found several of the fast young punks who we started with in day one. I thought I would never see them again, but they were chilling out and resting hurting knees. Janet and her dog is also here. I chatted with her for a while and found out she was from West Virginia, but living in Terlinqua, Tx (think Big Bend area) for the last two years. The group here is great. There are thru-hikers, section hikers and some people who seem to be making the hostel their new home. Several of us including Andy, Big Deal (who we met at Blood Mountain Cabins, Shawn, The Masses, Stretch and several others were shuttled into Hiawassee and dropped off at Daniel's Streakhouse. Daniel's offers an all you can eat buffet and we absolutely crushed it!!!Then we walked to Ingles and resupplied. Like most, I bought way to much food and I will be leaving Top of Georgia Hostel heavy! Tomorrow's hike is not easy, but it puts me across the Georgia/North Carolina line. Yes sir....goodbye Georgia and hello North Carolina!!