Date: 2013-03-26
From: Mull's Inn

To: Sassafras Gap
Miles today: 10.4

CookIN and I awoke at 7:30 a.m. I opened the door, and although there was more accumulated snow than the night before, it was not presently snowing. ¢I¢m going,¢ I said, and we started to pack. I then warmed up some frozen burritos, and breakfast was served. I checked in with Connor because he was going to Unicoi Gap too. He was packing and jonesing for some coffee. If we were going to hitch, he¢d join us, otherwise, he was willing to pay a small fee. I used his pen to make a small sign that said ¢Unicoi Gap : ).¢I then knocked on Stupid¢s door, and he answered in a sleepy stupor. It was clear that they weren¢t ready to go, and he said they were going to sit tight for now and watch the weather. I apologized for disturbing them and said CookIN and I were heading out. CookIN and I walked out to the street at 8:30 and threw up our thumbs. Our plan was to walk the 0.5 miles to the Budget Inn to see if their shuttle had any open seats. Along the way, we kept our thumbs up and our smiles bright. Alas, we had no takers. We walked into the Budget Inn and inquired about shuttle availability. They very politely apologized and said their shuttle was full with their guests. They gave us a phone number for a private shuttle, and we headed back to the street. We stood in place with our thumbs up and decided to give it 10 to 15 minutes before we called the pay shuttle. Just as I was dialing the number, a guy pulled over! He was one of the local pay shuttles but said he¢d take us to Unicoi Gap for, ¢Whatever you think it¢s worth,¢ which sounded good to us. As we were putting our packs in the back, Connor came running up and we told him, ¢Get in!¢ The driver then realized that he had a 9:00 a.m. pickup at Dicks Creek Gap and wouldn¢t be able to take us to Unicoi Gap. He offered to take us for free to the Unicoi Turnoff, a few miles outside of town. He dropped us off, and the three of us threw up our thumbs and waved our sign at each passing car. About ten minutes into that effort, a Cadillac rounded the corner, and Connor said, ¢A Cadillac--they¢re not stopping, but we¢ll try anyway.¢ But, lo and behold, the guy stopped! We threw our packs in the trunk and away we went. He, too, couldn¢t take us to the top but offered to take us to a gas station a few miles down the road. The whole while, he went on about his hitching back in the ¢70s and surfing the beaches of Miami. He struck me as a burnout, and it was hard to feign interest.At the gas station, we tried again for a hitch. As we were waiting, the Budget Inn¢s shuttle drove past. Darn it! Another ten minutes went by, and Connor got the nerve to ask someone getting gas for a ride, but they were going a different direction. Then the Cadillac pulled out and went UP the gap while giving us a few honks. Jeez! We got really excited when an extended cab truck with no passengers pulled in for gas. This time, CookIN approached, made polite conversation, and the guy agreed to take us! He was a friendly local from NC and was happy for the company. He was intimately familiar with all of the mountains due to his years in the area and hunting experience. At the top, we sincerely thanked him. I checked my phone, and the time was 9:30. Not bad!Standing at the trailhead were Knutt and Noodle. They had been dropped off by the Budget Inn shuttle and said there were only three hikers in the van. Oh, well.We started up the hill, and I quickly passed them all. Despite the 1,100-foot elevation gain, I was freshly rested and ready to hike. At the top, the sun finally came out and I couldn¢t help but yell in excitement. Next was Tray Mountain, which proved more difficult. It was snowier, colder, windier, and higher. The views, though, were worth it (see pictures). On my way down, I stopped at Tray Mountain Shelter. Connor was there having lunch and so was GMan. Later Nick and GusGus (border collie) showed up. We all were just taking a break and soon pushed on.Back at the shelter turnoff, I ran into Knutt and Noodle. I told them GMan was at the shelter and asked how far behind them CookIN was. They said he was in front of them, which now meant he was in front of me.I hiked the afternoon alone and enjoyed the many splendid views. I finally caught CookIN a couple of miles before camp, and we made it to Sassafras Gap by 4:45. We decided to call it home. Soon after, two separate couples arrived, as did Icarus and finally Knutt, Noodle, and GMan.The gap was windy, and we were all expecting a cold night, perhaps our coldest yet. Everyone quickly set up camp, made dinner, and then crawled into their bags for the night. I crawled in too but watched ¢Life of Pi,¢ which I had downloaded to my phone while in Hiawassee. It was like a mini private theater in my sleeping bag cocoon. I¢m amazed at how invasive technology is on the trail, but I gotta say it was fun. I think I¢ll download more movies and perhaps some books.The night was indeed cold, 22 degrees in the valley, so probably colder where we were. I wrapped my sleeping bag in a plastic sheet to help cut the wind. That, in conjunction with the many layers of clothing I wore, helped keep me warm. For some unknown reason, I awoke around 2:30 a.m. I saw two headlamps make their way down the trail, night hikers I presumed. Nonetheless, my paranoia got the better of me, and a few minutes later, I crawled out of my tent to make sure they hadn¢t stolen our bear bags. Thankfully, all was well, and I crawled back into my warm bag for the rest of the night.