Date: 2013-03-29
From: Muskrat Creek Shelter

To: Carter Gap Shelter
Miles today: 12.5
Weather: few clouds

Last night was indeed cold but not cold enough to freeze my H2O bladders. I must admit I¢ve been warmer in my tent on colder nights, so yet another lesson learned. Because I was cold, I was slow to get started for the day. Sanka (?) was the first to leave around 8:00 a.m. I packed up and chatted with my neighbors. Chris (female), whom I last saw at Hawk Mountain Shelter, and Two Stix were aiming for Standing Indian Shelter (4.9 miles). They said they¢re still building their trail legs. My goal was Carter Gap Shelter (12.5 miles). Before I left, Two Stix tried to show me a picture of his son and grandchild at the Walker¢s Sculpture Garden in Minneapolis. His son works at the Target Corporate Campus. In the end, he couldn¢t retrieve the photo because we¢ve been in a 3G dead zone since Dicks Creek Gap. I thanked him again for the paper and said my good-byes.The trail was especially snow-covered because of the mountain¢s aspect. Slopes facing the sun are mostly snow-free, but otherwise the snow sticks. NC apparently received more snow from the recent storm. The base was probably 5 inches with some drifting in spots.The hike down was rocky and slow going. Monk, Krista, Roadrunner, Nick, and Gus quickly passed me. When I finally reached the gap, I found Sanka. He reported a slightly twisted ankle due to the snowy, rocky descent and had called the shuttle to Franklin. I expressed my sympathy, but he was optimistic and said he¢s only be down for a day or so.The ascent up Standing Indian Mountain proved incredibly easy, despite the 1,150-foot rise. The trail followed an old forest road, which was mostly smooth and well-graded. As I ascended, flurries fell from the sky. Midway up the mountain, a symphonic song played on my mp3 player, and only then did my mind and soul and eyes converge to see the true beauty surrounding me. I literally had to stop and enjoy the enchantment. By 1:30, I had reached the top, but the promised view was obscured because of the snow showers. I was below the cloud ceiling, but the surrounding mountains were nothing more than a faint gray outline on the horizon.The last 6 miles into camp were essentially downhill. While hiking, most of the time, I¢m staring at the ground to avoid misplaced footing. In doing so, I noticed distinct human footprints in the snow. My first thoughts were, ¢What the heck?¢ But I quickly remembered that Monk was hiking in Vibram five-fingers ¢barefoot¢ sports shoes, which left five-toed impressions in the snow. I snapped a picture to submit was sasquatch evidence.At the last gap before camp, I took a break. As I was leaving, Nick and Jennifer showed up. They had stayed at Bly¢s Gap the night before. They said it was packed and there were lots of snorers. CookIN showed up there about 20 minutes after I left, but he decided to stay. They didn¢t know whether Morris or Stupid had arrived. They were pushing extra miles today to try to outpace the crowd, and their destination was the same as mine.By 4:45, I was in camp. Roadrunner, Krista, and Monk were at camp, but Nick and Gus had apparently pushed on. I didn¢t bother checking the shelter for space since I wanted to stay warm in my tent. The site didn¢t offer the best tenting sites, so I spent about 30 minutes trying to decide where to pitch my tent. As I finished setting up camp, Morris arrived! He said they had stopped at the Blueberry Patch solely to retrieve their mail drop but then headed back out. They stayed at Bly Gap with CookIN. Stupid was expected shortly, but sadly not CookIN. I felt bad that I hadn¢t properly said good-bye to CookIN. I hope to see him again so we can share a farewell beer.I made dinner in the shelter to be sociable. The shelter log listed a problem with mice, so all but Stupid and Morris decided to tent it. Morris offered me some pepperoni. I was so tempted but declined without telling him of my decision to go vegetarian. After dinner, I went to bed early. I didn¢t have the energy to journal so I¢m writing this a few days after the fact. Mmm, meat.