Date: 2003-03-30
From: Chattahoochee Gap

To: Unicoi Gap, Ga.
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

start Chatahootchee Gapdestination:Unicoi Gap Ga.If I thought yesterday was my favorite day on the trail,today won out.I went to sleep last night just as a gentle rain started to fall.At 4:30am my bladder was screaming at me.It had quit raining so I got my head lamp and crawled out of my warm bag and down the trail to find a warm toilet!!!HA HA HA!My headlamp kept falling down and it would not stay beamed where I aimed it,but I managed not to shine it into the other two tents.I crawled back into my tent and dozed off.A little while later I was awoken by a very cold and wet tent upon my face!I looked at my watch.It was 5:30 and still way too early to get up.I pulled the silver windshield screen that I have been using as an added padding and chill protection under my thermarest up on top of my sleeping bag between it and the tent.That would block out some of the wetness anyway.I dozed off again and thought the tent sure was heavy on top of me,I rolled over on my side and heard something slide.I opened my eyes and looked at t!he side of my tent and saw what I thought was a sheet of ice.Boy,did I sit up quickly which sent a cold spray of condensation down my back.I let down my front tent shield and what a surprize I got.Everything was covered in about 4 inches of snow!!!No wonder my tent was so heavy.The rear stake had pulled loose in the rain and the snow just finished flattening it.I began to laugh histerically!I could not beleive my eyes.It was so awesome!Everyone else was awake by now and we took pictures like crazy.I put a pot of water on to heat and everyone but me had coffee to drink.You remember that I could not find my hot chocolate earlier??Well I found it in the bottom of my pack this morning.Boy did it hit the spot!   We packed up,everything was soaked and the rope holding our food bag had frozen with the rain,so we had to pour hot water over it to get it loose.The Good Grass Consort's female member pulled out a flute like instrument and was going to play Ashoken Farewell which is my favorite song,but her and the instrument was to cold.She did manage to play Amazing Grace for us.I stood there surrounded by snow and strangers and could only lift my hands in praise to my Lord!There was something so awesome and holy in that moment. We hiked up to the trail and was met by a fierce blowing wind.After an hour or so it began to warm up and the snow started melting and falling off the trees.I shed my long handles,and started up Blue Mtn.Then all at once the temperature plummeted and the melting snow froze on the limbs.In some places it actually froze in a sheet sideways of of the limbs.At a water stop,I put my long handles back on.Yes,I had to disrobe right on the trail to get dressed again,but I was seriously afraid of hyperthermia setting in.The closest shelter was known for the winds blowing straight into it,so I fixed us a bagel and peanut butter and had it waiting for Mudbutt when she caught up with me.It was hard to gulp down a half frozen bagel with even colder water,but we managed.We hiked on and dreamed of hot baths,with lots of towels and hot meals cooked by someone else.We were going to hitch hike the 9 miles into Helen,Ga. and spend the night at a motel to get out of the bad weather that was c!oming in Sunday night!Yeah,right! About a mile from Unicoi Gap,here comes fellow hikers Coosa and Silver Lining! They had been searching for us up and down the trail.What a wonderful treat!Not only did we not have to hitch hike but we got a ride back to Neel's Gap and got the last two beds in the hostel.That is allot cheaper than a motel.Coosa dropped us off and we showered,stood around in our rain gear while we washed and dried our clothes.Then Coosa came back and picked all three of us up and took us into Blairsville to eat.I dropped off my film at a one hour place and we sat around the table at the restaurent and had some really great laughs at our adventures!Silver Lining is headed out early in the morning and hopes to catch up with us in a couple of days.Coosa will shuttle Mudbutt and I back to Unicoi in the morning after we stop at a store for resupplies and the P.O. to mail pictures home.It was an exhilirating experience today to be so close to nature even in it's fury. We had a chance to call home tonight and check our emails.I must say I was pretty dismayed to have only 5 emails on my pocket mail,and 4 of those were from customer service!Hint ! Hint ! Just in case someone might want to send me email,it is bumpkin@pocketmail.com.Just no pics or forwards please.   The hostel is full tonight and I wil have plenty of competition in the snoring category!Until later,bumpkin