Date: 2006-03-22
From: Beech Gap

To: Wallace Gap, Logging Road
Miles today: 16.0

"Frosty" indeed! I awoke @ Beech Gap to ice crystals everywhere inside the tent... and man o man.. IT WAS COLD! Even for Solace! You've heard how the hardest part of the day is GETTING OUT OF THE SLEEPING BAG!?! Yes, YES INDEED! And this morning was NO EXCEPTION Inside my bag was @ 35... outside, as I unzipped to find "HEALD" there with his dog... "Wow, got down to 11 last night Solace" . . . "You don't say!" . . . What's the temp now? "About 20!" NICE! Gotta love freash air I said, as I set a record for taking down my tent.. Lil Easy wasn't far behind, and for once, i even skipped the jetBoil and stretching.. frankly... It was TOO COLD for anything but walking and warming up! We were off quickly, and it took a couple miles to warm up. We arrived @ Carter Gap Shelter (the new one) / (I took Lil Easy over to the old shelter and we had a look around, it was here I had slept the last 2 years, ans in 2005, CUPCAKE, KTR, WALKABOUT & I had celebrated SASSAFRASS'S 30th Birthday with pizza & cupcakes by Walkabout!.. what a reunion!) and made breakfast... eggs, bacon, flapjacks, omletts, fresh fruit.. YEAH . . . RIGHT! Some instant oatmeal and nuts, and we were once again off. We made good time to Mooney Gap, and there beagn the long climb to Albert Mountain. I knew though only 30 min away, my "good ole boys" would be there, out in the middle of the woods with MAJOR TRAIL MAGIC! I met FISIN FRED & GATORAID back in 2004, and for the past few years these good hearted men have set up a huge camp (RV, tents, chairs, big fire) out off old USFS Road 83 and provided some of the very best in Trail Magic! Lil Easy, Merlin, Chewie & I feasted on Grilled Cheese, chips, nuts, brownies... and sat for a couple hours... we could have sat all day! But I knew what awaited... my old friend "Albert", and so, after a great reunion, some pictures, I was off, to "tackle" this small beast, for the fourth time. Really, it's only the last 500 feet or so that's a pain in the duff! Steep rocks & ascents make it a heart pounding climb for a bit.. but the view, espically on this day... WOW Right before the top there is a gorgeous bald spot, where I stopped and sat awhile. "K T R" I yelled out to the valley below.... KTR wasn't there, but he was I sat and talked to my parents who have long since left this world, but still, I sat and chatted with them . . . no matter what any of you may think, after all... I am human ~ We left the summit around 2, and Lil Easy set a pace worthy of a marathon! We passed GLASSMINE GAP, which is the 100 MILE MARK! Ya-Hoo!I had decided a perfect camping I knew right before Rock Gap as our spot for the day, with plans of going into FRANKLIN the next day Before I knew it, there we were, at Rock Gap Shelter itself. I had finally found KETCHUP, and she related that SMILE & MISS HOLLY has burned up the trail, and were long gone We had also caught RAILROAD & CRITTER, it was grand to see their smiling faces as well as RANGER & TURTLE (Yes, we ACTUALLY do go by these names for our hiking duration )   Any reception on your cellphone Lil Easy? (The though of a hot shower, hot pizza and cold beer were too much to pass up as I knew good friend Ron Haven would come get us) DARN, NO SERVICE! RATS! It was past 7pm, daylight fading fast, and few options, we lost a few hikers who had "latched on" to us.. not knowing where to camp, ect. (Some had been calling me the GODFATHER, b/c I knew this area so well) We pressed quickly to Wallace Gap, and down an old logging road I knew of near the Old Rainbow Springs Campground. I guess there was one of those "NO CAMPING" signs we passed! But, hey, it was dark, i was without my glasses, and who said I could read anyways We pitched our tents right there on the old road, and with a few handfuls of nuts watching a brilliant sunset.. we drifted off into another cold night. SOLACE, with "the Lil Easy"