Date: 2008-04-15
From: Low Gap

To: Tray Mtn. 
Miles today: 15.9
Weather: broken clouds

Woke up this morning to 35deg. It felt so great, let me tell ya Oatmeal and tea for breakfast. Hit the trail at 8:30ish and my right knee is beginning to get sore. Easy terrain all the way to Blue mtn. (@7mi). THEN my knee turns really sour. Some parts of the trail are just huge rocks to bounce around and twist through. I really think this is what killed my knee at this point. Lunch was a nice break from the stress on it. Sat down outside Blue mtn. shelter and had 2 beef jerky and trail mix. Will (NYC) hooked it up with some Ibuprofen which helped a bit but the pain just kept persisting. I contemplated the pain with decisions to rest in Helen (9mi from trail) for the night or push onward to Tray with the rest of my friends. If I go to Tray then its a low day at only 10miles to Cloud 9 hostel with tons of ammenities.So, we got into Dicks Creek Gap which crosses in either direction to a town. The group waited as Lindsay and I went into Helen in search of a hearty meal. Helen was an easy hitch. We went to a mexican restaurant and bought lunch meals #1-10! The server didn't think we were serious at first. We let him know it was for hungry hikers.Got back from Helen with tons of food and Chaco and Toesocks were gone so that left 10 meals with salsa and chips for 5 of us! HA We stuffed our faces and still had some left over. Lindsay bought some swiss cake rolls for desert and we each slammed two packs of those. A few other hikers came through and we donated the rest of the meals so we didn't have to carry them up and up and up into the mtns. Rocky mtn. was the next big one. It was a super toughy with all the mexican food sitting pretty in our stomachs. Who was gonna puke first? Looked for some interesting highlights that were supposed to be on the trail but weren't there. Not even remenants. There was an Indian Grave camp which I think there was a mound that signified that one but I wasn't sure so I went and stood on it to check it for authenticity.Just a forest service road and a dirty diaper there.... The next "hotspot" was supposed to be the grounds of a CHEESE FACTORY! Nothing but a campsite and Blake was camped there already along its ridge.Tray mtn. seemed huge but the incline was nicely graded and a quick hike to the top of the 4200 ft. elevation. We talked alot of the time. The pack was Animal, Slurpee, Lindsay, and Wolverine somewhere behind. We ran into some trail magic when I was discussing the need for a carbonated beverage and Animal was talking about her school days. Right as we crossed some back ass country forest service road, one of her old school mates drove through in his truck. Before knowing who it was we were saying "Coke, coke" "do you have any"? He extended his arm out with a 2 liter of Mountain dew. OH YEAH! They chatted for a bit and we continued on leaving some dew for Wolverine trailing behind. Got up to Tray mtn and man, I can't wait to share pics. BEAUTIFUL sunset and views all the way to Fontana Lake and the Chattahoochee River valley. Amazing mtn top. Best yet in GA!It was my first night in a tent and I was excited to break it out. Knees definitely rocked but I kept them elevated all night. Wolverine ended up sleeping under the stars on the trail. GREAT DAY!