Date: 2006-04-14
From: .3 miles N of Rich Mtn, NC

To: Near Devil's Fork Gap, NC
Miles today: 26.3

26.3 miles todayStealth TentingNear Devil Fork Gap, NC66,163 foot steps todayAnother day packed full of living.I woke up at 5:30 this morning and was a little slower getting started, but I did sleep much better last night.I stuck my stove out the door and brewed my Starbuck's and ate two fruit pies. :-)))It was a very mild morning with the temperature in the mid 50's.I was packed up and walking at 6:50am. I didn't get to see the sunrise though because it was cloudy out.I finally got to see a couple deer...or at least their tails. When I came over the summit of a mountain, I saw them take off.I kept walking and saw that one of them had stopped and was watching me from about 35 yards away.I talked to him for about 10 seconds before he decided it was time to leave. :-)))I got to Spring Mtn Shelter and Routestep, Fish, Sleepy The Arab and Bloomer were all still there.We talked while I signed the register, then I headed on.I walked by three guys that were cowboy camping and a pitbull dog came out growling at me.I dropped my left pole to get ready to jamb the right pole down his throat and one guy called him back.I'm not a fan of dogs growling at me....especially pitbulls.I got down to Allen Gap and there was a note that said Hercules and Fall, who live near the trail, were cooking for thru hikers today.I walked down to their home and was invited right in.I had met them either last year or two years ago while they were out walking near here.Fall made me a Belgium waffle with pecans and served it with butter and maple syrup.Hercules kept my coffee cup full and then got me a bowl of delicious pork stew.Fall sliced up a loaf of bread that she had just baked and I had a couple slices of that, then she got me some peach cobbler with ice cream on top.Then they kicked me out. :-)))Nah...just kidding. They said I could have all I wanted, but that pretty much filled me up.Hercules and Fall...thank you, thank you, thank you!!!You both have a beautiful home too.I passed Log Cabin Road and ran into Sleepy The Arab, who had passed on getting the trail magic. He was talking to an older guy.I stopped to talk and found out the older guy was Easy One. We had hiked near each other a couple years ago, but I missed meeting him somehow.He's the oldest guy to ever complete a thru hike. He was 81 years old when he did it two years ago.He's 83 now and just out for a 90 mile walk.Hey Dad, I told him you were going to be 81 this year and he said, "Ah, he's just a kid...tell him that life begins at 80." :-)))I got to Little Laurel Shelter and Marty, Doran, Peyton, Asten and Wesly were there cooking hotdogs for thru hikers.They had just come in for the day and night and had the fire going already.Doran grilled me a couple hotdogs and stuck them on buns for me.I filled up with water from the spring and drank 1 1/2 litres while I was there.Thanks you guys...that's a great thing you did!! :-)))I talked to them for a while and found out they all work at the same place in Greenville, Tn. They make US pennies and Canadian dollar coins there.Hey Mailar, I thought about you too and your history with this place while I was there.I left and climbed Camp Creek Bald, then on the way down, I found a nice spring and tanked up on water again.It's a warm day and I'm drinking alot of water.I also got out my washing machine and bandana and cleaned myself up a bit. :-)))I walked up over Big Firescald Knob and am always in awe of the amount of rock work went into making that short 2 mile section of trail.It takes you up to an exposed ridge with lots of views.I could see Big Bald in the distance from there. It's about 30 trail miles from here and I'll be walking over it tomorrow.I remember walking Big Firescald Knob when they first opened the trail a couple years ago with a former hiker named Liteshoe.She still checks her hit counter every day, so I thought I'd give her a plug right here on my journal. Go to www.tj.com/usedtobeahikerKnowing Liteshoe, she's busy having that address actually go to her site so she can get a few hits from someone other than herself. ;-)))I first met Purple Rose, Lady Di and ZigZag up there too.I stopped at Jerry Cabin Shelter and signed the register and met Becca and Dillon who are hiking half the trail this year.I made the climb to the summit of Big Butt Mountain and for some reason, I thought of Hippie Longstockings...now what is that all about??? ;-)))I walked by the Shelton Grave site.All the big pine trees that were along that ridge are dead. I guess the southern pine beatle must have got them. I walked for about 1 1/2 miles through the dead pines.I ran into Red and his fiancee, Kate on the long down to Flint Mountain Shelter.When I got to the shelter, I saw I'm Still Adam, Plunger and D-Rock.I had met D-Rock back when I first started my hike.I ate dinner there and signed the register, then filled up on water and walked on.I walked another few miles and found a flat spot to set up my tent just before Devil's Fork Gap.