Date: 2013-03-25
From: Hiawassee - Unicoi Gap

To: Sassafrass Gap
Miles today: 10.4

After getting some much needed rest in Hiawassee, GA, it was time to put some miles on the trail. I still needed my package with my prescriptions that¢s being overnighted, so I basically have three options: do the 16.7 miles from the Hiawassee stop at Unicoi Gap to the Hiawassee stop at Dick's Creek; try to hike 46.9 miles to Franklin, NC by next Monday; or go straight to Dick's Creek Gap, thereby skipping the part of the trail that goes between the two Hiawassee stops, Unicoi Gap and Dick's Creek. Noodles, of course, was pleading with me to hitch a ride to Dick's Creek and "Forget about Unicoi for crying out loud". I keep having to remind him that, "Although I'm not a purist, I am here to hike the trail". "I know, I get it, but look how much time you would save". "Actually,, Noodles, If I want to save time I'll go get my car and drive to Maine". He laughed.Not wanting to get out of the first full bed to myself since this death march started a week and a half ago, I managed to get up in time for one last shower until Franklin, NC. I stepped outside to what felt like bitter cold to get a cup of coffee and catch the shuttle back to the trail. The Budget Inn has a free shuttle for hikers to the two Hiawassee trail stops. Hikers are a big part of their business this time of year, which is really the case for the whole town. Noodles and I piled into the shuttle with 7 other hikers and a beautifully behaved Rhodesian Ridgeback named "Sassafras". We were being taken back to Unicoi Gap in freezing 40 mph winds. Knowing we would start the morning by hiking straight up a mountain, we¢d have to endure the cold until we heated up. If we put on enough clothes to be warm, we'd be sweating in no time and stripping layers anyway. The shuttle drops us off at Unicoi Gap where we get out into the cold wind and snow to hike the trail. My goal is to get to Plum Orchard shelter or at least the Sassafras camp area. We hiked the trail until we got to Tray Mountain shelter where we learned from some other hikers that Gman is there. We gave a message to them to let him know that we are passing Tray Mountain and moving forward toward Plum Orchard or the Sassafras Camp Area. On the trail Gman eventually catches up to us, so we are together once again.   As we hike about a mile further, I see large hollowed out trees and say ¢Here's a nice place to stop. We could sleep in these trees."   A minute later I see Noodles building a fire. I asked him "What are you doing?" He says, "I'm building a fire." I let him know that I'm just kidding and he has a sad expression on his face like a child losing his toy. We continued down the trail and came to another nice camping area. Noodles suggests we stop there, so I relent and say okay. As we are unpacking our backpacks, I realize there is no water here. When I informed the guys there is no water, everyone checks and sure enough, we are all completely out. We have no choice but to move on down the trail. Eventually, we come to Sassafras camp area which is where I wanted to go in the first place. We unpack and put our tents up. Several other hikers also stopped including Thor and Grumpy, Icarus and Woodstock and CookIn. It is brutally cold here. The wind is howling at 40 mph and there is snow everywhere and we are freezing. However, since we had to stop somewhere, we made camp and tried to build a fire. It is so cold that it's very difficult to get the fire hot. But we had to eat, so I hiked down a huge hill to get water, which I boiled for spaghetti, compliments of Gman. After Once we getting some nourishment, we quickly buckled down and got into our sleeping bags.   Once we were tucked in, we finally got warm. An hour later I could not sleep thinking about the 40 mph wind and trees falling. Eventually I looked out of my tent to see where the trees were to make sure there was nothing leaning toward my tent to fall on me during the night¢¦ like I would move my tent in this cold anyway for anything less than a Sequoyah or Redwood leaning at a 45° angle on top of my tent!   While I was awake I heard a flock of birds. It must've been turkeys or something similar. Once I fell asleep, I slept very well and eventually had to take off my socks and long johns as I became warmer during the night in my sleeping bag and insert. Noodles and I were warm but Gman got cold. We suggested he find an insert for his bag next trip into town so he said he would look for one the next day. I woke up the next morning, so apparently I wasn't crushed. Lesson two: check trees above camp before retiring. (Remember that lesson one was to ask if mattresses come with the bed in a hostel).