Date: 2004-04-23
From: Carter Gap shelter

To: CMTF
Miles today: 12.8

Do you ever sit quietly ¢¦ at twilight and watch the shadows lengthen as the last few rays of sunlight sparkle through the trees and, in those golden, waning moments, peacefully think to yourself ¢¦ another day ¢ shot to hell?¢ Christopher Paul Edward MoixI want to make this perfectly clear. Including the distance I walked while hitchhiking, I hiked way more than 12.8 miles today. And I rode for way more than that. And then I drove even way more. And I was really, really tired at the end of it all. When we reached Wallace Gap we walked a good part of the way toward Rainbow Springs Campground. Then when I hitched up to CMTF, I had to walk a couple more miles before I got enough rides to get me all the way there. So then I drove back into town. And around town. And back to CMTF. So after my longest walking day yet, and the hardest day yet, why can't I sleep?The trail here in North Carolina seems to be fundamentally different than in Georgia. The builders here don't seem compelled to send us to the top of every mountain and the trails seem to have more switchbacks. The hard parts are harder, but the easy parts are easier. Maybe it all averages out. Of course, the highs are higher here than in GA. But the lows are higher too, so that averages out as well.Felt really good and made great time on the 4 miles to Betty Creek Gap. Had a rest and then set out for Big Butt and Albert mountains. Big Butt didn't kick my butt but fat freakin' Albert sure did. The trail around Big Butt Mountain was just your basic route-the-trail-along-the-leaves-and-rocks-and-dirt-that-has-fallen-down-the-cliff-and-caught-in-the-roots-of-the-trees-and-bushes-growing-out-of-the-side-of-the-cliff trail. Take a fall? Step to the side to let other hikers pass? Don't do that. You might not survive. Well, that was interesting.The climb up Albert was more sadism from the NC trail builders. Hand over hand along a rocky trail(?) to the top, stopping every 20 feet or so to catch my breath and figure out where to go next. I coulda taken the bypass, but no self-respecting thru-hiker would do that and still call himself a thru-hiker. Even after I got to the top, I had to stop every 20 yards or so to catch my breath. I thought I was gonna die. The view at the top may even have been worth the climb. The firetower commands long, spectacular views in all directions. The best views yet. Of course we had to climb the stairs to get up the tower to get the spectacular views. The only factor limiting the views was all that pesky pollution emitted by the trees. Had lunch at the firetower, then began a gradual descent to Wallace Gap, where we did a roadwalk until we got a ride in the back of a pickup to Rainbow Springs, where Goggles' navy buddy Robb gave us a ride to Franklin and dropped everyone but me at Haven's Motel. Robb gave me a ride out of town so I could hitch up to CMTF. The first ride I caught, I was waiting at a gas station. The minivan pulled up about 30 feet away and I heard a soft voice say, "Do you want a ride?" It was pretty far away, so I just stood there like a lump, not sure if she was talking to me. Again, "Do you want a ride?" Heck yes. So her boyfriend climbed out and moved some stuff and I got in back. They gave me a ride beyond their turnoff, which was nice of them. I set out up the side road to CMTF and, a few minutes later, a guy with a Cowee Valley Volunteer Fire Department sign on his truck gave me a ride to the next turnoff. I started walking. The NC highway department was cutting the grass on both sides of Leatherman Gap Road. It was a nice sunny evening with a clear, piercing blue sky. The temperature was dropping from the 80s into the coolness of the evening. Everything had become greener in the two weeks since I had left for the trail. Unseen flowers scented the air. I was on my way to my car and a bed for the night. It's great to be alive here and now. The supervisor of the grass cutters kept driving back and forth along the road. Turned out he somehow lost one of his mowers. About the fifth time he passed me, he took pity on me and picked me up. Back of the pickup once more. When he let me off we talked a little about what I was doing. The Mexican in the truck with him looked at me like I was crazy. Or maybe he just didn't understand English very well. Both boil down to incomprehension, which was basically the look on his face. I hiked the rest of the way to Neal's and he gave me a ride the rest of the way to CMTF. Steve's greeting was unenthusiastic. Grace's was the opposite. I spent some time talking to her and showing her TrailJournals.com and she read all my entries so far. Some other stuff happened that night but it only involved violin concertos, Mexican food, Franklin's only bar, drinking, searching, driving (don't worry, I only had two gin & tonics over several hours), and now I can't sleep.Hit 100 mile mark today. Life is good!