Date: 2018-03-18
From: Bly Gap

To: Beech Gap
Miles today: 12.1

Day 12Well, what started off as a nice night ended with a bang. Shortly after we went to bed we saw lightning flashes in the distance. Soon it was all around us, and we endured quite a storm at 4,000 feet which ended with some hail and strong wind. We all survived and did get some sleep, but it was all the conversation in the morning both at our camp and at the next shelter up (Muskrat Creek). Mary said once the lightning settled down and the wind started she heard some loud noises (it sounded similar to splitting a dry log on a log splitter, then a loud "pop", but extra loud) followed by a tree falling. We heard someone's ZPack Cuben Fiber tent had lots of holes from the hail. When I got up at 5:00 am the sky was clear and the stars were shining bright. Unfortunately, when we got out of the tent about 7:30 a.m. we were in a cloud and you could hardly see 40 feet. We packed up everything damp, had warm tea and half cooked oatmeal as my canister was getting low and I didn't want to get the new one out. Before heading out we got a picture of the Bly Gap Tree, which is looking pretty sad. We also got pictures yesterday of a small rock that someone had painted the word "laugh" on, as well as a small "fairy house" along the trail complete with a hammock & fence, very cute. We finished the steep climb out of Bly Gap to the top of Courthouse Bald where it was perfectly clear and we were above the clouds. We had great views, which was nice. We were moving a little slow this morning due to lack of energy.We need to do better on our resupply and pack more food, especially snacks. I think we run low on energy because we aren't eating enough for the work we are doing. Stopped into Muskrat Creek Shelter for a snack, foot soak, and a stretch. The creek was too cold to soak for too long. We pushed on as it was too early for lunch. We eventually got to Water Oak Gap where it was nice and sunny, so we had lunch and pulled out our wet tent to dry while we ate. Emily soon arrived and did the same with her tent. (Have to catch a shuttle, will finish later tonight, I hope!)Ok, back to finish the entry:We talked about where to stay, the next shelter isn't too far, but after that shelter is Standing Indian, which is 5,500 feet, and we didn't want to camp there. After arriving at the next shelter (Standing Indian Shelter) we decided to eat dinner and try to push on over Standing Indian Mountain and camp on the other side, that way we'll have fewer miles in the upcoming days. Michelle & Emily stayed at Standing Indian Shelter and wished us luck. The climb wasn't bad at all as it was an old road bed. We made good time to the top and had great views. I think having dinner first helped with our energy level. We didn't dally too long on top as we wanted to get down to lower elevation since we heard there may be another thunder storm tonight. The grade was good, but unfortunately we were having trouble finding any campsites. We ended up pushing further than we wanted to Beech Creek Gap. We were both tired when we arrived, and it was nearing dark. The campsite was nice, and we quickly set up. When I went for water I didn't realize it was 1/4 mile down a trail, so I didn't bring my head lamp. It was getting quite dark as I was heading back, and about halfway back I started hearing coyotes yipping behind me about where I thought I had just gotten water. Their yipping and yelping put a little spring in my step the rest of the way back. Another good day, but we are both very tired. Will try for a shorter day tomorrow.