Date: 2010-03-21
From: Low gap shelter

To: Unicoi Gap
Miles today: 9.4
Weather: light rain

3/21 Unicoi Gap 9.4 miles. Our biggest day yet! Wet weather and the draw of town inspired us to pull our longest mileage of our trip so far. The rain held off until we broke camp and 10 minutes after we started hiking a light rain started along with winds gusting to 40 or so mph. Our rain gear worked great and our spirits were high as we quickly ate up the miles through the clouds to Blue Mountain shelter. The winds howled and the rain intensified as we finished a hot lunch, so the 3 of us along with our new friends, Grolar Bear, Fable, and River and their dog, Joey, all decided to head to Unicoi Gap and then to the town of Helen, GA for a much needed zero day. A zero day, for the uninitiated, is a day where you don't hike any miles. So here we are at the Helendorf Inn lying in our comfortable hotel bed after a pizza party in our friends room (we don't have to deal with the mess!) drifting off to sleep. The Helendorf Inn is a thru hiker gem with $24 per night rooms, on site laundry for $1 per load, free Internet, continental breakfast and a hiker box full of stuff. We got a shuttle for $25 to town which we all split. We have been hiking off and on since Neels Gap with our new friends and their reasons for hiking the AT put mine to shame. I won't elaborate here in such a public forum but I assure you, their stories are heart wrenching and Noble. These people have truly blessed us with their friendship and I am already changed at my very core for the time they have shared with us. My thanks to you, Grolar, River, Fable and Joey.Cabana Boy      3/21 HAPPY SPRING EVERYONE! Leaving wolf laurel top to low gap shelter 7.4 mi. Weather ok. Had dinner with many hikers and listened to their stories of why they are on the A.T. My trail name is ¢Dutch Tape¢. Most of you can figure out why! Brian is called ¢Cabana Boy¢ He has retrieved H2O for ¢City Slicker¢ (Rachel) and I everyday we have been out here. He is so much better than a Sherpa. HAHA. Rain didn¢t arrive until @ 10am today. Blustery and drizzly until we got to Unicoi Gap. A gal took us (CS, myself and ¢River¢ a new friend) into Helen where we are now. Joining us are GROLAR BEAR.FABLE and JOEY, a fantastic 8 yr. old golden retriever. We pizza-ed up at the Helendorf Inn- $24/night; pool; continental breakfast, laundry and hiker box. We are zero-ing tomorrow- good move and timing as rain and snow in mtns. Good weather the rest of the week. Learning a bit about my hiking habits. If I eat too much at breakfast I am a real sluggish hiker. So munch more and hike easier. Have had no blisters, no aches or pains to speak of. Jackie no doubt has blessed my feet. Thanks for the photos Jenny. Reception so far has been poor most days. The Trail Angels have been wonderful, fun and generous. Most are from a church in an area we are hiking in. We ahd a hamburger feed in Neels Gap and one Hot Dog feed one day apart. Cabana Boy had 4 dogs. Of course I can¢t match Cabana Boys numbers ¢but cam close to his record he set. One guy had 8 hamburgers. Hikers love to eat!!!! SWITCH BACKS IN GA. are plentiful and A.P.I.T.A. Nothing is direct here. Round about is the only way to get from point A to point B. eople are afraid of ¢the Whites¢ of N.H. In N.H. a hiker goes from A to B with NO SWITCHBACKS. Clothing is doing fine. Washing clothes today after a week! FIRST SHOWER TOO!!! I am not missing a daily shower - hard to imagine but it¢s true. I don¢t smell so great, but this is trail life. Pretty simple way to live ¢ eat, break camp, hike, snack all day, get to a place set up camp near a water supply ( hopefully), eat dinner, enjoy fellow hikers for awhile at dinner if not too tired, and then to bed. Real basic stuff out here. Last night I woke up at 3am and felt claustrophobic and sat straight up in my sleeping bag and told Bri I couldn¢t breathe. The tent was closing in on me and no air was flowing. I got out of the tent and stretched my legs. I had my sports bra on and took it off( it was constricting my breathing or so I felt and then I was fine. Hope this was all it was. Kinda scary. Looking forward to warmer nights where we don¢t have to put up our fly. All food goes into bear bags at night ¢ hanging food from cables about 10-12¢ above ground. Another interesting thing about terrain here many nondescript mountains with no names. PUDS pointless ups and downs. Our tans are starting due to lack of tree ¢leaf¢ cover. Beautiful mosses are everywhere, but most of the forest world is still asleep under last years leaf drop. Mud is slick and the poles are sucked into the earth. Looking forward to Mom Glasses cookies. Thank you all for checking our t.j. and giving your support and encouragement. It means so much to us. Good Night All! Cabana Boy and Dutch Tape