Date: 2003-03-22
From: Blue Mountain Shelter

To: Tray Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 7.7
Weather: broken clouds

My morning started at 5am when I awakened cold and realized that I had rolledonto my bite valve filling my sleeping bag with water. I put the wet bag over atree next to the tent, put on every dry piece of clothing I had and pulledmyself into a ball to attempt to go back to sleep on my bare mat. Not.Up for good at 7:00, collected my wet bag and clothes and on the trail by 8. Themorning started out cool and very windy but the sun was shining and it wasn'tlong before I stopped to take off my fleece. It was still a little to chilly totake off my wind pants. I ate a Cliff Bar as I walked.The trail went up slightly for about a mile out of the shelter then a long,difficult down into Unicoi Gap. I could see several cars at the gap but nohikers and wanting to be saft, stopped on the trail before the road crossing totake off my wind pants and tend to a new hot spot on my left little toe. The upsdo a job on your heels and the downs are hard on your toes and the balls of yourfeet. I'm taking very good care of my feet and they, in turn are being good tome. They complain occasionally, but always suck up and do what's asked of them. The climb out of the gap was a killer and seemed to last forever, but with mysystem of breathing in on the right step and out on the left step I made itslowly to the top without stopping to rest. When I got to the top and put myhand in the pocket of my shorts, I realized that my data book sheets were in abaggie back before the gap where I had stopped to tend to my foot. I stood therefor 5 minutes, toying with the idea of going back, then just decided to move on.I ne that I would be meeting up with Two Step at the Tray Mountain Shelter andwould copy her information for my hike into Hiawassee on Sunday.After a day of long ups followed by long downs I reached the shelter by 2pm. TwoStep, Sheep Stuff and I had stopped for a nice lunch at the Cheese Factory siteso I started my camp chores without getting anything to eat. First thing on mylist was to hang a line and get my wet sleeping bag and clothes up in the sunandwind to dry out before night.I gathered 3 ltrs. of waster from the nearbyspring and brought it back to the tent to treat with Aqua Mira. I've been verypleased with my choice of water treatment, especially when i see other hikersfumbling with heavy filters. Dinner tonight was mashed potatoes with tuna and cheese, made early so that Icould be cleaned up and my food bag hung from the bears before the sun dippedbelow the horizon.Tonite is my first night in a shelter. I'm sharing it with only Two Step aseveryone else has tented. We are with two fellows from last night, one of whichis celebrating his 29th birthday today. Also here is Wrong Way Brown, Pippy andDimple Rock, and probably 15-20 others scattered along the ridge line and in thewoods.After I had retired to my sleeping bag for the night, several hikers joined usin the shelter to eat their dinners and talk. The fellow whos birthday it wasbrought his bamboo flute to the shelter and played for a time. The music wassweeet and haunting. Soon we were joined at the shelter by 3 section hikersarriving late from a day on the trail. They were Flame Man, Thunder Butt andFood Destroyer from Eastern Tennessee; two teachers and a retired principal.Thunder Butt entertained us with jokes while they made and ate their dinners.Flame Man recognized me from Trail Journals and had read some of my journal.It's really nice to meet people out here who already know who I am! It's now 2am on Sunday morning, I've had 5.5 hours of good sleep thanks to the 2Advil and a benedryl that I swallowed earlier. I had a dream that Warren Doylecooked me dinner tonight, but when I awakened, there was nothing but a bareshelter floor.The wind is howling, my head is completely inside my sleeping bag and it's timefor me to head back to sleep. I have a long 10+ miles to Hiawassee tomorrow andhopefully a bed at the Blueberry Patch where my bounce box will be waiting forme. Feet don't fail me now!