Date: 2005-03-22
From: Muskrat Creek Shelter

To: Carter Gap Shelter
Miles today: 12.5
Weather: overcast clouds

3/22/2005Total miles today: 12.5Total miles: 90.7Started @ Muskrat Creek Shelter.Destination: Carter Gap ShelterDay 11This morning we awakened to an overcast day which looked like it might rain. After we ate a hot breakfast of instant oatmeal and coffee we packed up the tent and headed out. As we were leaving some hikers came into the shelter to rest. They have stayed down the trail at a camping site. One of them had said there was supposed to be a bad storm coming. We hiked on to the next shelter, Standing Indian Shelter, but did not even go back to it because another hiker was leaving from there and said it was getting crowded. So we decided to try to make it to the next shelter about 7 miles away. We had only hiked 5 miles and it was early to stop. We thought if we did not make it to a shelter we could camp at some campsite or anywhere it was flat enough. Our next climb was Standing Indian Mountain @ 5498 feet. When we got to the top of it about 2:30pm we had been in the clouds and it was misting but not really getting us wet. About 10-15 minutes after Mike said that it really wasn't raining--just a mist from the clouds--it started to pour down the rain and there was lightening and thunder. Mike put on his rain pants but I opted not to (bad choice). We walked for 6 miles in 3 hours and finally came to Carter Gap Shelter. It was only 5:30pm but so cloudy we could hardly see. We went to the shelter to find 2 hikers there with their tents set up inside the shelter and another hiker lying on the sleeping platform where the tents were. They said this shelter was the old one and that it leaked but that the new shelter was only 50 feet up the trail. We said we could set our tent up in there, also, but they indicated that because of their stuff they had spread out between the tents that there was not room. We went to the new shelter and it was full, but they said there was a tent platform underneath the shelter and we could set up our tent down there. There was hardly any room to set up on the wooden platform but we thought maybe we could sleep on it with our sleep pad and sleeping bag, although it would have been cold from the wind and most likely would have gotten rain blown in on us. Finally one of the hikers said there was probably room to set up our tent under the overhang of the shelter. There was just enough space to put it up on one side of the big solid wood table extending out into the middle of the area, We probably stayed warmer than the guys in the shelter. We were soaked to our underwear and our boots, mine especially. The trail was flooded with water in most places--it was like a stream. On top of that, the rocks and roots that we had to step on in place of stepping down into the water were slippery. And where there was not water, rocks, or roots there was mud--lots of mud. By the time we set up the tent and got inside to change into our dry clothes we were very chilled. We took some crackers into the tent for our supper and went to sleep. I just hoped the mice at the shelter don't chew a hole in our tent looking for food. I was cold and had a hard time sleeping. I'll be glad when the days are longer and warmer. At least I can stay awake and have light to journal. I can see why people get off the trail. This day would have been a good one to try anyone's stamina and perseverance. But these days are the days that will help us appreciate the sunny clear days. ------------------------------