Date: 2009-03-31
From: Sassafras Gap

To: Dick's Creek Gap/Hiawassee, GA
Miles today: 6.2
Weather: light rain

Day 8, 6.2 miles, 8:30 am - 12 noon   Except for fighting raccoons, predatory owls, and some animal making a weird twanging noise, we had a quiet and peaceful night at our campsite. The sun set golden in the west and filled the tent with light. It was warm enough that I could stay up for awhile to read (Joyce Carol Oates, again) and I went to bed after dark.    The wind picked up by morning but we were still able to make coffee and do chores without too much hurry. It clouded over and was chilly but we still had a beautiful hike today. We can see the surrounding dark layers of mountains, and down into the forest floor. I like the brown woods of winter because you can see far.    More big trees today, huge stands of poplar and tulip. Chattahoochee National Forest has great mature forest. I've really loved the woods so far. When you look out you can see only forest and ridge, and rarely a narrow road or farm.    We hiked up and over Kelly Knob, along the ridgeline and bowl, took a break on a blue blaze that included a great view, and finally we headed down, down, down into the gap. We got to the trailhead at US 76 in great time, leaving only the 11 mile hitchhike into town.    Matt was antsy and wanted to walk and hitch at the same time, so we started down the road. Minutes later Gary from the Blueberry Patch offered us a ride partway down the road, which we gratefully accepted. He advised us to wait near a pull off on the road hitch from there. If we had though twice it makes the most sense. US 76 is a windy, narrow highway with no where to pull over for the most part.    I forgot how much I hate to hitch. I just feel so put out there, at the mercy of everyone else. After 15 minutes of being passed by minivans and worktrucks, a local man in a late model Toyota slowed to pick us up. He was a really nice, soft-spoken man, and he dropped us off straight at the Holiday Inn. I had this all planned out, I wanted to stay in a nice place for our 1st townstop. The place isn't cheap but it is heavenly! It's a huge room with 2 comfy double beds, a table, kitchenette, sofa, and a strong hot shower. We are right around the corner from the laundry, which meant that in only 1 & 1/2 hours we were completely showered and in clean clothes. I layed down on white sheets, wrapped in 2 white towels, scrubbed clean. Wonderful.    A good grocery store is adjacent to this building so we went there for provisions for today and tomorrow. They carried, of all things, PBR in a bottle. Imagine that--you have to go to Georgia to get PBR in a bottle!    Plan tonight--eat plenty of fruit, yogurt, and chips & salsa, sort out resupply box, keep feet up as much as possible, and be in bed by 8 pm. * * *   What a great morning that was. Sometimes everything falls into place, you know? It was overcast, and windy and cool, but things were so fresh and invigorating at the same time. The blue blaze we had a snack on had a great view, and good camping. I loved that hike.    That was also the day I met Tinman and Gaspard for the first time. We kept up with them, on & off, until Maine.    Regarding the PBR line, it's the only really cheap beer I like, but I can't find it in Indiana in a bottle, only a can, which I won't buy. So I though it was funny that I could find a cheap six pack of the stuff all the way in Georgia.