Date: 2013-03-17
From: Dicks Creek Gap

To: Muskrat Creek Shelter (NC)
Miles today: 11.8
Weather: overcast clouds

While I was packing up in the morning Night Stalker (1991 thru hiker) came in and started chatting. He and Gary (Blueberry Patch owner) met on their thru hike and have remained friends. Gary's hiker's name is AT Chef and when I joined him and Linnie for breakfast I understood why. We had scambled eggs, sausage, pancakes with homemade blueberry syrup, and biscuits with the best sawmill gravy I have ever tasted in my life. After breakfast Gary gave me a ride back to the trail.It was a pretty day to hike and was by far the warmest day. This is the first day that I hiked in a T shirt. I was feeling energized and well rested - a stark contrast to how I felt when I arrived at the Blueberry Patch yesterday. On my climb out of Dicks Creek Gap I met Bear Foot and Mountain Man (NJ and now Hiawassee). This is the second Mountain Man I had met. He was "slack packing" (carrying some else's pack) for Bear Foot so that Bear Foot could concentrate on revising the trail guide. According to Mountain Man, Bear Foot got his name from a scar on his foot from a previous bear attack. I hiked for a while with Mountain Man and he invited me to his cabin where his wife was cooking cabbage and corned beast for St. Patrick's Day, but I still had a lot of miles I wanted to cover so I had to pass on the offer. After climbing and descending Buzzard Knob (3,750 ft) I found a very comfy tree at Plum Orchard Gap for a much needed break and lunch. Big Yankee (Rhode Island) came by and said "man, you look way too comfortable". After lunch I knew I had miles (3.6) of climbing to do before I reached the summit of Courthouse Bald (4,666 ft). I was feeling really good so the steady uphill was not a problem, but the steep climb near the summit was tough. I felt so good I was begining to wonder if this was a turning point for me . . . too early to tell and I don't want to jinx myself. Henry (left inner thigh) was behaving, but I could tell he was plotting with Sinister (left foot) and Sinister's children (toes) because I now had a blister on Albert Sinister (left big toe) and Sinister Middle Child (left middle toe). I wrapped them in duct tape and that seems to be doing the trick. It is odd how most of my ailments have been on the left side of my body. Dexter (my right foot) has been doing great. By now I have grown accustomed to the forrest noises and find them soothing. The tap, tap, tap of woodpeckers, hooting of owls (even in the daytime), squeaking and growning of trees, etc. I can often tell how far I am from a summit by the sound of the wind. The ridge wind sounds more like a waterfall and the gap wind often sounds like a train if it's blowing hard. Sometimes I'm very present in the moment and sometimes I'm lost in thought. Today I was lost in thought in a very dense (jungle like) section and all of a sudden I was startled by a loud whoosh sound near my head. I quickly looked around and imediately feared a blind sided bear attach (didn't have enough time to process that bears don't go whoosh!). I never did see anything, but I think it most of been an owl because I didn't hear anything else and it sounded really big.I hit a major milestone today when I crossed over into North Carolina - yeah!!!When I reached Muskrat Creek Shelter, Karma came out of her tent and gave me a hug. I had not seen Karma since the first hostel I stayed in. I wanted to send Anita a text saying that everything was OK but I had not been able to get reception all day. Big Yankee was able to get enough reception to send texts so he let me borrow his phone. He was in his tent and I had gone back to the shelter to chat with people. Soon, I hear Big Yankee hollering from his tent "Hobo, thanks sweetie, I love you too" which got a big laugh out of everyone in the shelter. I have a nice tent spot near the shelter, I'm sharing a bear bag line with Wild Blue and all is right with the world. Bo rolled into camp about 10:00 pm.