Date: 2003-04-10
From: Dicks Creek Gap - Wallace Gap

To: Dicks Creek Gap - Wallace Gap
Miles today: 37.0
Weather: light rain

Dicks Creek Gap - Wallace Gap37 miles (103.7 total miles)I was all smiles coming out of Hiawassee. I was full and rested. I got an email from Sonya, a college friend I haven't seen in 6 years. It must have been trail magic and all the other good vibes surrounding my trip that inspired her to look me up. I got my food drop from the PO, which had picture os me drawn by my niece and nephew. I also got snail mail from Farmer Todd! And right before I left, I read the wonderful guestbook entry written by my neice. I felt great! Radar and I hitched a ride back to the trail, and did an easy 4 miles to the night's shelter.We had fun that night. We played cards with a father and son section hikers. Svensaw played his harmonica. Hepcat tried to get us to hike back to town to catch the final game in the basketball tourney. It was a nice 3 story shelter. We all slept well.Day 8 started off cold. I was the first one out. Radar and Find Me caught up to me about 4 miles in. Radar was taking pictures, as we were at our first state line. We took a few more picture os the tree at Bly Gap. Unfortunately, it was cold and misty. I had heard that the mountains are steeper in North Carolina, but I didn't realize that meant right at the border! I guess NC doesn't believe i switchbacks either, as the trail went straight up the mountain!I hobbled into the next shelter for lunch. I wanted to keep moving to try to hit the next shelter early. It was starting to rain, and I was sure it would fill up early. It rained a lot for the final mile. I got the last spot in the shelter at about 2:00 in the afternoon. I changed into dry clothes, and shrunk into my sleeping bag. We officially changed the name of the shelter that night to "the morgue" because it was full of motionless bodies wrapped up in mummy sleeping bags. We watched as other hikers showed up and set up their tents in the rain. Normally spending a night in weather like that would be miserable, but with 10 giddy hikers wrapped up in a 3 walled shelter, we had some good laughs.The morning of day 9 was miserable. It was freezing, and all my wet clothes were still as wet as when I had taken them off. Putting on my cold, wet socks was the hardest. Footslogger got a weather report from a radio - rain for the next 3 days! As always, I set out while everyone was making breakfast. Find Me and I raced to be the first one on the trail, and she beat me by 2 steps.It was a fairly easy 15 miles that day. The suns showed up a few times. It was mostly level ground, sometimes following wet logs over the rushing stream below, and sometimes going deep into the misty green woods. It was like something out of Disney World. The buzz all day was about Albert Mtn. I was pretty tired after 14 miles, but Albert Mtn was fun! It is a steep half mile rock scramble and staircase. It would have been fairly hard to climb, but extremely tough with 40 pound on my back! Not to mention that during that stretch was the only substantial rain I saw all day. But it was a mental challenge that took my mind off my aches. It was probably the most fun stretch yet! At the top of Albert Mtn was a firetower. I was tempted to climb it, but realized all I would see at the top is more fog and rain. Another half mile put me at the shelter. I stayed with 2 other Mainers, and we tortured ourselves by discussing what flavor of Giffords ice cream would be best right now. It was a misty and cold night at about 40 degrees when I hit the sleeping bag. My socks never did dry that day. Then it started to pour. About 2 hours later, Shankadelic showed up at our shelter with a big smile on his face. He had the dry pants I had left at the previous shelter! I thanked him with 2 Snickers bars (which count as currency on the AT).On day 10, the long green tunnel became the long white tunnel. I woke up to hear that the rain had fallen silent on the tin roof. But a look outside showed snow. We reluctantly got out of our sleeping bags and got ourselves ready. The lady next to me told us she heard squeeking from her pack. Someone with a flashlight looked into it to find a litter of baby mice! She poor lady shreaked and screamed and checked everything else she owned.It was a mostly easy 6 miles to the road crossing, plus a road mile to Rainbow Springs campground. It was a very pretty hike through 2 inches of snow. I hit the campground, which was already full. I found Nemo, T-bird, and Footslogger had rented a cabin and offered me a place on their floor. The campground was full of people taking an extra day off because of the snow.Everyday brings a new adventure, and that what makes it fun. I am looking forward to sun again. Some people have started calling me "fuel tank" as word of my stove mishaps spread. Everyone loves the pez dispenser I have on my pack. I still have to lose some pack weight, mostly through food. I planned for about a week between resupplies, but most people do only about 3 days. That makes things much easier.I am having the time of my life. Thanks to everyone for all the support and good vibes. This is such an amazing experience, and I am so thrilled that so many people are following along.