Date: 2003-04-06
From: Carter Gap Shelter

To: Betty Creek Gap
Miles today: 9.8
Weather: broken clouds

Day 12 start Standing Indian Mountaindestination Betty Creek gapWe all got up at the crack of dawn to watch the sunrise and then walked up to the summitt to the west to watch as the sun bathed the mountains in gold It was 40 degrees.I fixed me a hot cup of chocolate to drink and ate a granola bar with some dried pineapple.We were on the trail by 8:30.We had decided last night to get a early start and make some miles.The sun was shining and it was beautiful hiking. At one point I was out by myself,when I came upon a huge downed tree crosing a stream.It was so pretty,but I was so glad not to have to cross it.A few minutes later I lost the trail.I back tracked and sure enough,there was a white blaze across the stream.Now it wasn't that the tree was very high off the ground,or even that the stream below was very deep.You would just have to now that graceful is not any where close to my middle name.It seemed ludicrous that the trail would go across here,but it did.I waited for a few minutes,putting of the inevitable.Really though,I was praying.I tok a deep breath and started across.I would either fall and get wet or fall and split myself in two.Amazingly I managed to get across without incident.It is true that usually that which we worry and fret over seldom comes to pass. There were several times over the morning that I found myself quoting Jude 1:24.I won't tell you what it says,you can go look it up! We stopped at Carter Gap Shelter for lunchand to refill our water bottles.The clouds started rolling in and the sun disappeared.Some section hikers told us rain was forecast for the afternoon and night.We hurried along,hoping to get toBetty Creek Gap before the rain.A peek through the Rhododrendrons on the east side of the trail rewarded us with beautiful mountains.At one point I heard something pretty big off to the left of the trail,but I never did see anything.About the only wild life we have seen or heard about besides we four women,was a stray dog had atacked a couple hikers that were behind us.Nothing serious though.We got to Betty Creek Gap early in the afternoon.There were already 5 or 6 tents up.Someone told us that we had lost an hour,sure enough daylight savings time had snuck in and caused us to lose an hour of sleep.   We did manage to eat dinner,get water,hang our food bags and even have a little bit of a fire before the rain forced us to our tents at 5:30.Well,really 6:30.It is not even dark,but too damp to be outside.   Tonight at dinner,we made our plans for tomorrow.We have two really big climbs back to back.Albert Mountain,which is at 5220 ft.and I can't even tell you the name of the other one,because it is not a nice name,and I don't want this to have to be sensored.Just trust me,it is a BIG mountain.This is the longest we have been in the woods.It will have been 5 days,as we are planning on getting to Franklin,NC on Tues.We have already decided where we are going to eat while we are there! It would be hard to imagine what we smell like and we take great pride in the fact that we all pretty much smell the same.A person becomes easily entertained out here.when the warm weather arives,I am sure there wil be occasions to go swimming,but not at this time of the year.Right now,it is 42 degrees.My feet hurt and I feel like I did almost ten miles today.Tomorrow is another celebration event as we will pass our 100 mile mark.The young couple who got caught in the snow storm with us is here tonight and you can hear her in the distance playing her Irish whistle.It is so very pretty,she is playing a lilting tune called Ashoken Farewell that wafts through the woods.She then plays Amazing Grace and truly it has been another incredible day. bumpkintotal miles 9.8 our longest day yet