Date: 2006-05-30
From: Dick's Creek Gap to Muskrat Creek Shelter

To: Day 13 -Dick's Creek Gap to Muskrat Creek Shelter
Miles today: 11.6
Weather: scattered clouds

May 30, 2006 DICK¢S CREEK GAP TO MUSKRAT CREEK SHELTERDay 13. Dick¢s Creek Gap to Muskrat Creek Shelter (11.6 miles)We got up at 6:00 o¢clock with a goal of leaving in time to get to Shoney¢s breakfast bar by 7:00. We pulled in the Shoney¢s parking lot at 6:55. Yea! The breakfast bar wasn¢t completely ready, but that didn¢t stop Denley and me. We had eggs, mushrooms, bacon, sausage, gravy and biscuits, pancakes and waffles with syrup and strawberries. Have I ever told you how Denley can eat?? My, oh my! It is something to behold! We were at Dick¢s Creep Gap by 8:00 a.m. and began our journey that would lead us out of Georgia. The Trail consisted of LONG ups and downs, but nothing that was too difficult. I was making good progress, but Denley was slowing down more and more. Then he said he had eaten too much (not a surprise to me) and was feeling poorly. We plodded on. We passed the Plumborchard Gap Shelter, which supposedly has resident copperheads living in a stump in front of the shelter.   We didn¢t stop to check it out. We¢re not THAT dumb!Just after the shelter, the Trail started to go dramatically UP! On we went. We were getting so tired, and then there it was¢¦a tree alongside the Trail with the NC/GA sign (border of North Carolina and Georgia) and a metal tube containing the Trail Register, for signing when leaving or entering the state. The metal tube had been there so long that the tree was starting to grow around the tube. We had already covered 8.6 miles and had 3 miles to go, so we just took photos and moved on. Just a few hundred yards further was Bly Gap with a campground and water. We stopped momentarily, rested and got water. Then we moved on. Did I already say that WE WERE TIRED! The Trail went up, and up and up. It flattened out for a ways and then it went up some more. I saw a glimpse of a bear (I think). I could just see its dark, furry back. Then it charged down a hill, making lots of noise. It definitely was not a deer. By this point, both of us were exhausted. We struggled on until we finally crested the last hill. Shortly after that, on our way down the hill, we stumbled into camp. It was almost 7:00 p.m. and we had covered 11.6 miles. It had been a very long, tiring day. (Note: 11.6 are not many miles for some hikers, but for us it had been the toughest, longest day so far. And, it seemed like the steepest, longest hill yet!)The shelter, although sturdy, because of its design and location, was really dark this time of night. (Note: According to the Trail Register, this shelter is the home of the ¢Shelter-eating rabbit.¢   In the floor of the shelter was a 4-inch diameter hole in the corner. My assumption, knowing that rabbits will gnaw on wood, was that when somebody arrived at the shelter, he was busy eating the floor and escaped through the hole he had created. Whether or not this is true, we don¢t know. But we saw the hole AND the rabbit.) Luckily there was a water supply in the form of a stream right behind the shelter. We were thankful we didn¢t have to walk another mile to find water. The privy was by far the WORST we have seen ¢ old, dirty and full. Ris« wouldn¢t have been caught within a mile of this place! Tonight Denley and I were the only ones at this shelter. We hardly had the energy to fix dinner. But, we put on our headlights, prepared dinner in the dark shelter, ate, got cleaned up and were ready for bed. My right shoulder is hurting because of the pack strap. But, my feet are fine. Denley is still having trouble with his feet.   Before going to sleep, I played Ris« on my little MP3 player. What a nice way to drift off to sleep. I am so glad she made her CD. It has given me more pleasure than she can imagine.Note: This is the first day that has made me wonder if I can really DO this!