Date: 2013-04-19
From: Bly Gap, NC

To: Long Branch Shelter, NC
Miles today: 24.0
Weather: light rain

The day's first light was obscured by the dark, low clouds and mist. It was cold and damp this morning. I wiped excess water from the tent which was becoming a morning ritual given the perpetual humidity in the southern Appalachians. The path of the AT is fascinating. On a regional scale, it meanders. It heads roughly north-northwest from the GA-NC border, then a short distance before reaching the Standing Indian Shelter and the lofty Standing Indian Mountain (EL= 5,498 ft), the trail bends south, coming within arms through of GA at the Carter Gap Shelter, before turning north again. By the time it reaches Fontana Dam, it approaches the NC-TN border, converging on it a short distance into the Smokies, before the Mollies Ridge Shelter. The AT mostly straddles the NC-TN border for over 200 miles, before entering TN, just before the Mountaineer Shelter (mi. 400.9, AWOL 2013). Leaving camp, the AT climbed a short steep slope to a twisted Oak noted by AWOL at mile 78.6. Rain had arrived shortly after departure from camp. I stopped at the twisted Oak just above the parabolic depression where I had camped and snapped a couple of photos of the Oak. I had imagined that the tree had endured many decades of strong gail-force wind since its infancy, to have caused such irregular growth. One place that came to mind, was the ancient bristle cone forest on the lofty crest of the Whites in southeastern California. The Bristle cone forest was said to be some 5,000 years old, and over the millennia, it no doubt was subject to the freezing winds which blew the forest practically sideways, so consistently, that the trees grew aerodynamically in the dominant wind direction. The first photo was blurry as a result of either water on the lens or jerking the camera in attempt to protect it from the rain. The second photo, as it turned out was no better. I was not equipped for taking good photos in the rain, when some of the best photo opportunities sometimes existed. I moved on. The AT climbed almost vertically from Bly Gap, up mud and rock. I grabbed anything I could to keep my balance or to pull my weight forward when my legs alone were at a disadvantage. On my ascent to the summit of Courthouse Bald, the rain began to dump. It fell hard and continuously, along with strong gusts of wind. The first real storm of the hike was brewing quietly before my arrival to Bly Gap. By mid morning, I made it to Standing Indian Shelter before the big climb to the summit of Standing Indian Mountain (EL 5,498-ft). The shelter was loaded with hikers huddling in the center. The majority had no intentions on leaving. I believe they where intending to "shelter-hop", Carter Gap Shelter being perhaps 8-miles further north. The rain was blowing sideways, enough to blow into the shelter opening. One of the hikers had temporarily sacrificed their tent to hang as a shield over the entrance. I awkwardly stumbled over the cording, stood in the crammed space and dug through my food bag for some nourishment. I was on the trail 15 minutes later as the remainder of the hiker mob gazed out into the rain. The storm had let up a bit by the time I made the near vertical, albeit short rocky ascent to the summit of Albert Mountain. Albert Mountain marks the first 100 miles of the AT and has a fire-lookout tower founded on the solid rock dome that comprises the summit. I hiked about another 2 miles into the late afternoon, drenched from a long day of hiking in the rain. I made it to the newly constructed (2013) Long Branch Shelter by dusk. The Long Branch Shelter apparently replaced the Big Springs Gap shelter a little further to the south, still on the north side of Mt Albert. The Big Springs Gap shelter fell victim to the forces of gravity. It was apparently constructed on a landslide, a common feature that the AT traversed, evident by randomly oriented blocks of rock in a soil matrix. The Long Branch shelter, funded by the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, which is funded by the donations of generous hikers, had been completed literally only weeks ago, given that the area was likely covered in snow a month ago. There must have been 20,000 in lumber alone! The main frame of the structure was constructed of square beams that appeared at least a foot in diameter and must have weighed well of 300 pounds each. As darkness settled in, so did the cold air. I settled in the spacious upstairs loft, spreading my wet gear over the protective rail, then cooked dinner on the bench below along with numerous other hikers. Another young man, while in the process of cooking dinner for his starving canine companion, was oblivious of his dog's pandering around the main table. He was behaving like any map-nurished dog would, desperate for a taste of the good food being prepared by others. I glanced over at the older Germans and could see their frustration building. I brought it to the dog owner's attention that his dog was begging and he acted like there was nothing he could do about it, as he prepared a warm meal for his dog. After enjoying a large pot of pasta with tuna, I settled in upstairs. I slept in between the Germans, and two young men from Tennessee, who had just graduated from college. Downstairs, the abrasive sound of chainsaw-snoring reverberated through the floor boards upstairs. The snoring was continually interrupted by harsh hacking. I thought for a moment, that I will be fortunate if I walk away from this shelter without getting severely ill myself. I was thankful that I was not sleeping downstairs! I pulled my beanie over my head and covered the rest of my face beneath my bag, inhaling the crisp cold air through a small opening.