Date: 2013-03-30
From: Muskrat Creek Shelter

To: Beech Gap
Miles today: 9.3

It wasn't as cold this morning waking up, even though we were camped on top of a mountain. It still took a bit to get going, but I managed to actually eat some oatmeal and get packed up and was off down the trail before everyone else in the group. Hammy wasn't feeling so hot, so was dawdling a bit. The first bit of the hike was nice and easy, with rolling ups and downs and I was back to singing. I've come to the conclusion that even factoring in the bad days, I'm much more happy in general than I was before the trail. I hope I can keep this in mind and that it helps me keep going. I ran into Wrong Way, and she is going to get of the trail for a bit to see a doctor about her possibly infected blisters. I hope things turn out alright for her. I had planned on taking a rest at Deep Gap, where there is a Forest Service road and having a small snack and some Kool-Ade, but when I got to the bottom, a glorious site confronted me. Let me tell anyone, who isn't familiar, about trail magic. Trail magic is kind deeds done by amazing ordinary people hikers call trail angels. We have run into a few before, like coming down into a gap to find 5 gallon jugs of water in a spot that doesn't have a spring, or a cooler of Gatoraid sitting at a trail head. These things really renew your faith in humanity, and are beyond welcome when you have just had a long hard hike and have been in the woods for multiple days. Well, what awaited me in the gap was a couple who's son had section hiked the year before, and they had seen how hungry and thirsty hikers were, so decided to park at the tail head with a full spread of goodies: chile cheese dogs, soda, fruit, beer, brownies, cookies, and even random hiker supplies like band-aids. I can't begin to tell you how amazing that is to run into. Some people are just generous beyond what you would reasonably expect. I had most of what was offered, including two sodas, and great conversation. The next section was the highest climb of the day, and this gave the fuel and attitude needed to attack it. I parted ways with the many hikers drawn in by the food, and the couple with many thanks and headed up Standing Indian Mountain, the tallest mountain we've been up yet, and our first time over 5000 ft at 5498! Now that we are in North Carolina, the gaps are at 4000, and the peaks in the 5000s, where as in Georgia, gaps were like 3000 and peaks in the 4000s. The hike was long, but amazingly not very strenuous. I really have to start ignoring the elevation profile in the guide, as it continues to deceive me. As seems to happen often on the AT, the trail goes just short of the actual summit, and most the time, getting to your destination is the only thing on your mind. I had heard that you could see most of the AT's path from Blood Mountain to here from the summit, so I decided the extra .1 miles off the trail was worth it. I'm really glad I did as the view was breathtaking. It occurred to me that on day hikes, you hike to the summit and get rewarded with a spectacular view, something the AT tends not to offer up. That reward makes the hike, so I think from now on, if I'm not exhausted or late, and the summit is close, I'm going to take the time to experience it. The rest of the hike was an easy 3 mile downhill to Beech Gap where we had all planned to meet and decide if we were going on. I arrived at about 3:30, and took out my wet stuff to dry in the sun. It was a great place and great weather to just relax. I lay in the sun with my shoes off, read, and wrote some of my blog. A couple I met the other day, Canadian Bacon and Zen Master came by and took a five minute break with me. By 5:30, it was getting a bit late to move on to the next shelter, and the group hafn't arrived, so I set everything up, hung my bear cord, got water, and got a fire going. They arrived shortly thereafter, and we all hung out around the fire and ate and talked for a while before hanging our bear bags, and turning in just as it started to rain. It's much warmer tonight, maybe mid 40's, so I'm in my hammock with almost all of my sleeping bag open, listening to the sound of the rain on my tarp. I love sleeping outside. I can't wait until I can be in the hammock with no pad or bag and no tarp, slipping off to sleep under a blanket of stars. It's still quite a ways off. For now, the rain is nice and hypnotic.