Date: 2008-03-13
From: Cloud 9 Hiker hostel

To: Muskrat Creek Shelter (4600')
Miles today: 11.7
Weather: broken clouds

I resisted the temptation of another day at Cloud 9. I woke up around 8:30 and started organizing my food I just bought and what Esra sent me. I left a lighter, 2 packs of easy mac, and several oatmeal packs in the hiker box at the hostel. I also picked up some good moleskin for my feet and treated my feet a bit which are feeling better. I don't have blisters, just areas that are raw or irritated and hurt the same as blisters. I swabbed them with alcohol, cut the moleskin put it on my feet and then my liners and them my socks. I ate the rest of my pizza for breakfast and was pretty much ready to go. I also mailed Esra back the letter and photo she gave me because I couldn't carry it (they would both eventually get damaged) and a couple of things from my pack. I mailed some of the rope I had, about 4 carabineers (I kept 1), the glue I got for my boots, the shampoo my mom gave me (every place that I'll shower at will have shampoo), my pot holder, and this whistle combo unit that has a compass, thermometer, and magnifying glass (all of which are redundant of other gear I have except the whistle). I also mailed the pages from my journal up to yesterday and a note to Esra thanking her for the iPod shuffle.I left in a shuttle to Dicks Creek Gap with Zippo and Canibal with Frank driving after saying goodbye to the people that were staying. It seemed Coconut, No Responsibility, Windjammer, Bearpaw, Driftwood, and a few others were taking a zero at the hostel. There was a former hiker named UPS (Uphill Struggle) handing out food at the trailhead and I ate an apple. I also saw Hair Bear trying to hitchhike and Frank said he'd give him a ride to the Blueberry patch (even though it would be in Frank's best interest if Hair Bear stayed at Cloud 9). Hair Bear was one of the snorers from Blue Mountain Shelter (nothing against him just for reference). I hit the trail around 11:30 and it was a beautiful day. I was cruising thanks to the iPod shuffle and the weather. Esra picked some great songs to put on there. I ended up passing everyone from the first shuttle from Cloud 9 and stopped 5.6 mi from Dicks Creek where there were two hikers waiting to be picked up from a service road. They told me that they had just hiked to the NC/GA border and it wasn't a tough section to get there. I got to my first border crossing which was very anticlimactic because its a small block of wood on a tree that says "NC/GA" and is easy to miss. I tried to take a picture of me next to it but I don't think it came out that great (I mailed my disposable camera back as well with 9 exposures left). I walked a little further and took a break for a snack at this gangly looking tree where 3 other thru-hikers were Cav, Viewfinder, and I think Andrew,( not sure though). The hill right afterwards was tough and NC proved to be more difficult in 3 miles than a lot of GA was.I got to the shelter around 4:30 and a couple of hikers on spring break from UGA were there (one was a thru-hiker from 2005) and a thru-hiker named Ken who I had seen coming out of Neels Gap. Eventually the three hikers I saw after the border crossing showed up but not the people from the first Cloud 9 shuttle. The former thru-hiker had this snack his girlfriend had made they called Bark which was white chocolate with crushed peppermint in it and it was delicious. I ate two easy mac packets with tuna and then I snacked on some Beek Jerky. I'm going to try and avoid stopping in Franklin and instead just go straight through to the NOC in 5 days, then Fontana Dam in 2, then the Smokies. Everyone had to hang their foodbags in trees because there was no set up food hangers and it took me a while to do it. Viewfinder and I made a fire with wood that the couple had collected and eventually everyone gathered and sat around the fire until bedtime. Today was an easy mile day and I think I might shelter hop until I reach the NOC because I have just enough food to do so. It was nice doing an easy day and my feet appreciated it. Crossing a state border was also cool and got me thinking about whats coming up (the Smokies). It could rain the next 2 days, I just hope its not cold. The ipod shuffle was perfect and so cool to have. It kept my mind busy and the songs were all really good, I didn't skip one for 5 hours of hiking. Time to put out the fire and go to sleep.