Date: 2006-03-07
From: Low Gap Shelter

To: Cheese Factory
Miles today: 13.0

We haven't had a bad day on the trail yet. This was our biggest mileage day yet. It was my most exhausting yet. We also did our steepest slope with the longest mileage- High Mountain had my legs pumping. I took a good 40 minutes on he ascent. We got a break about half way up at a good water source, filled my bottle and dunked my head. I love the cold mountain spring here. I purify my water even if I don't have to, but I have never tasted water so good. If I scoop it from small pools rather than catch it from a fall it may have a few sea monkeys but nothing you can't filter through a bandana.We took today at a much different pace today. Rather than pounding out the miles at a quick pace in a short time, we took it down a notch. We made big miles by the end of the day anyway.There are some monster hikers and groups here who put in huge miles every day, way more than our respectable 13. Coconut Monkey is averaging about 20 miles a day. He wants to finish in June. Ther ewas a group of 6 or 7 at the shelter site last night who are doing about 18 miles. Curley, Tofurkey and several others came down to chat and fill water bottles.I headed out alone this morning at a very leisurely pace. It was more like wandering. Today was cloudless and bright. It was also windless. Before today the wind has been constant, brisk until you are covered with sweat, then chilling. There were sweet views today and I stopped to enjoy. I looked over vast countryside spotted with farms. There were many more treeless vistas. Much of today's trail went around rather than over peaks. You had a high slope rising on one side and falling down on the other. The 1st stretch of trail was an old logging road, really just long ruts now. Water ran and fell from the rock wall on the upward slope. It caught the sun and sparkled. Splashed down beside thin fragile icicles. No way to rush through this section. I started out well before Ajaz, Jazzy, Train and Will. Eventually they caught up and passed me. It was nice having the trail to myself.You get used to the quiet out here, or at least the absence of civilization sounds. You hear wind through the trees almost constantly, sometimes roaring, sometimes soft. You also hear water almost constantly from the creeks, the springs and small falls. Both are soothing and calming when falling asleep. Woodpeckers are always around. I don't know my birds so I can't identify them by peck and no birds by call. Nice to wake to bird song in early March. Several nights the coyotes have been howling, a sound you stop for until you know what it is.I passed Bill along the way. We've shared a couple of sites with him. He's in his early 50's. His hiking parter, Steve, was doing strong steady miles and left Bill a day or so ago. We were worried we were being loud or rude or annoying to him. Apparently a few of us talked to him and apologized. But he hasn't been bothered at all. He said he's have joined in and didn't want us to think he was aloof. He was just feeling low. He had decided to leave the trail even though it had been a dream. We chatted for a while when I caught up to him. He talked about his son, an Army Ranger shipping out for Iraq. He's already had a purple heart for service in Afghanistan. Bill's son is coming home on leave, one of Bill's reasons for getting of the trail. He was so disappointed you could feel it. He mentioned returning after his break. I hope he does. He wants it.The group met for lunch at a mountain shelter. Views were unobstructed. We all ate slowly and laid in the sun. Without leaves on the trees, we're starting to burn. Milk Dud has blisters on his ears. My legs are starting. Bad burn does not make for good hiking so after sunscreen I further covered with light long johns under my shorts.We met a few more thru-hikers at the road crossing at Unicoi Gap. Bill was also there, hitching a ride into Helen, a trail town, to use the phone. From here we could see the trail and slope over High Mountain. I repeated my mantra: This is what we came for. It's a good reminder and helps me up the hills. By now we were pretty much together again. Another couple of miles from the top and we were at our camp site. It's called the Cheese Factory, but we didn't find any evidence of one. Long gone. Interesting the habits we adopt, almost like instinct. Flop on the ground exhausted but smiling and feeling the accomplishment. Peeling off of boots and horrible socks. Stetching legs and feet. Massaging calves, examining and packing blisters. Socks all drying on hiking poles. All of us setting up our tents. And always talk about food. What to eat tonight and especially what to eat tomorrow night at the All-You-Can-Eat buffet in Hiawassee. AYCE, hiker's dream and savior.We'll push a 12.5 mile day tomorrow into Hiawassee, our last stop for resupply for 7 days. We'll shop collectively and split up large quantity items like dried milk, noodles, t.p. We'll overnight in two motel rooms for 7 people. Showers and beds. Being the solo hiker and the old man, I get a bed to myself. I'm loving sleeping on the ground, but that bed will probably feel like luxury. All errands the next day, groceries, phone calls, post office, gear store. My shoes should be there. After today's steep descents, my sore toe has doubled in size and I'm losing the nail of another one. But first, we want to hit town until climbing Trey Mountain, a higher, steeper ascent than we had today. We've heard it's challenging. First obstacle in the morning. Nice and rested before then.The night before a resupply, eat to the bottom of your food bag. I didn't. I'd overstuffed the night before Neels Gap. But there were many courses and many mixings of trail staples. Milk Dud passed arounf a bowl of instant potato, pasta and tomato sauce. Amazing. Another evening with a fire and Cherry Pie, not too crushed from Train's pack.Sleep now. Trey in the morning.