Date: 2008-04-19
From: Carter Gap Shelter, NC

To: Rock Gap Shelter, NC
Miles today: 12.1
Weather: light rain

I awoke this morning to the sound of rain pouring on the shelter roof. Good thing I decided to sleep in the shelter! I finally got up around 7 and checked the weather forecast with my phone - how cool is that?! The chance of rain for today had jumped from 40% to 70%. I'm not sure why because the weatherman would be right either way! I took my time getting ready; taking a picture with Chaco and Toe Socks (Chaco proof!) and chatting with Panther (really nice guy doing a SOBO section from the Smokies to Springer). When I finally left around 9 it was still drizzling and dripping from the trees. I may need new rain pants and a rain jacket; mine have been around the block a few times and aren't as waterproof as the could be anymore . Not a big deal on a day like today (i.e. warm, light rain), but after several days of rain or in cold rain it might be an issue. I am definitely going to get some of the kayaking booties Chaco and Toe Socks wear with their sandals in wet/cold weather. My feet were OK being wet today, but if it had been colder.... Plus, its so much nicer to have dry feet! Wow, Albert Mountain was quite the rock scramble! Too bad my camera was securely packed away from the wet; there won't be any pictures of that. You'll just have to believe me. Since it was still drizzling (although the sun was trying to come out), I didn't have a view on Albert so I didn't bother going up the fire tower. Of course, once I got to the next shelter .5 miles away it started to clear up. After I ate lunch at the shelter I considered going back to Albert because I knew there would be a view. But, my feet won out as that would add an extra mile to my day. Another time! That's how it is on the AT: you win some, you lose some, you get some views, you miss others. I meandered the 7ish miles to the next shelter because my feet were complaining. The sun came out, but there was enough grey left in the sky that I kept my rain gear on. Taking it off would have ensured the return of rain! When I got to Rock Gap Shelter, Start Slow and Taper Off were there taking a break. They said Chaco and Toe Socks had decided to push the full 17ish miles into town. Not me! Even though I got to the shelter around 3, my feet were aching. I contemplated hiking 1 mile to Wallace Gap where Bonnie could pick me up tonight, but I decided to tough it out, stay at the shelter tonight, and finish the full section to Winding Stair Gap tomorrow. Start Slow and Taper Off also decided to stay here for the night. Taper Off is tough; she had surgery six weeks before she started, but she's out here hiking as much in a day as her body allows her anyway! It was nice to have company for night as the Rock Gap Shelter is a bit creepy. It's old (built sometime in the late 70s judging from the graffiti), very open, and faces the trail. (I learned the next day that it is also very close to a road crossing.) Anyway, Start Slow, Taper Off, and I spent the afternoon and evening trading PCT stories. They thru hiked the PCT the same year I did 900 miles. We never met, but I recognized their names and we knew some of the same people. A great way to spend the rest of the day and I was having so much fun I even forgot to do my personal (paper) journal entry for the day! Dinner was yummy - Trader Joe's tuna in yellow curry sauce with brown rice. Oh, those potato chunks... Highly recommended. Tonight, for the first time, my cell phone was worthless. Despite having one bar, I couldn't connect to the data service, place a phone call, or even send a text message. I wasn't able to let Bonnie know when to pick me up tomorrow; I'll just have to try again in the morning.