Date: 2007-03-19
From: Indian Grave Gap, Tn

To: Cherry Creek Gap Shelter, TN
Miles today: 12.0

I woke up around daylight and could not believe that I had went back to sleep! I also noticed that it was beginning to cloud up. And then I fell back to sleep again. I was having a dream that I was at a hostel with a bunch of hikers and in my dream, I could not wake up. I had the sensation of trying to open my eyes up; but, I could not. Finally, lethargically, I opened my eyes & there went a hiker right by me. I said hello in a gruffled morning voice and the hiker said hi and kept going. I guessed it was around noon. I had really made up for all the lost sleep. I was dehydrated and drank most of my water and ate a bunch of snack foods. I did not have enough water for coffee or to make a good breakfeast. I also needed to get moving as Beauty Spot or Unaka Mtn are not places to be in a rain storm. It was warmer today; but still around 40 degrees, cloudy, and little wind. It is a good climb up to Beauty Spot, almost 3 miles up. I could tell that I needed to eat something substantial and drink alot of water. I got to beauty spot and sat down and looked around, nice views; but, have always thought this spot was overrated(like the Duke BlueDevil's this year). The reason it gets the hype is that you can drive up here, park, and camp. Some people did drive up while I was sitting there and I got up and hiked on. I could tell that they were uncomfortable with me. I walked down to Beauty spot Gap and gorged on water and ate a good meal. I ate a JACK~N~The BOX ranch dressing that had 41 grams of fat in it! Never noticed that back in civilization. I would have thought I was doing good to eat a salad; never thinking of the fattening dressing! Anyway, I felt charged and began the climb up Unaka Mtn. I have always wondered about the pronunciation of this word. It is the Cherokee word for white, hence White Mtn. I would like to get someone who speaks Cherokee to tell me the right way to say it. I know the word "Unaliyi"(a place of friends, an old group name from 3springs) is pronounced oon uh lee ee. So unaka would be oon uh kuuh. But the locals call it you nah kah. Anyway, I love this mountain with the Firs on top. It always reminds me of the Smokies. Also there was ice everywhere. Because it is a second or third growth forest the firs are very close together. It is almost impossible to stay on the trail. You really have to watch the blazes. I know a section hiker named "Candyman" who took his pack off at dusk up here and wandered around to find a better campsite and was completly "blacked in". He did not grab his headlamp; so, instead of wondering around aimlessly, he just slept where he was. That was a clear August night. If it had rained or been any other time of year; he would have probably been a statistic. I made it through "the black forest" and began the climb down the other side of the mountain. A brief note on the trail from here to the climb up to Roan Mtn.: it is very difficult. It goes up and down around 20 times with no mercy. These ups and downs can be as high as 5000 feet and drop to 2500. I always curse the TN Eastmen trail maintainers; because I "kid you not", the trail at one point goes to the top of a "knob" and then "hairpins" to go down nearly parallel to where you came up. Anyway, after 3 "puds" in a mile; I made it to the shelter. Here I met a thru-hiker named "fruitfly". He was a budding 25 year neuroscientist from Ohio. Later came "Salamander". He came in around dark. They were quick to sleep. I stayed awake listening to the rain that started about an hour after I arrived. Missed the rain again!