Date: 2013-05-08
From: Tray Mountain Shelter

To: Dicks Creek Gap
Miles today: 11.3

69.7 total hikedJack was picking me up at Dicks Creek Gap today and it had been interesting trying to establish a time for the rendezvous. We had been going back and forth, Jack with his calendar in front of him with his schedule parceled out in timed chunks and me already adjusted to trail time which has nothing to do with a clock but with the conditions the Trail places along your path each day. I was so amused by this I brought it up at lunch today.Last night I finally committed to being there sometime between 2&3pm. When I did that I anticipated camping three miles further up the trail. Another look at the trail guide showed the camp site two miles further than I thought. A number of factors caused me to decide to stay at the shelter and try to make up the time today. I was up at 6:20 and out at 7:15.I soon passed a couple with a dog who had foundation campsite a mile further than the shelter. Later I passed another couple taking a break, the woman wore a Florida Gator tee shirt. When Josh shuttled me for the last time he encouraged me to try to get farther that day than I had planned and cut a full day from my hike to Hiawassee. The fine point of that encouragement was to hike the hard sections at my regular pace and style and on the easy parts "put your head down and pump your arms to push those poles." I tried it yesterday and today and I think it increased my speed though I'm so slow it would seem insignificant to others.Another thing I have done the last two days is not take any breaks. The only time I had my pack off today was to doff layers of clothes as the day warmed. And i never sat down until i got into Jack's pickup. On a downhill section I would hold a bar in my left hand while eating it with that pole tucked under my arm. I soon came upon the Gator shirt couple stopped near a sign in a gap. It read "Dicks Creek Gap 5.3" Wow that was quick. Maybe Josh's advice helped. The sign never hinted that the first step beyond it was the start of a brutal climb. The next mile, all uphill had some of the steepest trail yet which contributed to the nearly 900 feet of elevation increase. The blessing is that there were no steps, it was all even. :-) The Gator shirt couple traveled at near the speed I did and took slightly fewer but longer rests. Thedog couple traveled faster but took longer rests. The two couples and I spent the next hour leap frogging each other in a survival march. Early on Gator man trudged past me and muttered, as much for his own encouragement as mine, "Slow and steady." To which I replied, "Well at least I've got the slo part down!"My pace cycle started at fifty or so shuffling baby steps then pause for two or three breaths. Then I went to twenty five or so steps to five or six breaths. Finally twelve to fifteen steps and as many damn breaths it took to start up again. I came to realize the number or length of pauses didn't matter only the start ups mattered. And the whole hike hinged on only one more start up than pause.Finally cresting Kelly Knob I enjoyed the descent. I really started pushing for several reasons. I didn't want to waste potential trail town time on the mountain ; I didn't want to make Jack wait longer than necessary; I was enjoying invoking the mantra of pushing yourself in order to improve.At 5.6 miles out I texted to Jack my final of 4 or 5 ETAs since we had started planning. 1400hrs. At 1345 I steppedout of the woods onto the roadway and there stood Trail Angel Jack with camera in hand and the grin on his face reflecting mine.He drove me to the motel, Post Office,lunch, Post Office and back to the motel. He even offered to drive me to an outfitter in Franklin, NC for piece of equipment but I was able to have it delivered tomorrow.Surviving the climb and still being able to push the rest of the day made ita beautiful hike. Sleep well. :-)ole slo