Date: 2014-09-07
From: Tray Mountain Shelter

To: Low Gap shelter
Miles today: 15.3
Weather: scattered clouds

Today started much sooner than I had planned. I was torn from my peaceful slumber at 3: 15 by a coyote howling in front of the shelter. The sky was clear and the moon was full. I couldn't see him, but he sounded like he was only 50 ft away. He was non stop howling. I finally put my shoes on and walked towards where he was and clapped my hands a couple of times and he started moving on down the ridge. He never did stop howling. The moon was shining into the shelter like a spotlight. I tried to go back to sleep, but it never happened. Finally, about 4:30, I made some coffee. There was rain and thunderstorms in the forecast again and I wanted to get in a longer day than yesterday. After my second cup, I counted my coffee. I had been saving my good coffee for my final days and been drinking some cheap instant coffee from the dollar store but it was now gone. A quick inventory revealed I had one extra cup and today would be the day for it. I ate breakfast and packed up and was basically waiting on enough daylight to hike without stumbling. I left at 6:45 and still couldn't see very well in the rhododendron tunnels. My day started with some serious up and downs. I finished climbing Tray Mountain where I was rewarded with an excellent view to the east and west. Each were drastically different. To the east, I could clearly see to the valleys below. To the west, I saw an ocean of clouds with mountain peaks sticking out. I took a picture and began the 1,200 ft descent to Indian Grave Gap. Then it was right back up 900 ft to the top of Rocky Mountain. This one allowed me a few hundred feet of fairly easy trail before dropping 1,100 ft to Unicoi Gap. This gap is usually a place for trail magic in late March and early April, but after that, the trail angels move north. For me, it meant time to climb back up the 1,100 ft I just climbed down. I passed a woman who was out for the day and she said "what a beautiful mountain" and walked on. I was thinking how humid it was and how every inch of me was drenched in sweat. Amazing how looking at the positive instead of the negative can change your day. The rest of mine was downhill and delightful. I met two young guys just after I had filtered water at a spring that were standing in the trail looking at an AT guide. We talked a bit and they said they were heading to Harpers Ferry. Wow, that seems like such a far away place now. I wished them luck and told them to take a well deserved break at Top of Georgia Hostel and I hiked on. Later, I met a man and woman trail running and they had just joined me southbound from Jacks Knob trail. She ask about the trail north from there and I said it was good to Blue Mountain and then dropped into Unicoi Gap. They ran north ahead of me but not much faster than I was hiking. I saw them later sitting on a log having a snack and 30 minutes later they passed again while I was doing the same. I said, as they passed, it's gonna rain soon. She stopped and looked at the sky and then ran off. I finished my break and put my pack cover on. 5 minutes later it was raining. It rained the rest of my way to Low Gap Shelter but I didn't mind. The last 4 miles or so followed an old railroad grade and was mostly downhill. What a pleasant way to end a 15 mile day. Today I am grateful that a simple greeting changed my entire day.