Date: 2003-05-02
From: Sam's Gap

To: Spivey Gap Campground
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

We woke up from our stay at the Erwin Super 8, ate a bagel breakfast, then drove down HWY 23 to Sams Gap where I would pick up the trail for a 13.5 mile slackpack. Mom dropped me off and I hiked off. It was a cool overcast morning and remained that way most of the day. From the beginning I ws looking forward to getting to Big Bald Shelter for lunch (I guess that bagel hadn't been enough) but I hadn't even glanced at the databook to see how ar in I'd have to hike to get there. Around 11:30 or so, I hit a blue blaze; "This must be it," I thought. But upon examining the databook, I discovered that I hadn't yet gone over Big Bald - a prerequesite for the shelter. So I hiked on, quickly. The cloudy skies of the morning were turnning dark and the last place I wanted to be in a thunderstorm was on top of a bald. I'd heard too many other folks aweful encounters. Up and over - Quickly. Objective Accomplished!Before I knew it, I was at the shelter, enjoying my penut butter roll-up lunch. Martha Graham pulled in; she was the first and last hiker that I would see on my hike today. Onwards to Spivey Gap. Along the way the hiking was easy, then the cool breeze turned strange. I glanced back to see a huge black cloud surrounding the mountains behind me. I knew this was trouble; I could see the clouds moving quickly towards me. I've got an up right ahead of me, I thought. If I could hike fast to get up and over it before the storm, I'd be all right. This was a good idea, bad idea senario. I got over the next up, started down, but another mountain was between me and Spivey Gap. So I started trucking it even more steadily. Down, Up. I got nearly to the top of high rocks and WHAM! The storm unleashed at least 40 mile per hour winds that were blowing me to the right - and the hail that pummeled my bare legs hurt terribly. EEK! I know better than to keep climbing to the top of high rocks, so I dashed behind a huge boulder to my right. I crouched behind it so that at least I'd have coverage from the high winds and pounding hail. I hung out there for a while, then decided perhaps the storm had moved on. And, let's face it, I was anxious to get in to the warmth of a car and some dry clothes. I moved from behind the boulder, took a couple paces down the trail and was driven back from whence I came. This time I crouched and stayed put for at least 15 minutes or more while the rain soaked me. The lightening passed over me and the scary black could moved from my right side to my left side. It was still raining, but at least now it was safe to summit the Big Rocks and head down the other side of the mountian. Luckily, I only had 2 remaining miles or so to Spivey Gap, because I was totally drenched and cold. A long hike would have been difficult and I can see how the potential for hypothermia, even in the spring and summer, is a very real possibility. At the road, I stripped out of my saoking wet clothes and put on some warm dry things. Momma and I drove the half mile to Spivey Gap Campground where I got a hot drink, we made dinner, had a drawing lesson, and read before bed.