Date: 2004-04-04
From: Carter Gap Shelter

To: Winding Stair Gap
Miles today: 15.9
Weather: overcast clouds

Franklin Motel, Franklin, NCUp at sunrise to make Denver omelets and cheese burritos for my two shelter mates. Unfortunately, for Wayne, a young ¢speedster¢ who arrived just at sunset last night, he was still asleep and missed out on this culinary treat. I¢ve noticed that when you get up and go to bed by the sun, daylight savings time doesn¢t mean a thing.I had organized everything the night before to reduce the length of time that it takes me to get on to the trail (which is usually two hours!). Even so, it was still an hour and a half, from wake-up to walking, and that¢s much too long. Part of the reason (said he looking for excuses for being a ¢butt dragger¢ as my Mother has been known to call me) is the temperature. It was freezing this morning. Literally. Temperatures were in the low 20¢s, with winds of 20-30 mph and gusts to 50 mph. My fingers hurt just trying to unsnap buckles. The olive oil and the honey were frozen in my pack.But once I got on the trial and started moving things improved significantly. Before long I was down to shorts, a long sleeved shirt and a polypro tee. BOB is really a good guy.This day¢s journey was one of the best. The first couple of miles I hiked were uphill and got my blood pumping. Then I hiked along a narrow ridge line thorough rhododendron and laurel tunnels. Around 11:00 am, I started up Mt. Albert the last half mile of which was so steep it was more ¢scrambling¢ than hiking. But the views from the top at 5200¢ were well worth with miles and miles and miles and miles of rolling wooded hills, small towns, farms, and well off in the distance, the snow covered Smokies. Sitting on the rocks in the sunshine at the foot of an old fire tower (like those mentioned in Earl Shaffer¢s book ¢Following Spring¢ which recounts the first successful Thru Hike of the AT completed soon after WW II), I had a delightful leisurely picnic with ¢Patches¢ and ¢Saint.¢The trip down Mt. Albert was about as easy as hiking could get: warm, pleasant, quiet and gently downhill. It was a delightful cruise, except for one sneaky section where the trail took a hard right followed by a hard left into an unprecedented 30-40 yard face that dropped section straight down a shallow stream surrounded by a thicket of rhododendrons through which you splashed while wondering ¢Can this possibly be right?¢ The trial just pulled me along like the tug of your heart toward something or someone you really love but may not as yet have realized yet. Heartbeat. Footfall. Splash of water. Keep moving. All is well.Before I knew it I was at Rock Gap Shelter, only a mile or so from the planned end of this section of my hiking. As I sat there debating whether I should stay in the woods overnight (and freeze my a** one more time!) or head for town, ¢Saint¢ called down from the trial above, ¢Bumpo, are you coming with us? Last chance.¢ And my decision was made.A few minutes later she and I stowed our packs in their car and headed off for Winding Stair Gap, where ¢Patches¢ would meet us, giving me the extra miles I wanted, as well as a sure ride to Franklin upon completion.The extra four miles we tacked on were a delight in the late afternoon sun, walking freely without packs. This was my first time I experienced ¢slack packing,¢ and found it to be very much to my liking. They dropped me at the Franklin Motel, and after a 30 minute steaming shower and a home-made meatloaf dinner at the B&D Restaurant across the street, I¢m ready to let go of this day and sleep.