Date: 2008-01-07
From: N of Kelly Knob, GA

To: Hiawassee Inn, Hiawassee, GA
Miles today: 4.2
Weather: scattered clouds

I set my tent in a great spot last night. I was so far off the AT that no one would ever find me.I realized soon after it got dark out that I set up in a bad spot. The wind picked up and there was a tree rubbing on another tree and it made a loud clicking noise that kept me awake.I did get to sleep when I turned on my MP3 and listened to two John Fogerty CDs. I woke up just as the last song was finishing up. I could still hear the tree, so I fell asleep again listening to Grateful Dead this time. :-)I woke up next time and it was after 2am already, so I did sleep well to that music.The wind was dying down some too, so I was able to sleep without the MP3 and I ended up sleeping fairly well.The only problem I had was that it was too warm out for the gear I have. I would wake up warm and kick the quilt off me, then I'd wake up chilled a while later and pull the quilt back on.It went pretty much like that till Starbucks time.I had my coffee and 8 mini powdered donuts for breakfast.It was a very damp night. Everything in the woods was soaked with dew....including my tent. It was also very warm at 40 degrees.I prefer sleeping outside when it's about 20 degrees. I sleep good and it's not too chilly to really enjoy my coffee without getting chilled.One thing I did notice last night was all the stars in the sky...thousands of stars.I packed up the wet tent and was walking at 8:45am.I bushwhacked back to the AT and headed north towards Dick's Creek Gap where I have a ride at noon to take me to Hiawassee.My cell phone/camera seems to be working out good. I take 4 or 5 pictures a day and send them in to Mrs Gorp along with the text for the journal. I can only send 1000 units at a time, so I usually end up sending her 4 or 5 emails per journal entry.She has to put them together and post them. That's good practice for her. (Why do I feel I'm going to be sorry I said that?) Ha!! ;-) [perhaps it¢s your keen insight ;-)]I really have to thank her for helping me with this journal because it's more work for her this way, but it's fun to have the same day pictures and posts.It was a very quiet morning in the woods.I walked down to the side trail to Deep Gap Shelter, but stayed walking on the AT.I climbed Powell Mtn next, then back down to Moreland Gap.I did start seeing lots of squirrels again and a few areas where some hogs had been rooting around. I even heard another pileated woodpecker, so I don't know why it seemed so quiet.I got to Dick's Creek Gap at 10:45.I had a little trouble finding the food stash I left there last week on my way back from Chief's cabin.I did find it. It was laying on the ground and covered with leaves, so it hadn't froze.I called the Hiawassee Inn and told them I was at the gap already and Lisa came and picked me up.While I was waiting on her, an old guy came out of the woods with a small caliber rifle with a scope. He was carrying four squirrels. I talked to him a minute, then he got into an old truck and left.Bet he's having fried chicken tonight. ;-)Lisa picked me up and took me to the Inn. That was really nice to get a ride there...and she even offered to take me to Daniel's and drop me off for lunch, but I walked the half mile there.I ate two plates of food (some fried chicken too), then stopped by the PO for a box to bounce some extra stuff ahead about a week.I then stopped by the library and used the computer for an hour.Ron got back from Gainesville and stopped by the room. He's the owner here. I've met him a couple times at Trailheads, but I had never stayed here before.Amoeba had such high praise for him that I had to see for myself.She was right! What a great guy!We talked a while, and then I had some chores to tend to. I remembered I wanted to buy a spare battery at Verizon, so I walked back to see if there was a Verizon in town.There wasn't. Ron wouldn't let me leave without giving me dinner and some very good bread. Thanks Ron, it was great!!I dried out my tent, washed my clothes, got a food box ready to be mailed and decided to send in my journal before I start answering a few emails. [and begin re-reading Jan's book "The Ordinary Adventurer", www.funfreedom.com]Another great day on the Appalachian Trail. :-)