Date: 2017-03-17
From: Long Branch Shelter

To: Winding Stair Gap, NC
Miles today: 7.2

Day 10: Long Branch Shelter, NC to Winding Stair Gap, NC - 7.2 miles:Despite temps dropping back into the low-20s last night, it ended up being one of my first comfortable nights on the trail. By stuffing my plastic packliner into my sleeping bag, the heat trapped in was enough to keep my legs and feet happy. I wore the remainder of my layers and zipper up my sleeping bag so only my nose and mouth were visible. By putting my electronics in with me, I was able to make sure the cold wouldn't drain any additional battery life. I woke at 6am, but remained zipped in my cocoon until just after 7am when Toepick and Odin joined me. Not wanting to wake the rest of the hikers snoring, we sat quietly talking until the Scottish guys upstairs began moving. I started the morning off by scarfing down the remainder of my snacks devoted as "breakfast" material, brushed my teeth, and took a trip to the privy. Odin joined me momentarily, walking in and catching me with my pants around my knees, before strolling away. I capped off the large mountain of crap with my own addition, the consistency that of a Wendy's frosty.With only 7.2 miles to cover before reaching Winding Stair Gap, Toepick, Odin and me got the trail at 8:45am and, aside from brief water breaks, averaged 3mph, reaching the gap by 11:15am. On the way we passed a trail maintenance crew improving the trail using a variety of tools including shovels, crowbars, and pick axes. We also hiked over a stretch of mountain, just north of Wallace Gap, completely destroyed by last year's fires. Exposed rocks, normally covered in vegetation, dotted the slopes. Other than small patches of snow, the slopes were void of life, and instead replaced by a variety of browns, blacks, and grays. However, nature has a way of forgetting and overcoming hardships, and will surely rebound as Spring approaches.Reaching Winding Stair Gap at 11:15am, Toepick placed a quick call and had a shuttle on its way almost immediately. Within half an hour an old rickety van pulled up, a "Budget Inn" decal in one window. The three of us, plus one other hiker who planned to hike on but only made it ~5 miles before her body told her no and was returning to the motel, climbed in and were soon zipping down the mountains towards town 10 miles away. The driver assured me the hissing of the wind in the passenger door next to me "makes it sound open, but won't move." Twenty minutes later we pulled into the unimpressive parking lot surrounded by the L-shape motel itself. We were given a pathetic room with even sadder beds and a poor excuse for a bathroom. After the past couple days of freezing temps, it would make for a great home for the night.After a quick round of showers, finally able to thaw out our cores, we got busy doing our town chores. With laundry going, we made our way up the sharp hill leading into the downtown and to Outdoor 76, a large outfitter/brewery combo. I was surprised to see the brewery part had expanded over the past two years, now with a full bar, large TV, a shuffleboard, darts, and an area to host live music - a big improvement from the closet-like confines I was expecting to see. I made sure to text General Burnsides and update him of the new setup. Toepick purchased some Crocks, shorts, and a t-shirt before making her way across the street for some frozen yogurt and returning to the motel to collect our laundry. I remained behind and enjoyed two local IPA's. With constantly being dehydrated, I was probably a beer away from stumbling out. After mindlessly passing through a bookstore on the way back to the motel, I met back up with Toepick and we decided on a Mexican restaurant I had visited during my last time in town.Two baskets of chips and salsa and a large fajita dish later, I had reached my limit. Toepick enjoyed a plate of a variety of burritos, smothered in cheese and other forms of deliciousness. With food babies on board, we momentarily regretted what we had done, knowing we still had to resupply our food and cover the half-mile walk back to the motel. After a quick trip through Dollar General, we both agreed we had gotten too much, but would appreciate it 48 hours from now. We returned to find a much livelier and happy Odin, caught mid-stretch on one of the beds as we walked in, after having napped for the past several hours. The big guy hikes hard, and sleeps even harder.It's now just after 8pm, our food packs are re-stuffed with crappy goodness, I have a liter of Coke chilling in the fridge, and two soft, pillows beneath my head. Odin is back to sleeping and Toepick has been watching a variety of house hunting shows, occasionally chiming in at the lameness of the people on it. The heat is set on high so no numb toes to worry about tonight. Tomorrow we'll be up at 7am and picked up by a local church that provides a free pancake breakfast for hikers, and eventually return to the trail sometime after. The weather will be returning to the 50's and 60's soon, with lows in the 30's and 40's, a far cry from the past handful of days. Looking forwards to being able to hike in as few articles of clothing as possible again.