Date: 2016-03-02
From: Deep Gap Shelter

To: Top of Georgia Hostel
Miles today: 3.6
Weather: light rain

Day 12 - Deep Gap Shelter to Top of Georgia Hostel/Dicks Creek Gap 3/4/16Woke up nice and warm this morning thanks to the close quarters of the loft at Deep Gap Shelter. GP had also sacrificed his tarp to use as a wind barrier over the door. I find that I wake up around 6:30am no matter what on the trail. I think this is bc my mind is filled with our daily plans. There were about 8 ppl in the shelter and all of them (except Ria, Paul and I) were out of there by 7:30am. How do they do it?We got moving around 7am. Ria and I walked a tenth of a mile to the stream and filtered out water for the day. This involves filling a 32oz plastic bag with a screw top. Once the bag is filled, I attach a small handheld filter the size of a small banana to the screw top of the 32oz plastic bag. On the free end of the filter there is a pop top that resembles a water bottle...this is where the filtered water comes out. The device is called a Sawyer Squeeze and you essentially let gravity do the filtering as you hold it upside down by the bag. So handy and very lightweight. I also have aquamira drops in case my filter breaks or freezes. Once the filter freezes it's useless and you might as well throw it away. That is why I often sleep with the filter in my sleeping bag and keep it on my body on really cold days. We left the shelter at 9:15am and immediately went uphill...in the snow/slush. The forest Chatahoochee National Forest) was gorgeous. All the limbs were covered in ice. Paul said they looked like strokes from a calligraphers pen. The fog was thick and it felt almost muggy. I could tell the sun was trying to peek through. My knee felt pretty painful on this climb and he pain has moved from the outside of my knee to the inside. We hiked the 4 miles to Dicks Creek Gap, most of which was through downhill skipper soupy mud (made possible by the shining sun melting last nights snow). Near the gap there was a beautiful streak with the cutest tiniest bench. When you sat on it you were forced to admire the prettiest little stream waterfall. We made it to Dick's Creek Gap. There we saw Rusty Bridges, Spaceman, and Turtle. Rusty had a 15L stuff sack he didn't need anymore and he gave it to me which helps my food bag plight...last night I had to hang 3 bags including my sleeping bag stuff sack. We ate lunch at the picnic table there. I sizzled some country ham...freaking delicious. I stuffed the country ham and white cheddar into the pits pocket and made the tastiest camp lunch in all the land. While eating, Paul noticed Ron Brown in his "yellow blazin" car. We went down to the parking lot. When he asked how we are I told him about my knee and he seemed very apprehensive about me going back on the trail at this point. He said there is no way to get off the trail for the next four days if I need a break or something bad happens with my knee. This really worried me so I called my mom to ask her advice (she said go into town to see a doctor), called Echo to see where her knee pain was when she had to get off the trail, and then Bob from Top of Georgia hostel came up and asked if we needed a shuttle or wanted to stay in a hostel tonight. I asked him about my knee and he said he knows a great doctor that he trusts in town. Ria mentioned that she is very interested in having her Achilles looked at as well so we made the decision to stay at the hostel. We jumped into his van and drove half a mile down the road.It's a really nice compound. The lobby area has big couches with tables and a big kitchen. Large picture windows look out over the beautiful view. There is a small gear shop with food and another full bathroom. The bunkhouse is a separate building but it is right next door. There are about 25 bunk beds in separate rooms. There's a full bath, kitchen and common room with lots of games and books. Very clean feeling. We threw our bags down frantically in order to make the 3pm shuttle to town and make the doctors office in town. An older gentleman named Charlie drove us. He thru-hiked with his wife in 2003 and is from NW Georgia. He was vey soft spoken and kind. He dropped us off at the Serendipity Clinic which is walk-in.From there, I didn't see Dr. Smith until 4pm but it was definitely worth the wait. Before being called back I spoke with Doug Howell (my chiropractor back home) and he told me that from the pain I described that it was definitely my IT band muscle and that the spreading pain was tendinitis forming in my knee. He said that I should get Ria to "distract" it then immediately ice for 20 mins then use stem machine if possible. When I saw Dr. Smith she said that was spot on advice so thank you Dr. Howell. Dr. Smith completely ruled out anything meniscus related and focused on my IT band. She said my quad was really swollen and then proceeded to stretch me for 45 minutes which was wonderful. She showed me some IT strengthening exercises and advised 48 hours of rest along with icing, Tylenol, and ibuprofen. Afterward, she saw Ria for an hour as well so I took the time to call Truitt. He is such a good sport about my whole adventure but I miss him and know this is not easy for either of us. I have also been receiving tons of support via text from friends and family which has helped so much. Truitt's father, Kevin, is sending a countdown everyday with the numbers he finds while out and about. One day it was gas pump number 9 in front of gas pump number 3 which read as 93. My parent's good friend John Carlin has been texting me about ultra-lightweight options and said he even sent me a package to Franklin, NC...if we ever get there. After leaving the clinic, Ria and I walked the 15 minutes to Ingles parking lot and waited for the shuttle to pick us up. By this time it was around 6:15pm. Ria was told by Dr. Smith that her Achilles is experiencing micro-tears and it's difficult to stretch the tendon bc that will only cause more agitation to it, gentle stretching is key and rest is even more important. Her Achilles problem is much more serious than IT band problems unfortunately. If she tears or even strains it too much she would be in too much pain to continue. We talked about the difficult decision to take take our second zero. We were both told 48 hours rest by the doctor. It's a tough call bc it's hard to sit still and watch everyone else head out in gorgeous weather. We decided to sleep on it and decide in the morning. Charlie picked up along with 3 other thru-hikers staying at the hostel. I can't remember their names. There were two 18 year old boys from NJ taking a gap year. They had already spent 3 months in New Zealand farming at different organic farms (also called woofing). In the fall one is headed to NYU and the other to Carnegie-Melon. I think if I ever have a kid I want them to do a gap year.The third guy was called Knee-cap but I don't think that's his trail name. His knee had become infected underneath the kneecap. He has been at the hostel for 3 days and got off at Neel Gap. He said when he gets better he plans on skipping the 40 miles and re-starting at Dick's Creek Gap. We got back to the hostel and I iced my knee for 20 mins and then borrowed GP's stem machine and put it on my IT band and right side of knee for 30 mins. My knee was feeling good after all the positive attention it received today. Crawled into bed and now all the lights are off.