Date: 2006-03-05
From: Unicoi Gap, Ga

To: Half mile north of Muskrat Shltr, NC
Miles today: 28.2

Day 5 I woke up at 4am because I knew I had a lot of stuff to do this morning. I'm closing up my home for the time I'll be gone on this walk. I got on the computer first and uploaded a brand new smiley face that Wild Hare sent me. I sure hope this one doesn't do bad things like my last one. :-))) Thanks for sending that to me, Wild Hare...it looks great!! It was another cool morning at 24 degrees at my house. I got everything shut down at the house, drained the water out of the pipes and left at 6:40am for the trail. I shouldn't be seeing my truck or home for about 7 months if everything goes according to plan. I drove up to Unicoi Gap and parked the truck. Herald is supposed to pick it up and drop it off at my house later. It was 7am and 26 degrees when I started climbing Rocky Mountain. It's a great feeling to be beyond my home and truck now. All I have to do is walk each day. :-))) I climbed over Rocky Mountain, then down to Indian Grave Gap. It was a beautiful morning. Even though it was cool, it was perfect weather for a walk. I get out walking like this and I really do feel like I'm the luckiest person on earth. I climbed up Tray Mountain and got to the summit at 4430 feet high. I walked by Tray Mountain Shelter without stopping. I was eating a bratwurst sandwich while I walked by. I ran into Hit and Miss who were getting water a few miles south of Addis Gap. I saw a couple backpacks laying on the ground at Sassafrss Gap. I think they belonged to Happy Feet and Swiss Miss who were down the hill getting water. I met Steve and Dustin just as I was starting to climb out of Addis Gap, heading up Kelly Knob...a long up. I walked by the trail to Deep Gap Shelter without stopping. I ran into Bluebird and Abandon at a vista on Powell Mountain. I was drinking a coke and eating my last bratwurst sandwich when I ran into them. They were probably wondering about me, but then I'm sure lots of people do. :-))) Hey, I'm out here to enjoy myself!! I got to Dick's Creek Gap and took a short break. For some reason, Georgia has taken the garbage cans away from the last 4 places where there always was garbage cans. :-((( On the climb out of Dick's Creek Gap, I met Skidsteer who had his family out for the weekend. I walked by the side trail to Plumorchard Gap Shelter without stopping. I crossed into North Carolina today!! + Now I only have about 13 states and 3 provinces to walk through. :-))) I stopped by Bly Gap and cooked my dinner. There was a young college couple there and I could tell they were hoping I was going to walk on. When I was done eating, it started raining lightly, so I put on my pack cover and rain jacket and walked on up that steep hill out of Bly Gap. The rain was cold, but I got lucky and it didn't last long. I was walking along some ridges and could see the sun getting low in the sky. It was underneath the rain clouds and looked really nice. I kept watching it for almost 30 minutes as I was walking. I stopped at Muskrat Creek Shelter to sign the register. Cara, Cruise, Salsa and Underground were all nobo's staying there tonight. Salsa is good friends with a couple hikers I know by the names of Cotton Joe and Brodie...both who thru hiked last year. I walked on another 1/2 mile and set up my tent in some nice soft leaves. I could hear a coyote yippin' pretty close by to where I'm at. The whole bunch of coyotes started yippin' at 10pm and woke me up. I laid there enjoying the sound until they stopped, then back to sleep for me. It was another great day for a walk!!