Date: 2006-03-03
From: Deep Gap

To: Dicks Creek Gap
Miles today: 15.6
Weather: clear sky

Friday, March 3, 2006Stars have shone brightly all night.Start 7:10. Temp 35. A faint hint of the topaz day last November when Amoeba hiked Deep Gap to Dicks Creek with Purple Rose, but the light is different, there are no golden leaves and no golden clouds. Still, there¢s something magical about the early morning light as you hike south from Deep Gap, perhaps due to the placement of Standing Indian Mountain and the path of the sun.A couple patches of snow. On the lee side of the mountain, out of the wind, the air feels much warmer.Chip chip sound of juncos, who are spreading their tails like fantails. Yesterday the turkey doing that, today the juncos.A heart drawn on the trail, which Amoeba makes into a ¢ZigZag¢ heart.They meet Moleman, a NOBO thruhiker. He gives them his card. Hello to Mrs Gorp. They were hoping to meet her! She¢s warmly dressed, enjoying her walk. At these low temps the gel in her camera congeals and her camera won't take pictures. Amoeba's and ZigZag's cameras still work. They take a couple of pictures. Any good ones we'll send to you, Mrs Gorp.At Muskrat Creek Shelter, there¢s a junco right on the table sampling crumbs and eyeing ZigZag¢s gloves.Hello to Jaywalker. He¢s hiked Katahdin to Fontana. This year he hopes to hike the entire AT.Kenny from Raleigh.Taco from Memphis.Bone Pac, a physician assistant, who has a site on TJ. Amoeba will sign his guestbook.Then, Rambler! Thanks for taking ZigZag¢s car to Dick¢s Creek. Hiking with Bigfoot, size 15W.A male dayhiker.Hello again to John from Knoxville. He liked the Blueberry Patch and its delicious breakfast: pancakes with real blueberries and blueberry syrup. He says there¢s a new place opening up nearby. The new place has a trout fishing pond.Karuna Miel. She end-to-end hiked the AT from 7-4-86 to 7-7-04. This year she¢s thruhiking from 2-21-06 to 9-26-06. She had a wonderful experience staying at Mother Nature¢s with Mrs Gorp.Dreamer, who has section hiked from the TN/VA line to NY, thruhiking this year.Guns of Jesus from the NJ extremes, Blairstown and Jersey City.A family from Mount Desert Island ME: Maneak, Rina, Veronica, Stanley (age 6), Stephen (age 3), Mike and their dog Daisy. Maneak has hiked the AT 3 times, in 88, 91 and between 91 and 94. The kids are doing great. Mike says ZigZag told them to keep Amoeba in conversation so she can get farther ahead.Pirate.Grizzly.ZigZag says, today the AT is like an interstate.The 3 men from Alabama Amoeba and ZigZag had met at Tray Gap. ¢You girls get around!¢ Amoeba tells them she and ZigZag had seen their car at Deep Gap this morning and it was fine.Scorpion, hiking Dick¢s Creek to Standing Indian.Yellow Hat, Speed Bump (a dog) and a third hiker who doesn¢t have a trail name yet.At Dick's Creek ZigZag finishes Georgia. A big grin on her face!Also at Dick's Creek Stewie, Papa Smurf and Gene Kim are getting ready to hike north.Amoeba and ZigZag bring ZigZag¢s car to Deep Gap. They leave a few 6-packs of coke and gingerale next to a covered trash can. 2 cans of coke they label for Stumpknocker.They plan to sleep in the Vue at Mooney Gap. In the morning they'll hike 13 miles north to south from Mooney Gap to Deep Gap. That will finish both NC and ZigZag¢s AT section between Springer and Johns Creek Valley in VA.What¢s this? At Rock Gap the road to Mooney Gap is gated. No access.They drive into Franklin, to the Budget Inn where Ron Haven has been so helpful to Amoeba in the past.Ron says the dirt road from Rock Gap to Mooney is closed until April 1.Amoeba and Zig Zag try to access the AT at Mooney from the other direction (Coweeta Lab Rd off 441S in Otto, about 9 miles from Franklin).Road there is closed too.ZigZag's exhausted. She hasn¢t slept well the past 2 nights. They decide to return to the Sapphire Inn (the Budget is full), spend the night there. In the morning see if there's another way to finish ZigZag's 13 miles.Saturday, March 4, 2006Finally ZigZag gets a good night¢s sleep.In the morning they call the sheriff¢s dispatch office. The dispatcher calls the rangers. No way in to Mooney until April 1. It¢s a dirt road and it needs maintenance. It¢s impassable from either direction.ZigZag thinks the distance is too great to try to hike in one day from Rock Gap to Deep Gap. If it were warmer, she would 2-day backpack this section. But right now it's too cold. The gear she has with her isn't warm enough for a night in a shelter.She decides she¢ll hike this last piece with her son and grandson after the road opens in April. Mooney Gap is only between 2 and 3 hours from her home in TN.That's it then for this time. Goodbye, ZigZag. Thanks for a wonderful 2 days.Zig Zag leaves for home and Amoeba returns to the Budget Inn. Hello to Brother Man, Crutch, Julie Ann and her dog Thorough.Then a great big hello to Ron Haven.But first Ron has to pick up a hiker at the Winding Stair trailhead.Who is that hiker? Mrs Gorp. Back to the Budget Inn. Another great big hello to Ron's wife Marcella, and his sons Ryan and Cody, who Amoeba met last fall. Carrying on a family tradition, Ron is teaching Ryan and Cody to play the fiddle. Marcella has brought Ron his tux, which he¢ll wear while driving his limo this afternoon. Is that man versatile!Ron, you're the best. Thanks for everything!Amoeba drives to Smokemont Campground near Cherokee where tonight she¢ll meet Sweet Sixteen and her son Brian. Tomorrow Amoeba and Sweet Sixteen will hike a day in the Smokies.Sunday, March 5, 2006Beautiful weather and beautiful hike on several different trails near Smokemont, about 12 miles. Supper at the Cherokee Casino buffet.Amoeba and Sweet Sixteen pony up $2.50 apiece to play the slots. After about 8 spins, they're up $1.80. 90 cents each. Not much, but in percentages it's 36%!Time to quit.