Date: 2006-03-17
From: Dicks Creek Gap (Blueberry Patch Hiker Hostel)

To: Muskrat Creek Shelter
Miles today: 11.6
Weather: broken clouds

3-17-06Dicks Creek Gap (Blueberry Patch Hiker Hostel) to Muskrat Creek Shelter11.6 milesThe sun is shining and I am ALIVE!I woke up to a beautiful sunny day with the promise of nice weather for the next few days. The morning activities were basic: I sorted out my food, packed up my pack, and arranged myself, but soon the well-anticipated breakfast bell rang. Hearing the glorious stories of a Blueberry Patch breakfast, I was ready to chow down on some of this famous feast.Breakfast is held in a separate room from the sleeping quarters, so we walked over to the spacious room, which was filled with the sun, as one whole half of the room was embraced by windows. A large table was set in the center of the room covered in plates and baskets and bowls. We sat down, one by one, with Lennie and Gary standing over us. Gary asked us to hold hands, which I was happy to do, for I was truly thankful for being here this morning. He said a prayer of thanks; our response a resounding, solid "amen".Now for the description of the feast. For starters, each plate was laid out with a fork and a napkin beside it, with a cup full of juice and an overturned coffee cup. On each plate was placed a sugar cookie topped with green sprinkles, perhaps to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. Following our arrival and prayer, Gary and Lennie began placing hot, delicious food on the table. There was a big bowl of fluffy, scrambled eggs, a basket of fresh steaming cheese biscuits, a plate filled with juicy pork sausages, and another plate piled high with buttermilk pancakes, accompanied by the house specialty, homemade blueberry syrup. The story behind the syrup is that every year when the blueberries are ripe, Lennie and Gary pick enough from their patch (the patch is a pick-your-own pay-by-the-weight deal) to make blueberry syrup to serve to all the thru-hikers they host that year.As we piled our plates high with food (I had to resist myself with the eggs so that everyone could have enough - I probably could have eaten the whole bowl), Gary came around and filled our coffee cups. If we finished our juice, then Lennie came around and filled our glasses with water. Our hosts were there to help us in any way. And when I had just finished breakfast and was sitting back, enjoying the fullness, Lennie came around and told me she was going to work and wanted to give me a hug! I don't know what it was about that moment, but it was one of the happiest I've had on the trail.After breakfast Gary assisted Uncle John and I ship our packages out and he promised to send my postcard out to Shanae. Everyone finished getting their stuff together and Gray pulled up in an old, rusty pickup truck with an open trailer hitched to the back of the it. Packs were stuffed in the trailer, people stuffed in the truck; I happily choose the back. As we drove back to the trailhead, the wind whipped my hair around like streamers in a parade. And to our surprise, when we arrived at the trailhead Jen, Cindy, and Scott were there waiting to be picked up to go to the hostel. We chatted with them and I wished them all the best, and said my goodbyes to Gary. On the trail again...The day of hiking could be summarized in one word: UP. We climbed up and up and up, heading for the North Carolina border. It was a hot day with some breezes to cool the weary hiker. Mountains dominated the horizon on either side of us as we continued our upwards struggle. I popped none of my happy pills (Ibuprofen) today, for the first time since we started, but I felt great from those half-days of rest yesterday and the amazing breakfast we started this day with. So on and on we climbed.The amusing incident of today was caused by some misinformation given to us by Tinker; the information being that the GA/NC border was unmarked, but was denoted by a gnarled tree in a clearing. Due to this understanding, as we neared the border, I'm there taking pictures like a jackass of every single gnarled oak tree (and I didn't even know if they were oak or not, just gnarled) we came across, when all the sudden we come upon a tree with a piece of metal pipe stuck in it and a sign announcing "GA/NC". I guess I got some good pictures out of the deal, and I did eventually find the tree that crazy guy Tinker was talking about, but I just felt like a dumbass.After reaching the North Carolina border, we had one of the steepest climbs yet on the AT. It was like "Welcome to North Carolina, now climb this steep mother." Uncle John was NOT a happy camper. And then right after that climb, its twin was waiting a couple hundred yards farther down the trail. Not the greatest welcome I've ever gotten.But we made it to Muskrat Creek Shelter around 5 PM even with our late 9:50AM start. Camp was set up and out food was cooked; we still are using Uncle John's white gas stove as my little Brasslite alcohol stove has not arrived yet. Dinner was your basic beans and rice, simple yet satisfying, with a surprise dessert from Uncle John: freeze-dried Neapolitan Ice Cream! I love that stuff! Bellies full, mouths happy, legs tired, we poured over the maps some, but Uncle John quickly succumbed to snoring and my eyes grew tired as I wrote in my journal. No bear bags at this shelter so I just tied mine to a tree and hoped for the best. Hoping for a 16-mile day tomorrow!Cheers,Moss