Date: 2016-05-06
From: Stealth Camp site

To: Stealth Camp Site Sugarloaf Gap
Miles today: 20.9

Today marks the one month mark that I've been on the trail. It seems like I've been out here for months though. Not in a bad way but in a good way. Thinking about Trooper and I at Gooch Mountain shelter seems like months ago. Anyways I don't think I mentioned yesterday I hiked 10 miles through the burned out section from the fire. It was still smoking in some parts but with the rain it smelled like wet campfire. It was almost nauseating at times. I woke up today around 6:30. Packed up the wet tent and my now wet sleeping pad. Got on trail at 7:30 and pushed off. The weather wasn't too bad but as I made my way up camp creek bald mountain I walked into the clouds and it was foggy and wet. The wind picked up and made for a very wet day. I stopped at little laurel shelter for a snack and sign the log book. I went over the summit and did not bother to take the blue blaze trail to the fire tower because with all the fog I wasn't expecting to see much. I started my way down and came across a sign that read Greenville Tennesee Hiking Club 6th annual Trail Magic Friday May 6th from noon to 10am May 8th. I was like no way we are in the middle of nowhere. But I followed the sign on the side trail to Jones Meadow where 20 people had set up 4 tents and tarps and had all kinds of food. Hamburger, hot dogs, baked goods, chips, soda, homemade bread. The list goes on and on. The best part was today is my sisters birthday and I have been looking for a card for two weeks. No place had cards and I couldn't even find on in Hot Springs. The people at the trail magic had cards with pictures of the AT and already a stamp on the envelope. All I had to do was fill it out. I still can't get over the trail magic. It was wonderful and made for a much better afternoon than morning. Next I climbed Firescalp Ridge which had a bad weather bypass. I wouldn't want to be caught up there in a thunderstorm but it was ok. Foggy but at points you could see into the valley. It started to sleet by the time I got to the end. I came down off the ridge and treked down to the next shelter Jerry's Cabin. It was a stone structure with a fireplace. It was different than most. After using the privy and signing the log I was back on my way. My next big climb was big butt mountain. I laughed at the name and thought of how did the mountain get its name. It started to sleet again but this time much harder then earlier. Big chunks of ice, it almost seemed like hail but we didn't have the right convection for hail nor a thunderstorm. I climbed down off of big butt and descended for 4 miles and than had a steep climb up Flint Mountain where I stopped at Flint Mt Shelter to snack and than make my way down to Devils fork gap. There were 2 hostels there and I called the first, they were sold out. I called the second one when I got to the gap as they said in the guidebook they are open till 7 and will pick you up at the trail and return you. I called some man answered and said yeah that place closed in December and I'm the lucky person that got their old number. Now I was like crap I guess I'll hike on till the next place I can tent. Well that ended up being 4 miles and 2000 feet in elevation gain later. I got to camp at 8 tried to get a fire going, used my rope to make a clothes line to dry out my wet tent or try to. Finally crashing at 10:16 as this is a super late night for me. But I just figured out that this was my biggest day yet at 20.9 miles. I'm wiped