Date: 2011-04-20
From: Curley Maple Shelter

To: Cherry Gap Shelter
Miles today: 12.8
Weather: overcast clouds

Just you average day out here today, wake up, eat, walk, eat, talk, eat and sleep.Woke up to Kayak giving us a weather report of thunderstorms between 9-11. Got going to get a jump on the weather and at about nine it started sprinkling, twenty minutes later it stopped. At 11 while crossing Beauty Patch bald it started raining and then stopped twenty minutes later. So much for thunderstorms, at least they had the times right, I haven't witnessed any major storms here in my opinion. Just rainy patches other than the one day early on. After Beauty Patch we had to climb Unaka mountain which is listed as a dense Spruce forest top. Was a short and easy 1100 foot climb over a mile, and the top was awesome. The forest floor was just covered in soft needle covered ground and perfect weather for the rest of the day. After Unaka it was an easy walk to Cherry Gap Shelter where we ended the day at 2. We ate lunch which for this trip I have some velvetta cheese and a great tasting pepperoni stick that I sliced onto a tortilla. After that we just sat around talking a bit. Completely forgot to mention prime time this morning, while trying to pull the bear line down the rope was stuck, so we had to pull the limb down to where we could reach our bags. Another note I left my bear line at the last shelter so I am sharing with Hover and hanging both bags on hers. So back to the story, it went up easy last night but wouldn't move today. So after we get the bags down she unclips hers but it won't come out of the line. She unclips mine and the line finally pulls through but shots hers straight up into the air and releases. Twenty feet back down it slams into the ground and exploded completely blowing the top right off the dry seal bag. Because the line now has no weight the carabiner and rope are stuck up in the tree. So once the others awake we tell them we have to pull down a second tree in three days. Once down the carabiner is broke. So now we both have to do some shopping to redo our bear systems. Tonight I gave her my smaller dry bag for my sleeping bag and she had a second carabiner to use. Just before dinner Shepherd rolled into camp with Daisy after taking a zero. During our talking sessions today Fiber and Veto made up a new super hero Tuna Hand. Don't ask any details but thirty minutes of making up side kicks and friends and powers was an interesting conversation. I think the section hikers that are here might think we are crazy. When we arrived at the 6 man shelter there were two section hikers here so most decided to tent. I opted for the shelter and then two more of their group showed who also took a spot. Another thru hiker I don't know took the last. Its a bunch of older guys and me in here but it was mentioned they wake up early. Its 8:45 and most of them have been in bed for an hour. I might be able to get a real early start and not wake any one. It started raining again a little while ago and will probably sprinkle off and on most of the night. Not sure of the forecast for tomorrow but can probably expect more rain. Should be a real easy day tomorrow with only about 13 miles and no major hills to do.Time to read a while before bed.