Date: 2007-04-05
From: Sassafras Gap

To: Dicks Creek Gap
Miles today: 6.1
Weather: overcast clouds

Journal entry by TRAINMAN.This morning it is REALLY cold, with Chuck's watch registering a lower-than-expected 28 degrees. We've barely survived the night; the non-relenting wind making the effective temperature feel like zero. We have both slept with more clothes on than normal, April with 2 pairs of pants and 3 shirts, I with long underwear and a t-shirt. While still lying in our bags we agree that we're going to get down off this hillside as fast as possible. We'll get some breakfast when we get to the next shelter.The night before we hoisted our food supply, as always, up onto a tree limb to keep it away from the bears. Now it is my job to untie the knotted rope, retrive the food bag, and stuff everything into our backpacks. Somehow the convenient-to-release slipknot has transformed itself into an impossibly unmanageable triple knot. And of course my unbendable gloved frozen fingers don't make the task any easier. After 4 minutes of making no progress at all, I pull out my knife. Success!April asks what took so long and I explain that I couldn't undo the knots so I used my knife. "You cut MY rope?" she shouts. "No, of course not" I respond, "I just used the pull-out Phillips screwdriver as a probe to loosen up the knots." Relieved, April reminds me, nevertheless, to NEVER, EVER cut HER rope.We finish the fastest pack-up job I can ever remember. Total time spent is less than 15 minutes. My fingers are so cold I cannot feel them. As we prepare to depart I see Montreal head up the trail. His ungloved hands are wrapped around his cold aluminum walking poles. Man!, these canadian guys are tough!In less than an hour we arrive at Deep Gap Shelter. It's located on the sheltered side of the mountain in full sun. We thaw out quickly in the 50 degree temperature. During breakfast we talk to some of the hikers who stayed there last night. They said it was quite comfortable. Maybe spending the night at Sassafras Gap, testing our survival skills, was not the best choice.Aprilshowers and Trainman have reservations at the Hiawassee Inn for the night. Hearing that the upcoming night is going to be even colder than last night, the remainder of the group decides to leave the trail and join us in town. We contact the Inn's proprietor by cellphone and inform him that when he brings the shuttle up to Dicks Creek Gap, there will be 6 of us, not 2. Before we depart downhill the 11 miles to Hiawassee, we get one last photo of the group. Things will be different tommorrow. Trainman must return to Connecticut, as he routinely explains, "To support my wife's hobby."The Hiawassee Inn is a clean, comfortable, hiker-friendly place; we have no complaints. A 10 minute walk takes us to a shopping center where we restock our depleted supplies. Later in the afternoon the Inn lets us borrow their van to find some supper. We dine at an All You Can Eat place (our first occasion on the trail), and while the selection is somewhat limited, we do all manage to leave stuffed. Back in our room, April and I prepare my packpack for the trip home tomorrow. The TV reports record low temperatures for tonight. We're glad to be indoors.