Date: 2005-04-11
From: Stecoah Gap, NC

To: Unnamed Rocky Summit, NC
Miles today: 10.7

Got to spend the day hiking with my Mom-in-law, June. She set a solid pace and I would not have gone any faster. She kicked out a good 8 miles in about five and a half hours and that was with taking snack and lunch breaks. There was a killer climb at the beginning and a good bit of mud and rocks. A couple of trees were down over the trail so we had to limbo under those. We got to our meeting place at Yellow Creek Gap and waited two hours for her ride. It was good weather and warm so it was nice to just sit in the grass and visit. We came up with a few trail names for her but I'm not sure we are there yet. Next hike we will have one for sure! After my Girl in the truck left to take them back to the Atlanta airport I pushed on up the trail. Cable Gap Shelter was crowded so I got water and was going to go farther.¢ The story of the Crazy ¢Dead¢ Hunter ¢As I was leaving one of the guys said to watch out for a hunter up the trail. A south bounder (really, a south bounder already, way down here. He has been going all winter. Like that is not strange enough.) Said he saw the strange hunter about 3 minutes up the trail. OK, about 3 minutes up the trail I see legs and boots on the trail. The guy was face down dead on the trail laying on his shotgun. Right in the middle of the trail with his gun pointing right up the north bound trail. I slowly approached him asking him if he was OK. He moved a little. I walked up to him and he looked like he just had woke up. He said he was OK and just tired. Been hunting since 5am. Was going to hike over that ridge when it got dark. Oh, he had a turkey decoy in his pack with its head sticking out. I asked him if the shotgun was locked and loaded. He said it wouldn't go off. The guy never got up. Just laid there. Dave was standing behind me now. That made us both feel SO much better. We both stepped around him and booked up the trail. After about 5 min. we stopped and both agreed that was the strangest thing we had seen so far on the trail.Hiked and talked to Dave for the next hour. He is a EE too (Electircal Engineer) but with a Masters and is doing cool Rocket Scientist stuff at work. He has also done a lot of hiking and has got the ultra light backpacking thing down. I think his pack was like 12 pounds without food. Not sure if I am ready for the Tarp Tent yet. It is super light but uses a rain poncho for the floor. I saw more creepy crawlies last night than ever. A huge centipede was curled up at Dave's feet. Must have been a half inch thick and 8 inches long. When he tossed it into the woods it went thud. And there were a bunch of black beetles out. And then we talked about spiders for a while. Yup, gonna carry this 5lb tent a little while longer!It was a great site we found. High overlooking Fontana Dam. When the lights on the Dam came on you could really see it all night.Had a few issues hanging my food bag. Couldn't find a rock to go in the bag so I could toss the line over a branch. Don't think Dave was too impressed with my technique. Finally took some rocks from the fire pit and had success.A very good, interesting and dry day on the trail!