Date: 2013-03-06
From: Unicoi Gap

To: Tray Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 5.7
Weather: snow

Sent my first bounce box with food in it to Franklin, North Carolina! Woot woot! Sounds sweet to be combatting Georgia and crossing borders into North Carolina! Another 20 miles and I shall be writing Georgia a little note lol. Another three to four days and the days ahead are forecasted to be in the low 50s with cold, cold nights opposed to nights in the 30s.Anyway, Heartburns stayed back at Blueberry Patch Hostel which is operated by a Christian Ministry. It is based on donations so it is super affordable! I plan on staying there in a night or so.Hiking these mountains seem to be getting easier and easier as the days go. I am earning my mountain legs and most of the pain in my body is blowing over well! It was super cold and snowing today; some areas even had over four inches of snow to hike through! The trees were creeking as the little dark-blue finches were doing their thing. Experienced some amazing views and ran into Otto popping out of his tent! He took a zero today due to the weather conditions. Even the gentleman at the outfitters store said how ugly is was to hike in today and to be sure to stay toasty tonight! He seemed a little worried about us all gnoming through the mountains today. But, Otto offered a sip of ..... to warm up the core and then I moved forward. It is definitely neat to be able to look out and say to yourself, 'looks like that is the next mountain to overcome'! However, it is sometimes intimidating when that next mountain is covered by clouds! Shortly thereafter, I gnomed high into those clouds that layed a nice picturesque from afar and am now camping and writing in those same mountains!Now, see, I got here at 430 and set up my tent in the bone-chilling wind and snow, and then have been in my tent ever since except to pee and collect snow. Collect snow for what you ask?! My water is frozen and I needed some water to boil and put in a bottle to help keep me warm; though the snow would work perfectly! Turns out, I was correcto! :PSo now I have been in this tent for over four hours trying my darned hardest at maintaining a good core temperature. Oh well, but it makes me wonder what all I can do during huge storms or poor weather conditions where I actually am stuck in my tent for a whole day without going mentally psycho.... Some random things I have done to pass the time thus far:-Did 'ghetto' sit-ups to warm me up.-Shook uncontrollably for fun, but again, to warm me up.-Sang songs and added some spicy, new lyrics.-Blew smoke through the beams of my headlight.-Found new ways to get comfortable in my tent with my pack.Instead of reading, doodling, etc., I also though of some fairly random, but time-passing activities and things to do also:-Juggle batteries.-Listen to the wind and hear the waves it creates and direction(s) it is coming from and ending at.-Use a mathematical equation to determine the grade of mountains according to the information my book provides me.-Draw a variety of hiking people on my trail guide elevation key.-Count and sort specks of dirt in my tent.-Dance in AND with the elements! The list goes on for both lists but I figured I would only record some of them! It is uber cold tonight (26 WITHOUT WINDCHILL)at an elevation of 4199 feet, but thank God that most of the wind is being blocked by my tent. And the snow and sleet/hail are gently crashing down on my tent. Though it was cold today, it's even colder at night and in this elevation there is no other way to describe it other than brrrrrrrrr. Welp, time to read until sleepy time!Kelsey Oh-you-tee! Nite!