Date: 2003-04-01
From: Erwin, TN

To: Cherry Gap Shelter
Miles today: 16.4
Weather: scattered clouds

Day 33: Erwin, Shmerwin, I'm Outta HereElevation Gain: 5430'Hiking Time: 8:30-6:30Left Miss Janet's early this morning. I woke up everyone in my bunkroom at 6:30 with my sleeping bag rustling and such, but half of them were getting up to hike anyway, and the others had been loud when I was trying to go to sleep the night before, and that's just the way it works at a hiker bunkhouse. After a nice breakfast at the Elms diner, I walked about a mile down to Chestoa Pike to hitch a ride. A nice hiker guy named Lou, who was running a shuttle to pick up some other hikers to slack pack back into Erwin, gave me a ride to the Trail. Lou used to be a high school baseball coach in Tennessee, and his team played against my high school, Rutledge High, so we talked about people we used to know on the short ride to the Trail. Despite squeezing my eyes shut and wishing real hard, there was much slushy snow on the ground and snow up to my knees in many places, so the going was pretty rough today. I passed the Nolichucky Campground about a mile into the trip, and stopped to get a Diet Coke from the machine, because I never pass up a soda. At the first shelter, about 4 miles from Erwin, I saw Phillip's dog Taiyoo, but no Phillip. I've found that trail dogs that have made it this far are generally very calm, devoted to their person, and have a work disposition. When not hiking, some are playful and some just seem to want to be left alone. Taiyoo is one of the latter, so I wasn't afraid of him, but I knew better than to just run up to him. Of course, I assumed that Phillip had fallen into the creek and broken his leg, and Taiyoo would lead me to him, just like on TV. Didn't happen that way. Taiyoo didn't lead me anywhere but in circles, but he also would bark at me if I tried to leave the shelter. I kept yelling for Phillip until, after a few minutes and a Cadbury Cream Egg, I hear Phillip yelling back. He was coming back down the Trail from the North. Turns out that he and Taiyoo were playing chase that morning, just like every morning, but this time Taiyoo definitely won. Poor Phillip finally got Taiyoo back on the leash and off we went. Midday, I passed a beautiful spot, appropriately called Beauty Spot, and came across a plastic bag hanging from a tree. Now, every thru-hiker knows that a plastic bag hanging from a tree can mean only two things: some jerk left his garbage there or trail magic. So with baited breath I approached the plastic bag. Someone had written Red Streak and Squirt all over the bag. This was a good sign. I had been hiking with Red Streak and Squirt a few days ago; I knew they lived in a nearby town; and they are nice enough to leave presents for their hiking buddies. I opened up the bag and saw Gatorade, other assorted goodies, and a note. I read the note, and it said "Do not take anything from this bag if you are not Red Streak or Squirt". Doh! It was for them, not from them. Specific Trail Magic is the meanest trail magic of all, but I'm sure they meant well. (If my buddy Donkey had not come up the hill while I was reading the note, I might have taken the Gatorade anyway.) I fell down many many times today. My mood was not optimal. About mid-afternoon, I was contemplating taking a road around Unaka Mountain, instead of climbing over it, when Phillip and Taiyoo came up. I told Phillip that I was going to blue-blaze around this mountain because of the snow, and he called me a big baby in the nicest way possible and shamed me into going up the mountain. I was glad an hour later, because at the top of Unaka Mountain was a gorgeous stand of red spruce, and nothing but red spruce, which I hear is rare south of New England. It was very quiet and cool and dark, and the ground was cushioned with spruce needles and snow. It reminded me of the pictures of the forest in the Hansel and Gretel book I had as a child. I saw many turkey tracks. If I was a wolf, I would live on top of Unaka Mountain.