Date: 2017-04-13
From: Rocky Nob

To: Unicoi Gap
Miles today: 3.4
Weather: few clouds

I was right next to a nice camping spot yesterday late afternoon when it started sprinkling. I planned to go another mile, but I didn't know how heavy the rain might become, so I stopped there and put up my tent as fast as I could. Journey was ahead of me and had gone on to the next shelter.I knew I was camping in bear country. And the particular spot I was in last night had bear activity last year. I hadn't seen any scat on the trail, or signs of bears around the camp, but I was very aware of the possibility. I knew I had to hang my food bag high and well. So after the rain stopped, I took my food bag and my rope and approached the group who were also camping on Rocky Nob. I asked, "Anybody find a good branch yet to hang a food bag?" One young man jumped up, grabbed his rope, and said, "Let's go look!"Perfect. This was starting out well. We walked around a little and I pointed out a good branch. He thought it would not be strong enough to hold all the weight, but I convinced him it was fine. So I tied my rope to a nice sized rock. He tied his rope to a stick. And he started throwing his rope. He tried about 5 times and could not get his rope placed. I said, "Here, try mine! My rock is heavier and may clear the branch easier." He threw my rope and it went perfectly. Great! Now I had my rope hung! I attached my bag and I pulled it up. I'm really pretty skilled at getting strong guys to hang my bag!So I got in my tent early and tossed and turned a little until I fell asleep. And then I heard it. Coming through the sticks behind my tent. I hollered, "Go away, bear!" Then I could see the outline of the bear right beside my tent. I kept yelling, "Go away! Go away, bear!" And I wanted to kick the side of the tent a little but my legs were deep in my sleeping bag. I thought surely the neighboring tenters would hear me. But the bear wasn't being aggressive and wasn't growling or making any noise. Just mosying on through. And I let it go. So then later I woke up. Was all that true? Or just a dream? I've been thinking and thinking about it and I honestly don't know. It seemed very real, I can still remember that bear outline clearly, but was I dreaming it all? I surely wouldnt have just quietly gone back to sleep, would I? I will have to ask the other hikers in the morning if they could hear me yelling. (It's midnight now.)I dreamed the other night that my son Casey decided to build on to the back of their home, which they built new a few years ago. When I went to see it the entire house was being redone. The beautiful kitchen was demolished, 4 new bedrooms were going in on the 3rd story. I was shocked! Now that was a dream. Maybe the bear was too. I think maybe it was. Maybe. Today we hiked a long, difficult downhill, scrambling through more boulder fields. It's hard on the legs and the knees, and could be very easy to fall. Thankfully I have not yet fallen on this trip. We got to Unicoi Gap, paid a guy sitting there in his car to give us a ride to town, where we got 2 rooms in a cheap hotel and got cleaned up, reorganized, and got our laundry done. It feels good. We are in the little town of Helen, GA, which is built as a mock Bavarian town. Very touristy place. We needed two rooms because my husband Dave is on his way right now bringing my 13 year old grandson to hike with me a couple of days. We are still in challenging country and I hope it goes well. He's sure to see Grandma trudging up some very steep mountains. And it isn't pretty!Quote:"I have taken back the position I had at the start of this trip - that you could use the trail as your training ground - HA!!"