Date: 2005-03-16
From: Winding Stair Gap (Franklin, NC)

To: Burningtown Gap (Franklin, NC)
Miles today: 14.6
Weather: light rain

start: Winding Stair Gap (Franklin, NC)finish: Burningtown Gap (Franklin, NC)miles: 14.6day: 9Yes, we're back in the motel again tonight.  It's all Howdy's fault.It rained lightly all day and was very foggy and misty.  The temperature up on the trail was about 37 degrees.  We got a slow start, as we had to go to the post office to mail the contents of the local grocery store ahead to Fontana Dam.  We got breakfast at Hardee's, and Howdy drove us up to the trailhead.It was really miserable getting out of the warm car into the cold rain in just our hiking shorts.  We saw Terrapin, No Legs, and another hiker we hadn't met before, Blackbird, at the trailhead waiting for a shuttle into town.  They're taking a "nearo" today like we did yesterday.  A nearo is a near zero mile day, where you just hike a few miles.  This accomplishes getting the most out of a town, and your motel room without having to spend a second night.We learned that Buckwheat was just ahead of us on the trail.  We said goodbye to Howdy, our trail angel, with plans to see him at Burningtown Gap where we'd all camp together.  He was driving there, while we hiked.So off we went.  I felt very strong today.  Even the tweaked ankle isn't getting worse.  I don't know if it can actually completely heal while I hike on it every day.  Time will tell.  But for now, it's not holding me up very much.  I do have a chest cold that I hope doesn't get worse.  Sleeping on cold wet ground, and hiking in shorts and a thin shirt all day, soaking wet, don't help, but that's what we do.  Climbing produces amazing amounts of heat.  So even in sub freezing weather, the layers come off to hike, and quickly go back on for even a couple minute stop for food or water.I think we're starting to get our "legs".  Even with the chilling, mind dulling fog today, and some serious climbing, we did our miles in a bit over 6 hours.  Not bad.  We got to where Howdy had parked, and then it happened.  Howdy, in the guise of a perfect trail angel, is really the devil.  He ever so casually mentions that there is after all an alternative to camping on the cold wet ground.  He has a car.  We pretended to weigh the options, but all knew the outcome as soon as the offer was made.  We've set a few rules for our thru-hike: carry our packs on all trail miles; hike the complete AT, missing nothing; hike all miles heading north, as that is our direction.  Fortunately accepting this offer didn't break any of those rules.  We rationalized that we weren't wimps, but practically opportunistic.  Whatever.  We're back in town for another night at the inexpensive and clean Sapphire Motel, and off to the restaurant that was closed last night.Tomorrow we're planning to pass through NOC, getting resupply and a meal, and camping further on.  It promises to sleet and snow all day long.  The next day should put us just outside Fontana Dam.By the way, I realized that I neglected to detail all that was in the box that Stumpknocker left for us at Neel's Gap last week.  At least 9 bananas, 8 oranges, 4 one pound apples, 1 cantaloupe, 2 2-liter sodas, 1 huge bag of popcorn, 1 large box of cookies, and quite a few other things.  It literally stopped us dead in our tracks.  The most interesting addition was a box of chicken wings that had very little meat on the bones and a note attached.  Grrr.Ahh, it's nice to be in a warm dry bed tonight.