Date: 2016-04-25
From: Sassafras Shelter

To: Cable Gap Shelter
Miles today: 15.2
Weather: clear sky

Day 20: Woke up late for me at Sassafras Shelter. Filtered more water, packed up and packed the tent.   Started making my breakfast when Luigi came down to join me. We talked about our plan for the day. Ompi, the royal couple and Sarah headed out and said goodbye. I finished up with my breakfast and headed out. Luigi said she sound be along. The first thing of the morning was a climb up a bald to 5080 feet. Cheopac Bald I believe was the name. I burned that page from the guide book so I'm not sure anymore. There was a great view from the top. I took a break and the started down the big descent. I used my trekking poles and smitty (the walking stick) was in my pack. The way down had a lot of low branches and smitty kept getting tied up. I learned to go backwards to avoid being tangled up. A group of senior guys were doing a hike and asked me what the walking stick was for. I told them and they each thanked me and shook my hand. I continued on and came across a bunch of flowers and took pictures. Suddenly I looked up and there was Luigi. That girl moves especially on the downhill. We stopped at a gap to eat a snack and rest our feet. T-mobile showed up. This isn't his trail name it's just what the crew calls him. He is always on his phone and claims he is CIA or something. We've overheard all very strange conversations. Some of us don't even think there is anyone on the other end of the head phones. He is nice enough to me so I don't worry to much about it. We had one last climb and then a good descent to another gap with a major road across it. Luigi and I just missed trail magic but the rest of the crew were there. Ompi, Sarah, the royal couple, inferno, trail name, t-mobile. A group of about 25 of us. We ate lunch and I was the first to kick off. I don't like sitting around too long. I lose my energy and then don't want to start walking again. The next climb we had was Jacobs ladder. Now this wasn't the biggest elevation of the day but it was straight up lose dirt in a single line. It really felt like you were climbing a ladder. I was spent. My pack is still to heavy. Can't wait to get to Fontana Dam as I am sending a whole bunch of stuff home. I took my time and gave myself goals to get to, that tree, that log etc. Once on top we rested then followed the ridge line for a bit and the descended to brown fork gap shelter.   We stopped to use the privy, filter water and air out our feet. Luigi and I then pushed on. At the top of the trail from the shelter we came across little-foot who was sitting with two others. We said hi and continued to move on. We had a few more ups and downs but nothing too terrible. My feet at this point are doing ok. My right foot is fantastic and the insoles are awesome. My left foot is kinda doing so, so. The insoles are helping but the deep blister came to the surface. Now it doesn't feel sore or anything and I did not pop it. So while I'm walking the bubble of fluid is moving up my foot and by the end of the day was between my toes. Now it doesn't hurt but it just feels so damn funny. We came to the camping area we were gonna stop at which would of been 12 miles or so. We saw the Royal couple and told them we were gonna continue on. We said tell Ompi as we are gonna share a room in Fontana Dam and don't want him to think we ditched him. We pushed on and we came across a bunch of pink lady slippers. I was so excited to see them in the wild. No white ones just pink. I took pictures of them. After pushing we finally arrived at cable gap shelter at about 7. A late night for us so we rushed to set up our tents and filter water. Where we pushed on doing 15 miles today we caught up to the next group. The plant lady was here, as well as chef, Mark and Matt as well as a few others who stayed at the same shelter we were at last night. We made dinner and hung out bear bags. We did 15.2 miles today and are going to sleep well. Tomorrow we have an easy 6.6 miles into Fontana Village to do resupply, relax and get ready for the smokies. In two days we will be in the park on our way through North Carolina to Tennessee.