Date: 2018-11-17
From: Carver's Gap

To: Iron mountain Gap
Miles today: 16.0

The alarm went off at 5am despite the fact that I hadn't slept well. I was stuffy all night and had a bit of a sore throat to go with it. Lee made us scrambled eggs with cheese and toast for breakfast and we made our sandwiches for lunch. We headed out to Carver's Gap about 45 minutes away and would be hiking south to Iron mountain Gap for 16 miles. But we arrived late at Carver's Gap compliments of GPS which took us on some back roads so remote that the road itself ended after turning into something you might ride an ATV on. Once we got turned around and out of there safely we were able to use the Google maps on my phone and a paper map to get us out to the Gap. It was an icy start and we both put on our microspikes but the forest was beautiful cloaked in ice with the sun's rays slipping thru the cracks and lighting it up like a blaze. Sun glinted off ice encapsulated brush growing in clearings and on the sides of the trail as well as icicles dangling from the conifers. Stone steps were encapsulated. I breathed in the fresh scent of balsam and thought of Brian. It's his favorite and I wish we were sharing this moment together. On the other side of Roan mountain with its elevation over 6,200' the sun warmed the snow and ice and I was able to remove the microspikes. The first half of the hike was wonderful. There were no shelters in a good spot for us today. We had our lunch and hot chocolate while standing in a turnout at the side of a road we crossed as we watched a hostel vehicle drop off 2 section hikers. There were lots of small ascents of 300-500' and they were abrupt and steep. I was more tired at the end of the day today than I was yesterday when I hiked more miles. I think the lack of sleep, this cold coming on and having not been able to sit down and take a break were all factors. The last few miles were arduous with a lot of leaf covered slippery mud. I was so happy to see Lee parked there at the end of the day. I was unloading my pack into the back of the SUV and retrieving the Naked Juice she'd brought for me when I requested that we have pizza for dinner. It was unanimous and after a hot shower we headed to a small pizza place with great online reviews. The appearance of the establishment was a disappointment. It was a bit unorganized and disheveled because they'd had a water leak they were dealing with but I could tell that there was room for improvement despite that. But we were optimistic about the food and it was pretty good. I had a small ceasar salad and NY thin crust pizza. The salad was excellent with fresh ceasar dressing and homemade croutons. The pizza ingredients were fresh but the crust soggy instead of crisp. I ate most of it and took the remaining 3 slices home for lunch tomorrow. My sinuses continued to disappoint me and after finishing my pint of chocolate therapy ice cream I dosed myself with NyQuil. I'm hoping I can get a solid night of sleep! Today Lee made us reservations for Thanksgiving dinner at a local restaurant. I'll miss my family but it will be nice to share a traditional meal with Lee and WE on that day and I will hopefully Skype with my family.