[at-l] Trip report - The rest of the details (longish)

[DTimm65344@aol.com (DTimm65344@aol.com)]

Friday May 17 - addendum - First wildlife sighting of the trip was a 
groundhog on I 81 dodging semi traffic ahead of me coming through the 
Shenandoah valley - didn't think the little dude was going to make it between 
the vehicles but it did.

continuing from before -

Sunday May 19 (12.3 miles) Dicks Creek to Muskrat Creek -

Drove my car to Wesser from Franklin and met our shuttler, Nancy Hoch at 7:30 
a.m. as arranged.  Great lady.  During the drive we discussed how she and 
Jeff went from working in Florida to becoming owners of a motel in the middle 
of nowhere.  Fascinating story.  She also gave us a helpful hint on bears.  
Besides clanking your poles together if you see one on the trail, she says 
that barking like a dog also scares them off as they are hunted with dogs.  
Makes sense I suppose (hope I never need to test that theory).  Driving south 
on 19 to get to Dicks Creek, a bobcat shot across the road in front of us and 
up the hill.  First one I've ever seen outside the zoo.  Pretty neat.

Arrived at Dicks Creek, unloaded and set out.  Beautiful weather for hiking 
(60s during the day and 40s at night predicted for the entire week which 
turned out to be the case).  Buzzards Knob nearly kicked our posteriors right 
off the bat.  It's only about 800 foot rise but it's all in a mile and we 
were just warming the legs up and getting the packs situated.  Made it to 
Plumorchard Gap Shelter around 11 and had lunch there.  Nice shelter.  Hiked 
on to the border and savored the moment of my second state down (12 to go) at 
"The tree".  In most of the photos I've seen of it, I somehow expected it to 
be in a more open area instead of being one of thousands of trees along the 
side of the trail (I suppose one could walk right past it if they didn't know 
to look for it).  Hiked into Muskrat Creek at about 5:30 p.m.  I like a 
shelter that requires no extra walking to get to at the end of the day (about 
100 feet off the trail).

First thing we noticed at Muskrat was a two person tent that was setup and 
appeared to be in working order but had obviously been there a while and was 
unoccupied.  Very strange, and likely an equally strange story goes with it 
but there was no one there to ask about it.  Spent a good night at Muskrat.  
My brother pitched his tent and I decided to use the shelter.  I think it was 
a wise move as I was carrying my Hennessey and reflector pad (but not my 
fleece blanket) and the temp the next morning at 6:30 was 42 degrees.  Good 
thing I brought the 20 degree bag on the trip.

Monday May 20 ( 11.8 miles) Muskrat Creek to Carter Gap -

Hiked out early and headed for Deep Gap.  Another glorious hiking day.  At 
Deep Gap we started picking up other hikers out on various section hikes and 
loops from Standing Indian Campgrounds.  We had only seen one person Sunday 
(a day hiker going south).  My brother and I had done the hike from Deep Gap 
up over Standing Indian to Beech Gap two years ago when I started doing this 
stuff again and this time it seemed easier :).

The day was clear and the views were spectacular from Standing Indian again 
this time around.  Had lunch and tried to call home on the cell phone (the 
one I don't carry anymore because it's wrong to carry one :).)  At sometime 
the previous night it had gotten cold enough to pull the charge down as it 
died as soon as I was able to say to my wife "We're on Standing Indian...".  
So I figured I was in for heat from the boss as the communication system was 
shot on day 2.

Hiked down to Beech Gap and pumped water.  A section hiking couple was 
picking out a camp site there for the night when we got there.  Beech Gap is 
the place I met "Daybreaker" two years ago.  For those who don't remember my 
intro post last fall, he's the thruhiker I also saw at Franconia Notch in NH 
that year which is what got me interested in the AT in the first place.

Hiked on to Carter Gap in the afternoon and arrived at about 5.  The shelter 
(old and beat up) contained 6 young fellows doing a 200 mile section up to 
Hot Springs so I scouted a spot and hung the hammock.  Once we got the camp 
set up we were talking to the guys and they informed us that after they had 
set up in the old shelter they found out there was a new one about 30 yards 
up the trail across the way **.

** Note - when you decide to carry Companion info or other trail info with 
you, read it before you get to your destination, not after like I typically 
do.  Both shelters were described in all my literature, I just hadn't looked 
at it.  Having already hung the hammock, I decided to leave things alone.  
The guys are high school and college age from PA and one of them is going to 
the University of Delaware next fall (small world).

The new shelter is nicely set up and we did use the counter for cooking and I 
hung my pack there.  Two folks were at the new shelter.  A woman hiking a 
week long section south and a man section hiking north.  We shared a campfire 
for a bit, chatted about the pack stealing bear which is in the area from 
Deep Gap to Wayah Gap (many fliers up and apparently a real situation), got 
the true story on the Albert Mountain approach (they've both hiked it), and 
then checked the weather forecast on the man's radio.  Lows in the mid 30s 
overnight and chance of rain.  The temp at 8:15 p.m. was already 44 degrees.  
Yuck.  I told them if it got too cold in the hammock I might show up later on 
with my bag.

Heard the hunting dogs out nearby through the evening.  Two hunters have been 
contracted to relocate the nuisance bear.  Good night's sleep with no bear 
sightings (and no need to bark into the night) and the hammock and reflector 
worked fine.

Tuesday, May 21 (13.8 miles) - Carter Gap to RSC -

Woke early and hiked out at 7 a.m.  The promised rain never came, making the 
packing easier.  Having talked about Albert Mountain the night before and 
learning that it wasn't as scary as has previously been described to me, we 
headed on up and over.  I actually thought it was a fun climb.  You just have 
to remember to keep your center of gravity low so you don't fall backwards.  
Previous descriptions had led me to envision a 200 yard rock wall you had to 
climb with ropes.

On top we stopped to eat something with the young fellows and two section 
hikers we had picked up at Deep Gap and had been leapfrogging with the past 
two days.  The skies were clear and the view is great.  After 30 odd miles in 
roughly 48 hours I briefly considered climbing the tower then opted not to 
bother (I'll probably have to go back and do that some day).  As we walked 
down off Albert, we decided that the legs were beginning to feel the strain 
of the trip (for both of us), so at Wallace Gap we turned left and headed 
down the road to Rainbow Springs to rethink the plan - see, I am capable of 
learning.

Got to RSC and Buddy was manning the counter (Jensine was out running 
errands).  We asked if he was able to shuttle us up to my car at Wesser, he 
checked with Jensine on the radio and said he could when she got back.  Great 
finally meeting them both.  We collected my car at Wesser and headed to 
Franklin to regroup on the hiking plans.  A huge plate of barbeque and a soft 
bed does wonders for an old man.

Wednesday, May 22 (3 miles) - Wallace Gap to Winding Stair Gap -

Went and retrieved my brother's car from Wayah Bald in the morning and then 
drove out to Winding Stair, dropped my car and drove back around to RSC.  
When we got there Buddy ran us up to the gap with our day packs.  I told him 
to get two bowls of the much discussed chili ready for a taste test when we 
got back.  We hiked up and over to Winding Stair.  We had decided that no 
miles that day probably wouldn't do the legs any good but that doing a couple 
miles with no packs probably would.  I think we were right.  As we hiked out 
at Winding Stair, the young guys from PA were sitting there eating lunch.  
They were confused, to say the least, that they had passed us some how and we 
had lost our packs somehow.  We explained how we had changed the hike a bit.

We drove back around to RSC and each had a bowl of chili for lunch.  I 
realize this is likely to get the chili wars started again, and Jensine asked 
me not to post it, but we both give it "a big thumbs up." :)  I also picked 
up a signed copy of "Ten Million Steps" there as I've heard good things about 
the book and have wanted to read it for a while.  So far, a pretty good read. 
 Jensine has one more signed copy at the store if anybody is interested.

Jensine's comment when we walked back in the door was "Do you ever do a hike 
the way you plan it?"  I told her know, that wouldn't be any fun.  I decided 
I am officially famous, or infamous, for plans at this point.  Therefore, I 
will henceforth refer to them as concepts, not plans.

The appetite finally caught up with me and we went back into Franklin for the 
20 oz steak and baked potato at the Depot, which I inhaled.

Thursday, May 23 (10 miles) - Wayah Bald to Winding Stair -

In order to extend my completed sections as far north as possible this trip, 
we looked at the Winding Stair Gap to Wayah Bald portion to finish the week.  
After much debate, we decided that it looked easier going down than up (duh). 
 We respotted my car at Winding Stair (it's great having an Escort which no 
one would ever consider damaging or stealing) and drove up to Wayah Bald.  
Day packs on, we had a very nice 10 mile hike down the hill in a little over 
4 hours.  Approaching Siler Bald, we passed the guys from PA again headed up 
(I'm sure they think we are strange as they kept finding us headed disjoint 
directions).  Near the bald, we met a hiker out for a week with a young lab 
named "Trouble".  He's a very cool dog.  He was just chugging along wearing 
his saddlebags and happy to be out in the woods for the week.  And very well 
behaved.  The guy was frustrated because he had just seen a bobcat up the 
trail and wasn't quick enough with his camera.  I got my camera out so I'd be 
ready if we saw him and I was thinking how neat it would be to see two the 
same week.  We got to the bald but the cat was long gone.  Oh, well.

My first thought on reaching Siler Bald was "what a neat sledding hill."  
But then you'd have to drag the toboggan all the way up there, so I guess 
not.  Great views again today and great weather as it has been all week.

Near the bottom was a great waterfall and nice camping area, although it is a 
little close to the highway for my liking (I presume it gets busy on the 
weekends).

Hiked out and decided since it was only a little past noon that we'd head 
north and knock out part of the trip home.  Went back up to Wayah to retrieve 
my brother's car and climb the tower.  Was able to see the Smokies this time 
(first time in three trips up there).  The PA guys and Trouble and his owner 
were there having lunch and we chatted a bit.

On the drive up the mountain, the chipmunks were a hoot.  Two ran right out 
in front of us and one just stood there and let us run over top of him (we 
didn't hit him - he was between the tires).  You would think they would 
realize that the traffic is sparse enough that they can wait for cars to pass 
to cross the road.  Or they may be suicidal and need some help from OB 
adressing their "issues." :)

Stopped in southern VA for the night then back home yesterday.  Hit the house 
and grabbed my daughter to go watch the local AA baseball club beat the 
league leading team 5-2 followed by fireworks last night.  All in all, a 
great week.

Hike happy -

Black&blue