[at-l] AT Hike Report: Day 9

[ARTCLOUTMN at aol.com (ARTCLOUTMN@xxxxxxx)]

Monday, 03/17/03      The Blue Berry Patch, Dick?s Creek Gap,  10.5 miles

    Hiked in the rain from Tray Mountain Shelter to Dick?s Creek Gap.  And 
then we walked another 3.5 miles down the highway to the Blue Berry Patch.  
We should have waited in the parking lot at Dick?s Creek for a ride.  We 
thought we could hitch hike from the road but the road was way too narrow for 
anyone to risk stopping.  
    The hostel at the Blue Berry Patch is in a garage.  The hostel is only 
open before blueberry picking season begins.  Then the garage is turned into 
a processing area for the blue berries.  Dave -a salesman form Ohio - made it 
into the hostel before us because he waited for a hitch.  He actually got off 
of the trail an hour after us but made it to the hostel before we did.  Most 
hikers stop at Deep Gap Shelter and then leave early in the morning to get to 
Dick?s Creek so they can get a ride to the hostel in the morning.  Regan and 
Kevin and Jen must have stopped at Deep Gap Shelter.  The hostel usually 
fills up early.  We were lucky.  We did not arrive until 4 pm yet there were 
only three people using the hostel tonight.  We are between a couple of big 
groups on the trail. 
    We showered in the small shed that holds only a bath room.  Lenny, the 
owner?s wife, did our laundry.  We pick up our mail drop here and made trail 
food in the hostel using a hot plate.  There are 6 bunks made with plywood 
and very thin mats to house a small group of hikers.  There is a double bed 
in the main room of the hostel where a long table and benches fill the rest 
of the space.  We used the table and benches to sort our food from the mail 
drop and prepare our packs for our hike out tomorrow. *We never saw Regan 
(F-Stop) or Kevin on the trail again.
    Gary the owner came in at one point to see if we needed anything and to 
invite us to breakfast tomorrow.  He said he was going to church.  Dave asked 
to go with him.  They returned about an hour later.  We talked with Dave for 
awhile then hit the hay about 9 PM.