[at-l] Trip report, Sort of

[turnbill at turnorama.org (Turnbill)]

Wonderful report Jan, really makes me miss your journal! Nellie and I
are headed to the Whites this weekend for a warm-up hike.

Turnbill
www.turnorama.org



-----Original Message-----
From: at-l-bounces@backcountry.net [mailto:at-l-bounces@backcountry.net]
On Behalf Of Jan Leitschuh
Sent: Monday, April 26, 2004 5:35 PM
To: AT-List
Subject: [at-l] Trip report, Sort of

Carver's Gap SOBO to Hot Springs,
101 miles, some of which I actually walked


Some random observations:

Lotta ramps out there

Winter-virgin skin sunburns, even on a basic non-burner

Fields of spring beauties under the open, leafless canopy - like a 
painting

A mere 13.5-mile day can wring a whimper from a six-months-gone-by 
thruhiker. can you say "nail-in-the-calves?" How quickly we forget 
(and deteriorate).

The new relo between Little Laurel Shelter and Jerry's Cabin is most 
excellent. An open, rocky ridge. Heard one '04 NOBO comment 
disgustedly, "I hope you brought your rock-climbing equipment."
Yes!
Unfortunately, it was nowhere near the quality of White-Mt. standards 
of rock-crawling, but it did provide a taste, the merest whiff, maybe, 
of the fun to come.
______________


Preview - Fine Easter supper at the Sidetrack Cafe, courtesy of 
Mountain Man. Saw lots of good friends, including our AT-L lister 
LWOP, an '04 NOBO from Florida some of you know.

Day One, Carver's Gap   - foggy, wet and winds rocked the van. Miss 
Janet our shuttler (we left the car in Erwin) said "How 'bout we just 
sit and talk awhile." Though the winds tamed a bit once we entered the 
  evergreen forest, and the cool made for a great ascent up Roan Mt., 
well, I don't like cold, rainy weather any more this year than last. 
Last year, I had a mission - to hike the AT. This year, I'm a tourist.

The day faired off, and we ran into Burn and the delightful young 
Hoplite (also from this list), where I traded back the bear Roses that 
Burn had asked me to carry. We tented somewhere in the woods before 
Greasy Gap.

The next day, Stumpknocker's radio declared that more rain and very 
cold temps were moving in. Hasta la Vista, baby! SK was cleaning up 
some mileage from his '03 SOBO thru, forced off by bad weather, but 
me, I told him, I was just skimming the cream... I decided to bail at 
Greasy Gap to the Friendly hostel, and get them to reconnect me to the 
estimable, coffee's-always-on Miss Janet. Stumpknocker would gut it 
out over Beauty Spot and Unaka Mt. and walk into Erwin tomorrow.

I went down the blue blaze but never did find that hostel, and came 
out on a Forest Service Rd.
"Fine, I thought, "Forest service roads lead to people, if you pick 
the right way." The right way, in this case, naturally, was downhill. 
Lucky for me it was.
After a walk of several hours, I came to a road. Lightly traveled, the 
only car in several counties veered into the far lane to escape my 
outstretched thumb.
Finally, I came to a run-down shack. The fellow inside couldn't have 
been nicer. He told me I was closer to Hapmton than Erwin.
What the...!!? Guess I came down the wrong side of the mountain.
Anyway, in the manner of the AT, things just fell into place.
He had a phone with unlimited long distance minutes, he insisted I 
call Miss J, I had her cell phone #, she was heading to Hampton 
anyway, so was he, he dropped me off at the McDonald's there, I tanked 
up on coffee and burgers, Janet scooped me up to Kincorra, Bob Peoples 
hugged me, and all was copesthetic.

SK walked into town the next morning (after meeting Flyin' Brian and 
fiancee Silver Girl going north), saying he woke up to several inches 
of snow on his tent site near Beauty Spot. We could see Big Bald 
shining whitely in the distance, too. We stocked up and hiked on tho, 
and as usual, what a difference a day on the AT can make - it got 
sunny and pleasant, the snow melted off before our assault on Big 
Bald. Along the way, I ran into my old buddy Just Do It from last 
year. ben is out rehiking the AT from the start. I had planned to 
bring him trail magic but hadn't expected to see him so early. All I 
had to offer was a Snickers and my conversation, and we sat on the 
side of the mountain and jawboned for about an hour. Also then, I met 
Melissa Jenks from this list, now called Marzipan, a delightful gal.

The days start blending together now, and saw lots of '04 thrus - 
Apple Pie, Mickey One-Sock, Roses, Squish, Green One, Slow Walker, 
Cuppa Joe, BooBoo, Vocal, Breathless and Speed, Weebles and 
Tongue-Tied, Berkley Bob, WolfCookie and spouse, some without names, 
some diehard sectioners like Lady Di and the Ax Murderers, lots more 
whose names I'm not dredging up (mountain air syndrome). Clear, dry 
weather, a bit hot towards the end. I was able to work my mileage up 
over the week.

Day Seven - Hot Springs. Yes, I did. Wouldn't you?
Paddler had shuttled the truck down from Erwin to Hot Springs during 
Trailfest, and Baltimore Jack was holding the keys for us. BJ is 
working during spring thru-rush at the Bluff Mt. outfitters.

I also heard that Backpacker.com is sponsoring Trail Days this year - 
true?

Final news was tracking down AT-L lister Art "Gabby" Cloutman, hiking 
with  friend Goosebump, an '03 SOBO buddy of Stumpknocker's (and now 
me), also cleaning up her weather-aborted thru.  We met them at Cable 
Gap shelter six miles south of Fontana. With 2 boxes of fried chicken, 
BoJangles' biscuits, apple pie, ice-cold cokes, chocolate cake and 
whipped cream. Also, cinnamon/pecan sticky buns for breakfast.
Oh, and an orange, which we gave them first. Ha! They were grateful.

The look on Art's face when the fried chicken finally came out was 
priceless. It's the sort of magic I wanted to pull on Ben/Just Do It. 
All that poor man got was a Snicker's.

What fun, what great skies and views, what great laughs.  You can go 
home again, if only for a little while. Stress? What stress?



-- 
========================================
     	AT Journal:
	http://www.trailjournals.com/Liteshoe/
	Jan Leitschuh Sporthorses Ltd.
	http://www.mindspring.com/~janl2/index.html

========================================


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