[at-l] Trip Report: Labor Day 2004 Allen Gap -> Sam's Gap

[thornel at attglobal.net (W F Thorneloe)]

This is my first section hike since May 2002, DWG->Hudson River. Very much 
has changed in my life, stranger than I had imagined. This hike is to free 
a few demons, to give another an opportunity to move on without me, and to 
see what I need to do to get ready for a planned longer section in November.

I've day hiked from Allen Gap (an unimportant gap only little spot across a 
country road) into Hot Springs over 2 day hikes. I've learned I was 
regaining strength after my back surgery, but that I still was quite out of 
shape compared to the past. The past two years have been focused on work, 
supporting young adult daughters, volunteering through Rotary and trying to 
be a better husband. I failed at the last goal, and partially succeeded at 
others. I have lost about 30 pounds from the paunch grown during less 
physical exertion, training around my neighborhood sidewalks and Kennesaw 
Mountain Battlefield.

Since learning of the pending  change of marital status, I've redoubled my 
efforts to get in better shape. Weight loss has been easy with the "grief 
diet" as elder daughter has coined it. I've received support in areas never 
expected, even as some communities have campaigned to get me to move to 
provide service in a new area. I hope to remain in Atlanta, but to use the 
AT (Appalachian Trail) to help me sort through the emotions and experiences 
of the past 30 years of semi-adulthood.

Miss Janet is a lady who has raised 3 daughters alone, and has provided a 
hiker's hostel in downtown Erwin, TN. Her home is open to all sorts of 
vagabonds, many with powerful personalities, physical infirmities, youthful 
vigor and geriatric cunning. After a Friday prior to Labor drive up through 
Asheville along with hurricane refugees from Florida, I finally got there 
after 8PM after only7 hours of on the road. There was a hiker couple 
watching a DVD, a stranger who greeted me by name, wondering what had kept 
me. Fehcet (French "the  chef" backwards) had ridden a bus to nearby 
Johnson City over 18 hours to get here, and was watching out for expected 
arrivals. Once Miss Janet returned, we went off to the metropolis of the 
little town and eventually found a diner that still had the kitchen open.

We discussed the errors common among section hikers, as Miss Janet has 
observed. She believes we plan excessively, place too much pressure on our 
vacation plans and shouldn't be allowed to hike more than 5 miles our first 
day out. She might be on to something.

After resorting and reviewing my pack, I took a quick look at my new Speer 
hammock, a very light hammock even compared to my old Hennesey Hammock. I 
decided to try a fleece sleeping bag, used in prior camping after my day 
hikes. I had driven down to Old Fort and the outskirts of Marion to meet Ed 
Speer and renew acquaintance with  POG. I helped review Fechet's plans to 
walk up to Damascus, essentially the reverse of my plans for November. We 
"Tuckerized" his pack, removing heavy stuff and substituting or suggesting 
ways to do without. He has much more significant back problems, visual 
problems and ex-wife issues than me. He did me a powerful service to quit 
cursing my situation - lightening my load.

Saturday AM, we arose, dressed and sorted ourselves. As I was hoping to 
leave, up drives the famous Bob Peoples of Kincora Hostel drove up with 
some section hikers and also met Fehcet. After Janet and Bob compared notes 
of this year's hiking season, we were off to McDonalds and then to Allen 
Gap. Breakfast burritos aren't pretty. Janet pumped me to learn my plans, 
as well as to inquire how I was handling my transitions. Friends as good 
when they are persistent and intrusive, as well as honest.

Before I knew it, Janet was dropping me off at Allen Gap, 2234 feet. 
Another photo op with the disposable camera. And up the hill. I was minding 
my own business about 4 miles out, when I heard something rumbling off the 
side of the trail. Ambling up the hill, about to cross the trail was  black 
bear, my first ever! He looked at me. I wondered where was my camera. He 
wondered where was my gun. Before I could be afraid, he turned tail and ran 
so fast down the hill that his tail couldn't keep up. I took a break 
at  Little Laurel Shelter, watered up, ate a snack and headed off with 
Jerry's Cabin Shelter as my evening's goal, a short 12 mile day.

I took the blue blazes to see the Camp Creek Bald Fire Tower, passing by 
huge TV, microwave and cell phone antennae towers. With the haze and 
clouds, there was no view to enjoy. White Rock Cliffs and Blackstack Cliffs 
were impressive for their heights. I knew there was a relo, and was 
beginning to run a bit low on water, expecting to hit a spring before Jerry 
Cabin. I decided to go with the relo, "Exposed Ridgeline" rather than the 
old AT and bad weather trail. The Ridgeline was a jumble of cubed boulders 
and gravel, as jagged and rough as the glacier polished rocks of New Jersey 
were smooth and slippery. This was trail as hard as Albert Mountain, going 
up and down ravines, wandering along absolutely exposed rocks with views as 
far as the weather would allow. This was 3/4 mile per hour territory, as 
well as a bad place to learn about lightning safety. It also bypassed the 
spring I was counting on.

Off the relo, I knew as the darkness began to gather that I wouldn't make 
it to Jerry's Cabin. I quickly spied trees the right distance for a 
hammock. After a few missed attempts, the tent and tarp were up and pegged 
in place, prepared for Hurricane Frances to arrive as expected this 
weekend. I was too tired and had too little water to cook. Before full 
dark, I was asleep and comfy in my hammock. The lights of Erwin shown in 
the distance, reminding me of Waynesboro, VA from a prior night on Cedar 
Cliffs. Wind was impressive as the night began. It got a bit cool, with the 
fleece bag not all that warm and actually pretty heavy and bulky.

The morning came and I was able to pack quickly and was at Jerry's Cabin 
before 9AM. I stopped, watered up. Chatted with a few folks - the first I'd 
seen since Miss Janet. Saturday had been only 11 hard miles. My plan was 
for about 28 miles total, meeting Miss Janet late morning Monday. I think 
I'm behind schedule. I hope tonight to get to Sugarloaf Gap or further 
toward Frozen Knob and camp there - about 12-13 miles.

Walking on, I met a couple of UT good old boys standing and admiring a 
large chestnut tree bearing fruit. We discussed the appropriate football, 
but did not learn of Clemson's results. (won in overtime over WFU) This 
area had just been bush hogged in to a bald, paralleling a fire road. I 
found it easy to follow the road and missed a turn to Big Rock, realizing 
the mistake when the road and trail came back together just as the AT takes 
a sharp right turn and compass South. I removed my pack, backtracked and 
enjoyed the hazy view. A college aged section hiker came upon me as I was 
returning to my pack. Somehow, he made another bad set of turns and caught 
up to me after making a 180 degree blunder.

I enjoyed a rest by the Shelton graves. These were two Union soldiers 
killed by local Confederates when they attempted to visit their families.

Flint Mtn Shelter took forever to reach, after an unremitting steep 
downhill on slippery soil. The register was reduced to a few loose pages of 
paper. I contributed my journal book and will mail the pages on to the ATC 
for their archives. About 5PM, I reached Devil Fork Gap, after enjoying 
apple juice and pineapple nuggets left by a trail angle in a large 5 gallon 
bucket. I was at the 20 mile point, and very tired, theoretically with only 
about 2-3 miles to go before sundown and camping.

Those 2 miles weren't in my legs. I've found an 11 mile limit on my legs, 
possibly less with steep climbs and descents. I made another 1 to 1.25 mile 
over the next 2 hours. I stopped to rest, judged when to get water and how 
far to get away from the farms and dogs down at Boone Cove Rd. I met a SOBO 
section hiker, hoping to get to Flint Mtn Shelter. He wasn't very hopeful 
after complaints about the 1100 foot descent over the past mile for him.

So, I broke a few rules and found sort of okay trees near the trail, fairly 
close to a stream. I was able to cook and discovered I was famished. I felt 
certain that my luck about the weather would run out and set the tarp up as 
tight and sheltered as I could. I slept like a smelly tired baby.

Monday AM, I got up early in hope of hiking on and getting somewhere like 
schedule for my 11AM pickup  about 6 miles away. Six miles should be a 
pretty easy 3-4 hour walk, right? Not this day. Weather cooperated other 
than the wind and cold - no rain. The climb up Frozen Knob and toward High 
Rock was persistent and full of false summits. I was out of water by 11, 
but was able to call Miss Janet's house about my tardiness. The water at 
Hogback Ridge Shelter is much further than the guide suggested. The 
register had been burned. I was tired, and would have liked to take a nap 
before the final trudge.

On the way out, I encountered a bunch of senior citizens out for a walk 
from Sam's Gap to the shelter for lunch. We had a brief chat and they knew 
Miss Janet was waiting for me. It was Noon. Another 1.5 miles and one 
climb, I got to the gap and the van. She was visiting with a section hiker 
living in Hot Springs about to begin his first section in 15 years. She was 
just about to leave as I arrived, not having gotten my phone message.

This was a mile per hour day. I still enjoyed my celebratory Scotch and we 
drove back to Erwin, learning about the misadventures of the other section 
hikers encountered Friday and Saturday. Fehcet returned after getting 
significant weakness and back pain from the lumbar pad of his new pack. A 
SOBO thru hiking 15 year old kid was slacking for the weekend before going 
on toward Hot Springs and further south. The Kincora couple didn't quite 
enjoy their walk and left early. I carried a bruised and wounded pride, 
along with mortal legs. Miss Janet was coy about her satisfaction of being 
right about over-planned section hikers.

I discovered after my shower and clean clothing, an appetite that impressed 
this hostel crew. Someone made a comment that I'd make an excellent vacuum 
cleaner.

The drive home was much quicker, as I went west on US 74/64, stopping to 
eat with my sister at Fat Buddies in Waynesville. Yum, ribs! I managed to 
gain a couple of pounds on this trip.

Returned home to an lonely house. I felt great, able to wash my gear 
without complaints about my filth and smell. The rain of Frances began as I 
arrived in Smyrna. Life is good.

OrangeBug