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[at-l] Springer to Wesser Nov 19-29
I'll try to keep this short.
11/19 started at 11:20 am. We hiked in from the rte 42 access rd to
Springer then camped on a hill above Hawk Mt shelter. Easy 8 mi. hike.
11/20 It was 28* at 6am and got to 56* during the day. Good hiking terrain.
Met ten southbounders today. A man hiking with his three sons, one son was
Slim-slo-slider. They planned to finish on Saturday. Then we were walking
down the trail and as a thru-hiker approached, I said, "I know you!" He
replied, "Junkyard Dog!" Yes we hiked the Whites together in July. We
exchanged greetings and hugs. Its hard to hug with a backpack on. He
wanted to hike the IAT after summitting 'K' and was turned back at the
Canadian border. He was hiking with Oz a tall fellow from Maine. Junkyard
Dog planned to summit Springer on Sunday after taking a day off at the
Springer Shelter to celebrate. We took photos and said goodbye after
reporting on the weather forecast from my weather radio. We hiked along
with a youth group of 13 out for three days who stayed at Gooch Gap in the
woods. I tried new inner soles for my One Sports and now I'm getting
blisters which I never got before. Dumb me! Camped at Preaching Rock at
4pm after 13+ mi.
11/21 temps--38* to 44* Did not see a soul today except at Walasi-Yi where
we restocked. It rained all day. We expected the hike to Blood Mt to be
tough but it was well graded and pleasant. It was cold and rainy and windy
at the shelter but we put the wooden shutter in the window and sat down to
eat some lunch. My feet are very sore now from the inner soles. I have a
blister on my big toe to rival the little toe. Everything, including us,
was wet from the rain by the time we hiked 12 1/2 mi. to a tentsite at
Corbin Horse Gap. I felll asleep to the sound of rain on the tent. Took a
photo of a blue flower still blooming on the trail.
11/22 temps 36* -48* The rain cleared out. We hiked to the top of a hill
and spread out everthing we owned in the wind and sun to dry it out. Wew
hiked from 7:20 to 5pm doing about 13 mi. Saw two garter snakes today. We
passed a thru-hiker near Hogpen Gap and he said his trailname was
Sharpshin. "Sharpshin!", I said, "the one and only who wrote the
Sharpshin's Amazing Survival Guide?" "Yes", he a said, almost forgetting
that he'd written that a few monnths ago at Tagg Run Shelter. I told him
how I loved his sense of humor. Its like finding a long lost friend when
you meet someone you've only read about. Then later we passed Turbo a girl
from Long Island who planned to finish her hike on Monday. She had a bus
ticket. We thought how hard it will be for her to make nearly 40 miles in
2 days. She was longing for home. We stayed at Chatahoochee Gap after
hiking 12 1/2 mi. Still good trails, well-graded, but my blisters hurt.
Walking in wet boots all day yesterday didn't help.
11/23 temps 18* - 38* It was clear and cold today. Hiked over Tray which
I thought would be hard by the profile map but it was easy. It was harder
going north out of Unicoi Gap. We made 12 mi. as we camped near Steeltrap
Gap. Our water froze in the water bag overnight and the bottles were
filled with ice crystals which made for excellent drinking in the day. My
fingers were numb from the cold for about an hour until I got warmed up on
the hike. One thinsulate gloves and one polartec gloves helped. We passed
two southbounders (didn't ask their names) who asked about Turbo and said
she'd walk all night if she had to to get to her bus ride.
11/24 temps 20* at 6am - 38* Hiked 14 tough miles today to Plumorchard
gap Shelter, our first shelter stay on this hike. We saw a trail crew
consisting of Chops a 97 thru-hiker and a helper, Even Steven and and a
few day hikers.
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