Monthly Archives: May 2015

May 30-31 2015 Days 054-055

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We left Bly Gap and headed North again. We only hike 2.8 miles to Muskrat Creek Shelter. We were surprised to meet the man who had left his wallet at the Top of Georgia Hostel again. The shelter and the area surrounding it was very crowded so he decided to camp with us. Many campers and Boy Scouts were camping all around us. It was very hectic compared to what we were used to.

The next day was Sunday and we spent the day talking about God with the wallet man. I am convinced this man would be a great preacher. I told him so and he thanked me. For, he told me, he had come out into the woods to seek God’s will for his life. I hope I was part of God’s confirmation of his calling.

We decided to stay at Muskrat another night due to heavy thunderstorms that rolled in the late afternoon. We even stayed in the shelter for a half an hour because of lightning. But the storm passed within two hours. Wallet man decided to stay with us also.

View at Muskrat

View at Muskrat

Camp At Muskrat

Camp At Muskrat

 

May 29, 2015 Day 053

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Got up again (Thank God…). We ate, packed, filtered water, and hit the trail again. We didn’t know it at the time, but this day would be a milestone for us. We would be crossing the Georgia and North Carolina border.

We hiked along and were surprised when we saw the sign. Then we struggled over who would be the first to cross over. But we worked it out and everyone convinced me not to pee over state lines ;)…

Operation: Appalachian Snail at the GA/NC Border!

Operation: Appalachian Snail at the GA/NC Border!

So we finally made through GA. We hiked on a ways to Bly Gap, which was a little crowded. But we managed to get a site and set up before it rained.

Camp at Bly Gap

Camp at Bly Gap

It was a chilly night, but we kept a fire going. Since it had been so wet for so long I decided to dry my feet, socks, and shoes by the fire. They did not smell like roses… I remembered something that Survivorman Les Stroud once said on his show: Smoke from a fire can kill bacteria. So, I decided to smoke my feet, socks, and shoes. After an hour of holding everything over a smokey fire I found they only smelled like smoke… It was amazing…

Still have to make sure it continues to work 😉

And so ended our first night in North Carolina; chilly with a chance of rain…

May 28, 2015 Day 052

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Got up today and got ready to leave the Top of Georgia Hostel. It was a chilly morning, but not anything we couldn’t handle.

We walked from TOG back to Dick’s Creek Gap, which is only half a mile. We rested at the gap and headed north up into the mountains.

We walked 4.4 miles to Plumorchard Gap Shelter. There were two other hikers there. Gig, Tinkerbell, Repunzel, and Off decided to sleep in the shelter, which has three lofts and sleeps up to twenty people. They just had to sleep in the uppermost loft…

We got a fire going and ate dinner. It was a quiet night.

Repunzel at the Plumborchard

Repunzel at the Plumborchard Fire

The Only Tent Tonight

The Only Tent Tonight

May 27, 2015 Day 051

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Back at the Top of Georgia Hostel. Tipawa and I made it to town to buy food for the next leg of our trip.

We also bought McDonald’s for everyone. We dried everything out and Buttercup washed our clothes. We were happy to see all the volunteer staff at T.O.G. and Sir Packs A-Lot encouraged us to keep going.

We met a man in the bunkhouse who was hiking in Nepal when the earthquake hit. He could not stay in the country and decided to hike the A.T. as an alternate hike. He told us what it was like during the quake and in the aftermath. All we could do was pray…

We settled in, prayed alot, ate alot, and went to sleep.

Top of Georgia Hostel

Top of Georgia Hostel

May 25-26 2015 Days 049-050

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We left Deep Gap Shelter at 05:00 with headlamps blazing. It was dark and one could cut the fog that had settled with a knife. But we hiked on…

As the day dawned we donned our rain gear. Thankfully, it only sprinkled for most of our third hike over Powell Mountain.

We finally made it to Dick’s creek and set up camp in the rain. Everything was starting to get wet. We got a fire going and fought to keep our clothes dry for most of the night.

It was still raining when we got up and the tents were leaking. We hung Off’s tent and fleece blanket in a tree and stood over the fire drying as many clothes as we could.

At about 14:00 the sky opened up and we began a desperate fight to keep the fire going. After ten minutes of heavy rain water began flowing from the trail right through the middle of our camp, into the fire pit, and right under my tent. I jumped to move the tent while Gig went up the trail to divert the water. He managed to build a small dam and dig a trench for the water to flow into. Sadly, we lost the fire fight; the fire pit turned into an ash puddle.

But Gig saved the day. My tent was still dry and when the water in the fire pit seeped into the ground we rebuilt the fire.

It continued to rain off and on all night.

I got up at 02:00 and Gig was up. We decided to listen to the book of Proverbs on my phone while we sat by the fire. When Proverbs was over Gig went to bed and I sat by the fire praying for God to once again show us whether He wanted us to continue or go home. I only want to do His will, whatever it is.

It had been raining for two days and we were pretty soaked through. The filter was clogged again and we could not get water. Also, I checked and found that the bank was in the negative $5.00. We needed God and only God to keep us going. And so, I prayed.

I prayed and asked God that if He wanted us to continue, Could He:

1) Let the sun come out in the morning.

2) Let my Dad deposit cash in the bank that morning so that it would be available in the afternoon.

3) Let me be able to find a new water filter or replacement cartridge that was under a hundred dollars.

I prayed into a cloudy dawn.

Everyone got up and we began drying everything out again. Then, at about 08:00 I saw the sun begin shining through the trees. I thanked God and decided to walk till I got data on my phone so I could check the bank.

I walked until I got service in the driveway of the Top of Georgia Hostel. The bank app showed that my Dad had deposited cash into my bank account.

Since I was already at the Top of Georgia Hostel I decided to see if they had a new water filter in their small gear shop. Just as I got to the door a volunteer named Mellow came out to greet me. I asked him if they had water filters in the gear shop. He said no. I would have to get a shuttle to a town more than twenty miles away to get one. I did not have the money for that, so I turned to leave.

As I left he stopped me and asked if I wanted a new water filter or a replacement cartridge for the water filter I had. I told him I needed either one or the other. He told me they had the replacement cartridges but not new water filters. I was stunned. He took me into the gear shop and sold me a new replacement cartridge for fifty bucks!!! Then Renaissance told me they were about to remove the cartridges from their inventory since very few people ever buy that type of replacement cartridge!!!

Well, I think God’s answers to my prayers were very clear…

So, we had money to stay at the Hostel, catch the shuttle to Hiawassee, and replenish our food supply. What else was there to do…

Okay, This is a long post. But hold on for one more.

We packed up and got ready to walk the half mile to the Hostel. As we got on the road a hiker who was getting ready to hike north saw us on the road and offered to drive us to the hostel. We gladly accepted.

When we got to the Hostel we found out he had been there the day before and left to stay in town. As we were unpacking his truck a woman named Buttercup came out of the Hostel with the man’s wallet. He had left it there the day before.

He was about to walk into the woods and would not have noticed his wallet was gone till he got ten or so miles away. But because he decided to give us a ride . . . Well, you get the picture.

It was an Amazing Day!!!

P.S. Sorry for the typos 😉

Operation: Appalachian Snail!

Operation: Appalachian Snail!

May 24, 2015 Day 048

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Got up and did the usual for the morning. Got back to the trail to hike Kelly’s Knob for the third time! First time South, second time North, and now third time South again! Snailing Along:

Snailing Along

Snailing Along

We made it up Kelly Knob without taking a break. Everyone is improving!

We hiked on will we got to Deep Gap Shelter again. Gig and Off decided to stay in the shelter (with the mice) for the night. We swept out the shelter, cooked and ate spaghetti, and  set up for the night. We decided to get up very early to get back to Dick’s Creek. We realized we needed to get a new cartridge for the water filter and they might have one in Hiawassee, GA. The Top of Georgia Hostel has daily shuttles to Hiawassee. I knew I could catch one of the shuttles at Dick’s Creek.

I got up at 03:00 and started waking everyone up. When I went to get Gig and Off out of the shelter, I saw that a mouse had decided to get between them for the night. That mouse jumped 3 feet into the air and ran for his life when I tried to calmly wake Gig. Lots of mice in those shelters . . .

Deep Gap Shelter

Deep Gap Shelter

May 23, 2015 Day 047

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Got up in the morning. We ate again, went and filtered water again, packed again, and hit the trail again. We hiked again. It was a pretty easy trail for most of the morning.

Viki at the Swag of the Blue Ridge

Tipawa at the Swag of the Blue Ridge

Later, as we hiked, we heard some little dogs barking in the distance. They got closer and closer. Up around a bend we saw a woman coming towards us that we had met before at one of the hostels. She looked tired, but was happy to see us. She asked us if we were going north. We said yes. She asked us if we were going in the right direction, we said yes. She realized she was hiking in the wrong direction. Somehow she had headed south instead of north after one of her breaks. She was very thankful, but we all realized she would have to walk the 2 miles back to her breaking spot.

One of the benefits of a big group is that at least one person always knows the right way. Its not always the same person. Everyone in the group has taken turns keeping us on the right track!

We hiked on, back to Addis Gap; of all places. We decided to camp here again.

I woke up that night at about 02:00. Off was also up so we talked for awhile around the fire. I was standing at about 02:30, when out of the corner of my eye I saw a huge flash in the sky. I turned just in time to see a meteor enter the atmosphere and disappear behind the trees. Off was turned the other way and did not see it. But we both heard in the distance, a minute or so later, the boom as the meteor impacted the ground with a ground rumbling explosion. The impact even woke Tipawa out of a sound sleep. It was pretty amazing. I was glad I was awake for experience.

Addis Gap 2

Addis Gap 2

May 22, 2015 Day 046

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Get up early, eat breakfast, pack our gear, filter water, and hit the trail. We do the same things day after day. The only differences from day to day is the people we meet, the new sights we see, and the weather, of course.

Today we saw the benefit of a water filter! Gig and I walked down to a spring to filter water. When we got there the water looked greasy and just plain nasty. So we found a semi-clear pool and got ready to pump. But we noticed a strange looking root coming out of the bottom of the pool of water. We discussed what the root was and debated going to another water source. Just as we got everything ready Gig said, “It looks like the root has a little hand with fingers.”

He then picked up a stick and touched the root under the water. The thing rolled over slowly and we realized it was not a root, it was a dead and rotting lizard. We decided to hit the trail and get water somewhere else!

We hike for a mile and a half and came to Steeltrap Gap. There was water and a campsite at the gap. We had to hike down a long hill to get the water, but we were happy to get it because the water filter was working like a charm!

We decided to stay at the campsite to relax for the day and get a good nite sleep. Besides, I had 4G at that site!

Steeltrap Gap

Steeltrap Gap

May 21, 2015 Day 045

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Got up to clouds and light rain. Thankfully the sky cleared as we cooked and ate oatmeal for breakfast.

I sent Gig, Tinkerbell, and Off to filter water for the day, but they came back and told me that our only water filter was broken. A broken water filter is a sure way to get sent home…

I took the filter cartridge out of the pump and tried to figure out how to fix it. I had left the instructions for the contraption at home so I would not have to carry the extra weight. But I found that the filter pump was a solid unit and only had wear and tear that I could and did repair. However, I also found that the filter cartridge was hopelessly clogged. The pump is useless without a good cartridge.

After two hours of working on the cartridge I became frustrated and decided to take a walk to cool down and make plans to get back home. We cannot stay out there without clean water and the filter was sent to us by a friend of mine as a gift because they are so expensive. While I was walking and praying Tipawa decided to try and fix the filter cartridge.

She squeezed it, forced air into it, suctioned air through it, and finally, slammed it repeatedly against a stump… The bashing seemed to dislodge brown and grey sediment that had over time built up in the cartridge’s grooves.

By this time I had returned from my walk and taking the cartridge from her put the pump and the filter back together. We filled a pot full of water and began pumping water out of it. The filter worked perfectly! She had cleared the cartridge and I had repaired the pump assembly. God had answered our prayers and again we could continue trusting in Him to provide for us on our journey.

So, we filtered our water for the day and got ready to hit the trail again. It was much later than we when we usually start, but we were all happy that we could continue.

View of Tray Mountain

View of Tray Mountain

We started the long hike up Tray Mountain. It was rough, but not as bad as the Approach Trail, Springer Mt., Preaching Rock, or Blood Mt. We hiked up and up, and finally got to the summit. The summit was a small section of boulders to sit on and rest, but the views were Awesome.

When we got there we were overcome with the smell of food cooking. There was a man sitting on the summit cooking his lunch. The smell was overwhelming. I looked around and realized that while he was cooking he was also drying his underwear out on the rocks in the sun… I can’t describe how trail life changes your perspective. That is just the way things are on the trail. None of us were offended or even gave it a second thought. I just remember thinking, “Good idea, kill two birds with one stone.”

We complimented the man on his great smelling food and he told us his trail-name was Gourmet. This didn’t surprise us either, he had all kinds of extra spices for his meals.

We took out our break snacks, took some pictures, and just enjoyed the Mountain experience.

Tray Mt Right

Tray Mt Right

Tray Mt Left

Tray Mt Left

We said goodbye to Gourmet, left Tray Mountain Summit, and headed down the trail. We stopped at the Tray Mountain Shelter and set up camp for the night. It was a Very cold and windy night. We found out the next day that the temperature had dropped into the low forties and the wind was gusting between 40 and 50 miles per hour. Not a night we will soon forget!

May 20, 2015 044

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Got up this morning and packed and hit the trail. We started hiking North again and enjoyed going downhill for a change.

As we stopped for the view on the summit of Rocky Mountain two women passed us. They had to be in their late 70’s. Both were thin as a rail and limping. We exchanged greetings, wished each other “happy trails,” and they headed down the mountain. We were amazed at their strength and endurance and just hope we will be as healthy and mobile as they when we are their age…

We hiked on and came to a place called the Cheese Factory. A man in the 1800’s decided to start and build a dairy farm and cheese factory in the remote mountains of GA. Why he did it none can say. The costs in bringing his goods to the market, 20-30 miles away, would have consumed any profits he may have earned.

The factory, farm, and house he build are long gone. But there remains a nice open area which has become a popular tent site. We set up here for the night and tried to stay dry as a thunderstorm was on its way.

Cheese Factory Camp

Cheese Factory Camp