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June 30 2001

Distance Traveled: 14.8 (+.8 in side trails)     Total Miles: 85.6 (89.7)

Location: Blue Mountain Shelter.

Entry:

Boy, that was about the hardest day I've had on the trail yet. Georgia trails go straight up the mountains, and I had 4 big ones today - Kelly Knob, Tray Mountain, Rocky Mountain, and Blue Mountain. I got moving a little later than planned, so I didn't make it to the shelter until a little after 2000. Kelly Knob and Blue Mountain were PUDs (Purposeless Ups and Downs) a term I picked up from the register at Tray Mountain Shelter.

Tray Mountain had great views where I took some pictures and Rocky Mountain had a couple that made it worth the effort. The Cheese Factory didn't have any information sign or anything historical to see, but there was water there. I stopped there to some mashed potatoes and as I was cooking, the sky opened up. So I rigged a tarp quickly using my hammock fly and finished lunch comfortably under it. It was a good experience.

Today was also the day to see lots of weekend hikers as well as some north bound section hikers. I also ran into my first set of south bound section hikers. The weekenders were clean and most had dogs - lots of them. One group of four people had three dogs that were pretty nice, but another group had a Chihuahua that was barking at everything and running around in the road at Indian Grave Gap. After I passed, I heard a car horn and lots of yelling. Probably that little dog.

I had been planning on staying at a stream that was .6 miles up from Unicoi Gap. It was a great site with a great running creek and a campsite in a sheltered little draw. As I was sitting there getting water and planning my camp, three north bound section hikers came up the trail. A man and two women. Apparently I looked scary because the females hung back while the guy came up the trail to talk to me. After we conversed for a few minutes, they finally came up. The women's destination was Wallace Gap and he was heading to Damascus (I think he was the same guy I talked to at Amicalola on Saturday). They were planning on going to Rocky Mountain with a storm coming in. I recommended they either stay at this site or move north past Rocky Mountain. They decided to go to the Cheese Factory and left. 

I decided since there was still light left to push on myself. So I moved into the gap. As I walked down I ran into tourists. I could smell the soap and perfume 50' away! While I was crossing the parking lot at Unicoi Gap a man in a white truck stopped me and started asking me a bunch of questions about hiking and my hike.

"Where does that trail go?" He asked.

"Maine" I replied.

"Maine where?" He asked.

"Maine, as in the state of. About 2,100 miles north" I answer.

"Really!" He exclaimed.

He asked about food, water, camping, etc. and then asked to take my picture with his son. I was a celebrity.

After that I attacked Blue Mountain. About .3 miles up from the gap I sat in a large bolder spill and heard what I originally thought was trucks in the gap or wind blowing. I realized after a few seconds of trying to figure out what it was, that an underground waterfall was under the boulders I was on.

I finally made it to the shelter and there was a man and his son (from Florida) already set up inside. It was their first time hiking. Jim and Craig had bought and borrowed all their gear then started at Fontanna Dam to hike to Springer Mountain. But because of weather, tent failure, miscalculated miles, bad blisters, etc. were making poor time and now were only going to Neels Gap to get a ride out. I thought they were doing great for a pair of greenhorns on their first hike - especially a long section hike. 

They were running low on food, so I gave them my extra day supply and also gave them my web address because they were interested in my stove and some other stuff. They gave me some AAA batteries! I think I came out better on the trade if you consider the weight.

The mice in Blue Mountain Shelter are awful. Since it was raining very hard, I strung my hammock up under the porch on the shelter and slept dry.

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