Appalachian Trail Day 34 - Iron Mountain Gap to Indian Grave Gap in reverse (Mile 365 to Mile 353)

I didn't sleep well last night.  Not because I was uncomfortable.  On the other hand, I was snug in my hammock, even with the chilly temperatures, and had probably one of the most comfortable nights ever on the trail.  However, I kept waking, unable to sleep because repeatedly I thought I heard something and thought it was the bear.  I swear I saw some movement, although in the light of the day I think I was just having a very realistic dream. I even got up a couple of times to shine my light into the shadows next to the road, careful not to shine my light onto tents so as not to bug anyone.   

We are up before dawn and packed up and ready on the porch by 7:30 am.  We talk to other hikers, and a man gives out metal stamped pack tags with the AT logo on them.  GG, Kodiak, and I all get one.  Steve is picking us up to drive us to Iron Mountain Gap.  GG and I will slackpack southbound about 12 miles back to Indian Grave Gap while Kodiak will remain and continue to rest her leg. Steve will pick us up at Indian Grave so we can return one more night here.  

Nice mementos of our hike

GG showing off her gadgets!

Popcorn for breakfast!

Steve arrives a little early, and we head out.  On the way, we see some really cute little houses on the side of the road that we missed yesterday.  Steve explains that they are cat houses that the residents of Erwin make for the resident feral cat population.  We arrive at the gap at 8:30 and hop onto the trail.  

GG takes off but I am slow to start today, feeling sluggish and thirsty right after we hit the trail.  I chug some water and eat a piece of cheese.  I would love for today to be a nice walk in the woods, but we have to meet Steve this afternoon at 3 pm, and he has other shuttles planned, so we can't be late.  Not to mention we need to do over 3000' of climbing, with an equal amount of down. I have to find the energy to move!

This area is a series of narrow valleys surrounding parallel ridges of steep, rugged, and beautiful mountains.  We are hiking the Unaka range, which runs from Northern Georgia to Southwestern Virginia. Unaka comes from the Cherokee word Unega, which means "white."  

No one is certain what the white pertained to: was it the hazy appearance of the mountains clothed in fog, or perhaps the color of abundant rock formations dotting the steep slopes of the mountains? The prevailing theory is area was named for the long, white blossoms of the American Chestnut trees which were abundant in this area prior to the great Chestnut Blight which was brought to America in the early 1900's by imported Japanese Chestnuts. The blight wiped out approximately 25% of all trees in this region: the estimated chestnut population at that time. 

Regardless of the meaning of the name, the hike is lovely, and the terrain and woods just feel remote and wild.  The trail gently undulates up and down on a wide path through tall mature hardwoods. 

GG and I meet again briefly after a couple miles and agree to meet at the next shelter, about 3.5 miles further down the trail on the south side of Unaka Mountain.  

I arrive at the Cherry Gap Shelter an hour and half later to find GG finishing her snack. I run into Tom, and another hiker whom I have seen but can't for the life of me remember his name. GG wants to keep going, so we agree to meet again at Beauty Gap.  

Heading southbound, I am once again starting to run into northbound hikers I have met before.  I run into Ragnar and Mochila!  They left yesterday morning and seem to be making good time even though their packs are quite large! 

I explain that this slackpack situation was Kodiak's plan prior to her injury.  She had set up this slackpack with Steve.  We are getting a really good deal on the shuttles: only $50 per person for the three days, since Steve lives in Erwin, so he doesn't have to drive far.  Furthermore, this will be the last of our slackpacks for a really long time because the shuttles get fewer and farther between, and thus more expensive, as we head north.   

There are some purists who don't slackpack because they want to hike every mile in the same direction.  A lot of other hikers are on a tight budget, so don't have the finances to pay extra for the slackpacks.  Many hostels will provide slackpack options because they generate more revenue through return guest stays.

On my way up Unaka, I see Kermit and his friend, who are surprised to see us again.  I then meet Bear chaser again!  We chat briefly and say goodbye with a "happy trails!"

The woods start gradually changing from hardwood to spruce as I near the 5200' peak.  The spruce needles cover the trail and feels amazing on my tender feet!  I am bouncing up the trail.  The air is redolent with the deep smell of Christmas. This reminds me so much of the Monongahela State Forest in West Virginia where I hike frequently.  The spruce creates a shady, almost creepy tunnel in the woods with moss clinging to the rocks poking up through the needle-covered floor.  

I crest Unaka and the spruce almost immediately relinquish their sovereignty back to the hardwoods. Lots of maple and beech provide canopy over dogwood trees, who provide cover for fern and grasses.  Trillium are starting to die off, and blackberry and wineberry canes are starting to take over the understory in disturbed areas. 

It's only 1 pm and I have two hours to cover the next four miles when I am greeted by a familiar man and his dog.  George is smiling and Jasper is grinning ear to ear.  I'm so happy to see them again! 

I hike to Beauty Spot, which is an aptly named bald with a 360-degree view of the surrounding mountains. Dogwoods, crabapples, and elm, twisted and dwarfed, circle the bald.  If I could pick a spot to build a cabin, this would be it!  I see GG stretching with her backpack off, taking in the gorgeous expanse of splendid scenery. We can't remain too long, since we only have 45 minutes to cover the two miles meet Steve, but we walk slowly along the trail until the views start to disappear behind tall briar canes.

The descent to Indian Grave is brutal on my knees.  Thank goodness I am blessed to have strong and pain-free joints, but the 7000 feet of elevation loss over the last three days is enough to spank even the best legs.  And this trail turns into an eroded knee-buster of small rocks slippery over the crooked roots from rhododendron. 

Steve greets us at the road crossing with his liftgate up and a cooler filled with cold diet coke and water! We are 11 minutes past our arrival time, so we don't waste time. We jump in and he takes us to the outfitter and to a Walgreens, where I can buy new ear plugs and some creamer and sugar for the coffee cabin at the hostel, even though we won't be here to use it, I like to pay things forward.  I also buy some pringles to share with GG, which is one of our favorite trail snacks.  They last about a minute. We hit an ATM so I could replenish my cash, which goes quickly in town. 

I try to pack as much as possible tonight. My new tarp I seam-sealed yesterday is still really tacky at the seams.  I find a bottle of vagisil powder in the bathroom and sprinkle the silicone liberally to keep it from sticking. I top off the charge on all my electronics.  My food bag is packed with just enough to make it to the next resupply at 19E, and I give away extra food to hikers who just came in and have yet to resupply.  My resupply has more freeze-dried dinners than I need, but I decide to keep those for breakfasts; they are expensive but loaded with calories and super light in weight. 

We will be leaving Erwin tomorrow.  Kodiak thinks her thigh is good enough to head out tomorrow!  She will be behind us, but her trail legs are better than ours, so she should be able to catch up in a couple of days.  I will be so sad to leave here - it's been more like staying at a resort and doing some day hikes.  But we need to get up the trail and get some more miles behind us. I am eager to get back into the wilderness, far away from civilization. 

It's now 8 pm, and for all the people here, the hostel is surprisingly quiet.  I can hear someone talking in a nearby cabin.  Another person is washing out their water bottle at the sink behind the bathhouse.  Someone is talking on their phone, and I can hear the excited squeals of little children emitted through the receiver. 

I drift off into a peaceful, exercise induced slumber.  

Todays Stats: 12.2 Miles, 2900' gain

Trail Stats: 365 Miles, 86K feet gain