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WEEK 2 - March 30 to April 5, 1981 |
March 30, 1981 (afternoon)
From Neel's Gap we had a pleasant hike to Low Gap shelter. On the way I saw and heard a downy woodpecker and heard a towhee. Also saw two snakes just before lunch and took a picture of the first one. Yesterday we hiked through Unicoi Gap and stopped for the day in a laurel thicket just north of Rocky Mt. We endured a tremendous wind and rain storm last night and are taking a day at Montray Shelter to dry out. Connie is having problems with a knee so even though it is only 5 miles to the next shelter we will stay here for the day. The view from the top of Tray Mt. is tremendous, better even than Blood Mt. Even though the overcast was just clearing, I took a picture. There was lots of garbage on the trail between Blood Mt. and Low Gap, especially at Low Gap Shelter. Also, there were a couple of weekender groups at Low Gap running about hacking down trees for firewood.
April 1, 1981
I heard a rumor yesterday that the President had been shot. At first I thought it might be an April Fool's joke but a hiker who just got on the trail confirmed it. Yesterday I hustled from Montray to route 76 thinking there was a store just a couple of miles down the road. It turns out that it had burned down. Luckily, I had asked some local people before trekking down there. Saw a lot of wildlife yesterday - squirrels, grouse, white-tailed deer, and another snake at route 76. We camped about a mile and a half north of 76. Got rained on again but the storm was not nearly so violent and I stayed relatively dry. Connie, however, still got wet. It continued to rain or look like rain until about one in the afternoon when it SUDDENLY cleared up. Saw some bluets in bloom and some strawberry and cinquefoil plants today. I am sitting now on a breezy, sunny, cool day at Muskrat Lean-to. Georgia was finished about three miles back and I am now in North Carolina.
April 2, 1981
A relatively easy walk from Muskrat to Carter in slightly too warm weather. Today starts a "tour" of the Nantahala watershed, a three day journey which will put us back about four miles from the Standing Indian Shelter which we passed today. Dave, a thru-hiker with a love for shortcuts was disappointed that he didn't notice this one. Passed through a patch of what Connie says is a kind of begonia. I took some pictures of it. Dave was embarrassed to find out that the thumping noises that he had been hearing were grouse declaring their territories and not his blood pressure. I am running short of lunch food and Connie is feeding my breakfast food to the dog. I sat early this afternoon at Carter and watched the juncos and grouse wander by the shelter. None came close enough for a picture. The Nantahala is a black bear preserve with lots of signs declaring it to be so but I saw no signs of bear.
April 3, 1981
Snake count today: 1 (same kind). Have reached the northern (eastern?) end of the Nantahala watershed. The trail was flat except for the climb up Albert Mountain (shades of New England - cliffs to climb!)and the descent into Rocky Gap. After arriving at the shelter in the early afternoon I walked an extra three miles to the Rainbow Campground store which turned out to be closed and for sale. The view from Albert Mountain was spectacular, but otherwise the day was uneventful.
April 4, 1981
Snake count today: 1. This one looked like the others but also had dark spots. Possibly, I didn't notice them before. Yellow violets, violets, and phlox are now in bloom. We heard via the through-hiker grapevine that Dennis, Liz, and Davis have stopped temporarily due to injuries. We have also heard news of Tom, Emily, and others who are apparently a day ahead of us. We are camped this evening inside the Wyah Bald observation tower. The day was partly sunny and cool. A front appears to be moving in this evening but there is no rain as yet.