Day 7- Dick's Creek Gap to Muskrat Creek Shelter- Georgia Complete

Miles Hiked: 11.8
Start time: 9:15 am
End time: 8:15 pm
Thunderstorms: 2
Total miles from Springer mnt: 81.4

Thursday May 12th (posted on the 13th due to no cell coverage)

  I could write a book about today. It was hard, the views were amazing, and the changes in weather were awesome to watch. Certainly our most memorable day yet, probably my favorite. We got through it, by the grace of God, we conquered the hike. And we were also reminded of God's power and the incredible beauty of his creation.

  Before leaving the hostel, I gave Sage a heavier pack, 30 pounds including a bag of gala apples. I carried only 25.5 pounds. Our weights were with an 8 oz of canister fuel, 2 liters of water each, and enough food to make it to Franklin, NC. I mailed home 2.5 pounds of gear i concluded we didn't need,

   Sage was up to the challenge of a heavier pack,  and lead me up the final climb of the day. And once we finish off the apples with peanut butter, Sage will have a much lighter pack.

   The reader is probably thinking " What
kind of Dad makes his daughter carry the heavier pack? However,  I assure you it was an act of love.  The apples are to prevent scurvy, she has been eating a lot of ramen while on the trail.

     We hit the trail well rested and eager to take on whatever the trail might throw at us. And throw it did. First, this was by far the hardest section of trail yet. It was a moderate climb, nearly continuous until the North Carolina border.

We stopped for lunch at the Plum Orchard shelter and enjoyed frozen Peanut Butter cups I had prepared overnight bat the hostel. I had a cup of  espresso with mine. Sage ramen to drink with her Reeces.

We pressed on and came to the sign marking the Ga border.

At the border I joked: Well, I hope North Carolina is flat.

Oh my....it wasnt. The last two miles of our day of almost continuous climbing were the steepest we have seen anywhere on the hike. 

But wait, there is more. Thunderstorms.  At two different points, a band of thunderstorms blew through with strong winds and cold rain. Both times I had just enough warning to hang my tarp just off the trail, escaping a complete soaking. We got to sit under our tarp watching very wet hikers trudge past.  Why hike in a swift, powerful, and quickly passing storm? We decided to rest, and eat. I explained to a passing through hiker that we are just section hikers, we don't do rain.

The first time the storm blew through, we decided to cook some kielbasa.

Sage likes her kielbasa with Pringles.

I like mine with hot peppers.

The second time a thunderstorm blew through, we had time to hang a hammock.  But there was only room for one, as I had to hang the tarp low to keep  out the rain.

Humm....Hammock is rated for 350 and I'm down to 255, so it can hold us both. Straps are rated to 400, so no need to worry about those.

The rain and wind were very cold during the second storm, the temperature dropped quickly. So we started bundling up. I also got out my down top quilt to keep us warm. We saw the huge gusts, we listened to the hail pelting the tarp, and we heard the rumbling of thunderstorms.

Everything was working great, the two of us even fit ok by laying head to feet. Sage listened to music and was snug and warm.

Then "pop" wham...we were on the ground. One of my Hummingbird Hammock straps had broken. Not cool. They may the lightest on the market, but I need to trust my gear. Sage's straps were nearly new. I will contact the vendor and see how they handle it.

Today was a day for gear failure.  In addition to the strap, my Gossamer Gear G4 pack has started to rip on a load bearing seam. I'm not sure if it will make it through the hike. I can rig it up  and keep going at least to Franklin,  and perhaps Fontana Dam. But i would not want to enter the Smokies with a dying pack.

   So I'll be taking some pictures and emailing a couple cottage vendors, giving them a chance to stand by their gear.

    One piece of gear that didn't fail today was my tarp from Hammock Gear. My tarp is mounted to a continuous ridgeline with a Dutch clip one side, a wasp on the other, and flies on the tarp edges. The whole setup the goes inside a Hammock Gear Snakeskin. I can deploy it in a minute or two, which is how we managed to stay dry on a very stormy day.  The wind and hail were impressive,  and the tarp withstood it all.

Both of had a lot of energy today, and physically are doing well. I think Sage is feeling some of the same foot pain I am. But my right foot swelling has gone down, and I am still blister free. Sage has one or two, but they are taped and seem to be ok.

Hiking is 90 percent mental, and the other 90 percent is taking care of your feet.

I learned something very useful today. It is much more effective to simply slow down on the climbs than try to power on up. The goal is to never stop for a rest. For the first 6 days, my climbing strategy was to push hard...stop, completely winded, rest, repeat. Today I set my pace based on the incline, slowing down to keep my breath even. It worked much better. At times I had to go very slow, but I kept walking up the mountains.

An amazing day, all kinds of weather, intense climbs, and we arrived at the shelter dry and before sunset.