Day 35-A Spot of Beauty, and Adding Pee Bottle

April 22-12.9 miles-Curley Maple Gap Shelter to Cherry Gap Shelter-AT mile 361.4

Today was one of our longer days with two major climbs. I got going at 7:50, and Sure Foot was just a few behind me. Before I left, I heard Tic Tac telling Papa Smurf and Pee Bottle that they should hike together, and she would just go slow what with her shin splint not doing well. 

Sure Foot caught up to me before too long, and we continued on. Just after Indian Grave Gap (didn’t see any grave), we stopped for a break. We were 4.6 miles in, and it was about 10:30. While we were eating our snacks, Pee Bottle came walking up the trail. He said he’d been trying to catch us, and that Tic Tac and Papa Smurf were going to get a ride to Roan Mtn (the town), and would wait for Pee Bottle there. It would give Tic Tac some rest, so hopefully she can continue. Pee Bottle asked if he could hike with us. Of course, it’s no problem. He’s a nice guy, and fits in with Sure Foot and I just fine. 

And Pee Bottle makes three. BTW, his pack is the men’s version of mine, only it’s the 65 liter, and he’s carrying about 50 lbs! Yikes!

Not long after PB joined us, we started the climb up to Beauty Spot. It’s basically another bald. I didn’t think the climb was too bad, but it was kind of long. The views at the top were quite the spot of beauty. 
The top in sight. 

Looking back down to Erwin (where we started from yesterday morning). 

Pano

I liked the craggy tree. 

Oh look, we could have driven up here!

It was lunch time, but there was no decent place to sit, so we began the descent, and found a spot out of the wind, and with rocks to sit on. Just a short distance after lunch, we filled up our water at a piped spring as there wasn’t another water source for 6 miles, and we had another big climb. 

The climb up Unaka Mtn was another long one. At least there were switchbacks. Going up we met Siddhartha. We had heard of him from Tic Tac. I told him PB was with us. 

Near the top we saw this oddity. 

Christmas in...April??? Apparently, the person who decorated the tree had tried to commit suicide, or something. Siddhartha read the log book that was with the tree. 

LB got to be an ornament for a brief moment. 

The top of Unaka Mtn didn’t provide any views. It was just a walk through the forest. 

A rocky walk through the forest. 



The fir tree corridor. 

The descent was long, rooty, and rocky. I had to go very slow so as not to fall on my face. Near the bottom, I had a conversation with my glutes. I told them there were a couple of short climbs coming up and they needed to wake up (they tend to sleep on the downhills). They said, “No, we don’t want to! We already did enough work today, Boss!” (Strangely, in my head, my glutes talk like you would imagine a Mexican Hairless dog would talk...go figure?). Well, I told them that was too bad. But, I gave them a bit of trail mix, so they put it in gear, and climbed the last two small hills. 

After 8 1/2 hours of hiking, we arrived at Cherry Gap Shelter. The hunt for the perfect tent spot began. Once again, there are several flat spots, but it’s supposed to rain tonight, so we don’t like to set up in the dirt (tents just become mud houses). I found a fairly level spot partially covered with leaves. I set up, then added more leaves around the perimeter. The leaves keep mud from splashing on the tent. 

Notice the leaves?

We fixed our dinners up at the Shelter  with PB. He sleeps in the Shelter even though he is carrying a Hilleberg tent (very nice tent, but not the lightest weight). He already saw one mouse. I would much rather sleep in my tent!

It was a good day today, even with the big climbs. I felt I still had some juice left at the end.