deep gap shelter to standing indian shelter

miles: 20.3

it rained much of the night, but shortly before daybreak the rain subsided. i took the opportunity to pack up everything except the tent, giving it time to air out. breakfast and coffee as usual. i find the post scottish oats coffee lets me clean out my mug without a lot of fuss. the last sip is a little chunky.

got a later start than i wanted, around 08:30. “wet foot”, “ain’t got one”, and “so yeah”, a family from kentucky through hiking left while i was eating. i think “so yeah” is only 10, but she’s the talker in the family. i passed them pretty early on.

there were incredible views through trees, which sadly aren’t able to be photographed. the only way they aren’t just a picture of trees is if you blow it up to the size of a wall so you could look past them.

there was one short blue blaze trail that led to a nice vista.

shortly after that however the weather deteriorated rapidly. soaking rain the entire day punctuated by thunderstorms that i couldn’t see coming. i was drenched the entire day. like i just hiked in the shower all day and occasionally someone turned on a second shower, and smashed a trash can lid near my ears. i don’t even know what dry means anymore.

i passed “chef ramsey” whom i haven’t seen for a few days. we chatted for just a minute and then i was off again since i left late and wanted to cover some ground. i stopped at plumorchard gap shelter for lunch and made a cup of tea. “chef ramsey” showed up a little while later. i told him this is where i think ian is planning to stop for the day, so he wrote him a note and taped it to the table. i mistakenly told him i was heading for the next shelter, muskrat shelter, to finish my first 20.

12.5 miles from deep gap shelter i entered north carolina!

there should have been a sign that said “welcome to north carolina, here’s your climb.” (this would be funnier if bill engvall was from NC and not TX.) almost immediately there was a very steep and lengthy climb followed almost immediately by another.

also, apparently it is not north carolina custom to install water bars on the trail. it was a complete lake the entire way.

eventually i got to muskrat shelter around 15:00. i hadn’t been able to use my phone for much of the day. i had got water between the screen protector and the screen and it wouldn’t register my fingers properly, so i couldn’t log in. at muskrat i took the whole thing apart and dried it out. success!

unfortunately i then discovered that i was only 15 miles from deep gap shelter. i thought i was done for the day, but i still had another 5 miles. so pack back on and off i went.

the bad weather deteriorated further sending copious amounts of wind. rain was blowing sideways and hitting my jacket hood so hard that it was deafening. the trail also became more challenging. numerous roots and puddles to be dodged, as well as slippery rocks.

finally as my strength was waning i reached standing indian shelter. but the weather wouldn’t relent. there was one person in the shelter, asleep off to one. i was very cold at this point and shivering, i pulled out my sleeping bag, layed it on the opposite side of the shelter, and immediately crawled in. i needed calories, so i ate one of the avocados i got at ingles, and took a nap to warm up.

i had planned not to even touch a shelter again, but this was approaching an emergency. after a brief 20 minute nap i was warm again. i met my shelter mate, “hot hands”. we kept to opposite sides of the shelter, so distance was maintained.

before long another hiker, “which way” showed up. i had seen her briefly when i stopped at muskrat shelter. she said she thought no one else was headed to standing indian shelter that night and i agreed. she asked if she could set up her tent under the roof that extended over the ground in front of the shelter. since it was just the three of us, i opted to stay, and not set up my tent in the pouring rain.

dinner was superb. tea followed by bone broth that i dragged up here, and then beef chili mac. i think next time i’ll put the bone broth directly in the chili mac pouch instead of water.

bed time now, except i drank too much and have to pee. it’s still raining. essentially everything except my sleeping bag and sleeping clothes are soaked. very thankful for that.