Appalachian Trail - Dicks Creek Gap to Winding Stair Gap

Apr-11-2011 — AT, Hiking — 3 min read

Day 1 - April 11, 2011

Got up with the sun and grabbed my pack. Folks dropped me off at Dicks Creek Gap about 8 AM.

I made it to the NC/GA border about 1 PM where I met Alex, Megan, and Chris- all thru hikers. We had lunch at Bly Gap.

There are two really, really tough climbs out of Bly Gap up to Muskrat Creek. I debated passing Muskrat before I had those climbs but I was done. Got to the shelter about 4:30.

There were lots of people in camp that night. A big storm was predicted to blow through so we hunkered down. There were 11 of us in the shelter built for 8.

The storm came in later than expected, well after dark and blew all night long.

Miles Today: 11.8

Day 2 - April 12, 2011

Woke up to rain and cold. A positively dreary morning- I guess this storm didn't blow through as fast as expected.

Made good time to Standing Indian Shelter for a brunch meal of sorts. It was still raining and cold, and I could not get a cell signal to check the weather.

I continued to make good time and made it to Carter Gap Shelter about 3PM.

It was a lot of the same crew as the night before.

I set up my tent to get out of the wind and give me a warmer place to be- I was pretty close to be soaked at this point. The sun poked out late, too late to really warm up but a good sign for tomorrow.

We got a weather report, lows to be in the 30s, but highs in the 70s.

Miles Today: 12.5 Total Miles: 24.3

Day 3 - April 13, 2011

Woke up to sunny sky and very cool weather. It was in the mid 40s in my tent at 8AM.

Two big climbs early.

Big Butt Mountain (no joke)
Albert Mountain

Albert was the toughest climb yet on the AT. I had to put down the treking poles to make some of the rock scrambles.

Lunch under the Fire Tower at the summit. You can see a long way from up top.

Next was a long decent into Glassmine Gap. I met up with Alison, Mike, and Abby (who I had stayed with the last two nights).

We stayed together as a group and headed north. When we reached Rock Gap Shelter, it was 2:45. From that shelter to Winding Stair is just under 4 miles, so we decided to head on. The three of them were heading into Frankin, NC and I was getting off the trail.

There was one last tough climb out of Wallace Gap. But that was probably more because I was dead tired rather than the actual toughness of the climb itself.

Big plummet into Winding Stair Gap, but you can see and hear the traffic on US-64, so you press on. Got there a bit after 4:30.

The folks showed up just before 5 and I said my good-byes and good-lucks to a bunch of thru-hikers.

Thus ends my AT 2011 hike. Now I rest up and plan the next section.

Miles Today: 15.9 Total Miles: 40.2