I woke up to a light rain and dense fog. Slept like a rock all night except for about 15 minutes when a mouse was chewing on one of our zip lock bags. Plodder, Mike and Travis were all out of their sleeping bags before Goat and I. It was actually a little warmer when I did get out of my bag (compared to the last couple of days). We ate a couple of pop tarts and decided to only hike to the next shelter 6 miles away. That way my heel could rest up a little and Goat's blisters could also. That would put us only a couple miles away from the road that leads to Franklin where our next maildrop is. We could get to the road really early, hitch in, and have a long day to take care of all our town chores. We packed up and got out of the shelter about 9:15. We hiked through open forests with the forest floor covered with dead leaves that had dropped last fall. Mountain larrels were thick in some parts, but it's too early for them to be in bloom. We also hiked through long rhodedendron tunnel that completely engulfed us and was filled so dense with fog that you couldn't see the other end. Up one side of a mountain and down the other side, with each mountain hiding its beautiful views behind the dense white mist that has been following us for 4 days. Aside from missing the views, the weather has been absolutely perfect for hiking. A cool breeze has been blowing, and the thick air settles on your skin to help keep me from overheating. The mist also gives the woods a mysterious feel, every 25 feet of views and my environment can totally change without warning.
We reached Rock Gap Shelter around noon. I think people had just left the shelter because something in the fire pit was still smoking a little. We picked up the shelter register and flipped through it. Some of the people we started with are ahead and I miss talking to them. We read their entries and got a laugh out of a couple of them. By 12:15, I knew we could not stop hiking for the day. I'm out here to hike, and if I don't do it all day, I feel like somthing is missing. We decided to hike the rest of the way into Franklin, and inlcude a little side trip to see the world's second largest poplar tree. The side trail was blue blazed and about a half mile into Small Valley when we reached the end of the trail we saw it. A Poplar tree that would have taken 8 people to encircle it. There was an old wooden fence that encircled it. The bottom of the tree looked like a large elephant foot stamped into the ground. We snapped a couple of pictures of the old tree. I also found the first signs of spring blooming. Around the tree were a couple of bloodroots . They are small flowers with white petals and a yellow center. They got their name because of the red sap that can be squeezed from the roots. Indians used to use this sap to dye their clothes.
We hiked back up the trail, stopping once to take a picture of some waterfalls . We continued on the A.T., a tough climb out of Wallace Gap, then we descended to the road that led into Fraklin. When we arrived at the road, we saw Travis returning from Franklin with a bag full groceries. A gentlemen by the name of Rich Bonkston had given him a ride from Franklin to the trail. He asked us if we were going into Franklin. We said we were. He told us to throw our packs in the back and hop in. He drove us all the way into Franklin. He even gave us a tour of the town. He stopped at the Post Office and told us to go and grab our maildrop, then he took us right to the front office of the Franklin Inn. The kindness of people along the trail never ceases to amaze me. We tried to give him some money for gas, but all he wanted was a promise for us to send him a picutre of us from Katahdin to tell him we made it. His picture will be in the mail in about 6 months.
We checked into the motel and opened our packages. Our food drop had some special treats in it. Goat's mom included a couple blueberry muffins that were made fresh from the East Coast Bagelry in Rocky Mount. Another thru hiker receives those muffins in lots of his maildrops too (James Stephenson). We also got a package from my parents. Both us had our new boots mailed to us. I hoped my old ones would make it a little further, but the inside lining is beginning to tear. Other than that they're great. Absolutely the best boots I have ever had, they lasted me 9 years. I also received a card from my sister wishing us well. It was a great surprise to get a card from her.
We showered, then went to Western Sizzlin for a buffet. Goat and I literally ate ourselves stupid. I felt like laying down on the restaurant floor for a nap. We walked back from the restaurant through town. Franklin is a pretty neat town. They're having a Scottish celebration downtown tomorrow and a parade this afternoon. We also did our laundry this afternoon, so that's one less thing to do tomorrow. It's getting late now, so I'll get some sleep. Big town day tomorrow and then back to hiking.
Peace, love & cat collars...
Hipbone
