Appalachian Trail Section Hike Deep Gap to Rock Gap

Hey, y'all Ramdeen oh here coming at you from North Carolina, on the Appalachian, Trail guess. Why I'm an I'm a deep gap what the heck am I doing here, I'll help to find out stick around. All. Right so I just got done with the approach, trail which, is the Kinsey Creek Trail great little trail I'll leave a link up here for you to go take, a look at it highly recommend, that trail if even if you just want to come out with afternoon neat, little trail kind. Of more interesting, there's a lot of places I've been on the 80 there's not any views, but pretty. Creeks Kim's a creek that you're walking next, to and sometimes through so if. You're going to do that trail by all means have you some mud shoes all. Right so we're going to head on out we're coming up out of deep gap and we're, making the climb, we're. Not going to stay at the first shelter we're going to stay at the next campground, it's, only about 4:30 so we got two. Hours and a half give, or take some daylight so I'm gonna keep on rolling hopefully. I'll see some food hiker somewhere and, get. A chance to chat with him all. Right, they. Let go. Well. We, got to tell you it's. Great to be back on the trail, after. Four, months of zeroes. Ha. This. Trailer just. Came off Kim's, the Creek Trail approach trail from standing. Indian in the. 80s, in. This area anyway it's considerably, well. Better, graded, of. Course I know that's going not gonna be the case tomorrow. I want to do Albert Mountain but for. Right now, it's. Easier. Uphill. Then, Kimsey. Creek I. Know. I just got started, coming. Out of deep gap but, blowdown. Sits not been bad. The. Trail one of the things about the kimchi Creek is it doesn't get much use so. It doesn't get pounded, down with. Little buddy here. Of. Course they had the same amount of rain. As. They did on the kimchi Creek last night and OH. Hiker, season. And. So. As you can tell it's not a it's. Not near as muddy, as. Kimsey. Creek just. Because it, doesn't. Soak, in and fluff. It up it all. S runs off, so. You. Know not. Have to worry about that a lot of water so far on. The trails I would expect. All. Right I check in later. All. Right eyes on, the hiking sailing, channel this one's for you a little. Bit of debris here. Okay. This, is the BRE item number one I'm, getting, for you this time. Hi. Dice they are. Real. Clear. Hi. You know. All. Right I am going, up a standing, Indian mountain. You. Can see the ice on the trail behind me so and, it was ice forming, in my coffee cup.

After, I washed it out so there's. A it's, well below freezing. Left. About I don't know eight fifteen just about eight twenty five, now. Standing. In he's got a lot of switchbacks, on it thank goodness it's, a my here North Khurana thought about switchbacks. Huh. But. Anyway everybody, out stay. Last night with some, thru-hikers. I was pretty cool. And. I'll. Have a piece of the inner pan you. Know later update. But. Uh yeah. Got. Real windy last night. And, it was a course, got blow freezing it, says it supposed to be 29, tent. Worked fine the winds were gusting to. 30 and. Sustained. 15. It. Was ripping roaring all night. A. Sleep. System worked, good I'll do a review on that but, that. Worked out great so oh. It's pretty warm got. A few tweaks got a make to it but anyway. I got off this war and I'm the first one on camp. Folks. We're making. Breakfast. When I left. Kind. Of stirred around so. In. Case I'm. Heading up standing, Indian Mountain. Going. To the past. Carter gap. Didn't, take long I've got on buddy every stitch of clothing I got. It. Did not take long for me to heat up you. Still still got my headlamp on that bother to take it off yet because. I was getting up in the dark I got. Up about 5:30. 5:30. Hi maybe closer at 6:00 just took, me two and a half hours god I can. Do. A little better job of that but anyway. My. Destination, is a second. Shelter, not. Sure which one that is, this, one past Carter gap. That's. About fourteen, point. Three mile day so. That's very doable then that brings. Me out 8. Point, something mile. Day to get, to Rock gap so all, that's doable, I, am. Starting to heat up here. So. I'll. Have to be shedding. Layers sooner, rather than later I, got. On thermals, and puppies and all. That neat stuff which I needed this morning. But. I don't need it now TV. And I still blow freezing, you. Get warmed up quick. Anyway. I'm. Heading up and up so, imma. Let you, talk. Feet a bit. One. Thing I want to show you is it it's. Pretty cold when you got it we call this Jack ice, some. People call it a vice but basically it's the moisture in the ground has just. Created. Icicles, and pushed. Itself up out of the ground, but. It just gives you in the case how chilly it is one, good thing about it being cold is that the, trails not muddy right. Now they. Just got, like. Two. Inches of rain over. The past two days including, yesterday, morning. And. So. What. Raisins trails not money because it's all froze. That's, a good thing. And. Then also, the. Trails so compressed. From so many feet over it that a lot of water just runs off. There's. A lot of Springs up here. There, just drain across the trail so gotta, watch out for that but. Standing in the Indian, fortunately. Has a lot of switchbacks, that. Makes it a whole lot easier. There's. Awful. Pretty pretty. Creation, up here that's for sure. Yeah. Coming. Just switch back now but hold. Out a lookout a. Little. Bit of a view through there let's. Looking south. Actually. North since the signs on the right. All. Right hitting up another switchback you. See the great, it's. Not bad at all coming up standing Indian. As. Far as the great. How they've got the trail graded, say. That's about perfect for coming. Up a hill. It's. So windy up here I'm on the top of standing, Indian Mountain. Spinning. Around here, like that look at that view.

It's. Too windy then I'll just I took a picture of it I'll just, include. It but anyway that's. Awesome me it's. A couple, camp sites up here. Very. Top. They're. Not. Been able to find the. Marker. Oh about, it fantasy, it I collect. Looking. For that thing run. I'll. Take a picture of it anyway. On. Top of the world. Appreciate. It. You, tell the trees are burned really good to fires in 2006, just. Came screaming, over top just, kept. On going. I. Don't. Need taking layers off cousin ah damn, alright, Oh carry, on blow. These reeds walls you gotta just. Walking right down the ridge. It's. Pretty neat be able to look off both sides of, you coming. Down the backside i standing, indian. Sometimes. You get to me closer, where you're just the. Ridge is just. Wide enough with, the trail. Alright. So I'm hearing a carter, gap to shelter this was my lunchtime, destination. I made it here you, left, at about 8:30, it's, about eleven forty. Four. Miles, sometimes that's, a, no. Six miles, from. Standing. Indian. Shelter so I'm. Good with that got another nine, inch to go for the day. Have. To beat feet and make that but, anyways car to get shelter. Now. It's with you it's a cotton-picking, mess. Got. Here somebody left socks here. Water. Bottle, over there somebody. Left of back support. The. Only thing acceptable. To, leave here in my opinion is the American. American, flag but, some. People may have a problem with that yeah. I'm. Here for lunch. Might. As I got a fire laid it's. A pretty shelter. It. Does have a. Windbreak. Here up underneath the shelter. So. That helps wind blowing up through. This. Valley right here. There's. The view from here. Pretty. Nice. Yeah. I'm. Gonna get me some lunch and I'm, going to. Get. Me some recent get me some more water and then I will, continue the mission. Out. From now, I'll. Show you a little bit more the shelter it's not a double decker but probably. They say it sleeps six to, eight something. Like that, got. A bench. Table. Another. Bench. Has. A preview or not. Hadn't. Seen a sign for one but. There's water close by, alright, chat with you later all right so we've got a ton. Of blow down from. Rhododendron. Mount. Laurel, it, was blown down a lot people. Coming through earlier, we're fighting, and, it. Looks like they've cleared, everything. So, far. So. From. Deep. Gap to. Carter. Gap. Shelter. Everything's, been beyond for. About a mile everything's, clear, so far I let you know at the end of the hike. It's. All of its clear but all, blood has been cleared particularly, rhododendron, does, be really thick trying to work your way through those not like a tree trunk you can maybe go under or go over, there. You've got 23. Trunks but, so. Appreciate the trail maintainer, is doing doing. Their job getting out here and getting. That knocked out. Okay.

However Mountain is. It bear, there's. So much water. Coming. Out of the hillsides, now that it just covers the trail in, a lot of places. But. Particularly coming. Up Albert Mountain. You. Know remember what I said about the tree or not being muddy well it stalled out now and it is so. Our mountains really rocky lotta. These aren't even the worst bites, on. A scale of one. Being but not, so bad and ten being the worst that, probably a three. Of what I've been through so far and. In the trail. We. Want to set about the grading being. Great through here it. Ain't. But. In any way there. Is a lot of stuff, to here to negotiate, unless. You just want to trump through it and get steeped wet. All. Right so I don't know what. Mountain. I was on back there but it wasn't. Albert. Mountain, you. Can see there is, the fire tower. Way. Out yonder, that's Albert Mountain, I still. Got that climb together. Holy. Hannah, it's. Like there's somebody on top up there, so. Maybe you got access to the deck now no they used to keep it locked off, all. Right. Once. I hit the gap down here I think. A crossover road it's two-tenths of a mile and that's gonna be straight, up. Hey. Talk. About a poorly. Graded trail, holy. Cow. That's. A piece of cake, compared. To that. Wow. All. Right I made it to the house of my own fire tower he's been, it's. Like it's been completely restored. Wait, with a door I mean you could camp out up here. You. Got 360. Miles. Views. I'm. Thinking maybe you were younger somewheres, or Smokey's maybe, don't. Know. So. I saw the sign back there that, said, Wallace. Gap I think it said 5.4. Well-wrought. Gap is before that and Rock gaps when I'm planning to come out, I. Got. Luke, who's a daylight, I was. Planning the after, I by mountain the shelter was only like two. And. Some, change, that. Was my ultimate destination. But. Rock. Rock, gaps only. Looked. At good exits like for, three. From. Where. I was. If. That be the case cuz it's closer than Wallace. Gap that be the case then shoot I'm. Gonna come out I know. That's a have. To go and add it up like. A 20. Mile day or something, I don't. Know I'm not I had, never done big. Miles like that I'm not a big mild guy usually just like to take. My time but be honest with you Hackman to rush I've. Stopped it ever view there is. Husband. Getting. Aggressively. Attacked. Not. Physically, but, certainly. Mentally, is by, two dogs. Had. Been any problems. But. I. Don't. Think I got any more views left. And. I'm. Not much for just sitting, at the shelter being cold cuz. It was cold, last, night, Hannah. I'll, be honest with you house, sitting in there in. My, quilt, I was warm. Still. Would get a cold spot now in the end and then of course I was on the slope so kept falling down to the bottom and. I, thought to myself you. Have to rethink when, I'm going to go when, I do go. Because. I don't like this cold business that's, something since I've gotten older, seem. To be more. Conscious. Of and get colder, easier. And. I don't like it. Like. Being warm. Anyhow. I'm. Thinking I'm gonna get to the shelter, probably, a mile and half away. Chuck. Check gut hooks again, I'm. Only, three. Or so from rock, gap coming out I'm coming out. I'll. Go home and get. My warm bed. You. Know I mean. If I I had, a. You. Know if I was doing. 50. Mile under, miles or something that wouldn't be a problem he'd stay there but. I just. Got all this daylight, and I'm. Not wanting to burn. Daylight. Love. The trail like being on it but I. Have a hard time throttling, back, trouble. I wouldn't make a great hiking partner unless, she had my pace I guess, my pace is pretty. Quick I expected, them, folks. Back there, that. I was at shelter with to catch me. They. Were like younger than me and been on the trail well. Since some of them did the approach trail so.

I Figured they had their trail eggs but you. Know, he might just be taking their time too because, they got, mm. What. Is it this year 2000 192. Miles. So. Anyway. I'm. Seriously considering, it. You. Will. Know. If I do. In. The meantime hopefully, you've enjoyed the trail. This. Part, right here I think it's all mostly. Downhill, the. Rock gap. And. This is a well graded section. All. Right enjoy it for a few minutes. I. Am. At Long, Branch shelter, and. It. Is. Laughter. For and. Rock. Gap is three, point eight miles. Less. Than four, there's. A little. Bit of get a little bit of a uphill, in between. Here and there but doesn't look too bad, I. Think I'm gonna go for it I don't. Want to go and hunker down at the cabin. This early I mean. That the shelter this early I think. I'm just gonna, head. On out. There's. A view up here it says that'll, be cool, I never, linger at the views that long but yeah. I'm going out. All. Right I'll. Let you know what I get to rock gap. Well. I am. Less. Than two miles from. Rock. Gap. Like. 1.7. But. I wanted you to hear the. Woods. Listen. There's, really not a sound, when, I'm at. The. Birds. Chipmunks. Nothing, it's. Total silence I feel like I've gone deaf. Anyway. It's. What I like about the woods. I'm. All by myself. Sitting. In the middle of creation. Wish. You could be here. Well. That's it made, it out all the way to rock gap that was about a twenty mile plus day. Next, day my feet were pretty sore or hobble around but. Probably. Wouldn't do that if, I was out for an extended period of time but just over the weekend I, know when I was come home to recuperate was, uh was, fine so but. Enjoyed it great section, great views, recommend. Deep gap rock gap to anybody. Albert. Mountain. Was, a. Unique. And, that it's straight up but. You get a reward of, some great views at the top so at a great time got, down to the, rock gap there was some trail magic down there got to and partaken that then got to put akin been a little, bit of a trail angel, and meet. Some through hikers and just. Kind of be, a part of their community for, a short time and also, ran, into, some. Some, through hikers that are met at ADCO so I'll leave that link up here in the card you can go check that out that video out was great time enjoyed, it and look. Forward to getting, back on the trail my next trip will be probably. Will be the knock, to. Fontana, so look forward to look look, for that coming up soon. That's. It guys as always appreciate. You and we'll see you out there. Okay. So I know this in the beekeeping channel but most hikers like honey and, I thought I'd give you a shot at my, girls going to work I'm getting ready to pop the lid and give them a little more room to grow make, me a little more honey for the trail, there. They are. See. Ya.

2019-04-03 11:59

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