Zero day

I woke up really early and drove to McDonald to use their bathroom.  While Tom Tom was still sleeping, I drove back out to Dick's Gap.  He was still sleeping, so I read some of the book until he woke up.

He had bought a small frying pan and some pancake mix in a Shake and Pour container.  We started a small campfire fooling around with rubbing alcohol and spraying Pam on the wood to start the fire.  His pancakes turned out pretty good.  By the time we were finished fooling around with the campfire, he decided that it was kind of late so he decided to hike a zero day.

We drove back to the lake, swam across the lake, and he set up his hammock for an afternoon nap and we took turns reading some of the book.  Went back to the grocery store and bought a half gallon of ice cream to split.  Went to the town recreation complex where we played a little basketball, really just him, and I shot a lousy game of pig.  Tom Tom talked me into taking him to the movies,  "Hang Over Two."  It was pretty funny.

Camping in the car at Dick's Gap was one of the worst nights.  It was really hot and buggy when we opened the windows.  Not much sleeping.

Tom Tom took off running with just his camel pack.  He was only going to run about 16 miles to Deep Gap.  About a mile and a half into his run, he ditches his 65 dollar camel pack, 10 dollar new watch, and 15 dollar water silver pellet purifier.  He said that he lost his upper front strap and the pack moved around causing him some chaffing.  He wanted to feel free so he unloaded everything.  He left everything out were some other needy hiker would easily find it.  He carried his wallet and cell phone in a bag in his hand.  He drank water right out of the streams without purifying.

I gave a couple of Canadian hikers a ride into Hiawassee, I met them several times on the trail the first couple of days on the trail.  Then I drove the hour drive around some of the mountains and used my GPS with coordinates that I got out of Awol's trail guide book to get to Deep Gap.  It ended, after a six mile drive up a gravel and dirt road.

Mushrooms growing on the side of the tree

I hiked three miles up the trail when I stopped to take some pictures of some big mushrooms growing on the side of a big tree. Before I could get the camera away, I heard the pounding of feet on the trail. No Way! I just figured that Tom Tom had to be at least 4 miles away, but I was wrong, he had just ran the thirteen miles in a little over 3 hours, mostly going up hill.  

Tom Tom climbing on the tree