As you’ll recall I left Unicoi Gap, Ga., on the 21st and intended to check in two days later from the Cloud9 hostel. I decided not to, after I got there, because there were a few people staying there that I didn’t quite trust with the knowledge that I was carrying around a laptop.

From Unicoi Gap on the 21st I climbed Rocky Mountain (yes, that’s its name) at 4,017 feet, and later in the day, Tray Mountain at 4,430 feet. I called it a short day at 5.6 miles.

The next day I took another short day, only going 8 miles to Deep Gap shelter, where someone, presumably long ago, left a funny comic.

On the 23rd I hiked 3.8 miles very fast to Dicks Creek Gap and caught a ride to Cloud 9 the same morning, which is on the site of a trout farm. For dinner we had fresh caught smoked trout. It was delicious, and you missed it.

The next day I left there and went 11.7 miles, passing the North Carolina state line and Bly Gap that afternoon. I took a picture of the famous gnarled oak tree, and then had two steep, rocky climbs before I wound up at Muskrat Creek shelter. That night the temperature got down to 21 degrees and there was a dusting of snow on the ground in the morning.

Then on Tuesday my feet were hurting so it took me almost all day to make the 4.9 miles to Standing Indian Shelter at the base of Standing Indian Mountain. I took a rest there.

And Wednesday I was feeling better so I climbed right up the 5,498 foot Standing Indian Mountain. Unfortunately I somehow missed the side trail which leads to the summit. I kind of regret missing it, since I hear the view is spectacular. That day I made 11.3 miles and camped out at Betty Creek Gap. If you wind up here and want some privacy, there are additional campsites down the side trail. I slept like a rock that night, much better than I ever do in a shelter.

Yesterday I climbed to the top of 5,250 foot Albert Mountain. The ascent was extremely steep and rocky and was easily the toughest climb anywhere on the Trail so far. There were a few times I wasn’t entirely sure how to get up the rocks, and later I heard one person actually fell backward off the rocks but managed to save himself by grabbing onto a tree branch. I was too tired after that climb to go up the fire tower.

Late yesterday afternoon at Glassmine Gap I saw an odd rock formation right in the Trail. It took me a minute to recognize that it was man-made.

I stayed last night at Rock Gap Shelter, having done 8.4 miles, and in good position to get into Franklin. This morning I hiked 0.7 miles to Wallace Gap where I caught a shuttle into town. So far I’ve made 104.5 miles up the Trail, and I feel pretty good.

Several days this last week I only hiked a few miles so I could arrive here in Franklin on this day. The reason is that this weekend is the Hiker Fool Bash, where hikers from all over, and especially thru-hikers, stop in and have an excuse to eat and party. As if I need an excuse to eat. I’m almost constantly hungry anymore and I’m still losing weight.

I may or may not have pictures and/or video of the party; I haven’t decided yet. Either way, I’m staying here through Sunday morning and hitting the Trail again then.

If I don’t post something about the party, the next update to this journal will be 8 or 9 days later when I get to Gatlinburg, Tenn., another 100 miles up the Trail and halfway through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. I am sure to have some interesting video by then.

The ground has been much more rocky than it was at the start of the Trail and going up and down those rocks is rather tricky, at least for me. I’m sure I’ll get used to them soon enough, but for now they’re a real pain, literally.

When we last left off I was leaving Woody Gap on March 16 after taking a day off to wait out some severe weather which had brought hail to the mountains and a tornado through downtown Atlanta. Some pictures of Woody Gap follow.

First stop of note was Big Cedar Mountain, which has some nice views into the valleys below.

That day I hiked some 10.6 miles from Woody Gap to Neels Gap, over Blood Mountain at 4461 feet.

Coming off Blood Mountain, I arrived at Neels Gap.

I shot video of the day’s hike:

The next day my left foot started hurting and I only made about four miles to Baggs Creek Gap, where I tented to try to relax and see if it got any better. It did only after taking some Aleve.

On the 18th I pushed hard and tried to get as far as Blue Mountain, hiking the last part after dark, but wound up taking a wrong turn at the five-way intersection at Chattahoochee Gap and following a side trail for over a mile to I don’t even know where. I was too tired to backtrack all the way so I camped on the side trail that night. It’s probably just as well, since the 2.2 miles from Chattahoochee Gap to Blue Mountain Shelter was extremely rocky and would have been dangerous at night.

And yesterday I woke up to a light rain, packed up my wet tent, and hiked through the rain back to Chattahoochee Gap and then to Blue Mountain Shelter, where I spent the day waiting out what turned into a serious rainstorm.

The storm broke last night, but too late to do any serious hiking, so eight of us crammed into a shelter rated for seven, with half a dozen more people tenting outside.

Finally this morning I ascended Blue Mountain at 4025 feet and then descended into Unicoi Gap, where I hitchhiked into town and am taking a day off to rest my foot. I think I pulled a muscle in it somehow, but nothing seems to be broken.

I’ll hit the Trail again tomorrow and try to make Dicks Creek Gap (16.6 trail miles from Unicoi Gap) and the Cloud 9 hostel by Saturday afternoon. Then on Sunday it’s a nine-mile hike to Bly Gap and the North Carolina state line.